And it's finally here! We're off to the airport to catch the 3:40 am for Casablanca...woo hoo! I've reached the end of my service. Anyway - I'll be posting my last couple bits from Morocco, but I just had to do my last posting from Guinea.
Until Morocco...oo'o!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Saturday, September 06, 2008
I swear I had nothing to do with this...
Well, it appears that Guinea, and more specifically Boke, is turning into a transportation hub for drug traffickers from Colombia and Guinea-Bissau. They are finding new paths of least resistance for their drug routes to Europe, and Guinea is proving to have little resistance. Especially in Boke, where almost all the major authorities were involved. Read on.
Guinea probes suspected drugs flights in mine zone
Fri 5 Sep 2008, 9:51 GMT
CONAKRY (Reuters) - The government of Guinea is investigating suspected drug-trafficking flights in its main bauxite mining zone after U.N. experts said the country risked turning into a cocaine smuggling hub, police said on Friday.
In July, the United Nations' anti-crime chief visited Guinea, the world's leading exporter of the bauxite ore from which aluminium is made, and told President Lansana Conte his nation faced a serious threat from international drugs gangs.
The U.N. and Western law enforcement agencies are trying to stem what they call an offensive on weak impoverished West African states by Colombian cocaine cartels seeking easier routes through which to ship their drugs to Europe.
Senior Guinean civilian, military and police authorities from Boke, a mining town 170 km (106 miles) northwest of Conakry, were summoned for questioning in the capital on Thursday to explain recent movements by small planes in Boke.
"We'd noticed mysterious planes landing under strange circumstances in the middle of the night, and then leaving again after about an hour," a senior police officer, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
"It seems the drug traffickers have homed in on our country as a transit hub. And we're determined to fight that," he added.
The Boke mining region, from where major foreign mining companies export bauxite, borders with neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, which Western narcotics experts have identified as a favourite transit route for the Latin American cartels.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) officials believe that as international pressure has intensified on Guinea-Bissau to crack down on the traffickers, the gangs have shifted operations to the former French colony next door.
UNODC executive director Antonio Maria Costa said he obtained a commitment from Guinea's president in July that he would tackle drug trafficking and organised crime.
Guinea, which holds a third of the world's known reserves of bauxite, has lived in almost permanent institutional turmoil since last year with the ageing Conte being challenged by riots on the streets and army mutinies.
U.N. officials are concerned that widespread and high-level corruption and bitter rivalry between Guinea's security forces could undermine efforts to stamp out drug-trafficking.
When elite Guinean troops intervened to put down a pay mutiny by the country's police on June 17, killing at least eight policemen, they also ransacked the offices of the country's counter-narcotics unit and destroyed all its records.
Security experts say the drug cartels' penetration into West Africa and the Sahel in search of "least resistance" trafficking routes is creating an explosive mix, combining with existing arms- and people-smugglers, domestic insurgencies and pockets of al Qaeda militants sheltering in the remoter zones.
Guinea probes suspected drugs flights in mine zone
Fri 5 Sep 2008, 9:51 GMT
CONAKRY (Reuters) - The government of Guinea is investigating suspected drug-trafficking flights in its main bauxite mining zone after U.N. experts said the country risked turning into a cocaine smuggling hub, police said on Friday.
In July, the United Nations' anti-crime chief visited Guinea, the world's leading exporter of the bauxite ore from which aluminium is made, and told President Lansana Conte his nation faced a serious threat from international drugs gangs.
The U.N. and Western law enforcement agencies are trying to stem what they call an offensive on weak impoverished West African states by Colombian cocaine cartels seeking easier routes through which to ship their drugs to Europe.
Senior Guinean civilian, military and police authorities from Boke, a mining town 170 km (106 miles) northwest of Conakry, were summoned for questioning in the capital on Thursday to explain recent movements by small planes in Boke.
"We'd noticed mysterious planes landing under strange circumstances in the middle of the night, and then leaving again after about an hour," a senior police officer, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
"It seems the drug traffickers have homed in on our country as a transit hub. And we're determined to fight that," he added.
The Boke mining region, from where major foreign mining companies export bauxite, borders with neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, which Western narcotics experts have identified as a favourite transit route for the Latin American cartels.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) officials believe that as international pressure has intensified on Guinea-Bissau to crack down on the traffickers, the gangs have shifted operations to the former French colony next door.
UNODC executive director Antonio Maria Costa said he obtained a commitment from Guinea's president in July that he would tackle drug trafficking and organised crime.
Guinea, which holds a third of the world's known reserves of bauxite, has lived in almost permanent institutional turmoil since last year with the ageing Conte being challenged by riots on the streets and army mutinies.
U.N. officials are concerned that widespread and high-level corruption and bitter rivalry between Guinea's security forces could undermine efforts to stamp out drug-trafficking.
When elite Guinean troops intervened to put down a pay mutiny by the country's police on June 17, killing at least eight policemen, they also ransacked the offices of the country's counter-narcotics unit and destroyed all its records.
Security experts say the drug cartels' penetration into West Africa and the Sahel in search of "least resistance" trafficking routes is creating an explosive mix, combining with existing arms- and people-smugglers, domestic insurgencies and pockets of al Qaeda militants sheltering in the remoter zones.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
27 days and counting...
Well, site visit for G16 came and went this week in Boke, and it really started to settle in that I'm leaving once I began showing my replacement, Tiffany, around the town and took her to my house, where she'll be living as Lycee Yomboya's new English teacher. It really is a little crazy to think that I'll soon be back in the US, looking for an apartment, a job, grad schools, and a favorite grocery store (so many to choose from!). It's really a mixed bag of emotions, but largely, I'm getting very excited to go back.
Tomorrow, all the trainees will head to Forecariah, as will Jen and I (she's off in the Fouta for her site visit). We're training until Sept. 6th or so, then headed back up to Boke to say goodbye, before leaving for a two week jaunt through Morocco. Oh man, oh man, I can't wait to eat a lamb, prune and almond tajine! Well, I suppose I should go pack my bag for our lovely bush taxi ride tomorrow, but in the meantime, I leave you with my list of things I'll miss, and not so much, about Guinea and the Peace Corps. (Be prepared for a few more lists coming up as my departure date draws near)
Top 5 Things I Will NOT Miss
5. THe constant battle with being uncomfortable. If it's not the sweating, its the crappy beds. If its not the crappy beds, its being soaked and muddy in the rain. If its not the rain, its the mosquitoes, the mildewy smelling clothes, or the burning sun.
4. Mice, roaches, and mosquitoes being my neighbors and roommates
3. Always feeling just not quite 100% healthy - and I've actually been super healthy for a PCV in Guinea.
2. Doing laundry by hand. I eventually got my friends, students, and even hired strangers to wash my clothes, but if i never have to wash clothes again by hand, I will be one happy man.
1. Bush taxis, bush taxis, bush taxis. Sitting with three other people and a baby in the backseat of a Toyota Corolla sized car while my legs go numb and the baby pees on the seat next to me as a soldier is trying to score bribes by yelling at all the other passengers is my personal idea of hell.
And now, at the risk of sounding too sentimental...
Top 5 Things I WILL Miss
5. Manioc leaf sauce, Riz Gras, my amazing bean sandwich lady, cheap cheap fruits.
4. My English Club - those two hours on Thursdays with my motivated 12th grade students were the best part of my week.
3. Being able to speak French and actually getting better at it all the time.
2. Free time, every day, even if it takes me 3 hours just to prepare a meal, I still will have 8 free hours to read, make tea with friends, take photos, and listen to the BBC.
1. My market ladies, my vice principal, my students families with all the little kids, Jen's neighbor in Timbi, my (host) family, my bean lady, my woodworker, and especially my friends and my students who helped make my time in Guinea the most enriching two years I've ever had.
A la prochaine, oo'o.
Tomorrow, all the trainees will head to Forecariah, as will Jen and I (she's off in the Fouta for her site visit). We're training until Sept. 6th or so, then headed back up to Boke to say goodbye, before leaving for a two week jaunt through Morocco. Oh man, oh man, I can't wait to eat a lamb, prune and almond tajine! Well, I suppose I should go pack my bag for our lovely bush taxi ride tomorrow, but in the meantime, I leave you with my list of things I'll miss, and not so much, about Guinea and the Peace Corps. (Be prepared for a few more lists coming up as my departure date draws near)
Top 5 Things I Will NOT Miss
5. THe constant battle with being uncomfortable. If it's not the sweating, its the crappy beds. If its not the crappy beds, its being soaked and muddy in the rain. If its not the rain, its the mosquitoes, the mildewy smelling clothes, or the burning sun.
4. Mice, roaches, and mosquitoes being my neighbors and roommates
3. Always feeling just not quite 100% healthy - and I've actually been super healthy for a PCV in Guinea.
2. Doing laundry by hand. I eventually got my friends, students, and even hired strangers to wash my clothes, but if i never have to wash clothes again by hand, I will be one happy man.
1. Bush taxis, bush taxis, bush taxis. Sitting with three other people and a baby in the backseat of a Toyota Corolla sized car while my legs go numb and the baby pees on the seat next to me as a soldier is trying to score bribes by yelling at all the other passengers is my personal idea of hell.
And now, at the risk of sounding too sentimental...
Top 5 Things I WILL Miss
5. Manioc leaf sauce, Riz Gras, my amazing bean sandwich lady, cheap cheap fruits.
4. My English Club - those two hours on Thursdays with my motivated 12th grade students were the best part of my week.
3. Being able to speak French and actually getting better at it all the time.
2. Free time, every day, even if it takes me 3 hours just to prepare a meal, I still will have 8 free hours to read, make tea with friends, take photos, and listen to the BBC.
1. My market ladies, my vice principal, my students families with all the little kids, Jen's neighbor in Timbi, my (host) family, my bean lady, my woodworker, and especially my friends and my students who helped make my time in Guinea the most enriching two years I've ever had.
A la prochaine, oo'o.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Girls Conference 2008
Well - Girls Conference 2008 came and went, and the conference met our best expectations. Both volunteers and girls enjoyed the 3 day conference which went off without any problems. To say the least, it was a huge relief to see it go so well. This was definitely the biggest project that Jen and I worked on during our service, and the past 2 months had been incredibly busy, first trying to figure out when to reschedule the conference after military strikes, then with last minute preparations once the conference finally was rescheduled for August.
Twenty one volunteers came to Mamou with their girls on sunday night, some people coming from as far as 10 hours away.
The conference began on Monday (August 4) and was officially opened with some remarks by Jen and I, Odette Leno (Peace Corps admin. assistant) and the local authorities of Mamou. Then for the rest of the day, the girls participated in sessions led by volunteers and Tostan (a local NGO) on environment, business, public speaking, and female genital mutilation, and women's roles and relations with men. By the evening, the 21 girls, coming from 17 different towns, had all become best friends, settling down in front of the TV after dinner to watch a Mexican soap opera.
