btw, if you want to read katie's story in her own words check out her blog: tckinguinea.blogspot.com
much more eloquently put then i could have (plus i dont know the whole story and she does)...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
back to the hut
tomorrow im taking the little plane back to the hut. im nervous about what live in the village is going to be like knowing that i dont have a neighbor for 75kms with no cell phone coverage...completely disconnected from EVERYTHING going on in guinea and the world. scary. anyway, i miss all yall and esp Katie and Melissa. Becky, i havent read the magz you sent me yet, saving them for the hut but i cant wait to tear into your package when i get back!!! thank you sooooooo much! i love all yall! ill try to update again in august when ill be in mamou for lifeskills (where we will have an AIDS training). until then, if you're the praying type, i need it right now:)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
wtf
some of you may be wondering why im in conakry again so soon. well my friends, i would definitely rather be hanging out in the hut with two of my very best friends ive ever made safe and sound in their huts. however, sometimes life just works out differently than we have planned. here is what happened:
my closest neighbor and best friend here, melissa, who lives only 27kms north of my village, was medically separated from her service and sent home for reasons that are uncomprehensible to me and many of our fellow volunteers, as well as to herself. not only was melissa removed from guinea against her will within 3 days of getting the news, my other really good friend and amazing person, katie, was also forced to leave as well.
all of this came as a complete shock to everyone involved, and at the risk of getting kicked out myself i cannot reveal details in a forum as public as my blog, but just know that it was washington's decision, not the people on the ground, and as we all know, when people disconnected from a situation make a decision without knowing the whole story, or even ever meeting the people involved, the decision is often without justification and made on a "by the book" basis, as well as a "save our behinds" basis instead of a rational, case by case basis which was definitely necessary with these two model, well adjusted peace corps volunteers. a mistake was made here which i believe has hurt many more people than the people who made the final, un appealable decision can ever imagine, especially me, who has lost two of her best friends in a matter of days.
guinea is a hard country to live in, and a hard country in which to serve as a peace corps volunteer. losing two of our best has not helped this program, but this is a strong group and i know that whatever Katie and Melissa do after they get over the shock of such a hasty departure and culture shock of re-entering the first world will make a positive difference in many people's lives. i know they have touched the lives of every person in their villages, as well as each one of their fellow volunteers. You will be missed.
my closest neighbor and best friend here, melissa, who lives only 27kms north of my village, was medically separated from her service and sent home for reasons that are uncomprehensible to me and many of our fellow volunteers, as well as to herself. not only was melissa removed from guinea against her will within 3 days of getting the news, my other really good friend and amazing person, katie, was also forced to leave as well.
all of this came as a complete shock to everyone involved, and at the risk of getting kicked out myself i cannot reveal details in a forum as public as my blog, but just know that it was washington's decision, not the people on the ground, and as we all know, when people disconnected from a situation make a decision without knowing the whole story, or even ever meeting the people involved, the decision is often without justification and made on a "by the book" basis, as well as a "save our behinds" basis instead of a rational, case by case basis which was definitely necessary with these two model, well adjusted peace corps volunteers. a mistake was made here which i believe has hurt many more people than the people who made the final, un appealable decision can ever imagine, especially me, who has lost two of her best friends in a matter of days.
guinea is a hard country to live in, and a hard country in which to serve as a peace corps volunteer. losing two of our best has not helped this program, but this is a strong group and i know that whatever Katie and Melissa do after they get over the shock of such a hasty departure and culture shock of re-entering the first world will make a positive difference in many people's lives. i know they have touched the lives of every person in their villages, as well as each one of their fellow volunteers. You will be missed.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
btw
please send stamps and dry ranch mix and BACON BITS!!!! omg i MISS BACON!!! haha, ok that's enough begging for this trip! oh and i really am craving some good gossipy trashy mags to read at site. we have regional libraries and in the conakry house, and we get newsweek every mail run, but no good celebrity gossip. i cant believe im going back to site tomorrow! i cant wait to show you my village, friends, and life here in Guinea, Matt. buy your ticket ASAP and email me the itinerary!!! ill update again in about a month hopefully. until then i love yall and miss you and SEND SNAILMAIL:) peace!
esp for matt, who may be really interested in some more pix and explanations of things he will see in sept/oct, check out my friends' blogs:
Mary and Dan: http://littleblurry.blogspot.com
Alison Jean: http://becomingbinta.blogspot.com
Mary and Dan: http://littleblurry.blogspot.com
Alison Jean: http://becomingbinta.blogspot.com
getting a ride in the peace corps car to Mamou for IST... this pic is a couple months old btw...oh and also, all the boys had decided that to be funny they would have a "best moustache" competition b/c IST was the first time we had all gotten together since we were sworn in 3 months before...silliness. from left to right: David, Alex, Adam, me, Zach, Melissa, Jess
Saturday, July 5, 2008
small things
if anyone can send me a cheap plastic spray bottle that would be great. also, i really need a contact case and a toothbrush cover. thanks so much yall!!!
