The Process

Blog 1: The Process and Time

Its been two weeks and one day in Niger so far and thinking back on it, it feels like its been months.
Everything happens here with startling regularity, and while I know a lot of it has to do with the strict
learning regimine Peace Corps has us on, a lot of it also has to do with the Nigerien way of life. My day
typically starts between 6 and 6:30 am with either the crowing of the family's rooster or the rays of sun illuminating
my concession. I take some time to journal or read before getting out of bed, and then to be culturally
appropriate I wash my face before going out to greet my family. I brush my teeth, dress, and walk to the main street for breakfast, where I usually get a cup of instant coffee with sweetened condensed milk and either a piece of bread or a bag of yoghurt. There are all sorts of wonderful tasting fried goodies we can get at the market for breakfast, things like farimasa, fried sweet bread balls, fried bean curd sandwhiches, and fried millet pancakes. Some mornings its difficult to convince myself to be somewhat healthy and just go for the yoghurt. Trainees hang out and talk in the market while we eat our breakfast and after that its time for language. Tuesdays and Fridays we have onsite days where we walk up to the Peace Corps center for core classes which consist of medical and safety lectures. These days are little beacons of hope for all of us because we get to eat somewhat American foods and drink cold drinks while we're there. Also, those are the days when we get our laundry
done and recieve our mail.
Anna, another trainee, and I are living with the same host family. They're wonderful. Our dad is a retired
professor so he's a great language learning resource, and he really wants us to succeed. Our mom was out travelling when
we arrived but came back this week, and she's really the backbone of the family. We have a 14 year old sister Samira and
a 12 year old brother Oussman. And we have a cousin who lives with us named Naima. We have a small thatch-fenced in concession within the family's main concession. Our little area includes a thatched hut, complete with an Ethan-Allen bureau, two single beds made from bound sticks, 3 ant holes and termites galore. Our bathroom and shower area are just a few strides away from our concession, and bucket bathing and using the bathroom sans toilet really aren't so bad. I'm just now getting comfortable enough to sleep outside through the night. There were a few nights last week where I gotup and moved in because I imagined the wind signalling an impending storm. We had a storm our first night in country,and it was a pretty terrifying experience. We had all settled into bed, outside, jet lagged and tired as could be;
and at 12:00am sand started whipping around everywhere. I woke up somewhat terrified, completely disoriented, and totally at
a loss for what to do. We eventually all made it inside, got set up, and back to sleep. But for days afterwards I couldn't sleep.

All in all, so far each day presents its challenges. There have been moments when I wonder what I'm doing here and if I'm really going to make it for two whole years. And then following those moments there are ones of complete amazement that I am here and really doing this. That in a matter of weeks I will be part of a village with real needs that I will be equiped to search out and meet. It thrills me. :-)

All my Love!! And Please Please write me. Its such an encouragement to hear from home. To hear anything...tell me how your
lives are going, how your summers are passing.

<3 <3