Trainer, Trainee, A Year Older, Vacationer, Volunteer-er
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and primarily it’s because a lot has happened in the last month…so much that, at times, it’s hard to keep it straight. Unfortunately, I haven’t been journaling as much, and at the old age of 26 now, I, admittedly, have a hard time keeping track of things. Anyway, you’ll find a few highlights below, but before I forget:
I want to formally (is writing this on my blog, formal? Probably more public than anything, which is definitely different from formal) thank everyone who contributed to my garden project. I’m still trying to obtain a list of donors, but since there are privacy issues (thanks government), I’ve had a difficult time getting names of contributors. If you read this and donated, please email me and let me know if you did. I’d like to write you letters, and perhaps thank you formally and a lot less publicly. By no means, do I want your kindness to go unnoticed. Thanks. Work will hopefully commence late this month! I’ll post pics documenting the progress. Let’s hope it’s completed before the rains!
In addition, some people have been asking in correspondence if I need/want anything. Below, please find a list of things that are not necessary for survival, but would be appreciated:
-Bear Creek Soup Mix (any flavor)
-Archer Farms Trail Mix (or anything Archer Farms---it’s the Target food brand)
-Drink mixes (Crystal Light, 4C, Propel Target brand, etc)
-Lipton Pasta Sides
-Tuna packs (flavored or plain)
-Betty Crocker mixes (in the pouches)—Brownies, Breads, Biscuits, Cookies, Pancakes, etc
-Pictures of your special events during the past year
-News articles you think I’d enjoy
-Magazines (within the last year is fine)
-AA/AAA batteries are always great
-CLIF/Luna bars
---
Okay…back to the juicy stuff:
As I said, my last month has been busy. I assisted in the final days of Pre-Service Training for the new Health and Community Development Trainees. I also was a participant in the Agroforestry sector’s In-Service Training. There, it was reaffirmed that I really am a wannabe Agfo, but I just care too much about my own personal hygiene and that of others that I can’t switch to the deep, dark, dirty Agfo side. In addition to switching from role of trainer to trainee, I celebrated my 26th birthday. (Had a near nervous breakdown on my birthday eve, but that was cured by a day at the beach and many birthday wishes from you all. Thank you.) Can’t wait to celebrate with you all next year.
And finally, the big story of my month, is my ‘vacation’ to Sierra Leone. On April 27, I hopped on an unmentioned West African airline with three fellow PCVs to experience a place with topography for 10 days! Upon our arrival, we knew that our ‘vacation’ would be a unique one. In order to curb any undue mental duress to loved ones, I will provide the PG-13 version of my time in Sierra Leone. For those of you who think you can handle more or would like to verify that I am in fact a lunatic, email me and I’ll give you more details as to why.
The Sierra Leonean airport is located across from the capital city of Freetown, as that particular area is the flattest, which clearly makes it most suitable for an airport. Our options to get across are to either hire a speedboat, take a helicopter (supposedly flown by Russian alcoholics), hire a hovercraft (currently out of service), or take the ferry. Yay ferries! We can do that…we have to take one every time we want to get to Banjul from up-country. Piece of cake...
We realize that it’s Sierra Leonean Independence Day, thanks to the secondary school band members that are also on the ferry to Freetown. They are performing in a parade, but due to the late departure from the terminal, will be late for their performance. We befriend these students, ages 16-22. All four of us (all women) acquire an admirer during the hour long crossing. Mine was named Charles Jones. If you’re out there, I’m flattered, but taken (read old post about Paabi the 3 year old). Charles, I wish you all the best. Cheers.
We arrive in Freetown, scope out a place to stay, which is called a hotel, but is really like a hostel, but in actuality serves as a brothel. (Note: This is pretty normal when backpacking anywhere. My hostel in Sydney, Australia had this one beat, hands down, for being, let’s say, an interesting place, filled with interesting people and insects.) We stay one night, grab street food, and then head to the hills, literally.