THANKS:)
I really want to take a minute to thank first of all Aunt Marian for sending me all those wonderful pictures of Matt's wedding. They are going to really brighten up the hut seeing all my family on my walls:) I also really want to thank Wally for sending me a letter. Snail mail means so much over here since it is so rare that I get to use the internet. I will write back a proper letter, but mail here takes FOREVER going out of guinea (one of my friends JUST recieved a letter I sent back in DECEMBER!!!) so i didnt want yall to think i didnt appreciate it! Thanks again!
the last pic was the last one of the ship...the next couple of photos are just friends photos that i thought were interesting haha...welcome to a typical Guinean market...i really think i believe the phrase "a picture is worth 1000 words"
***Note to Matt: are you going to give a travelers check to one of the ladies selling rice/peppers/bananas/onions/magi cubes under those umbrellas? no, that is why you must bring cash.
Visiting the Ship
Thursday the third of July, two of my friends here were eating lunch downtown (in Conakry) when some men came up to them and asked if they were American. They replied that they were, and that began a conversation between the groups about what they were doing in Guinea. The conversation led to an invitation for the next day for any of us who wanted to come visit their ship. It turns out these men are merchant marines (not associated with the military, basically just men who work on boats to ship things around the world). They were in Conakry for a few days unloading a huge supply of rice for the United Nation's World Food Program. My friends asked if we wanted to go the next day (yesterday) and we got a group together and went. It was really interesting, even just the procedure to get into the port (we had to get ID's and talk to a bunch of officials), then finding the boat was tricky b/c we had gotten the name wrong. However, once we were onboard, it was easy to find the man who my friends had met, and we had a great time touring the boat for the next couple hours. these are pictures from the tour:
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy Birthday America!!!
I'm back in Conakry for a few days to celebrate the fourth. almost all the volunteers in country are here and the house is crazy. tomorrow we are having a big bbq, and our proximity to the beach makes me feel almost home:) i just got news that my brother matt is going to come visit me in september and i couldnt be more excited!!!! YAY matt!!! my dad spent a few minutes of his phone card last night trying to convince me to convince matt not to come haha- he says he is worried enough about me without having to worry about another child in africa! haha. dont worry matt, you're in good hands and i have an exciting and scenic itinerary planned! oh and pops, my friend on the computer next to me just told me her cousin and husband are coming at the end of this month, so that is 4 non-pc people visitingn (i know you think matt is the only one silly enough to come here voluntarily...other than the volunteers of course haha!!!)
in other news, before i tell yall what ive been up to lately, im going to update my list of stuff i want hahah. (really, im in africa...no i have no shame asking for stuff!!! haha!) here it goes:
1- batteries: i need both AA and AAA. I prefere lithium b/c it lasts so much longer and that's impt b/c it is much more energy in a tiny package but ill be happy for any type:)
2- people mags and us weekly (that is "us" like the pronoun, not U.S. like the united states)
3- splenda or other sugar substitute
4- jacksonville magazine...i want to read about home from time to time
5- PICTURES!!!!! i miss yall and want to see you in action whatever you've been up to
6- stamps (letters arrive much quicker being sent with a friend going home for a visit than waiting 6 months for the guinean mail)
7-seeds...flowers, veggies, whatever
8-if anyone sends me a dvd or vhs of the new Sex & the City movie you will be my best friend for life...this goes for a vhs/dvd of any seasons of desperate housewives and/or grey's anatomy...no, my hut doesnt have a tv, but conakry does, and believe me, it gets plenty of use when we are unwinding every couple of months!!!
9-dried berries- esp strawberries
10-any kind of nut (whole, UNSALTED, UNROASTED) BUT peanuts...NO peanuts plz:), i esp love whole raw almonds and cashews YUM:)
11-bacon...this is a tricky one but bacon bits are amazing!!!!!! seriously, im tearing up just thinking about the package i got with bacon bits
12- GOLDFISH (the cheeze flavored cracker, not the animal)
13-i really need a small contact case...matt, maybe you could bring that along in september?
14-Dad- can you send me one or two white stretchy speghetti strap tank top undershirts from my closet at home? THANK YOU!!! oh, and i have a black stretchy cotton sleeveless dress in there too- it is high waisted and goes down to about mid calf...i know i have about 100 black dresses, but just read the description and try to match it:) it is heavier than most of my other black dresses and pretty well lined with the same black stretchy cotton material. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! i know how much you'll hate looking for it:) oh, and you sent me my blue arabic dictionary, but right next to it on the bookshelves in my room should be my green Hans-Weir dictionary (arabic). if you could send that too that would be awesome.
