Let me first apologize for any grammar or spelling errors in these posts. Most of the time I'm writing them in 10 minutes and my brain is thinking too fast for my fingers to type!
After a week of orientation, parties, and getting familiar with the area I was getting a little restless to start contributing something myself. The pace of life here is definitely different. I didn't realize how fast American life moved until I felt how slow Nigerian life is. Anyways, I started off the week helping paint classrooms at Gyero (I'll try to upload pictures sometime). A guy here, Dustin, has been working on this project for awhile and it seemed like an easy way to get my feet wet. It's crazy to see how much a difference those cartoon characters on the wall can make to kids. I guess when you don't have much a little color goes a long way. Painting was also a good choice because it gave me the opportunity to get to know some of the Nigerian kids and adults better. Plus, they've been helping me practice my Hausa, the native language, which I won't even try to spell here.
Two of the days I also did assessments on the kids at Gyero with Kelly, an SIM nurse working out here. There were about 50 children to go through each and we managed to do all of them in about 2.5 hours. I gave a bunch of immunizations and Hep B and HIV tests. At one point I stuck myself with a needle and stopped for a moment because I didn't know what to do. In America you'd have to go to the ER and get treated immediately. Here there really isn't the option plus I didn't get a ton of vaccinations for nothing so I just kept going. It's funny to see all the unnecessary things you can sacrifice when you don't have the option. Kelly would prescribe kids medications, too. Out here if you're a nurse you're considered a doctor...for real, I've had people call me a doctor already! Since resources and technologies are limited, medicine is more trial and error. For the most part the ailments they suffer are fairly easy to figure out, like worms or malaria. Of course, in acting like a family physician Kelly's gotten a good intuition. She knows when to refer someone to the local hospital, which I have yet to venture to but I heard is a sight to see. I like going around with Kelly, she always has a lot of energy and crazy stories. Like for example, this girl broke her femur in 2 places. Her family took her to be treated with traditional medicine. The man took out her femur, washed it, and put it back in...all without anesthia or pain killers of course. Can you even imagine that?! Seriously, just try and think about it. Well, of course she got a massive infection and they had to take her to the local hospital. Her femur is pretty much rotted away so they had no choice but to take it out and hope the bones will grow together eventually. Coming from America's healthcare system, that story just blows my mind...completely.
Weekends are always a nice change of pace. To American standards, I wouldn't necessarily consider myself working extremely hard. I've usually got a lot of downtime away from working but here relationships are so important to the culture. You spend a lot of energy and time in building those up. Plus the whole cross-cultural issue makes it more challenging. Weekends you can kind of retreat and lay low if you want. Every Saturday there's ultimate frisbee in the mornings, a little familiarity in a world of difference. This past Saturday all the single's went out to eat for George's birthday. For his present they got a duck. I thought a fun but odd present, however, a good point was made. What else can you really get someone out here? We should've made a leash to go with it because the next day we were chasing it around the parking lot. We actually caught it but it was gone again the following day. My hypothesis is that it's already made it's way to someone's dinner table. No sense in having a perfectly good duck as a pet when you could be eating it.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
1 Week Down!
Man, time is flying and I feel like I'm not going to be able to keep with this! So much has happened in the past week already. I arrived at a great time because the first 5 days was pretty much just a huge party, one right after the other. It worked out to my advantage because I was able to meet a majority of the missionaries. I also had the opportunity to go to one of the once of month meetings where all the different ministries met together to go over legistics. Helped me get a pretty good idea of what exactly SIM does here in Jos. I had no idea how far it reached with involvement in medical, education, construction, video evangelism, and more. There was also the once a month party and night of worship where I was able to again meet more missionaries. I have no idea where they all live because the majority of the time your the only white person on the street.
Friday I went to a "send off" for one of the missionaries who had been teaching in Gero (kids school) for the past 4 years. There was a bit of that I'm new here and everyone else is getting real emotional awkwardness but it was touching to see how the kids loved Jane (the missionary). Yes I'll admit it, I got a little teary-eyed myself. How could you not when a little girl can't even get out a goodbye because she is sobbing.
