On May 14th, I flew to Washington DC on what Peace Corps calls "medevac." I injured my knee playing basketball in January, and it needed to be taken care of with a simple procedure. Unfortunately, it could not be done in West Africa. The standards of modern medicine just aren't even close there to what we have available in the US. Peace Corps gives you 45 days to get to DC, have your medical "issue" resolved, get doctor's clearance to come back, and fly back to country. I was there for exactly four weeks, and as much as it was somewhat annoying to have to deal with a medical issue, I definitely embraced the opportunity to be home.
I started in DC for the surgery and then traveled to Cleveland, my hometown, to do my physical therapy. I also got a chance to sneak into Boston for a weekend, just in time to see my old Trinity Catholic students graduate. The entire trip home was just really incredible. Before I left Guinea, I was hearing all the stories of volunteers that don't make it within their 45 days; I was very anxious about leaving and perhaps not making back to Guinea in time. But it all worked out without a problem and the trip home was very refreshing. As much as it made me miss going to Tribe games in the summer, beautiful Boston Sundays, talking with students in a language that I can have a meaningful conversation, homemade meals, and conveniences of travel and everyday life, I was ready to get back to Guinea. As I approach the end of my first year in country, I feel this is where my life is for now and I'm ready to take on all the projects that are in store for the summer and do some traveling around West Africa.
I've uploaded some photos from before I left (April, May, and June 2009 album) - the first few are from the top of my mountain. Before I left, my host family was knocking at my door at 7am for photo shoots, as if taking photos at noon wasn't possible. My students stopped by say goodbye and request things from the United States. Also in the photo album are a few photos from the trip home.
5.12.2009
Come on in!
I've added two new videos - the first is of my house if you'd like to take a tour. The second is of my 7th graders who wanted to say hello after the 9th graders got a chance to.
Also new is an entry and thoughts on packing for the new volunteers.
Go Cavs!
Also new is an entry and thoughts on packing for the new volunteers.
Go Cavs!
Winding Down the Second Semester
It is hard to believe that the first school year here in Guinea is wrapping up. The year has gone by fast and as with every school year, the end makes me reflect on the things I’d like to do differently for the next year and what was a success. The difference is that I find myself reflecting on these things in terms of school as well as in day-to-day village life. As much as I try to integrate into the community, I find myself making mistakes all the time, and more so now than before, I realize what it means to integrate as an American in a small West African village. My vision of what I thought it would be and what it is has many discrepancies.
One success has been English class. I have three classes; one is for my “honors” seventh graders (the 20 students that have good attendance and complete their homework), one for the ninth and tenth graders, and one for the teachers in the primary school and middle school. The English class was something the students and teachers started asking for when I arrived in September; their eagerness to learn has not faded and I hope it continues in the next school year as well. In Guinea, English as a Foreign Language begins in the eleventh grade, however many of the better jobs in the cities require some English. I hope, especially for my seventh graders, they have some sort of advantage when they get to high school. Being in the village seems to be an automatic disadvantage for many reasons; hopefully they’ll have a substantial English background by the time they get to high school.
The most enjoyable class for me has been, surprisingly for me, the course with the other teachers. I spent the first few months being so intimidated by initiating conversation with them since my French was so weak. It’s too bad I wasn’t a little braver because I’ve learned what a dynamic group of people my fellow teachers are. In Guinea, if you are a teacher, you get assigned to a school. You can try to request a city or bribe your way into a position, but most end up where they are assigned. For the teachers of my village, this means they have to leave their husbands, wives, and children in the cities of Conakry, Mamou, or Labe in order to come to the village. As you can imagine, this is not a coveted assignment. Among all the teachers, there are four houses most of them live in - one with the women, the others with the men. None of the teachers are originally from my village or any village nearby for that matter, some did not speak Pular (our local language) when they arrived in the village since they are originally from other parts of Guinea.
Most have been in Kourou for three to six years so far. Being non-villagers makes them somewhat of outsiders to the villagers. Within the village, everyone is family for the most part. I don’t think their exclusion is intended; they simply aren’t part of the family. Since they are all in the same situation, they have become sort of a family with each other – they all get along for the most part but fight like siblings. Lots of love, lots of dysfunctionality. They all share a common desire to get out of Kourou and teach in a city; that fate is left to the government. But since they’re all here, they both embrace it and complain about it everyday.
There are twelve that come on a regular basis to class. Imagine you and eleven of your friends in class together where you inevitably will make lots of mistakes since you are speaking a foreign language. They laugh at each other, laugh at themselves, and we all have a really fun time. My experience with French thus far has not been my favorite part of this experience; I do not enjoy always feeling inadequate or incapable of truly functioning within the community. And I don’t like always feeling so vulnerable. Being with them two nights a week were they open themselves up to making mistakes has made me a little more comfortable with being a novice myself. I am very grateful for their patience.
