So today is day four of fasting. Vraiment. For the entire day not eating a thing until after seven thirty or something like that, and eating throughout the night until five the next day. What the hell am I’m trying to do to myself. Well I’m fasting for two reasons. The first reason is because of curiosity to see if I have the willpower to do it. I had already decided before coming to Guinea and after learning of Muslim culture, I would attempt to try fasting during Ramadan. I must admit the first days were hard, because I felt light headed in the evenings and really tired. I kinda don’t want to do anything in the evenings, except countdown till seven thirty. The second reason as to why I’m fasting is more superficial than anything else. I need to cut back on my snaking in order to lose some weight and what a perfect opportunity because no one is going to offer me food if I tell them I’m fasting. I eat so much because everyone tries to feed me and then I go to visit my host mom and she’ll just cry or have a fit if I don’t eat.
I have been taking the opportunity to learn more about the culture this month and it’s been challenging. I had went to the mosque with my friend Binta and it was ok. It’s just that being in there was really awkward for me. You know, I felt really out of place but at the same time I felt really happy and less like a stranger for being invited to go to the mosque. Granted, I have no clue what is going on and what is being said, I still felt more connected to the people here.
My other cultural experience; I learned the purification process. One of my friends had the Coran in French and Arabic so I asked them if I could read a little. But before I could read I had to bathe pretty much. I read a little bit the first fifteen pages or so. It would have been ok if it was in English. But because it was in French I was having a hard time looking up every fifth word to translate what was going on. I spent about an hour reading, or at least until I started to feel sick and laid down. I started reading the first book, the horse, I think it was and the prayer that they use. I’ve always wondered what in the world they were saying in Arabic and now I know and it’s not too different from what I know.
And finally adjusting to the fasting. So the first day I did it, I didn’t wake up in the morning to eat, I just waited till nighttime which was really ridiculous of me cause I hadn’t ate or drank for twenty-four hours. When I came into Labe I stayed with a family who helped me adjust to the fasting. By means of waking me up at four in the morning to eat bread and tea and drink some water. Which I think makes the big difference and then ate night we end the fasting with bouille which is like a porridge type dish and then of course eat rice and sauce. Last night I had fried fish and French fries which was pretty good and went to sleep full. So I’m adjusting ok, mornings are ok, afternoons are eh, but come evenings I feel like I’m counting down the seconds.
I am happy that I am doing this because it takes a great deal of willpower and self control which I most certainly don’t have an abundance of. I’m not suggesting I spend the whole month fasting. I counted another three and a half weeks of this will probably drive me a little off the walls. However, generally people are very responsive and happy that I have taken such an interest in the culture to participate and learn more about their customs. So all in all I have found this experience highly rewarding and even though I’m only on day four, I can tell that continuing will only bring about more opportunities to learn more about my village, my host family and my friends here. But my personal goal is to at least do a week and I’m more than half way there.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A Best Worse Day in Guinea
Blog for September 6, 2008
My Best Worst Day in Africa.
And the month of Ramadan begins with everyone asking whether or not I’m fasting. I’m really glad to be at site sometimes but other times I have to question really, why do I put up with some of the nonsense.
So I have been working to complete a project that the volunteer before me had started which is to do renovations on an old elementary school to turn it into a health post. Which essentially is a very good idea because the village is in the middle of nowhere and is a pain in the butt for me to get to so it’d be very beneficial to put a health center there. So the community came to me because they wanted to continue this project. I think I wrote about this meeting before, there was so many people there and I explained to them yes ok I would like to help and told them what I needed; I needed an updated budget, a description of what renovations they wanted to make, and an action plan. There’s no possible way this could have misconstrued because I only spoke for about 3 minutes and after every sentence my counterpart as well as a village official translated into the local language. All I got was an updated budget, (which was outrageously nothing like the original.) So they gave me the updated budget and told me to print it and give them copies, I sat down and looked at it and asked them why they needed twice as many materials now, I asked for an action plan (which there I finally received), and I asked them whether they had a workforce or not. This was all at the end of July. I spent August typing up the proposal and such.
I’m sitting with my friend Ben (he is Guinean), where he actually actually works with proposals as his work and I went to him to discuss this. He asks me a bunch of questions and explained what I had already knew before hand didn’t make any sense. When I say that at first it was 600 bricks and now it’s 6000 bricks. I did ask this question and they explained they wanted to build a closure for the center. That’s fine because you have plenty of wild animals running around.
Two or three weeks later I’m still looking for the committee who so badly wants this health center. And they ask me whether I have turned in the proposal and I can’t. Its outrageous and doesn’t seem well thought out and I explain this and they just nod and say oh ok. (The big problem is that those who CAN help me either live in Labe or another big city and do not live in the village so I don’t see them everyday.)
