Some More Photos

I have a few more photos that I've added. The albums are entitled Haute Guinea and Training Family. They're aren't many photos from my site yet because I got to erease all the photos that are on there now. You have to have a yahoo ID to see them HERE Hopefully I'll get some more up soon also so check it out

Through the Eyes of a Child

There's a proverb that I've heard in my village that translates to "Little by little the bird builds its nest." Well for the first three months that's what I've been trying to do. We all have different strategies for making a new place our home. For me one of the basic components is some level of understanding--understanding where to find things, how to get around, how to communicate, and a general understanding of the way of life. To help me gain some understanding sometimes I like to imagine what it's like being a child growing up in this country. I imagine what it must feel like--resting on my mother's back, feeling our bodies tremble together to the rhythm of her pounding away at dried cassava; the cold droplets that drip from the bucket on her head and trickle down my face and make me shiver. I wonder about the excitement that would escape when I find a new box or a shiny scrap metal that someone so easily discarded. I image how proud and grown-up I would feel when mes grands (the older boys) would let me sit with them while they made tea, especially if they served me too. I realize it pays to go when they commission me, not because of the tea, but because of the joy of being accepted among les grands. I cringe when I think about how much it would hurt when I got hit for doing something I know was wrong. But I'll tell you one thing I'll sure think hard before I do it again, but then again I'd sometimes forget. I'm only human after all.
When I try to understand by exploring the minds of the children I find that I no longer see a fragile infant, who can't even hold up it's head, barely strapped on his mother's back. But rather I see the bond between mother and child being formed. I don't see kids running amuck completely unsupervised, everyone is keeping an eye out for trouble. It's not all carelessly thrown away garbage (although some is) that weaves in between the huts; it’s a toy store and a treasure hunt all rolled up into one. Life is all about perspective: Why not try a child's for a while.