Day time. In IRC. Confirmed today that I will not have internet for a month (unless, god forbid, I get mad sick, which I would like to avoid)
Missed note from yesteday. We went to the Marche Katako in Niamey. In addition to the usual stuff like clothes, random stuff, some fresh foods, it's the hardware market. A friend and I were looking for black paint that we can put on our cement walls to make a chalkboard. This idea gets me really pumped, had it noted for a month or two. At first, we couldn't find the real hard core hardware section, but then we found the paint...in addition to EVERY kind of harware need I could think you could need. Stuff I didn't think you could find here or was told you couldn't get, like nice work gloves. My friends got machetes and had them sharpened. I was going to buy this metal wire that is around everywhere to fashion hangars...but instead found hangars already fashioned!! Got me so excited because I love to get stuff like that if I want to build something or...I dunnol. Totally awesome!! Again, I'm suprised how much of EVERYTHING that can be found here. Surely, Dosso, Maradi, Zinder, and Diffa have less to varying degrees, but Niamey has about everything you could possibly want, even if it's not as you would find it in the US (e.g. open market rather an Home Depot). Today for example, we went to the cell phone store, my friend wanted to upgrade his flotte phone (mine didn't even work) and I wanted a broadband internet USB key. Who would have thought? But then, some things are a little off: the iPhones are there...but disproportionately expenensive...and like three years old models.
- called the work from my end done on the contact list for our stage. I'm pretty proud of that, of course I had lots of help. Makes me feel good to...have a mini project, get to collaborate with people, feel "organized". I wonder if people think I'm a joke for putting stuff like that together, for sending out a flurry of emails. XC people used to laugh and joke about it. Got some laughs here too. Someone has to do it. One of those things I just want DONE, and would be more than willing to delegate. Funny part about this is, I made the list because I wanted to email my notes to my stage out via email...and now the list is done, but I still haven't written any notes.
Today
I have...
- said goodbye to the first round of new volunteers leaving Niamey for their sites. Kinda started to hit me that we're moving in. With our rush to buy stuff and get ready, hasn't hit. I'm hoping it doesn't until I'm there because I'll be mad nervous. One dude said he didn't sleep at all last night before leaving this morning. I'd like to avoid that.
- discovered some more useful shops during my run this morning. Running around Niamey is interesting. There's cars everywhere. I'm running on the sand next to the road. There is a huge stadium next to the bureau 1k away. A mixture of all sorts of stuff. But no forest. In cities, or anywhere, finding useful stores and stuff is exciting. Running is great exploration, one of my ways to explore and learn about a place. Part of why I like it. Great example of that today.
- interacted with two pretty good Eng speakers. The better one, we went to a big cell phone store and we were trying to articulate wanting new cell phones that can hold 2 SIM cards and a USB key in Zarma...and then the woman asked if we wanted to talk in FR or ENG. Yea... Her Eng seemed better than all our trainers. Then a cab guy seemed not to understand our Zarma, but was replying to us in Eng. Wha??
- asked how to write numbers in FR in Zarma at the bank. That's funny.
- felt really guilty about spending lots of money on food and stuff for new home. Anytime I think I need something, I try to get it...I've been doing this since getting ready to leave the US. This is like opposite of PC maxim, but lang immersion was a long two weeks of limited resurces and a month CAN be a long time... I dunno. My thinking for this first month with so many unknowns has been its better to have than not have and that most of these expenses are one time or intermittant but not frequent expenses. I feel I've failed the home economics lesson and the PC litimus test here. I then try to justify it by thining that if more resources helps me do my job better then that's good...but my job for the next three months is just to learn Zarma, meet people, and learn my town...so...And, I'm already being spoiled with my not hut and placement by the river and near Niamey, so I'm prepping like I"m going to the bush...but I'm not really going to the bush. I like when the situation is real hard, then I get to be really resourceful. But here, I'm not being resourceful because I'm given a million resources. I'm just using Niamey and spending money. Hopefully, this will change.
I have not...