Since Christmas, I feel like I’ve become more comfortable with village life and as I type this today, I can say I really enjoy it and it is making the Peace Corps experience one I am glad to be involved in. In September, I was so excited to cook for myself, disappointed that I did not have phone service, concerned about how I would get to the internet, and constantly questioning what the heck I was doing with myself here. But as I’ve adapted to life here, I’m finding that I’m finally really happy with the decision to be here. The way to really adapt was to give up cooking for myself. Once that happened, everything seemed to fall into place. Sitting around the fires, watching my host family prepare the meal has made my local language much better. Eating with the family for lunch and dinner has diminished loneliness. The cooking and eating all of my meals Guinean style has opened others up to being more comfortable with me too. They see me eating as they do, cooking with them, and that’s all it really takes for people to then be okay with the American. I know I’m also getting to know people better as time goes on as well, but I feel like food has been the catalyst for acceptance. And as for the phone and internet, to tell you the truth, being off the grid is not so bad. A new phone service came to my village and I’m not so disappointed anymore that it doesn’t reach my house although glad I no longer have to climb the mountain to get service.
Towards the end of the school year, I started to visit students at their homes to meet their parents. One village is an hour’s walk away (and these students aren’t the furthest from school!) For me, the intrigue of this village is that all of my students from this village tend to be the hardest workers and brightest ones. This village has a primary school so I wanted to see what was going on here that was different from the primary school in my village. After spending time with the parents and eating lots and lots of food, I got a chance to talk with the teacher that taught these students fifth and sixth grade. His demeanor was very optimistic and happy to be a teacher. He told me about how he runs his classroom, how he gives his students work to do at home, and most importantly, accountability. I left this village that evening with fifty mangos, twenty avocados, peanuts, dried manioc, and a live chicken as gifts from the mothers of the students. It was a very fun day and gave me new insight on primary school attitudes.
As for being a Peace Corps volunteer, there is a pretty good chance that if I wasn’t here, my students would not have math class (the other two middle schools in the area can’t get someone to come to the village to teach. Like I mentioned earlier, no one wants to come to the village.) I can say I’m “doing” that – teaching math and English. But as for the rest of what I “do,” I’m not quite sure what to put on the list. I’m involved in lots of cultural exchange. I am an American that is different than the American faces Guineans associate with Americans – the celebrities. I hope my American values of education, gender equity, and hard work have made some sort of impact on the students and villagers. The rest of what I “do” is learn. Since wanting to be a teacher, I have been so curious about public education outside of the U.S., and living in the village, teaching in the middle school, making friends with Guineans has taught me so much about this. Learning about West African culture has been so interesting and so valuable. Some of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers are so productive with projects they’re starting – they’re lists of things their “doing” are long and interesting. As someone who has always like to have a long list of “things I do” or accomplishments, for the first time I’m finding myself taking the “less is more” approach to life. And surprisingly, I’m enjoying it. I spend a significant time during my week doing schoolwork, but for the rest of it, I spend my time among people of the village. I learn more than I give on a daily basis. I imagined myself “doing” all sorts of “things” to contribute to the community, but realize that just “being” does a lot on its own. Peace Corps as an organization has its strenghts and weaknesses, but as far as me wanting to teach in another country, it has been a great fit.
As for the summer, the next group of education volunteers is coming to town in July. I’ll be working with my boss to improve the training for this group and then directly working with the new volunteers. We have a couple of conferences this summer – one in June where we volunteers will be trained on how to give lessons on HIV/AIDS, excision, and other health-related issues. The other is in July; it is a girls’ conference when each volunteers brings a motivated girl to a week-long conference on a wide range of topics. School starts again at the end of September. Hopefully I’ll get to do some traveling around Guinea and West Africa.
One success has been English class. I have three classes; one is for my “honors” seventh graders (the 20 students that have good attendance and complete their homework), one for the ninth and tenth graders, and one for the teachers in the primary school and middle school. The English class was something the students and teachers started asking for when I arrived in September; their eagerness to learn has not faded and I hope it continues in the next school year as well. In Guinea, English as a Foreign Language begins in the eleventh grade, however many of the better jobs in the cities require some English. I hope, especially for my seventh graders, they have some sort of advantage when they get to high school. Being in the village seems to be an automatic disadvantage for many reasons; hopefully they’ll have a substantial English background by the time they get to high school.
The most enjoyable class for me has been, surprisingly for me, the course with the other teachers. I spent the first few months being so intimidated by initiating conversation with them since my French was so weak. It’s too bad I wasn’t a little braver because I’ve learned what a dynamic group of people my fellow teachers are. In Guinea, if you are a teacher, you get assigned to a school. You can try to request a city or bribe your way into a position, but most end up where they are assigned. For the teachers of my village, this means they have to leave their husbands, wives, and children in the cities of Conakry, Mamou, or Labe in order to come to the village. As you can imagine, this is not a coveted assignment. Among all the teachers, there are four houses most of them live in - one with the women, the others with the men. None of the teachers are originally from my village or any village nearby for that matter, some did not speak Pular (our local language) when they arrived in the village since they are originally from other parts of Guinea.
