Crystal's letter 3/13/08

Hi everyone!

I'm alive... and finally can access the internet!

I won't have internet access within 400 km of my post, so don't count on me sending you too many emails from this address. However, my Peace Corps email address is konnipcv@intnet.ne just make sure to put my name in the subject line so it will go to me. I can check mail from the peace corps address in Konni, which is 12 km from my village, it's just that it's a dial-up situation and the computer doesn't always have electricity and I can't accept huge videos or photos. But I'll be able to check that email pretty often; it's just that I can't surf the net.

I have a cell phone. I've tried texting all of you but haven't received a response, and that could be caused by a myriad of things - the shady cell provider here that doesn't always work, or you may have to check with your cell provider to see if you're able to receive international text messages. My cell # is 011.227.95824898 It's free for me to receive calls and messages, so contact away! Mom and dad, could you give my # to Djam if you talk to him soon?

Mom, I got Aunt Sue's package yesterday and it was AWESOME! It was a rough day because we had our final language proficiency exam (LPI) and I'm also suffering from a cold (stupid wind kicking up dust everywhere) so I did a lot of sleeping and then struggled through my exam. But Aunt Sue's package made me smile and I loved the candy and my host family was really impressed with the bracelet she gave me. Today we got the results of our LPI and I passed! I'm surprised because 8 people out of 33 didn't pass, and I thought they would just go easy on everyone and let us all pass no matter what, but they didn't. So I'm lucky to have passed my exam. :) Now I speak Hausa at an intermediate-mid level. Ya yi kyau!

Okay, so I'm wondering if you could grant me a huge favor. When I send you letters or emails, could you copy/paste or type them into my blog? I'm going to give you all access to it. I want to keep my friends and family updated but it's really hard when I never have access to the internet.

As for life here... it's great! We're almost done with training and I'll be swearing in tomorrow, friday, night. I love Niger. The people are wonderful and the food is somewhat good depending on who's cooking it and you definitely get used to a different way of life. I wish I could give you tons of details but I really need to update my blog now! Mom, I'm hoping my camera is on its way here. :) My new address is:

Crystal Pilon, PCV
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 89
Konni, Niger
West Africa

Love,
Crystal

Alive and kicking!

Hi everyone, I'm back. For a few minutes. I had to wait three hours to use a computer with internet access, so here I am! Hopefully I can finagle a way to keep in contact more often, but it's not easy.

Niger is great. It's hot, it's sunny, and I've had some good adventures so far - riding a camel, seeing giraffes in the bush, riding a bush taxi (imagine 30 people crammed in the back of a small-size pickup truck), eating Nigerien food (rice and sauce, gristly meat, tuwo), learning Hausa, climbing mesas... it's been fun. Tomorrow I'm getting sworn in as a PC volunteer (yay!) so training will finally be over. Then I'm moving to my village, which has about 600 people in it and is 12 km from the nearest market. Good times!

I can't stay long, but I thought I'd drop a line. Hope everyone's doing well! I would love to get some mail from you all!

It's gonna be a while

I'm here at staging in Philadelphia, and I learned that while we are training in Hamdallaye (pronounced "Hum-da-lye".. and while we're talking about pronunciation, I should mention that the capital of Niger, Niamey, is pronounced "Knee-emm-ay") we won't have access to computers or telephones for the first six weeks. So this is the last you'll hear from me in a while.

I've learned the answers to some popular questions that I didn't know before.

• Vaccinations - Hepatitis A and B, rabies, yellow fever, along with MMR, tdap, and Polio
• Will I be alone? - yes, I will be alone in my village. However, a fellow volunteer may be in a nearby village.
• Languages? - I don't know what language I'll have to learn, but it will be either Hausa or Zarma. If I get to my site and realize people are speaking a language different from Hausa or Zarma, I'll get some training in that, too.
• Training - so we'll get to Hamdallaye and spend 10 weeks there learning about the language and local culture. Then we'll go to our individual posts, spend some time there (a month or so?) then come back to Hamdallaye (I think?) for more technical training.

About staging (that's where I'm at now) - there are 34 people in my group, all of which are forestry or agriculture volunteers. The oldest are a couple of married couples that seem to be in their early thirties, and everyone else is in their twenties. These people are awesome! They come from all walks of life (from an art major to a veternarian to an economy major), but they all have done something forestry-related, whether it be working in a nursery or managing an apple orchard. I think I'm the only one with a specific forestry-related degree. I'm having a great time hanging with my peeps - everyone is upbeat, excited, creative, and has the same anxieties as me (i.e. learning the local language), and it's so great that we have something so major in common. The energy of my fellow trainees is refreshing and a bit different from people in at my old workplace (no offense, FPL-ers).

