If I could only remember the opening from Iron Chef. Your secret ingredients for today are.............................
Canned Meats
Tuna in oil
Corned Beef
Sardines
Canned Fruit & Veg
Pineapple
Peaches
Mixed Fruit Cocktail
Pears
Garbanzo Beans
Lentils
Beets
Peas
Corn
Mixed Vegetables
Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Oil- vegetable
Tons of fruit juice
Fresh Produce
Mangos only summer
Apples reputation as mealy
Dates
Mandarins, almost in season
Watermelon
Oranges, going out of season
Limes- sometimes
Cucumber= just in season
Carrots
Eggplant
Bananas
Onion
Potato
Tomato
Okra
Beets
Squash tastes like acorn enormous that you buy in wedges
Cabbage- tiny green heads
Peppers red and green
Red hot pepper
Raisins
Dry Goods
Corn Flakes
Weetabix= whole grain cereal
Oatmeal Quaker quick oats
Beans- look like black eyed peas
Lentils if they are peachy colored otherwise we don't know what they are
Rice
Couscous
Pasta, spaghetti and macaroni
Flour
Maize
Millet
Whole Wheat can be ground
Peanut-raw
Powered Milk
White Bread
Yeast
Dried Fish
Dried Onion
Popped popcorn, so there must be kernels
Dairy
Canned Cream- texture of sour cream but not sour
Evaporated Milk sweetened
Whole Milk- cow
Eggs
Butter
Fruity yogurt
Goat and Camel milk
Yogurt smoothie drink in strawberry and pear/peach medley
Vache Qui Riz cheese
"Fresh" Meat
Camel
Goat
Sheep
Chicken
Fish that looks old
Garden hopefuls
Herbs, basil, parsley, chives, etc
Carrots
Beets
Cauliflower doubtful
Radishes
Tomatoes
Sweet Pumpkin
Jalapeno
Other
Mint- fresh
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Soy Sauce
Hot Pepper Sauce
A few Spice mixes still undetermined
Nestles Quick chocolate
Dijon Mustard ish
Ketchup
Mayonnaise with no refrig, need to use the jar 8oz pretty quickly, too expensive for a couple of tsp.
Crappy Vinegar
Nescafe
Tea
Nutella ish
Honey
Candy
Coke and all Fanta flavors
Caramels – stale
Mars Bars - stale
Twix
Snickers
Bounty
Lots of average cookies
One that is good and similar to a graham cracker
Jelly strawberry and date
We cook on a one burner propane tank, we can manage 2 burners at once…also in the process of buying an enormous toaster oven.
As you can see, there is a dizzing array to choose from.
Let the feasting begin
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Response to your comments
I love your comments. I have been at my wits end with the dial up, crappy, unreliable internet connection here and have reached electronic overload, so I haven’t responded to each and every comment or individual e-mail, but know I love reading them. I devour them and they bring a smile to my face. It makes me feel connected to home to have you all along on this journey. If a situation seems daunting or unpleasant, I redirect my thoughts to how I can author it for your reading pleasure, and the stress subsides. Feel free to post questions to me, it gives me an idea for something to write about. Again, remember this is a public forum, so any really juicy question you may want to send to me in an e-mail.
The Peace Corps has 3 goals.
1. To bring education or technical skills to the country.
2. To facilitate greater understanding of Americans by Mauritanians
3. To facilitate a greater understanding of Mauritanians to Americans
I look upon this blog as part of my job and a way of facilitating this cultural exchange.
So here are some reponses to your comments:
Roylin, I’d love to hear about what’s going on in lovely central California. Actually, I get very little news. Here, the newspapers are in Arabic and we don’t have satellite nor TV’s. My best bet is shortwave radio, but finding an English station is difficult. Feel free to pass any little tid bit along. You are also welcome to pop a particularly interesting news magazine or section in an envelope for me. Sadly I get most of my news from the sign on page on yahoo. Heck, I know surprisingly little about the horrible flooding across Africa. It’s dry as a bone in Atar.
As for items to send, I have no idea how to facilitate that information but just know that nothing will go to waste over here. Mauritania is severely lacking in consumer goods, at least if you live outside of the capital. Maybe post whatever you send in the comments for all to see. We did already receive a package with measure cups and spoons, god bless Michelle’s aunt, so we’re okay on those. If I get too many of something I’ll pass it on to another volunteer and if they don’t need it (highly unlikely) it could always be a gift for a hcn who takes us under his or her wing..
