Posting Fiend

We have free internet at the office in Labe now and no one is around, hence the obscene amount of postings. I am trying to make up for lost time.

The Director's visit is rapidly approaching and so is Spring Break. And, just like in Daytona Beach, I guarantee I'll see boobs during my Spring Break as well. But they will be those of women working and not of drunk teenagers. Cam will be in Timbi and we have big plans to eat and exercise and watch Sex and the City. He recently discovered it and I hope he's not mad that I outed him on blogger.

Site has been both good and bad, I've been busy with my review sessions and am hoping that my kids finally understand enough to pass the test they are taking June 9th-13th. I really yelled at my 12th graders the other day - I warned them last week that there would be a test on irregular verbs in the simple past and this week made them write 15 verbs. Of the 10 kids who showed up (should have been 20), only 2 could answer more than 3. I was so pissed. What a lazy group!!! I said, "Next year I will be replaced and there will be a new PCV here. He or she will probably think that I was an idiot and didn't teach you all anything!! I'm going to be so embarrassed when the new person arrives and sees how little you all study at home!!!" They wouldn't even look me in the eye and promised to study this weekend. I didn't record the grades and said that we would redo the test Monday. We'll see what happens. With only 3.5 hours of English a week we just don't have time to memorize stuff during class. That they need to do at home.

But my Terminale kids continue to impress me - we did a text this week about UFOs and then they had to finish one of the stories. (I know, not that relevant to their lives but something like this was actually on the English test to graduate from high school, so I have to cover it...) Most of the stories were pretty blah, but one group wrote that the man the couple had seen was actually the woman's brother who had been in another country, but she didn't recognize him because he was wearing a helmet. He didn't recognize his sister because he wasn't sure he was at the right house, so he disappeared. You have to understand the Guinean/French system of rote memorization to really appreciate the creativity. But they really had a hard time, even in French, thinking of an ending to a story.

The first week back in Timbi was pretty rough, I'm still in disbelief about Eve's death. I'm glad they caught her killers and somehow knowing that they had honored her at the Smith Center last week allowed me a little bit of peace too. What a horrible situation for everyone who knew her. I've been using the time at site to really think about my place in the world and how I can best make use of my time here on earth. Not easy topics. My poor dad - I called him last weekend and basically forced him to talk to me for 40 minutes about all kinds of stuff. At the end he was like, "Um, I had no idea this would be such a reflective conversation." Dave must have been really uncomfortable!!!

Good news on the third year in Guinea front - it looks like Camilo and I will be in Labe. Both the World Food Program and Tostan (they work to end female circumcision and improve girls' education) want PCVs. So we would still be under Peace Corps, but getting the experience of working with those organizations. Of course, that all depends on things staying calm here, but as of today I'm pretty confident. That being said, here's the latest news...

Guinea: Fears of strikes and unrest
CONAKRY, 26 March 2008 (IRIN) - Guinea's powerful trade union groups are considering whether to go ahead with a general strike at the end of March and risk a government crackdown, like the ones that occurred in January and February 2007 which led to the deaths of up to 200 civilians.
'We are continuing consultations for a successful outcome of the crisis,' said Raibatou Serah Diallo, the secretary general of the National Confederation of Guinean Workers.
Unionists last threatened to strike in January 2008, claiming President Lansana Conté was breaking the power-sharing agreement that brought an end to last year's violence.
Guineans have endured four union-led strikes in last 15 months to protest high food prices, worsening living conditions, corruption and President Conté's leadership.
Government position
The government is keen to stave off a strike according to an unnamed interior ministry official. 'We are actively participating in dialogue with the monitoring board… and we will put all our energy into dialogue to prevent the tragedies of January 2007 from recurring.'
A civil society-government monitoring board, made up of government representatives, trade unions, and civil society representatives, set up in 2007 to monitor progress with government and union agreements, is also meeting to consider how to prevent the strike from taking place.
Union asks
Following the 2007 strike the government appointed a new prime minister, Lansana Kouyaté, and agreed to devolve power to him. But Ibrahim Fofana, secretary general of the Guinean Workers Union said progress on reforms is too slow and Mamadou Diallo, spokesman for Forces of the Nation, a coalition of trade unions, political parties and civil society said Kouyaté has still not been able to take the reigns.
"The Kouaté government has become dysfunctional, and we only hear contradictions from the president.'
Unions are also calling for greater progress on investigations into those responsible for the violence in 2007 and for more information on the misappropriation of public funds.
Frustration and fear
Despite mounting frustrations at the lack of political reforms, worsening living conditions, and rising food prices, many people in the capital say strikes are not in Guinea's best interests.
'Last year there were many deaths, extensive property damage, robberies and even rapes', Alhousseiny Tounkara, a trader in Conakry told IRIN. 'The only result of the strikes was regret.'
Abdoulaye Oumar Camara, an engineer in Conakry told IRIN, 'If the trade unions focus on the real concerns of Guineans then they may succeed, but if the strikers just show blind support for Kouyaté's camp then it will lead to nothing.

That's from the UN Relief something or another web site. Basically, who knows? I always meant to try and get rid of my control freak tendencies, so this has been good for my personal growth.

I hope all of you are well, it was really nice to get all your thoughtful emails and comments.