The Peace Corps has done a really nice job with the staging, too. We cover a lot of boring topics (Risk Management, Policies, etc.) but they make it fun by including a lot of games and activities. My favorite was when we split up into four groups (music, writing, art, and dance) and each gave a performance about a Peace Corps experience. Since I suck at dancing and wouldn't consider myself a writer or artist, I chose the music group. We grouped with the dancers and played a song using random materials from around the room (water glasses, ice bucket, Nalgene bottle) while they did this KICK-ASS dance. We only had about 20 minutes to get our performance together and I can't believe they came up with such a great, choreographed dance in such a short amount of time. Everyone was really impressed.

Tonight we are leaving for Niger. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm happy to be around such wonderful people. It's going to be a blast! Hope to talk again soon.

Peace Corps Girl

Me with my Peace Corps haircut...


Wearing my Peace Corps clothes...


With (part of) my wonderful family...






Au revoir!

Packing List

Luggage

• Camp Trails Blackjack backpack
  

• Duluth Trading Co satchel
• Tote bag for carry-on
  
• Some kind of duffel bag

Clothing

• Windbreaker
• 3 pairs underwear (black)
• 3 pairs black socks
• 3 sports bras (not white)
  
• My three favorite t-shirts - my yellow "Hair" t-shirt, my green "So-Co Music Fest" tee, and my red "United Way Day of Caring" t-shirt
• Two beautiful collared Duluth Trading Co. nylon-poly shirts, given to me by Kolby (light blue and light green)
  
• One pair of lightweight khaki convertible pants/shorts
• Two long skirts (khaki and navy blue)
• One fleece sweatshirt
• One pair of jeans
• One Sunday Afternoons adventure hat and a Peace Corps baseball cap
• Bathing suit

Shoes

• One pair Chaco sandals
• One pair Merrill tennis shoes w/ Superfeet insoles
  

Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items

• Hand towel
• Small camping towel
• Three-month supply of medication
• Soap container with Aveeno oatmeal soap
• Pantene travel-size shampoo and conditioner
• Various Burt's Bees travel-size lotions and creams
• Earplugs
• Q-tips
• Toothbrush, travel toothpaste, Glide floss
• Hair ties
• Tweezers and nail clippers
• Facial lotion with SPF 45
• 2 disposable razors
• Compact mirror
• Tampons and maxi pads

Kitchen and utility

• Pocket knife
• Can opener
• Two 1-qt Nalgene water bottles
• Zip-loc bags of various sizes
• Twist ties
• Length of rope
• 6 clothespins
• Scissors
• Lithium AA batteries for digital camera (12) (would bring less but not sure if lithium batteries can be found in Niger)
  
• AAA batteries (12) (don't take up much room)
• LED light keychain
• Whistle
• Watch
• Mini maglite flashlight with LED bulb
• Sewing kit with extra safety pins
• Bandana
• Cooling neck wrap (you soak it in water and it stays cool)
  

Sleeping

• Sleeping bag
  
• Two full-size flat sheets, in maroon
• One pillowcase

Misc items:

• 35 mm camera with film
• Extra 35 mm camera battery
• Digital camera (broken right now but parents will send it when it's fixed)
• 2 memory cards for camera
• USB digital camera-card reader
• Cards and stationary
• Stamps
• Calendar of Michigan scenes
• Manila envelopes (6)
• Padded small manila envelopes (3)
  

Items for spare time:

• Books - romantic poetry, book on Niger, random paperbacks from the garage
• Playing cards
• One cross-stitch pattern with thread
• Small photo album filled with photos of family and friends
  
• Harmonica
• Travel journal
• 2 composition books with gel pens
• mp3 player (contains 2 folders - one with reggae, the other with Bob Dylan, Elvis, Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and Elvis Costello)
• Mini speakers for mp3 player
• Gnome Away From Home

• Peppad (my long, yellow pillow thingy that I sleep with)
• Color-by-numbers kit of animal pictures (using colored pencils)
  

If I have the room:

• Pajama pants
  
• Dalai Lama book (hardcover)
• MRE (ready-to-eat military meal)
• Food

The Peace Corps will provide:

• First Aid kit
• Bug dope
• Sunscreen
  
• Mosquito net
• Screens for windows
• Gas stove
• Money

To my AGD girls...

