Since I last posted...
Christmas was a good time as we celebrated it together as trainees. We sang Christmas songs (which I was very much appreciative for), had a secret santa in which I got phone credit so I could call home and American snacks!, and we had a dinner. I was able to talk to several people on Christmas Eve, and then with the whole family and Becky on Christmas (always such a blessing to hear from/talk with).
I also was blessed with the ability to pass my language proficency exam which means that I will be swearing in on Thur. Dec. 30th as an 'official Peace Corps Volunteer'! Sorry for the abruptness but time is short. Love you all, thanks for the support!
LIVEITUP
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Progress and Excitement
I spent 2wks with a group of other trainees and a couple language trainers in a small village as an immersion experience. It proved to be quite helpful as I passed my 2nd language proficiency 'exam' with a rating that (if I can keep) would allow for me to be sworn in which is in ~2wks! Hard to believe that after 7wks. in country they have taught us the foundations of a language well enough that we can function within the society! (Don't get the wrong impression though, we're still nowhere near being fluent though).
We all found out what village we will be posted in for our 2yr. term today! We were all anxious to find out and I will be in the Maradi region, which only means that I'll be within a 3-5hr. distance from Maradi using a variety of means of transportation (feet, donkey cart, bush taxi to list a few). I'll be in a village that's considered a 'bush village' of ~2000 people. There were 2 other volunteers that have been posted in the village before me but the 1st left after a month and the other took on a different postion within the PC after a year. From what I've been informed, the people are extremely nice and I'll have the opportunity to look into a few different bigger projects that would be accepted well within the village (although this is very subject to whatever direction the village and I are able to manage). I'll be able to explain a little bit more after I've actually been there, met the people, and seen what life will be like (I've been told that I also have the best hole in the ground 'toilet' out of all the PC volunteers in Niger!).
Hope you're all staying warm; its getting all the way down to the mid 60's here! It's hard to think that it's Dec. and that Christmas is a week away without the snow, Christmas songs, and fun seasonal gatherings and spirit.
Thank you all for your support and prayers, LIVEITUP, Peace and Love to all,
Michael
We all found out what village we will be posted in for our 2yr. term today! We were all anxious to find out and I will be in the Maradi region, which only means that I'll be within a 3-5hr. distance from Maradi using a variety of means of transportation (feet, donkey cart, bush taxi to list a few). I'll be in a village that's considered a 'bush village' of ~2000 people. There were 2 other volunteers that have been posted in the village before me but the 1st left after a month and the other took on a different postion within the PC after a year. From what I've been informed, the people are extremely nice and I'll have the opportunity to look into a few different bigger projects that would be accepted well within the village (although this is very subject to whatever direction the village and I are able to manage). I'll be able to explain a little bit more after I've actually been there, met the people, and seen what life will be like (I've been told that I also have the best hole in the ground 'toilet' out of all the PC volunteers in Niger!).
Hope you're all staying warm; its getting all the way down to the mid 60's here! It's hard to think that it's Dec. and that Christmas is a week away without the snow, Christmas songs, and fun seasonal gatherings and spirit.
Thank you all for your support and prayers, LIVEITUP, Peace and Love to all,
Michael
Saturday, November 20, 2010
1 month into it
We had our 1st language proficiency 'test' today which means that our language classes will change so that we're matched with other trainees that are at the same level. Despite feeling like I am understanding the language to some extent, I feel like I did poorly on my 'test' which means could be a good thing as I'll probably be placed with a trainer that speaks some English for the duration of my Pre-Service Training.
I feel like my body is starting to catch up with the change now: the heat, food, learning, and sleeping pattern (or lack there of at times). I am starting to realize how important yet difficult it is to find fiber in the Nigerien diet too as we eat a lot of carbs: rice, millet, corn, sorghum, and fried dough, with the supplemental foods being beans, yogurt in a bag, oil, a little bit of meat, and some veggies (onion, potatos, peppers, okra, and eggplant).
