Girraffes, ameobas & badmitten

This is a post from a week ago that never actually posted for some reason:

Wow... so let me first start off by dedicating this post and every one thereafter to my mother for her being just awesome. More on why she's awesome later.

Niger never ceases to amaze me. Since my last posting I have had a case of ameobic dysentary but that was cured with a 54 pill treatment in 10 days....I just finished that Monday. But now my toe is infected so I'm on another 40 pill treatment over the next 10 days (I started on Thursday)... but depsite this minor setbacks I'm GREAT.

The CHA's (Community Health Agents) went on a little field trip to Dosso this past Fri & Sat. Which had it's ups and downs. I was able to see some hospitla sof varying sizes and levels of resources. But I also so a severly malnourished child that is not likley to make it thorugh the next week. It something that I will never forget as long as I live. Also something I struggle with not feeling guilty for having already eaten twice that day and knowing that I have some of the best medical care in country simply because of where I have citizenship. I have a hard time seeing justice in all of this.

But on a lighter note we met the shiek (sp?) who is a fairly big deal in Niger and really all of west africa. During Muhammad's b-day people come from all over west africa to receive his blessing. He blessed us.... hoping for long lives full of money and for us not to forget Niger once we returned back home... I can assure you that will never happen.

Late on Friday night the driver at the Dosso hostel hosted a party at his house... which was so big it had to moved onto the street. there were about 250-300 people there easy lots of dancing... which I loved. There were only a handful of stagiers dancing but the girls seemed to like me. Everytime I sat down to rest one of them came over to snatch me out of my seat again... surely memories that will last a lifetime.

As to why my mother is AWESOME! About 2 weeks ago she sent me a badmitten set... that's right a BADMITTEN SET!!! You see here in Africa they really only play one sport and that is soccer... no offense but its not my thing. So a few friend and I were sitting around chatting and this man walks by with a package and in my mind I thought "wow that looks like the shape of a badmitten set"... of course not saying these things out loud so people didn't think I was absolutely crazy. But then a friend (Ginger) comes and sits down next to me... to let me know a package has arrived for me. So then I frantically hunt the package down to see that indeed my mother has not only sent me and package but she DLH'd that madness to me! So I finally broke out the badmitten the other day and let me tell you my heart was at ease. I won the first 3 games but by game 4 my toes was causing my too much grief to really be an affective team player. So in conclusion all the Nigerien are wickedly confused by this crazy sport that I'm smitten with... i'm teaching them slowly but surely. Everyone in stage think i'm weird... and that my mom loves me a lot! ( I got the first DHL package.... woohoo!)

We find out our posts on the 8th.... so Friday I'll learn my new village for the next 2 years of my life... wow I can't wait. Then live-in is Sept. 13-19 which is where we go to post for a few days to just check it out and plan for what we'll need to buy. Sept 19... yours truly celebrates her first birthday in Africa. Then we swear-in Sept 29 that's when I officially become a Peace Corps Volunteer and am rather excited about that. Then I spend an entire month at post and can't leave... wow that will be tough but an exciting experience.

I almost forgot... giraffes. So yesterday on out way back from Dosso we were just driving along as normal... ya know 20 white people in a bus in Niger... we tend to stick out. And all of the sudden Katie (a precious southenr girls from GA) yells giraffs.... so the bus comes to a screaching halt on the side of the rode we all run out and slowly wak towards the last wild giraffes on the planet. There were about 30 of them (There official estimate is about 50 that live in the reserve that sets in Niger & Togo) and I was maybe 20 feet away from these creatures. The pictures are amazing and the memories even more amazing.... I love my life!

Until next time... Kala Tonton!