Most have been in Kourou for three to six years so far. Being non-villagers makes them somewhat of outsiders to the villagers. Within the village, everyone is family for the most part. I don’t think their exclusion is intended; they simply aren’t part of the family. Since they are all in the same situation, they have become sort of a family with each other – they all get along for the most part but fight like siblings. Lots of love, lots of dysfunctionality. They all share a common desire to get out of Kourou and teach in a city; that fate is left to the government. But since they’re all here, they both embrace it and complain about it everyday.
There are twelve that come on a regular basis to class. Imagine you and eleven of your friends in class together where you inevitably will make lots of mistakes since you are speaking a foreign language. They laugh at each other, laugh at themselves, and we all have a really fun time. My experience with French thus far has not been my favorite part of this experience; I do not enjoy always feeling inadequate or incapable of truly functioning within the community. And I don’t like always feeling so vulnerable. Being with them two nights a week were they open themselves up to making mistakes has made me a little more comfortable with being a novice myself. I am very grateful for their patience.
Since Christmas, I feel like I’ve become more comfortable with village life and as I type this today, I can say I really enjoy it and it is making the Peace Corps experience one I am glad to be involved in. In September, I was so excited to cook for myself, disappointed that I did not have phone service, concerned about how I would get to the internet, and constantly questioning what the heck I was doing with myself here. But as I’ve adapted to life here, I’m finding that I’m finally really happy with the decision to be here. The way to really adapt was to give up cooking for myself. Once that happened, everything seemed to fall into place. Sitting around the fires, watching my host family prepare the meal has made my local language much better. Eating with the family for lunch and dinner has diminished loneliness. The cooking and eating all of my meals Guinean style has opened others up to being more comfortable with me too. They see me eating as they do, cooking with them, and that’s all it really takes for people to then be okay with the American. I know I’m also getting to know people better as time goes on as well, but I feel like food has been the catalyst for acceptance. And as for the phone and internet, to tell you the truth, being off the grid is not so bad. A new phone service came to my village and I’m not so disappointed anymore that it doesn’t reach my house although glad I no longer have to climb the mountain to get service.
Towards the end of the school year, I started to visit students at their homes to meet their parents. One village is an hour’s walk away (and these students aren’t the furthest from school!) For me, the intrigue of this village is that all of my students from this village tend to be the hardest workers and brightest ones. This village has a primary school so I wanted to see what was going on here that was different from the primary school in my village. After spending time with the parents and eating lots and lots of food, I got a chance to talk with the teacher that taught these students fifth and sixth grade. His demeanor was very optimistic and happy to be a teacher. He told me about how he runs his classroom, how he gives his students work to do at home, and most importantly, accountability. I left this village that evening with fifty mangos, twenty avocados, peanuts, dried manioc, and a live chicken as gifts from the mothers of the students. It was a very fun day and gave me new insight on primary school attitudes.
As for being a Peace Corps volunteer, there is a pretty good chance that if I wasn’t here, my students would not have math class (the other two middle schools in the area can’t get someone to come to the village to teach. Like I mentioned earlier, no one wants to come to the village.) I can say I’m “doing” that – teaching math and English. But as for the rest of what I “do,” I’m not quite sure what to put on the list. I’m involved in lots of cultural exchange. I am an American that is different than the American faces Guineans associate with Americans – the celebrities. I hope my American values of education, gender equity, and hard work have made some sort of impact on the students and villagers. The rest of what I “do” is learn. Since wanting to be a teacher, I have been so curious about public education outside of the U.S., and living in the village, teaching in the middle school, making friends with Guineans has taught me so much about this. Learning about West African culture has been so interesting and so valuable. Some of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers are so productive with projects they’re starting – they’re lists of things their “doing” are long and interesting. As someone who has always like to have a long list of “things I do” or accomplishments, for the first time I’m finding myself taking the “less is more” approach to life. And surprisingly, I’m enjoying it. I spend a significant time during my week doing schoolwork, but for the rest of it, I spend my time among people of the village. I learn more than I give on a daily basis. I imagined myself “doing” all sorts of “things” to contribute to the community, but realize that just “being” does a lot on its own. Peace Corps as an organization has its strenghts and weaknesses, but as far as me wanting to teach in another country, it has been a great fit.
As for the summer, the next group of education volunteers is coming to town in July. I’ll be working with my boss to improve the training for this group and then directly working with the new volunteers. We have a couple of conferences this summer – one in June where we volunteers will be trained on how to give lessons on HIV/AIDS, excision, and other health-related issues. The other is in July; it is a girls’ conference when each volunteers brings a motivated girl to a week-long conference on a wide range of topics. School starts again at the end of September. Hopefully I’ll get to do some traveling around Guinea and West Africa.
