Cold Season
Though Mauritania has cooled off, it feels more like the warm end of spring than late fall. The nights are pretty chilly and require a large blanket or sleeping bag. The other day, I spent the day wrapped up in a sleeping bag for the majority of the day. The thermometer said 84 degrees. Does that mean I’m adjusting to living in the Sahara? If Mauritania felt like this year round, it would be much more enjoyable. Even though we still have a couple of months left of this weather, I’m already dreading the hot season that follows. Luckily I’ll be in South Africa for a couple of those weeks in May. It will be winter in the southern hemisphere, which will make re-entry to Mauritania a little more difficult, but the break will be worth it.
Work
I’ve finally starting to form a direction of where I want to go with my work. The difficult part about being a SED volunteer is the lack of structure. Many of us are just assigned a town and told to get to know the community. Once a community assessment has been done, we decide where we can help and get started. Of course nothing is black and white and sometimes ideas become impossible before they’re fully developed. My first project I’ve decided to work on is with a village 2 kilometers from Magta Lahjar. Another volunteer was posted to this town the same time as me, but recently “early terminated” her service. While she was here, I visited Lekrae a few times and had lunch (and tea and zrig) with the families out there. Every time I was out there, I really had the feeling of “these are the people I joined Peace Corps for”. They’re so genuine, constantly smiling, and more than willing to work with Peace Corps. They’re also some of the poorest people I’ve seen in Mauritania. The people of Lekrae have wanted to have an AgroForestry volunteer for years now. I’ve gone to their gardens with them and seen what they’re growing. Of course, if any of you know me, I have no green thumb what so ever. If I tried to actually help them with their garden, chances are I would do more harm than good. So, I’ve started to formulate a plan to put a SED twist on things. I recently spoke to the Assistant Peace Corps Director (APCD) for AgFo about what I can do to help. We’ve discussed me getting monetary assistance from a Peace Corps fund to provide more seeds to the garden cooperatives. After this, I can analyze how many more crops they will be growing. When I asked them what they need, they had a list that included seeds, pesticides, fencing, a new water well, and gardening supplies, such as hoses and wheel barrels. Hopefully I can help them see that the profit they make with the new crops can be saved so they can purchase other supplies. I think this is a good start to many other avenues I could take. I’ve recently talked to many AgFo volunteers who have offered to come spend a few days in Magta Lahjar/Lekrae and do some classes with the gardeners. I’d also like to work with the cooperative on a SED level and see how organized they are. Often, money issues can stem from lack of organization with in a cooperative. Hopefully this will be a good first step.
Holidays
Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas is quickly approaching. Thanksgiving made me miss home and my mom’s delicious food, but made me thankful for the wonderful fellow volunteers. For Christmas, I’ll be heading to Nouakchott, the capital, with the majority of the volunteers to attend a special Christmas celebration at the Peace Corps Directors house. It’s a very generous treat he provides every year. It gives us a chance to not be as homesick on Christmas day. After Christmas, I’ll be returning to Rosso to see some friends and my old host family. Rosso is the stop in between Nouakchott and St. Louis, Senegal, where volunteers traditionally go for New Years. Hopefully I’ll be staying at a bed and breakfast for a few days and enjoy the comforts that aren’t available in Mauritania. St. Louis is on the ocean, so we can go to the beach and wear bathing suits without worrying about offending the locals. After New Years, all of the first year volunteers will return to Nouakchott for 5 days for Early Term Reconnect/In-Service Training. So as you can see, things are about to get crazy, so I’ll spend the next couple of weeks getting ready for being gone for three weeks.
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and ate lots of turkey for me! I definitely missed seeing everyone and eating good food. The Panthers beat the Packers, so that’s good. If I don’t update before Christmas, may you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thunderbolt!!