Our taste in DVD’s is wide but no to the kid movies. It’s easier for me to tell you what we have vs. what we want. We watch a lot of movies around here. Anything you like and would want to watch a couple of times would be great for us. I love classics, drama, romantic comedy, cultish stuff—I am not too fond of horror but the others are.
We have:
I Robot,
Little Miss Sunshine
Chicago,
Pulp Fiction,
Shriek 2,
28 Weeks Later,
Gangs of New York,
Fight Club
Jackass 2
Mr B
Borat
Kill Bill 1 and 2,
Old School,
Battlegalactica,
XXX with Vin Diesel,
Adams Family,
Adams Family values,
Adventures in Babysitting,
Battle of Algiers,
Baseketball,
Batman Begins,
Beetlejuice,
Big Trouble in Little China (worst movie ever),
BlackHawk Down
Blazing Saddles
Rocky 4
Bourne Identity,
Bourne Supremacy,
Bullworth,
Dogma,
Enemy at the Gates,
Frailty,
Harry Potter Goblin of Fire,
Heat,
King Kong- new one,
Chronicles of Narnia,
Lock Stock and 2 smoking barrels,
Long Kiss Goodnight- another worst movie ever,
Lost (Seasons 1 and Season 2 except Disk 1 (that sucks))
Mad Max Beyond
Thunderdome,
Thank you for not smoking
Far and Away
A Walk in the Clouds
Sense and Sensibility
Meet the Browns
Family Reunion
House of D
The Dark Crystal
Diary of a mad black woman
Matrix,
Naked Gun,
Office Space,
Over the Hedge,
Il Postino,
Red Dragon,
RepoMan,
Road to Perdition,
Shaun of the Dead,
Simple Plan,
Snatch,
Sports Night Seasons 1 and 2 (the only seasons),
Swingers
X men 3
Star wars 4
Indiana Jones TOD
Indiana Jones Arc
Indiana Jones Last Crusade (partially filmed in Mauritania)
12 Monkeys,
Transformers old and new version,
V for Vendetta,
Lucky Number Slevin,
Usual Suspects,
Volunteers,
Pans Labyrinth
Holly, Toubab – basically is white person which is synonymous with foreigner. They will also yell Nasranyia which means Christian. I rarely respond to either. My father insisted that people don’t mean any harm in yelling these names at me; I insisted that never in your wildest dreams would anyone in the US chase after you yelling AFRICAN or FOREIGNER as you walked down the street---every single, solitary day. I now have an appreciation for how the celebs must feel about the paparazzi. Some days it is all I can do to not chuck a rock at the kids screaming Donne moi cadeaux incessantly as they crowd around me and follow you down the next few blocks. But all they would do is pick it up and throw it back at me. Besides, what example would that set?
Advisory, when traveling in a developing country, DO NOT HAND OUT GIFTS TO THE CHILDREN. IT MAKES THEM ANNOYING AND IF THEY DON’T GET WHAT THEY WANT SOME BECOME AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS TOURISTS OR PEACE CORPS VOLS WHO STAND OUT BECAUSE WE LOOK LIKE TOURISTS BECAUSE WE ARE WHITE OR RATHER, NOT MOOR OR AFRICAN LOOKING. Asians get lumped in with us too. I have had more than one little kid throw a rock at me because I didn’t give him a gift. The little urchins. As if 2 years of my life is not gift enough to the people of Mauritania. If you must give something, take educational or art supplies to the local schools.
Karen,
We have plenty of sugar here. Single serving anything would be great as we don’t refrigeration, particularly salad dressing.
Mail is fickle. I received one package, a fairly big box, in 2 weeks, but most take up to 6 weeks. You can use padded envelopes, which are cheaper than boxes, but don’t forget about that fixed rate box for 37 bucks….especially if you are sending heavy jars of peanut butter.
Keep those cards and letters coming.
Cheers from here, Sharon
Wo-men Without Hats and What the Hell is Wrong With the Phones?
