Ou est le gaz?

Whew, just under the wire with this one: PROM #3 - gas, le gaz, l'essence, the fossil fuel of choice for kitchens throughout Mauritania. (refill one large tank: 2000 UM/$8-9)

Let me preface this story with a little geneology. We Yunghans' sometimes tend to exaggerate. It's a funny little hereditary quirk of the family line. My whole family knows it, my friends know it. My second secret wife and family know it. For example, my dad's stories always get better with time.

Typical parent: "I walked 3 miles to and from school every day. And it was uphill both ways! (Insert crotchety old laugh)"

My dad: "I once threw a dog 20 feet over a telephone wire to make it stop digging."

Now, before you call PETA, I'm sure the 20 feet started out as 1 or 2. Actually, maybe that one is true. I'm not sure. That's the beauty of exaggerating.

Mine is often mixed with a healthy dose of sarcasm (thanks Steve) and some of my stories over the years have reached epic proportions. I'm in talks with Warner Brothers about a film version of our trips to Vegas. Why am I telling you all of this? Because I must stress that the story you are about to read is absolutely, 100% true. Besides, it happened yesterday and I need at least a couple months before I can properly exaggerate. It's an art.

We spent 2 days in the capitol, Nouakchott, for Christmas. We stayed in a nice hotel, saw a bunch of friends and ate a lot of good food. On Friday, the 26th, we left on a bus for the 5-6 hr. trip back to Nouadhibou. Katie and I were accompanied by some of our friends who were staying with us for the new year. We hadn't travelled by bus yet and the trip took well over 7 hours because of many passportless passengers bribing police stops on the way. But that's another story.

Over the past several days, we have combined our culinary efforts to create some truly excellent meals: lentel soup, mafe (RIM dish-peanut sauce over rice), pizza and hamburgers to name a few. Three days ago, we noticed the gas tank that runs the stove was really low. We managed to get through pizza and some homemade cookies but the consensus was we needed more gas before attempting another meal. That night I walked to the market where we originally bought our tank. No gas. I went to several boutiques with gas cannisters for sale. No gas. Each time I made it clear to the proprietor what I wanted and each time I received an odd response: they simply laughed at me and said, "silly Nasrani, there's no gas here."

"Of course not! The multitude of gas tanks here are just for decoration," I thought. These are exactly the kinds of sarcastic phrases I wish I could convey in another language, but I just had to stupidly grin and thank them for laughing at me.

Finally, one store owner explained of a gas shortage of which I was completely unaware. Apparently, RIM demanded a certain price for gas and when they couldn't get it they refused to pay and the country was without gas. It is now just coming back and to stop massive riots for gas they only sell it at one location outside of town: the society of gas.

Two days ago, I took a taxi to said society only to find it closed for the Islamic New Year. So we made it through another day with the vapors still clinging to the inside of the tank and whatever was left in the hose. Yesterday, I vowed to get up very early to make it to this power plant first thing. So, at around 11:00 am I arrived once again with empty tank in tow and a friend, Sean, to help once the tank was filled. Just one little problem, well one big problem, thousands of small problems. Apparently this gas shortage has affected everyone in town! Incredible huh?

We asked our taxi if he wanted to wait for us so he would have a fare back to town and he just chuckled. He considered it and said something about having to wait all day. It didn't sound encouraging. After pacing around for a while we fnally noticed what seemed to be two lines. This is so amazing because lines in Mauritania are unheard of. People just kind of go wherever, behind counters, barge into offices, interrupt meetings and classes...so there were two lines. One extended 100s of yards along the road with twice as many tanks as men and another was considerably shorter and close to a gate into the power plant. Which line should we stand in? Hmmm...so we opt for the shorter and we're feeling pretty good.

Then came the snickering, the laughing, the pointing. One man casually told us that we were in the women's line. I looked closer at the line and sure enough, mulafa after mulafa (the veil typically worn by many RIM women). But peppered in were some men, the older sons helping their mothers. So I responded, there's a man, there's a man. We're just gonna stay here. Some men seemed upset, some continued to laugh and some even tried to move their tanks to the women's line. After all, we're white, we must know what we're doing. But no...

The gate to the gas remained closed and considering some people came to wait directly after morning prayer call (5:30 am) they stayed pretty calm for a while. Then people started climbing the walls, literally. Moments later a truck full of police showed up in full riot gear. The men who crowded around the gate were beaten back and their empty tanks flung in the air after them. Sean and I just kind of looked at each other with an expression that conveyed the uncertainty of the moment. Should we leave? But things calmed down. After waiting for another hour a couple people started walking away, perhaps with full tanks! We decided to try and approach other people to see if we could buy their tank for 3000 UM in exchange for our empty one. Sean left to try this obviously fool-proof plan while I kept our place in the women's line.

During this time, the police took posts every 100 feet or so in the lines and one just happened to stand right by me. After looking me up and down trying to figure out why I just hadn't sent one of my many servants to wait in line for me, the policeman asked me what I was doing in the women's line. Pretending not to understand phrases like "you are not a woman" in Arabic I just shrugged my shoulders and stood there. He left and returned with his C.O., who spoke French. I was grasping at straws trying to think of anything I could say to stay in line, finally I said, "My wife left to find a bathroom, she will return immediately." The officer said, "oh okay," and just left. The junior officer remained with a skeptical look on his face and I'm sure some of the other onlookers were wondering (after Sean's earlier exit), "that other guy is this guy's wife?"

After this, I immediately called Katie and asked her as politely as possible to get down here fast before I end up in RIM prison. Instead, our friend Katie J. arrived shortly thereafter. "You are now my wife if anyone asks," I tell her. Sean has also returned at this point with a bottle of bissap (a common RIM juice made from hibiscus flowers). That's right, many vendors have now taken posts in the lines as well, selling bread, eggs, drinks, etc. Soon after this, the men's line breaks in two with many heading for a gate behind us. Sean leaves to investigate and returns to tell us one police man was forced to use his billy club. So we avoid that line.

Instead, we break away from the women's line (since very few women were getting through to get gas) and join the other severed half of the men's line. During this next period of waiting, Katie strikes up a conversation with someone close by and discovers the boat is late with the gas. Although, this is probably a story concocted by this man so he doesn't have to say, "I don't know" - a phrase never uttered in RIM. One would lie before admitting ignorance on a subject - it is still interesting to hear his point of view. Moments later, Sean notices motion at a third gate. But it is not a near-riot, as we have seen in the past, but possibly people actually getting gas. So he takes the empty tank and Katie and I remain to keep place in line. I ask Katie if he has the money for the gas and Katie doesn't know. So I call his phone and who answers? Katie (my wife). Sean left his phone at our house. So I casually give 2000 UM to Katie J. and she runs after Sean. So now I'm in line by myself with no tank.

Several minutes of worrying later, Katie comes to find me with a big grin and a motion to come forward...we got gas. When Sean arrived at the 3rd gate he met one of the very men who was heckling us for originally standing in the women's line. So, we used his position in line and forward personality and he used our whiteness and we both ended up with gas. None of us are quite sure what this man told the police and power plant workers who we were but whatever it was, it worked. Minutes later Sean emerged from the opposite end of the plant lugging a full tank, we hopped in a taxi and made our way back home.

