Christmas Coups and Dance Parties

I would like to preface this blog by just first saying that I AM OK!!!!!!

In case you haven’t been following the world news President Lansana Conte (of Guinea) died last week, leaving the country, where I am, in a state of morning and searching for hope. Well to make a long story short a Captain in the Army decided that this would be his perfect chance to rule the country. A Coup D’ Etate soon followed!!! Yes, I survived my first coup! I would highly encourage all to take a few minutes and BBC News Guinea and find out what you can about it. In a nut shell, Conte died just before X-mas and within 24 hours Captain Camara decided that the Guinean Constitution was no longer going to be followed and he was President. He called a nation wide curfew from 8pm to 6am so no one could plan any other takeovers at night and limited movement around the country. Yep, little Corinna survived a Coup, on Christmas none the less. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!

I was not affected too much by any of this other than my Christmas plans were changed and I got tackled. So, since our training is done outside of the capital city, we were originally going to go to Conakry for X-mas to take a shower, check some e-mails and enjoy some air-conditioning. Well since there was a Coup D’Etate on Christmas day needless to say, that didn’t happen. We ended up spending the night at the Peace Corps compound here in Foricariah for Christmas Eve so that no one would have to wake up alone on Christmas morning. We crammed about 15 people in one room to sleep, and no one complained only because there was air conditioning. And let me tell you, here that is getter than gold! We each decided to make a dish which turned out to be too crazy so we ended up with a Christmas dinner that consisted of mashed potato’s, spaghetti, garlic bread (which I helped make), chicken (which three people had to slotter themselves, and I was not a part of that), Indian food, soup, cookies, and I’m sure some other things that I’m forgetting. And all of that was prepared for 30 + people on only 4 burners and no oven. Only in Guinea! There was also a gift exchange and a lot of Christmas carols.

Then after Christmas I was hanging out with my host family in the front “yard” (dirt area) having a dance party with my little siblings, when curfew rolled around. Well once again let me say I’M OK! But to enforce curfew around here the military goes around shooting their guns in the air so the first gun shoot goes off and my host family bolts for the inside. Well nothing happened for a while so we all went back outside to continue our dance party, and then the second shoot goes off and my host brother tackles me and about 5 or 6 “petites” (little African children) jump on top of me. That is when I was thinking, I think its time to go to bed. So I did. Don’t worry, I’M FINE!!!! The curfew is lifted and there are no more gun shoots!!

Well on a much lighter note, I am adjusting to the Guinean lifestyle just fine. I have learned to love my bucket bath and the idea of peeing in a hole no longer grosses me out! Not going to lie, it does take some getting used to, but its really not that bad. I KNOW, RIGHT, who would have ever thought I would say that?! I have even learned to get by with out electricity. Who would have thought? Well where I am right now, we have electricity about every other night but since the new President Camara came to office electricity has been coming on more frequently.

Next week I find out where my site is. Site is where I will spend my next two years living and working, for all of you who haven’t brushed up on your Peace Corps lingo. That is very exciting for me! I can’t wait to see where I will be placed.

Let’s see, what else is there to talk about. There is so much, I don’t even know where to start. Well it’s hotter than the surface of the sun here. I think each day since I’ve been here, I’ve sweated out at least a gallon of sweat, and this is the cold season. Can’t wait for summer! Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather be here sweating than freezing in the States.

My French is moving swiftly however, the family I’m with and I have a hard time communicating, which is very frustrating. See the funny thing here is French is only used in school, so only the educated people know French and all the kids know French. So my host family speaks Souesou as their first language and French as their second. So unless I’m talking to my host father or one of my siblings that’s in school I have a hard time getting what I want understood. This week too, all of my siblings are gone on vacation visiting family.

