The rock formation at Rumsiki

Rumsiki houses with dirt floors and thatched roofs.

Village houses in Rumsiki

The Crab Sorcerer tells fortunes with his crab's help. Says I will have one child and return to Africa in my future. Don't know which will come first.

The sorcerer asks the crab your questions, spits on him and covers him in a clay pot. After a few minutes, he reads the tracks left by the crab. Very scientific.

Pottery making at Rumsiki. Stained with goat dung for color before firing.

Bargaining for pottery can only be accomplished in the African squat position.

The only way to carry babies.

Beautiful children of Rumsiki

My Dad and his new friend from Rumsiki. They stayed up till eary hours discussing religion and politics.

A new name for hot.

The best place to sleep.

Girls writing competition essay. Twelve will receive tuition for next school year.

First Easter Egg Hunt in Koza

Easter Party girls.

My friend Zara and the inside of her resturante

Me marching in the women's day parade in my panya!

This is basically what all of the rivers look like right now during the dry season. The rains should start in June.

Outdoor meat market. This is where I buy my meat for the week.

Sunday market day in Koza. If you don't buy it on Sunday, you go without unless you want to bike to another village for their market day.

Your local gap. This is called the FRIP where everyone buys their clothes!

This is my favorite meal! Fulere and Couscous!!! I can't get enough of it (I am being serious)

My friend Jonas's onion field. It is the dry season and water is very difficult to find so they dig deep holes and use these pumps to water the onions.

My friend Ryan in Hina. This is a beif (or dam) they built to slow the flow of water so it has time to sink into the soil and remain there to be used later in the dry season.

Marcel and I enjoying a beer. I lost electricity that day so had to use makeshift coozies.

Marcel made me no-bake chocolate for my birthday (since we don't have ovens)

My friend Rabel the veterinarian

Rabel vaccinating cows...thought dad would enjoy this one!

These are the 2 girls I babysit sometimes - the daughters of my friends Dada and Abdou! This is Rhanamatu. She is 8 and in bilingual school so speaks a little english.

This is Kela and she is a spit-fire/drama queen.

This is Zara's son Behana in the Mozogo park with the HUGE boubab tree. He is the one who helps me out in the house and brings me water.

December 17 206

This is the health group at Swearing In Ceremony which officially makes us Peace Corps Volunteers.

Me and Casey showing off our 'traditional African' ensemble with a Jimmy Buffet twist : )

Me, Casey and my two moms at the Ceremony (Fanta and Madame Singai)

This is a few students getting punished with push-ups. I think they don't mind the push-ups as much as they do that it gets their school uniforms dirty which means they have to wash them when they get home - dirty uniforms is an absolute no-no

The 'teacher's lounge' at the Pitoa High School - Thought you'd appreciate that mom and Kristi!

My group painting the trashcans we helped the high school get since they didn't have any.

The finished product!

These are the canneries they collect and store water in - and the women carry these on their heads!!!

This is how they manually shell peanuts!

Typical house here - this is my neighbor's house

Your local McDonalds drive-thru...this is the 'bean lady' where I buy my morning breakfast sac of beans!

November 23, 2006

Typical Boutique we shop at

Me washing clothes

Front view of my new 'house' in Koza!!

A view of my house from the inside

The surgery table at the hospital in Koza (kinda old - he he he)

The hospital in koza

Local High School Classroom

My Club Santye group that I am working with for the AIDs project - this is their "Say No To Aids" thing they do.

My Peace Corps Class

Ryan, Me, Jay and Sara hiking

My latrine (this is where I bucket bathe, too) The small hole in the floor is where we do our business.

Me, Innosan and Charlotte. My brother and sister.

My sisters Bridgette, Bernadette, and a neighbor boy, and Josaphine.

My brothers Innosan and Emmanuel.