The second day was largely focused on health with a women's only session on Anatomy and Family planning, as well as nutrition, HIV/AIDS, preparing their futures, how to do a workshop, depigmentation, and study skills. By the end of day 2, Jen and I were EXHAUSTED after a week of preparations, running back and forth from town, babysitting girls, serving dinner to 45 people, and countless other tasks. At least, at that point, we were on cruise control, having established efficient systems for snacks, meals, session preparations, and well, babysitting the teenage girls.
The last day was probably the most exciting one for the girls, and also one of the more enjoyable ones for me, as we invited a panel of professional women to speak with the the girls about their jobs, the challenges they had faced as women in the workplace, and the importance of continuing with their educations. Following this, the girls got a field trip downtown to the local health center, and we got a nice 2 hour break as three other PCVs (Andrew, Teale, and Lisa) were put in charge of the girls' trip. In the afternoon, the girls and volunteers put on some hilarious skits to round out the end of the conference.
The end of the conference meant we also cleared our last hurdle before finishing up our service in 37 days.
Crazy to think that in 37 days I'll be on an airplane headed to Morocco and then New York to end my time in Peace Corps. I'll be writing more on that later. For now, I have GOT to go get caught up on some sports news. Brett Favre is playing for the New York Jets!?! What?? Where have i been??? Stay tuned. Oo'o.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
And then there were 25 (more)...
Well, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Cheryla came and went. The police, teachers, and customs officers went on and off strike. Girls conference was cancelled, rescheduled, cancelled again, rescheduled again. And my dad came and also went (he was able to leave on his original travel day, however - strikes did not close down the airport for him). And then the new group of volunteers, G16, arrived in country, all 25 of them, looking so fresh and so clean compared to us grubby PCVs who have arrived 2 years and 7 days ago. It's exciting to have new teachers finally here.
Well - the new PCTs had a good few days in Conakry, and yesterday morning they all left for Forecariah. I can imagine them all - laying in bed, sweating like crazy, trying to keep every body part as far away from every other body part as much as possible in an attempt to make you feel even half a degree cooler. Oh those were the days...
As far as me, well, last night, I had, perhaps the worst night of sleep of my life. I was running a 103.5 fever, I got up to run to the bathroom at least 10 times (and maybe another 15 times since this morning), my head was pounding all night long, I couldn't stop sweating or shivering all at the same time. All day long I've been feeling like crap...I did get tested, and don't have malaria (which is what I was convinced I had last night). I'm just hoping that tonight I'm able to get some sleep.
If all goes well with this viral infection tonight, Jen and I will be taking off for Mamou in the morning to put the last finishing touches on Girls Conference organizing - which will finally be happening on August 3-7.
Well, Dr. Traian is coming to check out my nasty virus...I'm just hoping he can give me some miracle drug to make my stomach pain go away.
Till a healthier next time,
Oo'o
Well - the new PCTs had a good few days in Conakry, and yesterday morning they all left for Forecariah. I can imagine them all - laying in bed, sweating like crazy, trying to keep every body part as far away from every other body part as much as possible in an attempt to make you feel even half a degree cooler. Oh those were the days...
As far as me, well, last night, I had, perhaps the worst night of sleep of my life. I was running a 103.5 fever, I got up to run to the bathroom at least 10 times (and maybe another 15 times since this morning), my head was pounding all night long, I couldn't stop sweating or shivering all at the same time. All day long I've been feeling like crap...I did get tested, and don't have malaria (which is what I was convinced I had last night). I'm just hoping that tonight I'm able to get some sleep.
If all goes well with this viral infection tonight, Jen and I will be taking off for Mamou in the morning to put the last finishing touches on Girls Conference organizing - which will finally be happening on August 3-7.
Well, Dr. Traian is coming to check out my nasty virus...I'm just hoping he can give me some miracle drug to make my stomach pain go away.
Till a healthier next time,
Oo'o
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Rest - Timbi, the Falls, and the trip back
On our journey back to Conakry we happen to pick up another volunteer, Liz. We will spend one night in Conakry to prepare for our trip to Timbi Medina, the location of Jen’s site. We went for pizza at the Beach Bar with some of the other PCV. Not bad pizza! We have been lucky to find good, safe drivers. The way to Timbi Medina is curvy reminding me of Colombia. The landscape is absolutely beautiful and the more north you get the temperature drops. As we were traveling I saw a family of big, slender, reddish monkeys, which I think were the red colobus monkeys. They say this species is near extinction. The body and head was the same shape as well as the color and the long tail.
We stopped along the way for treats; French bread, oranges and bananas. I found myself really liking Coke on this trip. We arrived in Timbi in the evening after nine hours and it was raining. The road to Jen’s was long and bumpy so it seemed as if it took forever. We had stopped along the way to pick up stuff for dinner. Jen and Cami made pita bread sandwiches filled with hummus and veggies. They were delicious. I ate very well at Jen’s house and she is quite the cook! Jen’s house was the five star resort of Guinea. It was spacious and somewhat new and clean. I had a wonderful king size bed with a bathroom right off the bedroom. Can you believe it had a bathtub! Too bad there was no plumbing! We had electricity most of the time, but no running water. We heated up the water for our cup baths and it felt so good. Most days we went into town which is a thirty minute walk. It was hot during the day but for the most part cool at night and I didn’t sleep under a mosquito net. Jen knows all her neighbors. Marley, the woman across the street, reminded me so much of Rafiki from the Lion King. Everything from her laugh, her physical appearance to the dialogue of her Guinean language reminded me of Rafiki. Jen also had missionaries for neighbors. I was amazed at how long they had lived here. The streets were covered by cows and goats grazing. Some of the children were afraid of our white skin and others spoke out to get our attention. They called us, “portos” or whites. Jen also hosted a Fettuccini Alfredo party for her students. I was amazed at how many female students showed up and they were dressed beautifully. There was a good turn out of about thirty students. Before they left they cleaned the yard and the house which was a big help to us because the next day we had to wake up early to go to the waterfalls.
The road to the waterfalls was long and bumpy. It was market day so all the people were walking for miles to bring their goods to sell at the market. It is incredible to watch women carry goods on the head. They never seem to spill! When we arrived at the waterfalls we had to walk for a bit through the woods. I was scared to death to walk across the rocks as they were so slippery. Jen and Cami succeeded but Cami made me nervous as he was a bit unstable. Jen is quite adventurous and makes everything look so easy. I stayed behind and sat on a rock and listened to waterfall in front of me. The vegetation was beautiful; just like you would see in a movie or in National Geographic. As I sat there, I often would check behind me to be certain there wasn’t a lion or a baboon watching me. Jen said there were baboons in the area. Cami and Jen returned and we moved down the rocks to catch another view of the falls. Jen was very attentive and at one point both Jen and Cami had both my hands while my feet flew from beneath me. They had such a strong hold nothing happened and I regained my balance. We sat on the rocks and had a little lunch; I had French bread with peanut butter and Cami and Jen had tuna with French bread. By one o’clock we were headed back. We stopped by the market to pick up my fabric, grab a few things for dinner and headed home. Tomorrow we would head to Duki so we thought.
We woke up to rain, cold and little hope of sunshine. Upon our arrival in Pita we decided to head back to Conakry. It seemed to be a quick journey back. We were planning visiting the islands off Conakry on Tuesday. Two hours out from Conakry we stopped to use the bathroom. Yes, it was my first time. Jen was outside the door, “yes…you can do it!” Also two hours out Jen spoke with the head of security with the Peace Corp. He asked our location and instructed the driver to take a different route as that morning there was gun fire because the police and custom officers were unhappy with their working conditions and took their bosses as hostages. Of course, we safely arrived home and because of the disrupt, we will not be going to the islands. During the night I woke up to a noise. I thought possibly Jen and Cami were moving furniture upstairs. After I opened the door and noticed the lights were off I knew everyone was sleeping. I went back to bed thinking the noise was just fire works. Guinea is too poor to have fire works and I soon realized it was gun fire. I slept through the night and woke up to wonderful cups of Dolca and spent the entire day preparing my travel journal for Cami’s blog. The chaos in Guinea is just another day in Guinea and tomorrow will be different. Speaking of tomorrow, I fly back to the states.
To sum up my Guinean adventure I would have to say it was deep personal learning for me. National Geographic is there to read and documentaries are available to watch, but it isn’t the same as living it. And I have just a taste of two weeks. I learned that in the US we are very spoiled and we need to work harder and live on less. Many of the world problems today are due to our massive consumption. People in the US really don’t have a clue. I didn’t. I know that it is possible to live on so much less and that some things just aren’t so important. The more things you acquire the less time you have. The less you have the more time you have to interact in relationships. All women should have freedom. Guinean women suffer tremendously. I really question how much poor we really have in the US. We have opportunity in the US. The Guinean poor have very little, possibly no hope of opportunity. Feeling clean doesn’t require a fifteen minute shower. A bucket of water is sufficient. Clothes can feel clean after a nice bucket bath. Clothes can be worn many times before washing. It is amazing how fresh they smell after just hanging them out. My heart broke for the animals, but broke for more the people. Children stay focused longer and easier as they don’t have all the external things to occupy their attention. Mental health doesn’t seem to be an issue as they are more concerned about survival. Meals include what is available and it is always fresh. Leftovers are scarfed up as there is no refrigeration and many hungry people. Guineans are grateful for the smallest things; my leftover Coke. The people of the US are lost, confused and totally clueless. It saddens me to think that we may as a culture have to suffer severe consequences to wake up. Guineans never assume the next moment. Americans assume their material goods and basic needs such as; water, electricity and food will always be there, and therefore, use more than they need and waste what the don’t need.
Without idealizing my experience, it is my hope that I don’t forget to remember all that I have seen, lived and learned, and actually make an attempt to live it.
We stopped along the way for treats; French bread, oranges and bananas. I found myself really liking Coke on this trip. We arrived in Timbi in the evening after nine hours and it was raining. The road to Jen’s was long and bumpy so it seemed as if it took forever. We had stopped along the way to pick up stuff for dinner. Jen and Cami made pita bread sandwiches filled with hummus and veggies. They were delicious. I ate very well at Jen’s house and she is quite the cook! Jen’s house was the five star resort of Guinea. It was spacious and somewhat new and clean. I had a wonderful king size bed with a bathroom right off the bedroom. Can you believe it had a bathtub! Too bad there was no plumbing! We had electricity most of the time, but no running water. We heated up the water for our cup baths and it felt so good. Most days we went into town which is a thirty minute walk. It was hot during the day but for the most part cool at night and I didn’t sleep under a mosquito net. Jen knows all her neighbors. Marley, the woman across the street, reminded me so much of Rafiki from the Lion King. Everything from her laugh, her physical appearance to the dialogue of her Guinean language reminded me of Rafiki. Jen also had missionaries for neighbors. I was amazed at how long they had lived here. The streets were covered by cows and goats grazing. Some of the children were afraid of our white skin and others spoke out to get our attention. They called us, “portos” or whites. Jen also hosted a Fettuccini Alfredo party for her students. I was amazed at how many female students showed up and they were dressed beautifully. There was a good turn out of about thirty students. Before they left they cleaned the yard and the house which was a big help to us because the next day we had to wake up early to go to the waterfalls.
