As you might imagine, the mood here has become even more somber. The blog that I was mentally composing yesterday is now obsolete, which seems to be happening with some regularity. A second terrorist incident has occurred within as many months. I am perplexed as to my best course of action.
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An' if I stay it will be doubleSo come on and let me know
Should We Stay or Should We Go?
Lyrics from The Clash.
Naturally, the decision is not black and white; cut and dry; yin or yang. It’s difficult to get a handle on the mood around here. On one hand, the serious hand, we were out and about on Friday morning not only to get some errands done but also hoping to hear someone’s take on the incident. That no one offered any opinion at all made me briefly wonder if it could be possible that no one had heard the news yet this morning. I was fairly confident everyone had as this is an oral society and news travels fast. It is really only we volunteers that have no idea what’s going around here due primarily to the language barrier. That no one was offering any opinions to us specifically, at this particular boutique, was unsettling as historically they don’t hesitate to offer up their thoughts on any subject outside or within their realm of expertise. The mood is usually playful and teasing, but yesterday, not so. Perhaps the presence of strangers caused all to be more serious but as this also isn’t unusual, I can only assume it had something to do with the attacks. Usually opining flows freely around here so the reticence is unnerving. One of v’s who speaks a little Hassaniya overheard a HCN asking another HCN if he’d heard about the troubles. The second man indicated that he had. This brief exchange took place in a language that I’m sure they thought neither we nor the French couple standing in front of us could understand.
Logically, it would seem that it was the Israeli embassy that was the target; but there is more and more information that makes it appear that they were targeting the adjacent nightclub. My first hand accounts have the event a bit more severe than what I have read in the new releases. I heard it was a 20- 30 minute gun battle with Molotov Cocktails (can you believe, some of these volunteers had never heard of a Molotov Cocktail?) involved from folks at the club. If it is true, the situation is even more frightening, as one could conclude that they were targeting westerners and those things they deem western such as alcohol and prostitution. I personally have never been to VIP and have no idea if they serve alcohol to prostitutes.
Naturally, the decision is not black and white; cut and dry; yin or yang. It’s difficult to get a handle on the mood around here. On one hand, the serious hand, we were out and about on Friday morning not only to get some errands done but also hoping to hear someone’s take on the incident. That no one offered any opinion at all made me briefly wonder if it could be possible that no one had heard the news yet this morning. I was fairly confident everyone had as this is an oral society and news travels fast. It is really only we volunteers that have no idea what’s going around here due primarily to the language barrier. That no one was offering any opinions to us specifically, at this particular boutique, was unsettling as historically they don’t hesitate to offer up their thoughts on any subject outside or within their realm of expertise. The mood is usually playful and teasing, but yesterday, not so. Perhaps the presence of strangers caused all to be more serious but as this also isn’t unusual, I can only assume it had something to do with the attacks. Usually opining flows freely around here so the reticence is unnerving. One of v’s who speaks a little Hassaniya overheard a HCN asking another HCN if he’d heard about the troubles. The second man indicated that he had. This brief exchange took place in a language that I’m sure they thought neither we nor the French couple standing in front of us could understand.
Logically, it would seem that it was the Israeli embassy that was the target; but there is more and more information that makes it appear that they were targeting the adjacent nightclub. My first hand accounts have the event a bit more severe than what I have read in the new releases. I heard it was a 20- 30 minute gun battle with Molotov Cocktails (can you believe, some of these volunteers had never heard of a Molotov Cocktail?) involved from folks at the club. If it is true, the situation is even more frightening, as one could conclude that they were targeting westerners and those things they deem western such as alcohol and prostitution. I personally have never been to VIP and have no idea if they serve alcohol to prostitutes.
Beep Beep Ba Beep….Breaking News…..This just in: Al Qaeda of the Maghreb has taken responsibility (revendique) for the attack on the Israeli Embassy according the Nouakchott Info Quotidien, the French language newspaper in Nouakchott. That certainly doesn’t explain Molotov Cocktails aimed at the nightclub does it?
On the other hand, later in the day, while shopping in the market for dinner fare we ran into a host of folks that we knew each were as friendly and welcoming as ever. We chatted on the streets buying tomatoes; we chatted at the boulangerie buying bread; we chatted with the watchmen at our bureau gathering up the portable dsl devise while they were watching the African Cup of Nations; then after giving them our baguette we chatted back at the boulangerie for more bread; then on the way home we chatted the corner store while buying eggs for our omelettes. Carefree as you please.
But while sitting on the roof having sundowners, Mark and I had a frank discussion on what the roll of Peace Corps is in our lives personally as well as to Mauritania. Just how much danger and uncertainty should volunteers endure? If the circumstances and political leanings of the country in which we agreed to come change so drastically are we still obligated in the same way?
