Beyond Stand Fast

8:00 a.m. – As I write, we are nearing the two week mark in “Stand Fast” mode here in Kenema City and it would seem there is no end in sight.  We’ve had fits and starts of progress with small glimmers of hope only for them to be dashed by new, unforeseen circumstances.  Here is a brief run-down on what’s happened…

As I said in my last submission, Sierra Leone held its elections two Saturdays past on the 17th to what international observers and numerous groups within the country alike hailed as “free and fair”.  Sure, there were complaints about certain precincts counting more votes than the number of registered voters but that isn’t terribly unusual…hey, in Chicago, we were always reminded to vote early and often!  But not wanting to be too flippant about this, the cause for concern over voter irregularities seemed to be a terribly overwrought.  When results were finally announced late in the afternoon Friday, November 23rd (with over 87% of the registered voters casting their ballots, by the way), the incumbent, President Ernest Bai Koroma, was re-elected by a margin that would deny any doubt that abnormalities played a part in his victory.  The President garnered over 58% of the vote (as you may recall, 55% was necessary to avoid a run-off which we all feared) while the Green guy held steady with just a bit over 37% of the popular vote.  It seemed that this 20% spread was clearly significant.

The night of the announcement, Tony and I went over to the University Canteen with numerous other lecturers, a mixed group of Reds and Greens, while the radio blared out the long-awaited news.  When Koroma’s winning percentage was announced, a hushed, but nonetheless, distinct murmur of voices was evident, not in the room but from the city itself.  It was evident that just about everyone in Kenema was talking but whether it was angry or supportive, we could not discern.  But, the white noise-like rumble in “surround-sound” was certainly disquieting.   Not long after, Kenema was quiet.
To my mind, a combination of things contributed to the surprisingly calm night that ensued.  A drenching rain began as the sun set which kept a lot of people in their homes and off the streets.  Coupled with that, planned or not, the electricity went out about 7:00 p.m.  Finally, the winning margin itself was simply too great to rationally dispute this clear win so most people in the city were caught in the rain, in the dark, without a leg to stand on.  Or so we thought…

Saturday proved to be amazingly calm, too, but Sunday, the day the commission was to announce the results of the Parliamentary seats, found unrest in both Bo and here in Kenema.  A flash mob was reported mid-afternoon in Bo City and a group of demonstrators rallied near enough to Tony’s house that we clearly heard them coming and I could see them on the other side of the university soccer field as they coursed through the streets waving placards and shouting political slogans.  As a precaution, a curfew went into effect Sunday night and the streets were, once again, silent all night. 
That brings us to today, Monday, November 26th.   The campus awoke slowly and students, singly or in small groups, shuffled to class while we awaited word from Peace Corps that Stand Fast would finally be at an end.  What we got, though, was a text message from our Country Director saying she’d be calling soon to discuss plans for our “unique” situation.  Hmm.  That sure sounded like Stand Fast was still standing; and for us, it was.  We learned that the seeming morning calm on campus was an illusion.  In fact, almost right under our own noses, a number of nearby downtown businesses had either been bombed or burned last night and word on the street was that tonight targeted residences would be hit.  Thank goodness Peace Corps, as always, played this with safety uppermost in their minds.  We had about 45 minutes to pack, secure the house, and board the already waiting Peace Corps vehicle to be whisked off to a secure setting. 

8:00 p.m. – So, with the power on, I’m sitting in my little living room, returned to my quiet little bungalow in the bush and am happy to report real quiet…well, other than the rumble of thunder and the tapping of rain on my metal roof as yet another rolling storm lumbers through the area.  I’m totally safe and sound!

From this experience, there is one thing I know for certain abdout Sierra Leone which has been echoed in many, if not all conversations I’ve had of late…the people are tired of war and will go to any lengths to prevent a repeat of that horrible civil war of ten years past.  I truly believe them and even more importantly, I believe in them.  Peace will prevail here!

Stand Fast

I’ve been in Kenema City, in the eastern province of Sierra Leone, with two other of my fellow Response Volunteers, for a week now.  We shifted into what has been called a modification in our Peace Corps Emergency Action Plan, referred to as “Stand Fast” in the lingo.  Stand Fast is the lowest significant level to be initiated when political conditions in a country become tenuous and where there is potential for violence or danger.  Kenema, as is the entire eastern region, is one-sidedly supportive of the Sierra Leone People’s Party which we refer to as the Greens since they wear green garb while the incumbent party wears red…er, they are referred to as the Reds.  I am happy to say it has been almost pastoral here so quiet are the streets. 

Presently, the populace is patiently poised for the results of last Saturday’s elections and it is, predictably, taking a long time for the vote count.  News blurbs this morning indicated that a very peaceful and successful election was held and International Observers praised this little country for its ability to hold such a contest given that only ten years ago they were in the throes of a violent civil war.