Holly asked me about head coverings and it turned into this posting. I am in Atar which is used to western tourists so no; I don’t cover my head very often. All other women (older, married, and respectable) here cover their heads 7/24. I do cover my head when I go to visit any officials out of respect. Why bite the hand that hands out the approvals for your projects? Also, the first few days of Ramadan, I’d start out with my head covered. I didn’t want some ill-humored (hungry and thirsty) local getting irritated at my uncovered self. But I’m over it. No head covering for me unless I’m on an official visit. It’s just too damn hot to have your head all wrapped up. Also, not being Muslim, I am not compelled to comply with that particular regulation. The rest of the Volunteers around me are covering their heads, at least during Ramadan. In the more conservative sites, the head covering issue is a hot, hot topic. I have heard that the PC can’t require head coverings of us (not sure if that’s true) but the locals, in the more conservative sites, can get really, really, really pushy about it. One must pick her battles. Head Scarves and pants seem to be my battle of choice. But being a bit older, I get more leeway. At least I think I do. Perhaps, in fact, I just take more leeway and let them be damned. Whichever.
On a positive note, some of the head coverings are very appealing. The clothing here is extremely colorful and your matching head scarf is like wearing a hat to church. The women will stop you on the street to compliment you on a particularly lovely ensemble. Possibly if I had more fashionable, matching head scarves, I’d wear them more often. But alas, no one told me to bring them and I don’t recall seeing it in the flurry of Peace Corps information I was sent. I have always admired a woman who could carry off a chic scarf. I only have a handful of bandanas that mostly don’t match my outfits. The 2 Mauritanian made headscarves that I do own (one always comes as part of a new outfit) only match that particular blue and chartreuse tie-dye outfit. As you can imagine, they match little else. Thus my decision not to wear a head covering is as much about fashion as politics. If only I could explain all of that in French.
If you are trying to call me, Mauritel, my cellular service, has been mostly down for the last week. It has always required a lot of persistence to call here from the US, but right now, it's just impossible. It seems there is something wrong with a satellite dish in Nouakchott, at least that is the latest reliable rumor that was supposedly reported on the news. An earlier reason floating around explained the situation was due to a strike on behalf of Mauritel because of the heavy tax levied on them by the government although that strikes me as more conspiracy theory than logic. I have no way of finding out the truth of the situation, and really, it doesn't much matter to me. No matter the reason, we have no cell service. Which in turn means no internet at the PC bureau here in Atar? So here I sit, composing this post offline at the bureau. My intention today was to upload the long awaited photos from my time here in Mauritania, but damn it, again today, there is no reseau (reception). Although I sure do miss all of your phone calls, the really difficult part of having no reseau is that texting goes down as well and that is how we, v's, communicate. It's either text or walk around this place trying to find each other and as you well know, it's quite hot here. It’s far too hot to be strolling around from place to place trying to locate each other.
beep ba beep ba beep beep beep “This just in” It is a work slowdown that is causing the problems. I finally asked PC Nouakchott for the skinny. Something about Mauritanian Mauritel workers allowed to strike for 2 days a week in protest of the Moroccan Mauritel workers making a higher wage. This combined with the overall bad connectivity has made communication impossible.
Here’s a cultural tidbit that should give you some insight into some challenges in living, working and I would think to their development here in the RIM is that the bank is unable to conduct business because of the cellular problem/strike. Its computers, at least in Atar, are connected through Mauritel. Without reseau, they can't check your account balance to give you money. Can you imagine the national bank shutdown because a cellular provider is having problems? You banky folks can explain better than I the problems to an economy with an unreliable banking system It brings to my simple mind the scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Mary and Jimmy Stewart can’t go on their honeymoon because he uses their bankroll to stave off a run on his Savings and Loan. If you’ll remember, the bank had to sell out to old, mean Mr. Potter. That can’t be good. Banking is not something that has really caught on in Mauritania, and this week’s performance probably won’t help. Many Mauritanians just don’t use them. They are charged a fee to do so and they don’t receive any interest on their savings. Charging interest is not allowed in Islam. (I’ll let you do your own research on that topic) What would be the incentive to use a bank I ask? It seems to be more cost efficient to hide your money in your mattress than pay to save it in this current system. Have I mentioned there are no ATM’s in Mauritania? Credit cards are unavailable as well. I believe part of the problem is that the Mauritanian Ouguiya (uglies as I have heard them called) isn’t traded on the global market which I assume makes it hard to fix an exchange rate with other currencies and in turn, makes it difficult for credit card companies and banks to collect or assess transactions. Again, you banky types can provide a much better explanation than me.