Sierra Leone is absolutely beautiful. And while I was happy to return to the Gambia after 10 days (The Gambia felt like home), it was enjoyable to be in not so-hot-but-humid weather, with an occasional rain, and a green landscape, with water and trees. Anyway, we took a bus to Kabala. Kabala is a town, about 7 hours away from Freetown. The mountain range that spans Sierra Leone and Guinea-Conakry begins in Kabala, and much of the fighting, later in the war, occurred in and around Kabala. Unlike The Gambia, the bus fare was posted and it left on time. The road was smooth and it was evident that solid infrastructure was in place, even prior to the near-decade long war that ended in 2002. Perhaps this is why Sierra Leone was able to bounce back so quickly (in addition to the UN and numerous non-governmental organizations, whose presence could not go unnoticed, even in the remotest of places). The country is by no means developed, but it's definitely got lots of potential. Which direction will it go...it's too early to predict!
The drive was scenic and breathtaking. (Please look at the pictures link to view my Flickr pics). We couldn’t wait to hike! We arrived in Kabala, scoped out a place to stay, and realized that the street food is phenomenal. Fried chicken, spicy bean sandwiches that remind me of sloppy joes, butter cookies, fried/baked plantains, and AVOCADOS. Lots of them for cheap! We hiked a look-out hill, toured a World Bank funded clinic and maternity center, found locally made fabric, befriended a boy named Gibril, who became our unofficial tour guide, hiked a famous hill (AMAZING), met a former refugee who lived in The Gambia at the tail end of the war, befriended a young, Canadian NGO worker, and much to our dismay, came to grips with the murder of the owner of our guesthouse during our visit. (We don’t think we were present during the actual crime. It was a domestic dispute that had nothing to do with us, and honestly, could have happened anywhere. The girlfriend, who committed the crime, was taken to jail immediately. It merely took us by surprise, and if anything, opened our eyes to the similarities and differences of mourning and death in the cultures of The Gambia and Sierra Leone.) Thankfully, we took refuge in our NGO worker friend’s house. (Thanks for being there, Matthew!)
After hiking the high hill in Kabala, we reflected, relaxed and enjoyed the utter beauty of our time in a different place. We headed back to Freetown on the same bus that brought us to Kabala. We then returned to Freetown, in hopes to spend some quality time at the beautiful beaches. And we did just that…after a bit of a rocky start to our beach adventure (operators of a camp charging us too much), we still were able to relax and enjoy the sun, sand, surf, and mountains. We also befriended a couple, who were kind enough to let us stay in a house, for free, on a piece of property a family member owns. Yay to making friends! It was safe, and while unfurnished, was a welcomed change from our hostel experience. Thanks Fayez and April!
While I was on vacation, I still, at times, felt like I was working. It became apparent that Peace Corps has trained me to constantly ask questions. What’s the health care system like? What about the schools? What infrastructure was in place before the war? What still needs to be rebuilt? Where is the middle-class? Were you affected directly or indirectly by the war? However, I also realized that I don’t think I could ever take a vacation in a lesser developing nation, without asking those questions, merely because it’s instinctual and in some ways, imperative to my survival and understanding.
It was great to travel to another West African country as I found it neat to compare and contrast. It is apparent that sound infrastructure was in place prior to the war. Sierra Leoneans are resilient people, but also interact with caution, perhaps due to their past or perhaps I just was surprised by the lack of ‘toubabing’ and attention. It was a welcomed reprieve from the Gambian experience of bumstering, toubabing, and limited privacy. Sierra Leone is a beautiful country, that is on the brink of possibly becoming an amazing tourist destination. However, it still needs time. A middle class is non-existent, and outside influence is present everywhere you go.
Despite the crazy encounters, I want to return there some day…to dig a little deeper (and no not for diamonds), meet the people, and hear their stories.
I finally realized what I like doing best when traveling---hearing people’s stories---their trials and tribulations, their fears and dreams, and how they experience this thing called life. Usually it brings me back to the idea that we’re all so different and we have different stories, but that, oddly enough, the differences are what best connects us.
Here’s to digging a little deeper---in my garden, in my village, in others, and in myself. Peace out until July (I hope).
Miss and love you all.
