News From Across the Atlantic

[Hand written on 13 August 2008]

Assalaammaaleykum sehil am e galle am!
(Peace be with you my friends and family)

With less than two weeks of formal language training to go, I seem to be progressing well. I constantly feel like my head is going to explode from vocabulary overload and I still have trouble understanding my family when they talk quickly and use slang words but I can at least express needs, desires and wants and can usually stammer my way through salutations and conversations about food, family, presenting myself and others, purchasing some items (i.e. bargaining – because no prices are definitive in RIM), asking for help, describing daily activities, describing a person, talking about trips, weather and seasons, asking for an giving directions and explain my job in simple terms and phrases. In addition, I have found that my French is improving along the way out of necessity. In a country where school is taught partially in Arabic and partially in French and four local languages prevail I often can get by speaking FRANGULAR (a combination of French, English and Pulaar) or at least I seem just as confused as everyone else. Students in the RIM have the opportunity to attend primary school for 6 years with the first year taught in Arabic and since a reform in 1999, years 2-6 are taught in a combination of French and Arabic (math, science and computer science being taught in French and art, philosophy and literature in Arabic). After primary school students have the opportunity to attend college (if they pass their Arabic and French exams) for 4 years although only 3 colleges exist in the country (Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, and Boghe) making it unlikely for students outside of these areas to continue past primary school. Please note, school is optional and most girls drop out to get married before they complete primary school and in general very few children are able to speak Arabic or French prior to entering school where they are then taught in the languages without actual language study. This fact alone seems to sum up much of my experience with language in RIM – everyone is slightly confused at all times and often speech includes a number of different language elements.
As “stage” or Peace Crops training comes to a close, I have had lots of time to reflect on and synthesize what I have been taught during cross cultural and health sessions, academic study while at University and general observations in addition to daily experiences and have started writing short essays on various topics that are likely to begin appearing here – this is supposed to be my springboard for thoughts, right? Otherwise, much of my time has been spent adjusting to a much slower pace of life. The highlight of my day has become the 45 minutes it takes to walk to the well and carry a bucket of water back to my room – on my head. Yes, to everyone who has ever complained about my posture I am working on strengthening my back and hope to be able to balance a full bucket without hands by the end of my service (and in true Mauritanian style do it while also carrying a baby strapped to my back at the same time)! In addition, I have already read 4 novels (including Pride and Prejudice), made a trillion different lists, read every piece of literature provided to us by the Peace Corps or that I have found, started planning future final site projects, written letters as well as studied at least an extra hour every day. What am I supposed to do for the next 25 months you might wonder…I have considered building a raft, learning to weave baskets, building an ameliorated mud stove, planting a garden, and learning to create African pottery in addition to a number of other random projects so who knows what I will be capable of upon my return to the States.
My days continue to unfold like an episode of Animal Planet…I am still awaken many mornings by the goats, sheep and cows either eating my grass hut or rubbing against it making a loud “tarp being shook vigorously” sound. Even after a fence was put up on one side I weekly notice more light entering in the morning from new and expanded holes in my walls. Every night, I am lulled to sleep by the sound of termites and other bugs eating and living in my “walls” and every morning I awake to fresh piles of sawdust throughout my hut.
Additionally, days before the coup I saw two scorpions in one day, a small reminder of how far from home I truly am and how careful I still need to be. One was discovered in the douche when I went to take a bucket bath - needless to say I turned and ran the opposite direction and sponge bathed over a towel in my grass hut. The other was seen crawling past our “classroom” during language study. I wish now that I had thought to take a picture of my “shower mate” but unfortunately did not stick around long enough for that thought to solidify in my mind. The scorpion in the shower was approximately 3-4 inches long and was red, black and tan colored and generally nasty looking while the other was a tan baby, approximately the size of my thumb nail. I have been told that the babies are more dangerous because they do not regulate the amount of poison they release but either way I am likely to have Mefloquine* nightmares about scorpions because they are gross looking and I hear extremely painful (a PCT got stung at Permanent Site visits and when I saw her hours after was still in agony)!
* Mefloquine is an orally administered antimalarial drug that is known to cause the following: severe depression, anxiety, paranoia, aggression, nightmares, insomnia, seizures and balance damage according to Wikipedia. Although I have not noticed too many personal side effects except a variety of vivid dreams that I often remember upon waking and some balance incoordination (but that can also be blamed on my inability to walk…although I would like to blame in on the medicine or sand) I have heard a number of stories regarding weird dreams and paranoid moments from other trainees and volunteers.
