Interesting/Different Things in Salone (Sierra Leone)

·      Sport is part of the curriculum in schools here.  That doesn’t mean students are required to play on after school sports teams.  Here it means that during second term at least a week is taken to play sports between the houses (think Harry Potter and all students split into 4 houses).  Some Peace Corps said sport takes up to a month because they give the students time to practice and construct little huts for each house.

·      Witchcraft and devils are not just a good plot line for movies here.  They are taken seriously and people fear and respect them.  Also, it is a common belief that witches and devils are part of American culture too but they put their knowledge and magic to good use to help scientists build airplanes, helicopters, computers, etc.  I had to tell them that I had never heard of this in America but since I’m not a scientists perhaps I was just never privileged enough to learn these secrets. 

·      Corporal punishment is very common here.  In school and at home it is common to see children being flogged for their misbehavior.  They like to quote “spare the rod, spoil the child” or tell me that African children are different than American children and wont learn unless they are flogged.  I keep insisting that all children are the same but alas that idea just doesn’t seem to take hold at my school.  Just last week the teachers and principal tried to make me flog a student that had been very bad just to show the seriousness of the offense he had committed.  I politely declined and said I just couldn’t hit anyone regardless of what they had done.

·      Being chubby or stout is considered beautiful here.  People think it is a compliment if they tell you you are putting on weight.  It would be like someone in the U.S. saying “you look good, have you lost weight?” Except that here people say “you look good, you’ve been gaining weight.” haha it takes some adjustment to say the least. 

·      Two of the most common questions I get here are “are you married?” and “do you have children?”  I always respond that I don’t yet because I am too young.  They then proceed to ask my age and laugh.  I would estimate about 75% of girls my age here have children and are engaged to someone if not married. 

·      People think it is weird that I could ever desire to eat anything besides rice and sauce.  Most people eat rice morning, noon, and night.  They joke that if they haven’t eaten rice that day it is like they haven’t eaten anything at all.  

Life here

So the festive season is done and, after a Christmas and New Years like none I had ever experienced before, school is up and running again.  As expected, school got off to a slow start again this term.   First, the start date was pushed back a week from the originally scheduled start date and when school finally did start the turnout, for both students and teachers, was pretty dismal.  But now after what was technically the third week of school for the term (2^nd actual week of teaching) the students are starting to come back in numbers.  Don’t take this commentary as a complaint from me though because I thoroughly enjoyed the extra week of break to rest and recover from a very busy term break.  I have to admit though I enjoy keeping busy and have actually discovered I really enjoy teaching and interacting with the students.  Despite the still abysmal test scores my students get (don’t worry its not only my students but all volunteer’s students, actually maybe all students in the country) I do feel like I am making a difference in people’s lives here just by showing up to work everyday and interacting in the community.  Our presence is as much about giving the people here hope and providing an opportunity for a cultural information exchange as it is about teaching students math, English, or science.  So overall, the experience has been a rewarding one for me thus far although it has caused me to completely rethink what I want to do when my service is done, and I am back at square one as far as future plans go.  So far one of the most enticing options is opening a guest house on a beach here since Sierra Leone is destined to become a tourist hot-spot again as soon as the infrastructure rebuilds itself at least a little. 