4.16.2009
G-18 in July
The next education group (G-18) is coming to Guinea in July. The current teachers are excited to meet the new group and work with them this summer. We know that when we were packing, we checked out other blogs for ideas on packing or general questions, so if you are a future Guinea education volunteer, here are some things we're glad we have and the truth about cell phones and care packages.
Pack this:
1. Ipod and battery-operated speakers (batteries are cheap in the markets here although they are cheap in quality too...but they work just fine)
2. Solio to charge your ipod and your cell phone (the solios come with a Nokia charger tip and the most popular cheap phone here is a Nokia...so it works.) Most volunteers in Guinea do not have electricity (or running water for that matter.) Most volunteers do have cell phone service somewhere within a bikable or hikable distance, and more and more volunteers are getting service. A month ago I got service in my village (not in my house, but I no longer have hike a hill for service!) And you just never know when that tower might arrive - that's the fun of Guinea. (I have the Solio H1000 - and I have charged it everyday I've been at site. Its a great product!) Still bring your wall charger for when you're around electricity.
3. Headlamp - especially as a teacher. Grading the papers after the sunset...the headlamp is the only way to go. And bring your headlamp on any trip you take in Guinea; the electricity all around is unreliable.
As for everything else, you can find in Guinea. No kidding. But there are those things I appreciate that I brought, like my clothes. Some people embrace the African fashions and numerous second-hand markets; I'm glad for my tshirts, underwear and bras, and skirts made of cotton. Other things I'm glad I have:
School "stuff":
4. School clothes: I wear a white blouse (I brought them from the States) and a skirt everyday to school along with a pair of Merrell Mary Janes. I'm not a fan of the line of all-terrain shoes that are trying to look fashionable, but I'm glad I have a pair for school. Skirts for school need to be in-between calves and ankles. I've had some skirts made here; if you have one good one, you can take it to a tailor and have it copied. Men generally wear button down shirts with pants and shoes. Some go the very "Peace Corps" route with their attire, but it is appreciated if you dress nice.
5. A calculator. A scientific calculator will do just fine; I use my graphing calculator once in a while but its not necessary. I thought I'd use them more often for demonstrations but for the curriculum we're teaching, its not worth bringing it. All teachers need them for calculating grades.
6. I brought Ward gradebook; not necessary at all but I like having it. Actually, I have the lesson plan grade book combo book. Really, you can just create one with a ruler and a Guinean notebook like the other teachers do. Since I started teaching after college, I always had an electronic gradebook so I was sort of excited to kick it old-school with the old-fashioned gradebook. Like I said, not really necessary.
7. A good pair of scissors and real scotch tape. If some of my fellow PCVs saw "real scotch tape" on the list they'd wonder what the heck one does with scotch tape in Guinea. But I use it all the time to hang things in my house. Its the only thing that works.
8. Sharpies. I use the big ones for flipcharts; I use the smaller ones for other lessons. The permenant markers are crap here.
9. A 6-pocket expanding folder. I need it to stay organized with collecting homework and handing it back. Other volunteers say they brought one and never use it. Everyone has their own system.
10. As far as school supplies, you can easily get notebooks and pens. If you want to bring extra things for your classroom, as a math teacher, rulers, protractors, and compasses are the most useful.
"Non-school" stuff:
11. I brought a hammock that I use often. Lots of people bought them here too.
12. Coloring books and a few boxes of crayons. They're a good icebreaker with the new neighborhood kids.
13. During the first couple of months, you will be in a homestay with a family. You want to bring gifts for them; nothing expensive or excessive is necessary, but something to say thanks and from the states is greatly appreciated. Ideas: playing cards, marbles, soccer ball, earrings, baseball hats with your home team, cleveland cavs tshirts, bracelets, anything with a photo of scenes of the US, extra photos of your family that you can leave with them (I know that sounds odd, but they wanted to keep my photos.) Candy. I had a great host family with a wide range of ages so bring extras. You can always use them in your village. Also a fun activity I did with my host family was movie night with my laptop. Movies that have a French dubbing option are great; even though the young kids don't understand, the teenagers will (and it is good for your language training.) They loved Goonies. I think animated ones would work well - Shrek or Finding Nemo.
14. A world map and a United States map. You can find them in Conakry but I wished I'd had them during homestay.
15. A pair of sturdy flipflops. Many volunteers took advantage of the Chaco discount; if you scan your invitation letter you can get 50% off. I did not do this but I'm happy with my reefs. The sandals here in the market are cheap but fall apart real quick.
16. A couple of books. The books people bring get passed around in training and the regional capitals have so many books. Don't pack more than 3 or 4 books.
17. A basketball, soccerball, or a volleyball if you like to play these sports. And a pump. Or a frisbee.
18. Bike gel seat. I don't have one but other volunteers swear by them.
19. A good kitchen knife. Most here don't really cut things.
20. Ziplock bags. I use for lots of food stuff and when I go to the market. Anytime someone sends a care package, request things in ziplocks and if you're a female, tampons. Or you can go the Diva Cup route.
