Acclimatisation

So we've entered the "mini-hot season". While folks in Michigan are strolling through apple orchards, eating donuts, watching the leaves change, and pulling out their favorite sweaters; us Saheliens are sweating in 110° heat. This season occurs after the rains have stopped but before the cool months of November and December. My friend Mohammad tells me "December is COLD!", as he hugs himself and pretends to shiver. I can't wait.

Despite the sometimes brutal heat, I feel that I have adjusted pretty well to the country itself. The water, food, and climate pose no real problem for me. Cultural adjustment, has been a bit more elusive. One example, sleep is NOT sacred here. In the U.S. if someone is napping generally those around him/her will make an effort to keep somewhat quiet. They certainly wouldn't call the persons name until they woke up simply to say hello and ask how things are going. That would just be rude.

Last week I was dozing in front of my fan, trying to beat the midday heat. I was very tired from a lot of housework, and hadn't slept well the night before due to some mild G.I issues. Enter my 12 year old neighbor boy. He comes right up to my screen door, sees that I am asleep, and calls my name. When I don't wake up (because I am ignoring the child) he just calls me louder. I finally turn to him and ask "Oui?".

"ça va bien?" he responds.

"Please leave me alone right now I'm relaxing, I am very tired", I say to him (in French of course). This works for about 20 minutes but finally he returns and asks to borrow my bike, to which I respond, "definitley no". He leaves again but sure enough returns, succeeding in waking me up 3 times in the course of an hour. Not to mention the fact that he does it everyday at 6AM. Every day I say to leave me alone, every next day he returns. I don't get it.

The problem is my fault as well. Kids here don't pick up verbal and non-verbal clues that way I wan't them to. They also don't think critically, which has to do with the system of education. If I don't want this boy at my front door at 6AM everyday. I'll have to say "Don't come here in the mornings until you see that I am awake and moving around, if I am asleep then do not bother me". Simply telling him to leave every morning won't get the point across. Another cultural difference.

Something else I've had to get used to is the complete lack of automated appliances and running water. If I want to cook or bake something, its going to be from scratch. There aren't many shortcuts. If the floor is dirty, and often is due to the wind and sand; I have to pull everything out of the house and sweep. What I wouldn't give for a shop vac. When its time to do dishes, I haul water from a pump and fill buckets to wash, rinse, and sterilize. The most difficult of all these things is laundry. Doing laundry by hand is time-consuming, difficult work. I suggest everyone try it at least once.

There is a generalized chart that tracks the contentedness of volunteers. It looks like a piece of spaghetti someone threw against the fridge. There is a markedly low point between 3-6 months in country. I'm at 4 right now. It is after training, and now we have to re-adjust to a new culture and place yet again; only this time we do it completely on our own. This isn't to say I'm not content. Though readjustment is certainly no easy task. Then again, I wouldn't have signed up for the job if I thought it were an easy one. Cheers.


P.S Go right through for MSU! Watch the points keep growing! Spartan teams are bound to win they're fighting with a vim! rah! rah! rah! See their team is WEEEEAAAK, we're going to win this game! Fight! Fight! Rah team fight! Victory for MSU!

MSU 26 UM 20. Boom.