Bank, Kaiyan, Coal-Pot

July 30th, 2011

Bank, Kaiyan, Coal-Pot

Today was an experience to say the least. One of those days where you better laugh, because if you don’t you’ll start to cry. A real test of patience. Don’t worry, I passed :)

It began with a trip to the bank. After being accustomed to an American bank, this seemed to be extremely inefficient- but that’s why it’s called ‘developing,’ right? 

The bank is full of people, some there actually to deposit/withdraw money and others just there to enjoy the air conditioned space. There are two different lines. The first line, the Inquiry line, is to get the bank slip. That took about 30 minutes. Then you move to another Cashier line for an hour or two. People are cutting, pushing and even trying to see how much money is written on your account slip. The b.o. of this crowd seemed to be seeping through the vents. After getting the money, I withdrew a million Leones, you have to scoot aside, hold tight to your wads of bills and look out for shady characters. Then, it’s your own responsibility to find some space in the crowd to count the money and being one of the only white people in the building, I already stick out, but literally every set of eyes is on that money. I felt like I was walking through a soup kitchen flaunting a six course meal. Locals were practically salivating. Awkward.

To make things better, the cashier gave me less than I withdrew (Le 4,000 which isn’t much). I pushed my way to the front of the line, told the cashier, and without questioning, he gave it to me... very weird, unless he knew and was seeing if I’d count.

Girl in the market with cassava, potato, sawa-sawa or kren-kren leaves on her head.

After the bank, it was off to making Kaiyan. Kaiyan is this peanut butter cookie like thing made of ground rice, sugar, peanut and a tad of salt. We walked around the market with the lady who would be helping us make it for a bit. Flip flops were a bad idea today. All last night it had rained, and there were sick, unavoidable puddles of who knows what everywhere. Texas Sam, Kenley, Tammie and I followed the Kaiyan lady through the back alleys of the market getting the ingredients to fill our little buckets. 

Walking around the market.

Market 

I ran into a man pushing a wheel barrel like contraption full of palm oil gallons after hoping over a drainage river which was pretty funny but I think I will have a pretty big bruise on my leg.

Jumping the baby river.

After finishing making the Kaiyan, well, more like after the ladies finished making it, we stopped to buy our coal pots. Kenley’s kindness and great ability to speak Krio was the reason we got the spoons included. Getting the thing home was an experience, I think I gained a lot of respect from my neighbors. I walked all the way home with it on my head, like the locals. I now know why they do that. One, it is easier going long distances; two, your arms simply are not strong enough and three, it is awkward walking with something in your arms like that. Another item checked off my shopping list. 

Waiting for the Kaiyan to be done, helping a bit.

Only two weeks till I move to Futa! I am so excited!

Oh and on a side note, every time I show anyone (local) a picture of MyLeigh, their response is "Ah, she's so hairy." I laugh every time.

Shopping

July 29th, 2011

House Shopping!

Since we are no longer going to Freetown this weekend, we are expected to start the furnishing process for our new houses. Some volunteers lucked out and their houses were from previous volunteers or the community had already furnished it for them. Tammie, Kenley and I had no such luck, so we set out for the market yesterday, today (when it stops raining), and maybe even some shopping tomorrow as well. Yesterday we were pretty successful. It is something you don’t really want to do, but know you have to so it is better just to get it done quick. Plus all the bargaining you have to do with the vendors gets old, especially if they are mean. Here is my shopping list:

• Candles
• Coal Pot
• Wash Board
• Cooking Pots
• Shower Bucket
• Thermos
• Curtains
• Big utensils to cook with 
• Tupperware pots
• Cups/mugs for coffee/tea
• Glass plate
• Tubs with locking lids
• Brooking tubs
• Nails and cord
• Broom and dust pan
• Scrub brush
• Colander
• Mat/rug
• Plastic Chairs
• Chinese lights
• Rags/sponge
• Shower basket
• Giant plastic plate

Some of my purchases (packed some away)

It’s great cause in my village, there isn’t any of this stuff. Plus, if I stock up now, Peace Corps is dropping us right off at site, so I do not have to worry about my stuff getting broken/stolen and I do not 

Summer School Week 2

July 28th, 2011

Summer School Week 2

Just some highlights on this week of teaching:

• New kids showed up on Monday... “Um, Hi. You have missed a week and we have a week left, so there is no chance you can get a good grade. Where were you last week?” The excuses blew my mind:
• “Getting cold wata, Ma.”
• “I hurt my finga, Miss Kenna.”
• “I don’t know.”