Then disturbingly today (Saturday), an HCN who was in our English class stopped by to practice his English and in the course of a discussion, he expressed his concern at the mood here in Atar. Apparently he was at a mosque and the tone disturbed him. He lived in the US for 7 years and was in New York on 9/11. He claims that he is more of a yank than me. This man has a real sense of America and Americans. He says that he has seen extremists here in Atar; that there is supposedly something telltale in the fashion of their howli that identifies them. Before you wonder, after some proding on Skype by family and friends, I passed all of this information along. Again, when in the midst of the event one (0r rather I) lose perspective.
Apparently, unlike the unrest a few years ago, (what unrest a few years?) there has been no “chatter” about harming Americans. Is that supposed to bring comfort? Chatter! I don’t like my immediate circumstance and “chatter” being used in the same context. I am not a character in a TV series. This isn’t some West Wing or NCIS episode. I am living in an Arab site, rather vulnerably, in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Al Qaeda was certainly not what I bargained for when applying to the Peace Corps.
So here I and the rest of the volunteers sit keeping vigilantly, whatever the hell that means, not knowing the correct course of action. None of us want to be Chicken Little but none of us want to be one of the animals, frolicking in the rain puddles extolling “but what about our work, what about our projects; how would Mauritania go on without us?” who didn’t get on the Arc two by two either. I am concerned that things will have to get much further out of hand before the Peace Corps would consider making an officially act as they are only now pulling volunteers out of Kenya. (update.....I was wrong they took a substantial number in January...the rest are just now evacuating) This reality seems a far cry from what we were told during recruitment. The buzz is that “if DCM hasn’t its way Peace Corps would have been out of here already”. (28/2/08 UPDATE SO THAT I AM ACCURATE IN WHAT I POST I WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT THE DCM NEVER SAID ANY SUCH THING AND IT WAS ONLY A RUMOR)
On the other hand, later in the day, while shopping in the market for dinner fare we ran into a host of folks that we knew each were as friendly and welcoming as ever. We chatted on the streets buying tomatoes; we chatted at the boulangerie buying bread; we chatted with the watchmen at our bureau gathering up the portable dsl devise while they were watching the African Cup of Nations; then after giving them our baguette we chatted back at the boulangerie for more bread; then on the way home we chatted the corner store while buying eggs for our omelettes. Carefree as you please.
But while sitting on the roof having sundowners, Mark and I had a frank discussion on what the roll of Peace Corps is in our lives personally as well as to Mauritania. Just how much danger and uncertainty should volunteers endure? If the circumstances and political leanings of the country in which we agreed to come change so drastically are we still obligated in the same way?
Then disturbingly today (Saturday), an HCN who was in our English class stopped by to practice his English and in the course of a discussion, he expressed his concern at the mood here in Atar. Apparently he was at a mosque and the tone disturbed him. He lived in the US for 7 years and was in New York on 9/11. He claims that he is more of a yank than me. This man has a real sense of America and Americans. He says that he has seen extremists here in Atar; that there is supposedly something telltale in the fashion of their howli that identifies them. Before you wonder, after some proding on Skype by family and friends, I passed all of this information along. Again, when in the midst of the event one (0r rather I) lose perspective.
Apparently, unlike the unrest a few years ago, (what unrest a few years?) there has been no “chatter” about harming Americans. Is that supposed to bring comfort? Chatter! I don’t like my immediate circumstance and “chatter” being used in the same context. I am not a character in a TV series. This isn’t some West Wing or NCIS episode. I am living in an Arab site, rather vulnerably, in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Al Qaeda was certainly not what I bargained for when applying to the Peace Corps.
So here I and the rest of the volunteers sit keeping vigilantly, whatever the hell that means, not knowing the correct course of action. None of us want to be Chicken Little but none of us want to be one of the animals, frolicking in the rain puddles extolling “but what about our work, what about our projects; how would Mauritania go on without us?” who didn’t get on the Arc two by two either. I am concerned that things will have to get much further out of hand before the Peace Corps would consider making an officially act as they are only now pulling volunteers out of Kenya. (update.....I was wrong they took a substantial number in January...the rest are just now evacuating) This reality seems a far cry from what we were told during recruitment. The buzz is that “if DCM hasn’t its way Peace Corps would have been out of here already”. (28/2/08 UPDATE SO THAT I AM ACCURATE IN WHAT I POST I WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT THE DCM NEVER SAID ANY SUCH THING AND IT WAS ONLY A RUMOR)
I have asked for clarification of the policy/criteria in cases like this but I haven’t heard back yet. Not that I have to wait for them to act. But for now, I have planted another round of lettuce and spinach and I am going to study some French.
As always, Stay Tuned
Cheers from here,
As always, Stay Tuned
Cheers from here,
PS There are new photos on flickr
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