Ambassadors, The Governator, and Home Sweet Home (en Afrique!)

Well I made it one full month already, living on my own in an African village. Who would have thought? Let’s go over some of the highlights of the last four weeks of my life. The inevitable happened. I became a volunteer and then the Peace Corps car pulled away. That was by far the hardest part thus far, standing amongst my village watching the white land cruiser with Peace Corps printed on the side pull away. Leaving me to fend for myself, alone, IN GUINEA!! Tears in eyes, I waved goodbye to everyone and everything that had become familiar in this foreign world I now live in. Then about a million little kids came up and started jumping all over me which quickly made me forget that “What did I get myself into…?” moment.

Despite the MASSIVE language barrier, I have started to make friends. Thank God I had so many years of French under my belt. Who knew that back in high school when it came time to choose a foreign language and everyone told me “You should take Spanish, you’ll never use French” I was right, French is now my ONLY real means of communication. Don’t get me wrong, I am struggling to learn Pular like the best of them but I am now being taught by my village friends which are in about 8^th – 10^th grade. Let me explain. My village doesn’t have a high school. I know right?! So IF the kids want to continue their high school experience they have to go to a larger city to go to school. This leaves an enormous age gap, so everyone around my age is uneducated or in the city. So I hang out with 10^th graders. It’s all good.

OH, I threw up on my village. Everything is fine. I was walking around with some of my friends on market day (which means everyone and their brother is out and about) and all of a sudden, out of nowhere I just start heaving all over my friends as well as some stander-biers. I have no idea what happened. I’m sure it was just a combination of the heat, dehydration, and the smells of the market (imagine an open air fish market in 115 degree heat….. not good!) My friends were more freaked out than I was, which is surprising. They rushed me back home, went out and bought me water and threw me in bed. I’m fine now and that was the only incident, I’m drinking tons of water and taking it slowly during the day. It’s cool! I promise!!

I got my hair braided. I look like Coolio serca 1992 but everyone thinks it looks great. I think it looks like I’m a 14 year old girl on vacation in the Caribbean. But its cooler on the head.

So crazy thing happened about two weeks ago. I’m just sitting on my balcony reading a book when a car pulls into my yard. I don’t really think anything of it and go back to reading my book. Some guy starts walking up my steps, I close my book and great him in Pular. He tells me that the Ambassador is here. I thought I misunderstood what he said so I kind of gave him an odd look and he said come here. So I follow this guy into the living room of the house below me and low and behold there is the Ambassador of Mali just chillin on the couch. I do my standard meet and greet and sit down and talk to the ambassador. I’ve never talked to an ambassador before and I wasn’t really sure what to say. I still to this day don’t know why he was at my house visiting my “family” but he was really nice and congratulated me for the work I’m doing here. Then he invited me to go with him to Timbo ( a village about 30 K away) for a mosque opening. I was going to go anyways with some friends, but a free ride in a land cruiser WITH AIR CONDITIONING! Shot, I took the free ride, thinking I would just meet up with everyone once we got there. Boy was I wrong. I had never been to a mosque opening before so I really didn’t know what to expect. Well it was a sea of people! The Ambassador and I get escorted to the mosque where I am told to stand outside while they go in and pray. So I wait and then when he comes out we get escorted to a house. I really do mean escorted. Like, the military surrounded us, parted the sea of people and walked us everywhere.

So at this house, I still have no idea what is going on but more and more people keep coming. Everyone introduces themselves to me as Ambassadors or other foreign dignitaries while I just sit there in my bright yellow African dress feeling way out of place. Everyone is making a huge fuss over me, asking if I need anything, if they can get me anything, if I want anything just let them know. Somehow I was the star of the afternoon. Then a man walked in, and judging by the size of his entourage he must have been every every important, and he sits right next to me. I’m talking to him and then he asks if I’m married. A question I get a lot around here and I didn’t want to lie so I told him no, I’m not married. Well I thought he said “We’ll find you a Canadian.” I kind of looked at him like he was crazy and responded “I’m American, not Canadian.” Mind you, this is all in French. I figured out after he returned my crazy look that he told me he would find me a candidate (not a Canadian) for marriage. Once I realized what was going on I told him he would have to consult my mother about any kind of marriage, he laughed awkwardly, I laughed awkwardly and then he dropped it. Oh language, how you fool me everyday.

Then it was time for the speeches. So all of the foreign dignitaries and myself are escorted back across the street to the mosque. Well seeing as I’m a girl I wasn’t allowed to follow my Ambassador friend. So the (female) Ambassador from Niger and I sat outside chatting. She didn’t speak pular also so during the speeches we just chatted about life in Guinea. Then it was prayer time. Well, little white catholic girl from Ohio here didn’t know that you had to cover your head so about five guys came running up to me screaming in pular and pointing to me. Thank Allah that the ambassador I was sitting with had an extra scarf in her purse that she let me use during prayer. I thanked her profusely for saving my catholic butt at a mosque. It finally ended and then a swarm of paparazzi come running up to me. I’m in shock! Everyone, and yes I do mean everyone wants photos with me and to interview me for their paper. I politely decline all interview because lord only knows what I would end up saying in French. I stand around and take some photos and then am escorted back to the house where I meet up with the Ambassador of Mali. It was a real Angelina Jolie moment. It was crazy! I never expected anything like that to happen. I couldn’t believe how I was treated like a celebrity when I’m just a volunteer. Oh and the worst part was, I forgot my camera. So I have no photos of my day with the Ambassadors… bummer!

I’m still, two weeks later, having complete strangers come up to me asking if I’m the girl from the Timbo mosque opening. Welcome to my life. It’s always crazy!!!

Let’s see, what else is new and exciting in my life. Never did I ever think that I would miss the voice of Arnold Shwartzinager. I’ve been going to the video place (kind of like a movie theater, but not really) in my village and they show BADLY DUBBED war/action films every night. I go only because it is a bit of normality but after about a week of badly dubbed Arnold you really learn to miss his voice. Especially when it’s replaced by a high pitched, fast talking French man.

I rode in a bush taxi with 10 other people. OK, so imagine a small car only being help together by a few Madonna stickers and the will of god, and shove 4 people in the front (don’t forget the stick shift) and 7 (YES, SEVEN) people in the back, including me! Then, to make things even better there were 3 people sitting in the trunk. Why you may ask, well that’s simple, they were holding on to the goat and three chickens. DUHH! Oh there were also four or five people on the roof. Thank god it was a short ride to Mamou!

Otherwise, yesterday a guy came to change the light bulb in my room and then magically the electricity now works in my house. I guess the family I live with got more solar panels so now I can use my laptop!!!!!!! I’m not sure if you guys can sence the awesomeness of the situation from back in the states but this means I can type up my blogs at my convience and WATCH MOVIES!!!!!!! So if you are hurting for care package ideas and you’ve got a few extra inches of space in your flat rate USPS box slip in a new movie.

Brining up the point of care packages I would like to send a special shout out to Grams and Gramps (the crackers were AWESOME!), Aunt Peggy (I’ve been doing cross words all week), Molly and Ginger (that box was the bomb) and lastly the rents (a million times, thank you). Otherwise, if you would like to send me a note that would be great (the address is on the sidebar) and packages are always welcome. Any kind of pre-packaged single serving food is good. I have recently taken a massive liking to many things that I never ate in the states (i.e. spaghetti-O’s and hummus) so don’t fret about sending me something I “don’t like” because now I’ll eat just about anything.

Lastly, congrats to Marquita and her new hubby as well as Lori and Jon Champion on their past and upcoming weddings respectively.