The road to the waterfalls was long and bumpy. It was market day so all the people were walking for miles to bring their goods to sell at the market. It is incredible to watch women carry goods on the head. They never seem to spill! When we arrived at the waterfalls we had to walk for a bit through the woods. I was scared to death to walk across the rocks as they were so slippery. Jen and Cami succeeded but Cami made me nervous as he was a bit unstable. Jen is quite adventurous and makes everything look so easy. I stayed behind and sat on a rock and listened to waterfall in front of me. The vegetation was beautiful; just like you would see in a movie or in National Geographic. As I sat there, I often would check behind me to be certain there wasn’t a lion or a baboon watching me. Jen said there were baboons in the area. Cami and Jen returned and we moved down the rocks to catch another view of the falls. Jen was very attentive and at one point both Jen and Cami had both my hands while my feet flew from beneath me. They had such a strong hold nothing happened and I regained my balance. We sat on the rocks and had a little lunch; I had French bread with peanut butter and Cami and Jen had tuna with French bread. By one o’clock we were headed back. We stopped by the market to pick up my fabric, grab a few things for dinner and headed home. Tomorrow we would head to Duki so we thought.
We woke up to rain, cold and little hope of sunshine. Upon our arrival in Pita we decided to head back to Conakry. It seemed to be a quick journey back. We were planning visiting the islands off Conakry on Tuesday. Two hours out from Conakry we stopped to use the bathroom. Yes, it was my first time. Jen was outside the door, “yes…you can do it!” Also two hours out Jen spoke with the head of security with the Peace Corp. He asked our location and instructed the driver to take a different route as that morning there was gun fire because the police and custom officers were unhappy with their working conditions and took their bosses as hostages. Of course, we safely arrived home and because of the disrupt, we will not be going to the islands. During the night I woke up to a noise. I thought possibly Jen and Cami were moving furniture upstairs. After I opened the door and noticed the lights were off I knew everyone was sleeping. I went back to bed thinking the noise was just fire works. Guinea is too poor to have fire works and I soon realized it was gun fire. I slept through the night and woke up to wonderful cups of Dolca and spent the entire day preparing my travel journal for Cami’s blog. The chaos in Guinea is just another day in Guinea and tomorrow will be different. Speaking of tomorrow, I fly back to the states.
To sum up my Guinean adventure I would have to say it was deep personal learning for me. National Geographic is there to read and documentaries are available to watch, but it isn’t the same as living it. And I have just a taste of two weeks. I learned that in the US we are very spoiled and we need to work harder and live on less. Many of the world problems today are due to our massive consumption. People in the US really don’t have a clue. I didn’t. I know that it is possible to live on so much less and that some things just aren’t so important. The more things you acquire the less time you have. The less you have the more time you have to interact in relationships. All women should have freedom. Guinean women suffer tremendously. I really question how much poor we really have in the US. We have opportunity in the US. The Guinean poor have very little, possibly no hope of opportunity. Feeling clean doesn’t require a fifteen minute shower. A bucket of water is sufficient. Clothes can feel clean after a nice bucket bath. Clothes can be worn many times before washing. It is amazing how fresh they smell after just hanging them out. My heart broke for the animals, but broke for more the people. Children stay focused longer and easier as they don’t have all the external things to occupy their attention. Mental health doesn’t seem to be an issue as they are more concerned about survival. Meals include what is available and it is always fresh. Leftovers are scarfed up as there is no refrigeration and many hungry people. Guineans are grateful for the smallest things; my leftover Coke. The people of the US are lost, confused and totally clueless. It saddens me to think that we may as a culture have to suffer severe consequences to wake up. Guineans never assume the next moment. Americans assume their material goods and basic needs such as; water, electricity and food will always be there, and therefore, use more than they need and waste what the don’t need.
Without idealizing my experience, it is my hope that I don’t forget to remember all that I have seen, lived and learned, and actually make an attempt to live it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Days 3-5 : Boke
The next morning as I waited for Cami and Jen to awake I was dying for a cup of Dolca. I couldn’t wait to get out of the smelly room. We found taxis were difficult to hail as we were quite a ways out of town. Cami paid a motorcycle to go in and send a taxi back. This is the first time I have gone this long without a cup of Dolca since my hysterectomy. We met Thierno at the market and went to a tailor to have my blouses made. Cami introduced me to all his favorite vendors. We purchased items to prepare dinner and headed to the Peace Corp house in Boke. I liked this PC house as it was clean compared to Conakry, but there was no AC, limited electricity and no running water. It was quaint and I felt comfortable. Jen and I decided we should stay at the PC house instead of the hotel because I didn’t like the hotel and the taxi situation was difficult. Cami was unhappy because he so wanted AC. Thierno, Cami and I went back to the hotel and packed our things quickly and moved to the house for the next four days. Jen prepared lentils and we spent the rest of the evening with electricity integrated with solar.
The next day we went to Thierno’s house for lunch. I was so touched that his mother prepared a vegetarian sauce for me. Thierno’s area had several houses made of grass huts. There were lots of children running around, women working very hard while the men prepared and drank tea, and performed their prayer rituals. Their bathrooms consisted of outdoor areas inside fences made of grass. Luckily, my bladder really held out nicely on this trip. I always carried plenty of Purell and toilet paper. The Purell I used often but rarely had a need for toilet paper. The rice and sauce was delicious! Needless to say, I asked for the recipe. We had a wonderful afternoon and everyone was so gracious. Thierno’s mother cried when we left. Jen and I returned to the PC house and Camilo stayed with the men for tea.
The view across from the PC house was majestic! Down below was a winding river and far across in the distance was towering Mosque. Outside the PC house were a hundred goats running around and inside the gates we had a goat and the baby. By the time I left, I had the mama trained to come for Kashi. We spent a quiet evening with intermittent electricity.
Djoubairou has a good size family with many children. For lunch they killed a chicken for us. Jen and Cami enjoyed the chicken while I ate the sauce and rice. Again, it was delicious! Later, we prepared Fettuccine Alfredo for Cami’s students. I finally immersed myself into the culture when I no longer focused on the dirt and insects. I had so much fun with the kids. At least thirty kids came running from the neighborhoods and played Frisbee. They took me by the hand and led their white goddess to a shaded area to prevent sunburn. They were cute as they chanted “I love you!” They led me back to the house and my feet were filthy. Djoubairou’s mother brought out a pan of water and Djoubairou’s younger brother, Boubacar, gently washed my feet carefully washing between each toe. He patted them dry with a cloth and put my sandals back on. I was touched with how he attended to me. When we arrived the mother had the children change into clean white shirts. All the children were beautiful and very gentle especially Djoubairou’s family. Djoubairou is a good student and a good son who takes very good care of his family. His mother is such a good woman; gentle yet strong and very attentive to her husband and children. They gave Jen and me a gift of fabric. We spent six hours there and I had tears when I left. The mother wiped my tears with the palm of her hand and placed her hand on my heart. We could not share words as I couldn’t speak French, yet, there was this profound connection.
There was immense learning for me in these two days. When I changed my perception and let go of limitations I felt there were no boundaries. We as people erect the boundaries with our distortions. I felt such respect and admiration for Camilo because he had no boundaries as he made himself one their family. There is so much learning to take from this trip but this is probably the greatest learning for me. Beyond color and culture there is so much to share and verbal language was irrelevant. Camilo put his heart and soul into these students, not just in school, but also outside of school. He became a part of their life; an important influence in their lives. As I was introduced to the many people I witnessed how much Camilo touched their lives. We visited the vice principle of the school and he talked about the good qualities that make Camilo the good person he is. This community will miss and remember Camilo. The hot nights in Boke didn’t matter because the experience was so rich. Tomorrow we will leave a place that I will probably never visit again and yet, I feel such a part of.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 2 - Trekking to Boke
Our trip to Boke was in a taxi that seemed like it was fifty years old. We traveled on one of three paved roads in Guinea. Throughout our journey goats, cows, chickens and people would be walking along the road. Goats and cows would randomly stand in the middle of the road. The AC was the window rolled down all the way. At times the road was bumpy and it took us about four hours.
Upon our arrival into Boke we were met by Thierno, one of Camilo’s students. Thierno assisted our time in Boke. We stopped by Camilo’s house to greet his neighbors. His house is small with cement floors and dark. The kitchen had the most light when the door was open. It was like a playhouse; very small rooms, no electricity for the most part and extremely hot! I can understand why he has critters such as roaches and rats residing in his home. I can’t imagine being there for more than a visit let alone living there for more than two years. I can understand Camilo’s desire to check into a hotel with AC.
Our hotel most definitely had AC and electricity, but had a bathroom that was humid and stunk like a urinal. My thoughts were filled with massive amounts of bacteria and critters running around my room. I burned incense and frankincense to clear the place out. We locked up the rooms went into town to one Boke’s few restaurants.
Camilo and Jen ordered Chicken while I had French fries and bread. Being a vegetarian met its challenges; yet, I ate healthy and stayed healthy. Lighting was provided by a generator and at times it wasn’t working. As we waited, I was observing a fourteen or fifteen old prostitute dance around as she went into a room with an older man. As she finished spinning her tricks he left in a fancy SUV before we finished our dinner. Could I be certain that the young girl was a prostitute? Of course not, but more than likely she was. We returned to the hotel for a good night sleep, so I thought! It was difficult falling asleep with a strong smell of stench. Sounds of doors shutting brought flashes of the young prostitute entering the room with the old man. I’m sure many tricks were turned in this hotel as many of the residents were men and there is a night club adjacent to the hotel. I increased the AC to smother out the stench and I froze. A few hours into the night I thought for sure I was in the middle of a hurricane with the rain and wind slammed the walls. There was a half an inch space under the door where I imagined water seeping in and flooding my room. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep all night.
Upon our arrival into Boke we were met by Thierno, one of Camilo’s students. Thierno assisted our time in Boke. We stopped by Camilo’s house to greet his neighbors. His house is small with cement floors and dark. The kitchen had the most light when the door was open. It was like a playhouse; very small rooms, no electricity for the most part and extremely hot! I can understand why he has critters such as roaches and rats residing in his home. I can’t imagine being there for more than a visit let alone living there for more than two years. I can understand Camilo’s desire to check into a hotel with AC.