21. A good pair of shoes that you can hike in. Those, school shoes, and a pair of tennis shoes if you like to run or play basketball. Guineans run and play soccer in jellies...so you can always try that out too. Other than those, its flip flops!
Peace Corps gives you a list of things to bring like tolietries for when you first get here. Bring the things on that list. Things on other lists that they say to bring like a can opener, a garlic press, seeds to grow stuff, spices - that's up to you and whether or not you'll cook. You can find the seeds and spices in Conakry. Can opener and press - I'm sure you can find them in Conakry too. Before you know it, those things will just sit on the shelf anyways 'cause you start to eat rice and sauce three times a day.
As far as care packages go, Peace Corps will give you the address (its the same as the one on this blog, just change the name!) Some say that writing in red is the best way to assure your package makes it here, some say religious symbols help so Guineans won't rummage through the package before it gets to you. Definitely never have anything that can't be replaced in them or anything expensive. There are flat rate boxes at the post office that seem to be the way most people get packages - lots of stuff fits in them. But not all packages make it, so just be prepared. It is disappointing! I've had 3 so far that have not made it that I know of. I'd say the most popular and coveted care package item is bacon/beef jerky/pepperoni. And letters...well I have no idea how many haven't made it but I know its a lot. If you have someone that is going to write you often, have them number the letters then you will know if one (or five) is missing. Bring US stamps to send your letters home - the postal service here isn't too bad but hard to use if you're not near a regional capital. There is always someone going back to the states, whether its a volunteer or a family member or friend of a volunteer.
As for the rest:
1. The laptop - totally up to you. Lots of people have them and are glad they do. Load it up before you go - everyone here will want the newest seasons of shows and movies :)
2. Camping stuff - I'd say that most people do not use the stuff they brought. The cool "camping" type of trips here consist of hikes where there is a lodging option. There are a few of those hard-core volunteers that use their things.
Hope this helps...happy packing. We can't wait to meet you! And if you have any questions, there is a facebook group for Peace Corps Guinea or you can post them to me and I can email you back! Good luck!
Pack this:
1. Ipod and battery-operated speakers (batteries are cheap in the markets here although they are cheap in quality too...but they work just fine)
2. Solio to charge your ipod and your cell phone (the solios come with a Nokia charger tip and the most popular cheap phone here is a Nokia...so it works.) Most volunteers in Guinea do not have electricity (or running water for that matter.) Most volunteers do have cell phone service somewhere within a bikable or hikable distance, and more and more volunteers are getting service. A month ago I got service in my village (not in my house, but I no longer have hike a hill for service!) And you just never know when that tower might arrive - that's the fun of Guinea. (I have the Solio H1000 - and I have charged it everyday I've been at site. Its a great product!) Still bring your wall charger for when you're around electricity.
3. Headlamp - especially as a teacher. Grading the papers after the sunset...the headlamp is the only way to go. And bring your headlamp on any trip you take in Guinea; the electricity all around is unreliable.
As for everything else, you can find in Guinea. No kidding. But there are those things I appreciate that I brought, like my clothes. Some people embrace the African fashions and numerous second-hand markets; I'm glad for my tshirts, underwear and bras, and skirts made of cotton. Other things I'm glad I have:
School "stuff":
4. School clothes: I wear a white blouse (I brought them from the States) and a skirt everyday to school along with a pair of Merrell Mary Janes. I'm not a fan of the line of all-terrain shoes that are trying to look fashionable, but I'm glad I have a pair for school. Skirts for school need to be in-between calves and ankles. I've had some skirts made here; if you have one good one, you can take it to a tailor and have it copied. Men generally wear button down shirts with pants and shoes. Some go the very "Peace Corps" route with their attire, but it is appreciated if you dress nice.
5. A calculator. A scientific calculator will do just fine; I use my graphing calculator once in a while but its not necessary. I thought I'd use them more often for demonstrations but for the curriculum we're teaching, its not worth bringing it. All teachers need them for calculating grades.
6. I brought Ward gradebook; not necessary at all but I like having it. Actually, I have the lesson plan grade book combo book. Really, you can just create one with a ruler and a Guinean notebook like the other teachers do. Since I started teaching after college, I always had an electronic gradebook so I was sort of excited to kick it old-school with the old-fashioned gradebook. Like I said, not really necessary.
7. A good pair of scissors and real scotch tape. If some of my fellow PCVs saw "real scotch tape" on the list they'd wonder what the heck one does with scotch tape in Guinea. But I use it all the time to hang things in my house. Its the only thing that works.
8. Sharpies. I use the big ones for flipcharts; I use the smaller ones for other lessons. The permenant markers are crap here.
9. A 6-pocket expanding folder. I need it to stay organized with collecting homework and handing it back. Other volunteers say they brought one and never use it. Everyone has their own system.
10. As far as school supplies, you can easily get notebooks and pens. If you want to bring extra things for your classroom, as a math teacher, rulers, protractors, and compasses are the most useful.
