Goodbye 2011, hello 2012! And that's exactly how we greeted the new year in a Guinean bar -- dancing to Cher's "Life After Love". C'est Guinea.
I finally spent a week at my village and it was great. Part of me wanted to just stay there because I already felt at home. The visit was a chance for me to meet my counterpart, survey the village, and take it all in. I'm happy to say that there seems to be a lot of potential; much like the rest of this great continent there is a lot of opportunity to make things better if the people are given a chance to act on it. I hope I can provide that chance to some folks in Timbi Tounni. I'm not sure what my projects will actually be, but some of the things I hope to be a part of include:
- a community pride project to combat the waste that exist
- a youth debate team
- a community medicinal garden
- women's artisan group
Luckily I'm not the first PCV to live in Timbi Tounni, so they are used to working with Americans. Not to say that at 2 o'clock everyday they insist on me taking a nap because I must be tired -- not a bad thing, but I should definitely keep working. Fortunately, there's a petit forest right next to the health center where I can hang my hammock and read. Score.
One morning instead of going to observe at the health clinic I decided to wander around the village to explore. I must've looked like a fool because everyone thought it was the strangest thing that I wanted to wander with no end destination in mind. My neighbor finally asked me that night exactly what I was doing; once I told him he just looked at me in disbelief -- why would anyone in their right mind do such a thing!
My village is actually cold, too. I can't stand to take a shower at night because the water is cold and when mixed with the chilly air it is not fun. I must say it's a pleasant surprise in sub-Saharan Africa!
On the whole, I'm quickly becoming desensitized of the societal differences that exist. Cold soda, electricity and ice cream are all things to brag about here. It feels like winning a $50 scratch off lotto ticket when you find one of those (and $50 here is a lot of money). Also, I now enjoy mayonnaise sandwiches (yes, that's bread and mayo only) and Fanta Orange; two habits I hope don't follow me back to the States.
I'm excited to think that I'll be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer next month; all the public health volunteers bought fabric to make a Guinean outfit for the ceremony. We have to look good because they're putting the whole thing on the government news channel!
We also randomly ran across a basketball court in the middle of the brush. I went on a run with some friends and we happened across an outdoor court; complete with bleachers, nets, and backboards. Unfortunately, Guineans do not know the rules and mostly run around with the ball and wait for someone to chase them. We plan to organize a volunteer game which should be interesting. The heat here is brutal; I was covered in sweat by the time we got back to village. Hopefully next time I post I'll have a score update. Until next time.
