First of all...

Hello all! So I am trying to do a blog post once a week, but as you can tell I haven't succeeded in that goal, but I will try as hard as I can to post as often as I can because otherwise I have a million different things I want to say and never know where to start! In honor of us just having passed our first month of being in Salone I decided to write about all of the "firsts" for me since i've been in Africa since the last time I posted!

Two weeks ago we had our first "micro teach" with Sierra Leonean students at Ahmadia, a Muslim JSS School. We taught two thirty minute sessions on a topic we did for peer teach (practice on other volunteers). It was definitely a good preview as to what the next two years of our lives will be like. We were told we would start teaching, in our groups of three, at 8:30 . 8:30 rolled around and there were no students to be seen .We call time here, sierra leone time because everyone is at least an hour last for everything. Turns out Muslim schools go from Sunday to Thursday and this was optional for kids to come. We were assured there would be many, mainly because they would have free range to stare at "pumoys" for a few hours. The real reason there were no students was because of the rain, which was a slight drizzle. Sierra Leoneans do NOT like walking in the rain, in fear of getting sick, and we have even been told by fellow volunteers that during the raining season, pVCs will be the only ones "crazy enough" to venture out in the rain. When it is raining, a lot of students, as well as Sierra Leonean Teachers, will not come to school.
     Eventually around 9:30 or so, when the rain stopped, students started trickling in and we went to our assigned classes. I volunteered to go first, which I don't know if it was a good or bad thing. we had about 20 or so students and ALL of them just stared wide-eyed at me with mixed expressions throughout most of my lesson like my hair was on fire or I was in my birthday suit. After awhile they loosened up and I even had a girl partially raise her hand towards the end when i asked a question. I did, however, get a reaction when I wrote my name on the board - "Miss Brooke." I'm still a little mad at my parents for giving me a name that means "to wash your clothes" in Krio. How did they not think about that before they named me? Next time I am going with Miss Bendu. the students were at all different levels, some not even understanding English and some knowing the entire lesson, but the experience only made me even more excited to start teaching!

While that was my most memorable first thus far, there are quite a few other memorable ones i'd like to share:

My first interaction with my Granny - and let me just say interaction gone wrong: First of all let me jsut say that Granny is the Matriarch of the entire family and is the only one who is able to use my latrine with me, and i had never talked to her before this point. To sum it up, when going to take my evening wash one night I forgot to get my bucket of water from the well but had already walked out to the latrine in my lappa (sheet)  with my shower caddy in tow. At first I panicked becuase there was no way I was going to be able to fetch water while trying to hold up my lappa, but low and behold there was a bucket of water right by the door. I asked Marie, my little sister, if the water was for me, since sometimes my family will have already gotten me a bucket, and she said "yes." The water was boiled, which I thought was weird because I always say i prefer cold water, but went with it because it was nighttime and thought they did it to be nice. After i wash with my scalding water, I walk out of the latrine to granny, who speaks no English or Krio, standing in her lappa, pointing at the empty bucket of water in my hand with ehr mouth hanging open going "ahhhhh." I immediately started apologizing in every form I could think of, ran into the house and threw on clothes, and then ran outside to go get her new water although it was pitch black. My sister Patricia saw me and asked what i was doing, which she does a lot, and i told her I took granny's water. Patricia just laughed and said "she get her own" and that was that. I was completely mortified but at least i only see Granny once in a blue moon.

Our first trip! Two Saturdays ago we were finally able to venture out on a true "African adventure" and were taken to Tiwai Island, also known as Monkey Island. It was about a two hour drive south of Bo and we rode in Poda-poda's for the first time as well! They are these tiny vans, that seat about 12, but normally about 30 people ride in them. Quite the comfy trip. We had to take a little boat that fit about 8 people at a time to the island, which was gorgeous! After we all arrived and ate lunch (they ahd beer on the island which was a nice surprise) we were then split off in groups and were lead by locals who carved out paths for the hike with Machetes. We saw boku (many) monkeys, but unfortunately no pygmy hippos, which the island is also known for, because they only come out at night. It was an awesome trip and I want to go back and camp out so i can see the hippos!

My first trip to the Market: sounds simple, but it was an extremely exciting time for me! The market here in Bo is CRAZY , especially on the weekends. Walkways here are about a foot wide and you have to wear your backpack facing front. I usually get about 10 -20 marriage proposals everytrip and usually reply with "I get man (i'm married), I get 50 pikin dem (I have fifty kids, which no man would want to support), or no tenki (no thanks). Since it's about an hour walk to town, we always go in groups so we dont have to face the walk alone. Well one Sunday, I walked to church with m,y friend Brittany and her mom, who i love and now call momma, and afterwards me and Brittany walked from church to the market. Well the internet cafe was closed (hence the lack of posting) so i decided to venture off and get potatoes to teach my family how to make french fries (another first!). I knew all of the right allies to take, which woman's stand to go to, and how to get out of the market and back to the main road - let me just say I was feeling preeeetty accomlished - all until my sack broke, my potatoes and ketchup bottle scattered all over the road and I had to carry them the rest of the way home using my cardigan as a sack. but it was still amazing! And in case you were wondering, the fam LOVED the potatoes with ketchup!

First time a family member ate with me in the dining room: I finally was able to guilt my sister Marie into eating dinne with me in the dining room when I was eating by smiling at her sweetly, but she seemed like she was in pain the whole time and has yet to eat with me again...oh well , I tried!

First time I almost cried since i've been here: Let me just say, i do NOT like birds. Chickens run around freely all over the place here and i am terrified. I don't know why, maybe it's their tiny beaks, but i hate them - and my family takes great humor in this fear. The other night when i got home from running I was getting standing in the living room fishing out the key to my room in the dark when my little brother, Mustapha, came in the room with some other kids. Mustapha refuses to speak to me in Krio and English, because he wants me to learn my family's local language, Mende. He come up to me, like he ususally does (he is the ornriest little kid i've ever met) and was holding something I couldnt see. I asked the others what he said and they told me he said he wanted to give me something. i started to reach out for it when I realized he was holding A LIVE DUCK by it's feet. I jumped and screamed and he then proceeded to chase me with the duck in the living room. And that was the first time I almost cried.

I also fished for the first time as well yesterday in the swamp while watching my uncles plant rice!

There are a amillion more I want to share but the group I came with is ready to leave, but I have one last piece of news:

I GOT MY PLACEMENT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS!!!!! It is in the South of SL, in a town called Buntujama (i think thats wrong but i can't find my slip of paper). We have our site visits on Sunday, where we go with our supervisor and stay with the volunteer we will be replacing until Wednesday! I hear it's beautiful with a huge market by a river! I will definitely keep everyone posted as soon as I return from my site visit!!! Until then!! Love and miss you all!! :)