fo fo

What an amazing place filled with amazing people! It’s now my 4th day here and I’m having a blast! The landscape is beautiful, if a little dry and dusty, and the weather is gorgeous. The people are friendly; they’re so happy if you’re even trying to speak their language and learn their culture. Their clothes are beautiful.





My layover in Morocco helped me practice my French, but they speak so fast there! And besides, most people here speak the local languages, either Zarma or Hausa. So, I’m learning Zarma…or not so much learning I guess, but I can meet and greet and generally get around. It’s a great language…hello is “Fo fo” (think momo, but with f’s), to which you respond, “N’goyya.” Then you get into greetings that go on and on and on…how’s your health? How’s your family? How’s your home? How did you sleep? You really can’t overdo the greetings, I’ve learned. Shopkeepers and people who are generally more educated also speak French, but in the bush its pretty much Zarma or Hausa or other local languages.

I haven’t had much culture shock; I was speaking to some of the Peace Corps volunteers about the shocks they had when they arrived, and I dunno if its because I was around when I was younger, or if its just how I am, but not much surprises me and I feel pretty comfortable. When I got here my general attitude was basically, I’m here now, not there, and it’s cool. If anything, the hardest thing for me to get used to is the way they treat animals. Here, as in many parts of the world, animals are for work and not companionship. They beat on the donkeys, and aren’t friendly to the dogs. Dogs are for guarding, not petting, and they’re scrawny as hell.

They do have some funny superstitions; for example, if you meet a woman with a baby, you’re not supposed to fawn over it or tell her its cute or pretty or handsome. Instead, you’re supposed to say “he’s ugly” or a local saying that means “he wont do” apparently because they’re worried that evil spirits will take them away if you say it’s cute.

It’s dry season here, so the mosquitoes aren’t bad at all…I’m not even using a net at night. It’s also “cold season” which means it’s only around 95 degrees during the day, and gets down to around 65-70 at night. Yes, to people here, that’s really cold season. At night people are all bundled up in their clothes, and during the day they regularly remark how cool it is. It’s great!


I’ve spent my first few days getting over jet lag (wasn’t bad, really), meeting some of the Peace Corps volunteers, and getting to know my way around. The volunteers I’ve met are really nice and helpful; the locals are really impressed by them because they tend to be the only foreigners in the country who actually learn the local dialects and can speak them pretty well. Only some of the volunteers are based in Niamey (the capital, where I am), and the rest are out in the “bush.” Of all the Peace Corps volunteers in the world, they’re some of the only ones who still live in huts while they’re here…in most countries, they live in pretty nice houses, but out in the bush they live like the locals. I’ll post a pic here of one of the PCV’s huts…The bush can be pretty remote; one of the volunteers lives in a village where she has to walk 17 k. to get to the road where she can get a ride into town. They do s projects like community and woman’s gardens, AIDS awareness, and getting people access to clean water via wells.




We went to visit Sam, one of the volunteers, on Thursday, out in the bush, and that’s his hut. It’s pretty snazzy…he’s got 3 windows, it’s all made of mud and brush. Very roomy and comfy. Sam’s village is about an hour and a half or so away from Niamey. We also visited Bali Yara (not sure on the spelling), another village where there’s a Peace Corps hostel. The main hostel is here in Niamey, where the volunteers stay when they visit the city, but there are 3-5 others around the country as general meeting points for the volunteers.


Afterwards, mom and a couple of the volunteers and I went out to a bar and had a couple of beers and saw a great sunset, then went to the Senegalese restaurant, which was amazing. Things are cheap – I think we paid about a buck for big beers, and maybe 2 bucks or so each for diner. The money is fun because its big – 2 bucks is 1000 CFA, so it makes you feel rich! The food here is great, and you can get a lot more fresh veggies than I thought would be possible…and they aren’t as scary as the doctor who gave me my shots made them sound…and I’m not dead from it yet, or even a little sick! (although I hear the volunteers here have one of the highest rates of diarrhea in the world)



Driving is crazy…a lot of the streets aren’t paved and if they are they aren’t exactly level. Drivers have to navigate people, bikes, cattle, camels, chickens, goats and dogs.

Everybody wants their picture taken, but I’m still kinda shy on pointing and shooting at people; I’m sure I’ll get over it. All the little kids want you to take their picture, and they want a copy to show off. Everybody’s an entrepreneur….they want to open your door, watch your car, etc. for a few cents.

Most of the locals are Muslim and there are mosques everywhere. I love hearing the call to prayer again, even at 5 in the morning.

People are so friendly and helpful and happy, but it’s hard to forget the poverty here. It’s totally different from what you see on tv, though, I assure you. People are not generally miserable, even though they may be poor and they may be hungry. They get by, and they take one day at a time. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world, and life goes on.

This weekend mom and I plan to hit the big market, and do some shopping (did some this morning… the market is fun but crazy, and soooo big!…I think I might have to start at the petit market next time!) Oh, and my Christmas present was a beautiful djembe….it sounds amazing! (and I’ve got a pic of that, too.) Apparently one of the volunteers here has adopted a lion cub, so I hope to get to go meet and play with it next week. I also want to get out of the capital and spend a night or 2 in the bush at some point soon; pound some millet and gather water from the wells….have a real experience. My Zarma is not great but I think I can basically get around, especially out in the bush where things are a bit slower.




It’s one of the Peace Corps’ birthdays today (Sat.) and we’re going to go to the nightclub, which sounds pretty wild by all accounts. Last night we went to the bar by my mom’s house and then down to Chateau Un, and stayed out till around 3 or so…delicious grand bierre Nigerian!

So, fo fo to all friends and family that are reading this. I’m having lotsa fun and had no problems on the trip. I’m safe and happy and warm. Best wishes to everybody, and kala ton ton (see ya later).