Letter to Family #1

7/31/07

Hey guys! Hope everything in the States is going well for all of you. Things are just fine here; no need to worry! By the time you get this letter, you should have received an email from the Peace Corps letting you know that we arrived safe and sound with no problems. For the most part, everything has run smoothly since we arrived. I have already seen and learned so much! I'll give you a quick run through of the cool and not-so-cool things that have taken place since our arrival on Friday.

We met many of the Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and Admins at the airport before heading to the country director's place. We had a short welcome speech and introduction by some of the staff as well as a few American snacks...

Okay, we just had our first health lesson so I had to stop writing for a bit. The topic was diarrhea - fun stuff! Anyway, we took a 30-minute ride from the capital to our compound and got there around dusk. We took our luggage to our rooms and set up the mosquito nets over our beds outside. After dinner, we were all exhausted from the long day so I spent my first night in Niger on a mattress on top a wooden cot with only a net between me and the sky. It is beautiful out here... You can see forever! There are no tall structures (other than a large cell phone tower and the mosque in the village) in sight. The sunsets are like nowhere I have ever seen.

Day 2 was fun. We had a cultural fair during the afternoon were we learned some of the everyday activities and jobs of local Nigeriens. We saw a band, women pounding millet into flour, a rope maker, a barber, a traditional medicine man, a mat maker and a sandal maker. It was really neat being able to interact with the Nigeriens. That evening, we watched a performance by some men and women from the Wodabi tribe who live in northern Niger. They painted their faces and did a traditional dance where the men roll their eyes and show their teeth in order to attract women (the same performance I saw on the National Geographic channel!) It was great! We got to take pictures with them afterwards.

There was a big rainstorm that evening and our sheets and mattresses got very damp, so it was a little uncomfortable sleeping that night. Sunday was a pretty good time - a bunch of logistics and training for the different things we would have to do while living with our host family, such as taking a bucket bath, using a squat toilet, washing our socks/underwear, etc. (Note: they have showers and real toilets on the compound.) On Sunday evening, our families came to the compound and we followed them back to their home (concession).

This guy named Frease is my roommate there. He's another trainee in my stage group and he's from Washington.

The first night was a little rough because I know very little Zarma so there was hardly any communication. I also had to use the squat latrine for the first time, which was not a fun experience. Just imagine a hole in the ground and that's it...you just squat and try to keep your balance. The bucket bath isn't bad, though. Just a cup and a bucket of water and you bathe...

On Monday we had our first language class, which was very helpful. It made my second night with my host family much more productive. We also broke up into our different sectors (mine being health) and had an overview, shared ideas between the trainees (us), the PCVs (current volunteers), and the APCD (director for health). I really got a better idea of my job duties and the difficulties I will encounter at post. We played soccer after class during our free time (5:00 to 6:00 p.m.) which was great. Today (Tuesday) we went to the market and I bought some fabric to make a few handkerchiefs with. I need to go later and buy some laundry detergent.

I guess that's all for now. No sickness yet but in sha ailah (God willing) it won't happen. Please write soon! I love you all! Take care! James a.k.a. Riduan