            So enough self-reflection.. some of you may be wondering what my daily schedule here in Africa is like.  So I will enlighten those of you that care to read about it.  Everyday, regardless of whether it’s a weekday or the weekend, I wake up by 7 or 7:15 at the absolute latest.  Monday through Friday I go to school.  Monday thru Thursday I am at school from approximately 8:00 am until 2:30 p.m.  On Friday we have a shorter school day because the students and teachers have to go to the Mosque to pray so we end school around 1 or a little earlier.  When I first get up I go and take a quick bucket bath, most of the time I’ll just watch my face and then go and get dressed.  After dressing I check out the market to see if bread is ready before I go to school.  Then I head to school around 7:40-7:45.  I am usually the only one there until about 8 and assembly wont actually start until 8:15-8:30 despite the fact that the first period is supposed to start at 8:20.  Oh well. Then I teach between 4-6 periods a day which ranges from 3-5 hours a day.  Mondays after school I teach extra classes for form 3 from 3-5.  The other days I normally go home and rest for a while before jogging around 4 or 5.  After jogging I take another bucket bath and sit down to eat the rice prepared for me.  Then I kill time until around 7:30 or 8 at which point it is acceptable in Africa to go inside and lay down for the night.  So needless to say I am normally sleeping by 9.  So yes in the past 7 months I have gone from 22 to 72.  On Friday, Saturday and Sunday I cook for myself which is a solid hour or two activity if I actually cook.  Sometimes I am lazy and just buy street food or eat a peanut butter sandwich.  But on ambitious days (or whenever Mohamed is around) we will cook pasta or rice which takes quite some time. 

            Okay so new topic. The weather.  Overall, I must admit I find the weather here in Africa much more agreeable than the 5 to 6 months of cold and wet and gross weather we got back in Michigan.  Here there are only 2 seasons: the rainy season and the dry season.  Currently we are in the dry season and I love the predictability of it.  In the dry season it hasn’t rained once and in the rainy season it was pretty much guaranteed that it would rain at least once every day.  Forget the weather forecast, you just know rainy season means rain and the dry season means no precipitation.  Currently the Harmattan winds are blowing a nice cold breeze across Northern Sierra Leone so I am enjoy comfortable weather in the 70s every day/  At night and in the morning it gets a little chilly sometimes but as soon as the sun comes out the place starts warming up and by 11 am it is warm enough to sit out in the sun in a t-shirt and shorts.  From what I hear though in a month or two the water pumps will start drying up and then getting water will be kind of a pain.  Also, I hear it gets hot even by the standards they have here, which means I will absolutely sweat to death.  But all in all I enjoy the heat much more than the cold so the weather change is one adjustment that hasn’t caused me too much distress.

            Now on to the subject of food.  Unlike the weather, I enjoy the food in America much more than the food here.  Don’t get me wrong I have really come to enjoy some of the rice and sauce combinations but really you can only eat so much rice and in my opinion that amount has been far passed here. haha Rice morning, noon, and night everyday is just too much for me.  Oh how I miss fresh fruits and vegetables.  Only having things seasonally is quite a change for anyone used to growing up in a place where supermarkets provide everything imaginable at any time of the year.  Oh well, I guess this experience will just make me appreciate life in America that much more when I return.    

Overall though I really am enjoying my time here and could actually see myself staying and starting a business or working with an aid organization.  It is a relaxing lifestyle and everyone really is quite friendly.  At the very least I think I will have a retirement house here. haha

more This is Africa moments

Okay so a few funny moments from my life here in Africa..

1.  If someone doesnt eat rice in a day it is like they havent eaten at all. They just aren't satisfied unless at least one meal is rice and plassas and are also perfectly content having rice and plassas for every meal of every day. Most adults wont even taste spaghetti when I cook it because they are disgusted just by looking at it.
2.  Many people are terrified of dogs biting them because they think their teeth are poisonous.  I spent one entire school period talking to the other teachers about how the teeth arent poisonous but sometimes they do have diseases they can spread to humans that are fatal.  But this belief has caused many children to react quite strongly to Keba (my dog) except most of them call Keba over to them and then run away terrified when he comes. haha
3. At clubs here people go just because they love to dance. People dont go to meet with people or dance with anyone else, they just go to dance. It is actually a lot of fun just watching them because most of them can dance really well, it is just very very different from the club atmosphere in America.
4. I was talking to another teacher at my school about taking Limba lessons and he directed me to a man that he said would make a good teacher. His directions: "Just go to that black man that lives down the road. He will teach you Limba really well."  I just stood there looking at him for a minute before slowly saying "But you're all black..."  We had a good laugh over it. Apparently when people here say the "black man" they mean the person with very very dark skin.  haha
5.  Keba comes with me to school everyday. One day we were in the classroom and I had just given an assignment to my students so I sat down to relax for a bit. Then I look over and see Keba slowly start to lick the wall. I let out a small laugh so Keba looked over at my while slowly continuing to lick the wall with his tongue out the side of his mouth as though to say "what mom? The wall tastes good.."
6.  I was walking with a kid one day when he got really really excited from seeing a big grasshopper. He had his friend catch it for me and then proudly showed me. I asked if he was going to keep it as a pet. His reply "No. I'm going to eat it." And he did. He ate it. He didnt even cook it first. haha

