First Week at Site

So, I’m at the end of my first week at site and it’s definitely been a bit of a roller coaster so far. I was under the impression that I was going to be leaving a while after everyone else did so when my ride to leave SIL showed up at 830 in the morning- I wasn’t exactly ready. So, I packed in a hurry, ran to the marche to grab a few more things, and then ran back to SIL, threw it all in a truck and then left to a place that houses peace corps volunteers called the Transit House. Luckily, I didn’t forget anything. I spent the day just relaxing at the Transit House (watched Elf because I had kind of forgotten it was almost Christmas) and then went to bed knowing that the next day was going to be a rough one.

The next day, the peace corps driver showed up a little before 8 and we hit the road. We got to my site around 10 where I met the President of the Coges and one of the nurses at the CSPS (health center). Apparently my major (person in charge of the CSPS) is in Taiwan and won’t be back for another week or so. Unfortunately no one seemed to know that I was coming so nothing was really ready but in the peace corps you learn to just go with it so that’s what we did. They prepared me a nice meal of rice and sauce with some chicken in it- and I was quite tired so while I ate- all I really wanted was a nap. The President of the Coges is going to be my moore tutor so it’s nice to have that already set up and out of the way which means I can get to practicing my moore within the first week rather than after the first month. He actually teaches the alphabetization class so I will be learning how to read and write in moore. Unfortunately, my stutter is now back with a vengeance and the stutter is now present in both French and Moore which leads people to think I don’t know what I’m saying or that I’m just an idiot. I’m pretty sure neither of those are true and it’s just time and practice that will help me.

My house is very big. It has 4 rooms and a lot of windows which allow for a nice breeze to flow through- which is great especially because it can get really hot here. It will also soon have electricity (or so I’m told).

Sunday passed without much incident- I said hi to my neighbors and went to the CSPS to just hang out there. I did a fair amount of reading too- I have this tree that I sit underneath and read and wave to people as they go by on the main road. The president of the coges and one of the nurses also took me around to visit all the important people (maree, chef, prefecture, etc) one of whom was disturbingly familiar with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Monday-Friday I followed the same basic routine. I’d go to the CSPS in the morning (until 12 or so) and then I’d repose (relax) until 3 whether that meant walk around the marche or talk to people, or read was pretty much up to me- no one does business between 12-3 (not even nurses). Then from 3-5 I’d have a moore lesson or go back to the CSPS or do some self studying.

Someone once told me that in the Peace Corps- the days are long but the weeks are short and I find that to be an incredibly apt description of life here. Each day I invariably end up thinking- hmm...I have 3 more hours to kill what should I do? And then at the end of the week I think- wow that went by quickly. One day at a time seems to be the way to take life here.

Honestly, it can get pretty lonely here as well but it’s tough to do anything about that really besides just try and keep yourself busy which is definitely harder than it sounds. I think that I am going to run out of books sooner or later so I’m trying to pace myself. If I let myself I’d probably read all of Game of Thrones in a day which- is not a good thing.

And sometimes, I just also want to be alone. It can be fatiguing to have to deal with people in 3 languages (yes some people do try and speak to me in English) then I have to think in French but maybe say something in moore. It’s getting easier but as each day goes on- it gets progressively harder as it gets later in the day. I think as the weeks go on and I get more comfortable with my French that feeling will go away.