Our hotel most definitely had AC and electricity, but had a bathroom that was humid and stunk like a urinal. My thoughts were filled with massive amounts of bacteria and critters running around my room. I burned incense and frankincense to clear the place out. We locked up the rooms went into town to one Boke’s few restaurants.
Camilo and Jen ordered Chicken while I had French fries and bread. Being a vegetarian met its challenges; yet, I ate healthy and stayed healthy. Lighting was provided by a generator and at times it wasn’t working. As we waited, I was observing a fourteen or fifteen old prostitute dance around as she went into a room with an older man. As she finished spinning her tricks he left in a fancy SUV before we finished our dinner. Could I be certain that the young girl was a prostitute? Of course not, but more than likely she was. We returned to the hotel for a good night sleep, so I thought! It was difficult falling asleep with a strong smell of stench. Sounds of doors shutting brought flashes of the young prostitute entering the room with the old man. I’m sure many tricks were turned in this hotel as many of the residents were men and there is a night club adjacent to the hotel. I increased the AC to smother out the stench and I froze. A few hours into the night I thought for sure I was in the middle of a hurricane with the rain and wind slammed the walls. There was a half an inch space under the door where I imagined water seeping in and flooding my room. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep all night.
Guinea 101 - The First Day of the Trip
The first four days of my Guinean adventure challenged me, shocked me, as well as force me to decide what my priorities would be for the rest of the trip.
The first unusual encounter began upon my arrival at the airport. After gathering my luggage, Camilo engaged in a bartering session with about twenty taxi drivers. I was quite impressed with Camilo’s bartering as he never backed down. It must be genetic as it so reminded me of Abuelita. Voices became intense as the process went on and the price ended up being extremely high. After this experience, I knew Camilo would be handling all the money. Finally, we made our way through the busy streets of Conakry to the Peace Corp house.
As we pulled into the Peace Corp compound I was amazed with the amount of security and its large size. The house in which we stayed housed many others on a temporary basis and was quite disorganized to say the least. I was placed in the most luxurious room in the house, the sick room which had AC, a flushable toilet and a real shower. The house had round the clock electricity and a water purifier. Little did I know that these luxuries more than likely would not be available in the other places we would visit. This was my first experience with a mosquito net. I didn’t need an alarm clock as the children in a nearby school woke me with their lively voices.
Most of my days began with Dolca, Kashi, protein powder and the 32 containers of milk that I carried across nearly two continents. Once I arrived, I found they have milk in Guinea. The first days were spent doing introductions and getting to know the area. My first trip to town was to the bank and for a delicious lunch at LaDamier, one of the nicest restaurants in Conakry. We hitched a ride with two Peace Corp employees that were going into town. Our means of transportation was a beautiful white Toyota Land Cruiser. Surrounding the Peace Corps compound were several of these fancy SUVs. My initial reaction was; Wow! This is going to be wonderful transportation! Soon, reality would set in! Another restaurant we went to was a Lebanese restaurant called, LeTrio. Many things on the menu they didn’t have but I found enough to wet my appetite. When it was time to leave and pay the bill, Camilo realized he didn’t have any money. We needed money to pay the bill and take a taxi across town to home. Camilo and Jen thought for sure they would not take US dollars and especially not twenties. Much to our surprise the waiter said, “Okay”. Also included in these first days was my first trip to the market.
The market is probably one of the dirtiest places I have ever been. It is filled with wall to wall people. Everybody is dripping wet with perspiration as well some with body odor. I, too, was sticky and sweaty. Animals such as chickens and goats run freely and some are for sale. Some vendors were selling vegetables, homemade goods and warm milk with flies swarming all over it. The small isles between vendors were narrow, muddy and slippery. Camilo’s appetite for the local non-refrige
rated cooking turned my stomach. I would soon learn Camilo eats everything and anything! The heat was unbearable as it beat down on my back. I forgot to apply sunscreen and thought for sure I would be burnt to a crisp. Our visit included purchasing seven pagnes (meter long of fabric for a bit more than twenty five dollars. It was enough to make six sleeveless blouses and two skirts. The fabric lady forgot to give Camilo the change and she chased us down to give it to us. I couldn’t believe her honesty! The evening before we left for Boke we went to the Beach Bar, a local hang out for PCV which is located behind the PC. It was interesting to watch the local Guineans work out in their homemade beach gym. Some were very fit!
The first unusual encounter began upon my arrival at the airport. After gathering my luggage, Camilo engaged in a bartering session with about twenty taxi drivers. I was quite impressed with Camilo’s bartering as he never backed down. It must be genetic as it so reminded me of Abuelita. Voices became intense as the process went on and the price ended up being extremely high. After this experience, I knew Camilo would be handling all the money. Finally, we made our way through the busy streets of Conakry to the Peace Corp house.
As we pulled into the Peace Corp compound I was amazed with the amount of security and its large size. The house in which we stayed housed many others on a temporary basis and was quite disorganized to say the least. I was placed in the most luxurious room in the house, the sick room which had AC, a flushable toilet and a real shower. The house had round the clock electricity and a water purifier. Little did I know that these luxuries more than likely would not be available in the other places we would visit. This was my first experience with a mosquito net. I didn’t need an alarm clock as the children in a nearby school woke me with their lively voices.
Most of my days began with Dolca, Kashi, protein powder and the 32 containers of milk that I carried across nearly two continents. Once I arrived, I found they have milk in Guinea. The first days were spent doing introductions and getting to know the area. My first trip to town was to the bank and for a delicious lunch at LaDamier, one of the nicest restaurants in Conakry. We hitched a ride with two Peace Corp employees that were going into town. Our means of transportation was a beautiful white Toyota Land Cruiser. Surrounding the Peace Corps compound were several of these fancy SUVs. My initial reaction was; Wow! This is going to be wonderful transportation! Soon, reality would set in! Another restaurant we went to was a Lebanese restaurant called, LeTrio. Many things on the menu they didn’t have but I found enough to wet my appetite. When it was time to leave and pay the bill, Camilo realized he didn’t have any money. We needed money to pay the bill and take a taxi across town to home. Camilo and Jen thought for sure they would not take US dollars and especially not twenties. Much to our surprise the waiter said, “Okay”. Also included in these first days was my first trip to the market.
The market is probably one of the dirtiest places I have ever been. It is filled with wall to wall people. Everybody is dripping wet with perspiration as well some with body odor. I, too, was sticky and sweaty. Animals such as chickens and goats run freely and some are for sale. Some vendors were selling vegetables, homemade goods and warm milk with flies swarming all over it. The small isles between vendors were narrow, muddy and slippery. Camilo’s appetite for the local non-refrige
rated cooking turned my stomach. I would soon learn Camilo eats everything and anything! The heat was unbearable as it beat down on my back. I forgot to apply sunscreen and thought for sure I would be burnt to a crisp. Our visit included purchasing seven pagnes (meter long of fabric for a bit more than twenty five dollars. It was enough to make six sleeveless blouses and two skirts. The fabric lady forgot to give Camilo the change and she chased us down to give it to us. I couldn’t believe her honesty! The evening before we left for Boke we went to the Beach Bar, a local hang out for PCV which is located behind the PC. It was interesting to watch the local Guineans work out in their homemade beach gym. Some were very fit!Cheryla's travel journal and Girls Conference Update
Well - an interesting change to the blog. As you, dear reader, well knows, Cheryla was supposed to be arriving here in Guinea mid-June for a two week visit to the Land of the Septuagenarian Susu Strongman. This visit of course, was to come on the heels of a military mutiny that shut down the capital for a week. Well, she did arrive, and the visit went off without a hitch, until of course today, when she was unable to leave, as I mentioned in the last post. Hopefully, she'll be able to leave with no problems on the re-scheduled flight tomorrow.
At any rate, throughout her visit, she typed up a travel journal. After being here for nearly two years, you get into a routine and it becomes home, and what once seemed shocking or new becomes just a part of your everyday life. So it'll be a nice change of pace for me to post her travel journal - to see Guinea from the eyes of a first time visitor once again. I'll try to post it all over the next couple days. As always, my pictures are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/camilo11/sets/72157601867272531/
This time though, I'll try to post pics within the blog entries. Enjoy the journal!
Also - Girls Conference is up in the air. There is MAYBE a teacher's strike next week. Maybe not. At any rate, we really don't know what's going on. If there isn't a strike, we'll likely hold the conference at the scheduled date. If there is, well, it's gonna have to be postponed. I know life in Guinea just has to be day by day, but this whole uncertainty is just killing me! Hopefully though, the teachers' unions and the government will simply reach an agreement and we can have Girls Conference without a problem. We'll see. By tomorrow things should be clearer - the 19th is the deadline for meeting the unions' demands.
At any rate, throughout her visit, she typed up a travel journal. After being here for nearly two years, you get into a routine and it becomes home, and what once seemed shocking or new becomes just a part of your everyday life. So it'll be a nice change of pace for me to post her travel journal - to see Guinea from the eyes of a first time visitor once again. I'll try to post it all over the next couple days. As always, my pictures are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/camilo11/sets/72157601867272531/
This time though, I'll try to post pics within the blog entries. Enjoy the journal!
Also - Girls Conference is up in the air. There is MAYBE a teacher's strike next week. Maybe not. At any rate, we really don't know what's going on. If there isn't a strike, we'll likely hold the conference at the scheduled date. If there is, well, it's gonna have to be postponed. I know life in Guinea just has to be day by day, but this whole uncertainty is just killing me! Hopefully though, the teachers' unions and the government will simply reach an agreement and we can have Girls Conference without a problem. We'll see. By tomorrow things should be clearer - the 19th is the deadline for meeting the unions' demands.
Another entry about unrest in Guinea...
Wow. So my last entry was, oh, three weeks ago. In it, I described the tense situation in Guinea's capital when the military decided to go on strike and demand backpay. Well, the Guinean government surprisingly quickly agreed to meet nearly all of the mutineers extraordinary demands. Well, here we are, three weeks later, and now the Guinean police and customs officers have been on strike for a couple days now, disrupting life in Conakry once again, preventing Cheryla from getting home on time, and using many of the same tactics (i.e. taking superiors hostage) that the military used to get the government to cave in. At any rate, here is a news story that sums up the current situation.
On a personal note - as I mentioned, Cheryla was not able to get home on time, as customs officers at the airport did not show up for work. Inch'allah, she'll be departing on tomorrow's flight. Today when we arrived at the airport, we found a small paper taped to the side of the building telling us the flight was cancelled. And this was after we called and emailed 5 times in one day to make sure that the flights and airport situation were normal! You just never know in Guinea. Ehh Allah.