Just another day in Mauritania. Thanks Katie J. Thanks Sean. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

Two Worlds

Peace Corps Volunteers often find themselves torn between two worlds. Recently, Mike and I have experienced this on a number of different fronts. Economically, we are stuck somewhere between the first world and the third. We are not as rich as many Mauritanians think we are nor as poor as many Americans think we are. Culturally, we are living in a place where almost 100% of the population follows a different religion and yet, especially during December, we embrace many of our traditions from home. Linguistically, we speak broken French for accomplishing daily tasks, a few phrases of Hassaniya or Pulaar to greet and thank our friends, and English for communicating with other volunteers, each other, and those back home. Personally, we are building many new and exciting friendships as we also try to maintain relationships with friends and family in the U.S.

I'd have to say that, although difficult, having this perspective of living "somewhere in between" is part of the reason I joined the Peace Corps. It's one thing to say, "I can see your point of view" but until you understand your own point of view, how can you truly see it from anyone else's? Research on crossing cultures tells us that the most important task one can accomplish in living within another culture is to aknowledge one's own cultural biases. I definitely believe this to be true, and have already identified many assumptions I held that are not necessarily accurate.

One of the goals of Peace Corps is cultural exchange, both the sharing of our culture with Mauritanians, and the sharing of Mauritanian culture with Americans. I personally feel this goal is incredibly important, perhaps equally (if not more) important than the work and projects we do. I hope that my daily interactions with Mauritanians are challenging their current assumptions about Americans. I also would like to take this opportunity to encourage my friends and family back home to think about Mauritanians. As you sit down (on chairs) for Christmas dinner or finish up your holiday shopping, please take a moment to reflect on the differences in our economies, our cultures, our religions, and our languages. And despite all these differences, know that Mike and I have found loving and caring people who have befriended us and challenged us to see things in a different way. Alhamdulillah!

Happy Holidays!

Procrastination, it followed me here

...So, I should really be planning my English lessons for this week but I am on the computer instead. Everything's good here in Nouadhibou. Thanksgiving was great. We had 2 big meals: one on Thursday afternoon with a couple friends from Mauritania and one on Friday evening with the other local PC vols. Lots of chicken, bread, stuffing, potatos, veggies and Katie's apple pie was incredible. In addition, I got to talk to many family members on Thurs. and Sat. On one such call (with my dad) on sat. evening I even got to overhear the live tv moment and ensuing jubilation of KU's winning play over MU. Fantastic. If you ever want to witness a great sports moment, make sure I am out of town, because that is usually when they happen (2008 KU b-ball champs excluded).

Classes are going well but this is the last week before the traditional Muslim holiday of Tabaski. After the holiday I only have another 2 weeks before the end of the first trimester and the first big test. Considering school didn't really start until November, it feels a little premature. I'm sure the other RIM ed people can empathize.

For those who don't know, Tabaski is the feast of sacrifice. A long time ago, Ibrahim had a son, Allah said you must sacrifice the son, the devil unsuccessfully tempted Ibrahim not to sacrifice his son, Allah stopped Ibrahim and sacrificed a lamb instead. Today, Muslims sacrifice an animal (usually sheep or goats) in rememberance. Hmm...that story sounds familiar. It's really cool to notice the similarities between our two cultures. Unfortunately for me, one of those happens to be unmotivated students who don't want to be in school. OK, back to the lesson...

Laundry Day

Today Mike and I did laundry, and I think we'd waited a bit too long because we'll probably have to do more again on Tuesday since we didn't completely finish. We usually try to do laundry about twice a week. However, this past week I've been feeling a bit under the weather due to a head cold, and so we procrastinated until today.

Doing laundry in Mauritania is a bit different than in the United States, where machines do most of the work. In Mauritania you wash all your clothes by hand in buckets (like the ones in the picture above). Usually this is a chore reserved only for women, but Mike helps me out and we work as a team. I clean the clothes with soap by rubbing and squeezing water through them with my hands (not nearly as well as the Mauritanian women). After I'm done wringing them out, I give them to Mike who uses a bucket of clean water to rinse out the remaining soap and then wrings them out again.

We usually do all the washing inside the house in the bathroom. Then we carry the wet clothes up to the roof, where we hang them out to dry in the sun. We usually have to clean off the clothesline first though, or we will have a line of dirt on our nice clean clothes.



Otherwise we are doing well. Today we got several care packages in the mail. Thank you Lori, Aunt Liz, Dad, Annie, Bob & Karen! We've also received packages from several families from St. Martin's Lutheran, and I keep reminding Mike to write thank you notes. We really appreciate all you are doing, even if we aren't always the best about sending a note in return! I also want to say thank you to Kathy Miller for sending me my stethoscope! I thought it was gone forever! Hope all you ladies at the Birthplace are doing well. It was great to talk to Michelle, Stacy & Di on the phone last week! I'll try to call again soon.

We can hardly believe this week is Thanksgiving! It has gotten much cooler here recently, but nothing like the cold weather you're having back home. Generally the temperature in our house stays about 70-72 degrees, so I'd estimate that it ranges from the upper 50's at night to high 70's during the day. We won't really get a break for Thanksgiving since it is only a holiday in the U.S., but we have plans to celebrate on Friday with the other PCVs here in Nouadhibou. I'm going to try and make a pie, but I'm a little worried about how it will turn out since I've never actually made a whole one by myself. Wish me luck!

Love you all! Happy holidays!

BBBBBBBUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!

So, when my sister and I were very young (probably around 15 or 16) we would scream 'bug' at the top of our lungs anytime we saw so much as a piece of lint resembling a bug. This was particularly embarrassing (and funny in hindsight) for my parents at, oh, I don't know...church. This memory is the impetus behind my choice for PROM #2: Pif-Paf Powder, the alliterative giant of Arabic pest control substances. (1 cannister=100g=800UM[around $3])


Allow me to set the stage.

-2 months ago-

Upon entering their new apartment, Mike and Katie couldn't help but notice the potential this dwelling possessed. Sweeping archways, French doors, electricity, toilets, the possibilities were endless. However, it was currently a dirt-ridden, paint-strewn mess. A remnant from the 1960s, this apartment still had large windows and natural light from a warmer time in Nouadhibou. Since the 1980s, things have cooled, resulting in newer homes built with small 10x10" windows and similar cookie-cutter room patterns.

After one day in their new place (and one dinner), they noticed, to their horror, an army of ants hauling away the smallest bits of forgotten food. There was even a large slice of onion caught in the drain that 10-20 ants were hauling to a crack between the sink and counter! Considering ants can haul 50 times their body weight, this was no small feat. After waging war with the scouts, drones and soldiers, Katie and Mike thought, "surely only the queen remains!" But alas, this was not true. A colony of hundreds, thousands...nay MILLIONS! was ensconced in the walls and had no plans on moving.

As if this wasn't bad enough, cockroaches controlled the bathroom! They were waging two seemingly endless wars with little resources other than fingertips (vs. ants) and flip-flops (vs. cockroaches). Something had to be done.

-okay, let me break in here for a minute. I just have to say a word or two about the cockroach. For those of you who know Katie, you won't be surprised to learn that after seeing these disgusting creatures, she decided to fight them the best way she knew how...She researched the bejeezus out of them. And her findings lead me to believe that sometime long ago, God lost a bet with the devil and the result was God had to create these vile things. They breathe through their skin! They can come back to life after being 'killed' by certain subtances! And I have witnessed its birthing process first hand and can honestly say I would rather be the sound-tester for all audio products Celine Dion related than see that again. Anyway, back to the story...

