Site Placements

We found out where our villages are today! And for security reasons I am not allowed to post the name of it online but I am super excited! My permanent address is now officially the same as the one I have posted on this blog and on Facebook under my picture. So that should make it easy for everyone.
I do know that I am in a small village, kind of like the one I am in now. I have a one room hut with a newly built millet stalk concession and a new latrine. And my village has a health hut and a primary school.

I am also pretty pumped because our second LPI (Language placement interview) was last Monday and I managed to jump up two levels to Intermediate Mid which is where I need to be to swear in on the 30th. So I essentially already passed my final with over two weeks left. That is a huge load off my back and now I can just look forward to getting installed in my village and the swear- in ceremony at the embassy. I do have the final LPI but that is just to see how much I’ve Improved since the last one.

The first couple of weeks seemed like a lifetime, but since we left for language immersion time has flown by! (Sometimes though, the days are sooo slow) One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is getting my freedom back. It’s been kind of difficult not having control of what I eat and when I eat and having to tell my family where I’m going and if I’ll be back for lunch (and if I say I won’t they are not happy at all). I imagine it will be kind of lonely at first being the only American in my village and living all by myself, but I know I’ll make friends with the villagers… hopefully it won’t take too long.

Once I’m installed in my village I am not allowed to go anywhere for a month, after that I am allowed to to go into the regional capitol to do banking and shopping and such. We are allowed 4 days a month to travel and other than that if we want to go anywhere we either have to have some sort of work reason or take our vacation days (24 per year). After 3 months in village we are allowed to start using our vacation days to travel in or out of country or travel for work if we have permission.

So if anyone wants to visit me you can officially come beginning in March. However, that is when hot season begins and I’m pretty sure no one wants to be in this country between march and may (even the Nigeriens) It is like up to 140 degrees and it doesn’t cool off during the night. I am really not looking forward to that. But anyways, June-Oct would be a great time to have visitors. (I’m not saying Nov-Jan because I’m coming home for about 3 weeks next December for Christmas) So come on over. We can go see giraffes and hippos and ill teach you Zarma. So much fun!