Saturday morning I played some ultimate frisbee; it was nice to have a bit of familiarity. Except I didn't realize Jos was at a fairly high elevation, about 5,000 ft I'm told. I definitely felt it and the lack of running hasn't helped. I've gone a couple times in the morning with a friend but I have to run the trail 4 times to get 3 miles. Getting up for a run around the block in the morning is definitely out of the question and I would not even think about running at night here. I do some stupid things sometimes but even I can see that is so not a good idea....
Sunday I went to church with the Camiolas which was an interesting experience. The service might have been more fulfilling had I been adjusted to the thick accents but alas I only caught things here and there. I noticed they like to repeat things they say, especially in songs. So if I didn't catch it the first time I would the second, or third or fourth. The service lasted almost 2 and half hours, and we were crammed in! Even outside the church cars were completely blocking off the entire street because there was no parking lot. Missy and John weren't kidding about dancing up the offering. Everyone had to go up and give some money. Normally I'm up for a good dance party but I kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, so again a bit of an awkward experience. Oh, and greeting people is a HUGE thing here. If you pass someone and only say "hello", you are considered very rude. So I'm learning some Hausa lingo but typically they just laugh because I mispronounce it.
Missy showed me around the market one day but I haven't had to buy anything here yet, not even food. Either people have brought me food or invited me to their house for dinner. Everyone is really kind here but I guess that's how it has to be. Everyone needs the support to get through the rough times.
Sunday afternoon some of the other other singles and I drove out to a Fulani village to visit one of their friends. Fulani is a Muslim tribe in the north, very conservative and not so much in tune with Christians. Oh, and their animals are of more value than their women. The couple we stayed with, though, were converted Christians, outcast from their tribe. We slept on a cement floor and peed over an open hole in the ground. It was legit. They also showed us around a Muslim market. Every place we stopped we would get literally surrounded by a group of Fulanis and they would just stare at you, not even talk sometimes. At one point we ventured over to the area they were selling cattle. We saw some people running and were like, what's going on. Well turns out there was an out of control bull coming toward us. We were cornered, hot coals and a fence behind us a truck to the right of us, and people everywhere else. The thing was bucking and jerking it's horns literally 10 ft in front of us. Luckily we got out ok but not without getting some "mud" in the mouth first. Ah, the interesting times keep coming!
Friday I went to a "send off" for one of the missionaries who had been teaching in Gero (kids school) for the past 4 years. There was a bit of that I'm new here and everyone else is getting real emotional awkwardness but it was touching to see how the kids loved Jane (the missionary). Yes I'll admit it, I got a little teary-eyed myself. How could you not when a little girl can't even get out a goodbye because she is sobbing.
Saturday morning I played some ultimate frisbee; it was nice to have a bit of familiarity. Except I didn't realize Jos was at a fairly high elevation, about 5,000 ft I'm told. I definitely felt it and the lack of running hasn't helped. I've gone a couple times in the morning with a friend but I have to run the trail 4 times to get 3 miles. Getting up for a run around the block in the morning is definitely out of the question and I would not even think about running at night here. I do some stupid things sometimes but even I can see that is so not a good idea....
Sunday I went to church with the Camiolas which was an interesting experience. The service might have been more fulfilling had I been adjusted to the thick accents but alas I only caught things here and there. I noticed they like to repeat things they say, especially in songs. So if I didn't catch it the first time I would the second, or third or fourth. The service lasted almost 2 and half hours, and we were crammed in! Even outside the church cars were completely blocking off the entire street because there was no parking lot. Missy and John weren't kidding about dancing up the offering. Everyone had to go up and give some money. Normally I'm up for a good dance party but I kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, so again a bit of an awkward experience. Oh, and greeting people is a HUGE thing here. If you pass someone and only say "hello", you are considered very rude. So I'm learning some Hausa lingo but typically they just laugh because I mispronounce it.
Missy showed me around the market one day but I haven't had to buy anything here yet, not even food. Either people have brought me food or invited me to their house for dinner. Everyone is really kind here but I guess that's how it has to be. Everyone needs the support to get through the rough times.