Now, for your reading pleasure, the news story.
Guinea troops clash with police
Fighting has broken out in the West African state of Guinea between soldiers and striking police officers.The two sides exchanged gunfire at the headquarters of a riot police unit in the capital, Conakry.Some police officers have been on strike over pay and conditions since Monday, and held the head of the police force hostage for several hours.The protest follows an army mutiny last month that led to salary increases and promotions for the soldiers.BBC West Africa correspondent Will Ross says soldiers exchanged fire with a group of striking policeman.A number of casualties have been reported on both sides. Some police have been taken to an army barracks.At least two soldiers were killed, a senior army officer told Reuters news agency.Witnesses told Reuters and the AFP news agency that the bodies of at least four policeman were seen laid out afterwards.Risky precedentProtesting policemen took the police commander and other senior officers captive after starting their strike, before releasing them later on Monday.A police delegation was expected to meet the prime minister on Tuesday. The police are demanding provisions of rice as well as improved pay. With prices escalating, basic salaries can barely cover the cost of feeding a family, our correspondent says.Last month, the government set a precedent that some people would describe as risky, he says.When soldiers went on the rampage over their conditions - and held one of their own superiors captive - they were rewarded with promotion and a payment of more than $1,000 in salary arrears.The country's aging president, Lansana Conte, recently sacked the prime minister who had been appointed last year as part of a deal to end deadly anti-government protests across the country.In much of West Africa, police supplement their incomes by extorting bribes at roadblocks.Our correspondent says that while the army and police can use their guns to demand more money, the rest of the population has to struggle on, increasingly frustrated with Guinea's politicians.
On a personal note - as I mentioned, Cheryla was not able to get home on time, as customs officers at the airport did not show up for work. Inch'allah, she'll be departing on tomorrow's flight. Today when we arrived at the airport, we found a small paper taped to the side of the building telling us the flight was cancelled. And this was after we called and emailed 5 times in one day to make sure that the flights and airport situation were normal! You just never know in Guinea. Ehh Allah.
Now, for your reading pleasure, the news story.
Guinea troops clash with police
Fighting has broken out in the West African state of Guinea between soldiers and striking police officers.The two sides exchanged gunfire at the headquarters of a riot police unit in the capital, Conakry.Some police officers have been on strike over pay and conditions since Monday, and held the head of the police force hostage for several hours.The protest follows an army mutiny last month that led to salary increases and promotions for the soldiers.BBC West Africa correspondent Will Ross says soldiers exchanged fire with a group of striking policeman.A number of casualties have been reported on both sides. Some police have been taken to an army barracks.At least two soldiers were killed, a senior army officer told Reuters news agency.Witnesses told Reuters and the AFP news agency that the bodies of at least four policeman were seen laid out afterwards.Risky precedentProtesting policemen took the police commander and other senior officers captive after starting their strike, before releasing them later on Monday.A police delegation was expected to meet the prime minister on Tuesday. The police are demanding provisions of rice as well as improved pay. With prices escalating, basic salaries can barely cover the cost of feeding a family, our correspondent says.Last month, the government set a precedent that some people would describe as risky, he says.When soldiers went on the rampage over their conditions - and held one of their own superiors captive - they were rewarded with promotion and a payment of more than $1,000 in salary arrears.The country's aging president, Lansana Conte, recently sacked the prime minister who had been appointed last year as part of a deal to end deadly anti-government protests across the country.In much of West Africa, police supplement their incomes by extorting bribes at roadblocks.Our correspondent says that while the army and police can use their guns to demand more money, the rest of the population has to struggle on, increasingly frustrated with Guinea's politicians.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Mutiny finally over?
So the past few days have been rather tense in Guinea...Jen and I arrived in Conakry last Friday, hoping to leave for Boke on Wednesday and spend a few days there before returning to receive Cheryla, who is flying to visit for two weeks, this coming Thursday. Unfortunately, the Guinean military decided that wasn't really what we wanted to do and set off a mutiny whose low point was reached on Thursday, when young Army officers were in a standoff with the Presidential Guard in a sealed off downtown Conakry. Fortunately, calm has returned to Conakry, the Army and the president have reached an agreement, and gas stations are reopening as life returns to normal in the capital. There were never any problems outside of the capital, except in a few cities in the Forest Region of Guinea (where we haven't had volunteers in a number of years now). Fortunately, it appears that Cheryla will still be able to come without any problems, now that things have settled down...but for your reading enjoyment, I post a story that sums up pretty well the recent unrest in Guinea's capital. A note: since the story has come out, gas stations have reopened in Guinea and the hostages taken by the Army mutineers have been released.
Guinea pays troops in bid to end mutiny
Sat 31 May 2008, 7:19 GMT
By Saliou Samb
CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea began paying salary arrears to junior soldiers on Friday in an attempt to end a five-day bloody mutiny that had worsened instability in the world's top bauxite exporter.
Calm returned to the capital Conakry but banks, schools and many large businesses were shut as people stayed at home after clashes since Monday between the mutineers and troops loyal to President Lansana Conte, who has ruled Guinea since 1984.
Several people, mostly civilians, were killed and dozens were wounded during fighting in Conakry and other towns after the junior soldiers revolted over pay at the largest army base in the former French colony.
The thud of heavy weapons and crackle of automatic gunfire stopped overnight.
The mutineers appeared to have returned to barracks to receive the first instalment of five million Guinean francs in salary arrears granted by new Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare earlier this week.
"We are queuing to receive 1 million Guinean francs each, representing our arrears," one soldier told Reuters by phone, declining to be identified. "Everyone here has decided and they say the (mutiny) is over."
An army general and presidential guard officers met the mutineers at the Alpha Yaya Diallo base on Friday. Sources close to the talks said good progress was made and that the mutineers had released two senior military officers seized this week.
MUTINEERS' DEMANDS
The mutineers have demanded the dismissal of the heads of the army, navy and air force, accusing them of corruption and stealing their salaries and food supplies.
Military insiders say the government is unlikely to agree to dismiss top officers, many of whom are staunch Conte supporters.
As night fell on Friday, pick-up trucks packed with heavily armed presidential guards returned to the November 8 bridge guarding the entrance to central Conakry, where the presidential palace and government offices are situated.
The mutiny occurred after Conte dismissed consensus Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate last week, 15 months after he was named to defuse a bloody general strike in which more than 130 people were killed.
"France is following the situation in Guinea with concern ... (and) only transparent and democratic legislative elections will provide a durable solution to the crisis," said a statement from the French embassy on Friday.
Analysts say Souare's prompt capitulation to mutineers' demands risks encouraging further unrest, against the backdrop of new strike threats by union leaders.
People returned to Conakry's central market and a thin trickle of taxis and minibuses were back on the coastal city's potholed roads.
Food prices were little changed in the market but fuel prices quintupled to more than 30,000 Guinean francs per litre after several service stations closed because of looting by mutineers.
The Friguia factory of Russian aluminium producer Rusal, the only plant in Guinea that refines crude bauxite ore, was operating normally, a company spokeswoman said in Moscow.
The plant has a capacity of 527,000 tonnes of alumina a year that it plans to increase eventually to 1.5 million.
Guinea pays troops in bid to end mutiny
Sat 31 May 2008, 7:19 GMT
By Saliou Samb
CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea began paying salary arrears to junior soldiers on Friday in an attempt to end a five-day bloody mutiny that had worsened instability in the world's top bauxite exporter.
Calm returned to the capital Conakry but banks, schools and many large businesses were shut as people stayed at home after clashes since Monday between the mutineers and troops loyal to President Lansana Conte, who has ruled Guinea since 1984.
Several people, mostly civilians, were killed and dozens were wounded during fighting in Conakry and other towns after the junior soldiers revolted over pay at the largest army base in the former French colony.
The thud of heavy weapons and crackle of automatic gunfire stopped overnight.
The mutineers appeared to have returned to barracks to receive the first instalment of five million Guinean francs in salary arrears granted by new Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare earlier this week.
"We are queuing to receive 1 million Guinean francs each, representing our arrears," one soldier told Reuters by phone, declining to be identified. "Everyone here has decided and they say the (mutiny) is over."
An army general and presidential guard officers met the mutineers at the Alpha Yaya Diallo base on Friday. Sources close to the talks said good progress was made and that the mutineers had released two senior military officers seized this week.
MUTINEERS' DEMANDS
The mutineers have demanded the dismissal of the heads of the army, navy and air force, accusing them of corruption and stealing their salaries and food supplies.
Military insiders say the government is unlikely to agree to dismiss top officers, many of whom are staunch Conte supporters.
As night fell on Friday, pick-up trucks packed with heavily armed presidential guards returned to the November 8 bridge guarding the entrance to central Conakry, where the presidential palace and government offices are situated.
The mutiny occurred after Conte dismissed consensus Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate last week, 15 months after he was named to defuse a bloody general strike in which more than 130 people were killed.
"France is following the situation in Guinea with concern ... (and) only transparent and democratic legislative elections will provide a durable solution to the crisis," said a statement from the French embassy on Friday.
Analysts say Souare's prompt capitulation to mutineers' demands risks encouraging further unrest, against the backdrop of new strike threats by union leaders.
People returned to Conakry's central market and a thin trickle of taxis and minibuses were back on the coastal city's potholed roads.
Food prices were little changed in the market but fuel prices quintupled to more than 30,000 Guinean francs per litre after several service stations closed because of looting by mutineers.
The Friguia factory of Russian aluminium producer Rusal, the only plant in Guinea that refines crude bauxite ore, was operating normally, a company spokeswoman said in Moscow.
The plant has a capacity of 527,000 tonnes of alumina a year that it plans to increase eventually to 1.5 million.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Girls Conference
Well, this was a busy weekend. The g15ers (new volunteers) had their IST after three months at site in Mamou this weekend, and I traveled to Mamou for a meeting and to get stuff prepared for Girls Conference. On the Girls Conference front, great news - our fundraising proposal got approved, and in just about a week about 4,000 dollars have been donated to the Girls Conferences. Also, the volunteers seem to be genuinely excited to bring a girl to the conferences and we've gotten (almost) everyone signed up for the conferences.
This past weekend however, proved to be a rather tiring one however, just when I need all the energy I can get to push through these last two weeks at school. Oh well - let's hope these last two weeks fly by...
They won't.
Eh, short update - I'm exhausted...I'll do better one perhaps later on.
This past weekend however, proved to be a rather tiring one however, just when I need all the energy I can get to push through these last two weeks at school. Oh well - let's hope these last two weeks fly by...
They won't.
Eh, short update - I'm exhausted...I'll do better one perhaps later on.
Friday, April 25, 2008
And I'm finally gonna make it back to America.
