Today I find myself in the village of Dubreka here in Guinea. It’s a home to a few ten thousand in
the Basse Cote not far from Conakry and the Atlantic. What a tropical paradise
it is! (Meaning it’s absurdly humid most days) Most morning I’ve been running
through the village and out along a dirt road through the rice paddies and then
up to a fishing port along the river—all while watching the sun rise through
the mist and palm trees. Jealous yet?
Life here is truly a different
world from my Cleveland life. Our first days in Guinea were spent getting
oriented at the Peace Corps office and volunteer house in Conakry, the capital
city. Conakry is home to ~3
million people and is a bustling and lively city. The Peace Corps office is
right on the Atlantic Ocean; the view of the beach from the volunteer house’s
open-air top floor is incredible! Needless to say, I spent many hours up there
watching the sunset, writing letters, napping, and ceaselessly trying to
improve my hacky sack skills (no such luck yet).
Last we departed Conakry and
moved to our current home here in Dubreka. At our adoption ceremony we were
formally welcomed into the community, thanked for our upcoming work, and met
our host families. It was an exciting but nerve-wracking affair consisting of a
few speeches and beaucoup dancing followed by our first meal together as a
family. If this ceremony was so much fun, I can’t imagine how great a wedding
will be! With much anticipation Barbara and I headed home to our new home. The first few days were challenging,
but this once foreign place is slowly, but surely starting to feel like home.
I live with my host mother,
father, and many brothers, sisters, and cousins. On one of my first days in
Dubreka I officially became Guinean and was christened with local name:
Fatimata Camara. Everyone gets so
excited when I introduce myself as a local. My language skills leave something
to be desired, but I’ve been having a great time getting to know my host family
and Dubreka—lots of saluating and laughter is essential!
School has started, and days are crammed full with intensive
French, cross cultural training, agroforestry info sessions, and gardening. By
the time I get home in the evenings its time to eat, take my bucket bath, do
homework, and hopefully relax briefly before going to sleep. They weren’t
kidding when they said I’d be super busy during pre-service training! Sorry if
the letters are few and far between for now, it’s only because I’m trying to be
a responsible student.
Other exciting side notes:
-Oranges and bananas here are incredible! So sweet and
juicy!
-Peanut sauce & rice= happy belly
-Carrying water on your head isn’t as hard as you might
think, it’s the getting it off your heads that’s the real challenge!
No comments:
Post a Comment