"Non-school" stuff:
11. I brought a hammock that I use often. Lots of people bought them here too.
12. Coloring books and a few boxes of crayons. They're a good icebreaker with the new neighborhood kids.
13. During the first couple of months, you will be in a homestay with a family. You want to bring gifts for them; nothing expensive or excessive is necessary, but something to say thanks and from the states is greatly appreciated. Ideas: playing cards, marbles, soccer ball, earrings, baseball hats with your home team, cleveland cavs tshirts, bracelets, anything with a photo of scenes of the US, extra photos of your family that you can leave with them (I know that sounds odd, but they wanted to keep my photos.) Candy. I had a great host family with a wide range of ages so bring extras. You can always use them in your village. Also a fun activity I did with my host family was movie night with my laptop. Movies that have a French dubbing option are great; even though the young kids don't understand, the teenagers will (and it is good for your language training.) They loved Goonies. I think animated ones would work well - Shrek or Finding Nemo.
14. A world map and a United States map. You can find them in Conakry but I wished I'd had them during homestay.
15. A pair of sturdy flipflops. Many volunteers took advantage of the Chaco discount; if you scan your invitation letter you can get 50% off. I did not do this but I'm happy with my reefs. The sandals here in the market are cheap but fall apart real quick.
16. A couple of books. The books people bring get passed around in training and the regional capitals have so many books. Don't pack more than 3 or 4 books.
17. A basketball, soccerball, or a volleyball if you like to play these sports. And a pump. Or a frisbee.
18. Bike gel seat. I don't have one but other volunteers swear by them.
19. A good kitchen knife. Most here don't really cut things.
20. Ziplock bags. I use for lots of food stuff and when I go to the market. Anytime someone sends a care package, request things in ziplocks and if you're a female, tampons. Or you can go the Diva Cup route.
21. A good pair of shoes that you can hike in. Those, school shoes, and a pair of tennis shoes if you like to run or play basketball. Guineans run and play soccer in jellies...so you can always try that out too. Other than those, its flip flops!
Peace Corps gives you a list of things to bring like tolietries for when you first get here. Bring the things on that list. Things on other lists that they say to bring like a can opener, a garlic press, seeds to grow stuff, spices - that's up to you and whether or not you'll cook. You can find the seeds and spices in Conakry. Can opener and press - I'm sure you can find them in Conakry too. Before you know it, those things will just sit on the shelf anyways 'cause you start to eat rice and sauce three times a day.
As far as care packages go, Peace Corps will give you the address (its the same as the one on this blog, just change the name!) Some say that writing in red is the best way to assure your package makes it here, some say religious symbols help so Guineans won't rummage through the package before it gets to you. Definitely never have anything that can't be replaced in them or anything expensive. There are flat rate boxes at the post office that seem to be the way most people get packages - lots of stuff fits in them. But not all packages make it, so just be prepared. It is disappointing! I've had 3 so far that have not made it that I know of. I'd say the most popular and coveted care package item is bacon/beef jerky/pepperoni. And letters...well I have no idea how many haven't made it but I know its a lot. If you have someone that is going to write you often, have them number the letters then you will know if one (or five) is missing. Bring US stamps to send your letters home - the postal service here isn't too bad but hard to use if you're not near a regional capital. There is always someone going back to the states, whether its a volunteer or a family member or friend of a volunteer.
As for the rest:
1. The laptop - totally up to you. Lots of people have them and are glad they do. Load it up before you go - everyone here will want the newest seasons of shows and movies :)
2. Camping stuff - I'd say that most people do not use the stuff they brought. The cool "camping" type of trips here consist of hikes where there is a lodging option. There are a few of those hard-core volunteers that use their things.
Hope this helps...happy packing. We can't wait to meet you! And if you have any questions, there is a facebook group for Peace Corps Guinea or you can post them to me and I can email you back! Good luck!
4.08.2009
More Photos
I've just uploaded another photo album - February and March 2009 as well as another video. My 9th graders were waiting for the 10th graders to join us for English class; they wanted to say hello to the students back in Boston. And to Barak Obama.
4.04.2009
Breaking into My House with the Head of Security
Hello from Guinea! Sorry its been so long!
