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29 Mom - Dad - Eric - Happy late birthday, Mom J. My second night back in the village and I'm wiped out. I need to be able to say hi to everyone first… Adja, you came back last night. It's already 8am. Why haven't you come by to say hi yet?! Then comes the "what did you bring me" questions. It's going to be so hard to give away all this stuff. I'm not sure yet how to do it. I might as well accept the fact that there will be people coming up to me for the next 6 months asking me why I didn't bring them anything. Oh well. Can't please 'em all. Your mouton got hit by a badjan, by the way. The king came to my house, asked for Kouame then left. He came back with Kouame saying they had bad news. My heart sank. Then they said the mouton died. That's it?! They said they "sold" the meat, but only gave me 2,000 CFA. I was kinda surprised they gave me anything, actually. Big moutons like that run ~ 25,000 or more, I think. Anyway, no matter. You know that trip from Bondoukou to Ganse that took us 3 hours? Well, it took Kouame & me nine. It was so ridiculous. Whatever. I'm here. Safe. Fat. And happy. Everyone's telling me I "bien grossied". They all think I went home to the States. I was gone long enough. I met the 2 French people. They are really nice. The guy speaks perfect English. His Mom is American but he grew up in France. They are here through Easter, I think. I've decorated my house… I'm all ready for Santa to come J. I gotta tell you, it was so nice to see you guys. And everyone keeps asking about you & your trip. You've gotten lots of compliments from the other PCVs - I've got the coolest funnest (yes, that's a word in my book) family! They were especially impressed that you had a good time even though you came without bags. I'm listening to my CD player a lot. Thank you so much, Eric. I can't believe I've done without the Getaway People for this long! My house is so dusty. It's so dry up here. My clothes dry in an hour on the line. It's almost like having a drier! Only my washing machine still sucks. I went and saw Kouakou this afternoon. He said he has forgotten all his English. He also told me that 5 "acres" (100m x 100m) of his cashew fields burned because a fire got out of control. That's really serious. It was already starting to give the fruit. He's had the fields for 8 years…& now he's back to day one. And they won't give for several years. I feel really bad for him. They work so hard and then something like this happens. They don't offer natural disaster insurance here. Lass & I went to check out the garden this afternoon. We're starting tomorrow to clear it out. We were supposed to go get some honey tonight, but they bailed on me. They go rob the combs late evening, early night. The honey here is so good. Maybe tomorrow. I've been going non-stop since I got back. And it's not going to slow down until I leave again. It's weird here without Koffi. I'll get used to it, but I'm realizing how much I depended on him being there. Not that I can't do things by myself, it's just that I can't talk to other people like I can him. I don't trust them like I do Koffi. I'm back to day one where I enjoy myself & other people's company, but I still take it all in & handle it alone. I think it's best that way…but not forever. I couldn't stay isolated like this for years & years. A sense of belonging is huge for the morale. Well, I've talked your ears off enough. I'm going to bed. I love you so much and I can't wait to talk to you again. I gave the Frisbee to Lass & they were all trying to throw it! It was very amusing. Some of them had done it before, but others clearly had not. I gave a bunch of stuff to Jean, the school director - stapler, staples, tape, rubber bands, maps, American flag… He was beside himself. I told him it was to teach the kids… We'll see if he shares. Oh yeah - I had a meeting to talk about the $$$ that you know who gave (didn't know if they'd want it online J)… I bought the pump piece & with the rest of the $, they want to put latrines in the whole village! There will be 2 at the school. Then they've split the rest up into families. Each family (there are 4 main ones) will get 2 latrines - "little boy's room" & "little girl's room" J. Then 4 for the other Ganse! They seemed pretty excited & were VERY grateful. They said they wished they would come over here so they could properly thank them. If you talk to them, tell them this - I wrote to them but before I came back to the village. I'm eating my "birthday dinner" Grandma sent me. It is so good! And easy! In case I forget to ask you on the phone… Dad, do you need anything for my income tax? I got something from PC but didn't know what you needed. Oh, & Mom - that cheese you brought…it is the same thing (same brand), but it tastes much better. Don't know why it would be different. My appotam is