Thierno, Thierno Oumar, and El-Hadj Abdoul. Three of my favorites that always come hang out with me on the porch. Probably one of the cutest pictures ever.

Erich and I and the Dame de Mali (a lady figure in the side of the mountain behind us... very cool).

Dedicated to Stephanie Anderson: view from the top of the Dame de Mali (where I finally got to talk to you on the phone and the day where I thought about nothing except that "mann Stef would love this")

Erich and the group and the solar dryer we built.

Back in September or October or something? Teaching a group in my town how to build a solar dryer.

Leppi as a kitten. She's a bit bigger now, but still totally cute with her awesome tiger-striped legs! haha. P.S. Alice- she eats all the time because I think she's trying to bulk up to be on par with the size of her future husband, Pearl. <3

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

...wellp not really. It doesn't quite LOOK like Christmas. Except for in the room of the PC house that we stayed up till 3am last night decorating with ribbons, snowmen, and snowflakes. It looks like Christmas in there!

So a bunch of us are together for the holidays- originally planning on going to Sierra Leone for the week after Christmas and for New Years, but alas- the president, Lansana Conte, died. And they announced that this morning, so we're all confined to the PC compound until further notice. It's all pretty calm apparently right now, but the military has taken over and the consitution has been suspended(so says the BBC), so we're all just kind of sitting around waiting to see what will happen next. Kind of stinks because some people hadn't left their sites yet, so might not get to make it here for Christmas. Bummer. And the new group of trainees aren't allowed to come in either, so we had a bunch of things planned for them, that now we can't really do. Bummer, and probably going to be a much harder Christmas for them since they just got to country at the beginning of this month and now they're spending Christmas at the training site with their host families and I guess the other PC workers that are there. Kinda stinks for them.

Anywho- Since the last couple times I blogged, I decided I'd start writing things down to remember to blog them when I get internet. As to not let you avid readers down. Ha. So here are some things I've been up to since Thanksgiving!

I'm still working on learning Pular- I have a couple students that come over once a week and we do a little English-Pular exchange, but then there's moments like the one when I found out there are 19 different words for "cow" in Pular. So... I guess it'll take some time before I feel a little mor confident in the language. ha!

I saw my first snake in country- very little. But it was pretty hilarious. My boss for PC came to visit and we were chatting on my porch when we saw the little guy out in front of my house. He was in the middle of trying to eat a frog when the PC driver chucked a large rock at it and killed it. Great moment haha

A typical day in the life of Fatoumata Binta Diallo at site:
-school day: wake up around 6/6:30, eat oatmeal and bananas, bike to school (always the first to arrive... Guinea time is NOT like America time, once people show up, they raise the flag and sing the anthem ("sing" is more like it, because I've actually never heard a line of it. There are about 500 students at school, but they prefer whispering the anthem so I don't really know what it sounds like), teach 8 (8:30 is more like it)-10, then a little break to shmooz with the other teachers before teaching 10:15 (10:30 is more like it)- 12:15. then bike home.
-for lunch I sometimes cook, or eat at a rice bar, at a friend or neighbor's house, or at the missionaries house.
-generally spend a large part of the afternoon sitting around- reading, grading, coloring with crayons, or sitting and listening to tapes with my petit, El-Hadj Abdoul.
- my free time includes a lot of sitting (I'm a professional now), listening to tapes with the little kids that like to hang out around my house, going up the hill to make phone calls, pumping water, visiting missionaries, visiting friends, and watching Leppi, etc.

Just thought I'd try to paint a picture of a day in the life.

Learned how to make attaya one day with my friend Ismael. Attaya is a chinese tea thing that they make that's really tasty and verrry caffeinated.

Two weeks ago was the Fete of Tabaski (Muslim holiday where they celebrated Abraham sacrificing the ram instead of his son). Dates in this country are never really official. So the whole week before, people said the holiday was Tuesday, then Sunday night, someone made some announcement saying that it was Monday. So on Monday, I went to the prayer with everyone (dressed in my new African outfit), neat to observe...though it was kind of odd because there were photographers walking around? and2 of the 3 randomly came up and wanted to take my picture with the older ladies I was sitting with. Kind of awkward? But apparently, not so abnormal? Anywys, then we ate a lot, then zig-zagged through town greeting everyone and their mom with my friend Diaraye (she's a teacher at the primary school and she's awesome. Helps me out a lot). So ate, greeted everyone in town, then ate more, then went home. Tuesday- was also the holiday. Obviously. But, I went to school for funsies to see if anyone would show up- not a soul in sight. My proviseur showed up and we chatted for a bit and he rang the bell as if that would make the students come to school. Then we left. His son came with him on the moto, and his son wasn't even dressed in uniform. So I guess he just came to go through the motions as a little joke. Oh well.