I must be in a sentimental mood tonight. I've finished my work for the day (writing a million letters to banks, HR people, etc. and starting the packing process) and now I'm having a beer, listening to Law and Order, and reading my friends' blogs. A lot of big events have occurred in my girls' lives, and I'm so happy to have been a part of them.

I am going to miss all my friends so much. I know that when I'm in Niger and not having good internet opportunities I'll be wondering what you all are up to...

• AJ, I will miss seeing pictures of Ava and Noah! I've always appreciated your sense of humor and will miss your funny posts. I will also miss seeing Ava and Noah get older.
  
• I can't wait to see what Peanut (Alanna and Jocko's baby) looks like! I am so glad Alanna will finally have a chance to be a mommy. I will also miss Alanna's awesome sense of humor and funny posts and pictures of Zippy.
  
• I will miss hearing about Skrubby's adventures, whether they be at wildfires across the country or working on her house in MN. I will also miss seeing your great pictures (especially of the cute guys)!
• I'm going to miss hearing about Cat's life in Houghton with Brenty and Bradley and baby #2. I regret that I won't be able to see pictures of baby #2 while I'm in Niger.
• And then there's the newlyweds, Dana and Josh. I hope to see more from you two in the future! :) I like hearing about your adventures in Seattle. You guys would be "the" couple to hang out with because you are so much fun!
  
• I think Danielle is living what sounds like a great life in Colorado. I wish I could come out there and visit and you could teach me how to ride. :) If you come to Niger, I bet you could ride a camel!
• Diana and Jason, congratulations on the birth of your new son, Bret! He is adorable and I love hearing your mommyhood stories, Diana. You will do a great job being a mom!
• Erika, I wish I could write like you. You are so clear, so concise, and so witty. Being an independent, smart woman, I know you will be successful in this world, both as a working woman and as a mother to Alex. I know things will go well for you and I will miss your bus-riding stories and pictures of your cute little one. And good luck with those vegan cakes.
  
• Erin, your kids are absolutely beautiful and I will miss reading stories about your life. I am totally impressed with your dedication to philanthropic activities. There should be more people like you in this world.
• FB, even though you don't post often, when I read your posts I can imagine you telling the story on the AGD couch. I always get a kick reading about your latest experience and like the pictures of Cali.
• Heather A., I have always appreciated your funny stories and your perspective on life, and I love the pictures of Carter all decked out in stylish clothes (and Lulu, too!). I also like hearing your travel stories, like how the American food in Spain is all wrong. Congratulations to you and Kus and best wishes to you both.
  
• Heather S., I like hearing about your life. I barely knew you in college but over these last couple of years I feel like I've had a chance to get to know you through your blog. You are a strong, independent woman and you deserve only the best. I also love owning a house vicariously through you.
• Yay for Jackie, the future Mrs. Joel! Congratulations to you! I am so amazed that both of my freshmen year roomies are settling down already. :) You are a brilliant woman and I know you'll make it far in the world.
  