Even though we’ve been without water for almost two days, we have had electricity most of the time and I have to say we are living like kings and queen!  The street food is delicious and bountiful and the Star beer is still Le 3000 a bottle.  For Thanksgiving, we are going to go out and get a Guinea hen or large chicken (there are no turkeys in Sierra Leone) and Tony, the consummate cook with all the equipment, is going to treat us to a feast as he has a few times already.  It’s always interesting to see how you can substitute ingredients when virtually nothing American is available…especially as far as this holiday goes.  But Tony has been in Peace Corps for over five years in both South Africa and Madagascar and has learned all the tricks so it’s bound to be great!

Back to the election, in the final count, if no candidate for president has won 55% or more of the popular vote, a run-off will need to be held on Saturday, December 8th.  According to all news sources, this would be the time for civil disturbance to occur.  I have to say, when PCRV Jessica and I walked through Bo on our way to pick up a taxi to Kenema, the streets were replete with Greens in what appeared to be a city-wide political rally.  The experience, even from the windows of the taxi, was frighteningly crazy.  People, drunk on palm wine or the general cacophony, and bedecked in palm fronds and silly hats (hmm…sort of like our own national presidential nominating conventions) milled everywhere blowing whistles and shouting fervent political epithet for their man (and woman…the Green’s vice-presidential running mate is female!). The almost frantic feeling I got, however, left me with the taste of how potentially dangerous a crowd like this could be if they were rallying nearby the opposition and an altercation broke out.  So, for the time being, we Peace Corps Volunteers are happily clumped together in small clutches for safety’s sake and good reason, living the good S.L. life, and standing fast!  I’ll send out more when we know something; I could be off until January or teaching this coming Monday. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and you enjoy the long weekend! We’ll be here in Kenema where it is easy to be Green.

Teaching 101

Quite a number of you have asked about the teaching aspects here in Sierra Leone and the truth is, we are still doing rather little of it.  Coupled with the fact that we started the term over three weeks late, and that we are currently closed through the 26th of this month for the Sierra Leone presidential election on the 17th (which could very likely extend through the first week of January if there is a run-off; which is expected), and one scheduling problem after another, I have only met three of my five assigned classes thus far.  So, what am I teaching you may ask?  Here is my schedule this semester:

• LIT 331 – American/Sierra Leone Prose (Monday and Thursday @ 8:00 a.m.)
• LIT 441 – Euro-Western Literature Seminar (Monday and Thursday @ 10:00)
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE 101 (Tuesday and Friday @ 10:00 a.m.)
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE 202 (To Be Announced—not scheduled yet)
• LIT 631 – Cross-Cultural Literary Studies (Scheduled to meet on Bo Campus Tuesdays) and
• Chairing five doctoral dissertations

I’ve never taught anything even close to these classes before but it is refreshing to dig into new material and offer a fresh perspective on their tried and true courses.  For example, after the first of the year we will be reading Pushkin’s poem “Eugene Onegin” in LIT 631 and then I’ll be showing them Tchaikovsky’s full-length opera of the same title on DVD.  That’s not something anyone on the faculty here would have conjured, for sure!

 

What other challenges are there?  Well, here is my class of first-year English students; by the way, Snake Man Musa (from last blog entry fame) is leaning forward in the front row with the white shirt. 

 

 

Every time we meet, and this is true for all my classes, it is in a different room…that’s because there are no room assignments.  It is first come, first served.  You just go to the Faculty Building and hunt for your class or set it up to have one of your students call your cell phone and tell you where they have congregated. 

 

 

In fact, this room on the fourth floor was totally empty when we arrived and, like little ants, the students, uncomplaining, went up and down the outside veranda hallway grabbing empty desks from other classrooms and dragging them in here.  Once a room is found, there is the constant problem of no chalk or erasers and the chalk boards are generally plywood painted black so they are as rough to write on as they are to erase. 

 

One thing that is very different from the U.S. is that Peace Corps hired me to be a lecturer.  At first, I just thought it was the British version for the word “professor”, but here, they MEAN for you to lecture.  I know Dave Brown is rolling his eyes…but it’s way they do it here!  I am to present material for the entire class period and the students gladly take notes the whole time.  After class, the students go back to their rooms in the hostels and assiduously study their notes in expectation of the final examination (the ONLY evaluation there is throughout the term).  The truth is, I’ve got students in my classes that I know are not officially registered for class (we haven’t been issued class lists either) but if they make payment by the end of the semester, then and only then can they sit for finals! 

 

Another unexpected snafu has been the expected difficulty of the students having no materials.  As I mentioned early in this blog, they simply cannot afford to purchase books after they’ve strained their purse strings on tuition, room, and board.  So institutionalized is this situation, we don’t even have a bookstore here on campus.  So, how do they get books?  Well, I won’t be tapping your own generous offers to donate funds across the sea.  It turns out there are underground, duplicated copies of all the books we are to teach floating around and they just magically appear when needed.  Along with the students sharing and some finding books on the internet for free, we’ll just have to see how this plays out as the term unfolds but so far, it’s working!