serving me well right now… I sent the kids out there with crayons & a coloring book. I told them they can come whenever they want as long as they don't steal my crayons. I need to get another table to put out there. Well, Kouakou is about to come over to study so I'll be back later. Oh, I almost forgot - I started getting the garden ready. So, I'll be planting in a couple days. All I'm planting now are tomatoes, green beans, onions & lettuce. The bugs will destroy them if I plant it all. I love you… I got up to run this morning & it was so cold! I know that's hard to believe. It's kinda nice, tough, to feel cold for a change. It's just weird that it 's hot as a butt during the day & freezing at night. Well, not freezing, but definitely cold. So, I'm drinking hot, non-instant coffee & a big bowl of grits. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's Saturday on Echo Mill Drive. I started giving the gifts away. I told Adja-Ibiro, Ama-Dungo & another Adja (they are my favorites) to come over & I gave them each a lipstick, earrings & a scarf. Oh, and a picture album. So Badoo saw them & keeps saying "give me this & give me that". I gave her nail polish, a sipping cup for Kouadio & a picture album. But she keeps asking me. She said "Niki, why didn't you bring me bread?" I told her because I had too many bags & it would get crushed. She got all pissy because I didn't bring her any. Often, I want to give her something. But when she demands things, it makes me mad. Especially when I've already given her tons. I'll be happy when all the gifts are gone. Then when people ask I can say sorry…all gone J. Well, I'm off to the garden. Enjoy the A/C for me J. I miss you! The coloring books are a HUGE hit…for all ages. I made a rule that they can color whenever they want if they don't steal the crayons. Oh yeah, there are 5 white people in Ganse! There are 3 French people - but one is leaving tomorrow - and Jon Nyswonger came up to check out my village! The French guy is really nice & speaks English. I'm gonna try to go with them to watch baboons. Tonight, Jon & I are going to Ganse to eat dinner. I gave them (Ama's family) a bunch of stuff that you sent. They said thank you very much. And, Dad, when I repeat myself in my letters, you don't have to write it twice J. I can't remember what I already wrote. I can never remember what I already wrote J. The kids love the water gun too. When they stand at my door, I nail 'em with it. They all run & laugh…then come back for more. I mopped my floor today. FINALLY! It was so gross. Today is just a lazy day. Jon left this morning; Ganse is playing Zamoe (another village) in soccer this afternoon & Senegal is playing Cameroon. So I'm writing letters & sleeping J. Oh yeah - a few days ago, the wife of a friend of mine gave birth. It was her 3rd pregnancy - first 2 kids died. She had problems with both deliveries. Yet, on her 3rd, she stayed here. She delivered & the baby was fine. But her placenta didn't drop. That's what they said. Anyway, apparently, it's pretty serious. But they still waited to go to the hospital. They finally sent for the nurse in Kakpin (16km away). He came & said she's in bad shape. Get her to a hospital. Oh, wait. We're IN THE STICKS. There's no car. They didn't go to the hospital to have the baby because they didn't have the 10,000 CFA it would cost (~$115). So, now it's going to cost them 60,000 plus of money they don't have. So, finally they went into the park & got the Germans, who have a car, & took her to the hospital. Peace Corps tells us not to give $, but a friend's wife might die because of child birth if I don't help. It's so sad that this has to happen. If there's not a PCV here, they're screwed. This is how bad this place is. They took her to Dabakala (~1 ½ hours away, where the missionary family is) to have the operation. But they couldn't find the surgeon. Beep him. Call his cell phone. He's probably on call, right?!?! So they had to take her to Katiola, ~ 3-4 hours away. They still haven't gotten back. So, I don't know how she is doing. Kouakou had gone with them & he came back last night. So, I'll find out. The longer I'm here, the more I'm sad for these people. They are a relatively happy lot, but there's not much I can do to help them. So, I'm gonna go color with the kids so I can think happy thoughts again J. We had a meeting this morning at the King's house. The whole village was there. They told me there are 4 families here, so I split up the gifts into 4 bags. I'm letting them fight over the goods. They were so excited & thanked you profusely. They loved the scarves & also the shirts. All those $1 hats were a success too. Thank you so much for doing that Mom & Dad. Even though they are pains in the butt & ask for gifts all the time, deep down I know they really appreciate it in their own way. We also presented to the village our "news" from Bondoukou. They were all eager to get started on doing AIDS sensibilizations. They want to go to the surrounding villages too, which was all their idea. That's great they're so motivated. We'll see if it actually happens. I'm sitting in my house enjoying a "cup-o-soup" that Dave & Columba sent me. I got your first letter, Mom, & one from Maw Maw too. It really is so nice to hear from you. I don't feel like I'm missing everything. Glad to hear you're feeling better, both of you. Was Eric sick too? Sorry J. My immune system is definitely a notch or 2 lower all the time here. Having all this good food you left helps. But I've got tons. So, just write me J. I didn't even bring it all up. I still have some in Abidjan. My Christmas decorations look great! They all think the tree is a little weird. But who cares. I think I'll go sleep a little. I miss you so much. I can't wait to talk to you again. I forgot yesterday was Mardi Gras. Did you have fun in Mobile? Don't suppose you saved any moon pies for me?! Went to church this morning. They do ashes here too. It's funny to listen to the Catholics & the Muslims. They fight over who has the tougher fast. The Muslims don't eat or drink. They don't even swallow their spit. When I ask what the Catholics do here, if it's like the Muslims, they get all defensive & try to justify why it's not as "hard core" as the Muslims. I think they're all missing the reason behind the fast, but who am I to say. They've got nothing else to do but argue over. That wet-n-wild nail polish is awesome! I painted my toenails & it lasted for 2 weeks! The King's wife "stole" it from me though J. They love nail polish & lipstick here. I'm gonna go cut some AIDS ribbons. I'll see you later!
I just heard on BBC that Waylon Jennings died. He's on my music request list for Eric. Well Happy Valentine's Day! I remember when I was little & we came downstairs for breakfast, you'd give us red hots or candy hearts for Valentine's Day. It wasn't a lot but apparently it made an impression. That or I just remember when you gave us candy J. I'm using the pens you bought. I kept a few for me & am giving away the rest. This black one is awesome. I LOVE fine point. Yesterday was the epitome of what makes me crazy here…MEETINGS! You thought they were bad in the States. Not only are they pointless & say the same thing over & over for an hour or so…they start AT LEAST an hour late. If it's during the day, fine. But when it's my bed time, find another broni. They insist I be there yet do the entire thing in Koulango, then do a 3 minute translation at the end. Grin & bear it. They love "official" business here…official meetings, people, reports… But when it comes down to actually doing work, nothin'. I've talked about latrines with them. They have a year to dig a hole & make bricks for a latrine. Then I'll buy the cement. We'll see who actually does it. If they can't do that, I don't know what they'll be motivated to do. I've been having crazy dreams lately. Last night I dreamed Missy Creech was pregnant. And so was JoAnn! It was so real. I usually have these dreams for a couple days after I take my malaria medicine. I hung out with the 2 French people last night. They are pretty cool. We're having a dance Saturday at the girl's house because it's finished now. I like the guy better because he speaks to me in English J. Last night he was drinking cutakoo & honey. It doesn't matter what you put in it. That stuff is terrible! Have you drank yours yet? Or let others sample it? I'm gonna go fix some grits…& imagine chunks of ham, hot buttered toast and a tall glass of milk! Kouame showed up at my door yesterday all excited - "Niki, Niki, there are two white guys on the road and they don't speak French!" As soon as I saw them, they said "ca va?" & I said "yeah. Do you speak English?" They were so excited to hear English. They were from New Zealand & were on a huge vacation. They both have been working in England and are taking a 3 month adventure. They stayed the night here at Ganse & left early this morning to go through the park, coming out near Burkina. They were nice & had some interesting stories. I want to check out New Zealand. It sounds like a cool place. Yesterday, I made a bunch of posters to use for sensibilizations. Kouame really liked them & said people will be able to understand them. My next goal is to talk to Badoo & some of her girlfriends about female circumcision. Kouame told me Badoo was circumcised when she was ~ 8 or 9 & that she probably wouldn't mind talking about it. Kouame said the old women are the ones who used to perform the ritual but there isn't anyone left who wants to do it. It has something to do with being afraid of sorcery. But if they want it done, there's someone a few villages away that will come to Ganse. Kouame seems to understand the importance of most things I say, but I don't