The rainy season is coming to an end. But not without a bang. Literally. Last Saturday night/Sunday morning, just when we thought rainy season was over and cold (or rather cool) season had begun, the largest storm I've seen in Mauritania hit. For six hours during the night, it stormed. Pouring rain, heavy winds, thunder, lightning, etc. In the daylight, we saw that there was a lake around my house. I had to wade through water just to get to the bathroom or kitchen. Also, there are a couple of tiny holes in the roof, which haven't been an issue in past storms, but apparently can only take so much. We had to use a few buckets to keep our house from getting drenched on the inside. The next morning, I'm laying on my matela, longing for the sleep I couldn't get during the night (tin roofs are fun for the first hour of the storm), when my phone rang. Aubrey, my psudo-site-mate who was visiting Aleg, had just received a visitor. Some children had knocked on Janna's door (where Aubrey was staying) and ran off. When she opened the door, a small puppy was sitting there. She couldn't leave the poor thing, so brought it inside. She called me to see if my site mate or I would be interested in becoming the puppy's new family. I told her I'd think about it and call her back. Well, I thought about it, and anyone who knows me knows how much I absolutely adore animals. So I decided to take her. I had to wait 4 days until I returned to Aleg to meet her. Since the night before had been such a huge storm, I started thumbing through my Hassaniya-English "dictionary" (created by the Peace Corps, therefore not always reliable) and started searching storm words. Many Hassaniya words aren't the easiest to say, but then I came to the word for Thunderbolt. Razza. Pronounced Rozz-uh. So now I'm in Aleg and Razza is the most awesome little girl! At first, she slept a lot and was scared/shy/whatever, but is coming out of her shell and showing a bit of her personality. She's incredibly sweet but also independent. She'll be coming back to Magta Lahjar with me today to see her new home! It will be a challenge raising a puppy, but I definitely have time to devote to her and I think it will be good for both of us. She'll have a much happier life as an American raised dog than a Mauritanian raised dog. I won't elaborate on the treatment of animals here. I just look at it as a cultural difference.
So other than Razza, there was another animal incident recently. The night before coming to Aleg, Chelsey and I were sleeping outside, under our mosquito nets. At 3:30 in the morning, I hear what sounds like rain on the mat under our tents, so start to turn over, just as Chelsey screams and I see something scurry away. She jumps up and gets her flashlight out. She thinks its a camel spider or scorpion. It was huge. I thought it was a rat. And there's a cat chasing it. We follow it with the flashlight, which was too weak to see clearly what it was, until it goes into our house. The cat went in after it. A couple of seconds later, the cat comes running out and the thing is chasing it! The thing is runnng around our yard and we still can't figure it out. Then it gets really close to our tents (which we were very thankful to have at this point). Finally it's close enough to see and its...a ferret?? I didn't know ferrets existed in Mauritania, but you can check the picture out on my photo page. It went back in the house, so Chelsey and I chased it out and closed the doors and went back to bed. The next morning, the Peace Corps shuttle came to pick us up, so we were getting ready and the little sucker got into the house again! The PC shuttle driver, a Mauritanian, helped us chase it out of the house, but the ferret kept coming back in. It was an interesting morning to say the least. Chelsey ended up finding out that these guys live in the brousse and when it rains, they come into towns for food and dry land.
That day, we came to Aleg to vote. It was a nice surprise that the Peace Corps really went out of their way to get us ballots so we could vote. We didn't think we'd be able to. The next day, ANOTHER shuttle came with....PACKAGES!!! It was truely Christmas, with our entire region here, and most people getting packages. Also, Josh, my pseudo-site-mate, just came back from the US with goodies for everyone. We had a wonderful day!
As always, I am happy about the Panthers winning. Thanks to my mom for calling and telling me the scores! My cousins daughter, Raeanne, got to cheer at half-time at the game. I'm so excited for her!! I hope everyone is well and will enjoy the latest pictures I've posted of Sandstorms and my new house and puppy! Bye Bye!
