For any of those who have seen Blood Diamond, T. I. A. This is Africa. This is the real stuff folks, not the safaris and Ace Ventura adventures.
First and foremost, I am healthy. I came down yesterday with a pretty bad case of the runs. Imagine a sponge. Now squeeze that sponge. That sponge was my stomach. It's not fun, but you live. A heads up to those who are thinking of visiting me, I lasted 2 full days before TP became my best friend. And I am not the only one.
Conakry:
Today marked the end of the year exams for high school students in Conakry. To celebrate, every kid in the city went to the beach behind our house to party. It would have been cool to join in, except that there were dudes with sticks collecting bribes or something to get onto the beach. These sticks are an effective use of crowd control when given to a ridiculously jacked Guinean on a power trip. Instead we just watched the party from the roof of the Peace Corps HQ.
The Peace Corps HQ is a little America in what other wise is the farthest place from America I have ever known. It's very difficult to describe some things that I saw today on the bus drive to the Peace Corps dinner, just know that these Conakry streets are not for the faint of heart. I could write all day about what lies outside of these walls, but that would just be spoiling the fun.
Believe it or not, I do have good things to say. My fellow teachers, numbering a total of 17, are awesome. We are Americans from all over the USA all asking the same question right now, "What the hell are we doing here?" Say that with a laugh and hopefully you can share in on the optimism that comes with being a member of the Peace Corps. "The hardest job you will ever love" is what so many call Returned Volunteers say. I'm beginning to see why.
I'm speaking my French with whatever limited vocabulary I now possess. Monday we start our training in Forecharia. For those unfamiliar with the Peace Corps, I will spend the next 3 months living with a host family in what is called the Peace Corps Training Site. Training is 7 days a week, 9 hours a day, full of intensive French, native langauge, and teaching training. When all is said and done, I will then move into my Peace Corps site out in the country side, where I have heard so many great things. Peace Members are located everywhere, with 98 of us scattered throughout.
Not all news is good news, but please no freaking out. It's part of the experience and the difficulties of everyday life. We all have our good and bad days. Not sure when this blog will be updated again because I won't have the internet for awhile, but be sure to check from time time. Salut!
First and foremost, I am healthy. I came down yesterday with a pretty bad case of the runs. Imagine a sponge. Now squeeze that sponge. That sponge was my stomach. It's not fun, but you live. A heads up to those who are thinking of visiting me, I lasted 2 full days before TP became my best friend. And I am not the only one.
Conakry:
Today marked the end of the year exams for high school students in Conakry. To celebrate, every kid in the city went to the beach behind our house to party. It would have been cool to join in, except that there were dudes with sticks collecting bribes or something to get onto the beach. These sticks are an effective use of crowd control when given to a ridiculously jacked Guinean on a power trip. Instead we just watched the party from the roof of the Peace Corps HQ.
The Peace Corps HQ is a little America in what other wise is the farthest place from America I have ever known. It's very difficult to describe some things that I saw today on the bus drive to the Peace Corps dinner, just know that these Conakry streets are not for the faint of heart. I could write all day about what lies outside of these walls, but that would just be spoiling the fun.
Believe it or not, I do have good things to say. My fellow teachers, numbering a total of 17, are awesome. We are Americans from all over the USA all asking the same question right now, "What the hell are we doing here?" Say that with a laugh and hopefully you can share in on the optimism that comes with being a member of the Peace Corps. "The hardest job you will ever love" is what so many call Returned Volunteers say. I'm beginning to see why.
I'm speaking my French with whatever limited vocabulary I now possess. Monday we start our training in Forecharia. For those unfamiliar with the Peace Corps, I will spend the next 3 months living with a host family in what is called the Peace Corps Training Site. Training is 7 days a week, 9 hours a day, full of intensive French, native langauge, and teaching training. When all is said and done, I will then move into my Peace Corps site out in the country side, where I have heard so many great things. Peace Members are located everywhere, with 98 of us scattered throughout.
Not all news is good news, but please no freaking out. It's part of the experience and the difficulties of everyday life. We all have our good and bad days. Not sure when this blog will be updated again because I won't have the internet for awhile, but be sure to check from time time. Salut!
Sounds interesting. Yeah, I'm sure you got a taste of being singled out as a "wealthy" foreigner in Thailand. You'll probably have kids running up to you calling you "toubabou" (I think that's the term in Guinea...or maybe that's the Malian version, anyway it's "toubab" in Senegal). Soon you'll speak French and the local language enough that you'll be able to take on those who would demand money to access a public beach.
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