AMAZING

FoFo

Hello in Zarma! I can't even put my experince into words... wow I love Africa! I'm a bit under the weather right now so I'm Niamey which allows me access to technology that my fellow stagiers don't have at the moment. So let me tell you about an average day... I wake up around 6:30Am to roosters, donkeys, sheep, goats and various other noises at my adoptive families house (Alpheri Toure). After sleeping under the Nigerien sky in handy dandy misquito nets we "freshing up" (this term is used lightly) and then head up to tondon bon (zarma for the hill) where I take calsses in Zarma, cross cultural class, technical training classes for health and of course socialize with my fellow stagiers. I must say I've grown A LOT... I have had moments where I just needed to cry it out... pull myself up and keep going. It funny that eveyone here thinks i'm so optimistic as some at home have hinted that I am not. My token phrase is "This to shall pass"... and it will my latest frustration has been money in zarma... we all want to rip our hair out but I know a month and a year down the road we'll look back on our days of anguish and laugh. Anyways after classes with have happy hour where we can buy cokes & sprite (can you dig it??) and just hang out with. Then at 6 (noon on the east coast) we go back to our adoptive families where I do my best to struggle through the zarma I know... mostly I play with the 9 kids in my family, and try to find odd chores to do. We have dinner with them every night where I eat with my hands... I've done my best to embrace germs as they will be a permanent fixure for the next 2 years of my life. I usually pass out by 10. Everyday is different from another... I just absolutely love it!

My closest friends are Suzannah my fellow North Carolinian, Clark from Seattle, Texas (his real name is Austin) It amazing that state just follows me!, Carrie my roomate from Cali, Chris K. from Germany/Canada/DC (he has introduced me to French Rap and I love it)... we are such a diverse group but I get along with almost everyone...

Highlights thus far: Uum the simple fact that this is a dream come true and I actually live in Africa, going to the market, Independence Day (Aug. 3) we planted trees and then went to the National Cup soccer game... CRAZY, getting a letter from mom, volleyball, any conversation with Texas (HILARIOUS), the kids in Hamdy, going on windi-windi's (walk-arounds in Zarma) with Suzannah, getting girls to say North Carolina and call me by my name.

Once we move in with our adoptive families they all give us Nigerien names... Ay ma Mariam (I am Mary in zarma).... but I have done by best to fight this as I l-o-v-e my name so I try when possible to tell people my name is Sarahtou... its fairly common to add on a -tou to the end of every name.

Anyways I loved the emails and mom you did win with the frist snail mail but she also had the address first! Grandma... everyone loves the skirts and its a great way to have a piece of you in Africa!!! I miss you all like crazy and think about you lots...

Until next time...oh by the way everything in Niger takes longer than expected so just Kala suru (have patience)! Thanks for the emails... they mean the world to me!

Kala Tonton.... Good-bye