So for now, much of the country is without communication. Mind you that there are 2 other cellular phone providers operating in Mauritania, Matel and the new Chingatel, but it seems that Mauritel has the mother lode of the business. We tried to find out the rates at our local Chingatel office, but they could tell us little than the price of a new phone. Our questions regarding the costs of making phone calls and texting either within their service and as importantly, outside their service are still unanswered. One issue with switching is that all of Peace Corps RIM uses Mauritel and to make a call to or from another provider costs a bloody fortune. I’ve heard that it costs as much to call between Matel and Mauritel as it does to call the US. To quote Kathy, just another little slice of wonderful.
I suppose that if I had grown up in these systems they would seem acceptable issues to work around or tolerate or just the way life is. But I didn’t so I find it all just one more piece of insanity here in the RIM.
Okay there is your Mauritania 101 lesson for today
On a positive note, some of the head coverings are very appealing. The clothing here is extremely colorful and your matching head scarf is like wearing a hat to church. The women will stop you on the street to compliment you on a particularly lovely ensemble. Possibly if I had more fashionable, matching head scarves, I’d wear them more often. But alas, no one told me to bring them and I don’t recall seeing it in the flurry of Peace Corps information I was sent. I have always admired a woman who could carry off a chic scarf. I only have a handful of bandanas that mostly don’t match my outfits. The 2 Mauritanian made headscarves that I do own (one always comes as part of a new outfit) only match that particular blue and chartreuse tie-dye outfit. As you can imagine, they match little else. Thus my decision not to wear a head covering is as much about fashion as politics. If only I could explain all of that in French.
If you are trying to call me, Mauritel, my cellular service, has been mostly down for the last week. It has always required a lot of persistence to call here from the US, but right now, it's just impossible. It seems there is something wrong with a satellite dish in Nouakchott, at least that is the latest reliable rumor that was supposedly reported on the news. An earlier reason floating around explained the situation was due to a strike on behalf of Mauritel because of the heavy tax levied on them by the government although that strikes me as more conspiracy theory than logic. I have no way of finding out the truth of the situation, and really, it doesn't much matter to me. No matter the reason, we have no cell service. Which in turn means no internet at the PC bureau here in Atar? So here I sit, composing this post offline at the bureau. My intention today was to upload the long awaited photos from my time here in Mauritania, but damn it, again today, there is no reseau (reception). Although I sure do miss all of your phone calls, the really difficult part of having no reseau is that texting goes down as well and that is how we, v's, communicate. It's either text or walk around this place trying to find each other and as you well know, it's quite hot here. It’s far too hot to be strolling around from place to place trying to locate each other.
beep ba beep ba beep beep beep “This just in” It is a work slowdown that is causing the problems. I finally asked PC Nouakchott for the skinny. Something about Mauritanian Mauritel workers allowed to strike for 2 days a week in protest of the Moroccan Mauritel workers making a higher wage. This combined with the overall bad connectivity has made communication impossible.
Here’s a cultural tidbit that should give you some insight into some challenges in living, working and I would think to their development here in the RIM is that the bank is unable to conduct business because of the cellular problem/strike. Its computers, at least in Atar, are connected through Mauritel. Without reseau, they can't check your account balance to give you money. Can you imagine the national bank shutdown because a cellular provider is having problems? You banky folks can explain better than I the problems to an economy with an unreliable banking system It brings to my simple mind the scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Mary and Jimmy Stewart can’t go on their honeymoon because he uses their bankroll to stave off a run on his Savings and Loan. If you’ll remember, the bank had to sell out to old, mean Mr. Potter. That can’t be good. Banking is not something that has really caught on in Mauritania, and this week’s performance probably won’t help. Many Mauritanians just don’t use them. They are charged a fee to do so and they don’t receive any interest on their savings. Charging interest is not allowed in Islam. (I’ll let you do your own research on that topic) What would be the incentive to use a bank I ask? It seems to be more cost efficient to hide your money in your mattress than pay to save it in this current system. Have I mentioned there are no ATM’s in Mauritania? Credit cards are unavailable as well. I believe part of the problem is that the Mauritanian Ouguiya (uglies as I have heard them called) isn’t traded on the global market which I assume makes it hard to fix an exchange rate with other currencies and in turn, makes it difficult for credit card companies and banks to collect or assess transactions. Again, you banky types can provide a much better explanation than me.