Some Video Update

Some answers to some American Students questions:
How is life in Africa?
Life in Africa is great but it is very different from life in the United States . It took me a few months to  get used to life here and I am still learning new things about the customs and culture everyday. So far though, living in Sierra Leone has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
Are the people nice to you?
All of the people are very friendly and kind and are always ready to help when I need assistance. 
Is it hot there?
The weather here is much different than I am accustomed to.  I am from Michigan, so I am used to having 4 seasons with winter being very, very cold. Here it is always pretty warm .  Even now at the end of October it is still pretty hot some days and I have yet to have a day where I didn't sweat at all.  But the people   keep telling me that the cool weather is coming so we will see what that means.. Also, there are only  2 seasons here, the rainy season and the dry season.  The rainy season is coming to an end so there are plenty of storms now. I like the rain though because it makes the place a little cooler. It is almost like temporary air conditioning.
How is your city?
I live in a small town called Fadugu.There is one main road that goes through the town.  This is one of the only paved roads in all of Sierra Leone and is the highway from Freetown to Kabala (and by highway they essentially just mean it has been paved, do not imagine American highways) Most of the stores are located on one small strip of this road that they call "the line." This area is only about 1 block long. We also have a market that comes every Saturday where you can go to buy the goods you need. I will try and share some more pictures of the town the next time I go to Freetown.
Is your home there a lot different than your home in America?
My home here is much different than my home in America. First of all, there is no electricity or running water in my house. When the sun goes down my house is very dark and I need to use flashlights to see and do work. This also means I don't have a T.V. and I can onl y use the internet when I go to a big city and pay to use it at an internet cafe.  My bathroom is outside. I use a latrine for my toilet and I need to take bucket baths instead of showers. I get my water from a community water pump just a short walk from my house. Despite all of these differences though my house still feels like home now and is very nice compared to many other homes here.
What stuff do kids have there?
Kids here do not have many toys and most of the toys they have, they have made themselves. For example, plenty of little boys have racecars they have constructed themselves from old tomato paste cans for the base of the car and pop bottle lids for the wheels. They then attach the little car to a stick and push it around. Also, toys here are strictly played with outside. Most children do not have toys to play with in their house most likely because most of the time when they are home they are very busy doing chores for their parents such as cooking, laundering, or dishwashing.  But they make the best of what they have and enjoy life greatly for the most part.
Is the school building small?
The building I teach in is pretty small  considering the number of children we have in each class.  We pack about 50 kids into each class and the classes are just divided by a wooden partition so if one class is loud everyone is distracted.
Do they all wear uniforms?
Yes. The students must wear uniforms and this rule is very strictly enforced.
Do the meals taste better than McDonalds?
The meals are very very different from McDonalds and consist of a variation of rice and sauce everyday, for every meal. It is good but oh what I would give for some McDonalds fries and a chocolate shale right now!  haha

Okay here are some pics from Fadugu

Some children in the community. I just wanted to highlight the little toy car the boy in the middle has to give you an idea of the types of things children construct to play with here.

They tote everything on their heads here. It is amazing. This is my little neighbor carrying a huge bucket of water from the pump to the house.

They have an assembly every morning before school where they say some Muslim prayers/ songs in Arabic and then recite the national pledge and anthem. I tried uploading a video but it was taking way too long.

This is my favorite food here, acheke. It is made of gari, noodles, spicy gravy/ sauce, cucumber, onion, ketchup, mayonnaise, and fish. I know sounds appetizing, right?