“I hate snakes…!”

…spouted Indiana Jones.  Well, after today, I can only rejoin, “I’m not too fond of them, either!”

At the risk of portraying the Sierra Leone experience as predominantly a problem of critters, I must add this tale just experienced.  I had finished my 8:00 a.m. lecture early (duh, how much can you say at that hour of the morning on any subject?) and had headed back to my bungalow for a second cup of coffee before my 10:00 a.m. class convened.  I entered my porch, unlocked my kitchen door, and there, lounging in the window, was a four-foot green snake staring at me.  Yes, I was to learn later that they are poisonous but my first reaction, the snake being rather far away, was to take a picture of it.  I mean, he didn’t seem like he was going anywhere so I ran and grabbed my camera:

He flicked his tongue at me (I seem to remember that’s the snakey way of smelling) but didn’t move to attack me.  The second thing I did was to call my friend, fellow lecturer, and hero, Philip Thulla, who did away with that black cobra over a month ago.  Reticently, he agreed to come down the hill and see what he could do but, from the tone of his voice, I knew this wasn’t the way he wanted to start his day!

“Oooo!  Dis na di problem-o!” he burst out in Krio.  As quickly, he bolted from the kitchen, headed out the front door and deeper into our little university neighborhood and returned with a couple of boys who, “Aren’t afraid of snakes!” 

Musa, taking charge, immediately asked if I had any Shell-Tox.  “Are you kidding?” I gloated (I had just bought a back-up canister the week before…you can never have too much Shell-Tox).  He ran into the kitchen and began to spray the heck out of the snake, who now opened his mouth showing his poisonous fangs.  I quickly became overcome by the fumes and retreated to the living room to retch.

By the time I got back to the kitchen, Philip, with his ire up and manning a huge stick stolen from the neighbor’s fence, was madly whacking away at the crazed snake, now retreated into the back corner of a cabinet below my rather crude kitchen counter.  He was able to injure it in a couple of places allowing them to fling it out onto the porch floor.

The snake, mortally wounded but still writhing, was whisked out the door with my trusty broom and here he is in his last breath.  That leaf, by the way, is about nine inches long…

Musa lifted him onto the end of Philip’s big stick and was about to fling it into the bush behind my house but Philip convinced him to, “Put it where we can always see it…so we’ll KNOW it’s dead!”

Here is its final resting place, the result of a nice shot, some twenty feet in the air.

Just another dull day in Africa!

Yeah, U.S.A.

I suspect that there is only one group of people just a smidgen less ecstatic about President Obama’s re-election than we Americans and that would be the people of Sierra Leone!  I am in Bo today and was bargaining for a portable radio so I can listen to BBC all the time when the young man waiting on me baited me by asking if I had voted for president. 

I excitedly told him, “I voted for Obama in late September!  In Freetown.  Before I came here to the south!” 

He said, “But, he’s black!”

To which I replied, “Why should I care? He’s the greatest American alive today!”  Then I began to cry for happiness!  He gave me a huge hug and a 10,000 Leone discount!

Way to go America!

This and That

Well, the Dark Daze continue here but the good news is that the Vice-Chancellor has set in motion an initiative that will allow the Bo-Kenema Power Company to take over our power situation.  I talked to him this morning and it looks like we may soon have 24-hours of electricity (er, that would be EVERY day) within the next few weeks.  We are keeping our fingers crossed for successful connections!  If that happens, I’d be able to keep a few beers in the fridge (cold) and have a modem installed at my bungalow with internet all the time!  Why, I’d be able to start living large in Njala! There is a pot of gold at the end of our African rainbow after all!

We have been having all sorts of “rolling” storms, as they call them here, as the rainy season ends.  They are incredible.  You begin to hear rumblings of thunder and see clouds build in the east.  It takes these behemoths hours to crawl across the countryside toward us with some missing and some hitting us.  This was one that went to the south but caused a lovely rainbow.  I took this shot just outside my porch door.

Out back I have a number of bushes that have these night-blooming flowers, one of which I caught just at sunrise.  There is a triple bud in there and sometimes in the middle of night, the scent wafts in my bedroom window reminding me of the night-blooming cerius plants I left back at home.  These are more predictable since there are almost always a few buds opening.  Oh, and see the “nuts” that are there?  I don’t know what they are, only that they are NOT kola nuts which is what I had initially hoped for!  Some of you more “senior” folks might recall an old 7-Up commercial where Jeffrey Colder used to say in his deep resonant voice, “These are kola nuts…these are UN-kola nuts…”  Well, whatever they are they are the Un-variety.  Okay by me.  I ate kola nuts in Freetown and they are terribly bitter.  Their lure is in the high concentration of caffeine.  Energy drinks, step aside.  A kola nut gives you quite a rush!  I’ll stick to coffee!