know how much he agrees with them. I guess understanding is the first step. I still haven't head from Kouakou. He said he was coming back on Wednesday. I hope everything is OK. I'm gonna go get some stuff done. Another high school aged kid asked me to help him with English. We'll see how it goes. I miss you & can't wait to talk to you. Hope it's warmed up some for you & work isn't too crazy. I have black feet & one hand (non-eating hand J). I did it last night & took a picture today. It's called "jabee" (have no idea how to spell it). At home, they call it henna, I think. They put this goop on your skin, wrap it in plastic & wait for 6 hours. Then they mix ashes & rat poison (hence on the non-eating hand J) & put that on for ~ 20 minutes…or until it burns J. They are so pumped I have such pretty feet. And it looks so much blacker on my ghostly skin. Kouakou came back last night from Katiola, where he went with the sick girl that gave birth. I haven't talked to him, but someone who did talk to him said they still need more money. I've given them 120,000 CFA total. That's a lot of $ here. It was an emergency when I gave it to them. Now they still need more money & I'm thinking I shouldn't give it to them. I wish I could. But it's just at this point, I don't know where to draw the line. And then when other people ask for $, how do I say no. It's just not good practice to give out $, except when it's an emergency like that. I don't know. We'll see. Today I'm going to the garden. Our teachers are slack so we don't have school right now. They just pick up & leave to go who knows where. Anyway, I've got a bunch of little girls following me around & helping me water my garden & fill up my barrique. So, I'm off to plant some green beans. See you later today. ~~~ I don't know if you remember a little girl named Fatimata… she is my absolute favorite. She's kinda become my little sister. She's started coming over first thing in the morning. She was here at 6:45 today, sweeping the appotam & the dirt yard. Then I give her some money & she goes & gets some "doughnuts" & comes back & we eat together. She goes to the garden with me to water & always helps me fill up my barrique. It's hard not to play favorites, & I usually don't, but she's an exception. She's one I wish I could bring home with me & send her to school. She's in school here when there is school. The teachers just leave & go wherever. (Did I already write that?!) Anyway, there hasn't been school for almost 2 weeks. School will start back up just in time for the 2 week Easter vacation. What incentive is there to put your kids in school instead of going to the fields, when school is sporadic like that? What can you possibly learn? How is that going to prepare you for high school? There's only so much we can do. It's so frustrating when "strangers" (non-Ganse Ivorians) come here & ask me what my job is…then ask me why, if I've been here almost an entire year, that I haven't given them a much needed new school, medicine, new pumps, blah, blah, blah. I'm almost to the point here where people have accepted the fact that I didn't come to give them stuff. I'm here to help. Then stupid strangers come in acting all knowing, & how I should be running the show. Who cares about them. I love Ganse. Sure it's hot & I'm never left alone…but when I'm back in the States & have all the time in the world to myself, I'll miss it, I know. Today was neat because as I was going to the garden, this adorable little old man hollered "where am I from" at me to tell me Kouadio says hi. Kouadio is Skyler in Bondo, where this little guy came from today. It's a good feeling to still be connected with everyone, especially when it's through the locals. I really do love this place. I'll be ready to come home & see you guys, but it may be harder to leave here than it was leaving the States. I'm gonna go fix some mac-n-cheese. I'm going to Ganse for dinner again tonight to eat with Ama's family. They invite me all the time. And no matter how little they have, they always give me at least a bite of meat or fish. Those are the people that make me remember why I came to this non-air conditioned world. See ya in a bit…it's lunch time…"eebeedee" (come eat J). Kouakou came to my house for class yesterday. He said Daoda's wife ( the sick girl who just gave birth) is doing better but did take a huge turn for the worse. He came back 2 days ago & is leaving to go back today. He came to get more $ again. It will end up costing them more than 200,000 CFA, compared to 10,000 if she had gone to the hospital to give birth in the first place. I guess it's a gamble they take thinking they won't need a lot of care. Daoda is not the brightest guy. He didn't go to school. And he only speaks a tiny bit of French. He's been with his "wife" for 3 or 4 years now…but when the doctor asked him what her name was, he didn't