So other than Razza, there was another animal incident recently. The night before coming to Aleg, Chelsey and I were sleeping outside, under our mosquito nets. At 3:30 in the morning, I hear what sounds like rain on the mat under our tents, so start to turn over, just as Chelsey screams and I see something scurry away. She jumps up and gets her flashlight out. She thinks its a camel spider or scorpion. It was huge. I thought it was a rat. And there's a cat chasing it. We follow it with the flashlight, which was too weak to see clearly what it was, until it goes into our house. The cat went in after it. A couple of seconds later, the cat comes running out and the thing is chasing it! The thing is runnng around our yard and we still can't figure it out. Then it gets really close to our tents (which we were very thankful to have at this point). Finally it's close enough to see and its...a ferret?? I didn't know ferrets existed in Mauritania, but you can check the picture out on my photo page. It went back in the house, so Chelsey and I chased it out and closed the doors and went back to bed. The next morning, the Peace Corps shuttle came to pick us up, so we were getting ready and the little sucker got into the house again! The PC shuttle driver, a Mauritanian, helped us chase it out of the house, but the ferret kept coming back in. It was an interesting morning to say the least. Chelsey ended up finding out that these guys live in the brousse and when it rains, they come into towns for food and dry land.
That day, we came to Aleg to vote. It was a nice surprise that the Peace Corps really went out of their way to get us ballots so we could vote. We didn't think we'd be able to. The next day, ANOTHER shuttle came with....PACKAGES!!! It was truely Christmas, with our entire region here, and most people getting packages. Also, Josh, my pseudo-site-mate, just came back from the US with goodies for everyone. We had a wonderful day!
As always, I am happy about the Panthers winning. Thanks to my mom for calling and telling me the scores! My cousins daughter, Raeanne, got to cheer at half-time at the game. I'm so excited for her!! I hope everyone is well and will enjoy the latest pictures I've posted of Sandstorms and my new house and puppy! Bye Bye!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Picture Site
Here is where I've posted my pictures from the first two months I was here, July and August. Next time I'm in Aleg, I'll try to post the pictures from the last two months, September and October. Enjoy!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Liz.Laxague
http://picasaweb.google.com/Liz.Laxague
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Ramdan Euva! Work Begins...
On September 28, I had the joy of celebrating 100 days in Africa, as well as the end of my first month as a volunteer. While some days seem to drag on, time also seems to be moving quickly. I’ve been settling a bit in Magta Lahjar. I try to get out and talk to people and work on my Hassaniya. Another cause for celebration was the end of Ramadan on October 1st. There were parties everywhere! I spent most of the day at Lemneya’s house. Lemneya is a Mauritanian who has formed a close friendship with all of the volunteers who have come to Magta Lahjar. She is a very motivated and intelligent woman. She also speaks Hassaniya very slowly and clearly so that I can actually understand. So, my site mates and I went to her house to partake in tea, zrig, and lunch. The end of Ramadan is a chance for everyone to wear their new outfits and look their best. The little girls are all get henna on their hands and feet. After Lemneya’s, I went to a few other houses with my site mate, Chelsey, who has been here for a year. It was great getting to meet and talk with so many people. It was also nice that they were in good moods because they weren’t starving themselves.
After three days of celebration, life has started to get back to “normal”. I’m not quite sure what normal is, seeing as I’ve never really lived in Magta Lahjar while it isn’t Ramadan. A few days ago, I went to my counterpart’s house. Ashietou is the director of Nissa Banque, where I’m supposed to be doing work. I had lunch with her and told her I’d come by the bank the next morning. Nissa Banque is a bank that was started by NGO’s to provide loans to women’s cooperatives. Right now they’re having problems collecting the money that is owed back to them. Basically, a women’s cooperative will take out a loan for business purposes. Whether it be to buy dye to make mulaffas or to buy seeds to plant vegetables to sell in the market, they have two years to pay it back. As money is an issue in this country, Nissa Banque is having a hard time collecting that money. After spending a couple of days there, I’ve started to get some ideas as to how I’d like to help. I’m not sure what will work and what won’t, so I’ll write more about the projects after I’ve attempted them. I won’t really be starting projects until my Hassaniya is better. Even though Ashietou speaks French, no one else really does in Magta Lahjar.
