Couple Pictures I missed from Swearing-In

Half of the Public Health group: Me, Ryan, Megan, and Shane in our complets

Dancer/drummer

January Book List

Girl in the Hyacinth Blue
Vreeland

The Path Between the Seas
McCullough

Anne Frank: the biography
Muller

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll

Through the Looking Glass
Lewis Carroll

Island
Aldous Huxley

Little Women
Louisa May Alcott

College Girls
Lynn Peril

The Time Machine
H. G. Wells

"Je ne comprend pas": Weeks 1 and 2

Welcome Back! I am going to try something new here; I am going to
write my entries as I do in my journal and pull the stories directly
from there. Please let me know what you think.

WEEK ONE

Feb 9, 2012

First day working at site. I got to the hospital about 9 am. There
were many (about 6) people waiting to be seen. One person was a
pregnant woman (maybe 6 months?) with a tore up face. The health
agent, Joe, told me her husband beat her. I don't know why, since I
didn't ask, but I replied, saying no one should be hit, especially not
a vulnerable person like that. I hope her situation improves, or at
least her child/children stay safe and healthy.

Also waiting was a teenage girl with a woman I assumed to be her
mother. They gave Joe a carnet de santé (health card for pregnant
woman and infants). I saw the teen girl (15 years old) was listed as
the mother-to-be. Clearly I have my work cut out for me here…

Later, still at the hospital, there weren't any patients so I was
hanging out, playing cards with Joe. The favorite game here is "huit
Americain" aka American Eights. This is similar to crazy eights but
has rules more closely resembling Uno.

At night my counterpart returned from visiting his family in Boke and
we discussed some things I will be working on this week. I am looking
forward to learning more about the hospital and getting to know the
people in the village. I am going to get a tutor to help me learn Susu
(local language) and I also plan to start an informal group to teach
English.

After saying goodnight to my counterpart, Lamah, I was getting ready
to shower and head to bed when my host sister, Mariam, knocked at my
door. I ended up with her, my brother Ibraham, and my other sister
Nama in my living room for two hours. We looked at pictures of my
American family and friends and they made plans to tress my hair. It
was really great to spend time with them and I can already tell I will
enjoy my time here.

Feb 10, 2012

I do not know how to charge my solar charger. Up to now I have been
using the wall adapter to charge it, but here in Bintimodia I don't
have electricity. Normally a red light comes on to indicate it is
charging but that is not happening now. I will just try putting in the
sun and hope that works…

At the hospital this morning, Lamah, the chief of the health center,
said I was going with Conte, a health agent, to a neighboring village
to vaccinate some children. I was glad to help and really wanted to
see more of the area so I quickly got my bike and things together.
Before we left, Joe, Conte, and Lamah spent ten minutes reattaching
the rack to my bike over the rear tire. Once it was in place, off we
went. Three minutes into the ride, my pedal got locked. We couldn't
see what the problem was so Conte continued on and I returned to the
hospital.

I was in a consultation with Lamah and a young woman (she had a
C-section 1.5 yrs ago, but has been having severe internal abdominal
pain for the past three days) when Joe asked me to explain what
happened with my bike. After looking at it for only a few minutes he
saw that the screw used on the rack was over the first gear on the
chain and when I shifted into that gear the chain got stuck. Luckily
this can be easily repaired and I trust Joe will have it back in
working order...once he returns with my bike that is.

When Joe returned he took me to visit a mission hospital in a
neighboring village. The bike ride there was pretty and there was a
nice breeze. I met the head of the hospital, an older Indian woman,
whom I guessed to be a Catholic missionary. She was sweet and
welcoming and interested in my work here. After explaining about the
Peace Corps and my role as a health agent in the community, she asked
if I brought medications from America to distribute. Clearly I didn't
do that and so explained that the focus of my work is on disease
prevention since medications are often too expensive, but prevention
techniques are mostly free. She was satisfied with that response and
wants to keep in touch to see how my work and the health of the people
here progresses. I'm not sure how long she has/will be in Guinea…she
was very surprised that my commitment us for two years…oh well, guess
we'll see!