So funny story, my siblings love to count. Weird, I know. So I’m sitting outside with some siblings one Sunday counting to 100 in French (my siblings and I), English (me), and Souesou (my siblings) when out of no where my host Grandma who must be about 100 (or at least she looks it) walks out and in perfect English counts from 1 to 100. Keep in mind; this is the woman that I have never had a conversation with because she doesn’t speak French. My jaw dropped, she finished counting and walked back inside and to this day, we still haven’t had a conversation….

I was given my bike two weeks ago, which is now my main source of transportation. I haven’t ridden a bike since I was a kid minus the one time that my college roomy and I took our bike out and rode around campus one day. I am now expected to bike ride everywhere and in some cases volunteers will bike anywhere from 2 – 30 KM to see their closest Peace Corps neighbor. I hope I have a close neighbor! But on Saturdays after classes let out often people ride down to the river to cool off from the African sun. It is an absolutely breathtaking river that we go to but I don’t go swimming in it. Don’t worry Mom. Me and African water do not mingle, we barley make eye contact unless necessary.

Training has been moving along swiftly. I can’t believe I’ve been in guinea for a month already. It seems like a million years and yet only five minutes. The way stage (training) is set up, you never have a free moment so we have been very busy in and out of classes. We have some great Guinean staff working with us, helping with language, culture, diversity, health (which is actually taught by our Romanian Doctor, random), and business. But we are also having volunteers that have been in Guinea for a year here helping with trainings too. They are great with us. Leading us around like a pack of lost puppies.

Oh also, I got my first marriage proposal. Don’t worry, I said NO. There will be no Guinean wedding for me! Besides, he only wanted my American citizenship. Lame!

Despite the Coup D’etate, bucket bath, peeing in a hole, heat, humidity, fishy dinners, dust, bugs, and no predictable electricity I am really loving it here. The people are great, with a little direction this country of 10 million could be prospering from their mineral rich soil.

BOOK YOUR PLANE TICKETS NOW!!!

With love,

Corinna


P.S. I’m really fine here! I have never felt unsafe and besides Sierra Leon isn’t far incase we need to flee the country. But really I’m fine!

SEND ME LETTERS, PLEASE!!!!!!!!

Last day of internet! OH NO!!!!

Well, today is my last day of internet until X-MAS but thats alright. I have been so busy and only getting busier that it will be ok. At least that is what i've been telling myself.

Yesterday I had my first survival course in Susue, the local langage of my host family that i will be moving in with tomorrow. Survival language... what do you think that means? I thought it would be like " Help me"or "What is that?" but no it was "hello, good day" "Good night"My name is Corinna" "I am an American" but i guess that phrase will get me far. I just hope that my french gets me through the family stay.

After our survival language class we had culture shock 101. In that, we were given instructions on how to use the bathroom (NO TOILET and NO SHOWER, AHHHHHHHH) how to boil the water and filter our water. What did i get myself into??? But, oddly enough, i feel ok about it. I know, so unlike me! But once you see the local and the poverty, you can't help but to adjust your ways.

We didn't have to get up early this morning (first time since i've been here) so last night we stayed in and played MAFIA. A card/murder mystery game. So much fun! This morning we woke up and since it is an Islamic holiday we have nothing to do. Around 10 I got up and stared to dip mosquito nets. I know, right! Yesterday, the PC gave us your medical kits and our mosquito nets and some chemical that needs to be applied on to the net.

On the roof top of the PC house we brought all of our nets and dipped them in a mixture of some chemical and water and had to hang them to dry. With 29 white nets hanging to dry in the African sun, it was so cool looking. It didn't take long to dip but it was cool.

Tomorrow, everything will change. We have been living in such a sheltered compound that once we move with the family culture shock will hit. In the PC house now, we have air conditioning, flushing toilets, running water, internet, pre-cooked food, and its beach front. Tomorrow, who knows what to expect?

I'll fill you in on Dec 25, when i'm back at the compound for Christmas. More photos and stories of me butchering language to come!!!!!

I'm in GUINEA!!!