By the time you read this our president will have been re-elected…I hope, I hope.  I voted for Obama back in September while still in Freetown but we have an election coming up on the 17th that proves to be just as close a race.  What does it mean for us here in the bush?  Well, Njala University has cancelled classes from November 10 through December 3 so students can migrate back to their homes to vote (and we can avoid any disturbances though they are unlikely to occur.  I am glad they are playing it on the safe side in any event).  We do have to make up these days at the end of the term and with the fact that if neither candidate wins a clear 55% margin, they will have to hold a run-off election which would delay classes even more!  That potentially sets the entire calendar back by weeks.

So, as they work on the generators, we will go completely without power across campus for a week or two and, concomitant to that, there will be no internet, no students…just me and the neighbors…here is one munching in my front yard.

It’s likely you won’t hear from me until the first week in December when I will report on how the classes are going…or IF they are going!  Yes, we struggle to get things started here! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Dark Daze (sic.) in Africa

Yes, it’s been a while since my last entry but there is a “good/bad” reason for this.  I, can hardly be held culpable for this silence since, at home, we have been without power for over two weeks…so you see, I have good reason but it’s for a bad reason.  The upshot of this is that at sundown, that sacred moment around 7:00 p.m. when we have traditionally had a little bit of “juice” until midnight, I have taken to sitting and waiting for the lights to go on.  In the distance I hear the generator turn over; I think the one on the right is the only one that works…

Then I see the student dorms light up; this is a shot during early afternoon but you get the idea…

 

But alas, I remain in the dark!  You see, that generator can only power a portion of the campus now that the students are returned.  The administration, probably correctly, made the decision to keep the students in light so nothing untoward would happen when the power blinked off.  It’s like in my early days at WCU where they used to always remain open during snow storms for fear of the students wrecking the dorms if they were cooped up all day long.  So the powers that be categorically made the decision to black-out ONLY our chunk of the campus until a solution can be found.  We’ve called and complained, we are now petitioning them for relief, but I’m guessing we are going to be dealing in the dark for a long time to come. 

How do I cope with this?  As I think I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs, night crashes down on us quickly and without pity here in Africa.  I mean, it gets really dark here and without some sort of light, it is impossible to do anything.  I try to eat dinner early and clean up the dishes by 6:00.  Then, I go to the library at 7:15 where they do have a small generator that powers the lights until 10:00 p.m. (sometimes we even have internet).  More times than not, however, a huge storm has blown through and they are closed.

In that case, I bike back home in the dark, a harrowing experience in itself attempting to avoid ruts, puddles, students, and okadas (motorcycles carrying students) and listen to music on my portable CD player.  I find that if I sit on the porch, the only place that is cool that early in the night, I can take in an act or two of a favorite opera or listen to a symphony while the house cools down with the evening breezes. 

Then, with the assistance of the beloved headlamp that Halley insisted I have when we were shopping at REI last August, I can read a bit before the bugs start dive-bombing my face…again, a daytime picture.

I then get under my mosquito netting for a bit more reading and before my eyes slam shut about as absolutely as the African nights…another day done.

COMING SOON: a tidbit on teaching…I’ve only done a tidbit of it!

Return of the Critters

As mentioned previously and something quite a few of you have commented about…but the fact remains that critters abound here in Sierra Leone…still!  In review, I mentioned that canines are universally considered the under-dogs of this country.  They are found either running or recumbent, to what they are trotting I know not…but they lounge only to dig at open sores, fleas, and things I don’t even want to think about.  But yesterday, one approached me and got a little too close for comfort.  He was literally charging straight toward me.  Now, I didn’t get a full series of rabies immunizations for nothing, but I also didn’t want to find out how well the treatment worked…which was going through my mind as the dog got closer and closer.  All at once, I remembered Halley’s advice from my Turkmenistan visit…throw a rock at them!  Hmm, I looked around, there were no rocks!  “If you don’t have a rock, bend over as IF you were picking one up and they may run anyway,” she had added.  What did I have to lose?  I bent over, acted as if I had grabbed a boulder, and immediately the thing turned tail and took off.  He might still be running.  Sadly, these dogs are used to this treatment and I felt good since I didn’t have to harm even a flea on his head!