Something had to be done. Mike and Katie consulted the local boutique owner (an incredibly nice man named Hamadli) and 2nd-year PCV's Maylen and Sammy. The result was the purchase of "Pif-Paf Powder". After carefully reading the directions (amazingly in English) and heeding the advice that "if inhaled, remove person to fresh air" (did this mean the 'person' would no longer be able to move under his own will? would 'fresh air' really help?) Mike puffed every inch of the apartment (This is how the product works, you 'puff' it. You squeeze the tube and a dense white cloud erupts in all directions. "I can't imagine using this stuff if we had a pet or a baby," Mike remarked to Katie.)

-Several weeks later-

Puffing poisonous Pif-Paf powder puts pests in a precarious position? Or perhaps a pest placebo pthat pdoesn't pwork. The cockroaches seemed held at bay for a while only to make a resurgence in early November. The ants even seemed to be marching away with bits of the stuff almost as an 'up yours' to the diligence of Mike and Katie. With the Pif-Paf cannister running on empty and home remedies such as salt, vinegar and plugging drains exhausted, things looked bleak. Were Mike and Katie doomed to wave the white flag and try to live in peace with the intrusive albeit native inhabitants? NO! Just in time, a package from home. Mike's mom and dad send in reinforcements in the shape of Raid rtm ant and roach traps. Only time will tell, but so far, only two-legged creatures are welcome and safe in 'el douze say,' Kra Nasrani, Nouadhibou.

FIN.

On a more personal note, happy belated birthday to my brother Monte! He was born on a Friday the 13th. Katie and I were engaged on Friday the 13th. Lucky day for our family.

And...a mini-PROM for my sister:

Thanks for reading!

-M

Comment on fais "hakko"

As the title states, this slideshow will demonstrate how to make the traditional Pulaar dish of Hakko, which is a meal of couscous and bean sauce served frequently in the villages of southern Mauritania.

Ghoulest Halloween Ever

Okay, my puns need work. The Cryptkeeper would fire me. But Katie and I did host the PC RIM NDB Halloween party on Thursday night. We dressed up (sort of) but did not trick or treat. If we did, I'm pretty sure the locals would have...

a) stared blankly at us not knowing what to do
b) laughed uncontrollably
c) lynched us
d) been indifferent

Choose your own adventure. We cooked good, old-fashioned hamburgers that were marinated in none other than KC's own Gates BBQ Sauce (I brought a jar from home). Oh how I miss the BBQ. Maylen bought a tasty Happy Halloween monogramed cake. We also carved a jack-o-melon (no pumpkins available) and bobbed for apples (see below). Last but not least, we watched the first 9 "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of the Simpsons. Not too shabby.

School is going well and is in almost full swing. I only have one class that hasn't commenced because of registration problems and they are going as smooth as I could have imagined. Some I can already tell will be more or less difficult that others. I was really nervous to teach the adult classes because many of the students, if not all, are older than me and very many are teachers themselves. But many adult students assured me I had conducted a good first lesson and they seemed really enthusiastic about learning English. On Wednesday night the power went out and we continued the lesson by the light of cell phones; it was great. We'll see if they all continue to come. Also, next Friday, I will start a general music appreciation/history/performing/I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do class at the girls mentoring center. I really need to put in some planning this week to come up with concrete ideas that will actually work. Please comment if you have any! Ha!

Today will also prove to be significant for me and many I know because my good friend Andy Young is getting married. I am an honorary groomsman and it kills me that I can't be there in person. He's marrying Jamie Cox, a wonderful woman (even though she grew up in Mizzurah) who, from what I have observed, is truly his best friend - because a lot of us just don't like him that much...just kidding Andy! Seriously though, congratulations, we love you guys.

All in all, things are coming together pretty well. Stay tuned for PROM #2, good luck to the new president, he's gonna need it, and scream you later (wow, that's genuinely horrible)

Daily Life

After two months in Nouadhibou, Mike and I are finally settling into a routine (kind of...)

Mike has finally begun teaching classes, and although attendance is still sporadic due to continued problems getting everyone enrolled, there seem to be more students every day. He is teaching 14 hours per week, which is actually quite a lot. He has seven 2-hour block classes a week. All his students are in their final (6th) year of secondary school, and are preparing to take "the BAC." The BAC is roughly equivalent to the SAT or ACT in the U.S. (only more difficult I think since there is only about a 7% pass rate). I'm sure Mike will fill you in soon on how things are going with the classes.

As for the schedule, Mike teaches from 8 am-2 pm on Monday, 10 am-2 pm on Thursday, and 8 am-noon on Saturday...yes, that's right, students have class here on Saturday! And I guess I'll take the opportunity now to also explain that Mauritania, as an Islamic republic, recognizes a different work week than Western societies. The holy day is Friday in the Islamic faith, and therefore, it is not a work day. Most businesses take Friday and Saturday off, and resume their work week on Sunday morning.

Additionally, Mike is teaching extra "adult" beginning English classes twice a week in the evening to community members who have expressed interest (almost everyone here wants to learn English). The class consists of everyone from taxi drivers to school professors to government officials.

Okay...so I know what you're thinking...that's a lot of information about what Mike's been up to, now what about Katie's activities? Well, it's a bit difficult to explain, but I think the best way to explain my job is to say that I'm a "community organizer." Yes, I'm aware that this term has become somewhat politically charged in the U.S. in recent weeks, but honestly, that's what I'm doing. The focus of my organizing is on health education activities for both the community at large and for health professionals.

My job is a bit difficult because it is very unstructured. I set my own schedule and determine my own priorities each day. Of course I received a lot of guidance during pre-service training on where to start initially...language acquisition, community integration, and knowledge of the communities strengths and weaknesses from a health standpoint. I also have a wonderful APCD (Assistant Peace Corps Director) named Daouda, who I can call or email if I have any questions or worries.

Just to clarify for any who may still be confused -- I am NOT working in Mauritania as a nurse. I do not take care of patients, or provide treatment of any kind. I am not allowed by Peace Corps or licensed by the Mauritanian government to work as a nurse here for many reasons, which include my personal safety and liability. Although I may be observing some health care provision, in order to educate and/or improve processes, I will not be providing any care myself.

So...up to this point I have been primarily focusing on visiting the various health clinics, hospitals, and health NGOs (non-government organizations) that work here in Nouadhibou, as well as schools and other organizations. I am looking for potential project ideas, identifying motivated individuals, and trying to determine the health priorities of the community from their perspective. This evaluation will be a continuous process throughout my service, even after I have identified some projects to focus on. The goal is to try to create sustainable change...you know, work that will continue to be of value after I leave Mauritania.

Other than "work," my focus is on meeting community members, and becoming friends with them, another goal of Peace Corps. I continue to work on language skills, improving my French beyond the daily survival skills necessary for the moment, and picking up basic phrases in Hassaniya and Pulaar for greeting and communicating basic needs. I take African dance class twice a week for personal health and enjoyment, though the dancing style is really more Senegalese than Mauritanian.

That's it for now...because this has been a long enough post already. Maybe next time I'll discuss our normal routine for daily chores or preparing meals...as the process can be quite a bit different here from the way things are normally done dans les Etats Unis.