This afternoon Joe and I set up my hammock between a couple trees at
the hospital. I spent a few hours there reading (Dracula) and
lounging. I am so glad to finally be using it; I've been looking
forward to it since before I left America! It was very comfy and is in
a great shady spot. It is also convenient because I can relax there
whenever I want but not miss any action at the hospital.

A few people in my village speak an OK amount of English. They want to
learn and so I am eager to start my previously mentioned English Club.
Not only will I help them learn by they will also teach me Susu and
improve my French. One girl, Kadiatou (she's 16), wrote me a letter in
English. It wasn't perfect but I understood it all and wrote back,
translating my letter into French as well.

When I got back to my house this evening I saw a cat dash behind my
couch. I shut the front door so it couldn't run out. Well, as I moved
the couch, the cat leapt up jumped out the window. Guess I ought to
fix my screen before actually getting a cat.

Feb 11, 2012

The cat was back! It was sleeping in a chair in my living room this
morning. IT was startled and jumped out the window again. I felt the
chair and it was warm, so clearly the cat must have been there a
while. I also noticed it ate some left over mac and cheese I have
covered with a bowl on my counter.
At the hospital I just saw Conte, one of the health agents, sweeping
out a small white owl from one of the exam rooms! What was the owl
doing in there? How did it get in? I have no idea, but I do know that
the owl was dying. Its wings were extended and every so often gave a
soft cry but did not move. Conte placed it next to the trash pit. At
least it's out of sight…

While I was taking a rest in my hammock, Kadiatou called me over. Her
father, the principal of the middle school (college) gave me a letter
for the director of PC Guinea. He is asking for an education volunteer
to teach math here. I really hope he gets one because I would love
having another volunteer in the village.

I really want to get my hair tressed, so I asked Kadiatou where I can
buy the little rubber hair ties to hold in the tiny braids. There are
a few places in the village that usually sell them so we looked there
first. Both places were sold out. Kadiatou then told me to get my bike
because we would look someplace else. In a neighboring village (or
two), we asked but everyone was sold out there as well. Tomorrow, when
I go to Kamsar, I will buy some. Hopefully when I do finally get
tressed it won't look as ridiculous as the first two times.

Oh! I almost forgot! I went to my first funeral today. Well, actually
it was just the "fete" aka celebration, for the funeral. Apparently
some woman died in Conakry who is from, or who's family lives in
Bintimodia. At first I didn't even know it was a funeral. Lamah said
he was going to a gathering somewhere in the village; as he was
leaving he told me come along. On the way we grabbed Joe and Conte and
the four of us went to the house where the other villagers were
gathering. When we got there, the three men left me with all the women
and went to join the men. At first I thought it was a fete for
circumcision/excision because there was hysterical crying coming from
inside the house. My first thought was "oh no! I can't be at an
excision ceremony! WTH!" Then, luckily, a woman near me mentioned
something about a funeral and I was very relieved. The women then, as
if just noticing my presence, began arguing over what my name is. Some
thought it was M'Balia and others said it was Mariama. Finally someone
asked me and I replied "M'Balia". Then they all cheered/laughed
because it is soooo funny whenever a "fote" (white person) says
something in local language. After this they all took turns saying my
name, which is pretty common all over Guinea; they then asked me to
help prepare some food. I began mashing a mixture of flour and sugar
in a giant mortal and pestle, but after about 30 seconds they told me
that was enough and to sit back down. So weird.

After being at the funeral only 20 or 30 minutes, the men came back
and told me it was time to leave. Just as I was walking out of the
compound, one of the women ran up to me and gave me a giant ball dough
they/we prepared. It was about the size of a baseball and I was like
"what am I supposed to do with this??" Joe laughed because my thought
must have been translated on my face. He told me to eat it, so I tried
a couple bites and it was OK. After that Joe laughed again and said
people cook the dough and then eat it, which is pretty much what I
assumed. I bet it would have made something similar to really
delicious shortbread cookies. Unfortunately I don't have the pans to
make a Dutch oven yet so I can't really bake anything. Instead I left
the dough outside my house for the animals to eat.