Another area I really want to work in is with some women’s cooperatives in the area. When I get back from Aleg, Chelsey is going to take me around to meet some good ones. I think the main topic I’ll eventually be addressing is money management. It seems to be the biggest problem. Last year, they asked Chelsey to help them with it, but she’s a Girls Education and Empowerment (GEE) volunteer and wasn’t sure how to go about a money management class. I have more resources and had more training during stage on this topic.
I have many other ideas that I’m exploring, but as I said before, there’s only so much I can do until my Hassaniya is better. So, my job right now is to practice, practice, practice!! For those of you who are following my blog, sorry there are a few weeks between posts. I don’t have access to the internet in Magta Lahjar, so have to wait until I’m in Aleg to update. Thanks for all of the comments!! I love reading them!! I’m working on a photo gallery while I have access to the internet. I’ll post the link on here as soon as it’s ready. Bye Bye.
After three days of celebration, life has started to get back to “normal”. I’m not quite sure what normal is, seeing as I’ve never really lived in Magta Lahjar while it isn’t Ramadan. A few days ago, I went to my counterpart’s house. Ashietou is the director of Nissa Banque, where I’m supposed to be doing work. I had lunch with her and told her I’d come by the bank the next morning. Nissa Banque is a bank that was started by NGO’s to provide loans to women’s cooperatives. Right now they’re having problems collecting the money that is owed back to them. Basically, a women’s cooperative will take out a loan for business purposes. Whether it be to buy dye to make mulaffas or to buy seeds to plant vegetables to sell in the market, they have two years to pay it back. As money is an issue in this country, Nissa Banque is having a hard time collecting that money. After spending a couple of days there, I’ve started to get some ideas as to how I’d like to help. I’m not sure what will work and what won’t, so I’ll write more about the projects after I’ve attempted them. I won’t really be starting projects until my Hassaniya is better. Even though Ashietou speaks French, no one else really does in Magta Lahjar.
Another area I really want to work in is with some women’s cooperatives in the area. When I get back from Aleg, Chelsey is going to take me around to meet some good ones. I think the main topic I’ll eventually be addressing is money management. It seems to be the biggest problem. Last year, they asked Chelsey to help them with it, but she’s a Girls Education and Empowerment (GEE) volunteer and wasn’t sure how to go about a money management class. I have more resources and had more training during stage on this topic.
I have many other ideas that I’m exploring, but as I said before, there’s only so much I can do until my Hassaniya is better. So, my job right now is to practice, practice, practice!! For those of you who are following my blog, sorry there are a few weeks between posts. I don’t have access to the internet in Magta Lahjar, so have to wait until I’m in Aleg to update. Thanks for all of the comments!! I love reading them!! I’m working on a photo gallery while I have access to the internet. I’ll post the link on here as soon as it’s ready. Bye Bye.
Maurtianian Entertainment
I’m posting this entry because of a comment I recently received on my last post. As I have said, the bugs are quite interesting in Mauritania. I’m not sure if they’re really that interesting, but when you have a lot of free time, they’re fun to watch. So here is a list and description of the bugs at my house in Magta Lahjar. (My site-mate, Chelsey, has recently come to the conclusion that we will all be expert entomologists by the end of our service).
Dung Beetles
These little guys are perhaps the most entertaining of the bunch. Their extreme stupidity astounds me. They constantly fly into walls, fall on their backs, then struggle to get up. There are actually many varieties of beetles around. I’m guessing the dung beetles are the black ones, about the size of a quarter, or a 20 ouguiya piece for my fellow Mauritanian volunteers. It’s fun to pick them up and have them crawl around on your hands. But then they fall off your finger because they’re not very smart.
Transformer Beetles
There’s also another variation of the dung beetle. It looks very similar to the regular dung beetle, but tends to have a smidge of intelligence. We call them the transformer beetles. Their head looks like a shield and their bodies little tanks. When you pick them up, they pull their legs into their body and put their head down, so they just look like a black shiny ball. This defense mechanism is something the dung beetle has a problem with. Not that I’ve noticed any predators except us inquisitive humans.