• Jericho, I'm so sorry I won't be able to make it to your wedding next year. Congratulations to you and Kevin! It's about freakin' time! I will always remember your crazy sense of humor, your cat Ringo (and the time I stepped on him) and hanging out in Chicago. You guys should honeymoon in Niger. You know it's your dream to hang out in a mud hut.
• Jenni, I love your witty sense of humor and your fun-loving spirit. I also think you are very smart and totally dig your quirkiness (i.e. the potato chip experiment). Have lots of fun in lower MI and good luck with Brad.
• Hi Jori, I doubt you're reading this, but I just wanted to let you know that I love you and Souva and am happy you tied the knot (though I'm sorry I missed the wedding). I can't wait to hear about Baby Souva.. hopefully there will be one by the time I get back in 2010. So get to work on that, you two!
• And to Kara and Josh.. wow, the parents of two beautiful and much-loved baby girls are having another! Let's just hope it's not going to be twins again.. that could be quite a handful (and a lot of bedrest for you, Kara). Congratulations to you both and I'm sorry I won't be able to see a picture of your little one when he/she is born.
• Karen, you are a seriously talented, motivated, and driven person. I love the fact that you took the extra time to go to college after MTU to become an architect, and on top of that you have a business! Someday when you are a famous designer I hope you remember all the little people...
• Katie and Josh - I love hearing about your lives and love the pictures of your house. I'm so sorry I had to miss your wedding last summer. Katie, when you finish your book I would love to read it. I'm going to miss your great blog entries.
• Laura S., I am sorry I will have to miss out on a chunk of your and your family's life. Your children are beautiful and it sounds like you and Case are doing really well down there on the farm. I love the piglet pictures in the spring! You are an awesome, down-to-earth woman with a great sense of humor and always a good piece of advice.
• Lesley? Lesley, are you there? I know we haven't heard from you lately, so hopefully moving to Wisconsin was okay for you (you know, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein are from there and who knows how many other crazy people, ha ha). Anyway, I think you are an awesome person for taking care of foster animals and yeah, keep reading.
• Maria, your life sounds like so much fun that I'm sure I will wish I could be living vicariously through you while I'm in Niger. And I'm sure I could.. if I only had a computer with an internet connection! So in the meantime, I will have to daydream about what kind of jetsetting adventures you are on (Hawaii? Colorado?) and wish I could be there with you.
• Mel, you have always been my mom in my mind, though you now have some little ones of your own. I remember with fondness the good times we had in college (watching bet sigs play hockey, hanging out at phi kaps, french onion soup at the Library) and you will always be a part of those memories. Your boys are beautiful and you make an awesome mommy!
• Melissa, what am I going to do without my daily fix of Justin pictures? He is such an adorable little boy and I will miss seeing him grow. I love the witty captions you come up with, too. You and Rob are awesome and I'm sad that if you give Justin a brother or sister I won't be around to know!
• Randi! You are one of the sweetest, most caring people I know. You would drop anything to help a friend in need, and that is a rare quality in a person. You are deeply loyal to your homies and I respect that. Thank you for all your support. I'm sorry we didn't get together more often when I still lived in Wisconsin. I hope that by the time I get back you and Mark will be engaged! :)
  
• Laura Sk! It's so cool that you are blogging about your life in Washington. It's so amazing that you went on to get your PhD before the age of 27 (or 26?). You were always serious about school in college but had time to have fun, too, and I respect that. Don't let the jerks get you down - remember that you are not worth the bullshit and by the time I get back maybe you will be with a good one.
• Sonya, you are a beautiful person and I've always admired your love for animals. I'm glad you guys adopted Olive and maybe someday you and Ben can tie the knot and make some babies of your own. ;)
• Stephie, your job sounds like so much fun! I can just see you out there partying with the parents of your kids and all the old guys trying to hit on you.. Anyway, congratulations on finding a great guy and having a great job. It sounds like your life is going really well. You have always been optimistic and that's something I admire in you.
• Yeimy, you and Scott are like the story-book couple. He's sweet and romantic, you are beautiful and successful... I'm happy I've had the chance to get to know you by reading your blog. I think your next trip should be to Africa!

So yeah, that's my message to all my college ladies out there. I'm going to miss you guys. You've always been so supportive and given me advice when I needed it most. I know it's important to have a support group that you can turn to, and I feel like you are it.

Love,
Crystal

If you want to send me stuff...

This will be my Niger address:

Crystal Pilon
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 10537
Niamey, Niger

However, it will change in March. I will keep you posted.

I don't know what you should send me, because right now I have no idea what I'll want or need. I'm trying to take care of that right now as I'm packing! However, by reading other Peace Corps blogs (like this one), these items are popular:

• Cheese
• Meat
• Drink mixes and packaged spice mixes (like mac & cheese powder, lipton soup powders, etc.)
  
• Any kind of pictures
• Padded manila envelopes
• Nice toiletries
• Trashy magazines (my favorite magazine, though it's not trashy, is Vanity Fair)
  
• Dried fruit and veggies
• Fast food sauce packets, any kind
• Peanut M&Ms and Rolos (the only chocolate that can withstand the heat!)

Oh, and a few pointers about sending stuff to Africa.. the mail system in many African countries isn't as, how do we say this.. "private" as the one here in the U.S. If you send something and don't want people going through it and stealing stuff, make sure to put it (a) in a tampon box, (b) in a box with maxi pads laid over the contents, or (c) when you are describing the contents of the package, say it includes "important Christian materials" or "pencils." If people see that the contents are "food, digital camera, film, etc." they will probably want to steal it. Also, I read that boxes are taxed a lot more than envelopes, so if you can get away with sending something in a padded envelope you will probably save some money. My dad mentioned how his colleague would open a box of mac and cheese and empty it into a manila envelope to send to her kid in the Peace Corps.

