le 01 janvier

Today

I have...
- slept mad late, till like 0840 or something. which is cool, but doesn't compensate for going to bed mad late.
- been some confused about what to do when we had down time before shopping. organize? practice Zarma explanations I will need in the first week? concert tongitht? bed early?
- already worried about spending too much money, which seems redic considering the amount of money we're giving. But, for those of us moving into new sites have to furnish the living spaces, and after we buy all this stuff, we won't really have any expenses after food and traveling into and out of and around in our regional capitals.
- thought, sitting for the millionth day in a row it seems in the last week, at one of the nice restaurants in Niamey that is across the street from one "big" supermarket and down the street from a better supermarket and before we went back into the "petite marche" where we found another random little butik (note the Zarma "spelling") that had all sorts of stuff like toilet paper, and cereal...that our access to all these resources in Niamey a minimum of once a month is pretty redic. I imagine though, those weeks in between, when we run out of jelly, or nutella, or toilet paper, that Niamey will seem worlds away. But, for now, it feels like we're on vacation.
- fended off a pit-pocketer. We had to go the market area by the major bush taxi station, which seems a little sketch. And we're there for like two minutes, and some guy who was semi trying to talk to us puts one hand in my back pocket and another on my backpack. Wiza. I think I turned around and pushed him away with one hand, and all I could get out was "sobey!" (basically, get lost) even though I know lots of meaner words. I was pretty suprised. I'm glad he didn't steal the papers I had in my backpocket; that's where I keep my pocket notebook lots of the time. Oh. He was looking for money.
- been at some times neutral, at some times tickled, and at some times frustrated and worn out that it seemed EVERYONE from whom we tried to buy stuff was asking 2X-3X the standard price.
- got to talk to my fam on New Years Day. Again, it's funny calling from house phone to my cell, you would never know we're talking across the Atlantic and it feels like I'm back in school or moving into an apartment in Philly or something.
- very excited because Nunnie is getting a computer to keep up with my blog and surely other things!!!! Yay Nunnie. Undoubtedly, I will soon be following your blog.
- found "my place" near the hostel here. Little place by the road that makes egg sandwiches. Sold.
- felt the brand recognition of PC in two separate taxi cabs, people knew PC, etc.
- been super pumped to get tables. I bought two for my apartment/ room/ hut. Finally, my own office!
- been super pumped to talk to friends across the country
- enjoyed (again) this pistaccio (sp?) ice cream at one of the nice restaurants


I have not...
- paid a good price for the pot I bought. Two different vendors quoted me simliar prices. Another PCV said the stainless steel ones may be more expensive anyway. But then after I bought the pot, after haggeling, I asked two Nigeriens what they would pay...and they said like half of what I paid. Tomorrow I need a frying pan and will look to avoid this error.
- EXACTLY felt like I was in the "Waiting space" from Dr. Suess's "Oh the Places You'll Go", but maybe I feel like I'm in a hangar waiting to launch or like warming up for a race...or something. It's like we have a tiny respite from all the PST activities that are now older, but it's not entirely restful because we're getting ready to move and it's mentally sometimes relaxing because of all the anemities we have but also sometimes stressful because this tremendous effort is on the horizon.