The local monkeys have been making appearances at least 1-2 times a week and we even spotted a baby monkey being carried on the stomach of her mother. During one of the many times we have had waandu (monkey) spotting I paraded through the woods with a bunch of local children in order to get some pictures (which should be posted soon).
A calf whose “febile” mother was sent back to Senegal is currently living next door in my host family compound. Twice a day milk producing female goats are caught by my host brother or father so the eager baby cow can suckle. For some reason, I find this fascinating and quite entertaining. My host father told me goat milk will make the calf big and strong further reinforcing the idea that breast milk is best even is not from the same species…but makes me wonder why, with all the cows around they don’t let the calf feed from another cow? However that question is likely too complicated for me to ask and understand in any language.
Last night the goats did not sleep and thus neither did I. According to my host father it was because of the bright moon, either way throughout the night I heard them nibbling on the grass by my head, using my door as a back scratcher and otherwise making a ruckus outside of my room. Goats act like small children because they like to test all boundaries and are constantly plotting it seems to get in fenced areas, get around kitchen doors or otherwise eat anything and everything. Additionally, goats sound like small children crying (I wonder if that is why the young are called “kids”) and I swear have very expressive facial expressions. Either way, the goats have become the bane of my current existence in addition with the “sandstars” and one of the little boys in my compound.
In other news from across the Atlantic: On August 6, the president and prime minister of Mauritania were taken into military custody in a peaceful coup d’état. Although I still do not have much information, what I have found suggests that around 3am the president tried to remove 4 military officers from power and they reacted by taking him into military custody. The president was originally elected in March 2007 in the first Mauritanian democratic elections and due to very close poll results many Mauritanians apparently question the validity of the win. Since the coup I have received very little information although I hear through the grapevine that the United States does not support the current military government which could potentials mean the removal of all volunteers from the country – only time will tell as we all wait to hear what will happen next. For now all PCTs/PCVs are off travel restrictions and code blue –standfast – so we are currently continuing without much change. The coup happened to fall on the same day as Mid Term Reconnect in Nouakchott for current volunteers and so that was cancelled due to travel restrictions throughout the capital but hopefully that will be rescheduled- Inshallah.
Luckily, when the coup occurred I happened to be in Rosso for a technical session on trash in RIM so I had some internet and was able to write home to ensure everyone of my safety – thanks to everyone for the emails and calls of concerns – I cannot express how nice it was to be reminded that I am missed by people in the States.
Throughout the entire coup and after we have been reassured many times that the Peace Corps has taken all necessary steps to ensure the safety of its volunteers and that we, and other foreigners within the country, are not in any danger because of the recent military events.
Since the coup, it seems Mauritanian has been in the news frequently in regards to the political situation and tension. According to Colleen, the coup in Mauritania made the front summary page of the Wall Street Journal on 8 August and mom told me that coverage of the Olympics mentioned the Coup during country introductions. Otherwise I do not have much news except that the prime minister and a few other government officials were released by the military junta around 13 August and a large demonstration in Rosso on 16 August 2008 brought in 200-300 people and put everyone on code blue, again. Thus, Peace Corps volunteers and trainees continue to be fairly unaffected and live our daily lives without any change. We have been told that the US in addition to many other nations have suspended all non-humanitarian aid to the country until the reinstatement of a legitimate government but as of now we continue to work with the knowledge that our tour may be cut short if the political situation does not stabilize in the future.
Secondly, the first member of our PCT class chose to leave country and return home to the states or ET (Early Termination) in Peace Corps terms, the same day as the coup. Although her decision was not directly related to the coup it was interesting timing for all involved, including myself, since the PCT was one of my CBT site mates…
The last 2 weeks have been stressful but it was increased by the constant questioning by villagers on why she left (which I do not have the vocabulary to answer) in addition to being called incessantly by her local name for the first week. My language facilitator also took the news extremely difficultly and thus class was full of extra tension immediately following her departure. Although things are getting back to normal and it is rumored she flew out of Nouakchott Tuesday night – almost one week since she originally informed the Peace Corps of her decision to ET- it has changed our dynamics within Tekess and within the classroom. She will be missed but I wish her lots of happiness and good food in America as she returns to make the big decision of…what next?
Her choice to leave was fairly unexpected but it is not unusual for several people to return home during stage. In fact, our class had been told repeatedly we were rare since no one had ETed prior to week 7. Now we wait and see because it is rumored that once one person chooses to leave it usually begins a chain reaction since no one wants to take the big step and be the first to go home…