Some of my JSS 3 kids

• I walked into the second session of my JSS 1 class to find a small boy (8-9), Augustine, balling. “What’s wrong,” I asked, and he could barely speak. I took him outside the room and had Dan take my time slot so I could figure out what happened. Here was our conversation:

“Alright, settle down so you can tell me what the matter is. Take some deep breaths.”

“They are going to flog me afta class, Ma. At break they molested my knee (he meant to say kick, I had him demonstrate) and hit me here and here,” he keeps crying and trying to catch his breath.

“Why are they trying to hurt you?”

“They think I say tha The Church of God is useful!” and he starts crying even harder and I am trying not to crack a smile.

“Ok, well do you think that The Church of God is useless? Is that true?”

“Ohhh NOOO, Miss Kenna. I GO to The Church of God. I neva say dat. Neva! Dey lie dey lie!”

“Ok well let’s tell these people this so there is no misunderstanding. What does this kid look like, and I will pull him out of class so we can all figure things out.” He was settling down down.

“She’s black,” he said to me with the straightest face, totally expecting me to go and get the right girl from my class of 90 kids.

“Ok, well that eliminates Mr. Keller and Mr. Lee,” I said expecting him to get the humor, but it ended up being a joke for myself.

In the end I found the girl from the class, and it was a misunderstanding.

Aymahhida, the Muslim school where I am teaching for these two weeks. Take note this school is about 100 times nicer than the school in my village.

• Another volunteer, who is teaching SSS level, higher than JSS 3, so like high school, told me that during class, a girl lifted her top and rested it above her boobs, and was just chillin there (it is really hot during the day, and that’s most likely the reason she was doing that). No one else seemed to even notice or care and he felt very awkward and finally told her to “Please pull your top back down,” and the other kids started laughing. Can you even imagine some one doing that in the States?!

The view opposite the school, Mena Hill

New Fambul Dem

July 27th 2011,

New Fambul Dem (Family)

So, disappointedly, we will not be traveling to the Embassy in Freetown this weekend. Probably for the better because there is some political rally going on and it “could be unsafe,” according to our safety coordinator, Alaka. He is great. Looks like next weekend will be our big trip. I’m excited with a sprinkling of nervous; we have to get back by ourselves and the transportation system (if it can be called a ‘system’) is very... unpredictable. I’ve found that to not worry, you have to look at the situation like, “I know I will get to where I am going, but I am not sure how...or when...” That mindset is becoming more familiar to my American engraved way of thinking, it is very strange.

In other news, I moved in with a new family. If you want some explanation here, write me a letter and I will be more than happy to go into details, but I have exhausted this story and don’t feel like writing it again :) Yes, it is going to be awkward starting practically from the beginning, and getting to know a new family, but I am really trying to make the best of it. Kono is really confused as to where his home is, he follows me around even more than before now. Poor lil guy. 

Here’s the new house.

There is a mom, a dad (rarely home), and then their two nephews who are living with them for the summer attending school. The boys are about 12 (Michael) and 16 (Ibrahim, who’s on the porch in the picture). And here is the best part- the family speaks Mende, the language I am learning, (Southern part of Sierra Leone dialect) so they are helping me greatly with that. I need all the help I can get. 

Kono and I on the veranda of the new house.

The mom and dad have five daughters who live in Freetown and are going to school. The dad seems like he is a pretty smart guy. One daughter, Aminata was in town the other day and she told me that when they were very young, their dad engraved into their heads the importance of education and not getting married until they have finished University. That was great to hear because many of the girls here have to drop out due to marriage or becoming pregnant. Aminata went on to tell me that even the youngest sister, Nancy, who is only seven, knows that school is her number one priority. 

Some funny things thus far about my new family:

• The girls, when visiting from Freetown, try to get me to ‘bluff,’ (no English translation but the closest would be ‘bling bling’ or showoff) by drawing a uni-brow with black pencil on. They all make a little widow peak-like point connecting their eyebrows as well as making beauty marks around their mouths and glitter on their eyebrows... no thanks.
• The mom first tried to convince me to take her to America with me so that she can cook on the coal-pot and brook my laundry. When I told her we have machines that do both of those things and that I already have a mom, she tried to pawn off Nancy on me... no thanks.
• I was again gifted Costco sized jar of mayo and spoon, really?! I am not eating mayo in secret, swear... no thanks.
• A neighbor stopped by and asked if her nursing baby, I’m not sure how old, could nurse from me... no thanks.