Another thing - I also heard if you write on the box "Sister Crystal of the Church of Grayling" (or whatever) and write things like "God bless you" and "we missed you in church last week" and other religious things, people will assume I'm a boring missionary and there won't be juicy goodies in the box worth stealing. :)

No guarantees on updating my blog while I'm there, but if I can, I will!

P.S. Note to all you Google Reader users.. you should check out my real blog page for updated info and a cool poll!

Wrapping things up

You wouldn't believe how much work it is leaving your life in America for over two years. Can you imagine paying all your bills, working with your health insurance company to get a 3-month supply of medication, stopping automatic payments from your checking account, selling your car and canceling your insurance policy, giving someone Power of Attorney, filling out a living will, and canceling anything else that you tend to on a regular basis? It's been crazy. And on top of that, people want to hang out with me, call me, and perhaps expect me to write them letters before I go. Unfortunately I don't have time for that.

A lot of crises have come up, too. A week ago I didn't think I was going because the USDA didn't do their job of sending my official government passport to the Department of State so that I could get a new passport for the Peace Corps. It finally went through monday, but I'm still not a guaranteed "go" yet. Yesterday I didn't think I was going because Forest Service Human Capital Management didn't do THEIR job and I wasn't going to have the required 3-month supply of medication for my trip. Fortunately my parents were willing to fork over $500+ to buy my medication at full cost. Today I'm ticked because the guy that was supposed to buy my truck fell through, and now my truck's in Ohio and I still owe $5000 on it. And the heating element in our dryer died, so it takes 4 hours to dry a load of laundry.

I guess my parents have their work cut out for them, dealing with the guy in Ohio. But I think I'll have a whole new set of things to worry about next week! And a lot of excitement, too.

Tonight's Dinner:
Homemade pizza cooked on my new Pampered Chef pizza stone

FIRE UP PILON

"FIRE UP PILON" - that's the subject of the email I just got from Zach (a former boyfriend of mine, for those who don't know). He would say that to me in just about any situation, whether it be getting ready to go to the store or just randomly as I'd walk by.

Speaking of firing up, I can't say I'm too fired up about Huckaby winning the Iowa caucus. He seems like a real fruitcake. As for Democrats, I like them all. I'd be happy if a democrat won the election period, regardless of who it is (though Obama is my favorite).

A quick family poll revealed that the majority of Americans think John Edwards is cuter than Barack Obama.

Anyhoo, I'm getting fired up for my trip next week. I spent the day redeeming the wonderful iTune giftcard my sister and her family gave me, and then I loaded up my mp3 player with lots of good songs. My finances are kind of taken care of; I think I will see if I get more of my paycheck tomorrow and hopefully will have more things arranged before I go (otherwise my parents will have to pay some of my bills).

Lastly, some pictures from my trip to CA:

My nephew, Christopher, had his first encounter with Santa.


He's so cute!


His mama's cute, too.


Chris with his namesake:


Tonight's Dinner:
Seasoned rice
Oven-baked chicken tenders
Green salad with avocado

You should visit me in Niger

From the Peace Corps:

Information and Advice for Families and Friends Planning
to Visit Niger

The following points of information and advice have been compiled from various sources (previous visitors, former Volunteers, staff, etc.) for people planning to visit Peace Corps Volunteers in Niger. Visitors and Volunteers have learned that advance planning, communication between the Volunteer and visitor, and flexibility are very important aspects of a successful and satisfying trip. We hope that the suggestions and information below will be helpful. You may also wish to consult various travel books such as The Lonely Planet’s Africa on a Shoestring, or West Africa on a Shoestring.

Please note that Trainees are not allowed to have visitors during pre-service training, which takes place during the first few months in Niger. After swearing-in as Volunteers, they should not take leave from their post for vacation for the first three months. Visits from family members and others during this time often have a negative impact on the Volunteer's successful settling-in and integration into their community and their work. Thus, visits should be planned to occur well into the Volunteer's service and not during peak work seasons. We recommend a visit at some point during the second year of service.

