Niamey Notes

Hello All,

First, forgive any typos that appear as this is a French keyboard. It's so funny to me that technology constantly butts up against camels and sand. For example, I'm sitting in an airconditioned cybercafé with excellent speed and contectivity while two little goats ram their heads into the glass door three feet from me. Nevermind, the owner just opened the door and kicked them.

It never ceases to amaze me that realities are so different from person to person, from house to house. Unlike Dakar or Portland, there don't appear to be wealthy neighborhoods in Niamey. I know I've mentioned it before, but the house we're staying in is pretty nice by local standards, but once you walk out the front door, you step into the "vide" which is essentially a huge vacant lot (about the size of a city block) where people dump garbage, play futball and hang their laundry. Karim yells whenever he sees a naked toddler, which is often. Sometimes it's a blessing that he makes his observations in English.

On Tuesday, I went to a maman bébé play group at someone's house. And believe you me, I've never stepped into a house like that. They had a lawn with palm trees, a pool, and a tortise. The house felt like a hacienda- or so I imagine one, with polished tile floors, long halls and big open spaces. Expat life is definitely not peace corps life, or student life either, for that matter.

The most disconcerting factor about expats is that they're always coming and going. One maman and I really hit it off. She's a freelance journalist who hasn't lived in the states since college, and her husband works for an NGO, but oh bummer, they're moving to Madagascar on Sunday. And the family that lives in the house just moved here last year from Lebanon. It's a flowing, changing, international community of people. Another woman that I've been spending time with is from Cambodia, but she moved here last year from Myanmar. Her family will likely be moving on to France at the end of July. It's funny to think about it because the world is such a big place, but the circle is small.

Yesterday, I had the most serendipitus experience. After confiding in Cheikh the night before that I was lonely and could really use a friend, I met a mom at Karim's school who called out to me because she heard me speaking "American sounding English" to K as we were leaving. She gave us a ride home and I invited her and her 2yr old son for dinner. They came. We talked while K played with her son. It's funny how forward you can be here. I giggle when I think about doing that in the states.
"Hi, I don't know you. I don't have any friends, wanna come over for dinner?" "Sure!" We have a date to go see giraffes with them this weekend. They're from DC and they just moved here. The dad isn't here yet, but will be soon. The good news is that they'll be here for at least two years-yay!

Yesterday evening, Cheikh saw our house for the first time. I was a bit nervous since I pushed for the contract and everything's done and he hadn't even seen it yet. How's that for trust? But, it was a take it now or lose it kind of deal and we weren't going to let this house slip through our fingers. It turned out well though because Cheikh is impressed with the house and we're all excited to move in July1. So, now I'm focussing on the task of picking out furniture. Do we want the furniture that's in the house? If so, how much of it? Do I want to have our own made? MC is furnishing the house for us, which is nice, so I just get to point- like Pretty Woman:) oh, and bargain of course.

So, off to the market . . . love to all. You are in our thoughts.