Most of the Education volunteers are in Conakry this week relaxing and catching up with one another. Spring break started Wednesday for me and I traveled to the capital yesterday with three other volunteers. I had a brief flash of the Christmas coup and not getting to come to Conakry for the break: getting out of my village is tough but the Peace Corps head of security, Yamma, was visiting my village on Thursday as part of her tour of my region of Guinea (just a check to make sure things are going well) so I was going to leave the village with her. I had my house ready for visitors and was waiting for her at my neighbors who were cooking for all of us. Yamma arrived and we made our way to my house. It was an extremely windy day, and when we arrived at my door, we found I was locked out of my house. The wind had blown my double doors shut and blew so hard that the pins in the bottom of the door (the pins that provide "extra security" in addition to the lock) had fallen into the floor, locking the door from the inside. It was quite a scene - Yamma, the driver, me, and 10 of my neighbors with an assortment of tools, rocks, sticks, spoons, and knives trying to pry the door and pop the pins. Lots of ideas were thrown around, and Yamma just keep repeating "your house is very secure. Very secure. I'm not worried about you!" as we tried to break in. After an hour, we decided we needed the carpenter because we couldn't break in, which meant I was not going to Conakry anytime soon (the carpenter is a few villages over, so it would take a while to get him, break the door and then fix it again and Yamma had to leave to get to the next village.) It was just like Christmas break...a dead president, a locked door...there's always something keeping me from Conakry! While we were beginning to eat, the driver and one of my students who came to assess the situation went back over and somehow got it open. So I made it here after all.
I'm working on uploading all sorts of things; photos, videos, and stories. For now, check out two new videos. One is the market in my village. Since I'm in such a small village, I have a very small market! The other is lunchtime chez moi. I eat with the family next door. The girls come to my door each day to let me know its time to eat. Lately I've been too slow to come over so now they tell me to hurry up! You'll notice in both that there is more Pulaar than French. Do I understand? Most of it. Do I speak it? Very little. Also is a slideshow - "The Proclamation"...story to follow.
More to come over the next couple of days...so visit again soon!
Most of the Education volunteers are in Conakry this week relaxing and catching up with one another. Spring break started Wednesday for me and I traveled to the capital yesterday with three other volunteers. I had a brief flash of the Christmas coup and not getting to come to Conakry for the break: getting out of my village is tough but the Peace Corps head of security, Yamma, was visiting my village on Thursday as part of her tour of my region of Guinea (just a check to make sure things are going well) so I was going to leave the village with her. I had my house ready for visitors and was waiting for her at my neighbors who were cooking for all of us. Yamma arrived and we made our way to my house. It was an extremely windy day, and when we arrived at my door, we found I was locked out of my house. The wind had blown my double doors shut and blew so hard that the pins in the bottom of the door (the pins that provide "extra security" in addition to the lock) had fallen into the floor, locking the door from the inside. It was quite a scene - Yamma, the driver, me, and 10 of my neighbors with an assortment of tools, rocks, sticks, spoons, and knives trying to pry the door and pop the pins. Lots of ideas were thrown around, and Yamma just keep repeating "your house is very secure. Very secure. I'm not worried about you!" as we tried to break in. After an hour, we decided we needed the carpenter because we couldn't break in, which meant I was not going to Conakry anytime soon (the carpenter is a few villages over, so it would take a while to get him, break the door and then fix it again and Yamma had to leave to get to the next village.) It was just like Christmas break...a dead president, a locked door...there's always something keeping me from Conakry! While we were beginning to eat, the driver and one of my students who came to assess the situation went back over and somehow got it open. So I made it here after all.
I'm working on uploading all sorts of things; photos, videos, and stories. For now, check out two new videos. One is the market in my village. Since I'm in such a small village, I have a very small market! The other is lunchtime chez moi. I eat with the family next door. The girls come to my door each day to let me know its time to eat. Lately I've been too slow to come over so now they tell me to hurry up! You'll notice in both that there is more Pulaar than French. Do I understand? Most of it. Do I speak it? Very little. Also is a slideshow - "The Proclamation"...story to follow.
More to come over the next couple of days...so visit again soon!
2.05.2009
January 31, 2009 - The Rest of January
Along with the cold, there has been lots of other happenings here in the village since coming back from Paris. I arrived back on a Monday night and showed up back to school on Tuesday morning and was the only one there. I guess this is the way it happens, no one shows up the week after the official vacation, teachers included.
There was a Fete that Wednesday; from what I understand it was a New Year's Fete. I walked 5km with the ladies of my village to a neighboring village to dance to a band from Conakry (see the photos under my profile.) The band played and announced each village; when he announced your village you had to go to the center and dance, but ladies only. It was another one of those events where people were just waiting to see what I did. There was nothing to do but dance! And I must admit, I've earned some "street cred" or should I say "market cred" with the ladies. Show a few dance moves and you're part of the gang.
Once school finally resumed, we were back to business as usual. We had two weeks to continue lessons and then there were the midterm exams. Back at Trinity, midterm time was one of my favorite times of year - kids studying and reviewing in the days leading up to the exam, teachers trying to put together the ultimate test. I felt that midterm vibe in the days leading up to my exam as I prepared my exam in my house on flipchart paper. The Guinean teachers write their exam on the board while the students sit outside. I find this method takes away from test-taking time (and I was going to be in Mamou for a Peace Corps training session on the day of my exam.) My principal and the other math teacher stopped by to visit and it just felt like midterms were in the air. I am anxious to see how they did once I get back to the village.