Well all,

I made it. I am officially a Peace Corps Trainee!!!! I'm sitting in Conakry right now, after the longest day of my life. On Wed I woke up in Philly at 5:30 to make check out by 6:30, went and had Starbucks for the last time (in a while) and then went and get my Yellow Fever Vaccination along with my Malaria pills. Then sat on a bus to NYC to fly out of JFK. Since our bus got into JFK about an hour early everyone had to unload our bags and move them inside only to have to shuffle them around for an hour because of security....

By the time I got on the plane for my eight hour flight i was dead to the world. Another girl in our PC group was my seat mate (thankfully I had the aisle) but she wanted to move so i ended up with the two seats to myself. SCORE!!! I also got to watch the Dark Knight. Rock on South African Air!

Landed in Dakar Senegal around 6am local time and followed the rest of the group around the airport until I sat my butt on a plane seat and flew to Guinea.

By the time we landed in Guinea everyone was crazy tired but there was a nice group of other volunteers to welcome us. They had their cameras out and posters everywhere, it made me feel like the true celebrity I am.

Anyways, we gathered all of our luggage and loaded up some buses to take us to the PC house. The drive over was so surreal. There really is no way to describe it. No word in the English Dictionary (even French for that matter) could sum up what it was like to step off the plane in 95 F weather and be in Guinea. It was everything I expected yet nothing at all like what i thought.

Can you believe it, I'm actually here!

With love,
Corinna

Send me stuff, really please do!!!!!

Guidelines for Mail

I am told that receiving mail and care packages is key to keeping up morale in a successful volunteer. Please write often and send packages as often as is practical. In a place with few comforts, a box of things from home will seem like Christmas any time of year (and no matter how hot it is!).

MY ADDRESS:

Corinna [you know my last name], PCT (PCV after February 6, 2009)
Corps de la Paix Americain
BP 1927
Conakry, GuineaWEST AFRICA

The way mail works in Guinea is that the only place that actually has a mail system is the capital, Conakry. This is where our PC headquarters is located. All mail should be delivered to PC HQ, and then they do a monthly mail run out to my site to give me everything I have received. During training (12/4/08 – 2/6/09), I may receive mail more frequently.

Something you send could take up to six weeks to actually get to me, and outgoing mail is no better. But PLEASE send letters and packages as often as possible. They will keep up my morale!Anything that will arrive after February 6, 2009 should say “PCV” (Peace Corps Volunteer) rather than “PCT” (Peace Corps Trainee) after my name.

LETTERS:

When you send letters, number them clearly at the top and put the date. Also, make a photocopy of the letter before you send it in case any get lost in the mail, so we will still have it if it never gets here.Good things to send with letters are photos, comics, and news clippings. NEWS ITEMS will be especially important, as I will have almost no access to news from the US (!!). Due to budget cuts, Peace Corps recently canceled the Newsweek subscriptions they have provided to volunteers since the beginning of the Corps. Do not send money or anything valuable as oftentimes the edges of letters will be clipped to see if there is anything of value inside.If you’re sending a postcard, put it in an envelope. The pretty pictures are likely to end up posted on some Guinean’s wall instead of mine.Be sure to write “AIR MAIL” and “PAR AVION” on the envelope.

PACKAGES:

1. Print the address label from a computer if possible to make it official-looking. I have read that packages with labels printed by hand have not made it to their destination.

2. Insure the package, even if it’s just granola bars. One volunteer kept track of his packages and received 100% of those that were insured and only 56% of uninsured packages. Write “INSURED” and “ASSURANCE” (French) on the outside. Also write “AIR MAIL” and “PAR AVION” on the box.

3. Number and date your packages so I know I am receiving them.

4. If there is something super-important you really want me to get, put it inside an empty tampon box – apparently no one will touch it.

5. Mail is less likely to be tampered with if it’s addressed in red ink.

6. It’s also less likely to be tampered with if you draw crosses and write religious phrases on it (in French) such as “Dieu regardez-vous” or “Dieu merci”. A great link of French bible versus http://www.wordproject.org/fr/index.htm just pick one and copy it on the envelope. Oh and "Dieu" means God in French.