Anyways, day 2 of the holiday, went with Diaraye again and greeted everyone and their mom in the next town over that was about a 1k walk away. Ate about 78 times, greeted about 600 people, and took a nap in some random person's house? Also, apparently not weird... for them at least. Haha.

So the holiday = a week of nothing for me. Went to school on Wednesday- but they also take the "day after the holiday" off... which was Tuesday, Wednesday, maybe Thursday... who knows? So showed up Wednesday, 4 other teachers and approximately 25 students (out of 475 ish) showed up between 8 and 10:30. Sat around and hung out with the teachers for a while before we all went home again. Oh, and because they had a week of kind-of-school, the next Monday, they scheduled their PTA meeting at 10, so the kids would get out early then too. Good thing they don't need to be in class or anything. Anywhooo C'est la Guinee.

Went to a cookout out the missionaries house- had hot dogs, shmores, and planned on watching the meteor shower in the wee hours of the morning, but the moon was full and super bright all night. So, no meteor shower, but good times nonetheless. Conor and Lisa came in for it too, so we had a great time and played Holiday charades and ate well. Also, got to watch It's a Wonderful Life the next morning. Which was heart warming and also kind of sad? Miss you guys.

Recently, found out about some weddings in my town. Asked my friends about it and if they were students that got married. Answer was yes. A girl in my 9th grade class is now the 3rd wife of someone and no longer going to be in school. Another girl in SIXTH grade got married, but it's ok, she failed twice, so she SHOULD be in 8th grade... that's totally old enough. Ugh. Sad state for these young girls. Wish they'd stay in school.

Anywho. That's about all I have for now. We decorated the crap out of our PC house here for Christmas, but as much as I'm glad I have my PC family here to celebrate with, still wish I could be with you all. Also wish I didn't have to wear flip flops and no sleeves, but oh well. We made fake snow and sit in the air conditioning while were here to try to feel like winter :)

Love you and miss you all- even more during the holiday season. Really grateful that I have all of you in my life though and know that I'm thinking of you constantly! Call me anytime, because I, in theory, have cell phone reception for the next 2 weeks ish.

Again, love and miss you. Holidays just aren't the same without you, but hope they're the merriest for you all over there!

love
rach

Happy Turkey day!

Hey ohhh

I'm trying to think of exciting things to tell you, but life has been pretty normal for my life in Africa. So site is good. Schools going well. This week more than half of the teachers were out of town, leaving the students with a, shall we say, relaxed schedule. I got a ride into Labe with our Doc who came to make some site visits. We're going to try to recreate an american holiday in africa. I'll let you know how it goes.

For now, I'm trying to load pics, but the internet, and computer, are kind of frustrating and terribly slow. Hopefully I'll get to load at least a couple. A Guinean fete, Tabaski, is coming up. So I'm getting a new outfit made- should be sweet. Guineans get new outfits for every holiday, so it's only natural that I do the same.

A random fact: Guineans turn off their cars/motos when they're going down hill. Random. But, true.

Welp, don't have much exciting news, so keep me posted on your lives and have a happy turkey day! eat some baconf or me!

loove you

Oh!

And now I have a kitten!!

She's adorable and has biked more in this country than I have. Erich brought her down from his site as a gift for my bday. She's cute but meows sooooo much but hopefully with age that'll settle down. Her name's Leppi (which is atype of fabric they sell mainly up near Erich's site). She's cute and eats bugs and gives me someone to talk to in my house instead of just me! haha

love you all

First month at site...Success!

And by success, I mean filled with highs and lows. Obviously.

Been at my site for a month now and approaching my 4 monthiversary of being in Guinea. Site is good. I like my town a lot and have made a few crucial friends. There are a couple of missionary families in my town, so they have been INFINITELY helpful and just reassuring to have around. One is a Doctor (Dr. Pepper- no joke) and both families have just been so great and they definitely spoil me when I stop by.

Some of my friends came to visit for my birthday weekend, so that was really good. We killed a chicken and fried it in old bay and made old bay fries (is there any other way?) the chicken was, well, lots of skin and little meat. But that's because chickens in Guinea walk around and eat whatever they find. We should've bought it a couple weeks earlier and had it sit and eat fattening things so we could've gotten a little more meat off it. But at least it was fried with old bay, right??

Thank you so much to all the birthday letters and packages that also made my birthday lovely! I can't say I didn't have a minor meltdown the day before my birthday reading about all of your shenanigans in America, but this life comes with the highs and lows, am I right? But, yes. Thank you all sooo much.