know! He said - "uuummm….Mariam." But that's it. He didn't know her family name or anything! Kouakou said the doctor & nurse just lost it, & Kouakou was still laughing when he told me. We had a dance last night. It was a "moving in" party for the French girl. Her house is ready & she's moving in today. It was nice having them last night. I was just another Ivorian. All attention was on them. And nobody noticed when I left at midnight. Normally, they're all giving me a hard time for going to bed early. Next Friday, we're having our first AIDS meeting with the whole village. I made a few posters about how you can & can't transmit the virus. It's very quick & simple the first time. Later, we'll go into more detail. I don't want to overwhelm them the first time around. Hopefully, then, if the $ comes through, we'll be traveling around to each others' villages to do more in-depth sensibilizations. Kouame said everyone is excited to see what Adja has to say to everyone… If Adja is the one calling us together on Friday, it must be important. Well, it's time for church. So, I'll see you after. I really miss you. Wish I could go to church with you guys. Last night, I was talking to Kouame about AIDS and sex and he started telling me what the "old people" in the village had to say about it. They said the young people start looking at age 11 or 12, and by 12 or 13 have already had sex. So, of course, that's why people get sick now. That's why now (not before, mind you) people need to make sure they eat right & drink clean water. If you have sex one time per night, it's like working a 12 hour day in the fields without rest. So, if you're doing it 2 or 3 times a night, you're asking for trouble! It's interesting to see how they see things. At least I know I need to be sure to talk to the young ones about condoms. They start so early. Today, I went with the French guy into the park. He's an archeologist. It was interesting to hear some of the things he was saying. He explained all the rock in Ganse. It was a riverbed forever ago & parts dried & dried until it became rock-like. Bizarre. Also, you'll see a picture of us drinking water from a tree. Well, Vincent, the French guy, is in the picture. It's a big vine & when you cut it, water comes out & it is so good. It's crazy. I wish I could show you. Anyway, I'm beat. We walked from 8:45 - 3:00. Now, I'm going to Ganse to eat dinner. I'll be back later. Love you. You would have LOVED last nigt's sleeping arrangements… Mary gave me an extra mosquito net. So, I set it up in the appotam! I won't sleep inside again until next "winter" J. I slept like a baby. It was so comfortable. I got up, had a good run & am eating some grits Jo sent me. How do people survive without grits?! Last night, they practiced their AIDS skit. A group of young guys & girls are doing a skit Friday morning after I talk about AIDS. It's pretty good. The village will like it. They seem very motivated to speak out about condoms. I hope they really believe what they're saying. Tomorrow night, I'm going with Kouame & Kouassi & some others to search for honey. I'm not really sure exactly how it goes, but I think they go after dark & chop down a tree with a hive in it. They said at night the bees are sleepy…& even if they wake up, they can't see to sting them. Right! Anyway, I'm still going. What's a few bee stings. That honey is so good! I don't know what I was thinking talking about a second service. I really miss you guys. I'm starting to get cabin fever right now. I need to go to the city J. I'm leaving Sat for a couple weeks. I'm helping with the stage, then going to the COS party for the group that leaves in a month. I'm gonna go wander around the village. I'll see you later. ~~~ Daoda's wife just died - the one who went to Katiola for the operation. They all came back last night, even though she was still very sick. They had already given her 5 liters of blood & she still needed more. But they didn't have the money. She couldn't walk or eat. Now, their baby girl is there with no one to feed her. Breast feeding is not an option here. They can't afford to go to the hospital to deliver a baby. They sure can't afford to feed her. I don't know who will feed her now. It breaks my heart. Before, when people died here, it made me sad because it made me think "if it happened to you." I didn't know her, but her husband is one of my favorites here. He's Kouakou's brother too (my English student). I never thought about one of my friends here dying. It sucks. Their lives are so hard already. They get sick & don't go to the hospital because there's nobody to pay for it. They might stabilize you if you're on the verge of death. But after that, if you can't pay for the medicine, you're s*** outta luck. Man. It's amazing how different life is. I can't remember what radio personality said luck doesn't exist in life, it's what