So for now, much of the country is without communication. Mind you that there are 2 other cellular phone providers operating in Mauritania, Matel and the new Chingatel, but it seems that Mauritel has the mother lode of the business. We tried to find out the rates at our local Chingatel office, but they could tell us little than the price of a new phone. Our questions regarding the costs of making phone calls and texting either within their service and as importantly, outside their service are still unanswered. One issue with switching is that all of Peace Corps RIM uses Mauritel and to make a call to or from another provider costs a bloody fortune. I’ve heard that it costs as much to call between Matel and Mauritel as it does to call the US. To quote Kathy, just another little slice of wonderful.
I suppose that if I had grown up in these systems they would seem acceptable issues to work around or tolerate or just the way life is. But I didn’t so I find it all just one more piece of insanity here in the RIM.
Okay there is your Mauritania 101 lesson for today
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
You know it's hot when.........
Okay, so I walk in my room around mid-day and think, wow it's cool in here. I check the thermometer on my broken Brookstone Travel Alarm Clock (hint) and the temperature reads…….Take a guess. 96 degrees. And those 96 degrees feel like a blast of cool. I keep telling myself that when the weather breaks I will be able to get so much done. When is the weather going to break? The stock answer is 30 days. But 30 days from when? Hopefully Ramadan's end will coincide with the coming of autumn or at least a day that doesn’t get into the 100s. Inshallah.
Ramadan is tough to faire in the Sahara. They don’t eat nor drink during the daylight hours and as you can tell from above, it is still really hot right now. My favorite part of Ramadan is roughly 30 minutes before sundown which is about 6:45. Dusk has settled in. The streets are empty. The town is quiet. The stores are closed. It feels like the wee hours of the morning. Everyone has hurried home, finally in a great mood after a surly afternoon. Not so patiently waiting to hear the prayer call that signals sundown. During this time they are deciding what delicious morsel they will consume to break the fast. They’ve spent the last hour mentally running through the potential menu options. The taste is going to be exquisite. It’s just before the beginning of Let the Good Times Roll. Drumming, singing and eating all night long.
I have been a little productive during this time. I signed up for French classes at the French Alliance. Also, I will also be sharing the load of teaching English to adults along with the other volunteers here in Atar. The class seems very popular. We will rotate teaching Friday and Sunday 4 – 6 pm. I will probably have to take the Sunday shift as Friday will probably interfere with my French lesson. Both of these classes, like everything else, will commence after Ramadan.
I also checked in with my community counterpart. We plan on getting together when? After Ramadan.
What I like least about Ramadan? That would be my neighbor’s cell phone alarm that goes off before sunrise each day. I appreciate that they need to get up and get something in their stomachs before sunrise, but must I have to wake up with them. Honestly. I suppose that if I were fasting, I’d appreciate the reminder.
This leads me to another topic, sleeping. As I mentioned earlier, the African night sky is amazing However, sleeping in this country is one of the trickier aspects of my Peace Corps service. Back in training I explained to my brother that I went to bed very early each night to give my self the best chance of a full nights sleep. My French ability and ability to cope were/are a direct result of how much sleep I can/could achieve. This rarely happened. One never knew/knows what the night would hold. First I had to get past the livestock noise. You can’t imagine how loud those animals, particularly the donkeys, are. The first night at the Lycee I was sure that a pack of wild dogs had gotten a hold of one and was disemboweling the poor creature. I was not alone in that belief. Later I learn, it’s not being disemboweled, thank god, it was actually mating. Just wonderful. If it’s not the weird noises of the livestock that run loose in the streets, it’s the weddings that last all night long for 3 nights in a row, blaring rap, whose lyrics they can’t possibly understand or they’d never be blaring them throughout the neighborhood. You can’t imagine how lucky I feel that my excellent command of the English language allowed me to fully enjoy the lyrics. Or, one never knew when she’d be abruptly awaken and have to make a mad dash, mosquito net, matala and any other sleeping item in tow, to the indoors to avoid a rain storm. And the sandstorms that precede the rainstorms are worse. Once indoors, the room was usually in the 90s, then add the 5 degrees that sleeping in a mosquito net adds, renders sleeping impossible. If there wasn’t some other disruption, everyday there is the predawn announcement from the loud speakers at the mosques which populate every block. I swear we had a set in our yard. Before I left Boghe, I could distinguish one voice from another. One was far better and much more musical then others. After the predawn announcement, there was the 5:15 AM call to prayer on those same loudspeakers. Stuffing my head under the towel that I use for a pillow didn’t even muffle the noise. Up by 6:15 each day to go off to language class. It’s a wonder I passed the language proficiency test.
