Changes

This blog is a combination of events over the last few months .. starting with the going away party on July 7th ... Below is Bri and Katie on one last drive before both headed to Africa.

There were some pictures at the airport, but they were taken on Brian's camera and I'm still waiting for them.

For 2 months, Brian was in training learning the language, customs and how to not get malaria. Here he's studying? Nice waterfront property! Hmmm, maybe that's where he's going to use the 1 man rubber raft he won in the auction to benefit education for girls.

And on Sept 10th, Brian was officially sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer, wearing a customary Niger-ien style outfit. He said that during the swearing in, while they all had their right hands up, a bee kept swarming around his face so close he had to start swatting at it, and ended up making a scene until finally the bee got the best of him and stung him on top of his head! I'm hoping someone got some video footage of that.

In our last conversations, Bri had just arrived in his new place  and is enjoying some foods other than millet. He's the only PCV in the area and will again start to meet new people and now learn the local language - zarma. It'll be another month, mid-October, before school opens as this is their rainy season which means everyone is busy with growing and harvesting and the children all help out. There seems to be a lot of "down time" for him, so he'll be looking to keep himself busy and start meeting neighbors and get acquainted with the area.

Visit

Brian visited his new place for a week which is where he'll be for the next 2 years. It is a larger area and is nothing like the desert area he had been in. It's lush and much more up to date.

His new living place will be a 4 room concrete house. It's already furnished by a previous PCV and there is electricity and water. He has an oven/stove, there are ceiling fans in the house, a bathroom with shower and even a front porch to sit out. There's also a fence around his concession with a gate. So different from his training area. He is blessed!

Outside is a garden growing with corn, basil, green beans and aloe. He spent part of a day weeding and is excited about eating all these foods again. He also has a papaya and banana tree.

The school district he'll be working in has elementary, middle school, high school, trade/tech and private schooling. There are even computer labs which he's excited to work on.

One of the PC's took him to the local market area and there he bought coconuts, sugar cane, papaya and bananas. He'll also have access to vegetables, fish, tofu, meat and fried cheese. He'll have his own post lock box and can get his mail easily, and a bank he'll open an account. There's an internet cafe which he can access for 75 cents per hour!

As you might guess, he's looking forward to his new home.

Internet & Email

Photo: Brian (far right, seated) in a PC classroom.

The following is an email Brian was able to send out - yeah!

Its aug 27th and its my first internet time... the keyboard is in french and all the letters are mixed around.

Im about done with my livein week - a taste of what my new post is going to be like.... i have the best place in all of niger!

i basically live in a mansion with electricity, a water spicket in my yard, a garden with corn, papayas and a BANANA tree!!!! I also have a shower which is amazing - no more bucket baths!!

ps: Brian has a new mailing address (see right side for address)

A special visit was made by another PCV (Jessica) and her parents (Kerry & John) who stopped to encourage this group in their adventure. Kerry passed out some hugs from moms - here's one to Brian.

Hanging Around

Planting Trees

Family

1. Me and my dad 2. My Family 3 & 4 - My best buddy

Home Sweet Home

My home consists of a hut made of mud, mostly to go in when the rain and winds come. Otherwise I sleep outside under the stars (under the mosquito net).