So here is why I’m upset, I needed to have an agreement written in French including the summary of the project. I asked them to do this all well. Didn’t happen. So I started to do it, I had my host brother re-write it because my written French is child-like. He did it, but he lost it. I actually did see him do it, so I know he’s not lying. And so I started over and just honestly, didn’t want to s I asked Ben if he could help. He wrote it for me and reviewed the proposal I had written. He asked to see the building, so I met with him in my village to show him and his brother who is a mason. OK so we met and tried to come up with options as well as reasons why the community would suggest so much in materials if they weren’t constructing a new health center. As they were asking me whether they wanted to take off half the building, raise the roof, and add separating walls in such. Honestly I have no freakin clue what the health center should be like. My biggest point is that this health center is not for me, I’m not getting anything out of this health nor will I be seeing a doctor there. And frankly I don’t wanna go to a health center here, I’m terrified I will go there with a headache and they’ll cut off my left pinky toe. Vraiment!
So I started to cry because I don’t wanna spend thee rest of the two years planning this project that was already planned. There shouldn’t be any additional questions. But why is there now?
So after being upset I got back on my bike and started to go home and guess who I found, the president of the district. So I finally got to ask him all those interesting questions I had no answers to and his response was, “I don’t know.” I asked him who knew and he said the mason. (Most likely the mason is going to e someone outside of the community.) So I asked him if someone could given a written explanation of the renovations they’d like to do. He laughed at me. (seriously, he laughed!) He grabbed a stick and started to draw it out on the sand. He said he didn’t know what he wanted, just that he wanted a health post. I asked him why the materials had increased, he said that’s what they’d like when the financement comes. OK? No, not ok. So I explained to him wha the problem was and told him that the mason should not decide what to put in your community. Just like when you get furniture made, you get it to your liking, not someone you don’t know.
So after he finished drawing in the sand, and I finished (not yelling) calmly explaining how ridiculous it is that there is no plan as to what they what to do with the building, I went back home.
I stopped at the health center in the district’s center to talk to my counterpart. I explained to him that there is but only so much I can do by myself. If I’m helping to get financing for something, it needs to be reasonable and SOMEONE should know what they want done over there. That someone is not me. I think he’s gonna find someone to meet with me on Monday so we’ll see how that goes.
I hadn’t eaten since dinner last night with my family, which was around 8, so more than anything I was hungry when I got back. I drank some water and laid down and listened to some music to help relax.
So next I had tutoring, so I went to this girl’s house, Binta, and I helped her a little with English. We went over salutations, body parts and family members. It rained so heavy I had to stay until I think it was 8 or 9. We ate bouile (I think I spelled that right) and rice with peanut sauce. Yummy. Then I was invited to go to the mosque. I thought about it and said ok yeah why not. So we went through the cleaning process and I washed my hands and feet and such. After I put on shawl and we walked over. That was my first time in the mosque, I always walk by it but I never been in it and there nothing’s in it just prayer mats. LOL. So we did the evening prayer and it was ok, I felt kinda weird cause I didn’t understand any of it, only Allah and Thank you and such but everything else, I have no idea.
Afterward I went home to make something for my cat to eat. I thought about how upset I was earlier that morning. Coming from the health post on my bike I wanted to cry but I waited till I got home. It’s just funny now that I’m reading this. I can’t believe that something like that made me upset but it’s all the time here people are trying to get as much as they can. I understand that it is difficult, that’s why I’m here trying to help but it makes my job harder than it needs to be if you’re not being honest about your wants and your needs.
So more funny stories. Today I went into the city and I only could get a taxi to the entrance f town the rest I walked. So I was walking along, walking along minding my own business. These group of little kids are walking perpendicular toward me. I didn’t even look at them I just kept walking minding my own business. One kid says “Porto” (Porto is the word for American or more specifically white person.) but he says it as if he’s going to break out in song. I didn’t stop walking, I just turned my head and gave him the dirtiest look I could muster and he started crying. (ok, maybe I shouldn’t be laughing at my ability to make small children cry but he shouldn’t have said that.)
OH ok, a funny cultural thing I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before which is surprising. I was talking to my mother the other day and was talking about how my cat likes to rip apart toilet paper. And then about how I have to get my toilet paper in Conakry (the capitol) because people don’t use toilet paper here. And it’s true; people don’t use toilet paper here. They look at me funny when I walk to use the bathroom with a roll of paper in my hands. So what does one do? One uses the water method. Well, what’s the water method? You take your little tea kettle full of water and you take your LEFT HAND ONLY, and clean up after yourself with the water. (I DON’T DO THIS.) Tried it but it’s a funny feeling afterwards. I carry paper where ever I go and when I travel. Even when I leave my house in my village, I’ll roll up a couple of sheets hidden in my skirt. Eh, it’s a preference thing, some volunteers convert. I’m not one of them.