Albert Louis and Test Day

Albert Louis and Test Day

7-22-11

A 14 year old boy in my first class named Louis brings me a gift everyday during break. First, it was a bunch of pink flowers that he had to climb a thorn tree to get. Its turned into little snacks that vendors sell around the school compound. I think he has a little crush on me, haha.

Friday for both classes was test day. For the class of 16 kids, I wrote out individual tests for each student and each student got their own desk. I made sure that each student knew if there was any ‘spying,’ (cheating) that they would be removed and their test would be ripped up, no first warning. I had no cheaters, so I know that threat works. 

The 90 plus, four to a desk classroom full of pre-teens on the other hand was chaos. I knew it would be before even entering the room. The other two teachers who I divide session time with, Dan (science) and Damien (english) decided to collect all the students notebooks, so there would be no spying. We all realized that was a horrid idea once we had 4 foot stacks of notebooks, newspapers, bags of rulers, backpacks, trash, coins and some food in a corner at the front of the room. Passing it back was even worse. I doubt any of us will try collecting anything from a class that size again. Good lesson. 

One girl was crying the entire class because her notebook was stolen by another student. I bribed the class, by saying “Who ever finds a red notebook with the name ‘Mariatu’ on the front will get a piece of candy,” no on raised their hand, but I had all their attention, “Or any one who point to who they think may have the notebook...?” Still no response so I’m planning on buying her a new notebook and recopy all the notes for her, it’s cute because she was more concerned about not having the notes than the actual notebook and its cost. 

During each other’s tests’, we all proctored spying. Dan is definitely the toughest out of us three, he kick out about 7 kids. Damien is too nice to kick any one out and I threw out some girls who were fighting and pulling each others hair. 

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to an amazing couple of people, Mom and Dad- I love you so much, thank you for always being there for me. 

And to Cadance Alice! Happy Birthday- I know you celebrated big! xoxo

Sorry I missed your special day! Love you all!

Mail!

Mail Day

7-21-11

Thank you Mor and Far for the package! I received it today and it made my day. I loved everything in there- the candy, gifts for host family, mirrors (x3 haha), lemon pepper ( I already had some with breakfast) and the creepy note that said “This box was washed in the blood of Jesus,” made my entire language class laugh. 

Kono is getting bigger everyday, mainly, due to the fact that he is suppose to be drinking solely milk powder and water, and since I don’t like mixing that, I give him meat, sauce and rice. Everyone at the training center adores him, volunteers and Sierra Leonean Staff, he has became like the center dog. 

I am pretty sure coffee is going to be included in the next package from my parents and I am so excited. Here they have this coffee imitator called NesCafe. I need about 10 packages to make a cup to the potency I like. Even then, it still tastes watery. If there was a Starbucks here I would be in heaven!

Summer School

Summer School- Week One

07-20-11

Only three weeks of training left! YAY!

I began summer school on Monday at a school Muslim school called Ahmadiyya. I teach two English sessions each day for two very different classes. The first class is a JSS 3 class, and the largest attendance I’ve had was about 16 students, all around the age of 14. They are surprisingly smart and have great behavior. Summer school here is different than in America, though, it isn’t for kids who did poorly during actual school. The kids in summer school here are trying to get ahead, they have to pay to be in class, so they somewhat ‘want’ to be there; plus, it is also a way for the teachers to make some extra cash (we get no money). On the other end of the spectrum is my second class JSS 1. Monday it was 30 students, Tuesday 63 and the rest of the week 94. Yes, 94 crazy kiddos between the ages 9-17 all squished together, 4 to a desk. 

I knew I was in for a good time when I introduced myself, asked for a student to do the same and he told me he lives in a pineapple. I can’t decide if he’s been watching too much Spongebob, or he meant to say something else...?

I realized it takes too much energy to yell and speak over them so what I started to do is just kick them out, they understood I was serious then.

I am learning a lot, even if my giant class learns one thing from me, I will be happy. Lesson planning is fun, the kids love when I bring in props, so I have been bringing in cut-out pictures and a clothes line with shirts to go over descriptive adjectives and comparing and contrasting. I also know that when I get to site, I have to start by being very strict, and later on be more myself. Some volunteers started out being ‘soft,’ and the class knows that they are the ones in control.