Product of the Month (PROM): Millac

That's right! You've guessed it! This is the first of what will hopefully be many insightful glances, snapshots if you will, into the world of commerce in Mauritania. I thought this would be a quantifiable method of explaining some of the similarities and differences between our two little worlds. Also notice my acronym. I'm stealing this word back from the awkward grope-fests that somehow seemed so important to us 10 years ago. Don't fall for it teenagers of today! Save your tux rental money and invest it. Our economy is still strong, right?

The inaugural product: MILLAC. 1 Litre = 500 UM (NDB prices). If you say it fast enough, it almost sounds like its English equivalent, milk. I apologize in advance to the dairy farmers in the states, but I LOVE MILLAC. Pros: it lasts longer (especially unopened, boutique owners don't even refrigerate it), tastes better, and I can't read the nutrition facts (ignorance is bliss). Also, it tastes amazing mixed with coca-cola.* Just like an ice cream float **- Eli knows what I'm talking about. Cons: where's the gallon size box? That's right, it comes in a box.

Other notable information:

-a product of Spain, produced in the Canary Islands I believe, that is imported here

-creepy graphics; sort of a Children of the Corn meets the master race

-and finally, it contains vitamin D3. I always felt kind of weak, depleted in the states. Now I know, it was my vitamin D3 deficiency.

I have to mention this since it reminds me so much of a great Simpsons episode. In the school cafeteria, Bart, after cracking his knuckles, remarks, "Ow! But why should my bones hurt? I drink plenty of [turning to look at his carton of milk] MALK?" [the carton reads: now with vitamin K!] Apparently, the school was skimping on food to save money in their budget. Hilarious!

*Katie thinks this is disgusting, but we all know how crazy she can be

**Annie, I'm going to send you a bunch of Millac so we can begin work on our next product: The RIM Shake! Between that and conebutts (reg. trdmrk.) we'll have the dessert market tied up.

Well, I hope this was interesting. I'll try and get one of these up a month. Comment if you like it so I know how much effort to put into future PROMs. That is all. Mike out.

I am not a hippie.

Oh, what would the guys from home say if they could see me now. Here I am, a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa, and I had my first African drum lesson yesterday. I'm learning to play the djembe. That's right. Dave, Anthony, Ben, PJ, Adam, Andy and anyone else can commence with the jokes. But I am not a hippie.

That's just one of the classes that will soon be filling my schedule. Today was supposed to be the second day of school (the start date was pushed back to Oct. 12). However, there have been problems here getting a new lycee (high school) up-and-running so really I just show up for school and then go home 30 minutes later. I am told I will know more by Thursday this week. What you have to understand, is this is typical. But very soon, I will be teaching between 3-5 English classes at the local high school...inshalla (perhaps).

I will also be teaching adult English classes, a music class if I'm lucky and I'm enrolled as a student for French lessons. All of this added on to my current Hassaniya class. Things should get really busy within the month. So that is the latest news. Katie mentioned my idea for a RIM 'product of the month' blog...soon. So instead, I thought I would relate an interesting story about language this time. Hope you like it:

In Mauritania, if you make a joke or if someone really agrees with what you're saying they'll get real happy and slap hands with you. Its a cool feeling. The other day, in a "grocery store", I rambled off all of my hassaniya greetings. You kind of have to be careful of that because they'll assume you know a lot of hassaniya. He asked me some questions that I actually could answer such as I am a teacher, I work for peace corps, I am married. Then he told us the total of our purchases in hassaniya. Just take my word for it that the number system here is pretty confusing. He told us, smiled when I thought in my head, and he even covered up the register so we couldn't see like a game show. It was just a cool exchange. Then I guessed the number right and he said "you know hassaniya well!" I really don't but I explained that I learn a little more each day and I had also memorized this hassaniya adage i learned during training that goes "gittra gittra isiil ilwaad" which means "little by little, the river flows". He didn't understand at first because of my pronunciation and he didn't expect me to say anything coherent in hassaniya, but when he got it he yelled out loud, pounded the wall, and then did the hand slap thing with me. It was awesome.

That's all for now. Hope all is well.

Mike

Saturday night

How did you spend your last Saturday evening?
Here's what we did:

Yep, I gave Mike a haircut…and I have to say I'm getting pretty darn good at it. Now he's all ready for his first day of school!

Trash

So here’s a question that many Americans don’t ever pause to consider…what would you do if there were no trash cans in your house? Okay, now what if there wasn’t a trash truck that came to your house every week or a functioning sanitary landfill? Well, those questions are a daily dilemma for many Mauritanians, Peace Corps volunteers included.

Some of the first things you notice when you arrive in a third world country are the smells, the animals wandering around, and the trash everywhere. Then, when you first find that you need to get rid of a food wrapper, a used water bottle, or some other disposable item, you realize that there are no trash cans to be found anywhere. A fully functioning trash disposal system is something we Americans completely take for granted, but in Mauritania, it is something we contemplate daily.

Trash and sewage are huge problems in many third world areas that haven’t developed comprehensive systems to deal with their removal. As city populations increase, so do problems with waste. Small outbreaks of disease have the potential to become huge epidemics when there is no safe system to remove infectious material.

Rosso, the city in southern Mauritania where Mike and I lived during our pre-service training, has one of the worst problems with trash and sewage in the country. However, according to many previous volunteers, Rosso is much better now than it used to be, due in part to a motivated mayor and funding he has directed toward the problem.

Now that we are living in Nouadhibou and are no lon ger living with a host family, we are able to buy trash cans to keep around our apartment. It is somewhat of a relief to me that I no longer have to carry around my trash in my pocket until I find an acceptable place to discard it. However, even in Nouadhibou, it is frequently a futile effort. After we put our trash in bags and dutifully place it at the appropriate collection point, it is left to the mercy of the wandering animals (usually goats and/or children). They tear open the bags and eat whatever they can salvage before anyone comes by to collect it. So it is no surprise when I arrive back home later in the day and see a piece of trash from our house blowing by my feet.

Shemwasi m'ha Ramadan? Zayn Hate!

(How are things going with Ramadan? Really great!) Actually it is kind of tough, but I only know how to say basic phrases in Hassaniya (the local Arabic dialect). I'm not fasting or anything, but you always have to be careful that you aren't eating or drinking in public. That doesn't sound like a lot but you have to plan your whole day around this fact. Plus, it is hard for Muslims to put in a full work day when you add not eating to heat, so a lot of places are closed that would normally be open. The school year is fast approaching (October 5, I think) and I'm looking forward to it just so I have something to do. I'm still worried about classroom management with such big classes (between 30 and 70 students per class), but I will hopefully get better with time.
Luckily, we have had a lot of visitors lately to help keep us occupied. First it was Iain, a Scottish Aid worker in Somalia on his way home, then Justin and Christina another married couple in Mauritania, Antonio (a tourist from Chile) and right now Jessica (PCV from Chinguitty, RIM) and her mom Bonnie are actually staying at our apartment. They are our guinea pigs or trial run for visitors of our new place. We'll get pictures soon. Everyone has been incredibly kind. It's amazing how fast you can become friends with someone when you share a similar experience.
Sorry for the short post, I'm taking Jessica and Bonnie to the beach. Tough life! Thanks to everyone for the packages and letters. They help out a lot. However, I need to reciprocate with the letters. I think the tally between my dad and me stands at 14-0. Sorry dad.