The second wave of bugs hit my bungalow last weekend.  A roach was sitting on my kitchen drain board Saturday morning and ants had crawled out of the woodwork again.  So, I got out my trusty can of Shell-tox and sprayed away.  Upon return two hours later, little ant bodies lined the baseboards throughout the living room and Mr. Cockroach is seen below:

Smugly, I slept soundly Saturday night!  But yesterday morning I awoke to yet another outbreak of black ants; this time in my bedroom right around the corner from the last outbreak.  Here they are with their little eggs making for a safe haven:

I must add here, my can of poison supposedly good for 80 applications, was getting light but I was sure I had one more good shot left and I was going to make it count!  I aimed, sprayed, and thank the stars above, I conquered!  For now at least!  Suffice to say, I’m going to Bo soon and getting two cans; just in case!

We had an influx of two-legged critters appear last weekend, too.  Students.  Hapless students, waiting to be educated.  I am told today is our official start of the semester (three weeks late) but I have yet to know when my classes are scheduled.  I know we meet with all our English students tomorrow for the entire day and I just found out minutes ago that I have a literature class on Thursday morning from 10 – noon.  Other than that, we are flying by the seat of our pants here in Africa. 

One other fly in the ointment (this insect used figuratively) is that we are apparently closing down for two weeks beginning on November 10th due to the upcoming elections here in Sierra Leone.  There is a slight potential for danger as the campaign heats up so the university may just solve the issue by avoiding altercation altogether.  We’ll lock up and send ‘em home!  Just so you know, Peace Corps is monitoring this as well, and at the moment, we are on a low level alert stating that only a potential danger is possible but nothing is even hinted at regarding any threat of danger to us. 

Maybe I should just catch a flight to Rome for a week and solve it myself...

Water, water, everywhere...

October 17, 2012

Water, water, everywhere…

And you’d think, with the rainy season only just tapering off, getting water would be simple.  At present, it is puddling in all the potholes and raging along in the river that is just north of my bungalow.  In fact, I get an ample supply of water from this tank out in back of my house that comes directly from the river.

The water is perfect for laundering, bathing, and household cleaning but because it is a bit brown-ish and filled with all sorts of micro-organisms, it is far from potable.  So, this is just to show what goes into getting a few liters of water every day.

First, I have to fetch the water from our local well which is about a half-mile away.  It’s about as far from my place here in Njala as my house in West Chester was to my office on the WCU campus.  There I pump it into a bucket and tote it back to the house where I first run it through the nifty filter Peace Corps provided.  There are two ceramic “candles” in the top container that rid the water of approximately 98% of its impurities. 

Our PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) told us to make certain the water is pure, we only need to add a couple of drops of bleach, let it sit for fifteen minutes, and it’s 100% safe to drink. Unfortunately, they forgot to give us the bleach and the dropper when we left headquarters so I am just using the end of a spoon and dribbling the drops that way; the eye-dropper is on the way…or so they say!

What do I use for cooking?  Well, I cheat a bit here.  The PCMO said that boiling water for three minutes also makes it safe so I just use my filtered water (98% pure) and make sure to cook whatever it is in the pot for at least the requisite three minutes but it’s always longer.

The truth is, unlike my cooking in the U.S., I have a rather bland diet here.  The reason is primarily because it is so difficult to obtain, then to keep all the ingredients fresh.  With only that small window of five hours of electricity per day, I can keep some things cool in my little fridge, but I certainly can’t have milk, eggs, butter or any of the other things I would normally use for a gourmet feast on hand.  So, I have a boring diet of hot cereal, either Muesli or oatmeal, for breakfast.  I make sure to add dry milk for the calcium and protein and top it off with local bananas.

For supper I use a base of rice, beans, and bulgur wheat which provides complete protein and then add whatever veggies I am able to scrape up for added zest.  It’s amazing what an onion, some garlic, or a chopped carrot can do when you’re used to only the dry ingredients.  

I tell you, if it ain’t hot peppers, palm oil, or salt, it ain’t Sierra Leonean so I’m sort of stuck with the aforementioned…but only for another 10 months!  But then again, won’t a juicy burger and a few beers at Kildare’s taste all the better when I return?

Solo to Bo

October 13, 2012

Solo to Bo

Late last week, I received a jovial call from our District Warden, Anne Marie, who was pleased to inform me that some boxes with my name on them had arrived at her house that very day “and would you come pick them up soon, please?” she pressed.   Alas, I was to learn that Anne’s village is located about 45 minutes on the other side of Bo from me.  Despite that fact, we decided I’d attempt to make a run two days hence which was this past Saturday, October 13.  Fortunately for me, Anne was going to be going through Bo that day so she promised to meet me there so I could accompany her back to her house, retrace my route back to Bo, and head back to Njala hopefully before dark…when the snakes come out.

Well, I have never done the trip to Bo alone yet.  There has always been some lecturer, usually my friend Philip, who tags along and points me in the right direction when I start to go astray.  I might also add I’ve never gone on anything other than the university shuttle which is free and goes right to the Bo Campus…other than its arduousness, once I’m on the van it’s pretty hard to get lost.  Of course, this was the weekend and I was pretty certain I was going to have to go both ways on public transport so I was a bit more than nervous about the prospects.  However, I needed those boxes!