Visit to Futa

July 15th, 2011

Visit to Futa

I made it through the weekend alone in my village. What an experience! It took about seven and a half hours, via poda-poda, to get to my village and 33,000 Le. Not bad overall.

Riding in a poda-poda is an adventure in itself. I had the ‘pleasure’ of sitting shotgun, along with two other people of course, and noticed all kinds of things that one of the 26 back-seaters and roof-riders may not notice.

1.) No speedometer works, whether the vehicle is rolling along at 60 mph or in park, you are at zero miles per hour. 

2.) Hammers on board are a must. You never know when the tires, underneath the van or under the hood needs a couple good bangs.

3.) The red warning lights (engine problem, low fuel ect.) are always on.

4.) Ceiling cave-in, means there is either passengers, baggage, goats, logs, rice bags or a combination of them all on the roof. I would look upwards out the window and count the hanging feet.

5.) Feet tickling is usually a chicken on the ground, not a person playing footsie.

6.) Stops (which happen often) are great if you are hungry. An arm out the window will get some sort of goody (fruit, bread, doughnuts, ice-cream, soda).

 I  am so excited to move out of Makeni on August 14th and into my own house. I snapped some quick pictures of my house but didn’t want to keep my camera out too long because all the kids and their parents think I must have an individual picture of each of them.

Keep in mind the house is not completely done yet, and I will be taking more pictures, and posting them hopefully when I return. So thats the front of my new house, complete with bamboo fencing around the entire thing. Changes that are still in progress, shortening of the front fence entrance area, cementing, and highering the front porch wall, painting the entire house (surprise on the color) and some security bars on the windows. 

The picture of the smaller dirt hut thing, is around back and is my bathroom and showering area. That will be cemented, given a door and completely fenced in when I return as well. I am very glad that the toilet area is outside. Less cockroaches and creepy crawlers inside :)

The house has 3 rooms and a parlor area. Each room has an individual door lock and a screened, locking, security barred window (happy Dad? haha).

With all my yard space, I am planning on planting a garden, and Aminata (host mom) has already furnished me with animals for a small farm. Thus far, I have a nameless, white, egg laying chicken and a pup named Kono, despite Aminata begging me to name him Little Lion Friend. He is for protection... which he is not very good at currently, but I have faith in him :)

Some other interesting events that took place while I was in Futa...

• I had about 7 marriage proposals, some men already had 3-4 wives, but it was ok cause the wives were “ok” with me joining the pack and then one of the secret and very discrete, “I want to sleep with you” hand shakes from a 70 year old man... sickness. So I told my town I was married, and no, I do not need an African husband as well haha.

• I met the town elders along with the oldest man in the village. Take a guess on his age... 200 years old. Yup, 200 big ones. I told him congratulations on turning 200 as he walked me out the door, where I then met a 250 year old woman (also able bodied and walking around). Then, I was told that they live so long, unlike, Americans because they take better care of themselves.

• Around dinner time, I was given rice and some sort of red soup, ate what I could, including a very small chicken leg looking thing and pushed the rest of the ‘meat’ to the side, thinking someone will surely eat it later on. Nope, it was my reheated breakfast. I know because I couldn’t forget the circle chunk with tubes popping out of it. Once I saw breakfast I quickly asked a town leader to join me in eating. I for sure thought he’d save me by eating the mystery meat. He served us up, put the two chunks in front of my portion of the plate and said:

“Eat.”

“Oh, no thanks, you are more than welcome to have the meat, go ahead.”

“Eat. Now.”

I poked the first chunk with my spoon and yellow, play-dough texture mush squeezed out. I ate half and hide the other under the rice when he looked away. Then the next one I got in my mouth, trying not to think about what it could be. I couldn’t even bite through the piece make it smaller to swallow. Plus he was watching me, full attention now, so there would be no tossing over my shoulder. The man then says:

“It is customary for the person the animal was killed for to eat the stomach and heart of the animal.”

“Oh wow, and what animal would that be?” I mumbled as I slid the chunk to my cheek.

“Bush rat.”

Great, I thought- now, knowing this I have to get the heart of a disgusting rodent down my throat. All I could think about as I kept trying to break it into smaller pieces was science class and learning about the sections of a heart. I kept chewing, was getting no where, heard a click noise and felt a snap against my teeth and pictured me chomping down on an aorta. That was enough for me, I swallowed the entire thing and held back gags.

Later on, that chicken leg from the night before came to mind... for sure had to be a rat leg. 

I start teaching summer school Monday and am very much looking forward to that! 