I’m headed back to the U.S. in September! Although the original plan was to stay in Guinea until 2009, using the third year to find a position with an NGO (still under the Peace Corps umbrella), a number of things made Jen and I decided that it was time to head back. A good position wasn’t readily becoming available - there were two possible options but they weren't certain; it would have been, to put it diplomatically, "crowded" in Labe with 3 volunteers there; and it will be easier to find jobs and apartments upon our return if we can tell them we’ll be staying a year (there’s a trip to Asia being planned before going to grad school in 2010). Plus, the thought of a sandwich from Cosi, a cold Yuengling Lager, and fast internet at any time of day is just really appealing!
o When we move back to the US, Jen and I will be living in DC. It should be a rather exciting time and we’re both looking forward to living in a place where we both have lots of friends from Peace Corps/college/high school. We’re going to try to use our non-competitive eligibility in order to get government jobs – or see what other jobs are out there. I’m rather worried about the state of the economy though! All I keep hearing on the radio over here are horror stories about the economy going in the tank. The other day, Ian walks into the room and throws three Economist magazines at me, all three with covers about the American economy just sinking. Let's hope by September it will be easier to find some jobs.
o Guinea is hot. And I mean HOT. As in 118 degrees. (I know, I know, I already did a blog update on this, but the heat is everywhere, I can't escape it!) The dry season is coming to an end, but the end of the dry season also means the hottest temperatures of the year. My house is unbearable at night, and I’ve begun placing a towel under me on the bed to soak up all the sweat. It’s gross and leaves me tired and not feeling clean in the morning. In a month and a half though, the rains should be coming down steadily, which will bring temperatures down a good deal (but will also bump humidity up 10 notches)
o My parents and Stefi are thinking of coming to Guinea in June and July (two separate trips)! I’m very much looking forward to their arrival. It can sometimes be so hard to explain life in Guinea to people who haven’t been here, so it will be nice to have them share a little bit of the experience that I’ve been having since 2006. We might even be able to sneak a trip to Ghana or Senegal during one of the visits, provided we have enough time.
o Although my teaching job is winding down (school ends in late May), Jen and I have decided to take on re-establishing the Girls Conference that takes place in Mamou. It was one of the flagship events of the Peace Corps Guinea program, but last years evacuation caused the Girls conferences to be cancelled. These conferences are essentially 3-4 day camps/seminars on health, education, family planning, and job opportunities for young women finishing middle and high school. Women, without a doubt, face many difficulties in Guinea, so the conference is really a great opportunity for many of these girls to see that they too can become successful, independent, and educated women. It will be great to finish up our service with such a good project - I'm just hoping the fundraising comes in on time for our conference!
Anyway - I suppose that's all the major updates! The internet was shockingly fast today, so I'm going to take advantage of it now to download some news articles before going back to Boke! Until next time, oo'o!
o When we move back to the US, Jen and I will be living in DC. It should be a rather exciting time and we’re both looking forward to living in a place where we both have lots of friends from Peace Corps/college/high school. We’re going to try to use our non-competitive eligibility in order to get government jobs – or see what other jobs are out there. I’m rather worried about the state of the economy though! All I keep hearing on the radio over here are horror stories about the economy going in the tank. The other day, Ian walks into the room and throws three Economist magazines at me, all three with covers about the American economy just sinking. Let's hope by September it will be easier to find some jobs.
o Guinea is hot. And I mean HOT. As in 118 degrees. (I know, I know, I already did a blog update on this, but the heat is everywhere, I can't escape it!) The dry season is coming to an end, but the end of the dry season also means the hottest temperatures of the year. My house is unbearable at night, and I’ve begun placing a towel under me on the bed to soak up all the sweat. It’s gross and leaves me tired and not feeling clean in the morning. In a month and a half though, the rains should be coming down steadily, which will bring temperatures down a good deal (but will also bump humidity up 10 notches)
o My parents and Stefi are thinking of coming to Guinea in June and July (two separate trips)! I’m very much looking forward to their arrival. It can sometimes be so hard to explain life in Guinea to people who haven’t been here, so it will be nice to have them share a little bit of the experience that I’ve been having since 2006. We might even be able to sneak a trip to Ghana or Senegal during one of the visits, provided we have enough time.
o Although my teaching job is winding down (school ends in late May), Jen and I have decided to take on re-establishing the Girls Conference that takes place in Mamou. It was one of the flagship events of the Peace Corps Guinea program, but last years evacuation caused the Girls conferences to be cancelled. These conferences are essentially 3-4 day camps/seminars on health, education, family planning, and job opportunities for young women finishing middle and high school. Women, without a doubt, face many difficulties in Guinea, so the conference is really a great opportunity for many of these girls to see that they too can become successful, independent, and educated women. It will be great to finish up our service with such a good project - I'm just hoping the fundraising comes in on time for our conference!
Anyway - I suppose that's all the major updates! The internet was shockingly fast today, so I'm going to take advantage of it now to download some news articles before going back to Boke! Until next time, oo'o!
Friday, March 28, 2008
119 F (Or 48 C)!!!!!!
I've been telling anyone willing to listen, and those not willing to do so - about the weather in Guinea. Because last week, Guinea became by far the hottest place I've ever been in.How hot was it??? 119 DEGREES! or, if you're of the celcius variety, about 48 DEGREES!!!! This is torture - it wasn't so bad up until a week ago - sure, the days were getting hot, but at least the nights were still tolerable and I didn't wake up drenched in sweat. Nope, not anymore - two out the past three nights have been absolute scorchers. I need to figure out some sort of different sleeping arrangement - maybe set up my mosquito net in my porch? The problem then is that I'll be exposed to all the mice/spiders/insects that live with me. Ugh - the rains need to get here. (Of course, then it will just be HOT and HUMID). Air conditioning just needs to get here.
Anyway - things are going well - no new news on the strike front - apparently the 31st of March is just the day for a report to come out on the progress of guinea since the strikes of 2007. It may be that at some point after that strikes are announced, but I feel a little better and am much less worried that any such strikes would disrupt my spring break plans/COS conference.
School is going well - though half my students continue to annoy me. My 12th grade students are generally quite great. My terminale students, well, teaching them is like teaching a brick wall. ANd I told em so. They werent' too pleased by that, but I wasn't at all pleased with the way their studies have been going. I just don't understand why, teaching the exact same material, my 12th grade students just seem to comprehend SO MUCH MORE! I mean - these terminale kids - getting them to answer is like puling teeth!
My English Club however is going well - and that is largely what keeps me sane. Most recently, we made spaghetti and garlic bread for the 18 kids who come to the club. I wanted to show them there is more to food than rice and sauce! (Though, admittedly, spaghetti is just another starch and sauce.) The kids were impressed that I knew how to cook - and I impressed myself by being able to cook spaghetti for nearly 20 people on the school yard over some coal.
Well - currently that's about all that's going on. I'm headed to Timbi Madina next week to visit Jen - it's our spring break. Then its on to COS (Close of Service) conference in Conakry, to find out what the plans for the next year are going to be! Will Cam and Jen get third year positions in Guinea until May 2009? Will we be making an appearance in the US in September of this year? Will a possible strike send us packing even before then? Stay tuned to find out.
Also - once I get to conakry, I am going to post a picture of me frying an egg on the sidewalk - I'm convinced that in this heat it can be done - I'm going to try it tomorrow. Till then, oo'o.
Anyway - things are going well - no new news on the strike front - apparently the 31st of March is just the day for a report to come out on the progress of guinea since the strikes of 2007. It may be that at some point after that strikes are announced, but I feel a little better and am much less worried that any such strikes would disrupt my spring break plans/COS conference.
School is going well - though half my students continue to annoy me. My 12th grade students are generally quite great. My terminale students, well, teaching them is like teaching a brick wall. ANd I told em so. They werent' too pleased by that, but I wasn't at all pleased with the way their studies have been going. I just don't understand why, teaching the exact same material, my 12th grade students just seem to comprehend SO MUCH MORE! I mean - these terminale kids - getting them to answer is like puling teeth!
My English Club however is going well - and that is largely what keeps me sane. Most recently, we made spaghetti and garlic bread for the 18 kids who come to the club. I wanted to show them there is more to food than rice and sauce! (Though, admittedly, spaghetti is just another starch and sauce.) The kids were impressed that I knew how to cook - and I impressed myself by being able to cook spaghetti for nearly 20 people on the school yard over some coal.
Well - currently that's about all that's going on. I'm headed to Timbi Madina next week to visit Jen - it's our spring break. Then its on to COS (Close of Service) conference in Conakry, to find out what the plans for the next year are going to be! Will Cam and Jen get third year positions in Guinea until May 2009? Will we be making an appearance in the US in September of this year? Will a possible strike send us packing even before then? Stay tuned to find out.
Also - once I get to conakry, I am going to post a picture of me frying an egg on the sidewalk - I'm convinced that in this heat it can be done - I'm going to try it tomorrow. Till then, oo'o.
Friday, March 21, 2008
A less alarmist entry
So after posting my last entry, I decided I should try and find out some news about Guinea, and the upcoming strike, and these declarations I had heard from Guineans about a rice shortage...and it turns out that there were really no news. Not that that means the situation is any better, but it did calm my nerves to hear that its not a wave of bad news that's coming out about a possible strike in Guinea...there's just no news coming out. So, as always, it'll just be wait and see.
So, if the strikes don't happen, or if they proceed clamly, then there's actually lots of stuff going on for me. Jen and I are planning a Girls Conference for June (pending budget proposal approval). Its s a nationwide conference for volunteers and an middle/high school age girl from each village in which topics as varied as HIV/AIDS, business techniques, environmental protection, and education are discussed in an effort to inspire the girls to continue with their education and help start projects in their towns and villages.
Also - the end of my service may or may not be coming up. Jen and I are really hoping to get a third year position here in Guinea - but we want to be able to work with organizations in the same city. It sounds like the Peace Corps is scoping out some options for us...if they find em, great! If not, then we'll likely be staying here till Septermber to help with training, and then moving back to DC to get jobs and go back to school. We'll see what ends up happening. But at any rate, my internet time is almost up, so I've got to get going...oo'o.
So, if the strikes don't happen, or if they proceed clamly, then there's actually lots of stuff going on for me. Jen and I are planning a Girls Conference for June (pending budget proposal approval). Its s a nationwide conference for volunteers and an middle/high school age girl from each village in which topics as varied as HIV/AIDS, business techniques, environmental protection, and education are discussed in an effort to inspire the girls to continue with their education and help start projects in their towns and villages.