 

I was out at the Hospital Junction, as it is called, Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m. with a few other travelers.  The hospital is on the far left, the billboard sports female condoms, and the Pointe Bar is the little place on the right. There was a shuttle bus that went to Freetown that morning so, if it came (they don’t always), I had the first leg of the trip under my belt.  Mind you that this is the 7-mile jaunt up the dirt road to the main highway to Taiama.  You have to know that it is littered with potholes many a foot deep or deeper and the serpentine route cars, vans, and motorcycles take is beyond belief.  They go all over the place and on both sides of the road.  It is terribly bumpy not to mention that we’ve never made it in less than 42 minutes…seven miles in 42 minutes…do the math!

I jumped out at what a lot of the volunteers call Pineapple Junction (they sell them there when in season) and got ready to board my first rural poda poda.  These are old, very old, vans that smoke and sputter their way up and down the road carrying upwards of 10 people not including the driver.  That’s four to a bench seat and two in the front bucket seat.  We call it cozy in Sierra Leone.  I was in the very back with three other people and noticed that when the driver shut the back hatch, there was about a two-inch gap between the door and the body of the van…they had replaced it with a door from some other make of vehicle…I thought “how inventive” until we started up and the smoke and fumes came in the aforementioned gap as well as from under the van itself…you could see the pavement through the floor as we moved along.  Thank goodness two windows could be opened or else we’d have died of asphyxiation! 

We got to Bo without further mishap and I considered myself lucky to have done it for so cheap and in just under two hours (that’s a total distance of about 47 miles…again, do the math).  I had ahead of me about five hours of shopping and waiting before we would actually leave for Anne’s village so I hit the streets to acquaint myself with the markets of Bo.  I was thrilled to see a woman selling carrots and potatoes so I grabbed about six or seven of each not caring one bit that I was getting robbed at 17,000 Leones ($4.00 American).  These would represent the very first vegetables I’ve eaten at site these past two weeks and I would have paid any price for them!  Presently, all we have here in the village now are onions and garlic and they are hard to come by. 

I scoped out various other stands and stopped at one that sold fabric.  I need curtains in the worst way at my house.  The afternoon sun pours in the big living room windows from about 2:00 to 6:00 and the temperatures inside stays at about 92 degrees on a good day.  My thinking is that some curtains would block those rays so when the dry, hot season hits in a couple of months, I’ll be able to keep the place habitable.  But, she wanted 20,000 Leones a yard and remained steadfast in her price, so I told her I’d think about it…I passed later and she yelled, “Hey white man, you want the cloth?” to which I told her I’d be back…so it goes.  I may still get a good price!

We finally got on the road to Anne’s by mid-afternoon via a taxi (don’t fool yourself; it is really a smaller version of a poda poda (usually a little Toyota-ota) with six passengers and the driver.  When we entered Anne’s little bungalow, much like my own, I could finally see why she was “mildly” insistent I pick up my mail…an entire corner of her front room was filled with goodies for all the volunteers in the area!  I grabbed my boxes and headed back to the road to stop yet another taxi heading back to Bo and directly to the Njala Lorry Park where I got a last taxi to Njala…or so I thought.  This guy never went over 35 miles an hour, I swear.  Nothing on the dashboard worked so I’m not positive, but he turned off the engine and coasted down even the slightest slope only to turn it on again and pop the clutch when we were all but stopped.  About half-way back, we ran out of gas so he calmly got out and replaced the one-gallon plastic jug he had under the front hood with another he had kept at his feet (inside the car mind you) and we took off. 

Four hours later, I opened my front door and hauled in my bounty.  Completely forgetting I was thirsty and hungry, I read my mail and unpacked my boxes.  You can see the efforts of the days travel…well worth it, indeed!  I have picture books, novels, academic textbooks, and even some art supplies to use for this coming semester!

Critters

Oh, are there a lot of critters around both large and small here in Sierra Leone!  Dogs are the largest though this mutt breed is mostly skinny, mangy, and undersized by American standards.  They are all completely disregarded by the local populace (no pampering here), have open sores and wounds, and are constantly plopping down in the middle of a path to dig at some flea or other infestation that is bugging them.  It’s odd to see them run freely and even stranger to see the males with testicles…we are so accustomed to on-leash, neutered animals.  But beyond the constant ant problem, the lizards running unchecked both inside the house and out, and gnats that invade as the lights go on at night, critters abound and most of the following, I try to avoid at all costs.