I want to formally (is writing this on my blog, formal? Probably more public than anything, which is definitely different from formal) thank everyone who contributed to my garden project. I’m still trying to obtain a list of donors, but since there are privacy issues (thanks government), I’ve had a difficult time getting names of contributors. If you read this and donated, please email me and let me know if you did. I’d like to write you letters, and perhaps thank you formally and a lot less publicly. By no means, do I want your kindness to go unnoticed. Thanks. Work will hopefully commence late this month! I’ll post pics documenting the progress. Let’s hope it’s completed before the rains!
In addition, some people have been asking in correspondence if I need/want anything. Below, please find a list of things that are not necessary for survival, but would be appreciated:
-Bear Creek Soup Mix (any flavor)
-Archer Farms Trail Mix (or anything Archer Farms---it’s the Target food brand)
-Drink mixes (Crystal Light, 4C, Propel Target brand, etc)
-Lipton Pasta Sides
-Tuna packs (flavored or plain)
-Betty Crocker mixes (in the pouches)—Brownies, Breads, Biscuits, Cookies, Pancakes, etc
-Pictures of your special events during the past year
-News articles you think I’d enjoy
-Magazines (within the last year is fine)
-AA/AAA batteries are always great
-CLIF/Luna bars
---
Okay…back to the juicy stuff:
As I said, my last month has been busy. I assisted in the final days of Pre-Service Training for the new Health and Community Development Trainees. I also was a participant in the Agroforestry sector’s In-Service Training. There, it was reaffirmed that I really am a wannabe Agfo, but I just care too much about my own personal hygiene and that of others that I can’t switch to the deep, dark, dirty Agfo side. In addition to switching from role of trainer to trainee, I celebrated my 26th birthday. (Had a near nervous breakdown on my birthday eve, but that was cured by a day at the beach and many birthday wishes from you all. Thank you.) Can’t wait to celebrate with you all next year.
And finally, the big story of my month, is my ‘vacation’ to Sierra Leone. On April 27, I hopped on an unmentioned West African airline with three fellow PCVs to experience a place with topography for 10 days! Upon our arrival, we knew that our ‘vacation’ would be a unique one. In order to curb any undue mental duress to loved ones, I will provide the PG-13 version of my time in Sierra Leone. For those of you who think you can handle more or would like to verify that I am in fact a lunatic, email me and I’ll give you more details as to why.
The Sierra Leonean airport is located across from the capital city of Freetown, as that particular area is the flattest, which clearly makes it most suitable for an airport. Our options to get across are to either hire a speedboat, take a helicopter (supposedly flown by Russian alcoholics), hire a hovercraft (currently out of service), or take the ferry. Yay ferries! We can do that…we have to take one every time we want to get to Banjul from up-country. Piece of cake...
We realize that it’s Sierra Leonean Independence Day, thanks to the secondary school band members that are also on the ferry to Freetown. They are performing in a parade, but due to the late departure from the terminal, will be late for their performance. We befriend these students, ages 16-22. All four of us (all women) acquire an admirer during the hour long crossing. Mine was named Charles Jones. If you’re out there, I’m flattered, but taken (read old post about Paabi the 3 year old). Charles, I wish you all the best. Cheers.
We arrive in Freetown, scope out a place to stay, which is called a hotel, but is really like a hostel, but in actuality serves as a brothel. (Note: This is pretty normal when backpacking anywhere. My hostel in Sydney, Australia had this one beat, hands down, for being, let’s say, an interesting place, filled with interesting people and insects.) We stay one night, grab street food, and then head to the hills, literally.
Sierra Leone is absolutely beautiful. And while I was happy to return to the Gambia after 10 days (The Gambia felt like home), it was enjoyable to be in not so-hot-but-humid weather, with an occasional rain, and a green landscape, with water and trees. Anyway, we took a bus to Kabala. Kabala is a town, about 7 hours away from Freetown. The mountain range that spans Sierra Leone and Guinea-Conakry begins in Kabala, and much of the fighting, later in the war, occurred in and around Kabala. Unlike The Gambia, the bus fare was posted and it left on time. The road was smooth and it was evident that solid infrastructure was in place, even prior to the near-decade long war that ended in 2002. Perhaps this is why Sierra Leone was able to bounce back so quickly (in addition to the UN and numerous non-governmental organizations, whose presence could not go unnoticed, even in the remotest of places). The country is by no means developed, but it's definitely got lots of potential. Which direction will it go...it's too early to predict!