This is before the big football match between my town, Fadugu, and the district capital, Kabala. The match was 1-1. Mohamed is the one smiling at the camera

Okay well that is all for now. I miss all of you. Thank you for sending letters and keep them coming! It is always a pleasure to receive them and I have tried writing all of you back but unfortunately no one I know has been able to successfully send a letter home to America, but we'll see! Maybe I'll be the lucky one. haha And at the very least please email me. I always appreciate hearing from you!

School

Hey everyone!

So school is finally underway and things are starting to settle down a bit.  The schedule was made for the 6 six classes (by me) so things are running a little more smoothly now.  There are still occasional days when teachers fail to show up or just teach a double-period so then their next class misses a period but such is life here in Salone. haha I have discovered that I actually really enjoy teaching. I like being in front of a class and I enjoy helping them learn math (which is no easy feat especially here) I have also discovered that teaching is incredibly difficult work so to all my teacher friends out there keep up the good work! I have a lot of respect for you and the profession you have chosen.  So I ended up getting 20 periods a week to teach which seems like it will be an okay amount despite peace corps recommending we teach no more than 15. I think I would be very very bored if I only taught 15 periods in a week since when I am not teaching I am just hanging out outside of the school. So I am pleased with the workload. Also, the one perk of having made the schedule myself is that I didnt schedule any periods on Friday. So while I am planning on being there most Fridays anyways, I have told them that once a month I will probably want to travel just to keep my own sanity (I love my town but sometimes it is just good to get away and relax for awhile)

So besides school life is going pretty well. I think I have integrated into the community pretty well and really like all my neighbors and everything. Sometimes the kids get a little annoying especially when they constantly ask me to study with them in the evening time after I have already taught for 5 hours but for the most part I dont mind it and am happy to study/play with them.  For the most part though I like hanging out with the kids and the parents appreciate me keeping them busy every now and then.  Keba (my puppy) is doing well and is growing quickly. I think he will be a very big dog and unfortunately for him all the neighbors are expecting him to be security for our compound which means he may have to sleep outside once he is bigger.. Sorry Keba.

Okay so here are a few new pics:

I have some video I wanted to upload but it was taking forever so I guess just enjoy the pictures for now!!

Love and miss you all!!

First Day of School!!!

Okay so some information for your students about school here since the first week was officially last week.  Well unlike in the U.S. where the first day is looked forward to and everyone is excited and plans what they will wear and which cool new pencil they will use, the  first day here is a ghost town at school.  Students typically dont go to school for a week or two until after it starts, both just due to cultural norms that have developed but also in large part due to the lack of funds families have to send their kids to school or to buy new uniforms/supplies. 

So on my first day of school last Monday we had a total of maybe 5 students show up throughout the morning while the teachers just hung out and talked. Which was actually kind of nice for me because it gave me a chance to get to know my colleagues.  On Tuesday we  had about 30 students come to school but rather than start classes  the students were put to work cleaning the building we will be using this term.  So students moved all the tables and benches out of the building, swept, and then moved everything back in and organized it.  On Wednesday we finally started actually teaching some.  However, the timetable or schedule of classes has not been set yet so I was placed in the JSS 3 classroom and just told to teach. Which I did, for 2 1/2 hours.  haha Good thing I teach math so I just have to do random problems with them for that time period. I can't imagine  having to come up with a random lesson for science or English for more than 2 hours.  Thursday was pretty much the same but they stuck me in the JSS 2 class this time.  But it is good practice and gives the students a  chance to get used to me a little.  Friday we had a teachers meeting for  about 3 1/2 hours so the students just came and did some yard work around the school for about 30 minutes before we started the meeting.  On Monday the time table should be complete for JSS 1 and 2 so they will have regularly scheduled classes (hopefully) but we will see what happens for JSS 3. 