So far I've been able to start a garden which only has tomatoes now and a tree pepiniere with an assortment of different trees, but we won't be at the training site long enough to get to reap the benefits of them before we get placed in our posts. They've been teaching us all kinds of things that we'll be able to use so that we're actually 'qualified' in our technical field before we leave. The most impressive thing being a tree called Moringa ore. that I will hopefully get some seeds for before too long as I have an idea of creating a 'portable and reusable' pepiniere system. Oz. for oz. Moringa provides more Vit. C than oranges, more Calcium than milk, and is possible the most nutrient dense food in Africa, and what's more, it's adapted for the arid climate that Niger has.
We don't get much time for internet service at this point so this is it for now, but maybe after PST, I'll be able to be more elaborate.
Lastly, my roommate is quite the popular one and has put together a short bio on all of us PC Trainees that are in the same Stage (FARM and Community Health 2010). So check out his website if you want to check out our cool and diverse group... jacobmbarela.wordpress.com
Thanks for your support and prayers,
Michael
I feel like my body is starting to catch up with the change now: the heat, food, learning, and sleeping pattern (or lack there of at times). I am starting to realize how important yet difficult it is to find fiber in the Nigerien diet too as we eat a lot of carbs: rice, millet, corn, sorghum, and fried dough, with the supplemental foods being beans, yogurt in a bag, oil, a little bit of meat, and some veggies (onion, potatos, peppers, okra, and eggplant).
So far I've been able to start a garden which only has tomatoes now and a tree pepiniere with an assortment of different trees, but we won't be at the training site long enough to get to reap the benefits of them before we get placed in our posts. They've been teaching us all kinds of things that we'll be able to use so that we're actually 'qualified' in our technical field before we leave. The most impressive thing being a tree called Moringa ore. that I will hopefully get some seeds for before too long as I have an idea of creating a 'portable and reusable' pepiniere system. Oz. for oz. Moringa provides more Vit. C than oranges, more Calcium than milk, and is possible the most nutrient dense food in Africa, and what's more, it's adapted for the arid climate that Niger has.
We don't get much time for internet service at this point so this is it for now, but maybe after PST, I'll be able to be more elaborate.
Lastly, my roommate is quite the popular one and has put together a short bio on all of us PC Trainees that are in the same Stage (FARM and Community Health 2010). So check out his website if you want to check out our cool and diverse group... jacobmbarela.wordpress.com
Thanks for your support and prayers,
Michael
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
3 wks in
Hey everyone,
I'm doin good and enjoyin Niger while on a pretty tight schedule. We have lots of training (language being the most intense, then medical, safety and security, cross-cultural, and technical) which keeps our minds movin and processing things all day long. We stay with host families during the week and meet up as a whole group of trainees a couple times a week, otherwise we're in small groups for our language training.
The most shocking things have been the enormous quantities of trash (esp. plastic bags) that is strewn about everywhere: in the streets, fields, and even living quarters. The environment is very much like what I've seen in AZ with red rock, lots/mainly sand, trees and low-lying shrubs stewn about, hot (90+ after 9:30 am) and ~75 at night, 12 hrs of sun 6:30-6:30, and millet grown wherever possible (with sorghum, beans of sorts, and and peanuts). Right now it's going into cold season which means that people are starting their gardens with tomato, cucumber, corn, beans, lettuce, onion, peppers, eggplant, and other garden plants being sewn into the community or personal gardens. Some common sights are Trash Everywhere, sand, millet, stucco or millet stalk houses, children all over (some with, some without clothes), goats, donkeys and donkey carts, bulls, chickens, sheep (short haired w/ the tail), pigeons, street vendors, and lots of curious people starring at the white people. Typical meals have been rice and sause, rice and beans with oil, millet fixed many different ways, different types of fried doughs for breakfast, bits of goat meat, pasta (maccaronni or spaghetti), different types of potatoes, okra, and water, coke or a local pop to drink.
