The Double R

My Peace Corps Service began when I arrived in West Africa in March 2011, and today I officially completed my Close-of-Service (COS) and am getting ready to head back to the United States of America as a Returned Peace Corps Response Volunteer (RPCRV).

Three stops, two plane changes, 9,500 miles (15,200 km)

Finishing with my Peace Corps service and leaving West Africa is bittersweet, but I'm also really looking forward to seeing family and friends back home. My paperwork is done, my flights are booked, my good-byes have been said, I'm mostly packed, and I feel ready to go.

Adieu, Peace Corps ~

And now I'm somewhat at a loss as how to wrap things up. I feel grateful to have so many wonderful and supportive people in my life, and could devote an entire blog to thanking everyone - relatives, friends, neighbors, colleagues, drivers, host families, Volunteers, complete strangers - who has helped me out, mailed me things, fed me, given me gifts, sent me messages, kept me company, or wished me well. So many thank-yous.

For now, I'll just say that I hope you enjoyed the blog, and I wish you and your family good health, good luck, safe travels, and a very happy year. À la prochaine!

New Senegalese

Last week, Sarah, Sara and I all had lunch at New Senegalese, so-called because it is the newer of the two Senegalese-run lunch places in Kankan. It is generally delicious, and probably the best place in town to get chicken with yassa onion sauce. They also serve what Guineans call riz gras, or oily rice, which is rice cooked with some spices and oil, fish, and some vegetables. (In Senegal the call it ceeb u jen "cheb-oo-jen", which is Wolof for "rice and fish.")

Riz gras, AKA oily rice

That particular day the riz gras happened to come with a piece of bitter eggplant, which has kind of grown on me, a piece of manioc, a piece of normal eggplant, and a hot pepper. Delicious!

Meetings

Shortly after I arrived in West Africa, I was told by an older PCV to always bring a book, my cell phone, and plenty of credit to any meeting I attended, so that I'd have something to keep me busy. I remember being slightly put off - it seemed so disrespectful, I imagined that I'd want to be attentive throughout any meeting to which I was invited. But that was before I found out just how long it can take for a meeting to get started here, and also just how long it can last once it gets going.

Disclaimer: It is often worth it to go to meetings, and important things do happen at meetings, so it's good to pay attention. It can also be helpful to have something to do for the hour or three before things get started, and to have something on hand to help you stay pleasant during the more frustrating parts.

That being said, here are some things that I would include if I were making up a game of Guinean Meeting Bingo:

• Things starts at least two hours later than scheduled 
• A host country national complains loudly about how nothing ever starts on time 
• A host country national complains that the punctual people aren't giving others enough time to talk
• At least six cell phones go off 
• At least two people answer calls and have a conversation about how they are in a meeting
• Someone hands out plastic folders containing gridded notepads and blue ballpoint pens
• There are at least three fake fruit and/or fake flower bouquets in the room
• It is approximately 95°F/35°C in the room but it feels so much hotter
• The guy in front of you falls asleep in his chair
• A local official shows up, accompanied by an armed soldier, to declare the meeting officially started
• Lunch is served at 3:30 PM or later
• Someone hands out cans of tepid orange Fanta
• Someone asks if you are married 
• The power goes out and it takes at least 20 minutes to get it sorted out
• A long period of time is spent reading text from PowerPoint slides
• A supposed professional says something wildly inaccurate, i.e. "Fistula is a women's problem caused by HIV."
• Someone says "We are running very late so I will be brief..." and then talks for nine minutes
• Someone says "We have already thanked everyone many times..." and then thanks them all again

Oh, meetings. I can't say I'll miss them, but I will miss commiserating about them and trading never-ending-meeting stories with friends and co-workers, at least a little bit. 

Cadeaux!

Last week I got a lovely care package from my friend (and Senegal RPCV) Sarah K. (Thank you, Sarah!) 

It was filled with all sorts of fun things - Starbucks Via (which really is the crème de la crème of instant coffee packets), Clif and Luna bars (so good) and a nice mug (hot liquids in plastic cups = the worst).

Pumpkin Spice is Everywhere. 

I don't have all that much time left in Guinea (somehow it is December already) but it was still nice to get a package, and America really is excellent at making well-packaged, palatable, durable, portable food products - nothing like living without refrigeration to make a person really appreciate the usefulness of preservatives.