Mike

Ramadan

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we've arrived safely at our site and are currently in the process of looking for an apartment. We've been lucky to have lots of help from the volunteers that have already been living in Nouadhibou, so hopefully it won't take us too long to find a good place to live.

Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan. Ramadan is an Islamic holiday that lasts for a full month during which Muslims must fast from sun up to sun down, including fluids.* It is very difficult for them and sometimes it can make them grumpy. However, it also makes for great fun every evening when they "break fast." It is a great opportunity to spend time and meet new Mauritanian families while they are breaking fast.

Just to let you know...we have again updated our care package wishlist and I put several things in bold print to let you know which items we need the most. Thanks to several people, we have plenty of drink mix and hard candy for the time being. I also added some tips at the bottom of our wishlist page for maximizing your shipping costs, as care packages can get pretty expensive when sending overseas. I can't say enough how much we appreciate all the mail and care packages we have received so far. It really helps us to know that we have so much support back home. I'm sorry we haven't been writing more letters in return. Hopefully now that we are at site, we should have a little more time and organization...Inshallah!

*There are several exceptions for Muslims from fasting which include children, pregnant women, the sick, women on their menstrual cycle, and probably others of which I am unaware. It should be noted though that adults who skip a day of fasting during Ramadan must make up for it later during the year by fasting some other time.

One Day as a Trainee

Since Katie has filled everyone in on what is going on, I thought I might take a different approach with this post. So, without further ado, a day in the life of a Peace Corps Trainee*:

Usually, you wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 whether you want to or not. Alarm clocks: donkeys, birds, the call to worship or the family stirring throughout the house (which is comprised of cinder-block construction, 2-3 rooms, a courtyard and lots of mats/pillows to sit on) wake you up very efficiently.
The next part, hygiene, can vary. Is the water working? Do I want to take a shower now or later or both? I'm still tired, I'll just throw on my same clothes as yesterday and head to class. As an education volunteer, most mornings consist of model school - the Peace Corps finds students who want a head start on the school year and subject them to the first lessons written by foreign teachers. And don't worry about morning exercise; you get a 30 minute walk to and from school everyday! A typical English lesson focuses on vocabulary, reading comprehension, conversational use or a grammar point. It can be one or two hours long. The rooms are filled with rows of benches and a blackboard to write on. You, chalk and a bunch of students snapping their fingers and yelling "teacher!" (I'm sure this will get old later, but they are so anxious to participate, and I kind of lucked out because my class was small and had some great students, cinqieme class rocks!).
After model school (11ish), you head to the PC center and evaluate the lessons with volunteers and Mauritanian teachers. You also get a pause (break) with some truly excellent sandwiches. Next, you plan tomorrow's lesson and head home - the hottest walk ever! Once home with your host family (13ish) you can sit and sweat or shower and then sit and sweat. Lunch comes next, usually chebugin (rice, veggies, fish). After lunch, you could practice your language skills (I stress could since it is usually to hot to do much of anything). At 15:45 you head to language class (still hot) for two and half hours.
After language class it is up in the air. You could head to a boutique and get a cool drink, visit a friend, work on a group project or just head home. Occasionally, you will have a party, wedding or baptism (baptime in French, and it's just a big party for a new baby - dinner, music, dancing) to attend. Cool air comes with nightfall and dinner next, between 20:30 and 21:30. If there is no party or visitors, your family will often place a mat outside under the stars and you just sort of hang out. Eventually - due to mosquitos or a hard ground - you get in your mosquito tent and fall asleep trying not to sweat yourself awake.

That's about it. I hope this is an insight and doesn't come off as overly pessimistic. It is interesting, challenging and multiple things occur everyday that are just...different. I saw a goat head-butt a cat. Another trainee witnessed a human birth in her home. Many people flip out over storms and eclipses. There was a coup! Internet is acting up again, so I'm posting while I still can. Talk to you from Nouadhibou (NDB) -Mike

*I can't speak for every trainee or even every sector, so I'm drawing mainly from my own experiences (and some stories that just have to be mentioned)

Last Phase of PST

After what seems like forever (and in reality has only been a little over two weeks), we are finally back at the training center. We are getting ready for the fourth and final phase of pre-service training after which we will be sworn in as offical Peace Corps Volunteers...Inshallah!

Despite continued political upheaval in RIM, Peace Corps is operating pretty much as usual from what we've been told. There has been one public rally in support of the coup here in Rosso. During that time we stayed safely at home with our host family. We will be sure to post more in the coming weeks or if anything develops. However, rest assured that Mauritanians are very passive even during times of political unrest, and we have never felt threatened in any way.

On August 30th we will be moving to our new location of Nouadhibou and should have much more regular access to Internet as well as time to post. This year September is the month that the Islamic holiday of Ramadan will occur. That's where Muslims fast during the daytime (including no water), and not a whole lot gets accomplished for about 30 days.

We promise to post more soon and respond to emails too. We have received several care packages...thank you very much to everyone for sending them. We are aware that the international postage can be very expensive and we really appreciate it. From what the other volunteers have been telling me, the cheapest option is to purchase a flat-rate box or envelope and then you can stuff it with as much as it will hold (making sure that it won't burst open of course).

Today is Debbie's wedding!
I miss you guys!

Coup!

So...we haven't posted in a while because we've been pretty busy. Last weekend we went to Nouakchott for the married couples retreat and had a wonderful time. We got to stay at our country director's mansion, cook our own food (pizza, Mexican & artichoke dip), and sleep in air conditioned rooms with beds. It was AMAZING!

Now we are back in Rosso and back to our language classes/technical training sessions. Mike has started teaching at "Model School" which is basically a classroom of volunteer students who pay to come in during the summer and get taught English by the Americans (yeah, they are pretty well behaved compared to a normal classroom). Mike has taught two lessons so far, and although he was nervous, he thinks they went over pretty well. He's gotten good feedback from the other volunteers and trainers about his teaching.

I was planning to do my next blog on the trash situation in Mauritania...especially here in Rosso it is VERY bad. However, with the coup d'etat that many of you have been seeing in the news, I think most of you are more interested in hearing about our safety. We are fine. The coup has been very peaceful so far...and we are very isolated from everything too. I think the worst thing that's happened has been a couple stink bombs being released in Nouakchott (the capital city), but that's just heresay and not confirmed. We're pretty uninformed here, but we're safe with our host families, so don't worry. We also have an incredible safety and security officer here in Mauritania and he and his staff is constantly monitoring the situation for any changes.

I also want to post our new address for Nouadhibou. You can send any letters and packages here from now on because by the time they arrive (3-4 weeks) we will be there! (All the Nouadhibou PCVs share a P.O. box so that's why you have to put c/o and another person's name)

Mike & Katie Yunghans
c/o Maylen Rafuls
B.P. 1341
Nouadhibou, Mauritania
West Africa
Par Avion

As far as we know everything has arrived safely without anything missing. We've loved getting all the letters, pictures and packages. Thank you all so much! We miss you tons. Our swear-in ceremony will take place on August 28th and we should be departing for Nouadhibou on August 30th. After we move we should have a lot more access to Internet, because hopefully we'll be getting 24-hour access at our apartment...yeah! (24-hour access may be a little bit of a stretch since I've heard the service goes out frequently...but I'm sure it will be an improvement from what we have now).

