Finnally it Has Arrived!!

So this is is the First time i have had both time and access to a real computer that has fast enough connection to support me blogging!!! Where shoud I begin...I have been here for almost 11 weeks now and I have enjoyed every minute of it...even those moments of "what the hell am I doing in this Country?"...This blog post will most likely be an un-coherent list of all the random ideas that come into my head that I think you should know about...I'll try to organize it as much as possible.

We'll start with the trainees: Wow..these are obviously some of the most selfless, caring people you'll ever meet and we all melded together so fast it seams unreal. I couln't have asked for a better group of people with whom to share these experiences. Together we will support eachother through what will probably be the hardest/yet most rewarding two years of our lives.

The Nigerien Pre service training staff: Oh my god...you have never met a better organization than these people...from the maintainance staff to the Director(Tondi) they are all the most friendly and loving people you will ever meet. I'm not sure why I was suprised to see that it was Nigeriens who taught us about Nigieren cutural traditions and Nigieren Language...but I was..and it makes such perfect sense to have it be this way. The training staff conists of very well educated Nigerins who have such pride in their country that they want to help us help their country. It truly is a beautiful thing...because anyone of them could be working anywhere and they want to work with us.

Nigierns: I was to before i arrived hear that Nigierns were some of the nicest people on earth...and they are right..not only will they open their arms to you, a complete stranger, but they will feed you, cloth you, provide you with shelter...In addition to being the nicest people on earth they also happen to be the most positive. Niger is the hottest, and one of the poorest countries in the world, they have harsh weather, and poor food availabitlity and still with all these things working against them, they remain positve each day. You are required to greet each Nigerien you come in contact with..there are 4 main greetings depending on the time of day and a multitude of additional greetings available if you want to use them...and each response given is given in a positive light...for example..you ask each person how their tiredness is..and even if they just got back from a day of back breaking farming they will answer...i have no tiredness. It is this positivity that keeps Niger going!

So for 9 weeks i lived with a family...The Salou's...the Father was a farmer and a chair maker..he and his wife have probably 6 or 7 kids, four of which live in the house along with three grandchildren...I was named Ousmane after the 14 year old grandchild who was kind of appointed to me as my guide in Hamdallye, The city where we lived and trained. A typical day during training consisted of awaking to the sound of the donkey who lived right outside my 4 ft wall at about 330..then the rooster at sunrise along with the call of prayer...everyother day I would start out with a bucket bath which is literally a bucket of water that you take water from with a cup and pour it on yourself...its not half bad and a real water saver...my roommate and i would then go get breakfast which for me was a cup of instant coffee...a bag of yogurt and some sort of fried millet or flour (really hard to describe the food here)..we had cross culutre or language training from 830-12, lunch from 12-1, more training till 5 and then free time. Free time ranges from Tea Time...Hammock Time...COld soda time...cookie time...scrabble time...spades time...friends chilling time...washing underwear in a bucket time...volleyball time..book time...etc.

The first time i really realized I was in Africa i guess had to be when after a one week trial period in the village i will be living in for two years..it was time to come back to Maradi which is the regional capial...I was in my town..which i'll blog about after my first month living there...and I was waiting at 6 am for a bush taxi..which in my town is a 1950's chevy truck with the bed chopped off and a huge rack box put on the tail...I watched as they filled the back with bags of grain...and tied 40+ buckets to the side the truck...then people started climbing on and i thought to myself...oh i guess im taking the next one...just then i was signaled to bring me and my stuff over...they through my bag over the side rail and i climbed up to the top and through my legs over the side squished in with 20+ people...as we headed out on the dirt road for four hours we passed small village after village and as the bruises began to develp on my but...i realized..."holy shit,im in Niger"


My hands hurt so im going to go now - pictures should be coming shortly..as i sent a sim card home to mom and dad - i will add another post after the first month in my village...should be back around Halloween!!!!!

Lov to you All - Ousmane