tuesday's breakfast

Since language class is complete and our move has been postponed until tomorrow morning, this morning sarah & I had a Sugarland concert as we sat around. As we had our 2-person party, one of the guards came and said he had something to show us.















He caught a huge lizard on the compound.















And then told me that he was about to cook it.
















Yes, after you cook something…you eat it.
















They insisted that it would taste like fish.





















Not. It was very chewy and had a distinct flavor…lizardy I guess.

Not my ideal breakfast.

Other creatures around the compound:















a hedgehog















The average lizard. There are tons of these.

And then…the dust.
















Before the rains come, the dust comes. Close your eyes and run for cover!

packages w/ surprises

packages are great. i have been expecting some things from my parents for the last couple of weeks. well today was the day to go down to the post office. first of all the post office is always an adventure. can they find your package? how much customs fees will you have to pay etc? well today...i found surprises in my packages, like water guns, flowers, and lots of m&ms. its funny, because you have to open the box in front of a customs officer and let her look at everything, like at the airport. well i never know what will be in there, so it gets interesting. well i found one very interesting surprise, but only after i returned home with the box and was examining the contents more carefully. look at this:
















a hole is my box, through to my mac-n-chz and noodles.

yes, who knows how long my package sat at the post office? well mr rat does, because he had a good time chewing his way through everything. luckily he only ate one pack of mac-n-chz, some nooddles, and left behind lots of interesting stuff!

me and my moto

yesterday my moto arrived and i had my first lesson riding the thing. a bit different than i expected, but...so far so good.















it's no harley, but don't i look cool...i know i know, if i feel silly on it, i must look silly.

i have only practiced driving around the compound, because we have been encouraged to not drive the motos in Niamey. though later this week i will go to another part of town to practice driving it in deep sand...so more pics to come...and i'm sure they'll be more interesting.
















there she goes

well the compound does have some pretty big hills, pot holes, and sharp turns so i am getting some good practice.

the moto will be used to get me around Tessaoua and from the town to the bush.