15- plain cotton underwear from kmart...i bought some cheap ones right before i left that have worked out well- they were joe boxer bikinis size 7 (undies sizes are wierd there)
16-reeces peanut butter cups/m&ms/ chocolate in general
17- cheap plastic spray bottle
well, that pretty much covers it. now onto what ive been doing this past month:
ive started working with a forestry group reforesting an area near my village with seedlings they planted before i got here that are pretty well developed. i built a fence with the help of a friend (no easy task) to enclose my tree nursury and keep it from being eaten by the wandering cows/goats/sheep, and have started to plant tree seeds there. so far ive planted moringa (super fast growing tree with miraculous health benefits), neem (leaves are a good natural pesticide when mixed with water), african mahogany (a type of teak), and a bunch of mandrin orange trees. i also started a garden of my own to try to diversify my diet. there ive planted carrots, tomatos, onions, okra, beans, parsley, cauliflower, cabbage, iceburg lettuce, watermelon, pumpkin, potatos and corn. when i left a few days ago the sprouts were just starting to come up on a lot of them , so i cant wait to see what it looks like when i get back. i have also started a co-op for honey/way production using the Kenyan top-bar beehive. it took a while to explain all the merits of this beehive over traditional beekeeping, but the group seems pretty motivated now and excited to begin. if it goes well the first year, im going to try to set them up with one of my small business developement people to write up a business plan and figure out how to expand to the larger markets of surrounding villages and cities. the president of the reforestation group has been awesome to work with, and even gave me some new ideas that i hadnt even thought of- like aqua culture- raising fish! this is going to be a crazy two years. i miss all yall sooooo much and love to read snail mail letters so dont forget about me hahah!!! that's all i can think to write right now....An Beh Kofe (until next time!)
in other news, before i tell yall what ive been up to lately, im going to update my list of stuff i want hahah. (really, im in africa...no i have no shame asking for stuff!!! haha!) here it goes:
1- batteries: i need both AA and AAA. I prefere lithium b/c it lasts so much longer and that's impt b/c it is much more energy in a tiny package but ill be happy for any type:)
2- people mags and us weekly (that is "us" like the pronoun, not U.S. like the united states)
3- splenda or other sugar substitute
4- jacksonville magazine...i want to read about home from time to time
5- PICTURES!!!!! i miss yall and want to see you in action whatever you've been up to
6- stamps (letters arrive much quicker being sent with a friend going home for a visit than waiting 6 months for the guinean mail)
7-seeds...flowers, veggies, whatever
8-if anyone sends me a dvd or vhs of the new Sex & the City movie you will be my best friend for life...this goes for a vhs/dvd of any seasons of desperate housewives and/or grey's anatomy...no, my hut doesnt have a tv, but conakry does, and believe me, it gets plenty of use when we are unwinding every couple of months!!!
9-dried berries- esp strawberries
10-any kind of nut (whole, UNSALTED, UNROASTED) BUT peanuts...NO peanuts plz:), i esp love whole raw almonds and cashews YUM:)
11-bacon...this is a tricky one but bacon bits are amazing!!!!!! seriously, im tearing up just thinking about the package i got with bacon bits
12- GOLDFISH (the cheeze flavored cracker, not the animal)
13-i really need a small contact case...matt, maybe you could bring that along in september?
14-Dad- can you send me one or two white stretchy speghetti strap tank top undershirts from my closet at home? THANK YOU!!! oh, and i have a black stretchy cotton sleeveless dress in there too- it is high waisted and goes down to about mid calf...i know i have about 100 black dresses, but just read the description and try to match it:) it is heavier than most of my other black dresses and pretty well lined with the same black stretchy cotton material. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! i know how much you'll hate looking for it:) oh, and you sent me my blue arabic dictionary, but right next to it on the bookshelves in my room should be my green Hans-Weir dictionary (arabic). if you could send that too that would be awesome.
15- plain cotton underwear from kmart...i bought some cheap ones right before i left that have worked out well- they were joe boxer bikinis size 7 (undies sizes are wierd there)
16-reeces peanut butter cups/m&ms/ chocolate in general
17- cheap plastic spray bottle
well, that pretty much covers it. now onto what ive been doing this past month:
ive started working with a forestry group reforesting an area near my village with seedlings they planted before i got here that are pretty well developed. i built a fence with the help of a friend (no easy task) to enclose my tree nursury and keep it from being eaten by the wandering cows/goats/sheep, and have started to plant tree seeds there. so far ive planted moringa (super fast growing tree with miraculous health benefits), neem (leaves are a good natural pesticide when mixed with water), african mahogany (a type of teak), and a bunch of mandrin orange trees. i also started a garden of my own to try to diversify my diet. there ive planted carrots, tomatos, onions, okra, beans, parsley, cauliflower, cabbage, iceburg lettuce, watermelon, pumpkin, potatos and corn. when i left a few days ago the sprouts were just starting to come up on a lot of them , so i cant wait to see what it looks like when i get back. i have also started a co-op for honey/way production using the Kenyan top-bar beehive. it took a while to explain all the merits of this beehive over traditional beekeeping, but the group seems pretty motivated now and excited to begin. if it goes well the first year, im going to try to set them up with one of my small business developement people to write up a business plan and figure out how to expand to the larger markets of surrounding villages and cities. the president of the reforestation group has been awesome to work with, and even gave me some new ideas that i hadnt even thought of- like aqua culture- raising fish! this is going to be a crazy two years. i miss all yall sooooo much and love to read snail mail letters so dont forget about me hahah!!! that's all i can think to write right now....An Beh Kofe (until next time!)