The drive was scenic and breathtaking. (Please look at the pictures link to view my Flickr pics). We couldn’t wait to hike! We arrived in Kabala, scoped out a place to stay, and realized that the street food is phenomenal. Fried chicken, spicy bean sandwiches that remind me of sloppy joes, butter cookies, fried/baked plantains, and AVOCADOS. Lots of them for cheap! We hiked a look-out hill, toured a World Bank funded clinic and maternity center, found locally made fabric, befriended a boy named Gibril, who became our unofficial tour guide, hiked a famous hill (AMAZING), met a former refugee who lived in The Gambia at the tail end of the war, befriended a young, Canadian NGO worker, and much to our dismay, came to grips with the murder of the owner of our guesthouse during our visit. (We don’t think we were present during the actual crime. It was a domestic dispute that had nothing to do with us, and honestly, could have happened anywhere. The girlfriend, who committed the crime, was taken to jail immediately. It merely took us by surprise, and if anything, opened our eyes to the similarities and differences of mourning and death in the cultures of The Gambia and Sierra Leone.) Thankfully, we took refuge in our NGO worker friend’s house. (Thanks for being there, Matthew!)
After hiking the high hill in Kabala, we reflected, relaxed and enjoyed the utter beauty of our time in a different place. We headed back to Freetown on the same bus that brought us to Kabala. We then returned to Freetown, in hopes to spend some quality time at the beautiful beaches. And we did just that…after a bit of a rocky start to our beach adventure (operators of a camp charging us too much), we still were able to relax and enjoy the sun, sand, surf, and mountains. We also befriended a couple, who were kind enough to let us stay in a house, for free, on a piece of property a family member owns. Yay to making friends! It was safe, and while unfurnished, was a welcomed change from our hostel experience. Thanks Fayez and April!
While I was on vacation, I still, at times, felt like I was working. It became apparent that Peace Corps has trained me to constantly ask questions. What’s the health care system like? What about the schools? What infrastructure was in place before the war? What still needs to be rebuilt? Where is the middle-class? Were you affected directly or indirectly by the war? However, I also realized that I don’t think I could ever take a vacation in a lesser developing nation, without asking those questions, merely because it’s instinctual and in some ways, imperative to my survival and understanding.
It was great to travel to another West African country as I found it neat to compare and contrast. It is apparent that sound infrastructure was in place prior to the war. Sierra Leoneans are resilient people, but also interact with caution, perhaps due to their past or perhaps I just was surprised by the lack of ‘toubabing’ and attention. It was a welcomed reprieve from the Gambian experience of bumstering, toubabing, and limited privacy. Sierra Leone is a beautiful country, that is on the brink of possibly becoming an amazing tourist destination. However, it still needs time. A middle class is non-existent, and outside influence is present everywhere you go.
Despite the crazy encounters, I want to return there some day…to dig a little deeper (and no not for diamonds), meet the people, and hear their stories.
I finally realized what I like doing best when traveling---hearing people’s stories---their trials and tribulations, their fears and dreams, and how they experience this thing called life. Usually it brings me back to the idea that we’re all so different and we have different stories, but that, oddly enough, the differences are what best connects us.
Here’s to digging a little deeper---in my garden, in my village, in others, and in myself. Peace out until July (I hope).
Miss and love you all.
posted by Stephanie at 1:04 AM
1 Comments:
Stephanie,
This will probably be my last note to you as I am about to leave St. Andrew's. I wish I could have had more time to get to know you.
I know you are doing good work and I will continue to pray for you and the people you serve. Living in another culture and seeing the world apart from the relative privilege of life here in the U.S. is certainly eye-opening. I wish all young people could have the chance to travel and interact with indigenous people. I think it would broaden a lot of peoples' perspectives and perhaps result in a greater amount of understanding and peace.
God bless you as you "increase the peace."
Glenn
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