We're thinking a lot about Susan and Debbie this month as they prepare for their weddings...so sorry we can't be there with you! We also hope you will keep us updated with Olympic coverage since we probably won't be able to watch it very much. (There are no Mauritanian Olympians to my knowledge and our family seems more interested in the Brazilian soap operas than sporting events.)

So...stay tuned for my next blog post on TRASH...I'll have pictures too!

NouadhiBOO-YAH!

So...first and foremost, my title totally blows Katie's out of the water. I guess I can just convey so much more in my typing. For instance, now everyone knows how the last syllable of our permanent site is pronounced. YES! No-awd-ee-boo is great. They have good food, a cool climate, few mosquitos, internet access, BEACHES! I can't believe it. We will still have our challenges though. My school is pretty big and the students will probably be more intimidating, and it may take longer to become a part of the community. But we are up for the challenge. We both are anxious to start our language training again. One more month of training, and then 2 years in Nouadhibou. I'll try and post more often, especially since we will most likely have internet access. Hope all is well. Take care everyone. Bye

Mike

Nouadhibou

So...we found our our site placements on July 21 and have been visiting our site since then. We are very excited that our site is Nouadhibou!! It is the second largest city in Mauritania, is on a bay of the Atlantic, and has a very mild climate (so much so that I might need you all to send me warmer clothing and blankets...yeah!). I don't want to brag too much, but Nouadhibou is also know for having the widest variety of foods available in Mauritania. I've already had cheese pizza and spaghetti here...yum.

There are others who need to check their email and get online, so I need to go now. But we are doing very well and are really happy with our site :) Hope you all are doing great! I'm thinking of you all frequently.

Togetherness

It feels like forever since I was last at the training center, but in reality it has only been about 12 days. I have tech sessions again today and tomorrow for health, which means Mike and I get to spend the night at the training center this evening. We are really lucky to have a great host family, but at the same time it will be nice to get away for a bit.

Mauritanian culture is all about togetherness. They all eat together off the same plate, they spend most of the day together in the same room, and most of the time they all sleep in the same area as well. It is considered very odd by Mauritanians for someone to want or need some time to be alone. They see this type of behavior as being aloof or even rude. So...Mike and I pretty much spend every waking moment that we aren't in class or in the bathroom with our families.

A very common activity in our family is watching a Turkish (I think) soap opera on television that's replayed at least twice a day. It's dubbed over in Hassiniya and I'm starting to understand some words here and there. We've also figured out some basic plot points in the story line. Usually Mike and I will study our French or read a book while the others lie around watching TV and our little sisters try to read what we are reading even though they have no idea what they are looking at because the text is in English.

Another aspect of the "togetherness" in Mauritanian culture is group ownership of property. There really isn't such a thing as "my" toy or "my" outfit. Clothes are shared between mother, daughter, grandmother, etc. Also, it is not out of the norm for someone to ask you bluntly to give them something you own. For example, I have been asked by my 22-year-old host sister for my glasses, for medicine, and for one of my skirts. At the same time, they have been extremely generous with me and have given me a traditional Hassiniya mulafa outfit and a Pulaar outfit as well.

Here is a picture of me getting henna done on my hands (and feet as well). The henna lasts for about a month and dyes your fingernails orange until they grow out, but the design is really pretty and it was a lot of fun to watch.

The food has started to become a bit monotonous and we have been served pretty much every different part of a goat I can imagine. One night there was a big goat head in the middle of our plate. I've also seen what could only be skin or intestine mixed in with our rice or couscous at least a couple times. So far we have been a little sick but nothing major. Mike's had diarrhea at least once and I've been pretty nauseous at times, but it really hasn't been as bad as I expected.

For our second anniversary on Monday, Mike was sick, but we were able to go to the ice cream shop the next day and buy a sundae to share between us. We didn't really buy gifts or anything, but it was still fun.

We are really looking forward to Monday. That is the day we will find out our site placements for the rest of our service. Then on Tuesday we will depart for a week long site visit where we will meet our local counterparts in the town we will be working in along with the experienced Peace Corps Volunteers that have already been working in the area. We are pretty sure we're going to be in a regional capital, but there are no guarantees.

We were very happy yesterday because we got our first MAIL!!! And we got like six or seven letters at once. It was super! We've (well...I've) started sending some responses but I wrote the letters before we received the ones from yesterday so they may not answer the questions you asked. But please keep the letters coming...and include pictures, news stories, anything you think would be interesting to us from home. We're a little starved for news from home so please keep the letters coming!

Signing off for now, but I'm sure I'll be putting more posts up soon because we have more center days coming up this weekend. We love and miss everyone back home and hope things are going well!

Host Family

Hey everyone! I just finished checking my email and the inbox was jam-packed so please excuse me for not replying to everyone (or sending really short replies).

Mike and I are doing well. We moved in with our host family on Friday and they were really great. However, some personal issues within the family caused us to have to move in with a different family yesterday. No worries! Everything is still going well for us.

Our families gave us new names to help us become more acculturated and accepted in the family and community. They have named me Hadija (Hah-'deez-yuh) and Mike is Brahim (Bra-'heem). We are super happy that our family has electricity and a fan that we can use in the bedroom at night. The rainy season is starting and it is SUPER humid (up to 70-80% at times) and very hot at night since we have to sleep indoors.

We are going to French classes for about 6 hours a day, and will soon be learning Hassaniya (a form of Arabic) as well. My French is improving by leaps and bounds, but it is still very difficult to comprehend what everyone is saying in my class. We spend a lot of time just sitting around conversing in French and I look up a lot of the words or expressions I don't understand.

Today I'm at the PC Training Center for some health training sessions.

Lori asked what the coolest thing is that I've learned so far, and basically I feel that the coolest learning is just the process of adjusting to life in a third world country. Learning to use a squat toilet, taking a bucket shower, feeling dirty and hot all the time. I guess just learning to appreciate that there are still things to be happy about when you don't have all the material possessions we Americans are used to. I also like learning to eat with my hands...although it's still difficult for me.

Okay, I have to go eat now! We're doing well so don't worry and we will post again when we get a chance. Don't forget to actually visit the blog and check out the picture link in the right margin. We've posted some pictures from our Pre-Service Training.

Wild Dogs DO Cry Out in the Night

Bonjour! C'est Mike. Yeah, my French is still horrible. But I did carry on a few cool conversations with some Host Country Nationals and I even bought some items from a local boutique in Rosso. Although it was kind of confusing for all involved. But at least I'm trying a local tongue. Katie and I will receive our placement tomorrow for the next 2-3 months of training; and as Katie said, we will be very busy (8 hrs. a day) learning a new language. I'm hoping for Hassaniya (African dialect of Arabic) because it is widely used. So I wanted to blog while I can and just say things are great. The food is incredible, it is hot, but we take lots of breaks. Brendan, curiously enough, wild dogs literally cry out in the night. They kept us awake once for an hour - we sleep outside. Hope everyone is doing well at home and keep the comments coming. I'm gonna let Katie check her email now.

Mike

Hey, we're in Africa!!

Hi everyone! We made it to Africa safely without any problems, although it did require a good deal of patience. Our training group is large (77 to be exact) and anytime you're trying to move a group of people that large across country borders, you can expect there will be a lot of delays.