Sunday afternoon some of the other other singles and I drove out to a Fulani village to visit one of their friends. Fulani is a Muslim tribe in the north, very conservative and not so much in tune with Christians. Oh, and their animals are of more value than their women. The couple we stayed with, though, were converted Christians, outcast from their tribe. We slept on a cement floor and peed over an open hole in the ground. It was legit. They also showed us around a Muslim market. Every place we stopped we would get literally surrounded by a group of Fulanis and they would just stare at you, not even talk sometimes. At one point we ventured over to the area they were selling cattle. We saw some people running and were like, what's going on. Well turns out there was an out of control bull coming toward us. We were cornered, hot coals and a fence behind us a truck to the right of us, and people everywhere else. The thing was bucking and jerking it's horns literally 10 ft in front of us. Luckily we got out ok but not without getting some "mud" in the mouth first. Ah, the interesting times keep coming!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
So, I'm here...
So, I didn't bring my computer with me because I had the impression that no one else would have one and figured I could live without. Turns out everyone has one and it's difficult to find time to use the internet, at least right now. Anyways, I'm here in Jos, Nigeria and it's been kind of a whirlwind experience this past week. I'll try to make this as condensed, yet detailed, as possible!
The plane ride was uneventful; 7 hours is bearable when you've got free movies to watch. Plane food, however, is not a good option and no doubt worse than hospital food. Eat before plane ride- lesson learned! I stayed in a hotel room with the Camiolas for the 12 hr layover. We were all exhausted from the trip and didn't do any sightseeing, which I really didn't mind! The flight from London to Abuja didn't give me much rest either. I was too excited about the fact that I was flying over Africa to sleep! Getting through Nigerian customs was a big "you're not in Kansas anymore" moment. Big guys in military get up just brooding over you would probably have freaked me out had I not been with the Camiolas but they took good care of me. Hey mom- if you want all your daughters married send them here. Five minutes in Nigeria and they'll have a couple marriage offers :) Nigerians are pretty bold and mixed with a lowered respect for women, things can get interesting. It just requires some common sense and a heightened awareness of your own safety.
John was finally able to convince the officers to let us and the luggage through. It seems brown-nosing would've been a good skill to have! They weren't exaggerating when they said the Nigerian culture can be very corrupt in that a lot of people are trying to find ways to scam you. Michael, from SIM, picked us up from the airport at about 5 in the morning. If there's one thing I still haven't not adjusted to, and quite possible won't in the 2 months I'm here, it's the way that people drive here. I thought Lauren Buehler was bad...not even 5 minutes with Michael and I was frantically searching through my bag for the Dramamine. Not only does it make me sick but I was legitimately worried about dying before I even reached Jos. It's like there's no rules. There's really no signs of any sort, no speed limits, and no pedestrian right of way. Nigerians truly have no concept of lines or lanes. To make it worse there are vendors walking between "lanes" trying to sell stuff with cars blowing past them at about 70 mph. Then there are the motorcycles. They go where ever they want- on the road, off the road, swerving between cars- and it seemed like absolute mayhem to me (I got used to it pretty quick and am fairly comfortable now). I wanted to see everything but I decided for my stomach and nerves it would be best to try to sleep a little, and thankfully I did.
I woke up about an hour later looked to my right and there was a Nigerian Officer standing outside my window holdig a rather large gun and peering in. Honestly, it didn't bother me. You see that kind of thing in photos so I knew it might happen but I was thankful I didn't have to talk to them. Also, I was a little surprised at how often they had those type of check points. Seemed like you couldn't go more than 30 minutes without one. Again, something you get used to fairly quickly because it's just a normal part of life. The scenery on the drive itself was beautiful and I wanted to take some pictures. I used what was probably my better judgement and decided not to just incase the guy with the gun didn't like it.
3-4 hours later we arrived in Jos, which was not exactly what I was expecting. It guess I was thinking more rural but it's pretty urban here. There's lots of paved roads, cement buildings, and transportation. Of course, none of it's like was we have back in the US. The potholes that could eat a car, tin roofs, and rusty cars tells you it's a pretty poor area. We went to the Camiolas house first. I was really surprised by how nice it was, Missy did an awesome job decorating the inside. Kind of felt like you were back in the US for a bit. My apartment isn't quite like her house but again, I was shocked. I had indoor plumbing, battery powered lights, and the occasional hot water- hey, it's more than I expected!