Maroon 5 Beetles
These are similar to the dung beetle in stupidity. They are tinier and maroon colored. They’re also fun to have walk around on your hand. All of the beetles move slowly, which is why they are the bugs I prefer. Now that the rainy season is coming to an end, they are much more enjoyable to have around. During they rainy season, these little maroon guys are everywhere as soon as the sun goes down. Hundreds of them in the house. Just crawling around. Then they die and so there are carcasses everywhere. Which brings me to my next bug….
Big Butt Alien Ants
These guys are awesome!! They’re really big, black ants and their butt segment points to the sky. They have legs that are longer than regular ants, but are not to be confused with, say, a spider. It’s really cute when they clean their antennas. These guys are great because they like to clean the yard. Any dead beetle carcasses in the yard are swiftly picked up buy the BBAA’s (they’re strong little suckers) and carried away. I assume for food. Also, if these guys land on us from the tree we sit under, they freak out that they’re on a living being. They’re scared of everything, even the little regular ants. This is good for people because they’re not bothersome. Just fun to watch!
Silver Ants
That’s all. They’re the size of regular ants. But they’re silver. Not gray, silver.
Camel Spiders (I’m aware this is an arachnid, not a insect)
Ick. Camel Spiders (which is what they’re really called, I didn’t make this up) are the creepiest spiders ever. They’re huge and ugly. Luckily, they are not poisonous. I hear they bite, but it’s not painful. These spiders move incredibly fast and with they’re not-so-handsome looks, it’s quite the creepfest when they’re around. I know they’re good for keeping bugs away, but I could do without them.
I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into my oh-so-interesting life in Magta Lahjar. (I’m integrating! I swear!) Next time you get creeped out by one bug, just thank Allah that you’re not in Mauritania.
Dung Beetles
These little guys are perhaps the most entertaining of the bunch. Their extreme stupidity astounds me. They constantly fly into walls, fall on their backs, then struggle to get up. There are actually many varieties of beetles around. I’m guessing the dung beetles are the black ones, about the size of a quarter, or a 20 ouguiya piece for my fellow Mauritanian volunteers. It’s fun to pick them up and have them crawl around on your hands. But then they fall off your finger because they’re not very smart.
Transformer Beetles
There’s also another variation of the dung beetle. It looks very similar to the regular dung beetle, but tends to have a smidge of intelligence. We call them the transformer beetles. Their head looks like a shield and their bodies little tanks. When you pick them up, they pull their legs into their body and put their head down, so they just look like a black shiny ball. This defense mechanism is something the dung beetle has a problem with. Not that I’ve noticed any predators except us inquisitive humans.
Maroon 5 Beetles
These are similar to the dung beetle in stupidity. They are tinier and maroon colored. They’re also fun to have walk around on your hand. All of the beetles move slowly, which is why they are the bugs I prefer. Now that the rainy season is coming to an end, they are much more enjoyable to have around. During they rainy season, these little maroon guys are everywhere as soon as the sun goes down. Hundreds of them in the house. Just crawling around. Then they die and so there are carcasses everywhere. Which brings me to my next bug….
Big Butt Alien Ants
These guys are awesome!! They’re really big, black ants and their butt segment points to the sky. They have legs that are longer than regular ants, but are not to be confused with, say, a spider. It’s really cute when they clean their antennas. These guys are great because they like to clean the yard. Any dead beetle carcasses in the yard are swiftly picked up buy the BBAA’s (they’re strong little suckers) and carried away. I assume for food. Also, if these guys land on us from the tree we sit under, they freak out that they’re on a living being. They’re scared of everything, even the little regular ants. This is good for people because they’re not bothersome. Just fun to watch!
Silver Ants
That’s all. They’re the size of regular ants. But they’re silver. Not gray, silver.