So school started. It isn't the anomaly we all thought. Though, I still wake up every morning finding it hard to motivate myself to be on time when I know no matter what time I get there, I'll still beat most students and most teachers there. But, nevertheless, classes have started and are going pretty well. The biggest frustrations I think come from the education system (lack thereof?) because there are still teachers that don't show up- so where is the motivation for students? Anyways. I show up and I teach and that's the most I can do on that front. Classes are ogood tho and people are motivated to learn English so I've already started a couple informal review sessions with some girls in my classes (and some that just want to learn).

When school didn't start the day they said it would, I was obviously frustrated. But, Erich was in town and we set up to teach a group of women and a couple men how to build a solar dryer and how to make jam so they can conserve products for when the season passes. And that was probably one of the most rewarding experiences so far. The group was so motivated to learn about it and their minds were totally blown with the fact that once you put the jam in a jar and seal it, it can last up to 3 months. Really cool to see Guineans motivated to better their own standings. Really really cool.

So, site is good. I'm in Labe now for Halloween (party tonight) and then a meeting Saturday. Hopefully I can find a ride back to site Sunday... transportation and communication in this country leave a little to be desired, to say the least.

But, I'm doing well. I of course miss you all terribly and can't wait to get some updates! I've been starting to bike more (to neighboring towns) so thats been cool too. Keep me posted on your lives and sorry I couldn't load pictures this time, I forgot to bring my camera cord when I left the house this morning!!

LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEN!!!!! And keep being the amazing people that you are!! <3

Me, Carolina, Tiffany and some students from the 12eme class of Practice School. This was the End-of-Practice-School Awards Ceremony.

Turn your head to the right, and you'll see Fatoumata Binta Diallo 1 and 2 in matching complets. This was taken this morning at the Goodbye Ceremony in Forecariah before we left our families.

The Diallo Family, minus the dad. Binta holding Ibrahim, me holding Dalanda, my mom, and bro Saidou. This morning at the Goodbye Ceremony.

My home for the next two years! My Proviseur is on the far right, the Directeur de la Sous-prefecture de l'education is on my other side, and on the far left is Ousmane Sow, the Peace Corps drive for the Fouta region, and also, the man.

Two days away from Swearing in!!

Helllooo long lost blog-readers!! Hope you're all doing well!!

This is the first time I've had internet access in, well, you can tell, a while.

But, I'm done training! In Conakry now, getting ready to set up for our lives as real PC Volunteers! We swear-in as Volunteers on Friday, so until then, we're living the life, opening bank accounts, and shopping for necessities to live at site!

G-16: started training with 25, swearing in with 25! I'm so proud of us all! Everyone made it through and we're just an awesome group! So many cool people and all really motivated!

Training is done, had to say goodbye to our host families this morning, which was kind of sad. I think we were all ready to move on, but still sad to say goodbye to the people. Definitely ready to have more control over our schedules and our daily lives tho. My family was awesome so hopefully I'll get to go back and visit sometime! My homonym (Binta) and I wore matching complets for the ceremony, so that was clearly adorable. I gave the thank you/goodbye speech in Pular so that was fun. I didn't really write it. But I read it! and apparently people understood it! So hooray!!

Tomorrow we do banking stuff, Friday we swear in and [arty, Saturday shopping and party and then Sunday we head out to our various locations around the country. I'm hopefully going to be able to post a few pics on here so you all can get a glimpse into my African life.

It's been so long since I've posted, so I don't really know what all to tell you guys! Met one of the professors from the high school I'll be teaching at. He seems pretty cool. My high school is apparently approx 400 students, out of which 100 ish are girls. No other female teachers, and no other English teachers. We move into site in a week or so, and then school starts Oct 15 (supposedly, but we'll see). So that gives us a few weeks to work on making our house a home- our little mini American/oasis to escape from Guinea if need be. I can always bike an hour or so tho to see another volunteer if I get too lonely, so I'm lucky for that!

Love you all and miss you soo much! It's a bummer to be missing the birthdays, holidays, and just regular days, but I know I'm living those over here with a new group of people too. It's weird that it's already late September, since seasons here aren't really changing, so I still feel like it's summer! Weird. I think I'll really miss the fall and winter- especially come holiday time! But oh well, c'est la vie en Guinee!

Doing really well over here! Everyday makes me glad I chose to do the Peace Corps- even if I miss some things at home and DEFINITELY the people (not to mention the BACON NIGHT AT A BAR IN PITTSBURGH THAT KAREEM JUST TOLD ME ABOUT!!). But! Guinea is great and I'm doing well and staying healthy! (knock on wood!)

LOVE YOU GUYS! KEEP IN TOUCH!