My first, and probably greatest, concern in coming to Africa was the fear of the anopheles mosquito

that carries dreaded malaria.  I’ve been diligent in taking my weekly prophylaxis and cover every night with my mosquito netting.  The truth is, though, I’ve only seen two or three mosquitoes since I landed and, to the best of my knowledge, not been bit yet.  The females, who actually infect the host, do the damage only between dusk and dawn and though I’ve used my repellent occasionally, I’ve thus far found it pretty unnecessary.  We are heading into the dry season but once the rainy season reappears in the spring there will be plenty of breeding pools and I may change my tune quickly.  Our PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) said, in truth, the meds really do most of the work with this disease.  The reality is, we all will probably get malaria but if we continue with the meds we’ll avoid the symptoms.  That is why we continue taking the Mefloquine for a month after we are back in the United States which gives us time to work it all out of our systems.

At the top of the list of other little critters we need to watch out is the tapeworm. 

 

 

We were emphatically warned to cook all meat thoroughly if we eat meat at all…so far I’m a little gun-shy and doing well with my Diet for a Small Planet fare of beans and rice (and other variations).  Another cruddy critter comes in the form of hookworms

 

so I avoid “fecally contaminated soil” as it is cited in our Peace Corps medical manual…like I would rush toward fecally contaminated soil?  I do wear shoes or flip-flops all the time…just in case!  As well, if I were to feel the urge to jump in the river that goes under the road about half-way to the highway from campus, I’ll think twice due to the Bulinus snails! 

They can, and often do, carry schistosomiasis which is a parasitic disease caused by a blood fluke that is absorbed through the skin.  The last bug to stay away from is the Tumba fly

or Mango worm.  They lay their eggs in the soil and sand, or in clothing that is laid in the sun to dry.  They burrow into your skin and develop into worms that wiggle around and drive the host mad.  Though they present no huge health problem, getting rid of them is said to really be tedious.  So, if we elect to have someone do our laundry we need to be careful it isn’t washed in the river (snails) and laid out to dry on infected ground.  OR you can just make sure to iron your clothes thoroughly to kill the larvae before they attack…hmm, I don’t have an iron yet!  I’ll brook my own clothes, I think and save a few Leones.

The last critter I’ve noticed here comes in the form of slippery, slithery snakes. 

Well, I’ve not seen a live one but Sierra Leone is said to be filled with ‘em!  We have vipers, adders, mambas, and cobras and are warned to stay out of tall grasses or overgrown paths for fear of confronting one of these beasties.  My pal, Philip, went home the other night to get something (he lives almost next door) but when he came back, he said he’s just killed a black cobra that ran right out in the path in front of him.  Here is a picture of what is left of him…Philip is my hero…and I’m watching the ground a “bit” more carefully, now, too!

So what lesson do we learn from all this boys and girls?  Stay on the path and wear your shoes on during the daylight hours, cover up at night, avoid water, soil, meat, and…er, maybe I should just be wary and not worry so much!

School is Beginning…

After spending the day in the library here at Njala University (free wireless internet all day Monday through Friday in a room with ceiling fans…it’s heavenly), I headed home but first went to check out a small market at the edge of town.  The local school was just letting out and the stream of boys and girls in their blue and white uniforms was impossible to pass up for a quick snap shot.  You can’t see the building itself in the background but it is about one mile from where I’m standing.  Many of these kids will walk at least another mile to arrive at home.

It reminded me of one of Laurie Halse Anderson’s early picture books called NDITO RUNS about a little girl who joyfully runs many miles each day to attend school in her native country of Kenya.  It’s much the same here.

Sadly, school is available to all children in this country but they can attend only if they pay for it out of their own pockets and for most that is prohibitive.  The markets and villages are filled with milling children who will never attend school.  I was told there is movement toward governmental support of universal education.  In this election year here in Sierra Leone the incumbent President has listed it as one of his highest priorities yet it would appear to be nothing more than a vacant campaign promise with a long way to go before it is realized not to mention acted on.

At the university level, the same holds true as far as funding issues are concerned.  I’m told it is rare for scholarships to be awarded and loans are not available so each year students need to gather the money needed to attend college.  Again, for most that is impossible.  Those who do attend university trickle in for weeks after the semester begins attending only when they can pay their tuition.

One bright star in this glum outlook comes from one of my fellow lecturers, neighbor, and new friend who posed his doctoral thesis topic to me yesterday.  He has completed his first three chapters of what looks to be a full-blown dissertation and I was thrilled at the thought of working on it with him.  His topic is “Folk Literature: Social Commentary on the Temne of Northern Sierra Leone.”  The Temne are one of the two largest tribes in Sierra Leone and Philip wants to look at how oral and folk literature has declined in the native villages in recent years and hopefully he wants to reignite its popularity.  His goal is to take the lessons taught and learned through folk literature to help guide the Temne back to their roots.

Speaking of the university, I received my workload assignments for this first term and get this, I’ll be teaching five different courses (none of which I’ve ever taught before…but we won’t get into that right now).  They are: “American/Sierra Leonean Prose”, Euro-Western Literature Seminar”, “Cross-Cultural Literary Studies”, as well as “English Language 101”, and “English Language 201”.  The latter two courses will have around 150 students per section so my total teaching population will be around 400 folks.  APSCUF must be representing this faculty, too!

