Poisson, Peuls, and Parasites, Oh My!

Greetings, friends! Here's an unexpectedly early post for this month, thanks to the little Giardia bugs currently making themselves at home in my GI tract. I've come in to the regional capital for treatment, and between swallowing antibiotics and sleeping for 13 hours at a time, I figured I might as well make use of the Internet here to connect with the rest of the world.

Since my Thanksgiving update, I've already had some fun adventures back at post. Last Wednesday, I traveled 40 km (via open-back cargo truck) to the large market town of Ouna, right along the Niger river. It was an absolutely breathtaking place, where one can buy a variety of exotic goods, including fresh fish, "lemu hari" (a citrus-ginger juice), and Fulani jewelry and garb. I also picked up a beautiful "tangara" mat for decorating my mud house, which is gradually being transformed into a cozy home. All in all, my third month was off to a good start. Hard to believe it's already December!

Speaking of which, I imagine that the weather back home must be starting to get cold. Some of you may already be seeing snow, or at least feeling the freezing temps that mark the onset of Winter. For me, this Holiday Season is going to be quite different: 90-degree days, not a hint of rain in the sky, and no Christmas trees or festive decorations to mark the time of year (Niger is, after all, a 99% Muslim country). But as we prepare to celebrate resourcefully as a team here in Dosso, I will always be thinking about my friends and family back home, and wishing you all a wonderful season of shopping and snow-filled streets. Drink an extra hot, marshmallow cocoa for me this year!

That's all I have for updates today. Until the end of December, take care, and enjoy a few new pictures from the Nigerien bush!

Kala tonton,
Mich


Showing of my PC pride with henna for the Tabaski celebration day.


Russia keeping guard at the door, protecting me from the neighbor's wandering chickens. She's getting so big!


It's all "Home Sweet Home" here in the bush!


A view of the Niger river from Ouna, a beautiful sight :)

N'dunya Borey ga ba Suuru

Hard to believe that November has already come and gone, marking the passing of my fifth month in Niger. While Pre-Service Training seemed to take a lifetime in itself, these past two months in my village home have flown by much more quickly. Most days, I keep busy between working at my Mairie (local government offices) and wandering around town chatting with the villagers. I have met many genuinely wonderful people here, and seen some of the most beautiful scenery in the whole of the country. Slowly slowly I am picking up new languages (Fulfulde and a little Hausa), and in turn am teaching English at my weekly club meetings. And, most exciting, I am mentally preparing myself to take on future projects, which will hopefully involve fixing the village water pumps and painting murals with the school children. Every day is a new adventure!

That being said, these first three months at post are undoubtedly the most challenging in any Volunteer's career. At times, the stress of adapting to a completely new way of life can be overwhelming; and despite the number of people constantly around me, it can still feel isolating to be the only American for many a mile. Yet I've come to find that after a long, exhausting day of being an "Annasara" celebrity, the best cure comes from gazing up at the night sky, and taking in the sight of millions of stars unmarred by harsh city lights and pollution. The sheer beauty of this place is enough to refresh my spirit and motivation for doing this tough (but rewarding) job.

Above all, the best advice I have come to learn in this country is about having patience. Niger wasn't built in a day, bush taxis never manage to leave on time, and no matter how far off it seems, tomorrow will always dawn anew. As my favorite Zarma proverb goes, "N'dunya borey ga ba suuru" - To live in the world requires patience.* A good piece of advice for us all, I think :)

(*literal translation is something along the lines of "The people of the world like patience")

And now, as proof of my trying to make the most of every moment here, I am excited to share some new photos from my little slice of the Sahel~

A real, live chameleon, hanging out near my neighbor's house. Watch out, they bite!


Two friendly Nigerien dogs - good protection for bush walks.


The local Mairie, where I have my own office.


A cow cart, about to take these kids out to harvest millet. Aahhh, they should be in school!


Team Dosso's Thanksgiving feast. Turkey, mashed potatoes, greenbean casserole, banana bread, candied yams, and PIE! So much deliciousness!

Thanks, as always, for the letters and words of encouragement. Take care back home~
Kala tonton,
Michelle

Reflections on my First Month at Post

One month has passed, and already the long, hard days of pre-service training seem a lifetime away. I have spent over 30 days as an official Volunteer now, living and working in my new village home, and enjoying the freedoms of being independent. My Zarma language skills improve a little more every day, while the villagers seem to be slowly adapting to my presence (although being the only Westerner for 30km around still marks me as something of a celebrity!). I have a new kitten (named Russia, or "Rousse"), have been adopted into my neighbor's family, and am learning how to prepare some of the tastier Nigerien dishes. So far, so good.