I wish I had other funny stories I know I do but I’m trying to think of them.
My other project that I seem to be alone on as well is this HIV/AIDS presentation at the night club in my village after the month of Ramadan when the night club reopens. So probably the first or second Saturday of October. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m trying to do this with my host brother, he said he wanted to but er, it’s a pain in the butt scheduling crap. You tell someone oh yeah I’ll be right back, wait for me, I won’t be long. Four or five hours will pass until this person returns. I kid you not! I wanted to go to the boutique the other night to charge my phone. I was at my host family’s house and the usually turn on the generator at like 9 I think. So around 9 I wanted to leave. And of course I was told to wait for Koto Boubacar which I don’t mind cause I don’t like walking alone at night. I waited, 30 minutes passed, I asked what he was doing and where he was. They told me that he was in his room and that he was coming. A little after eleven he comes back and goes to the prayer mat and prays. (How can I still be mad at this point?) After he does this, then and only then the family can eat. So I had to wait for that too and luckily, people eat pretty quickly around here. It’s hard to stay mad at Boubacar, he just wanted to pray.
Oh my goodness I need a vacation pronto! Well I have to wish my mom a happy birthday don’t I? In case I can’t call or something but most likely I’ll call.
My Best Worst Day in Africa.
And the month of Ramadan begins with everyone asking whether or not I’m fasting. I’m really glad to be at site sometimes but other times I have to question really, why do I put up with some of the nonsense.
So I have been working to complete a project that the volunteer before me had started which is to do renovations on an old elementary school to turn it into a health post. Which essentially is a very good idea because the village is in the middle of nowhere and is a pain in the butt for me to get to so it’d be very beneficial to put a health center there. So the community came to me because they wanted to continue this project. I think I wrote about this meeting before, there was so many people there and I explained to them yes ok I would like to help and told them what I needed; I needed an updated budget, a description of what renovations they wanted to make, and an action plan. There’s no possible way this could have misconstrued because I only spoke for about 3 minutes and after every sentence my counterpart as well as a village official translated into the local language. All I got was an updated budget, (which was outrageously nothing like the original.) So they gave me the updated budget and told me to print it and give them copies, I sat down and looked at it and asked them why they needed twice as many materials now, I asked for an action plan (which there I finally received), and I asked them whether they had a workforce or not. This was all at the end of July. I spent August typing up the proposal and such.
I’m sitting with my friend Ben (he is Guinean), where he actually actually works with proposals as his work and I went to him to discuss this. He asks me a bunch of questions and explained what I had already knew before hand didn’t make any sense. When I say that at first it was 600 bricks and now it’s 6000 bricks. I did ask this question and they explained they wanted to build a closure for the center. That’s fine because you have plenty of wild animals running around.
Two or three weeks later I’m still looking for the committee who so badly wants this health center. And they ask me whether I have turned in the proposal and I can’t. Its outrageous and doesn’t seem well thought out and I explain this and they just nod and say oh ok. (The big problem is that those who CAN help me either live in Labe or another big city and do not live in the village so I don’t see them everyday.)
So here is why I’m upset, I needed to have an agreement written in French including the summary of the project. I asked them to do this all well. Didn’t happen. So I started to do it, I had my host brother re-write it because my written French is child-like. He did it, but he lost it. I actually did see him do it, so I know he’s not lying. And so I started over and just honestly, didn’t want to s I asked Ben if he could help. He wrote it for me and reviewed the proposal I had written. He asked to see the building, so I met with him in my village to show him and his brother who is a mason. OK so we met and tried to come up with options as well as reasons why the community would suggest so much in materials if they weren’t constructing a new health center. As they were asking me whether they wanted to take off half the building, raise the roof, and add separating walls in such. Honestly I have no freakin clue what the health center should be like. My biggest point is that this health center is not for me, I’m not getting anything out of this health nor will I be seeing a doctor there. And frankly I don’t wanna go to a health center here, I’m terrified I will go there with a headache and they’ll cut off my left pinky toe. Vraiment!
So I started to cry because I don’t wanna spend thee rest of the two years planning this project that was already planned. There shouldn’t be any additional questions. But why is there now?