WEEK TWO

Feb 12, 2012

This morning the cat was in my house again. When I got out of bed, I
heard it meowing and I quietly went into the living room. It was
watching me and I tried calling it. It started to run away, stopped,
and looked back at me. It seemed to want to trust, but its fear was
stronger and again it ran away. I think tonight I will leave some food
for it and see what happens.

So I just made my first bike trip to Kamsar. The ride isn't so bad,
but it was much longer than I anticipated. It was, however, very
scenic: down dirt roads lined with palm trees, around sand pits, over
a river, through rice fields, and past a huge open-air market. Luckily
the 1.5 hour ride there was with Kadiatou and her friend so we knew
were to go. Although when my Peace Corps friends, Marissa and Steph,
called to see how much longer my ride would be, I was told 10 minutes.
It ended up being closer to 45 minutes…oh well, c'est la vie en
Afrique.

When we finally met up with Steph and Marissa, both agfo volunteers
near Boke, we all went to lunch at a nice restaurant. I was paying for
my guests since they would never ever be able to afford such a luxury.
Well, their two meals cost all the money I brought (and had set aside
for the whole last week). Fortunately Marissa paid for my meal.
However, since I spent all my money on lunch I couldn't afford to use
to internet café…guess I need to venture back to Kamsar (in a taxi
this time) tomorrow : )

Feb 13, 2012

The pregnant woman beat by her husband was back this morning. Her face
is no longer swollen and her lip is healed, but she clearly has a
black eye. Lamah is concerned about her even though the injuries
aren't serious. Maybe the abuse is recurring, or possibly getting
worse?

Three men just came to the hospital on a motorcycle. The man in the
middle couldn't even stand by himself. He looks elderly, but its hard
to tell people's ages here. Lamah had the two men bring him into a
room with a bed. I really want to know what's wrong with him.

Well, Joe and Lamah consulted on the health of the old man. Lamah gave
a bunch of small bottles of what I assume to be medication to one of
the men and now they are getting ready to leave. The old man was
placed on the back of the motorcycle and looks like he collapsed onto
the driver….he couldn't even support his own weight.

I asked Lamah what the man was sick with. Lamah said he was anemic and
had a heart problem. He also said the man was drug intoxicated from
using traditional medicines. I think the anemia was caused by this
overdose. Lamah also said something about his heart not pumping blood
properly because of a collapsed vein. I did not understand everything,
or the exact sequence of events, because my French is not that great.
When I asked about the man's treatment, Lamah said he referred the man
to the regional hospital in Boke.

I spent all afternoon (5 hours) getting my hair tressed. It's pretty
close to what I wanted and I didn't expect perfection, so it will do
for the week (which is about how long it lasts). While Kadiatou was
tressing me, we were talking about life in America and Lamar (her
friend) asked it if was true that America was in a war with the Arabs.
I tried explaining that America didn't get along well with one Arab
country but they asked why. Well, I tried describing 9/11 but my
French vocabulary does not include the words necessary to explain such
an event. I ended up saying Iraq "hit" America and many people died,
so in response, America "hit" Iraq and now we don't have a good
relationship. They accepted this answer but then Lamar asked if Bin
laden is really dead. Thinking back to training sessions (in which we
were told not to talk about Bin Laden since this is a Muslim country)
I hesitated to really say anything I responded with a simple "yes,
he's dead" and then they didn't ask anything further on the subject.