1. Planning. Start planning at least six months before departure since several things have to be done sequentially which can add up to several weeks/months. Keep in mind that communication takes a long time, so arranging the logistics through the mail will require a lot of lead time. Make sure that the timing of your visit is convenient for the Volunteer you are visiting. A Volunteer's primary obligation is to her/his job assignment, so be sure that your visit will not disrupt any work plans.

2. Passport. If you do not already have a passport, obtain a passport application and application instructions from a post office or a travel agent. To apply for a passport, you will need the completed application with two passport photos and the application fee.

3. Visa. To apply for a visa to Niger, obtain an application from the Nigerien Embassy, 2204 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008; website at http://www.nigerembassyusa.org/embassy.html; their phone number is (202) 483-4224/7, and their fax number is (202) 483-3169. After completing the application, send three copies with original signatures to the Embassy with your passport, three passport photos, W.H.O. records showing the required yellow fever vaccination (see below), the application fee, and a copy of either your tickets or your detailed flight itinerary. You will be issued a single entry visa only, unless you specifically request multiple entry. You must have a multiple entry visa if you plan to leave Niger and return during the period of the visa’s validity. Be sure to call the Embassy and verify with them that procedures have not changed since this mailing.

It is our understanding that the Embassy does not have the means to return your passport to you and you must send a pre-paid express mail envelope. If you are in the D.C. area, you can pickup your passport at the Embassy.

Separate visas are required for almost all African countries you may plan to visit, except for intermediate stops where you will not go outside the terminal while en route to or from Niger. Each embassy requires that you send your passport with the visa application, so you can only apply for one visa at a time.

You can consolidate and expedite your passport and visa applications if necessary by going through a private company that handles it for you for an additional fee. (Ask a travel agent for details.)

4. Health. In order to enter Niger, you must get a yellow fever shot and have it logged in a World Health Organization (W.H.O.) medical card. For more information on what additional shots are required or recommended, contact your local health board or the Division of Immunization at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 639-1870, (www.cdc.gov).

You should also plan to take anti-malarial prophylactic drugs (such as mefloquine) during your stay in Niger. Contact the Malaria Hotline at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 639-1610 or (www.cdc.gov) for information on what drug(s) to take and where you can get them.

While in Niger, precautions must be taken with food preparation and water treatment. Drink only water that has been filtered and chlorinated or boiled. Vegetables should also be soaked in a dilute iodine or chlorine solution if they are not being cooked. Your Volunteer family member will receive extensive training on how to prepare food and treat water and will be able to advise you once you arrive in country.

You should be aware that there are some health risks related to traveling in Niger, and medical facilities there are not comparable to facilities in the U.S. By law, Peace Corps medical staff cannot care for family members or friends who require medical attention while in Niger. We strongly suggest that you consider extra insurance with emergency evacuation coverage from a company such as International SOS Assistance, Inc. (P.O. Box 11568, Philadelphia, PA 19116, 1-800-523-8930 or 215-244-1500 in PA).

5. Money. The unit of currency in Niger is the CFA (1 USD=~519 CFA). Travelers’ checks are recommended. You may want to take at least some travelers checks in Euros, since switching US dollars to CFA in Niamey can be more expensive than switching dollars to Euros in the U.S. and then Euros to CFA in Niamey. Some of the big (and expensive) hotels in Niamey will accept credit cards. Note: There is no American Express office in Niger. The best person to answer questions about money (and how much to take) is the Volunteer whom you are planning to visit or the Administrative Officer at post (best reached by email: AO@ne.peacecorps.gov). Individual circumstances differ and practices change, therefore post can provide better information on a case-by-case basis.

6. Baggage. Have all your suitcases locked. On most airlines, you are allowed 80 pounds of baggage per passenger for trips from the United States to Europe, but only 20 kg (44 lbs) for intra-European or African flights. Therefore, you may be charged an excess baggage fee for anything over 44 lbs from Europe to Africa unless you check your baggage through to Africa directly from the U.S. (If you check baggage all the way through, be sure the baggage ticket has all appropriate code letters for the trip; the code for the airport in Niamey is NIM, and the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is CDG.) Consult your airline/travel agent for further info.

7. Flight Check-In. If you fly through Paris, arrive at the check-in counter for the flight to Niamey at least two hours before scheduled departure. Airlines start checking passengers in then and you may not be able to get a seat assignment until this time. The check-in process goes very slowly, so be prepared to stand in line for a long time. Most airlines will not allow large carry-on bags.