We are a few days into our Pre-Service Training and things are already getting much more intense. We spend the first 6 days at the Peace Corps training center in Rosso and after that we will be sent out into the community to live and study with our host families. We are adjusting to lots of new things; the heat, squat toilets, eating without utensils, sleeping outside, anti-malaria medication, and attempting to speak in another language.

I am very excited to report that there is a good chance I will be able to focus my Health Education work on maternal/child health and/or labor and delivery. One of our training coordinators said there is a big need for education of lay midwives in many of the villages, specifically regarding the recognition of high risk situations that may require transport to a regional health center. This would be an ideal environment for me!

Here are some things I like about Africa so far:
1. Cold sand in between my toes when I walk around at night.
2. Laying around underneath tents during the afternoon heat.
3. The super clean feeling after showering that you don't really appreciate until you are REALLY dirty, sandy and sweaty.
4. Wearing head scarves and getting them wet to keep my head cool.

Since we will be leaving for our homestay family's home soon, and will be incredibly busy with our language and technical training classes and activities, we will probably not have a chance to post again for quite a while. Know that we are happy and meeting lots of new friends. However, we do really miss you and can't wait to get some mail! Please keep sending us letters as that may be the primary way we have to communicate for a while. Mike and I both purchased Mauritanian cell phones, and if you want those numbers you can find them out from our parents.

I'll try posting pictures soon too!

Last Night in the U.S.

Hey everyone. Mike here. We just finished staging. A lot of meetings, introductions, anti-malarial meds, and a yellow fever shot. They gave us our flight info for tomorrow and we should be landing in Dakar, Senegal at 4:30 am on Saturday morning. From there, we will drive into Rosso, Mauritania and begin our Pre-Service Training (PST). Thanks to everyone once again for coming to the party and for responding with emails on facebook and about the blog. I hope everyone stays updated. Unfortunately, we won't be able to make much contact over the next 10 weeks. We'll try and post on this blog if we can and we should be able to send some letters, but email will be hard. I'm gonna sign off now. I gotta repack, do some laundry here at the Atlanta Sheraton, do some language training and eat a little. Mom, don't worry too much, everything is going as scheduled. Anthony, I hope you found another guitar player, if he needs some advice on offbeats, you know who to blog. Adam, I'm excited for the return party already. Katie and I miss you all and will try and post again soon.

Mike

Staging

Just a quick post just to let everyone know we made it to Atlanta safely without any problems. Staging is going well so far...it's a bit different than I was expecting. A lot more participatory than I thought, which is good. Tomorrow we have to go get all our shots and start taking the anti-malarial medication.

We've met a lot of great people and I believe we're fitting in pretty well, although we feel a little old at times. There are a lot of volunteers that just graduated from college, but that's to be expected.

Our flight to Dakar, Senegal is through the night on Friday and we'll arrive really early on Saturday morning. Then we'll travel by bus to Mauritania. We're getting very excited! Hope all of you are doing well and keeping busy. We hope to post again soon, but it may be a while as we will be pretty busy and may have limited Internet access after Friday.

Mike again. Less than 2 days. Everything's wrapping up. Parties are over, cd is recorded (completed lost 80 cd, coming to a stereo near you in late 2054!), preparations are made. Wait...I forgot to pack. I had to say goodbye to my other sister today. The last month or so has brought all the negative aspects of leaving to my attention. I knew it would be tough, but part of me can't wait to be in Mauritania so I can begin our Peace Corps experience and get my mind occupied on something positive and challenging. I want to see what's on the other side of the curtain, you know? Over a year and a half of waiting is finally coming to a head.
We still have a lot to do, so I'm signing off. Happy birthday Annie, happy father's day dad, David, Monte, Steve, Dennis, Ryan, Stud, AB (there's got to be at least one out there!), and anyone else I forgot.

Later

See you in two years!

We had our farewell party this past Friday night at Mike's parents' house in Kansas City. It was really nice to see many friends and family together for the last time before we depart for our staging. Amazingly, the turbulent weather we've been experiencing in Kansas of late took a breather, and we had a beautiful night to enjoy with everyone.

Mike and I have frantically been trying to tie up all our loose ends. Hopefully we've gotten all the addresses changed, the finances in order, and the supplies we will need for our two year journey. I still have a to do list that makes me very nervous, but I'm confident we'll get everything together in time.

On Tuesday (Mike's 28th birthday) we'll be flying from Kansas City to Atlanta to start the "staging" process with all the other Peace Corps volunteers going to Mauritania this year (we think it's about 70 or so). Staging will consist of many hours of review of all the Peace Corps rules/procedures as well as a health clinic day where we will have our final medical check-up and get more shots than we've ever had in our life. It's possible we'll have some Internet access at our hotel in Atlanta, so we'll post from there if we have a chance.

On Friday, June 20th, we depart from Atlanta and fly to Dakar, Senegal overnight. From there we will be loaded onto a bus and will travel just across the border to our home for the next three months, Rosso, Mauritania. At this point we will probably not have much time or access to the Internet, so you may have to wait for an update for a while. We'd really appreciate hearing from you by mail though...so keep the letters coming!

Thank you very much to everyone who has been helping and supporting us through this transitory period, especially to our families for all their support. We'll be thinking of you all the time!

P.S. Happy Birthday Annie!

Send us mail!

Okay, so I was wrong when I said I wouldn't be posting again, because here it is one day later and I have something else to write. I just wanted to let you all know that you can start sending us letters NOW!!! Peace Corps has told us that mail service from the U.S. to Mauritania can take up to 3-4 weeks, and seeing that we will be there in less than two, I want to encourage you to start writing ASAP. We've heard the first few weeks can be a difficult adjustment, so any encouraging letters from home would be greatly appreciated!

Our address will always remain on the right hand margin of this blog but here it is again:

Katie & Mike Yunghans, PCTs
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 222
Nouakchott, Mauritania
West Africa
Par Avion (Air Mail)

Here are some other helpful hints about sending mail:
1. Address the envelope in red ink.
2. Draw religious symbols (any religion is okay) on the outside of the envelope.
3. Don't include anything valuable inside like checks or cash.
4. Number your letters so we know if they arrive out of order or if one is missing.
5. If sending a postcard, put it in an envelope, as they tend to get lost or stolen.

A number of you have mentioned wanting to send care packages, but for now just focus on letters. They will arrive much faster and give us a good boost in morale, which is what we'll be needing most. Hopefully if we pack well enough, we should have all the supplies we need for a while, and care packages will be much more useful down the road a bit.

I'm not sure how much postage is required on a letter to Mauritania, but make sure to send by AIR MAIL because I've heard that ground mail takes months to arrive instead of weeks. We look forward to hearing from all of you!

12 more days!

Hey everyone!

Sorry we haven't posted anything in a while. It's been a little busy around here. Last Friday Mike and I successfully moved out of our Lawrence aparment and moved all our stuff to Bob & Karen's (Mike's parents) house in Kansas City. Big THANK YOUs go to all who helped us get our stuff together and moved because it was a very big job.

Mike and I are now living in Piper (AKA KCK) with his parents. We joke that it is kind of preparing us for Mauritania in a way since they have no cable tv and only dial-up Internet access. However, it has been really great to spend time with our families before our departure on June 17th.

Over the past week we've been taking care of some important pre-departure activities...shopping, changing addresses, organizing all the stuff from our apartment in the Yunghans basement, and seeing Sex & the City and Indiana Jones!!! Next Friday we're having our going away party and it looks like many friends and family are planning to attend.