A little while later, still being tressed, an old man came and wanted
to talk to me. He was saying something about cooking and cleaning and
working at the hospital. Finally, with the help of Lamar and Kadiatou
I realized he was asking if I want someone to work for me, like a
maid. I don't need this, especialy since my new host family cooks most
meals for me and I can get kids or my friends to help with cleaning
and getting water and washing laundry. I don't really have much work
to do so I can do everything for myself. Well, the old man didn't
understand or something, and he insisted I need help. Finally. Lamar
told him to talk to my counterpart (Lamah). Lamah said the same thing
I did, but still the old man is hanging around. At least he isn't
bothering me anymore.

Stupid Cat! When I got home, I saw the cat was again sleeping in my
living room, and again it ran away. When I turned around to shut the
door, I noticed that the cat knocked over a pan of rice and a pan of
sauce and it spilt all over the floor. I didn't even know those pots
of food were in my house. Namina, my sister, must have put them there
while I was being tressed. Luckily a petite (aka a child) was walking
by so I had her come clean up the mess. Don't worry, everyone uses
petites for jobs like this.
Feb 14, 2012

Finally got my solar charger to work. All I had to do was put it in
the sun. It needs direct sunlight, completely unobstructed by clouds
or trees or whatever. The red light does eventually come on, which is
good so I know if the panel is positioned correctly. It has taken me
two full days to get it ¼ charged. This is very annoying since my nook
is almost out of power and I left all my actual books in Boke. Well, I
guess I can charge my nook on my computer, but what happens when that
needs recharging?

Lamah is concerned I'm not eating enough. This may have something to
do with that crazy old man from yesterday. He asked if my family gives
me breakfast everyday. I said some days they don't and others I get
bouille (bwee) which is like a rice porridge with sugar/condensed
milk. It is so gross, and I cannot eat it. Well, Lamah wanted to
figure something out so I get breakfast everyday but I said I could
prepare my own or buy something if I was hungry. Then he asked if I
get dinner (aka rice) every evening. I usually do so I told him that,
but also said I can make my own if necessary.

Lamah invited me to sit in on his meeting with some man (not sure who
he is, but definitely someone health related) to discuss the use of
services at the health center and how to improve utilazatio and better
the health of the community. It was pretty interesting and I learned a
lot about the health problems here. However, it takes forever to do
anything here. For example, people write sooooo slowly. I don't
understand, especially since their handwriting isn't that great.
Anyway, it was actually really good that I was helping because we made
the schedule of sensibilizations, which is pretty much all I will be
doing here. Now I know when I actually need to start doing work.

OK, so we are planning to do ten sensibilizations between now and
early May. The topics are fairly difficult (family planning, condom
use, birthing, vaccinations, etc) and some require a lot of
preparation, especially translating everything into French and making
sure I can get my point across in a way people understand. I hope they
don't have high expectations for me…

Someone stole my solar charger! It was there at the hospital and an
hour later it was gone! I think one of the students here for the
inter-village soccer game took it. Joe and Lamah were gathering the
kids and asking them if they had it or had seen it. Everyone is very
upset and asking adults and children to keep an eye out for it. It's
nice knowing I have people here that care about me and will look out
for me when bad things happen.

Feb 15, 2012

A little boy at my house is sick. I don't know what is wrong with him,
but he was sleeping outside on the porch and an old woman who lives
with us pointed out these small bumps on his face. My first thought
was small pox, but since that is eradicated, I think its probably
chicken pox, but could possibly be measles or something else. I will
consult one of the health agents and some books.

I told Joe about the little boy and he said he has chicken pox. Joe
said one of the boy's friends also has it and so I think the boy just
got sick with it. Oh well, at least it isn't anything too serious, and
nothing I have to worry about catching.

I hate being sick. Obviously no one likes it, but I have been sick for
over a month and am only getting worse as time goes on. It started
with a dry cough, nothing too serious, just a little annoying. Then
after two weeks of that it became a productive cough in which green
mucus comes out of lungs with each cough. In addition to that I also
have a sinus infection. This has been going on for a little over two
weeks now; I can hardly breathe, and when I do get a decent breath I
can feel the mucus in my lungs. Although a sinus infection is not very
serious, it is difficult here because I don't have tissues and my
toilet paper supply is quickly diminishing, with no place to buy more;
this makes nose blowing especially tricky considering the amount of
mucus coming out of my face each time.