Now in Atar, I have no language class nor is it necessary to use a mosquito net, but that leads to another set of issues. Until 2 nights ago, I slept on my roof. There is much more of a breeze and fewer crawly bugs up there. Plus it feels just a bit safer then sleeping alone in the courtyard even though my courtyard has 10 foot walls around much of it and barbed wire on the lower section. As for the sandstorms, I just wrap head in the sheet as I dislike getting sand in my ears and power on. But my neighbors, whose roof is right next to mine separated by only a 2 foot wall and a 3 foot space between the buildings, returned home from brousse, a summer long holiday. Or at least I thought they did. On Saturday all of their doors and windows were opened and a boy and man were fiddling with the satellite dish on their roof. Because of this, I have slept the last couple of nights in my courtyard rather than my roof. I haven’t yet been schooled in the etiquette of neighborly roof sleeping and am a bit disenthralled with the idea. Bare in mind a woman needs to be covered head to toe in this country at all times and it’s 94 degrees when I head off to bed. I am not going to cover head to toe nor do I want to insult or entice my neighbors. The next best option is that I am sleeping alone in the courtyard, positioned out of sight of my neighbors behind the stairs, feeling a little exposed to any ne’er-do-well that wants to hop my very tall wall, until I make the acquaintance of my neighbors. Sweet dreams to me.
Saturday, night one, I prepare the place by spraying the surrounding area with bug spray. Without a mosquito net I have no protection from the pesky little bastards. Thankfully there are no mosquitoes and zero incidence of malaria up here. However, did I mention that there are scorpions here? Did I mention that the mosquito net adds 5 degrees to the already 93 degree night? Did I mention that one of the trainees that opted to return home did so after a roach got stuck in her ear while she was asleep? I’ll leave the details of it’s extraction to your imagination. Back to night one, I take my nighttime cold medicine for my head cold and off to dream land I go. Not to bad a night sleep thanks the cold medicine. But par usual, the predawn cell phone, the ridiculously early call to prayer and the flies that arrive at 6:14 each morning to buzz your head. I am not talking a few flies; this place is fly heaven or hell, depending on which side of the fly issue you fall. Flies and sandstorms are combated by what I call the Mauritanian Sleep Shroud. I witnessed this technique while observing the sleeping habits of the hcn (host country nationals). One tucks the tops of the sheet under her head and the bottom of the sheet under her feet. Bear in mind that any piece of skin that sticks out from under the sheet is a choicest landing strip for the flies. The hcn’s can sleep this way completely enclosed, but I like to have the sheet pulled taught between my head and my toes so that there is a slight opening for airflow. (Note that this technique will not work well in sandstorms as the vent lets in all of the sand) Otherwise it feels too stuffy and too hot. Mind you, it’s early fall in the Sahara and still rather hot to my still not quite acclimated self. This ritual shrouding and battle to keep skin unexposed yet keep airflow circulating takes place, like clockwork, at 6:14 am each day when the first buzz starts up in my ear. Since these creatures fly, it’s the same whether I am placed on the roof or in the courtyard.
Night 2, I don’t spray the area assuming that the poison from the previous night will still be active. I plan to mitigate the restlessness of shrouding exercise by placing my fan via extension cord, with me in the courtyard. For your edification, flies like neither wind nor dark. Okay, I am prepared. Out of night time cold medicine (huge hint), but otherwise, prepared to take my best shot at a restful night sleep. Well, the bug spray is not still in effect. I learn that shortly after going to bed because I get pinched on my toe by what I think was a beetle. As the beetle was the only critter crawling away when I scoured the area with my flashlight, it must have been the culprit. Not a bad pinch, but are there ever good pinches? Not wanting to get bug spray all over my bedding and put off by the smell and poison that it leaves; I decide to brave the crawly bugs sans chemical defense. Have I mentioned the scorpions? Did I mention the cockroach story? These two possibilities kept me quite alert all night long. Did I mention the drumming and partying that goes on all night during Ramadan? Oh how I longed for that nighttime cold medicine. On a brighter, more successful note, the fan was the perfect deterrent for the 6:14 am wake up call from the flies. Yes, they came but with the fan, the struggle to keep myself completely shrouded was far less important.
What is the lesson, clean, climate controlled, well nourished, caffeinated (Nescafe and powered milk do not count), well rested folks who sleep indoors, in a bed, off of the ground, away from the bugs, in screened rooms? I don’t know but I thought I’d point out a few things that I miss and just a few of the luxuries for which you should be grateful.