Camel Spiders (I’m aware this is an arachnid, not a insect)
Ick. Camel Spiders (which is what they’re really called, I didn’t make this up) are the creepiest spiders ever. They’re huge and ugly. Luckily, they are not poisonous. I hear they bite, but it’s not painful. These spiders move incredibly fast and with they’re not-so-handsome looks, it’s quite the creepfest when they’re around. I know they’re good for keeping bugs away, but I could do without them.
I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into my oh-so-interesting life in Magta Lahjar. (I’m integrating! I swear!) Next time you get creeped out by one bug, just thank Allah that you’re not in Mauritania.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Fasting Is A Great Idea
Ramadan is almost over already, which means our first month of service has flown by. Since my last post, I did successfully swear in as a volunteer! It was a proud day for all of us. The US Ambassador and his wife were there to join us. We had to take an oath to work for the US government, had a disgusting lunch of white rice and billions of onions (i hate onions) and spent the evening getting better acquainted with our new fellow volunteers. A couple of days later, we had our hugs and parted ways. I spent a couple of days in Aleg, my regional capital, then took off for Magta Lahjar. After protocol with the town mayor and government officials, I bought some items I will need to live with (matelas - mat to sleep on; bucket - to wash clothes, dishes, various objects, or to shower; cera - large plastic mat to put outside to sit on; makaresh - mauritanian toilet paper). Then I settled in for Ramadan.
Ramada is the Islamic holiday that lasts about a month. Ramadan is the holy month in which muslims fast to sympathize with those who are too poor to eat. They fast every day for a month. Fasting means no eating, drinking, smoking, etc from about 5:30 in the morning until the evening prayer call, which is typically 7pm-ish. Magta Lahjar is a pretty conservative town, which means EVERYONE is fasting. This makes for some pretty cranky Mauritanians. There are a couple of people in town I've tried to hang out with, but I think it will be much easier to integrate when I can actually eat lunch with families and not have them hate me for eating infront of them. Therefore, I've mostly made some connections with boutique owners and the vegetable vendors. Ramadan, while I'm sure has good intentions, seems a bit unhealthy. One day, the thermometor reached over 120 degrees. Not drinking any water at all in this heat is probably not the best idea. Hence then crankiness. Also, once Ramadan is over, people will be working again (they're working now, but I wouldn't call it work as much as showing up and fanning themselves all day). This means I can start to work on projects and work with my counterpart, who is a fantastic lady.
Right now I'm in Aleg, where wildlife has taken over. The rainy season continues, therefore there is greenery everywhere. And with greenery comes bugs. Bugs like you wouldn't believe. Locusts have invaded the house in Aleg where I'm staying. There are also more beetles than you could imagine. Jumping locusts and massive crickets are the most annoying. As annoying as these bugs are, I'll take them over cockroaches and mosquitios any day.
I hope all is well at home. I miss everyone so much! Take care and everyone do a little cheer for the Panthers for me!!
Ramada is the Islamic holiday that lasts about a month. Ramadan is the holy month in which muslims fast to sympathize with those who are too poor to eat. They fast every day for a month. Fasting means no eating, drinking, smoking, etc from about 5:30 in the morning until the evening prayer call, which is typically 7pm-ish. Magta Lahjar is a pretty conservative town, which means EVERYONE is fasting. This makes for some pretty cranky Mauritanians. There are a couple of people in town I've tried to hang out with, but I think it will be much easier to integrate when I can actually eat lunch with families and not have them hate me for eating infront of them. Therefore, I've mostly made some connections with boutique owners and the vegetable vendors. Ramadan, while I'm sure has good intentions, seems a bit unhealthy. One day, the thermometor reached over 120 degrees. Not drinking any water at all in this heat is probably not the best idea. Hence then crankiness. Also, once Ramadan is over, people will be working again (they're working now, but I wouldn't call it work as much as showing up and fanning themselves all day). This means I can start to work on projects and work with my counterpart, who is a fantastic lady.