8. Arrival in Niamey. You must have both your passport and W.H.O. card for immigration when arriving at the Niamey airport. Only French and local languages are spoken at the airport, so ask the Volunteer you are visiting to try to have someone meet you at the airport. You may have to open all bags for inspection. Each bag will be marked with an “X” in chalk to show it has been inspected. Be sure that they mark it plainly since this “X” will be verified again at the exit. Try to keep all your bags in sight once they come into the baggage area. There will be men pressing to carry your bags for payment. Carry your bags yourself if you can. If not, negotiate a price with one person before allowing anyone to take your bags. If no one is going to meet you at the airport, get instructions ahead of time from the Volunteer on how to take a taxi to your next destination. Above all, try to be prepared for a very hectic airport scene.

9. Accommodations. Your best source of information about where to stay is the Volunteer whom you are planning to visit. The Hotel Sofitel Gaweye is recommended by Peace Corps staff in country.

10. Photos. Picture taking is highly restricted in Niamey and you should ask permission before taking any photos. Photos are never allowed at the airport or any military installation. The same policy applies to camcorders.

11. Identification and Registration. During the course of your stay in Niger, you may have to show your passport to the police several times, therefore you should carry it with you in a safe place at all times. If you stay in any village, you must register with the local police where they will check your passport and stamp it with the local seal just like most countries do when you enter or exit the country. This should not be a big inconvenience; it just takes time and patience.

12. Other Resources.

www.countrywatch.com
On this site, you can learn anything from what time it is in Niamey to information about converting currency from the dollar to the CFA franc. Just click on Niger and go from there.

www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
Visit this site to learn all you need to know about any country in the world from a traveler’s perspective.

www.psr.keele.ac.uk/official.htm
This site includes links to all the official sites for governments of countries around the world.

www.geography.about.com/science/geography/library/maps/
This online World Atlas includes maps and geographical information about countries around the world. Each country page contains links to other sites, such as the Library of Congress, that contain comprehensive historical, social, and political backgrounds.

www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus/infonation/e_glance.htm
This United Nations site allows you to search for statistical information for member states.

www.worldinformation.com
This site provides an additional source of current and historical information about 225 countries worldwide.

Good news, I hope

Today Jessica, the Niger Desk Assistant from the Peace Corps, called to tell me that my USDA passport was finally turned in to the Department of State. Yay! This week they'll work on my passport, then next week run to the Nigerien Embassy (while I'm in Philadelphia for staging) and work on my visa. Hopefully everything will work out and I'll still be able to go. Keep your fingers crossed!

Oh, and the best thing is she said the people they are working with in Niger are excited to have someone with my skills coming to their country. That made me feel so good. :)

For New Years I took a bus to Gary, IN, where Djam picked me up (on his way from Akron, OH) and we went to Madison. We had a nice time hanging out with friends and I helped him run some errands. Yesterday we drove back from Madison to Grayling and encountered some MAJOR snow on the way near Benton Harbor. I would have considered getting a hotel room for the night and driving back today, but I had an important appointment at 9:00 this morning so we pressed on. There were cars in the ditch everywhere and huge snowdrifts and icy roads and big clouds of snow. It was crazy.

I'm almost ready for my Peace Corps trip, but I'm scared to death and even had my first Peace Corps nightmare. You know how you married ladies had wedding nightmares while getting ready for the big day? This is similar. I dreamed I got to the airport in Traverse City, only to find I didn't bring any luggage. But Jessica (from the Niger Desk) said I'd be okay with what I had and to just get on the plane. We get to Niger and it's cold and snowy and I froze. Fast-forward to a part of the dream where we're taking turns reading aloud, elementary school-style. It was my turn to read, and some of the words were in French and some were in Hausa. I had a really hard time pronouncing them and was stumbling on them and everyone was getting impatient with me and I was embarrassed.

Today's Dinner:
Homemade beef-vegetable-barley soup
Seeded semolina filoni from Trader Joe's

Yay and Nay

Yay:

• I got paid! The Feds finally pulled through. It took a few weeks longer than it should have and I still haven't received all my money (damn bureaucracy), but at least there's money in my account to pay bills.
  