For Inauguration Day, I was saving some care-package pasta and a mini bottle of French wine to eat while I was savoring speech and the talk of day on the BBC. I was in the market that day when one of the other teachers asked if I was coming to the house where they were going to SHOW the inauguration. As excited as I was, I knew not to get too excited. And I knew to come prepared in case it didn't work. Sure enough, I showed up and no one else was there, even after I explained multiple times about what time we had to be there. I had my radio and listened to the whole thing. When everyone else arrived about a half-hour later, we watched highlights on France24. It was still really exciting to be able to see some of it on TV. Every time they scanned the crowd on TV the Guineans would say "Hey Allah" which is like saying "oh my God!" They were really excited about it all and hearing the speech dubbed in French.
The last happening of January is one that I've avoided writing about (I think - sometimes I think about a blog I'd write and then I don't.) The first Tuesday I was back to school, the vice principal stood outside my classroom door waiting for late students. When they arrived he would whip them with a stick he had picked up along the way to school. It breaks my heart every single time. It is a Peace Corps interview question - corporal punishment - so I knew that it was bound to be a part of my school life. But there isn't a way to mentally prepare oneself for those first beatings. Hearing the kids squeal, hearing the stick crack against them - it is awful. It is a distraction for everyone; no one is listening to me and I don't even know what I'm saying. It starts with the primary school students; they hit their calves whereas with my older kids they hit them anywhere. It is a cultural norm I just can't wrap my mind around. I try to talk about what we do in the States when students are late or how we punish students. The other teachers listen but beatings and humiliation seem to be the only tactics they are willing to use. The worst beatings are ones I hear in the 6th grade classroom when students give wrong answers. Honest mistakes result in getting hit. The sixth grade teacher is a jerk in general but that is just awful. For me, one of the hardest things is that I just can't have the rational conversation with the other teachers because my French just doesn't get the point across. But I'm working on it. It is just a hard topic in general to try to bring up since it such a part of the culture and how school has been done for so many years.
There was a Fete that Wednesday; from what I understand it was a New Year's Fete. I walked 5km with the ladies of my village to a neighboring village to dance to a band from Conakry (see the photos under my profile.) The band played and announced each village; when he announced your village you had to go to the center and dance, but ladies only. It was another one of those events where people were just waiting to see what I did. There was nothing to do but dance! And I must admit, I've earned some "street cred" or should I say "market cred" with the ladies. Show a few dance moves and you're part of the gang.
Once school finally resumed, we were back to business as usual. We had two weeks to continue lessons and then there were the midterm exams. Back at Trinity, midterm time was one of my favorite times of year - kids studying and reviewing in the days leading up to the exam, teachers trying to put together the ultimate test. I felt that midterm vibe in the days leading up to my exam as I prepared my exam in my house on flipchart paper. The Guinean teachers write their exam on the board while the students sit outside. I find this method takes away from test-taking time (and I was going to be in Mamou for a Peace Corps training session on the day of my exam.) My principal and the other math teacher stopped by to visit and it just felt like midterms were in the air. I am anxious to see how they did once I get back to the village.
For Inauguration Day, I was saving some care-package pasta and a mini bottle of French wine to eat while I was savoring speech and the talk of day on the BBC. I was in the market that day when one of the other teachers asked if I was coming to the house where they were going to SHOW the inauguration. As excited as I was, I knew not to get too excited. And I knew to come prepared in case it didn't work. Sure enough, I showed up and no one else was there, even after I explained multiple times about what time we had to be there. I had my radio and listened to the whole thing. When everyone else arrived about a half-hour later, we watched highlights on France24. It was still really exciting to be able to see some of it on TV. Every time they scanned the crowd on TV the Guineans would say "Hey Allah" which is like saying "oh my God!" They were really excited about it all and hearing the speech dubbed in French.
The last happening of January is one that I've avoided writing about (I think - sometimes I think about a blog I'd write and then I don't.) The first Tuesday I was back to school, the vice principal stood outside my classroom door waiting for late students. When they arrived he would whip them with a stick he had picked up along the way to school. It breaks my heart every single time. It is a Peace Corps interview question - corporal punishment - so I knew that it was bound to be a part of my school life. But there isn't a way to mentally prepare oneself for those first beatings. Hearing the kids squeal, hearing the stick crack against them - it is awful. It is a distraction for everyone; no one is listening to me and I don't even know what I'm saying. It starts with the primary school students; they hit their calves whereas with my older kids they hit them anywhere. It is a cultural norm I just can't wrap my mind around. I try to talk about what we do in the States when students are late or how we punish students. The other teachers listen but beatings and humiliation seem to be the only tactics they are willing to use. The worst beatings are ones I hear in the 6th grade classroom when students give wrong answers. Honest mistakes result in getting hit. The sixth grade teacher is a jerk in general but that is just awful. For me, one of the hardest things is that I just can't have the rational conversation with the other teachers because my French just doesn't get the point across. But I'm working on it. It is just a hard topic in general to try to bring up since it such a part of the culture and how school has been done for so many years.
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