7. Please tape the box up really, really well after you seal it so no one can easily reach in and steal stuff.

8. If sending food, please wrap and double wrap in plastic bags (ziplocs preferably, since I can reuse them) to avoid wonderful creatures from sharing in on my treats.

9. You will also be required to fill out customs declaration form PS Form 2976-A. You can complete this form at the post office or online before you ship at https://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/. Indicate all contents as “Used” on the customs form to reduce the risk of theft.

10. On the Customs form, when listing the contents make them lame. For example, tell them you are sending me pencils or education materials and not expensive chocolate or soccer balls. Just downplay everything. If you’re sending books, magazines, DVDs, things like that, you can mark it as “educational materials” (I would say you could even mark that for stuff like soccer balls and stuff for kids), as it is less likely to be tampered with.

11. If what you’re sending is relatively heavy, I suggest sending with the post office’s Priority Mail flat rate international box (same as the domestic box), as the weight restriction is 20 pounds as long as the stuff fits in the box. The rate is $38.95 for the regular box (11" x 8.5" x 5.5") and $49.95 for the larger box (12” x 12” x 6”). This rate is only good for parcels, so DO NOT include a letter inside as you may be charged the letter rate, not package rate, for the whole package. If you want to include a letter, it is suggested that you tape it underneath the address label or to the inside page of a magazine so it is unlikely to be detected (I'm sorry Aunt Anne and Uncle Glen, forget what I'm saying, you can send me things the official Post office way). If what you are sending is light, you may be able to pay less than the flat rate. Ask your local post office.

12. If you wish to send money, the larger the bill, the better the exchange rate I will get. To send it most safely, I would put it inside something boring in the empty tampon box or tape it to the inside of a magazine page. But please note that this is risky. A better way to send money is to send to my parents ( you know the address, we've lived there for 20 years) to deposit into my bank account, which I will have limited access to. You can make the check out to me, as they will have Power of Attorney to deal with my financial matters.

13. There is no method of disposing of trash or recyclables where I will be going (other than burning or throwing on the ground), so please minimize packaging or put things in containers I can reuse, like Ziploc bags, jars or airtight plastic containers/Tupperware.

Be aware that you can do all of this stuff online at www.usps.com, including ordering free flat rate boxes, printing postage, and scheduling a pickup. In fact, you get a 5% discount on the shipping fee if you do it online.

WHAT TO SEND:

I compiled this list based on things I might enjoy and the advice of current and past volunteers.
-AA & AAA batteries
-Photos (of you, you with pets (Mika!), places/vacations, etc…)
-Magazines/Newspapers (People, Time, National Geographic, Newsweek, etc…)
-Secret or Degree Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant
-Wal*Mart brand Apricot Scrub (The Wally World version of St. Ives Apricot Scrub)
-Sudoku books/Crossword puzzles
-Movies/TV Shows on DVD
-Music on CD
-Fancy soap (even Dove works for me)
-Hair shampoo/conditioner (weak shampoo is available in-country, but conditioner is elusive – try to make it something natural/herbal, as scents can attract more mosquitoes!)
-Shaving cream
-Foot care items (my feet will get nasty)
-Hair clips/claws/ties
-Stuff kids would like: SOCCER BALLS (I will have a bike pump to inflate it), stickers, glue, tape, kids safety scissors, colored pencils/pencil sharpener, paper, picture books, inflatable beach ball world globe, etc…
-Books (good novels will be appreciated)
-Hand sanitizer
-Vegetable/tree/flower seeds (make sure it’s something that does well in Guinea’s climate)
-Macaroni & cheese (EZ Mac, Velveeta Shells & Cheese, etc…)
-Dried fruit/fruit leather
-Candy (non melty I.E. no chocolate)
-Sugar-free gum
-Trail Mix (no peanuts please! there will be lots there)
-Edible Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc…)
-Emergen-C (vitamin section), Crystal Light, or other drink mix (preferably sugar-free)
-Jiffy Pop popcorn (you know the kind you put on your stove and it pops into this big bubble)
-Granola bars
-Energy/protein bars
-Nutella
-Non-refrigerated cheese (Velveeta, Parmesan, Hickory Farms, Danielle, you better be on this!!)
-Non-perishable condiment packets (Taco Bell sauces mild is my fav, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, etc... In case you don't know this already, I do not like ketchup or mustard, so please don't send them)
-Spices (garlic salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, taco seasoning, pesto sauce, Ranch powder, etc…)
-Graham cracker / Oreos
-'Just add water' cookie mixes
-Any kind of food that will keep and is easy to prepare (i.e. add water, milk, eggs, oil)