Updates:
Yesterday, 9/30, I finished book number 3 since arriving in Atar. A Widow for A Year by John Irving. The first 500 pages were great. The ending was a little disappointing.
I am contemplating sending you cheffy types the list of ingredients available here and have a contest to see who comes up with the best recipe. No prizes just the good feeling that I can have some variety in my menu. What do you think?
As for the microwave question...i am sure they are available in the capital but i just have a propane tank with a little burner screwed into the top and little temperature control.
Ramadan is tough to faire in the Sahara. They don’t eat nor drink during the daylight hours and as you can tell from above, it is still really hot right now. My favorite part of Ramadan is roughly 30 minutes before sundown which is about 6:45. Dusk has settled in. The streets are empty. The town is quiet. The stores are closed. It feels like the wee hours of the morning. Everyone has hurried home, finally in a great mood after a surly afternoon. Not so patiently waiting to hear the prayer call that signals sundown. During this time they are deciding what delicious morsel they will consume to break the fast. They’ve spent the last hour mentally running through the potential menu options. The taste is going to be exquisite. It’s just before the beginning of Let the Good Times Roll. Drumming, singing and eating all night long.
I have been a little productive during this time. I signed up for French classes at the French Alliance. Also, I will also be sharing the load of teaching English to adults along with the other volunteers here in Atar. The class seems very popular. We will rotate teaching Friday and Sunday 4 – 6 pm. I will probably have to take the Sunday shift as Friday will probably interfere with my French lesson. Both of these classes, like everything else, will commence after Ramadan.
I also checked in with my community counterpart. We plan on getting together when? After Ramadan.
What I like least about Ramadan? That would be my neighbor’s cell phone alarm that goes off before sunrise each day. I appreciate that they need to get up and get something in their stomachs before sunrise, but must I have to wake up with them. Honestly. I suppose that if I were fasting, I’d appreciate the reminder.
This leads me to another topic, sleeping. As I mentioned earlier, the African night sky is amazing However, sleeping in this country is one of the trickier aspects of my Peace Corps service. Back in training I explained to my brother that I went to bed very early each night to give my self the best chance of a full nights sleep. My French ability and ability to cope were/are a direct result of how much sleep I can/could achieve. This rarely happened. One never knew/knows what the night would hold. First I had to get past the livestock noise. You can’t imagine how loud those animals, particularly the donkeys, are. The first night at the Lycee I was sure that a pack of wild dogs had gotten a hold of one and was disemboweling the poor creature. I was not alone in that belief. Later I learn, it’s not being disemboweled, thank god, it was actually mating. Just wonderful. If it’s not the weird noises of the livestock that run loose in the streets, it’s the weddings that last all night long for 3 nights in a row, blaring rap, whose lyrics they can’t possibly understand or they’d never be blaring them throughout the neighborhood. You can’t imagine how lucky I feel that my excellent command of the English language allowed me to fully enjoy the lyrics. Or, one never knew when she’d be abruptly awaken and have to make a mad dash, mosquito net, matala and any other sleeping item in tow, to the indoors to avoid a rain storm. And the sandstorms that precede the rainstorms are worse. Once indoors, the room was usually in the 90s, then add the 5 degrees that sleeping in a mosquito net adds, renders sleeping impossible. If there wasn’t some other disruption, everyday there is the predawn announcement from the loud speakers at the mosques which populate every block. I swear we had a set in our yard. Before I left Boghe, I could distinguish one voice from another. One was far better and much more musical then others. After the predawn announcement, there was the 5:15 AM call to prayer on those same loudspeakers. Stuffing my head under the towel that I use for a pillow didn’t even muffle the noise. Up by 6:15 each day to go off to language class. It’s a wonder I passed the language proficiency test.