Also - the end of my service may or may not be coming up. Jen and I are really hoping to get a third year position here in Guinea - but we want to be able to work with organizations in the same city. It sounds like the Peace Corps is scoping out some options for us...if they find em, great! If not, then we'll likely be staying here till Septermber to help with training, and then moving back to DC to get jobs and go back to school. We'll see what ends up happening. But at any rate, my internet time is almost up, so I've got to get going...oo'o.
Trouble's a Brewin'
Well – I'm officially starting to get a little worried. Back in January, from the comfort of our Cairo Marriot hotel room, March 31st, the date to which the strikes had been moved back, seemed so distant. Back in January, I felt quite confident that I'd be able to finally finish my Peace Corps service – with no evacuations or anything to interrupt it. I'm just not so sure any more. This past week, I've been hearing much more talk of a strike than I had been hearing even the two weeks prior. I suppose that makes perfect sense – the closer we get to the March 31st deadline for union demands to be met, the more that the strike will come up in conversation. But up until this week, I hadn't really thought that Guineans would necessarily go out in force, as they did a little over a year ago, and demand a change at (almost) any cost. What I hear on the street and from my students is still the same as a couple months ago: a strike is only going to hurt our studies, we don't want a strike, the strike last year didn't accomplish much, a strike is only going to set us back. And yet, despite the fact I hear Guineans talk like this, I'm becoming increasingly worried that when the strike gets going, all this anti-strike talk will go out the window and violence will break out on the streets again.
By almost any measure, most Guineans are not getting a fair deal. Unfortunately, some of the things which I most worry will get getting tempers flaring during a strike are things which even a serious strike couldn't possibly fix, namely, the price of rice and the price of gas. Both oil and agricultural commodities are reaching record prices in world markets. Here in Guinea, some of the biggest issues of contention have been price caps on gas and rice, so that the average Guinean, whose income does not rise steadily with the rise in food and gas prices, can afford to feed his family (and many prices also largely depend on transport costs – hence part of the gas problem). Unfortunately, keeping food and gas prices artificially low through some sort of subsidies or other government intervention is not a sustainable policy. Nor is it a policy that government (and not just the Guinean government, but all governments) should implement. Yes, government subsidies of many commodities abound, even in our beloved USA. But in the US, there's plenty of wiggle room with government funds – subsidizing corn farmers in Iowa is largely not going to affect the funds that go toward building highways and keeping schools running; I'm just not sure that type of wiggle room exists in budgets over here. So the price of food and gas keeps rising all over the world, which means it HAS to eventually also go up in Guinea and unfortunately it looks like these prices hikes are going to coincide with the strikes. I'm just not confident that the combination of anger about the current situation and a hike in prices will lead to a happy ending. But we'll see...maybe I'm just entering panic mode since we already evacuated once last year. The new group of PCVs that swore in last month don't even seem to have mentioned it yet or be worried about it – so maybe I'm just over reacting. I just really hope the next time I update my blog it is not from the dining hall in a Peace Corps training center in Mali.
PS. If you know economics, and you understand this whole economics thing better than I do...please, correct me if I'm wrong...I can promise you that you are smarter than me when it comes to economics
Monday, March 10, 2008
Chaos (and devils??) at my school.
So this past week I had one of the craziest days in a Guinean classroom. No, it was THE craziest day in a Guinean classroom.
Last Wednesday, class had started off normally enough, when I showed up at 10 to teach my kids until 2 pm. After the 10:15 bell sounded (calling it a bell is giving my school too much credit, it's actually an old hubcap that they hit with a stick), I began my class on the simple past in English. The latecomers were still trickling in at 10:25 when I noticed a girl was laying down on the seat of her desk, an uncomfortable wooden thing made to sit two students side by side. At first, I let it go. This was a student who didn't participate much in class and didn't receive any sort of good grades, so I figured at least that she would also not contribute to any class disruptions if she just left. I did find it odd that she had her head down on the seat and not the desk, but I continued with my teaching. A couple minutes later, I decided to ask the girl if everything was ok while my students copied some texts from the board. She didn't reply. I asked her a few times, and each time my questions were met with silence. Finally, I told one of my students to check on the girl to see if she was ok.
When he tried to ask her, she didn't respond. He then tried to lift her head up, but she forced it down onto the desk. He tried to lift her up, but she kept going limp or struggling against him. He finally used all his force to lift the female student, and she didn't try to resist. Instead, she began to moan, scream, and cry and shake in her seat. I instantly became quite worried - I had no idea if she was having some sort of epileptic seizure (I don't even know if that's a correct term) or some other health problem. I handed a student 200 francs (about4 US cents) and told him to run and get some water for her. Of course, at this point, my 65 students were all quite anxious to see the drama that was unfolding in the front of the class and stood up from their seats, rushing to the front of the class to get a glimpse. Meanwhile, by the second, my female student's cries were becoming louder, and in addition to the wailing and screaming, she also began shaking and writhing even more violently , and striking out against anyone in her area. I ordered my students to sit down, and even had to push some of them away from the girl, and told another student to run and get my vice-principal. By the time he arrived a few seconds later, the girl was out of control, letting out piercing screams and resisting the students who were trying to grab her to carry her outside. He told my student to take her to his office, and it took about 6 of my male students to restrain the girl, lift her up, and carry her across the courtyard to the office.
Of course, my students could not resist not seeing the action, and half of them followed the group of guys carrying the girl outside the door. I ran outside and grabbed students by the shirt, arms, and anything else I could get my hands on. It took me a few minutes, but I eventually regained control of my class, quite worried that my student had just had some serious health issue. I returned to teaching, and was five minutes into the lesson, when i see another girl with her head down. At first, I rolled my eyes, and said, oh, now what?? But the girl wouldn't look up even when i told her to stand up and answer a question. Again, a student goes to check on her, lifts up her head, and she begins sobbing and crying with tears streaming down her face. Well, she must be quite upset about her friend's little crisis, I thought to myself. But then, the same scene begins to unfold itself with the shaking, the screaming, and the group of students carrying her out of my classroom. At this point, I new something odd was going on. I regain (once again!) control of my classroom, and resume teaching.
Within 3 minutes, however, I hear screams coming from a neighboring classroom. Then another. And another. And another.
Some sort of mass hysteria had apparently consumed my school, with 7 female students going somewhat crazy over the course of 15 minutes.
"It's the devils, mister, it's the devils!" my students told me. "We can't stay in class, the devils are here," they announced. I asked the students to raise their hands if they were scared of the devils. Four or five did. I told them to go ahead and go home if they were scared, I was going to continue teaching, even after my vice principal entered to tell me that he was cancelling school at 10:45 for the rest of the day.
"I don't care if there are one thousand devils in this room," I told my students, "They are going to learn the simple past in English today and so are you." I managed to keep them in the classroom an extra hour and a half after eveybody had gone home.
I never did find out what caused the craziness that day. Maybe it was Guinean devils (ha!), or maybe it was some girls who wanted to get out of class and get plenty of attention along the way. But either way, the day provided me with one day of teaching that I'm not going to soon forget.
Last Wednesday, class had started off normally enough, when I showed up at 10 to teach my kids until 2 pm. After the 10:15 bell sounded (calling it a bell is giving my school too much credit, it's actually an old hubcap that they hit with a stick), I began my class on the simple past in English. The latecomers were still trickling in at 10:25 when I noticed a girl was laying down on the seat of her desk, an uncomfortable wooden thing made to sit two students side by side. At first, I let it go. This was a student who didn't participate much in class and didn't receive any sort of good grades, so I figured at least that she would also not contribute to any class disruptions if she just left. I did find it odd that she had her head down on the seat and not the desk, but I continued with my teaching. A couple minutes later, I decided to ask the girl if everything was ok while my students copied some texts from the board. She didn't reply. I asked her a few times, and each time my questions were met with silence. Finally, I told one of my students to check on the girl to see if she was ok.
When he tried to ask her, she didn't respond. He then tried to lift her head up, but she forced it down onto the desk. He tried to lift her up, but she kept going limp or struggling against him. He finally used all his force to lift the female student, and she didn't try to resist. Instead, she began to moan, scream, and cry and shake in her seat. I instantly became quite worried - I had no idea if she was having some sort of epileptic seizure (I don't even know if that's a correct term) or some other health problem. I handed a student 200 francs (about4 US cents) and told him to run and get some water for her. Of course, at this point, my 65 students were all quite anxious to see the drama that was unfolding in the front of the class and stood up from their seats, rushing to the front of the class to get a glimpse. Meanwhile, by the second, my female student's cries were becoming louder, and in addition to the wailing and screaming, she also began shaking and writhing even more violently , and striking out against anyone in her area. I ordered my students to sit down, and even had to push some of them away from the girl, and told another student to run and get my vice-principal. By the time he arrived a few seconds later, the girl was out of control, letting out piercing screams and resisting the students who were trying to grab her to carry her outside. He told my student to take her to his office, and it took about 6 of my male students to restrain the girl, lift her up, and carry her across the courtyard to the office.
Of course, my students could not resist not seeing the action, and half of them followed the group of guys carrying the girl outside the door. I ran outside and grabbed students by the shirt, arms, and anything else I could get my hands on. It took me a few minutes, but I eventually regained control of my class, quite worried that my student had just had some serious health issue. I returned to teaching, and was five minutes into the lesson, when i see another girl with her head down. At first, I rolled my eyes, and said, oh, now what?? But the girl wouldn't look up even when i told her to stand up and answer a question. Again, a student goes to check on her, lifts up her head, and she begins sobbing and crying with tears streaming down her face. Well, she must be quite upset about her friend's little crisis, I thought to myself. But then, the same scene begins to unfold itself with the shaking, the screaming, and the group of students carrying her out of my classroom. At this point, I new something odd was going on. I regain (once again!) control of my classroom, and resume teaching.
Within 3 minutes, however, I hear screams coming from a neighboring classroom. Then another. And another. And another.
Some sort of mass hysteria had apparently consumed my school, with 7 female students going somewhat crazy over the course of 15 minutes.
"It's the devils, mister, it's the devils!" my students told me. "We can't stay in class, the devils are here," they announced. I asked the students to raise their hands if they were scared of the devils. Four or five did. I told them to go ahead and go home if they were scared, I was going to continue teaching, even after my vice principal entered to tell me that he was cancelling school at 10:45 for the rest of the day.
"I don't care if there are one thousand devils in this room," I told my students, "They are going to learn the simple past in English today and so are you." I managed to keep them in the classroom an extra hour and a half after eveybody had gone home.
I never did find out what caused the craziness that day. Maybe it was Guinean devils (ha!), or maybe it was some girls who wanted to get out of class and get plenty of attention along the way. But either way, the day provided me with one day of teaching that I'm not going to soon forget.