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Fourth of July!

Today we had a cultural fair with the Sierra Leonans. Made food, some people tie-died lappa skirts and African drummers played throughout the day:) Hope everyone has a great day!

To all of the Peterson’s celebrating in Durango, having great food and watching the fireworks, I miss you lots and wish I could be there! Love you!

Here are a couple pictures from today’s festivities, the weekend field-trip coming soon is a video of one of my teachers, Ben. He is hilarious and for sure my favorite. Most the time I cannot understand him and have no idea what he is talking about. In the video, I ask him about “Water Mummies,” a superstition and actual belief  of many of the people here. From what I understand, they are like mermaids or siren’s, but an evil kind (like in the new Pirates of the Caribbean), that capture people, especially whites, when they go swimming. He always warns me to stay away from water because they will like me for my white skin and golden hair. 

Rachel and I canoeing at the wildlife reserve.

Tammie and I at the cultural fair, today.

Mark and I in front of the Lappa dyers.

Ivy and I at the Otamba National Park.

Site Info

6-30-11

SITE INFO

So, found out where my site is going to be! A town called Futa Pejeh. Population est. 1,000 or less. School name, Pejeh JSS (middle school age, mixed- boys and girls), government assisted school, 157 for roll. Distance from Pujehun (big town) 25 miles. 1hr away from closest PCV. Language I will now be learning is Mende. My house there is ready, phew! Transportation is “okay” but road may be “challenging,” I have no clue what that means. Cell service “spotty.”

I get to visit end of next week, and cannot wait! So exciting!

With that said, anyone is welcome to call me. Skype is the cheapest (that I have found) .43 cents per minute. My number here is +232078988672. Don’t forget the plus sign.

Some of the 'delish' food... I wouldn't even feed this to MyLeigh.

Lately

6-30-11

Lately

Here are some quick updates and funny things that have been happening lately:

• I set up my ‘bug hut,’ in my room, atop my bed. Good luck trying to get me now rats.

My room

• One rat was brave enough to come out during the daylight. I was looking out the window when it scurried down the screen, right in front of my face! Instinctively, I jumped up onto my tarp bed, took a single jump to the door and got out of my infested room. Prince was cracking up. But hey, I didn’t even scream. 

• Aminata gifted me two Costco sized jars of Mayo. I hate Mayo. Gave me a spoon and told me I can keep them in my room... so she thinks Americans just eat Mayo like it’s frozen yogurt?

Aminata cooking/washing dishes (everyone is always topless, she at least wears a bra) Jesse the dog is in the corner.

• We all went on a field trip to some animal reserve. The 2 hour poda-poda ride turned into a 6hr. ride there, an hour and a half picnic, and a 6hr. ride home. It was a fun bonding experience with the other PCV’s, but a lonnnnggg day for sure. It didn’t make anything better when the only animal we saw was a hippo footprint. HAHA

On the way to the nature reserve

• I had a cold Diet Coke the other day at the only American-ish place in Makeni called Clubhouse, and felt like I was going to pass out- it was very strange. First ‘cold’ thing I have had in awhile.

• At night I pee in a bucket in my room, it has a lid, because the doors are locked and no one goes outside. 

• Someone knocked on my window at about 6am, totally creeped me out. Turns out it was a pregnant lady’s husband- she was going into labor. Aminata is the area nurse.

• I came home from training and saw a pregnant looking woman sitting on the living room couch wearing only a lappa (cloth that they use as a skirt/wrap), that did not shock me cause no women wear tops here, but the big gash in her stomach and oozing blood caught my eye. Turns out her c-section stitches had came out. Aminata was sewing her back up. I am not sitting on the couch again.

• I was the assistant in preforming a circumcision to a 22yr. old baby boy. I was holing clamps, legs, flashlights (it was very dark, sounds safe, I know.), and keeping a finger in the baby’s mouth that he could suck on. Pieces of skin were flung everywhere, as was blood, iodine and pee. Again, never sitting on the family room couch. 

• Had my first experience teaching in front of a class full ok kiddos and loved it!

Me, walking to training

• Packages have came, so I am excited they are actually getting to Makeni! Send me letters :)

• Everyone is amazed by my Crest SpinBrush. Think I am magic. 

• Kids and women love feeling my arms and my hair. Tell me I am “slippery” and “fluffy.” Last week, I asked a neighbor for two french braids and came out looking like Medusa (can’t be positive since I have no mirror) with 30 loose braids all over my head.