I had lunch with a missionary couple and then dinner with the singles at their compound. It was great meeting so many new people but I was so out of it from lack of sleep. I hung out until about 10, just to make an effort to get to know people. Two of the singles walked me across the street to my compound. Security is definitely no joke here. I kind of wished I as living with someone because nighttime here is dead silent, at least where I'm at, to the point where it's a but eerie. I can't even hear bugs outside. Yah, I definitely slept with the lights on for the first two nights. I won't be where I'm at for long though. I should be moving to the singles compound sometime soon which I think will be a better fit for me. Anyways...I'll write more later. I've barely scratched the surface but I have to head to dinner!
The plane ride was uneventful; 7 hours is bearable when you've got free movies to watch. Plane food, however, is not a good option and no doubt worse than hospital food. Eat before plane ride- lesson learned! I stayed in a hotel room with the Camiolas for the 12 hr layover. We were all exhausted from the trip and didn't do any sightseeing, which I really didn't mind! The flight from London to Abuja didn't give me much rest either. I was too excited about the fact that I was flying over Africa to sleep! Getting through Nigerian customs was a big "you're not in Kansas anymore" moment. Big guys in military get up just brooding over you would probably have freaked me out had I not been with the Camiolas but they took good care of me. Hey mom- if you want all your daughters married send them here. Five minutes in Nigeria and they'll have a couple marriage offers :) Nigerians are pretty bold and mixed with a lowered respect for women, things can get interesting. It just requires some common sense and a heightened awareness of your own safety.
John was finally able to convince the officers to let us and the luggage through. It seems brown-nosing would've been a good skill to have! They weren't exaggerating when they said the Nigerian culture can be very corrupt in that a lot of people are trying to find ways to scam you. Michael, from SIM, picked us up from the airport at about 5 in the morning. If there's one thing I still haven't not adjusted to, and quite possible won't in the 2 months I'm here, it's the way that people drive here. I thought Lauren Buehler was bad...not even 5 minutes with Michael and I was frantically searching through my bag for the Dramamine. Not only does it make me sick but I was legitimately worried about dying before I even reached Jos. It's like there's no rules. There's really no signs of any sort, no speed limits, and no pedestrian right of way. Nigerians truly have no concept of lines or lanes. To make it worse there are vendors walking between "lanes" trying to sell stuff with cars blowing past them at about 70 mph. Then there are the motorcycles. They go where ever they want- on the road, off the road, swerving between cars- and it seemed like absolute mayhem to me (I got used to it pretty quick and am fairly comfortable now). I wanted to see everything but I decided for my stomach and nerves it would be best to try to sleep a little, and thankfully I did.
I woke up about an hour later looked to my right and there was a Nigerian Officer standing outside my window holdig a rather large gun and peering in. Honestly, it didn't bother me. You see that kind of thing in photos so I knew it might happen but I was thankful I didn't have to talk to them. Also, I was a little surprised at how often they had those type of check points. Seemed like you couldn't go more than 30 minutes without one. Again, something you get used to fairly quickly because it's just a normal part of life. The scenery on the drive itself was beautiful and I wanted to take some pictures. I used what was probably my better judgement and decided not to just incase the guy with the gun didn't like it.
3-4 hours later we arrived in Jos, which was not exactly what I was expecting. It guess I was thinking more rural but it's pretty urban here. There's lots of paved roads, cement buildings, and transportation. Of course, none of it's like was we have back in the US. The potholes that could eat a car, tin roofs, and rusty cars tells you it's a pretty poor area. We went to the Camiolas house first. I was really surprised by how nice it was, Missy did an awesome job decorating the inside. Kind of felt like you were back in the US for a bit. My apartment isn't quite like her house but again, I was shocked. I had indoor plumbing, battery powered lights, and the occasional hot water- hey, it's more than I expected!
I had lunch with a missionary couple and then dinner with the singles at their compound. It was great meeting so many new people but I was so out of it from lack of sleep. I hung out until about 10, just to make an effort to get to know people. Two of the singles walked me across the street to my compound. Security is definitely no joke here. I kind of wished I as living with someone because nighttime here is dead silent, at least where I'm at, to the point where it's a but eerie. I can't even hear bugs outside. Yah, I definitely slept with the lights on for the first two nights. I won't be where I'm at for long though. I should be moving to the singles compound sometime soon which I think will be a better fit for me. Anyways...I'll write more later. I've barely scratched the surface but I have to head to dinner!
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