Home Sweet Home

After the memorable move, we arrived in Njala on Saturday mid-afternoon with no idea of where my place was.  After numerous discussions with the local folks and many false starts, we arrived at my little bungalow pictured here.  It’s simple.  Very simple.  I have a living room, bedroom, bathroom, enclosed front porch, and an attached kitchen but it is located off the porch so cooking won’t heat up the house.  Well, that is it wouldn’t heat up the kitchen if I had a working stove!

                                           

We sure got our lines crossed when it came to Peace Corps preparations for site.  I came with just about nothing that would be useful…but a few things had potential.  Just to back up a bit, we made a mad trip last Friday to Freetown for “essentials” so I purchased an electric hot water kettle, a small half-sized refrigerator, a gas stovetop with two burners, and a fan.   Alas, I ran out of money with those purchases…they amounted to 1,625,000 Leones so I couldn’t buy the propane gas tank, the regulator, or the tubing that connects them…no credit cards here!  But, here’s where the potential comes into play though this get more bleak before it gets better.  Upon arrival at site, I learned that we only have power from 7:00 p.m. to midnight every day (five hours) which makes that early morning cup of coffee from the hot water kettle sort of tough.  The fridge blew out my power strip the first night I was there so that has turned into a very expensive cupboard to keep my dry goods (which I can’t use since I don’t have gas with which to cook).  The fan?  It simply doesn’t work.  BOA…broken on arrival. 

So, those are the minor irritants I initially faced.  Undaunted, I put my belongings into logical places and took a stroll around the place.  I have my own papaya tree which could be really cool.  The fruit is green now, but as I said, we are looking for potential so I’m happy. 

I biked down into the village which turned out to be literally all thatched roof huts and people going about their daily chores like “brooking” which is their term for doing laundry, sweeping their yards with homemade whisk brooms, and generally hanging out.  I think I scared the heck out of them, though.  Here comes this white guy on a bike with a helmet atop his head and it seemed to only turn heads.  I didn’t take any pictures because I thought I was really intervening too much on their privacy by just being there.  As I get to know the villagers, many of whom work on campus, I’ll fill in the photos.  It this just as picturesque as anything you’ve seen in National Geographic.

On my way back, I located a small, two-stand open air market and purchased a dozen bananas for 1000 Leones (a real bargain) and headed directly home.  Here is my entry into the living room.  It’s simple but Peace Corps only requires two chairs so I made out big time.  I have a dining room table, four chairs, four easy chairs with end tables.  As Halley calls it, you’re in Posh Corps! 

Then there is the bedroom.   I have a nice bed, a couple of bureaus to store my stuff (except for the fact that all the drawers are speckled white with mildew…hey, it’s rainy season!). 

The bath is really snazzy with modern tile, a shower (that works…cold water only from the river but I’m thrilled), a sink, and an operating toilet.  This really bests the Turkmenistan water closets since Halley’s were squat outhouses only…in all, I figure it all evens out. 

So, that’s my house.  I’m located at the edge of campus so my rearview overlooks a swampy, wooded area that gives way to rolling hills but it is ever so quiet here.  Other than the songs of crickets at night and the chirruping of the birds in the morning (none of which I recognize), it is the exact opposite of West Barnard Street with its bustle and student braggadocio.  I think I’m going to like it here…
So, as I mentioned, the water that comes into the house is from the river.  That’s good enough for laundry, showering, and flushing but it certainly isn’t potable.  I went to the nearby well the next morning with the bottom of my waste basket (supplied by the university and reasonably clean) and after my litany of taught Krio like, “Padi monin, o” and  “Aw di bodi?” I found we just stared at each other until my turn came to draw the water.  Oops, little did I know, I’m in Mende land which is the predominant tribe here in the south and in training, we didn’t even learn how to say “hello” in that language.  Oh, I have a lot to learn.  Anyway, the well is about as far from my house as my office was on campus so it’s good exercise and I get cleaner water in the bargain.
Peace Corps provided us with these uber-ultra-filters so all we have to do is dump the water in the top, wait three or so hours, and we have clean water…well, sort of.  Our PCMO (that’s Peace Corps Medical Officer) said it was 98% effective so to be extra sure of purity, we should add a couple of drops of bleach per liter into the final batch and then we are safe.  Well, PC forgot to give us the bleach they had promised so I used iodine tablets from my medical pack which proved efficacious though it’s a bit nasty to the taste.  Let’s face it, when you’ve been sweating all day anything wet tastes great.  BTW, the inside temperature in my house is about 92 degrees during the afternoon and evening but let’s look at the bright side…we still have the hot, dry season coming in December!  I hope I get a working fan by then…