Right now I'm in Aleg, where wildlife has taken over. The rainy season continues, therefore there is greenery everywhere. And with greenery comes bugs. Bugs like you wouldn't believe. Locusts have invaded the house in Aleg where I'm staying. There are also more beetles than you could imagine. Jumping locusts and massive crickets are the most annoying. As annoying as these bugs are, I'll take them over cockroaches and mosquitios any day.
I hope all is well at home. I miss everyone so much! Take care and everyone do a little cheer for the Panthers for me!!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Haami Hatte!!
As stage comes to an end, there' s definitely a lot of ups and downs. A couple of weeks ago, we had a street march in support of the coup d'etat. PCT's and PCV's are to remain neutral on all political issues (American and Mauritanian). We are also, for our safety, not allowed to attend any large gatherings of people related to a political cause. Therefore, we were instructed to stay in our houses all afternoon. This ruined my Saturday because, oh wait, I did the same thing I do every Saturday. So while it may have been an eventful day in Rosso, I enjoyed the day in front of my fan!
Speaking of the fan.... This fan that helped me survive my sauna-bedroom through stage also contributed to one of the more eventful moments of my stage. The fan had been acting weird for a few days, but it was absolutely impossible to sleep in my room without it. So, last Monday night, like every other night I've slept at my host family's house, I went to sleep with the fan in my tent. At 5am, I was awoken by my fan turning off. When I sat up and looked at it, I realized that the inside of it, most likely the motor, had caught on fire! With the speed of a gazelle, (But not nearly the grace), I opened my tent, jumped out, unplugged the fan, and yanked it out of my room. Once in the hall, the fire went out. Luckily, my tent wasn't ruined. I was fine, minus the shakes that come with watching your life flash before our eyes! Nah, it wasn't that bad! I was mostly upset that I only had five more days and no fan to sleep with! Luckily, I had a fellow PCT close by, with a great family, that let me set up my tent on their roof for the remainder of home stay. I spent the days with my family, eating meals with them, then heading to Chez Pappis for an amazing evening under the stars!
Language class came to an end, which is a relief. At the same time, I'm a little nervous to be sent out into the world of Hassaniya without Jiddou, my awesome teacher, by my side! Leaving my host family was also a point of mixed emotions. I'm definitely ready to have some privacy and quiet. But, I'll miss joking around with my sisters and mom and playing with the kids. I'll miss the maaru we il huut (rice and fish) that we ate everyday for lunch. Can't get enough of it! And they make the BEST!
Sunday, the 24th, we all got back to the center for our final days as trainees. I was really happy to see everyone and it's great just taking it easy at the center. I'd prefer the clean bathroom/shower facility at my host family to the gross options at the center.
Yesterday, my birthday!, was, for the most part, fantastic! I woke up at the center with most of my peace corps friends here (the current volunteers should be getting here for swear-in in the next day or two). Two wonderful current volunteers (from North Carolina!) baked me some cookies! I had random gifts of Mauritanian candy from various trainees. Just spending the day with awesome people made it great! I had a two quick sessions in the morning, followed by my Hassaniya exam!! I think it went well. After the exam, I opened two boxes from my mom that I had saved for my birthday. Then I relaxed all afternoon. I took a shower and went to put on the pants I've dreamed about wearing for weeks. I have not worn my jeans or black pants since Atlanta. And it looks like I won't be wearing them for quite a while! Sadly, my pants no longer fit, as I have become emaciated due to undernourishment. Skirts it is for the next two years...
About 6pm, the rainy season began in Rosso!! We were dumped on. Two hours later, it had slowed a bit, so I went to the burger joint with some friends to get burgers/kebab sandwiches. The usual 5 min walk took about twice as long. Rosso had become one big mud pit. It was pretty miserable. After a long wait, we finally got our food and came back to the center. It was worth it!! I love kebab sandwiches!! Everyone sang me happy birthday, then we tried to watch Anchorman on a projector, until the electricity went out. With the awful conditions outside (there's a lake now in front of the dorms), we had to sleep indoors. It wasn't as awful as I assumed it would be. Luckily the rains had cooled everything down, so I slept peacefully!