Now in Atar, I have no language class nor is it necessary to use a mosquito net, but that leads to another set of issues. Until 2 nights ago, I slept on my roof. There is much more of a breeze and fewer crawly bugs up there. Plus it feels just a bit safer then sleeping alone in the courtyard even though my courtyard has 10 foot walls around much of it and barbed wire on the lower section. As for the sandstorms, I just wrap head in the sheet as I dislike getting sand in my ears and power on. But my neighbors, whose roof is right next to mine separated by only a 2 foot wall and a 3 foot space between the buildings, returned home from brousse, a summer long holiday. Or at least I thought they did. On Saturday all of their doors and windows were opened and a boy and man were fiddling with the satellite dish on their roof. Because of this, I have slept the last couple of nights in my courtyard rather than my roof. I haven’t yet been schooled in the etiquette of neighborly roof sleeping and am a bit disenthralled with the idea. Bare in mind a woman needs to be covered head to toe in this country at all times and it’s 94 degrees when I head off to bed. I am not going to cover head to toe nor do I want to insult or entice my neighbors. The next best option is that I am sleeping alone in the courtyard, positioned out of sight of my neighbors behind the stairs, feeling a little exposed to any ne’er-do-well that wants to hop my very tall wall, until I make the acquaintance of my neighbors. Sweet dreams to me.
Saturday, night one, I prepare the place by spraying the surrounding area with bug spray. Without a mosquito net I have no protection from the pesky little bastards. Thankfully there are no mosquitoes and zero incidence of malaria up here. However, did I mention that there are scorpions here? Did I mention that the mosquito net adds 5 degrees to the already 93 degree night? Did I mention that one of the trainees that opted to return home did so after a roach got stuck in her ear while she was asleep? I’ll leave the details of it’s extraction to your imagination. Back to night one, I take my nighttime cold medicine for my head cold and off to dream land I go. Not to bad a night sleep thanks the cold medicine. But par usual, the predawn cell phone, the ridiculously early call to prayer and the flies that arrive at 6:14 each morning to buzz your head. I am not talking a few flies; this place is fly heaven or hell, depending on which side of the fly issue you fall. Flies and sandstorms are combated by what I call the Mauritanian Sleep Shroud. I witnessed this technique while observing the sleeping habits of the hcn (host country nationals). One tucks the tops of the sheet under her head and the bottom of the sheet under her feet. Bear in mind that any piece of skin that sticks out from under the sheet is a choicest landing strip for the flies. The hcn’s can sleep this way completely enclosed, but I like to have the sheet pulled taught between my head and my toes so that there is a slight opening for airflow. (Note that this technique will not work well in sandstorms as the vent lets in all of the sand) Otherwise it feels too stuffy and too hot. Mind you, it’s early fall in the Sahara and still rather hot to my still not quite acclimated self. This ritual shrouding and battle to keep skin unexposed yet keep airflow circulating takes place, like clockwork, at 6:14 am each day when the first buzz starts up in my ear. Since these creatures fly, it’s the same whether I am placed on the roof or in the courtyard.
Night 2, I don’t spray the area assuming that the poison from the previous night will still be active. I plan to mitigate the restlessness of shrouding exercise by placing my fan via extension cord, with me in the courtyard. For your edification, flies like neither wind nor dark. Okay, I am prepared. Out of night time cold medicine (huge hint), but otherwise, prepared to take my best shot at a restful night sleep. Well, the bug spray is not still in effect. I learn that shortly after going to bed because I get pinched on my toe by what I think was a beetle. As the beetle was the only critter crawling away when I scoured the area with my flashlight, it must have been the culprit. Not a bad pinch, but are there ever good pinches? Not wanting to get bug spray all over my bedding and put off by the smell and poison that it leaves; I decide to brave the crawly bugs sans chemical defense. Have I mentioned the scorpions? Did I mention the cockroach story? These two possibilities kept me quite alert all night long. Did I mention the drumming and partying that goes on all night during Ramadan? Oh how I longed for that nighttime cold medicine. On a brighter, more successful note, the fan was the perfect deterrent for the 6:14 am wake up call from the flies. Yes, they came but with the fan, the struggle to keep myself completely shrouded was far less important.
What is the lesson, clean, climate controlled, well nourished, caffeinated (Nescafe and powered milk do not count), well rested folks who sleep indoors, in a bed, off of the ground, away from the bugs, in screened rooms? I don’t know but I thought I’d point out a few things that I miss and just a few of the luxuries for which you should be grateful.
Updates:
Yesterday, 9/30, I finished book number 3 since arriving in Atar. A Widow for A Year by John Irving. The first 500 pages were great. The ending was a little disappointing.
I am contemplating sending you cheffy types the list of ingredients available here and have a contest to see who comes up with the best recipe. No prizes just the good feeling that I can have some variety in my menu. What do you think?
As for the microwave question...i am sure they are available in the capital but i just have a propane tank with a little burner screwed into the top and little temperature control.
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