Today, after trying for the last four days, I got in touch with the
PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) and told her what was going on and
that the last prescription for Cipro (which I finished Friday) didn't
help at all. She gave me a new prescription for a Z-pack as well as
cough medicine (guiafenisen). She sent me the prescription as a text
and Joe wrote out the order for the pharmacy. Getting to a pharmacy,
however, is difficult. Kamsar isn't too far and there are plenty of
pharmacies there but taxis are hard to get in the village unless it's
market day (which is tomorrow). Well, one of my family members (maybe
brother?) works in Kamsar and said he would ask the pharmacist how
much the medications should cost so I don't get overcharged. Well,
instead of simply asking, I just gave him the ordinance for the
medications to have that filled. Hopefully he can get it all at a
reasonable price and remembers to get a receipt so I can be reimbursed
by Peace Corps.

Another problem with being sick is that I'm always tired. I sleep for
10 or 11 hours every night but still need to rest during the day. The
past four nights I told my sister, Namina, I would play cards with
her, but I always fall asleep before she comes to play. Last night
before going to bed, I told her I would play today at noon. So I went
home at noon and found Namina. While she got some lunch for me I
started a game with some boys from the school. Well after half an hour
Namina was still inside the house and I was getting frustrated because
I wanted to go rest but promised her I would play. Finally I called
her out and told her I was leaving if she didn't play. Luckily she
agreed to play and so we spent another 30 minutes playing 8 Americaine
before I returned to the hospital (and my hammock).

Feb 16, 2012

So, today I've pretty much just been lounging in my hammock. I feel
awful and can't wait to get my meds. I still haven't talked to Amadou,
the guy who is possibly my brother, about this. Another relative of
mine just came and got my phone number and gave me Amadou's. I also
talked to the PCMO again since I have a new symptom: tenderness in one
of the lymph nodes in my neck. She said to gets the antibiotic,
regardless of price, because PC will reimburse me.

So Amadou just called, he said the meds will cost me 115,000 GF (about
$16). This is a lot of money for me, considering I only have 300,000
GF for the rest of the month. Luckily I don't spend much and I clearly
needs the meds so I guess that's what I'm paying. I tell Amadou to pay
that price and make sure to get a receipt so I can get my money back
next month. He agrees and so I wait for him to get back from Kamsar.

After I finished lunch at Kadiatou's and spoke to her dad a bit about
America (he knows like every president and the years he was in
office—impressive!) Namina called me over to the hospital because she
made me a "salad". It was not a salad at all; it was cucumbers and
onions in lemon/lime juice, vinegar, and piment (hot pepper). Oh yeah,
it was also warm. It would have been great without the piment, but I
could hardly eat it. While all this was going on, I missed a call from
Amadou. I tried calling him back but kept getting a message saying the
number was out of the coverage area. All afternoon I kept trying to
call, worried that he couldn't get the medicine.

Well, Amadou finally showed up at the hospital hours later with the
meds! And he got a discounted price—only 72,000 GF (~$10)! I was very
happy and immediately took my the first dose. Now all I have to do is
get well and life will be great!

Feb 17, 2012

Well, it seems that I missed quite an exciting day at the hospital
yesterday. One woman spent all day in an observation room because she
has a severe abdominal infection and she is about three months
pregnant. Joe said her husband was trying to find the necessary
antibiotic and if she gets it soon she will be ok. If she doesn't get
the medicine in time, she could lose the baby. She is obviously upset
and I hope they found the medicine yesterday so she can start her
treatment.

There were also two cases of severe malaria. One was an eight year old
and the other a woman of about 30. I don't know what the hospital is
doing to treat them but neither case looks very promising. These two
patients, along with the pregnant woman, went home in the evening.
Hopefully they are well enough today that they don't have to return to
the hospital. Today I am in Kamsar so I will, again, miss all the
action if they do return.