- been able to listen to Shakira's world cup song without getting that rush of andrenaline and feeling in the pit of the stomach when you hear a song that is strongly tied to exciting memories. Will miss dance parties with my stage and friends in Hamdy.
- succeeded in getting a broadband USB key. One cell phone company is out of them. The other company is way more expensive up front and I may not have coverage with them at site. Major jam. Was very excited about that. Will have no internet for one month, almost to the day.
- succeeded in getting a bike
- gotten the motorcycle helmet that was set aside for me. I am not comfortable riding motorcycles in America, never mind Niger. I may be being a wuss, but moto accidents are the leading cause of injury/ death to Americans abroad and I feel like motorcycles offer less protection and I've crashed on a bike and it's hurt so...I am in shape to walk/ run several k and I would like a bicycyle thank you. Yea...
- been given a boat or a lifevest. When my friend went to get his motorcyle helmet, the security guy thought my friend was me and started to give him a lecture on him (me) not getting a lifevest (or a boat). This is a huge jam. If they want to let me ride motorcycles to get to the bigger road, why not a shorter trip across the river? This makes no sense to me.
- given money to a woman with one mangaled eye begging outside the expensive supermarket
- given money to the two beggars with polio outside each of the expensive supermarket
[No commentary needed here. I'll let the situations speak for themselves]
- gotten notes out to my stage. But will try later today...
Trying not to think about it to stay relaxed, but here are some of my worries on the cusp of moving to site:
1) No time/ space to myself. My concession is within another concession. I feel like there will be lots for me to do. Not sure when appropriate yet to share meals with people or if I should eat mostly on my own. Feel like I should spend as much time as possible out and about in my village meeting people. Wish I had a more concretely drawn up sched for first 1-4 weeks. Should have spent time on this and crucial phrases in Zarma rather than buying all this stuff? I dunno.
2) Will be overwhelmed with work too early. Not sure of the clinic's expectations, but I would be fine spending the first month just walking around, talking to people, and setting up my house. Maybe shadowing the doctor sometimes. Also, I worry the nurse will have a list of stuff for me to do. The farmers and gardeners will want my attention. All of this when my language skills preclude me from doing any REAL work and my technical knowledge both WITHIN and beyond my sector are mad limited.
3) More immediately, I worry I will be tired, not sharp, not well prepared for my introduction tomorrow. Should I have prepared some comments? What is my default schedule for when I first arrive if I am too overwhelmed to make decisions on the fly? First impressions can and do change, but Christ a dominating first impression goes a long way. I hope they heard my speech on the radio or TV.
4) Have fun walking streets of Niamey, laughing with my friends. Who will I laugh with in ville?
5) With the cell phones and especially the flotte with other PCV's and even without the internet I wanted to be able to put up the blog every day, will I be TOO connected to people? I could talk to people all the time, whenever I want (providing credit, electricity, and service). Just like in US. Over past few months, I've walked around village more or less totally focused on the village. Past few days, I've been sending out texts...and my mind has been sometimes in Niamey, but also sometimes in Dosso, Maradi, Zinder, and even America. Should I leave the cell phone home? Should I turn it off? Funny part is, if the solar charger doesn't work, I will have to keep the cell phone off except to check messages from PC and I will not even be able to type the blog. This would be very different.
But, let's try to finish on high note for this contemporanous writing. I am excited about:
1) Setting up my space. Been living out of a bag for past three months/ since I graduated. Will be able to set up a mini office, a wall with a chalkboard. I really take a lot of strength from my immediate environment, at least when I'm setting it up, so I look forward to this.
It will be nice to actaully START this Peace Corps thing, to actually do some work that I can build off of for two years, en shala. These people I meet, they will be a resource for the next two years. I can start to rebuild knowing the people around town...and these will be there for some time. I dunno, exciting, nerve wracking...still hasn't entirely sunk in, party because it's impossible to fathom now, even though I'm soooo close. Going to stop ruminating on it, lest I freak myself out.
Tomorrow, I step into the real world of Peace Corps. In an African village, abeit a larger one than I wanted. By myself. Irkoy m'ay dogonondi. (May god make it easier for me) But it seems He already has.
No comments:
Post a Comment