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