Oh, almost forgot, two "stagiares" (apprentices) are starting at the
hospital today. Both women, I'm guessing early-mid 20s are in their
second year of schooling to become health agents. They will be working
in our hospital for one month. They both seem nice and I'm looking
forward to working with them.

Miscellaneous Pictures from Training



View in Mamou



Monkey in Mamou

Host Family House

Lounge Hut

Food Prep Area

A Typical Meal From the Host Family

Yummy Salad with Lettuce!! (dressing=mayo, oil, vinegar, and seasoning cube)

Rice with Pimont (hot pepper) Sauce

My sisters and cousin eating breakfast

2 year old cousin Mohmed

Me with my Host Family: Mom, sister Amara, aunt Keita, cousin Mohmed, and sister Mibinti

Host brother Touncara with my sisters

Me with my sisters Mibiniti and Amara

Drumming school that performed at the adoption and farewell ceremonies

sensibilization for the village on drinking water

Mural!!!

making hand prints!

now time to wash those hands!

Site Visit!

BINTIMODIA

My new village is awesome! The family I live next to super nice and
made me dinner every night I of my visit. I met all the "important"
members of the community-the President, the Sous-Prefect, the "Sage"
(aka religious leaders), the Principle of the School, and of course
the Chief of the Health Center (my counterpart). Everyone is very
excited to start working with me and know a lot about Peace Corps
because they have had 4 other volunteers (all education) in the past.
My house is also great. I have a living room with a couch and 4
"comfy" chairs, a small wall shelf, and an awesome side table (an
elephant at the base with a checkerboard top!). My latrine and shower
area are off a short hall between the living room and my bedroom. The
bedroom is the same size as the living room and has a double bed, a
large table, and a large shelf unit. I am soooo happy that I have
furniture and that my place is "homey" so I can be comfortable there.
I can't wait to actually move and make it mine.
I am also excited to spend some time at the health center. It is
located in an old hospital and has plenty of space for people to be
seen by the health agents. I was very impressed that there is a
functioning refrigerator (runs of propane!) so vaccines can be
administered to the children/pregnant women. All the health agents are
extremely intelligent and dedicated to helping educate the community.

                                                       My front door to my new house!!

                                                                   Bedroom

                                                                      Living Room

                                                                         

                                                              Hospital/Health Center



BOKE

Boke is the regional capital for Bass Cote (my region in Guinea) and
so I am allowed and encouraged to spend time once a month at the Peace
Corps house here. The city itself is a little overwhelming because
there are tons of people everywhere and I am not yet familiar with the
area. The PC house also is not the greatest--especially compared with
the PC houses in other regions in Guinea. We don't have a TV or
computer (rumored to have been stolen by the old regional coordinator)
and there is no internet or running water. The electricity is not very
reliable in the city and so the house uses solar panels, but these
aren't powerful enough to run the stove (which I think is broken
anyway) or the refrigerator. The Country Director is looking for a new
Regional Coordinator, and is seriously trying to improve the
conditions of the house so it can be a great place for us to relax
when we visit. Overall it isn't so bad, especially because the other
volunteers in the region are super nice and helpful for us newbies.


KAMSAR

This is an awesome city! There are two internet cafes (and not that
expensive!), a pizza place and a "fast food" diner, and two Western
style super markets. Although it is expensive to go to these places,
it is worth it every now and then, especially to get a little taste of
America. The best part is that Kamsar is only a bike ride away from my
village! I have yet to make the ride so I'm not sure exactly how long
it will take me, but the route is pretty and not too hilly so I think
it will be a nice trip once a week.


