Dylan is a New Volunteer

Saturday, September 26, 2009

It has been almost a month since I last posted and well, as usual, lots of changes have occurred in my life. Let’s start things off with the most major and important of changes.

Dylan is no longer a Stagiere, or Trainee. Official job title now toute la monde: Volunteer. If you ask me, it’s rather hilarious to think of Volunteer being an official job position. 6 months ago that concept was bizarre. 3 months ago (when I first landed here) all I wanted to be was a Volunteer. Now, as of Friday the 25th, I have achieved just that. A Volunteer, for all of you non Peace Corps folks, is actually a very prestigious position, especially here in Guinea. We are well respected in many parts of the world because of the nature of what we do.

I am education Volunteer in Guinea. Teachers in Guinea, before all the corruption became rampant, used to be one of the few positions highly respected in village. Teachers now do not get paid very much, so they must live off of bribes from students. I do not blame them in the least, I mean people have to eat right? But the problem is that students now do not have the same respect anymore for teachers. Volunteer teachers, are an exception. We don’t accept bribes, beat children, or take part in any activity that endanger our roles here as Peace Corps Volunteers. We simply bring our American values of education and free-thought, and must mix it into a Guinean education system adopted from the French. A difficult task, but one that is extremely rewarding.

The Swearing-In Ceremony was a lovely ceremony, complete with the best food I have had in country. We were proudly sworn in by the Chef d’Affairs in Guinea (currently the USA does not have an ambassador in country so the man who acts as such was in charge of swearing us in). His speech was very moving, and you could tell by the power of his words that he truly believed in the spirit of the Peace Corps and what we all represent. It was very funny though, being surrounded by officials wearing standard business attire, while we all word colorful boubous made for the occasion. One of these days I will have photos up of the event when the internet is actually working.

The last month was practice school. Practice school was really our first real interaction with teaching in the Guinean system, or for someone like me, teaching at all. We had to work our asses off, and teaching in French makes it only that much harder. To all the teachers in the world, I have a newfound respect for your job. You guys are some of the hardest working people I know. Hell I only teach for 12 hours a week (but in French), I can’t imagine having to do 5-6 classes a day for 8 hours.

It was a very challenging experience, but it was great to really begin using my French in a more academic setting. I still talk like a 6 year old which the kids all make fun of, but at least I know my math, which gives me some respect in the class. I also grew out a nice beard, and I told kids I was in between the age of 35 and 67. Beards help with that a whole lot.

But time to end the Forecharia chapter, and begin my life in Tormelin. Training is over. Tomorrow I will depart to Boke to take care of some general moving in shopping (yeah we got a fat brick of cash to buy stuff) and then it’s off to my house. I have not seen anything yet. Being at site is what the Peace Corps is all about. I will be alone for the first time, living in a house in the jungle, speaking French and Susu only. There are a couple of volunteers within 30km of me, so I will have that English option, but generally it will be me struggling for awhile until I have a good grasp of the language.

From what I hear, the first 3 months at site are the toughest, most grueling months of your entire service. Training is difficult because of all the cultural changes, diet changes, and getting used to pooping in a latrine. Site is a different change, where for the first time you must learn to live on your own. We no longer have a schedule, there is nobody telling us what to do, nobody to speak English with. It requires a lot of self-motivation to get through, a lot of humility, and a whole lot of determination. But everyone says, that after those first 3 months, you will be very rewarded and fall in love with your site. So here’s hoping for just that.

A little about my future:

I get one trip every month to my regional capital. As of now I am not sure if it will be Boke or Conakry, but I’m willing to bet that I will be splitting time between the two since I am between both. I have perfect cell phone service at my site, so anybody can call me anytime. My mail runs are now going to be the first Friday of every month, so if you send something to me in the middle of October for example, expect that I won’t get it until the first Friday in December (assuming it takes 2 weeks to get here).

Anyway I am off to celebrate the last night with many of my folks whom I won’t see til Christmas. Wish me well on the beginning of my new journey!

Tormelin

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you all know that things are good and I am ok. I saw my site and I have to say it's amazing. It's big enough for anybody wanting to come visit, and it's surrounded by caves, jungles, and mountains. A perfect place for a little 2 week vacation if I do say so myself. Anyway I don't have much time today, but I'm back in Forecharia getting ready to start practice school, the final 3 week phase of training before I am officially a volunteer. All is well here and I will try and have a much more detailed blog post when I'm back in Conakry at the end of September.

Some quick notes before I head out.
-Beer on tap in Fria does exist
-There is ice cream in Fria too for dirt cheap
-If anyone is going to South Africa for World Cup 2010, please let me know. I am desperate to get started on booking this trip, but I need to know if anyone is going and would like to attend/split costs of matches, hotel rooms, etc.