A missing post - it was on a USB key but I was never able to post it
Well, the new group of volunteers have finally made it to Boke! I’ll have 8 new neighbors (two are a little far away). I guess, really, all but two are far away by any standard…but in Guinea, a PCV located 55 kilometers from you is a neighbor. I have a couple, Mary and Dan, who will live in Boke, and the rest of the volunteers are each about 25-50 km away.
Otherwise, all is going well in Boke. I settled back into my house nicely following the Egypt trip. I learned my lesson from the last time I left my house for more than three days, and DID NOT close my windows this time. You see, when I leave, and close my windows, EVERYTHING begins to grow mold. Last time I left my windows closed, I was wiping mold off of computer cables, my watch, my pillow, and even had to throw out a box of moldy macaroni. And that was only after 5 days of being gone! So I left my windows open during my two and a half week absence, and when I returned, found no mold on anything, just a nice red layer of dust on EVERYTHING. Apparently, the tradeoff for not having mold is just having a lot of dust come in through the windows. Still, wiping dust off of things is much easier to do, and at least you don’t come back to a moldy bed.
Anyway – getting readjusted to life at site again after two weeks of luxury in Egypt was a rather smooth process. Of course, it was helped by the abundance of food that I brought back from Egypt and had received in a number of packages. Trail mix with real M&Ms and real raisins helps you forget about that ridiculously uncomfortable straw mattress and the roosters crowing at the crack of dawn.
School is going well – my students retained much more that I thought they would over the end of year break. Well – some of them did. It’s quite interesting to me that my 12eme students retain (and initially understand) the subject matter so much more than my terminale students. I don’t really know what that is owed to – I mean, I use the exact same lesson plans…and the classes are practically the same size. If anything, my terminale SM class is my smallest one, and they don’t remember ANYTHING half the time. Thank God for my 12eme students.
Next week begin the compositions (midterm exams). That will be the big test to see how much they have learned. Then again, I think I may make the exam impossibly. Since I won’t be able to sit in on my own test for half my students (they are scheduled for the same time), it is a foregone conclusion that cheating will be rampant. We’ll see how it goes.
Otherwise, all is going well in Boke. I settled back into my house nicely following the Egypt trip. I learned my lesson from the last time I left my house for more than three days, and DID NOT close my windows this time. You see, when I leave, and close my windows, EVERYTHING begins to grow mold. Last time I left my windows closed, I was wiping mold off of computer cables, my watch, my pillow, and even had to throw out a box of moldy macaroni. And that was only after 5 days of being gone! So I left my windows open during my two and a half week absence, and when I returned, found no mold on anything, just a nice red layer of dust on EVERYTHING. Apparently, the tradeoff for not having mold is just having a lot of dust come in through the windows. Still, wiping dust off of things is much easier to do, and at least you don’t come back to a moldy bed.
Anyway – getting readjusted to life at site again after two weeks of luxury in Egypt was a rather smooth process. Of course, it was helped by the abundance of food that I brought back from Egypt and had received in a number of packages. Trail mix with real M&Ms and real raisins helps you forget about that ridiculously uncomfortable straw mattress and the roosters crowing at the crack of dawn.
School is going well – my students retained much more that I thought they would over the end of year break. Well – some of them did. It’s quite interesting to me that my 12eme students retain (and initially understand) the subject matter so much more than my terminale students. I don’t really know what that is owed to – I mean, I use the exact same lesson plans…and the classes are practically the same size. If anything, my terminale SM class is my smallest one, and they don’t remember ANYTHING half the time. Thank God for my 12eme students.
Next week begin the compositions (midterm exams). That will be the big test to see how much they have learned. Then again, I think I may make the exam impossibly. Since I won’t be able to sit in on my own test for half my students (they are scheduled for the same time), it is a foregone conclusion that cheating will be rampant. We’ll see how it goes.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
No strike...for now
Well- great news greeted us upon our arrival in Guinea. The strike, which was supposed to start 2 days ago, had been called off. I don't know if it was really the result of negotiations between the unions, government, and other involved parties, or the upcoming African Cup of Nations soccer tournament. Whatever it was, I am more than relieved to know that, at least until March 31st, when certain issues will be revisited by the government and unions, things should be pretty calm in this neck of the woods. All I want is to finish my Peace Corps service! Anyway - tomorrow I'm headed back to site...wish me luck in finding my motivation to grade 200 tests that I left behind over the holidays. Yikes. It'll be good to be back in Boke though, if only to be able to unpack my things. Oo'o.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
The Pit is Inaugurated
Well - I'm currently sitting in comfortable chair in a great hotel in the middle of Cairo, Egypt. Yesterday, I saw/touched/entered one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Incredible.
Dinner last night? Sushi and Yaki Udon. Breakfast this morning? Four kinds of cheese, 6 kinds of pastries, cereal, fruit, fresh orange juice, omelette, bacon, the list goes on and on. I'm currently a happy camper...for the most part. Unfortunately, there are a couple pieces of not great news. First, the Steelers lost to the Jaguars, in a game that I got up to watch at about 5 in the morning. Second, a few days back, Hillary lost to Obama in Iowa. At least I'm still optimistic about that one - come New Hampshire and Super Tuesday. And finally - violence broke out again in Guinea and unions have called for strikes. I don't know much about the situation yet, and we havent heard back from Guinea...but I'm worried. Certainly, it's because of, well, the situation exactly a year ago...strikes, standfast, evacuation. I'm more confident that we'll be able to ride this strike out, though its still worrisome to think about. I'll write more as I find out about it.
In the meantime however, I can discuss one of the more exciting pieces of news for me in the last few weeks: the inauguration of our barbecue pit. (Yes, I know, this is so much more exciting for me than it will ever be for you, faithful reader, so bear with me.)
Ian and I have finished the Pit, after months of not too intense labor in the Guinean heat. Pictures can, and should be, checked out on my Flickr account. It's not so much the Pit I want to talk about though, as the experience of going to a Guinean slaughterhouse to pick out a pig for dinner.
We arrived at the slaughterhouse near downtown after 30 minutes of walking and asking around and getting increasingly worried we were simply miles away from the abbatoire. Once we arrived, though, oh what a sight to see. All sorts of farm animals - cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, were fenced in behind a brick wall where Guineans argued and bargained for animals to slaughter for all the end of year celebrations. Ian and I followed a Guinean who told us he'd lead us to the pigs. What we didn't know was that we'd be following him to quite certainly the most disgusting place I've ever been, and maybe will be. The pigs were kept toward the back of the slaughter yard, on the beach. This was no regular beach though. Unlike most beaches, where you step on sand and breathe in the salty scent of the ocean, here we were stepping on thousands of dead cow's horns that literally covered every inch of beach, until reaching the water. The only smell was that of blood and excrement - and we had to work to avoid the mud puddles where pigs snorted, rolled, urinated, and fought with each other.
Perhaps the worst part was seeing and hearing the pig slaughter. They lay the pig down, with a couple of guys helping to hold down the animal. Then, in a very quick motion, they jabbed a huge knife into the pigs throat, and sliced across its neck, resulting in a stream of bright red blood pouring out from the squealing swine. Other pigs nearby, waiting to be degorged, ran up and gulped down the blood that was flowing across the rock slab where the slaughtered pigs lay. The pig, with its throat slit open, began shaking as he was held down, until his loud squeals and screams turned into a deep gurgling sound as the pig eventually stopped moving. This was the most grisly part of the process...the rest of it, cleaning and gutting the pig wasn't nearly as disgusting.
But I tell you what, once I got that out of my head, and Ian and I cooked that pig for9 hours in our barbecue pit, I was one happy man. Pulled pork sandwiches in Guinea? Something I thought I'd never see. Mmmm mmm, they were delicious. Enough about food and nasty slaughterhouses...oo'o.
Dinner last night? Sushi and Yaki Udon. Breakfast this morning? Four kinds of cheese, 6 kinds of pastries, cereal, fruit, fresh orange juice, omelette, bacon, the list goes on and on. I'm currently a happy camper...for the most part. Unfortunately, there are a couple pieces of not great news. First, the Steelers lost to the Jaguars, in a game that I got up to watch at about 5 in the morning. Second, a few days back, Hillary lost to Obama in Iowa. At least I'm still optimistic about that one - come New Hampshire and Super Tuesday. And finally - violence broke out again in Guinea and unions have called for strikes. I don't know much about the situation yet, and we havent heard back from Guinea...but I'm worried. Certainly, it's because of, well, the situation exactly a year ago...strikes, standfast, evacuation. I'm more confident that we'll be able to ride this strike out, though its still worrisome to think about. I'll write more as I find out about it.
In the meantime however, I can discuss one of the more exciting pieces of news for me in the last few weeks: the inauguration of our barbecue pit. (Yes, I know, this is so much more exciting for me than it will ever be for you, faithful reader, so bear with me.)
Ian and I have finished the Pit, after months of not too intense labor in the Guinean heat. Pictures can, and should be, checked out on my Flickr account. It's not so much the Pit I want to talk about though, as the experience of going to a Guinean slaughterhouse to pick out a pig for dinner.
We arrived at the slaughterhouse near downtown after 30 minutes of walking and asking around and getting increasingly worried we were simply miles away from the abbatoire. Once we arrived, though, oh what a sight to see. All sorts of farm animals - cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, were fenced in behind a brick wall where Guineans argued and bargained for animals to slaughter for all the end of year celebrations. Ian and I followed a Guinean who told us he'd lead us to the pigs. What we didn't know was that we'd be following him to quite certainly the most disgusting place I've ever been, and maybe will be. The pigs were kept toward the back of the slaughter yard, on the beach. This was no regular beach though. Unlike most beaches, where you step on sand and breathe in the salty scent of the ocean, here we were stepping on thousands of dead cow's horns that literally covered every inch of beach, until reaching the water. The only smell was that of blood and excrement - and we had to work to avoid the mud puddles where pigs snorted, rolled, urinated, and fought with each other.
Perhaps the worst part was seeing and hearing the pig slaughter. They lay the pig down, with a couple of guys helping to hold down the animal. Then, in a very quick motion, they jabbed a huge knife into the pigs throat, and sliced across its neck, resulting in a stream of bright red blood pouring out from the squealing swine. Other pigs nearby, waiting to be degorged, ran up and gulped down the blood that was flowing across the rock slab where the slaughtered pigs lay. The pig, with its throat slit open, began shaking as he was held down, until his loud squeals and screams turned into a deep gurgling sound as the pig eventually stopped moving. This was the most grisly part of the process...the rest of it, cleaning and gutting the pig wasn't nearly as disgusting.
But I tell you what, once I got that out of my head, and Ian and I cooked that pig for9 hours in our barbecue pit, I was one happy man. Pulled pork sandwiches in Guinea? Something I thought I'd never see. Mmmm mmm, they were delicious. Enough about food and nasty slaughterhouses...oo'o.
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