#10 Upper Banna St.

#10 Upper Bannana Street
Life on upper bannana street since I was adopted a few short days ago has been an overwhelming, inotixicating, stressful, briliant, strange, perfect, exhausting, warm, and confusing introduction to life in a Sierra Leonean family. They subscribe to the 'Extended Family' model rather than the traditional 'Nucleus' family model in Amercia. I haven't figured out the names of all my new brothers and sisters yet, but I know there aren't any parents in the house, but 'grandpa' has left his room several times to make go pray and give me a warm smile. Sacco has been my constant escort around the parts of makeni i've seen, and even in my room sitting with me whenever I'm back. A second shadow.
It might seem like a small accomplishment to have only completed the first week of pre service training here in Makeni, but it was reason enough for most of the volunteers to rendevous at the 'clubhouse' for some food and drinks It's some place run by a couple guys from a British NGO... all we cared about was the AC. 30,000 for a pizza? 25,000 for a hamburger? I'll take two, please. My host family called me away a little early last night, but I'm sure we'll see more of the clubhouse in the next months.
Mornings start before morning time here. It seems like no matter how early I wake up in this house, there are already people awake arguing, talking, cooking, or cleaning laundry/floors. After a short swim out of the pool of sweat I made overnight, I make my bed, sweep my room with the Hoover Vac (Africa Edition....so it's some sticks bundled together), then go to the well to get water. I have a new 'mama' that I get water for every morning. No matter how early she's already sitting outside here house weaving-- i asked if she makes blankets and she said 'for you I would.' So I might purchase a blanket to take out to my village sometime. After water, i'm sat down by my host family for some breakfast. Mayonaise with sardine sandwich? Talk about a wake up for your face.
Today is the first day my sister Mariama took me to the market to shop for our chop (food). We bought some peppers, an onion, four fish, palm oil, and a few plants that I've never seen growing in the US. Here something as simple as cooking can turn into a spectacle when a white man is trying to do it, so needless to say I had about 40 children watching me by the end of it. We made fu-fu and it really wasn't that bad. Boom. One meal dominated. The days till now have been filled with classes, and it feels like I've got a ton of freetime today. Maybe I'll take a luxurious bucket shower...
Anyway, I was thinking I'd write a few letters to you amazing people back home this weekend unless I'm too busy learning how to wash, shop, cook, or clean. One of the smaller children is playing his favorite game- runround the houe and yell 'white man' so I think I'll run along and see if I can teach him my new African name.