Please think of this list as guidelines and suggestions and send anything you think will make it up to 6 weeks en route, as I’m sure whatever you send will be MUCH APPRECIATED! Also, check my blog for any special requests!

EMAIL/INTERNET:

Please send ALL email messages to merrill.9@wright.edu I will probably only have enough Internet access to check one box, so make sure whatever you send goes here. You can also read my blog at http://corinnamerrill.blogspot.com/ . Please know that I will do my best to answer personal emails, but my Internet access will be spotty and limited (most likely, I will only have access to Internet when I make it into the capital, Conakry), so my replies will likely be few and far between. Please feel free to share the blog with any other family or friends as well. I will post stories, pictures, package requests, times I will be in phone service, etc…

PHONE:

Sometime (hopefully) in December, I will be getting a cell phone. I believe it will be free for me to receive calls, but expensive to call out. In all likelihood, I will not have service all the time. Watch the blog for dates and times that I will be in a service area.You can buy phone cards to call or use Skype on your computer, which will allow you to call international cell phones. Go to www.Skype.com and sign up for a free account. You will be using your computer/internet connection to make the call (so you will need a microphone and speakers). It will cost about $.20/min. You put a certain amount of money on there and it will debit from that each time you call.

I look forward to hearing from all of you happily and often! Thanks so much for being such a supportive group of family and friends! And I would like to give a big shout out to Dorian (another PCT) for typing up this massive blog and allowing me to personalize it.

Before I leave

Things I must get done, and fast!!

Well before I leave for Africa, I have so much stuff to do. There is a million and one pages of info that i have to fill out for the Peace Corps along with everything to get ready to leave the US for two years.

I MUST:
Finish my Resume and aspiration papers
Fill out all legal and insurance papers
Hand over POA to my mom
Shop for all survival stuff
Find a few good books to take
Pick up my new glasses (yep no contact in Africa)
Visit as many people as possible
Make some flight reservations (once i get more info)
Cancel gym membership
Pack up my room and convert it into a guest bedroom
Clean out and back up my computer
Print a billion photos to take with me
Re-learn French (I'm moving to a french speaking country and i haven't spoken french in three months)


Oh and I'm sure there are tons of other things I'm missing but I can't wait. Everything will be crazy heck tic right up until the day I leave, I'm sure. Only 37 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let the countdown begin!

Dear Friends and Fam,

As some of you may know, I joined the Peace Corps. I just received my placement location and I'm going to GUINEA, West Africa to do small enterprise development!

I am leaving Dec 1, 2008 and will return to the US on Feb 4, 2011. Dec 1, 2008 I fly out to either Washington DC or Philadelphia (still waiting to know where) to meet the group and start my three days of US training and then on Dec 3 the entire group flys over the Conakry Guinea which will begin the three months in country training. Around week five we are to get our in country housing assignments, so until then i will not know exactly where i will be.

While gone, I'm still not sure how much Internet time I will have, but I will do my best to try and send out e-mails and blog regularly. The web address to my travel blog will be http://corinnamerrill.blogspot.com/

Much love,
Corinna Merrill
merrill.9@wright.edu