TRAVELING IN GUINEA

My first experience in a bush taxi was from Conakry to Boke with 4
other volunteers and our counterparts. The eight of us found a taxi
and paid for only us to ride in it. When we were all getting in, after
loading up all our luggage, a large man decides he wants to get in our
taxi….clearly there was not space for him but the driver allowed him
to ride because that meant more money for him. Thirty minutes into our
ride (with a Guinean man half sitting on my lap) the taxi broke down;
the engine was overheating. The driver tried pouring buckets of water
on the engine to cool it down and said we should be back on the road
in fifteen minutes. Two hours later the driver hops in a car headed
back to Conakry to find us all a new car. When he returned (with two
taxis, each half full of people) we piled in and began the rest of the
trip to Boke. At this point let me mention the fact that we are not
under any circumstances, supposed to travel at night. By the time we
get going it is already 5:30 and the trip to Boke is 5 hours, on an
unpaved road full of enormous potholes. Well, we made it safely; I
spent the ride crammed in the front seat between the driver and a
military police officer (and there were only a driver's seat and
passenger's seat…not a seat for me in the middle) and arrived at the
PC house in Boke around 11 pm.

                                                              Broken down taxi...

My second experience went better but still wasn't great; I was
traveling from Bintimodia to Boke to spend some time at the regional
house. Everything was fine until we got to Boke and the driver stopped
at the market and everyone got out; this is not where I was supposed
to be and so I was a little concerned. A police officer who was in the
car told the driver to bring me to the PC house and gave him vague
directions. Not listening to the officer, the driver stopped first at
the hospital and then drove around the city trying to find where I was
supposed to go. He then demanded more money from me (which I gave him)
but still tried dropping me off at three incorrect places. At this
point I began to cry. He kept asking for more money and I kept telling
him to being me to the PC house. We ended up back at the market where
he went to ask for directions and made me accompany him. Just imagine
me crying in the middle of the market surrounded by locals asking me
what's wrong. It must have been quite a sight seeing this "Fote"
crying in the middle of everything. Luckily the driver got directions
and a security guard from the Boke PC house happened to be in the
market where I was and came with me in the taxi. Finally I made it,
and was able to convince the driver to let me go without paying an
additional fee. This is crazy stressful but also a learning experience
and I know now that I am more prepared for my next taxi adventure.

Site Announcement (and Christmas!!)

SITE
Well, I have finally found out where I will be spending my two years as a volunteer (after training). In February I will be moving to a village named Bintimodia near the city Boke (pronounced Bo-kay) in the region known as Basse Cote, or Lower Guinea. and approximately 150 miles from the capital city of Conakry. Boke lies on the Atlantic coast of Guinea and is one of the most important bauxite-producing
areas in Guinea. I will be working with the chief of the health center in my village to help implement my programs, specifically in educating the people living there in malaria and diarrhea prevention, among
other health related topics. In the surrounding area, there are two Agroforestry volunteers, another Public Health volunteer, two Education volunteers, and one Community Economic Development volunteer. I am really excited to be so many other volunteers and hope to have an opportunity to work with some others on joint projects.

In a few weeks, I will be meeting my counterpart on a weeklong visit to my new village. During this time, I will have the opportunity to meet some of the community members and begin learning about what
Bintimodia has to offer. I also have a chance to check out my house and such so I can begin planning what items I will need/want to buy for it. This is one of the highlights of PST and everyone is greatly looking forward to it.

CHRISTMAS
Ok, so we are in Conakry, at the volunteer house, to celebrate Christmas. Last night we had a gift exchange which was very entertaining and fun for everyone, even those who did not participate. Some of the most desired gifts were: ketchup, cheese (laughing cow), beer, and cookies. As my swap, I gave capri suns (also suprisingly desired), and received: lolipops, bar of locally made soap, laundry detergent, a candy bar, and a chocolate cookie. I am very happy for my gift, both because it is practical, but tastes good too (thanks to
whoever put it together!).

Besides the gift swap, our big celebration will consist of lunch. We  were able to go to a Western grocery store to buy "American" food. Many people are making different traditional Christmas foods and we are all super excited to eat something besides the rice and fish sauce we all get each night.