I have 6 more weeks of training before I will be assigned to a post. It's fun getting to be in the place in life that I've always wanted to be; I realized this the other day that I'm truely living what I've dreamed and talked about for quite a while. It's difficult, really organized and intense for training, but the other 40 trainees that I'm here with are going through the same thing and it's a good time getting to know knew friends and a new culture.
I hope all of you are doing well and thank you for all the support and prayers you provide me with.
LIVEITUP
I'm doin good and enjoyin Niger while on a pretty tight schedule. We have lots of training (language being the most intense, then medical, safety and security, cross-cultural, and technical) which keeps our minds movin and processing things all day long. We stay with host families during the week and meet up as a whole group of trainees a couple times a week, otherwise we're in small groups for our language training.
The most shocking things have been the enormous quantities of trash (esp. plastic bags) that is strewn about everywhere: in the streets, fields, and even living quarters. The environment is very much like what I've seen in AZ with red rock, lots/mainly sand, trees and low-lying shrubs stewn about, hot (90+ after 9:30 am) and ~75 at night, 12 hrs of sun 6:30-6:30, and millet grown wherever possible (with sorghum, beans of sorts, and and peanuts). Right now it's going into cold season which means that people are starting their gardens with tomato, cucumber, corn, beans, lettuce, onion, peppers, eggplant, and other garden plants being sewn into the community or personal gardens. Some common sights are Trash Everywhere, sand, millet, stucco or millet stalk houses, children all over (some with, some without clothes), goats, donkeys and donkey carts, bulls, chickens, sheep (short haired w/ the tail), pigeons, street vendors, and lots of curious people starring at the white people. Typical meals have been rice and sause, rice and beans with oil, millet fixed many different ways, different types of fried doughs for breakfast, bits of goat meat, pasta (maccaronni or spaghetti), different types of potatoes, okra, and water, coke or a local pop to drink.
I have 6 more weeks of training before I will be assigned to a post. It's fun getting to be in the place in life that I've always wanted to be; I realized this the other day that I'm truely living what I've dreamed and talked about for quite a while. It's difficult, really organized and intense for training, but the other 40 trainees that I'm here with are going through the same thing and it's a good time getting to know knew friends and a new culture.
I hope all of you are doing well and thank you for all the support and prayers you provide me with.
LIVEITUP
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Staging
5min update. I missed my 1st flight out of Indy which was bad, but it did calm my nerves a little bit and I got got spend some time with Mom, Dad, Josh, and Becky while waiting for the 2nd flight. I got to my staging in Philly to make a 'grand' entrance as the 43rd (last) member of our team going to Niger. The group is a good mix and we're all anxious and nervous to get there; it's nice to be around others with the same desires as what I've had for a while now. We're all meshing quite well and everyone seems to have an interesting and fun personality about them. I'm anxious to spend the next part of our training together. We will fly out today and arrive in Niger tomorrow. Hope you're all doing well. Thank you for all of the support and encouragement, it's very much appreciated! Love you all and peace to you.
LIVEITUP,
Michael
LIVEITUP,
Michael
Monday, October 18, 2010
Blog #1: Niger
I have been accepted as an Agro-forestry agent with the Peace Corps and will leave Oct. 20th, 2010 for a 27month placement in Niger, Africa. I am both excited and nervous as I'm only ~1 day away from that date. I want to say thank you very much for all of the support and encouragement that all of you have shown me.
I'm new to this blogging thing but I'll do my best to keep things updated and hopefully in an organized manner on here. I hope to also post pictures because they're worth 1000 words right, but currently my 'new' camera is not working propery, which is quite annoying, but we'll see what comes of it. Hope you enjoy and that I can keep you informed as I take off on this adventure.
LIVEITUP,
Michael
I'm new to this blogging thing but I'll do my best to keep things updated and hopefully in an organized manner on here. I hope to also post pictures because they're worth 1000 words right, but currently my 'new' camera is not working propery, which is quite annoying, but we'll see what comes of it. Hope you enjoy and that I can keep you informed as I take off on this adventure.
LIVEITUP,
Michael
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