Peace

Mamadou is in Mamou

Well it’s been about two weeks since I last wrote a blog entry so I guess it’s time for another. Not much news to report since Conakry, no intersting stories like last time. I have, however, been my typical self, a roller coaster of emotions. I kind of flipped out this week, but it’s more or less do to the fact that my entire world exist of 16 other people than myself. I love everyone to death, but sometimes I just need my space. On top of that, my family was serving me absolute disgusting food that I just could not take.
So what have I been doing to destress and eat better? Well I will answer the second question first because the solution is easier. Since I was unsure of the best way to go about improving my meals, I approached my cross culture director and he told me to talk to my host brother about the issue, who I’m very close with. He simply asked me what I would like, and presto, I had the best dinner in Guinea that night. Easy as pie, food issues solved. All I really needed was variety, and that has been given.
Now on to the more difficult issue of how to deal with stress. Training is stressful. No joke about it. On top of taking 4 hours of French class, and 4 hours of education training, you are quickly forced to adapt to a new culture, new diet, and a host of other issues that come with it. And again, with the lack of access to the outside world, your whole world is 16 other people. So naturally, I get stressed.
I have picked up yoga has a side activity, as well as jogging. Since school last too long for me to join in any soccer games, I have to find ways to keep myself in shape. Yoga has quickly become a favorite activity, and while I still hate jogging, I have nothing else to do but deal with it. Somedays I hop on my bike and go on a 10 mile loop ride, but not very often. Basically if I keep up steady physical schedule, and a good diet, dealing with the other things that I can’t control is just easier.
So onto more exciting news. This week I’ll be checking out my site, Tormelin. For those who have not heard, Tormelin is in Fria, a state-type-thing if you will. The capital, if you will, Fria, is supposed to be an amazing town with ice cream and beer on tap. A cold beer, on tap, is always a welcome addition. Don’t get it very often in Guinea, or at all. So I head to Boke Sunday, then to Tormelin Tuesday, then back to Forecharia Saturday. Saturday starts the most intense part of training, practice school, but a little break will be a welcome surprise.

I have met my supervisor and he says the town is very excited to host me. I will be the third volunteer, but first since the evacuation in 2007. I’ll be teaching 8th and 9th grades to start, but I’m in charge of the math department seeing as how I am the only math teacher at my college (what the French call middle school). While my French still has a ways to go, the math trainer at Peace Corps told my supervisor that my math is superiour so I will eventually have the responsibility of guiding the 7th and 10th grade courses (which are taught by chemistry teachers). And at the end of the year, I will be responsible for holding a Breve review (Breve is the high school entrance exam) after I have more or less become adapt at French.

So exciting, but difficult times, still await. Yet I am doing everything I can to make the most of what I can.
-Dylan

The Land of Akon and Mamadou Djoubate

So if you have not all guessed, Mamadou Djoubate is me. My host family in Forecharia gave it to me the first day upon arrival, so as I travel around town, I get berated with Mamadou, Mamadou! Or Fote Fote (which is what us white people are called here) and I simply smile and forget their names 2 seconds later. When you are dealing with 6 last names and an uncountable number or first names, you tend to forget things easily. Whatever it happens, don't judge me.

Anyway, it has been three weeks since I last blogged and as you might imagine, not a thing has happened. Nope, nothing. Well actually that's completely opposite of the truth, but one would have no clue what is happening outside of Forecharia, so yes, nothing MAJOR has happened. However, lots of minor things can happen in 3 weeks and I will do my best to elaborate.

My family consists of 3 brothers, one of which was born with serious defects and is does not leave his bed. It's extremely sad, but the site of him is honestly something that I am still not fit to handle. My other brothers, however, are fantastic and they have both become terrific friends and teachers. Plus it helps that they love to play ball. If you didn't know it before, well I'll tell you again, soccer is the best way to make friends anywhere in the world. I also have 2 beautiful sisters, one older, and one younger. They make fantastic food for me though I must say rice and sauce does grow tiring.

Which leads me to my first story. Seeing as how I never really know what is going on in my house, people are always coming and going, this story should not suprise anyone. I woke up yesterday morning when my brother told me that today, my hostmom was getting remarried...TODAY. Uhhhhhh wtf! And to top it off, she was getting married to a Peace Corps office gaurd and driver. I mean I guess I should have figured something was up with the number of plastic chairs being brought to my house through the week (plastic chairs are signs of baller status here), but I guess I'm just not that good at picking up signs.

So the wedding happened while I was at training for the day and tada, I have a Peace Corps employee hostdad now! As a wedding present, I bought two cans of Fanta. I guess they enjoyed it because it they were drank and thrown out my window pretty fast. Good times you might say.

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Today we are in Conakry, which is why I have access to the internet to begin with. Earlier today, we stopped by the National Museum of Guinea. There were some cool masks and instruments, and some awesome maps, but what was really interesting lied in the temp exhibit. Only in Guinea can you find brochures written in the Susu langauge about Kim Jong Il. That's right, thge exhibit was North Korean art. Need I say more?

Anyway I'm running out of time and I need to check some sport scores. Je suis povre, c'est pas bon.

Send me some letters slackers and let me know about life!

-Dylan

Training

So yesterday's message was not quite that happy, but don't worry, I'm feeling better now. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. That's culture shock for you.

Tomorrow again we head out to Forecharia and I do know that my cell phone will work whenever. That's pretty much going to be the only way to contact me, or you can always write a letter... Remember those?

T. I. A.

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!

Phone Number

Just got a new phone! Check on the right.