So, the menu for lunch is as follows:
Stuffed Goat-thanks to one of the trainers here
Fried Chicken
Corn Bread
Macaroni and Cheese
Mashed Potatos
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brownies
Homemade Eggnog

Unfortunately, I don't have any other exciting news right now, but hopefully after the counterpart workshop and site visit I can offer you all something fun to read. For now, you have that post to look forward to. Hope you are all doing well in America.
Miss you tons <3 Brittany

PICTURES (sorry for the random ordering)

                                                        Volunteer House in Conakry

                                                                       Cascades

                                                            Murials at the Volunteer House

                                                           View from Volunteer House

                                                           Other view from volunteer house

                                          Local Artwork--this was made with Nescafe (instant coffee)!!

                                                   More Peace Corps Property in Conakry

    

                                                               Soccer (Football) Game

                                                         Gourd string instrument and drum

                                             List of Services and Prices from the Hospital in Dubreka

                                                      Items used in local religious practices                                     

Wo Nu Wali!! (Hello, Everyone!)

Well, much has happened since my last post: I finally made it to
Guinea, learned a little French and Susu (the local language of the
village we are staying in), and moved in with my host family. My
Guinean family is extremely kind and very helpful; they always try
teaching me new words, both French and Susu, and help me with daily
activities.
DAILY LIFE
Getting acquainted with Guinean life has been challenging, especially
because of the language barrier. So far, I have been able to get
drinking water (with the assistance of my host brother), wash all my
clothes (with my host mom and some other woman that lives in my
house…), hang my mosquito net (it took the WHOLE family for that), and
watch the women make food (they haven't let me help them yet). Life
here is pretty good and overall I'm content living here for the next
three months, but am looking forward to learning more about where I
will actually be completing my service.
LANGUAGE
It is very difficult communicating with people who do not speak your
language. Although I have been able to communicate all my needs/wants
there have been some funny incidents along the way. First of all, I
never know what anyone is saying, even though I have been taught the
words/phrases they are using, because they speak too fast. I blankly
stare at people, trying to figure out what they are saying or asking
me. This is very comical, I'm sure, because greetings here are
extremely important to the people. It is considered rude not to talk
to everyone you meet when walking down the street, so it is very
important for me to talk to everyone, or at least try to say hello,
even if they don't understand me. One memorable language issue was
when I was trying to talk about my cat (yes, of course it's important
for my African family to know about bomber). Animals here are not kept
as pets so to have a cat that lives in my house, sleeps on my bed,
plays with me, eats food I provide, and has a name is totally
abstract. Besides this, I do not know the French word or equivalent
for Bomber and Shadow. For Bomber, I settled on them understanding
that she had a name and is mine. For Shadow, however, I decided to
point out a shadow on the ground and hope they understood. Well, they
didn't understand. They thought I was talking about the ground or dirt
or dark. Finally I think they understand after I repeated grabbed
objects and put them in the light to cast a shadow. Another funny
thing happened when I was explaining different types of shoes we have.
I was understood when I was talking about flip flops and sandals but
trying to explain sneakers was difficult. I tried saying "courer",
which is "to run" in French but they had no idea what I was saying.
Then I tried telling them that they were shoes used for futbol (aka
soccer) but that didn't work either. Finally I got up and started
running around our yard and then I think finally I got through to
them.
FOOD
Overall, I am happy with the food here. Everyone is well spiced and
fresh. However they use oil like Gram uses butter. They cook
everything with oil and use wayyyy more than is necessary. My meals at
home mostly consist of potatoes, rice, and fish. This morning I had an
awesome breakfast of what I can only describe as potato salad. It had
boiled potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and hard-boiled egg,
seasoned with black pepper and some other spices, and mixed with just
the right amount of mayonnaise. It was the best meal I've had at my
house so far. Oh, and every meal comes with an entire French baguette.
Well, I should have internet every Thursday for the next few months so
check back for more updates soon! <3 Brittany