The next week and a half will probably be pretty busy for us, and with the limited Internet, I'm not sure if we'll have a chance to post again before we leave. So possibly the next time you hear from us we'll be on the road, either in Atlanta or Africa!!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!
Katie

hmmm...remember when Homer Simpson cloned himself to get more done?

Hello anyone, 

This is Mike.  One month to go.  Our apartment looks like all the rooms simultaneously threw up.  But I guess that's part of packing.  We've purchased many fun new items: mosquito tent, solar shower, shortwave radio, laptop computer, Africa guitar (thanks Chuck), and my favorite, a leatherman multi-tool.  I now carry a tool on my belt like a tool.  I've also taken many steps to end my tenure as a guitar teacher in Lawrence.  It's been hard letting go of many students.  It's a weird job to have and even more strange when you have to quit.  It's like having 40 bosses you get to teach and you enjoy their company.  

We have also had many events and more to come.  The most exciting for me, was my sister's wedding.  Regina and I were only a year apart growing up so we are extremely close.  She was married to Chad Kraus (another NY architect) on a ranch in the Tall Grass Prairie.  It was a ballsy move, but they had a perfect weekend weather-wise (look for the pictures).  We also had Katie's sister's graduation and my two engaged friends' (Casey and Jenny) graduation.  That means all we have left is:  Ben and Amber's wedding, Brendan's 30th b-day, Adam's wedding, a family reunion, 4 going away parties, moving, oh and record a cd with my band.  Gotta go.

Mike  

Round One

We just had our first round of good-byes with family :(  Mike's sister, brand new brother-in-law, and his brother's family will not be seeing us again before we depart.  It was rough...and made even more difficult knowing that we will have several more tearful partings to get through before we go.  But...that's to be expected I guess.

On a more happy note, we've had several fun experiences over the past couple weeks to recount.  First, my sister Annie graduated with her Master of Science from Illinois State University (Go Redbirds!) on May 10th.  Mike, William, Dad, Aunt Liz, Momo & I all joined Annie in Normal-Bloomington for the commencement ceremony and had a great time (pictured are Annie and Will).  Mike and I also were able to make a short side trip to Champaign, IL to meet a fellow PC RIM invitee named Becky Robinson.

This past week we were able to spend a lot of time with Mike's family in preparation for his sister Regina's wedding on May 17th.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful and took place outside on the tallgrass prairie near Council Grove, KS.  The reception was also outside at Mike's parents' house in Kansas City.  I have a few pictures but they don't do justice to the beauty of the actual experience.  

We'll also take this opportunity to introduce you to a new feature of our blog: Our Photos.  I've uploaded several photos both current and past to this site.  Hope you enjoy browsing through them.  There are several of Regina and Chad's wedding, although I didn't take any of the actual ceremony or at the reception because I was too busy enjoying the experience.  

I've been trying to get Mike to post again, but it's kind of like pulling teeth so far.  Maybe he'll have something to say about the wedding?? (Hint Hint Mike)

Comments Needed

Please let us know you are reading our blog by leaving us comments!!!   We really like them :) and are happy to know that somewhere out there, someone is paying attention to what we write here.  We'd also like to know if there are any particular topics you'd like us to cover or questions we can answer for you on this blog.

I'm currently procrastinating from packing up the apartment...so I'd better get back to work.  Our lease is up at the end of the month and then we'll be staying with our parents for the first couple weeks of June before we leave.  Yikes...lots to do.

Hey, does anyone know someone that needs a car?  I'll be putting my Scion on the market soon!

Countdown

I've been meaning to add another post for a while now since I really dislike seeing the words "Check our our wishlist" at the top of our blog every time I log in.  It seems especially callous given that international news reports indicate that many Mauritanians are struggling to provide basic needs for their families due to the sky-rocketing prices of grain, rice and other staples.  There is a very good article and video from the Washington Post discussing the severity of the current situation in RIM.

Today is also my 27th birthday and it is amazing for me to realize that if everything goes as planned I won't be celebrating another birthday in the U.S. until I turn 30!  Now that it is almost May, we are definitely entering the countdown period.  I only have seven more scheduled nights at work, partly thanks to some vacation days I'll be taking in mid-May.  We'll be using that time to celebrate some important family events, my sister's graduate school graduation and Mike's sister's wedding, to attempt to pack up our apartment, and to enjoy the beautiful springtime weather.

I'll stop there, as I have to make a conscious effort to keep things short since I have a very bad tendency to ramble.  I hope everyone is doing well.  Thank you so much for reading our blog and I hope to see you before we leave Kansas on June 17th (Mike's birthday)!  We have a going away get together in the works for June 13th, so put it on your calendars...and yes, it is a Friday, but Friday the 13th has been good to us (Mike proposed on Friday the 13th and we almost got married on a Friday the 13th also).

Check out our wishlist

Wow...the title of this post makes me sound really greedy.

Actually, I'm posting this because we've had several people asking about what we need before we leave.

You can get to our wishlist by clicking on the title of this post or by using the link on the right hand side of this page (just click on the word "Wishlist" over to the right).

If you have any questions about the list or about where/how to send items you can leave comments on our blog, email, call or talk to me in person before we depart.

Hope this is useful for everyone!

P.S. I just can't resist blogging about how incredibly AWESOME it is that KU won the NCAA National Championship right before we leave! We are going to be seriously deprived of KU basketball while we are in RIM...but I think that AMAZING game will keep us on a high for quite some time. Hopefully it won't have to last another twenty years though :)

Contribution Schmontribution

Yes it's true. I'm not the best on following through with my computerized communications. However, I am contributing to the blog now (2 months before we leave) just to get off to a good start. Even though Katie and I are probably the only people reading this right now. So Katie...this one's for you. Each day brings us closer and closer and I become more nevous and excited for the unknown. I'm glad you are preparing both of us with your research, planning, and list after list after list. I like to think I contribute in my own way. Or at least I will; when it comes time to move; and I will lift many heavy things. Mike out.

Getting started

We are down to less than three months left before our departure for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (RIM). Mike and I have so much to do before June 17th it makes my head hurt, but I know we'll manage to get things done somehow. Right now we're trying to brush up our very rusty French skills with daily lessons on Rosetta Stone. I've also been making numerous lists of things to pack and take care of before we leave.

Although I'm very nervous about our upcoming departure, I am also very excited and ready for a change. I've been working night shift for the past three years, and it is really starting to mess up my internal clock. Although I dearly love everyone at the Birthplace, it will be nice to get back to a more regular schedule again.

However, I'm trading one difficulty in for a multitude of others. Mike and I will not only be learning a new language, we'll also have to adjust to a completely different climate, a new culture, and a drastically different standard of living. But as they say...nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

Mike and I hope to keep this blog updated throughout our 27 months of training and service with Peace Corps in RIM. Once we arrive in Africa though, the posts may become a bit sporadic as I'm not sure we will have electricity, let alone Internet access. But according to current RIM volunteers that we've heard from, even those at sites with no electricity get to come in to the capital city once in a while for inservices, vacations, etc.

It's now almost 8:30 am and I have been up all night...so it's time for me to go to bed! We'll be posting more soon (and hopefully Mike will be an equal contributer...we shall see)!
Katie