fruity goodness

First off, I apologize for being a nitwit and packing the wrong cord so I can't upload my pictures for people to see. You'll just have to take my word for it that the kids are adorable, the taxis are scary in a very funny way, and pretty much everywhere you look there's something beautiful to see. And a goat.

I can't believe I've been here for a month, it feels like a lifetime and a flash all at once. Last time I wrote I hadn't really experienced Guinea yet, but I've dived in pretty thoroughly since then. For the last month I've been living with my host family in Forecariah, this 12,000 person town in the steamy and fruit-filled coastal plain of Guinea. It's hot and sticky but I can reach up on my way out the door of the house and grab a mango from the tree or send one of my little brothers up the trunk of the nearest palm tree to toss town a coconut. This tropical living stuff is pretty great! Of course, then there are the tropical bugs--like the tarantula I found a foot from the head of my bed and the six different species of ants that are all trying to colonize my luggage (I think the tiny red ones may be beating out the giant black ones, but we'll see what's developed in the week I've been gone). My family is great; I have two moms and eleven siblings living with me (there are a few more in Conakry) along with some of my moms' younger brothers and sisters. My brothers and sisters are great, I'm teaching them how to play frisbee and shuffle cards and they're teaching me absolutely everything--how to wash clothes with a washboard (they get a kick out of seeing me struggle and then take pity and help me out), draw water from a well, cut vegetables with a dull knife and without a chopping board, speak French and Susu and Pulaar, walk slowly and say hello to everyone, I feel like such a kid but it's wonderful.

There are four main ethnic groups in Guinea, the Susu who live in tropical Bas Cote where I am now, the Pulaar who live in the cool foresty mountains where I'm going to be living for the next two years (more on that later), the Malinke out in the desert of Haute Guinea, and the catholic Kisi over in the forest that we're not allowed to visit because it borders Cote d'Ivoire. My family now is Susu and the Susu like to live life loud. They never walk when they can just shout instead, they love to sing (I've spent many nights sitting on the front porch in the dark with the kids in my family singing these beautiful songs all around me, it's so awesome), and everyone loves to dance--I had a dance party in the foyer with my moms one night, such fun! Pulaar people are a little more reserved and much more religious but still super friendly from what I've seen so far. It'll be nice not being woken up by screaming children at dawn every morning, that's for sure, although the roosters are another story.

I've been away from my host family for the past week because all us volunteers went off to visit our future sites, and I am so stoked about where I'm going to live. It's a little town of 2,000 called Ninguèlandé that sits on top of a mountain in one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen. Oh, I wish I could show you the pictures! Valleys and mountains folding into each other as far as you can see on all sides, waterfalls and vine bridges and chimps! Ok those are all things I've heard about but haven't seen yet, I can't wait to move out there and explore! I have an adorable house and you can stand on the porch and reach out and grab a papaya or a mango off the tree, plus a guest bedroom so hey you want to come visit? We can go out and search for monkeys ;)

Ok real quick people have asked if I need anything and no, I don't, but if you want to send some peanut m&ms or bite-sized snickers or granola bars my way you would make me a very happy lady. Thanks for the letters too, they make my days brighter!