hmmm....goodies.

After teaching at the high school I started heading back to my house when my supervisor stopped and directed me to the mailroom. I was pumped because I thought that someone had sent me a letter, yay! Instead of the two letters I was also handed four ginormous packages!!! Not that I am complaining at all, but how was I to carry all this in the 120deg weather? I was determined to take everything back with me to my house at once, but failed miserably. A couple of my students saw me struggling and I bribed them with food if they would help me get back to my house. Do you think they turned down that offer? yeah right. There I was with my three students walking down the sandy streets carrying my packages of cliff bars and drink mixes-- on my head. Remember, in africa you always carry whatever you have on your head. I wish I could have taken a picture of us, but instead I have a picture of me holding my locks and other random shots. I would just like to extend a thank you to everyone who helped put those packages together-(Joshy, Karen, Andrea, Dad, Debbie, Gma, Jana, The Browns, Nana&Gramps, Alana&Bubby,Cindy Warr and the Macaluso crew!!) Everyone has been more than generous. Hopefully you guys had fun picking out the goodies too :) I shared some of my food with my family and they had zero appreciation for any of the goods. - I tried to make them eat pizza goldfish just like they try to make me eat their food and they almost gagged. I couldn't contain my laughter!!
Life is grand. In a couple weeks I will be heading to Wul Yenje to live with Taco for the next two years-wow, after I typed that my heart just skipped a couple beats. Im excited. My address will stay the same...keep the mail (packages) coming.
Miss you all.
Package Ideas for those who have been asking:
Any type of Grammar ideas/paper back books
Newspaper articles- What is really going on in the world??
Pictures!! I want to decorate my new room.
If you send me a disposable camera and a padded envelope I will take some pictures and mail that back to you in the envelope. :) Just an idea?
Spices, when I attempt to cook.

Parmesan cheese!! Why is there no cheese in this country?
Hot Sauce/ All food is welcome- esp mixes that only include Water, Oil and eggs.
Christmas hats/decorations/ Tuna
Jolly Ranchers/Mints
Plastic Bags (Large and Small)
A couple new toothbrushes/flossy floss/Lotion/Mouth Wash
Arbonne Face Wash will be a must soon...
Anything and everything is appreciated

I will post more later. Love you all and miss you more.
PS- Lizards are everywhere here. This is the guy that always tries to get into my hut!!!
PPS- Julie Brown, I love all power bars esp the ones with peanut butter. Thanks chica.

Yeah, I know. It's beautiful. The picture of the little boy is my brother and the quickly approaching sandstorm. Last night we had another sandstorm encounter at 430am-- I almost lost my mosquito net in the wind and rain, but managed to throw everything into my hut. (The hut posted above is where I will be spending my weekends once I am at Wul Yenje. That is my room. How precious!!!) This is one of the small obstacles I face on a daily basis, it's fun. Enjoy your AC and remember that yesterday it was 126deg in Kaedi. Love you.

Alright. Finally, the pictures that you all have been waiting for!! The picture above is my sweaty self, obviously, and henna that has exploded on my hand. This is what we like to call integration here in Kaedi. This intricate, free handed process took three sweaty hours and lasted on both of my hands for over two weeks. It's typical for woman to get henna before weddings or social gatherings. I didn't go to a wedding or anything, the occasion was simply me being in Africa. A friend of the family came into town and dolled up my hand. The picture on the left is the reason why I have been sick-- I cannot leave the kids alone!! Look at them, they are precious! I think that I harass them more than they do the other volunteers. This picture was taken at Daouda Nasty's house, a future education volunteer. The little boy on the right goes by the name Mama Jelly...and you pronounce it exactly how it sounds!! LOVE IT!! I also rocked out that sweet mohawk for a while, but then quickly shaved it off after 2.5 seconds.
I think that I have everyone's home addresses, but please be sure to write your return address on your letters--you all know how organized I am. I also wanted to explain why I have changed my name, it wasn't by choice, believe me I love my name and will always go by chauncey in the states. My Mauritanian family named me after the sister in the family-- please don't freak out and think that I have gone competly insane. All the volunteers have changed their names, no worries.
I also found out that I have next July, August and Sept off! If anyone would like to start planning a trip to Mauritania, please let me know. Christmas break starts in the middle of December and lasts until the beginning of Jan. I know it is early, but those plane tickets get a little ify. Maybe if you are nice Andrea might hook you up...he has been known to be a nice guy.
I hope to hear from you all soon. Life is great. Miss you. mmuuahh.
ps- I killed a scorpion last night.

My life in Wul Yenje with my sister Taco

Im not going to be able to blog as often as I had hoped due to no electricity in my site, but my regional capital is about three hours away where I can one day promise to post pictures of my beautiful bald head. I have been out of Kaedi for the past week, touring my new home. I guess from the title you have guessed that I'm heading to the rural village of Wul Yenje with about 4000 people and one fridg. We were at my site for three days and during that time we (my father Samba and a current Peace Corps Volunteer) toured the city which took all of one hour and hung out by the lake. Hopefully during my two year hiatus I will be able to build a raft and not catch any funky water diseases, sigh. On the second day we ventured off into nature toward a Pular village 45min away sipping tea and literally passing the day. The father, Kane, is a friend of my fathers and has inivited me to spend the weekends at their...hut. They have even given me my own room or I should really say hut. It's a sweet deal and it will be nice to change up the scene. Peace Corps will pay for you to have a language tutor in your village- hopefully Kane is going to help me with my French and Hassaniya.
The question everyone is asking "Have you recevied your package(s) yet?"
They are waiting to give us the rest of the them in September- I don't know why, but this is what I have been told. Julie Brown, Im sending a huge thanks your way because the peanuts and powerbars are saving my life right now-There is a small tax on all packages and I think they are waiting until we have our bank accounts set up before they start handing out boxes. It makes no sense to me- but this is the Peace Corps and you just roll with the flow because we have no control.
We had a girl ET (early terminate) yesterday. Right now we are down to 67 people. I think the cockroach that got stuck in her ear was the straw that broke the camels back for her. The PCMO had to dig him out- she said it was more excruciating then being stung by a jellyfish. Can you even imagine- damn. If anyone wants to send earplugs that might be cool.
Overall I am happy. I have my moments..well, several moments when I am frustrated/upset but it quickly passes because there is this beautiful support group surrounding me. Thank you all for your emails and pictures- you have no idea how much they contribute to my sanity. There is also a tailor here in the city that contributes to my sanity as well- I go to the market and buy fabric and then Jibby calls me when my outfits are ready. Just like in the states when you are having a bad day and you need an outfit to lift you up--its exactly the same, well almost. Instead of paying 50 bucks for a shirt you can pay 10 for an entire outfit and a head scarf.
I miss you guys. Come to africa and we will have Jibby make us crazy african clothing.
Love always,
Ami Camera