• My luggage came. Four days late is better than never, I guess.
• My mom is making me the cutest Peace Corps skirts ever! I just tried on one of them and it fits perfectly and looks really good (for those of you who sew, it's a 6-gore skirt). She's making me a khaki-colored skirt and a navy blue one.
• Tomorrow I'm going to Madison with Djam to celebrate New Year's. It'll be my last night of partying in the U.S.
• My dad and I were at the local bakery/bus station when a kid came in with a bloody finger. My dad offered to help and ran out to his truck to grab a Band-Aid. The bakery owner gave us a free donut for being good citizens.
• We went to Gaylord today and stopped at Wally-World to get more Peace Corps supplies. I feel more prepared now and just need a couple more things and I'll be all set!
• I got my Peace Corps haircut today. It's about shoulder length and blunt (for easy trimming). It looks really cute! (pictures to come sometime in the future)
  

Nay:

• Major passport issues. Back in October, the USDA was supposed to release my official government travel passport to the Department of State. However, last week while I was in California, I received noticed that the passport still wasn't taken care of. Unfortunately, the government offices were closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I had to wait until Wednesday to call them. They said "oops, sorry we didn't do that back in October, we'll do it ASAP tomorrow." When I called today to check on it, the Department of State still hadn't received it. I was so pissed. I called the USDA again (this time crying and begging the lady to help me) and they said it would be available by monday. My Peace Corps Niger person said if they don't get it monday, then I probably won't be able to attend staging and I think that means I won't be able to go. Once again I am pissed. My dad said the local congressman owes him a favor so he will call his office monday if it's still not taken care of and ask him for help in this matter. Says my dad, "his office will make sure you get that passport." Really, the way the USDA has been about this is completely unacceptable. I'm supposed to leave for Niger in 11 days and still no passport.
  
• I hate AT&T. Remind me to never be a customer of theirs again. Their "$14.99/month" local phone plan costs me about $50/month with all the added fees. Grr.
• More bitching - I faxed in an application for continuation of health care coverage over a week ago (after they lost the paper version three weeks ago and I had to re-fill it out) and have repeatedly called the HR people to see if they actually got it. I keep leaving this lady messages and she hasn't responded. My health care coverage was scheduled to end on the 24th without the continuation, and I have a doctor's appointment wednesday so I guess I'll find out then if I still have health care coverage.

I worked for the government for four years so I should be used to all this application-approval-checking up bullshit, but I'm not. I'm kind of ticked that I have to keep calling people to make sure anything gets done. I guess that's the real world for ya.

Tonight's Dinner:
Leftover peanut chicken stew with basmati rice
Stir-fried broccoli in sesame oil with walnuts

Crazy Ghanaian food

Djam and I made some peanut stew with fufu for the fam.

First we placed some chicken legs in a big pot. We sprinkled them with seasoned salt, then added some sliced onion. We let it steam for a while.

In the meantime, Djam combined a small can of tomato paste with Ghanaian peanut butter (no salt or sugar added). He mixed it together in a frying pan...



...then added water to make a smooth sauce.

The sauce was added to the chicken mixture along with some green chilies (no habenero peppers available in Grayling). We let it simmer for a while, and viola! we were left with a nice orange-colored stew with pieces of chicken floating in it. Yum!

Djam made some fufu to go along with it. I know you're wondering what the heck fufu is, so I will explain. It's kind of like instant potato flakes, but made with cassava root, maize, plantains, or other grains. In Africa people actually make it from scratch using the cassava root, then pounding it, then allowing it to dry, then cooking it, but that's not very practical here. So they have the instant kind, where you mix it with water and cook it until it becomes a thick paste.



It has a kind of sour flavor but tastes good with stew. Plus you eat it with your hands!

We spooned some fufu into our bowls, added some peanut stew, and ate it with our hands. It was fun. Everyone loved the stew and no one was too afraid to lick the sauce from their fingers.

Tonight's Dinner:
I don't know. There's some hamburger in the fridge that needs to be cooked.

Christmas fun

Here are some pictures from our Christmas. Unfortunately, my luggage is in limbo so I can't yet provide you with pictures from California (grr).

Tom and Djam playing with a remote-controlled helicopter. Djam is wearing the cute Ghana shirt I gave him.


Dad and Joe having fun with their gifts


Some Christmas schwag along with 3 djembe drums Djam built and brought with him. He gave us some drum lessons, and even Dad and Tom tried it!


Djam and I went snowshoeing. I showed him around the yard and we walked in the woods. He did very well for a beginner!








Djam making his first snow angel.


A cute picture of Blackie.