you do with it yourself. That's crap. I was lucky. I have a wonderful, HEALTHY family who loves me & can be there for me. There's nothing some of these people can do. Sorry, this is too depressing. I'll come back later with happier stuff. I love you. Don't die, please. J. Today is better but will soon get sadder because her family is coming today. They live near Nassian. It's interesting to see how they do funerals here. I saw the whole thing this time because it was a Christian funeral. All the others have been Muslim. Before all that happened, there was something else I wanted to tell you but forgot about it. I went to Ganse with Ama Dungo (one of my favorites) to get her "medicine" done. She had in hand a new razor (at least it was new) & a bottle of cutacoo (like you have). The oldest guy in the village is in the other Ganse so it was he who had to do it. They mix cutacoo with some "ashes" or something similar to form a paste. They take the razor & cut her on her back, her chest & each arm - right about where they take blood. They then put this paste over each cut. She's done this with each pregnancy (~8). She had scars on her arms. It's to "protect" the baby. If you don't do it, the baby can be born with a hole in his head. So they say. There's something to say about traditional medicine but I believe I'd steer clear of this one. They kept telling me to "make a baby here then I could do that." Just the incentive I need. I'm getting really antsy right now. I can't wait to come back to the States & not be noticed. It's getting bad with the kids. Thank God for school. They all followed me back to my house last night after dinner. It was time for bed! Then one girl actually stopped me & said she was going to sleep in the appotam with me. That's my only "quiet time". Too bad I can't stay awake to enjoy it. It's funny the things I miss, like just walking down the street & nobody is staring. I don't know how celebrities do it. I'd go crazy. I know I can come home & it's over. I'm a loner anyway but I feel like this pushes me to privacy even more. you don't have to worry about me ever being famous. If I do something amazing, I'll tell them it was you J. I'm so ready to leave on Sat. I will have been here 3 weeks…but I don't know if there's a badjan or not because Sat is a big Muslim holiday & most of the badjan guys who come Sat are Muslim. So, I'll go tomorrow, if the badjan comes J. Otherwise, I don't get to Bondoukou 'til Tues. Man, these letters must be boring. I ramble on about this dumb stuff that really means nothing. I can't wait to talk to you in Bondoukou or Abidjan. I forgot you went skiing. Jerks J. Hope you have fun. I'll stay warm for you. I can't wait to go skiing with you again. I'll be back later. It dawned on me a few days ago that I probably wouldn't be able to get
out of the village because Tabaski was on Friday or Saturday, depending
on where your are (village or city). All the badjan guys are Muslim &
would be celebrating. It was like winning the lottery Saturday when Kouakou
told me the badjan passed in the middle of the night…from Bondoukou!
I had accepted defeat, & being in the village 'til Tues - the next
badjan out. So I threw my stuff together and did the AIDS sensibilization.
It went more than well. It could not have happened without Kouame. The
village loved the skits that were done & asked really good questions.
We did basics only. Any more would have been too much. It made me feel
so good to see them so pumped up about it. I hope they will want to do
more. Oh yeah - I forgot to tell you the original day we planned to do
the AIDS thing, nobody showed up. I was so disappointed. Kouame said we'll
do it tomorrow. I was more discouraged because I thought there's no way
they'll want to do it on tabaski…but they did. And it was fantastic.
The day nobody showed up turned out to be good too. I ended up talking
to a bunch of guys about homosexuality. Bad idea. I can't talk about that
(with certain people J) in English. It got a little heated needless to
say. Then I talked with Ama Dungo & Adja Ibiro about female excision.
It was soooo good to talk about that and find out - from women. They had
both been circumcised. But it hasn't been done in a couple years in Ganse.
People are getting away from it, which is good. They said they won't circumcise
their girls. They said they didn't know the reason behind the custom.
It was really interesting. It was a good "breakthrough" conversation,
that they can talk to me about that. Friday they did stations of the cross
here. We walked around the village singing & praying. It was cool.
Oh yeah…that spy book you left me, Dad, was really good. I've never
read a spy book before. And I really liked it. OK…gonna put this
in the mail. I have 5 rolls of film & I numbered the packages. I miss
you so much. I love you. I'll talk to you soon J. I love you. Nik/Rock |