Il ya longtemps?

It's been a while since I've posted anything, so here is a run through of what we've been up to in Niamey.

Classes have started and I've decided which ones I'm actually going to take.. one in English, two in French, one in Hausa. Challenging myself? sort of, but the professors are very laid back, and since my french has finally picked up I can definitely understand what's going on. Both my french-speaking professors are awesome - one teaches culture and society (her name is amina, we've been on a field trip to speak to Hausa, Zarma, Beri-Beri and Toureg women representatives about their role in their society), and the other teaches performing arts (his name is yazi dogo, and he's actually famous throughout Niger for his films.. i'm learning jembe -the big african drum- with a guy named oumaru- and nigerien dance, which looks so cool but is real hard.. and we have yet to start)

I've been loving my community placement at the national museum.. At first I thought I had a poor reception with my artisan - because we could barely communicate.. but the past few times I've been going I've been feeling totally welcomed and incorporated. My guy's name is Tanda and we do silver together; I've already made 2 rings and a set of earings (By 'me' I mean 'HE' because they really teach by doing rather than showing, and it was necessary for him to fix basically everything that I did). We sit between these guys Isufu and Bebe.. Bebe's hysterical and speaks good french - so I converse with him as often as possible. We joke about how I'm melting from the walk when it's not even really hot here and how he wears sooo much cologne, and always applies it while I'm there.. Lots of people usually gather by my artisans and I've heard Tanda is like the go-to guy. People seem to bring things over to him to fix more often than the others, but I could just notice that because of where I sit.
Everyone around me is really generous - always taking me to greet other artisans in tents and throughout the museum, offering me tea and snacks, and one guy even gave me earings -spoon shaped, and not the exact design I'd choose to wear, but a really friendly gesture nonetheless.. although I think he gave them to me because we joked about how I don't have a husband in the states and he PROBABLY wants to marry me (something every american here gets asked on a daily basis by cab drivers, strangers in the street, passerbys, etc).
Don't worry though! I don't feel creeped on at all - giving is simply a much huger part of culture here than it is in the US.. a major comfort and surprise, especially when there is so much less to give here than there. For instance, these guys who own a mechanic shop across the street from the CFCA always go through the typical greetings with me, which are quite extensive and always involve asking about my kurne and ize (husband and kids), always invite me to have a shot of tea with them, and even offer to walk me down the street because it's not safe enough -which don't worry, it is- note: by mechanic shop I mean there are usually 4 motorcycles sitting there/getting worked on under a little shaded stand with a toolbox. there's just a bench with 3 guys making their tea (of course), no sign, and no resemblance of any sort to a garage. Anyways, my point is that the general consensus is that people here are just outgoing and warm, and so much more receptive of others than anywhere else I've ever been.

Some trips we did:

Belleyara, a huge market about 2 hours outside the city.. with more camels, sheep, goats, cattle than I've ever seen together in one spot. The drive was rough - down the worst road I think I've ever been on and extremely hot. A fun adventure, but exhausting.

Park W -wildlife conservation area about 2-3 hrs outside the city. Most of the roads unpaved, and through absolute nothingness. There is still brush, and tiny villages with just a few huts, but it's still incredible to know that people are able to make a life for themselves so far away from any infrastructure whatsoever.
As for the drive, I'll just say Brush:3, Americans:0. The SUVs we took were nice in comparison to our usual bus, but we experienced many get-outside-the-truck-and PUSH to start, we had a driver get out to help fix our overheated engine and meanwhile his SUV rolled into the brush and one of our students had to jump into the front seat to pull the e-break, and finally one SUV's tire went completely flat and pretty much exploded going over a bridge. Case in point, travel here is really really difficult. To be honest, I'm surprised at how resilient the vehicles here are. Considering the conditions, and the old age of the cars, they fare okay..

So we did the safari type thing at Parc W and were able to see monkeys, giant antelope, buffalo, warthogs, and crocodiles. we rode on the top of those trustworthy SUVs, and were