ikena from Guinea! Internet and electricity are very sparse here in Dubreka, and I only have a few moments before the electricity is cut, so I will give you a few highlights of the things that have been going on here for the past few weeks.
-The 22 education volunteers here spent a few days in Conakry for orientation before heading to Dubreka for our adoption ceremony (pictures to follow at some point hopefully).
-I live with a host family in a small concrete house. There is no running water or electricity in general, although a few times a week electricity will randomly turn on. We have a pit latrine in the back along with a "shower" (I take bucket showers with water fetched from the well). There are 3 moms, 2 dads and 9 children that live there. Their native language is Susu, but they do speak some French. My first week living there was hectic trying to communicate, but now I'm getting the hang of things. My family is very sweet and they are curious to know about America. The kids especially enjoy learning English.
-For dinner we eat rice with oil/fish/pepper/peanut butter sauce and manioc. All the women and I share from the same bowl and we eat with our (right) hands. I find the food to be pretty tasty, and they feed me a lot ("Il faut manger" is a phrase often heard here, meaning you must eat!).
-I have PC training from 8-5 M-F. Training for me consists of French classes, practice physics teaching, culture training and health/safety training.
-The whole neighborhood already knows who I am and people I don't even know call out my name, well, my Guinean name. My family gave me the name Damaye Camara. Salutations are very important here, and thus I say hello and good morning to just about every single person I pass on the road on the way to training. I know the basic salutations in Susu, which the people here really like to hear.
-There is so much to learn in terms of language and culture. I love soaking it all up, but it's slow going. Thus, we have a motto here, "Petit a petit" which means little by little.
Ok, electricity is about to be cut here at the PC office. I will try to write more when I can, there's so much I have to say about this beautiful place!
-Damaye
Sounds like you're having a good time. We miss you here in the States.
ReplyDeleteWow. Je suis très content que tu t'adaptes facilement là-bas. Et je suis ravi que tout le monde t'aie accueilli à bras ouverts. Je te souhaite tout le meilleure. Que Dieu te protège. Bisous...
ReplyDeleteHi, Liz/Elizabeth/Damaye!
ReplyDeleteCa va?
We all think about you, and love reading your reports of your Peace Corps time so far. We will soon each be improving our correspondence.
Il faut manger!
A bientot!
Mike, Dan, Ben and Tauqua, and I, all send love from Chautauqua!
Hi Elizabeth! I was recently invited (& happily accepted) to serve in Guinea! I'll be a CED Advisor, and depart in late November. I've read your blog, thirsty for knowledge about PC in Guinea. If you have any tips about packing (clothes? electronics?) or ways to prepare, I would love to hear from an expert! I have a blog page I'm creating as a resource (http://tinyurl.com/sahftb-advice), or please just comment back. Thanks so much!! I hope you are enjoying your service!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love reading your posts. I've got my fingers crossed for some more consistent internet access for ya, although with my past travels I know that's highly unlikely ;] Can't wait to be in your shoes in a few years. Stay safe missy.
ReplyDeleteMike/Nancy/Dan/Ben/Tauqua: Sooo good to hear from you! Hope you are having a blast in CQ! Thinking of you lots~
ReplyDeleteEm: Nice to meet you! I'm so excited that your coming to Guinea!!! woohoo!! There's some pretty comprehensive packing lists that were posted on the General guinea facebook page, I would check there to get the full list. My opinion on the most important things: short wave radio, solar charger, diva cup, energy bars (to help with the transition to Guinean food), rain coat, heavy duty sandals (rainy season is rough on shoes, I have chacos that are working out pretty well), headlamp, pictures from home and pics of your family and house (people are very curious to see what the US looks like!)...those are some of the most important things I can think of. Good luck with the preparation and I look forward to meeting you here!
Abbie: Thanks for following my posts!! Yea, consistent internet access might not be happening, but supposedly there is a place 30kms from my site that might have internet cafes. I'm glad you're keeping interested in PC - it's been tough so far, but it's already been rewarding and I've learned so much. "Qui ne risque rien, n'a rien"
Liz - Thanks for the advice! It's great to hear that even though training has been tough, you've also found it rewarding! Look forward to meeting you and the rest of the Guinea PCVs!
ReplyDelete