So after being upset I got back on my bike and started to go home and guess who I found, the president of the district. So I finally got to ask him all those interesting questions I had no answers to and his response was, “I don’t know.” I asked him who knew and he said the mason. (Most likely the mason is going to e someone outside of the community.) So I asked him if someone could given a written explanation of the renovations they’d like to do. He laughed at me. (seriously, he laughed!) He grabbed a stick and started to draw it out on the sand. He said he didn’t know what he wanted, just that he wanted a health post. I asked him why the materials had increased, he said that’s what they’d like when the financement comes. OK? No, not ok. So I explained to him wha the problem was and told him that the mason should not decide what to put in your community. Just like when you get furniture made, you get it to your liking, not someone you don’t know.
So after he finished drawing in the sand, and I finished (not yelling) calmly explaining how ridiculous it is that there is no plan as to what they what to do with the building, I went back home.
I stopped at the health center in the district’s center to talk to my counterpart. I explained to him that there is but only so much I can do by myself. If I’m helping to get financing for something, it needs to be reasonable and SOMEONE should know what they want done over there. That someone is not me. I think he’s gonna find someone to meet with me on Monday so we’ll see how that goes.
I hadn’t eaten since dinner last night with my family, which was around 8, so more than anything I was hungry when I got back. I drank some water and laid down and listened to some music to help relax.
So next I had tutoring, so I went to this girl’s house, Binta, and I helped her a little with English. We went over salutations, body parts and family members. It rained so heavy I had to stay until I think it was 8 or 9. We ate bouile (I think I spelled that right) and rice with peanut sauce. Yummy. Then I was invited to go to the mosque. I thought about it and said ok yeah why not. So we went through the cleaning process and I washed my hands and feet and such. After I put on shawl and we walked over. That was my first time in the mosque, I always walk by it but I never been in it and there nothing’s in it just prayer mats. LOL. So we did the evening prayer and it was ok, I felt kinda weird cause I didn’t understand any of it, only Allah and Thank you and such but everything else, I have no idea.
Afterward I went home to make something for my cat to eat. I thought about how upset I was earlier that morning. Coming from the health post on my bike I wanted to cry but I waited till I got home. It’s just funny now that I’m reading this. I can’t believe that something like that made me upset but it’s all the time here people are trying to get as much as they can. I understand that it is difficult, that’s why I’m here trying to help but it makes my job harder than it needs to be if you’re not being honest about your wants and your needs.
So more funny stories. Today I went into the city and I only could get a taxi to the entrance f town the rest I walked. So I was walking along, walking along minding my own business. These group of little kids are walking perpendicular toward me. I didn’t even look at them I just kept walking minding my own business. One kid says “Porto” (Porto is the word for American or more specifically white person.) but he says it as if he’s going to break out in song. I didn’t stop walking, I just turned my head and gave him the dirtiest look I could muster and he started crying. (ok, maybe I shouldn’t be laughing at my ability to make small children cry but he shouldn’t have said that.)
OH ok, a funny cultural thing I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before which is surprising. I was talking to my mother the other day and was talking about how my cat likes to rip apart toilet paper. And then about how I have to get my toilet paper in Conakry (the capitol) because people don’t use toilet paper here. And it’s true; people don’t use toilet paper here. They look at me funny when I walk to use the bathroom with a roll of paper in my hands. So what does one do? One uses the water method. Well, what’s the water method? You take your little tea kettle full of water and you take your LEFT HAND ONLY, and clean up after yourself with the water. (I DON’T DO THIS.) Tried it but it’s a funny feeling afterwards. I carry paper where ever I go and when I travel. Even when I leave my house in my village, I’ll roll up a couple of sheets hidden in my skirt. Eh, it’s a preference thing, some volunteers convert. I’m not one of them.
I wish I had other funny stories I know I do but I’m trying to think of them.
My other project that I seem to be alone on as well is this HIV/AIDS presentation at the night club in my village after the month of Ramadan when the night club reopens. So probably the first or second Saturday of October. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m trying to do this with my host brother, he said he wanted to but er, it’s a pain in the butt scheduling crap. You tell someone oh yeah I’ll be right back, wait for me, I won’t be long. Four or five hours will pass until this person returns. I kid you not! I wanted to go to the boutique the other night to charge my phone. I was at my host family’s house and the usually turn on the generator at like 9 I think. So around 9 I wanted to leave. And of course I was told to wait for Koto Boubacar which I don’t mind cause I don’t like walking alone at night. I waited, 30 minutes passed, I asked what he was doing and where he was. They told me that he was in his room and that he was coming. A little after eleven he comes back and goes to the prayer mat and prays. (How can I still be mad at this point?) After he does this, then and only then the family can eat. So I had to wait for that too and luckily, people eat pretty quickly around here. It’s hard to stay mad at Boubacar, he just wanted to pray.
Oh my goodness I need a vacation pronto! Well I have to wish my mom a happy birthday don’t I? In case I can’t call or something but most likely I’ll call.
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