January? Oh, right, it's still hot in Niger in Jan.
Writing while eating to try to expediate bed process. Worried someone is going to bring me dinner again. Will just eat it for breakfast.
Woke up...off. Don't know why mornings are like this. Woke up quater to eight, worried I was "late" to deliver the magarie's dishes. Went to run, thought my little neighbor was telling me not to, something about the dog or needing to go to the magarie's house. Wha? Ran anyway.
The terrain here has so much character...for Niger. Or anywhere I guess. Small canyons and gullies in between mesas. By the river, gardens and actual trees and shade and if you close your eyes and just listen to the birds (and you're in the shade so the sun isn't "koron-ing" you...you might think you're actually in some kind of forest.
My runs have hills now. Not long ones, but short steep ups and downs in the gullies.
There are birds here. Not sure if there were in Hamdy. But way more by the river.
Noticed erosion from water that runs towards the river during rainy season? Will have to look into that.
After stopping by magarie's house (decided even when I don't have plates to drop off, this is a good idea), went to walk around. Planned to find some peeps working in the garden. Instead found a guy going to funt rabbits. Joined him.
We trekked maybe 2-3k out. Wind was blowing, I followed the adult. We and the kids split up. Sometimes the kids would stay low, by the river, and we would stay high on the mesas. We would throw rocks into bushes to flush them out. He had three dogs with us. I thought, this is super fun. I'm too tired to describe it in detail, but it was sweet. Couldn't tell if he was good at it or not, but we didn't get any rabbit. Only one squirrel like thing that the kid made as an afternoon snack. Actually pretty tasty. A few times, we looked at footprints. A few times we though we had something and everyone would run. I felt we were tracking something; really cool. I hope this whole experience is not about fulfilling my sophmorish fantasies of Africa, but trecking across the terrain tracking some animal is pretty bloody sweet. EVERYWHERE by the river are gardens. There are so many. Why this is a CHA site and not a FARM site I have no idea. So much happening here. Want to ask for some garden space so I can plant some stuff. Saw rice in the river, but be the kind that needs to be flooded. Thought again I don't know much about anything...but I can cover several kilometers on foot no problem. In a few months, I hope to be catching rabbits daily.
Had my notebook and would write down words I didn't know. But never really went over them. Feel I'm blowing it; not studying Zarma actively. But taking "down" time to fix up room. Some more good progress today. Other half of my bathroom wall installed. I put up a hammock, think I decided on a room arrangement. Put up a clothesline INside, but it's not quite working.
Food today: leftover dinner from last night, bowl of cereal (first box done. balls), oatmeal and raisins, cecena and fari masa, pasta with tomato sauce and some spices. Solid. Worry I am going to run out of Niamey tricks WELL before I go back to Niamey.
Talked to guys in afternoon sitting on benches just hanging out. They talk too bloody fast, I understood very little. I much prefer one on ones. Worry I'm not picking stuff up fast enough. Felt the same on lang immersion I remember. Need to think in two weeks increments to see real gains.
Tomorrow, maybe I will help some kids make bricks.
Note from the first day I got here: noticed people laughin when I said did stuff. People staring from a concession or two away while I set up stuff in my concession. Laughing is cool when I'm laughing. I dunno on that first day it made me unfomfortable.
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