August 28th is the day we've all waited for since filling out our PC applications!! We get sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers!! We're just enjoying the days leading up to the ceremony and the grande fete that will follow that evening. (I'd like to give a big thank you to all of the current volunteers that are oh-so-graciously putting the grande fete together!!)
I'm not sure if I'll post again before I move to Magta Lahjar, and will not have as reliable internet. Keep in touch and thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes!!
Speaking of the fan.... This fan that helped me survive my sauna-bedroom through stage also contributed to one of the more eventful moments of my stage. The fan had been acting weird for a few days, but it was absolutely impossible to sleep in my room without it. So, last Monday night, like every other night I've slept at my host family's house, I went to sleep with the fan in my tent. At 5am, I was awoken by my fan turning off. When I sat up and looked at it, I realized that the inside of it, most likely the motor, had caught on fire! With the speed of a gazelle, (But not nearly the grace), I opened my tent, jumped out, unplugged the fan, and yanked it out of my room. Once in the hall, the fire went out. Luckily, my tent wasn't ruined. I was fine, minus the shakes that come with watching your life flash before our eyes! Nah, it wasn't that bad! I was mostly upset that I only had five more days and no fan to sleep with! Luckily, I had a fellow PCT close by, with a great family, that let me set up my tent on their roof for the remainder of home stay. I spent the days with my family, eating meals with them, then heading to Chez Pappis for an amazing evening under the stars!
Language class came to an end, which is a relief. At the same time, I'm a little nervous to be sent out into the world of Hassaniya without Jiddou, my awesome teacher, by my side! Leaving my host family was also a point of mixed emotions. I'm definitely ready to have some privacy and quiet. But, I'll miss joking around with my sisters and mom and playing with the kids. I'll miss the maaru we il huut (rice and fish) that we ate everyday for lunch. Can't get enough of it! And they make the BEST!
Sunday, the 24th, we all got back to the center for our final days as trainees. I was really happy to see everyone and it's great just taking it easy at the center. I'd prefer the clean bathroom/shower facility at my host family to the gross options at the center.
Yesterday, my birthday!, was, for the most part, fantastic! I woke up at the center with most of my peace corps friends here (the current volunteers should be getting here for swear-in in the next day or two). Two wonderful current volunteers (from North Carolina!) baked me some cookies! I had random gifts of Mauritanian candy from various trainees. Just spending the day with awesome people made it great! I had a two quick sessions in the morning, followed by my Hassaniya exam!! I think it went well. After the exam, I opened two boxes from my mom that I had saved for my birthday. Then I relaxed all afternoon. I took a shower and went to put on the pants I've dreamed about wearing for weeks. I have not worn my jeans or black pants since Atlanta. And it looks like I won't be wearing them for quite a while! Sadly, my pants no longer fit, as I have become emaciated due to undernourishment. Skirts it is for the next two years...
About 6pm, the rainy season began in Rosso!! We were dumped on. Two hours later, it had slowed a bit, so I went to the burger joint with some friends to get burgers/kebab sandwiches. The usual 5 min walk took about twice as long. Rosso had become one big mud pit. It was pretty miserable. After a long wait, we finally got our food and came back to the center. It was worth it!! I love kebab sandwiches!! Everyone sang me happy birthday, then we tried to watch Anchorman on a projector, until the electricity went out. With the awful conditions outside (there's a lake now in front of the dorms), we had to sleep indoors. It wasn't as awful as I assumed it would be. Luckily the rains had cooled everything down, so I slept peacefully!
August 28th is the day we've all waited for since filling out our PC applications!! We get sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers!! We're just enjoying the days leading up to the ceremony and the grande fete that will follow that evening. (I'd like to give a big thank you to all of the current volunteers that are oh-so-graciously putting the grande fete together!!)
I'm not sure if I'll post again before I move to Magta Lahjar, and will not have as reliable internet. Keep in touch and thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes!!
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