Back in the City!

Hello from Labe! It has been quite the adventure to get here for a weekend of relaxation with other Peace Corps Volunteers, a hot shower, and technology. I woke up around 5:30 on Thursday morning so I could head out on my bike to a nearby village to catch a cab. My village sometimes has a cab in the morning, but none this day. Halimatou make this nearby village sound like New York City – “Oh Gongore! There’s a cab in the morning, then another one comes….10 cabs in one day! Get a cab there!” So I set out and was in Gongore by 8:15 or so and was informed that there was a cab, it had just left, and there wouldn’t be another until tomorrow. Oh Guinea! So now I’m in Gongore where I don’t know anyone for an entire day. But in the typical Guinean fashion, people were welcoming and they fed me and gave me a place to sleep. I read an entire book and graded papers. Luckily, Gongore is a town that has had PCVs before, so they were familiar with the program.

So FRIDAY morning, I again work up early with high hopes to get to Labe, and I got the cab from Gongore – this cab goes to Mamou where I got a cab that went to Labe. I got in around 3 or so. As I were were rolling into Labe, I knew my real phone (with my old phone number) would get service, so I was excitedly anticipating the text messages I can’t receive in my village; my family and friends have told me they tried texting so I was imagining turning on my phone and the texts to just start pouring in…and there was one. One stinkin’ text. And you want to know what that text was talking about? How the Boston Celtics were raising a banner that night. I don’t know where the other ones went. Lost in space. My new form of communication for my texting friends is via my old voicemail. Leave me a message there and I can call you back on my Africa phone. Or just leave me a message about whatever. But not about Boston sports. Unless it is Trinity sports. Speaking of which – GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!! I’m sending good African vibes your way tonight!

Cleveland/Boston was the first thing I checked when I got online; obviously I was disappointed but I am still hopeful for a good season! I have a new blog entry in mind for the future called “Why Being a Cleveland Sports Fan Makes Me a Perfect Fit for Peace Corps Guinea.” It will be combined with “Why Being a Rower (especially from John Carroll) Helps Me Survive Peace Corps Guinea.” I was dreaming both of these up in my travels over the past two days. Maybe at Christmas I’ll have them for you.

For today, I have a short video tour of my house. I don’t know if the sound is working because I don’t have my headphones here at the café…so hopefully it is working! Excuse the French/Pular/English combo.

Next time I’ll be online will be Thanksgiving – maybe one time before that. We'll have a new president next time I'm online! The election is a very hot topic here. Everyone knows about both candidates and are excited for results! Keep me posted on what’s happening in your world!