Time here, I've noticed, is a very intangible thing. It is a place where most people rely on the prayer calls instead of clocks, and where cool mornings can fly by while the heat of the afternoon seems unlikely to ever end. A day can seem short or long depending on the temperature. An entire lifetime can pass in just four short months. Every day here is packed full of new things to learn, experiences to be had, chances to grow; I can only imagine how much I will have changed by the end of two years! It will be a very, very long time...but I know it will also go too fast.

Anyway, today I make my return trip back to my village to hammer out my second month. I'm looking forward to getting home, seeing my neighbors, and starting an art class at the primary school. Please keep writing letters and emails, it is always wonderful to hear from America! Until next time, when I'm in for a Thanksgiving feast, enjoy some pictures~!

Kala hanfo,
Mich



Beautiful blue skies over Sambera! Doesn't look like it's 105 degrees, does it??

A scene from my hand-washing event at the primary school. The kids were great!

My kitten, Russia :3

CAMELS IN SAMBERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween with Team Dosso! We rock!

We're Off to See the Village!

Fofo, Kubeyni! Sannu! Bon arrive!

Today is a pretty momentous day for me. As probably the last volunteer in country to still be sitting around the hostel, I'm finally about to get moved out to my new post and home, Sambera. It will be a long drive with a ton of suitcases and furniture packed into the Land Cruiser, but I'm still excited to be on my way at last!

The first month will no doubt have its ups and downs. We're all pretty isolated, and we aren't allowed to even leave the village for the first four weeks. But once I settle in and start getting to know the place better, I'm hoping the time flies by. I'll be back into the "big city" of Dosso around Halloween, so I'll be sure to share stories and pictures then! Until then, letters are always appreciated - even if I don't have regular access to a post office (that means don't expect quick replies, lol)

Time to go finish packing! Talk to you all in a month!

P.S. My new address, even though the old one will still work, too:
Corps de la Paix
BP 144 Dosso, Niger
West Africa

The End of Training is Upon Us....

As we approach the end of September, we near the final days of our 11-week pre-service training stage. At times, it is hard to believe we've all been together in Niger for three months; then I realize how far we've come in terms of adjusting and integrating, and I feel so ready to move on!! Here are some long-awaited pics to commemorate PST :)


First night sleeping outdoors, with nothing between me and the Milky Way, except my mosquito net.


CAMEL!!!!!!


A beautiful view of one of Sambera's lakes :) Full of fish and Schistosomiasis!


Visited a Fulani encampment outside the main village. These are truly nomadic people, many of whom had never seen Westerners before! Regardless, they were incredibly welcoming, and provided a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see their daily lives.

I have a ton more pictures here on my computer! One of these days I'll try to put them up on a Flickr account or something - but until then, keep checking back here for updates! Thanks to everyone for the letters and emails of support <3

Love always,
~Mich

Niamey Update

Greetings from Niamey!

This is my first post since coming to Africa, but unfortunately it will have to be a short one - computer time at the Peace Corps Bureau is limited with 33 of us fighting for the internet!

Anyway, everything has been WONDERFUL so far. I am still in pre-service training until September 23, so my days are spent in language class (Zarma) and we don't get much free time. But being in Africa is so exciting; there is always something to do and people to greet! Sadly, I have not yet seen any giraffes, but my small host village does seem to get a lot of camels on market day....

In other news, we recieved our site announcements today! These are the villages where we will spend the two years of our service, our "new homes" in Niger. I am very excited to announce that I will be in Sambera, in the Dosso region - look me up! Just as exciting is my newest furry friend, a small, grey kitten named Mouse. I found her sad and alone in my village, and am working on feeding her and getting her vaccinations before making her my permanent site-buddy :) Adorable pictures soon to come.

In the mean time, please feel free to send me letters! I love to hear from people back home, and even if I can't write back right away, I appreciate every piece of mail I recieve. My address here (at least for the next 2 months of training) is:

Michelle Binger
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 10537
Niamey, Niger
West Africa

Hope to hear from you all soon! Feel free to email and leave posts here, as well, and I will respond as often as I can. Thanks, and look forward to a ton of picture updates soon!!!

Love,
~Michelle

Staging Assignment

Looks like I'll be heading to Philadelphia for staging on the 6th of July! Surprisingly, our fly-out date has been moved from the 9th to the 7th - things are moving along quickly :) I'm ready to go, but there's also soooo much I need to do in less than a month~! *anxious*

On a side note, thank you to everyone at Curves for the warm goodbyes! I will certainly miss working there and seeing my favorite people all week, but I will definitely keep in touch. Please don't hesitate to comment or email me! I'll try my best to respond :)

Here's to the next four weeks, which I know will fly by....

'Til next time,
~Mich