Currently we still only have 50 students that have officially enrolled for the year and paid their school  fees.  Last year they ended the school year with  over 300 students. The principal has guessed that some students might just wait to start until October at this point and continue helping with the families work for the rest of September. 

So as I have said many students struggle paying the school fees. How much are those fees you may ask?? Well at my school the fees are 75,000 Le a term (I think its per term and not yearly) which is just under $20.  So that should give you an idea about the types of communities we are working in here.  $20 is a lot of money to the people here.  I can easily live for 2 weeks on  75,000 Le. And I mean live pretty well not even easily just get by.  What astonished me most recently is that teachers at my school are only paid 40,000 Le a month if that.  That is less than $10 for an entire month of work.   This is because my school is a community school so they have only the school fees as an income.  Once the school becomes government assisted the teachers will probably make about 200,000 Le a month which is about $50.  This is still not too much though considering most have very large families to take care of too.  And I thought I didnt make much but I make an impressive 1,000,000 Le a month or about $250 .  It seems unfair sometimes that I make so much for just myself to live on but at the same time compared to US standards I make next to nothing..

Okay so after that downer here is the funny Salone moment of the day:  In my car on the way to Makeni this morning I was sitting in the front waiting for the back to be loaded. First,  a few bags of rice were loaded into the  trunk which also causes the back of the car to sink a bit.  But one time after loading something into the car the back dipped a lot so I turned to see them loading a huge cow into the back. Yip transport in Salone

Pictures!!

Ok so this is the view of Makeni from the top of Wusum hill

Some of us girls at the swearing-in ceremony. We are about to become official Peace Corps Volunteers!

My Limba classmates and teachers

Me and some members of my host family/neighbors

A view from a nature walk in Fadugu

My puppy Keba :)

My house and all the neighbors I share a compound with in Fadugu

Alright those are all the pics I will upload here for now. Check my facebook for more. And see below for the answers to some frequently asked questions..

Umm so market. It is outside and in stalls. Everyone pretty much sells the same stuff though so its not super interesting and yes trying to bargain after being used to fixed prices is difficult but i am slowly getting the hang of it.

Finding people without yellow pages- You're right.. I just ask around town and eventually someone will just take me where I need to be. haha

Still have my puppy and I am very glad for that. I love him and without him I would be super lonely because yes I do live in a pretty large house by myself so I am very glad to have him around. Except when he bites me at 6 am trying to play or pees in the house 10 times a day but otherwise he is super adorable and I love him. lol

Yess 14 people in a minivan.. no it wasnt a large minivan it was your standard size minivan. haha but yes lots of people.  On my way to Freetown yesterday I was in a small-size car with 4 people in front, 4 in back, and one in the trunk with 4 goats and a chicken. So yeah thats how we travel here. Oh and in the next car we had some sheep in the trunk and one guy commented "oh sheep. Now thats trouble. Goats are no problem, but sheep, they arent good to travel with."  Haha oh man life in Salone.

When does actual teaching start?!
I start teaching next monday. However, school gets off to a slow start here so the majority of students probably wont come for a week or two.. yeah.

What does the house look like?! I'm imagining like straw roof and adobe-ish walls
My house is actually very nice. It is brand new and is made completely out of cement. It is really big with 3 rooms and a large parlor area. So plenty of space for my bestie to come and crash for a month while you figure out plans for your life ;)

How is the food?! Tasty?! Anything you miss especially?! In spain, I missed Wendy's fries haha.
The food here is an acquired taste. It took me about a month to get used to it but now I love it for the most part.  The only problem is they literally eat rice and sauce every meal so although i have learned to like the sauces I still miss the variety that we have in America.

Is africa really just like unbearably hot 24/7?!
It is pretty hot most of the time but not as bad as I was expecting. And my town is in a hilly region in the north so we actually get a pretty cool breeze there and during the dry season there are a couple of months when I will actually probably wear a jacket and pants all the time.  However, currently it is pretty hot and I have to wonder about how cold it will actually get because people pull out their winter parkas and snow hats when the temp gets down to a frigid 65. haha So we'll see