le 28 novembre

Today

I have...
- decided I do not like sleeping at the Dosso hostel. Perhaps I get to bed too late. It is too bright, too loud. A wrench in the "schedule" I barely have.
- been reminded it is nearly impossible (at least for me) to sleep past 0645-0730.
- moved into an "apartment" with couches, chairs, a rug, and electricity (a guy will be sent to fix it. sohon, electricity si no zamma some mice have chewed the wires)
- been again been super impressed by a more greener area of Niger
- taught a little kid proper push up form
- been intimidated (again) by all there is to learn
- apprecaited the Land Rover or Land Cruisers or whatever sweet vehicle we use for driving on dirt/ sand roads
- reaffirmed my preference for a site more in the bush, a few k from the road, without electricity and a concession all to my own (so basically the opposite of some of the attributes of the place where we're staying)
- felt super stupid for reading a book by a PCV in west Africa when I am (or technically will be) a PCV in west Africa
- immensely enjoyed a whole sleeve of fig newton things that I selfishly shared with no one to finish off breakfast.

I have not...
- given any money to the beggars at the mini market. First a boy. Then a teenage girl. They help bowls out for money or food maybe. Then a young girl guiding a blind old man. Though we tried with our best Zarma to tell them to "go" or "leave", they hung around us until we left. One of our group gave one a coin. I was super bothered. I mean, yea, people are mad poor, but they don't have to remind me, especially when I'm trying to tolerate some change in my routine. Like one's six sense of insecurity, it can be difficult to read these situations, at least for me. With regard to security, where I to wander around an unfamiliar city where I don't speak the language and stick out like a white person in a small village in Niger, I would probs feel some degree of discomfort, but this is the natural state of things here, so one quickly habituates and then it would not take that much to overcompensate and disregard an actually dangerous situation. With regard to begging, is begging a kind of profession? Who customarily gives to these beggars? Why are they begging? Should I be annoyed or touched that they harass the annassaras with an extra vigor? And the age old question, should money be given? Why do kids often ask for money? Do really poor kids in America do this? I am reminded of part of Obama's first book, when he talks aboubt going to visit Kenya and someone tells him that no one used to beg, but then these people "found out" they were poor, so now some of them beg. To soothe my confusion, I bought myself an apple soda.
- (still) come to terms with most of the goods in the market being some combination of old, dirty, used, or rip offs of Western goods (e.g. a wallet that says Niek). T-shirts with a contorted Obama face. An old Bulls parka (would actually probs be a collecters item in America) Again, I ask, does "poor" in this world just mean a gutter imitation of Americana? This bothers me very much. I want to see clean huts; not crumbling rooms serving as facades of Western culture. Where are the local craftsmen making well made local...goods? Does this make sense? Has Duran, Ecuador and Niger lost all indigenous culture? Or has the world just shrunk?
- (this from days or weeks ago, but not sure if I mentioned it) on the topic of loss of culture, decided if it is good or bad that the schools teach exclusively in FR and not in Hausa or Zarma. At first, I thought this was disrespectful to local culture and a way for France to impose itself on its colonies. But, upon further thought, FR gives all the ethnic groups (that attend school) across much of west Africa a common language, which is helpful I think. But, it would have been better if all the ethnic groups in west Africa got to decide which langauge to adpot, right?