5 weeks deep...

Fofo! Since coming here ive been renamed Kadija, live on a farm, and eat rice and beans for nearly every meal. normal. coming here i didnt even expect things to be like they are; i didnt expect it to be sand everywhere and no roads, i didnt expect to be a "show" everywhere i go, and i didnt expect the goats and chickens running around my concession, much less the two cows tied to the tree a few feet from my bed.


im five weeks into training now, in some ways i feel like i have too much to write about and in some ways nothing at all. where to start? lets see, minor details, about my stage: there are 36 of us in my stage, all agriculture or natural resource management. right now im living in a host family in hamdallaye, outside of the capital; pc training consists of us going to "camp hamdallaye" everyday?, where we mostly get language training, med training, cross culture training, and ping°pong time. its fun though

"christmas" started yesterday, which was our site announcements....im going to Babagade Kwara(which literally means dad will buy); a village in Gotheye which is relateively close to Niamey. I got lucky though, my village is on water!! After i did my demystication in a village near the water (and very near benin) i was hoping for a village on the river. i can even have my own wooden canoe! so in another week we will be doing a site live-in, ill be living in my village for a week; then back to training for two weeks; then i move in to my village permanetnly. hopefully my language gets better so i can get through more then just the greetings!

Last weekend we got to see giraffes on our tech trip, which was raelly exciting, tehy were just grazing around in the area; also got to ride my first camel, which was fun...

its interesting being an "anasara" (white person) here, because you are stared at and constantly called anasara all the time. my host family loves to just sit and stare at me all teh time, even if im just zriting a letter. i guess white people are some type fo freak show...who knows...

okay, this keyboard is frustrating me and i have to get going soon; my gmail isnt really working here so i cant email anyone; but parents- i hope you get the message that ill be calling you tomorrow! thanks for everyone who wrote me, its fun to get mail here!

-Kadija

It's almost off to Niger....

Well after a hectic day, I'm actually in the final stages of finishing up packing. I might get a couple hours of sleep after all. Although I'm extremely sad to leave Seattle, I'm super excited to head out to Niger later this week. Tomorrow I head out to Philly for a few days of PC training, then it's on to Africa via Paris (unfortunately only three hours there!). I don't know too much about my job quite yet, but the title is Natural Resource Management, doing agricultural work. A big part will be working to create more crop sustainability, since Niger goes through huge periods of drought. I "enjoyed" my last day of this cold, rainy, windy Seattle today as Niger's weather is hot(ranging from 80-120 degrees) and sunny all the time.
After philly the next three months will be spent in a village a little ways outside of the capital with other PC volunteers. I don't know too much about it, but i also won't have internet access until I'm done training, so this won't be updated for a little while. However, I can get mail,

Lulu M, PCV
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 10537
Niamey, Niger

Please send ridiculous amounts. And email too, of course. Well, I'm out for now, I'll miss you all and please keep in touch. This girl's headed to Africa....