Second email

hello everyone!!

I'm not sure which of you got my first email or if any of you did yet, but I am sending this one out directly. I want to say first that you all should feel free to respond to these emails because I will have access to them over here. I simply won't be able to get to them often.

I'm sorry but this letter will have to be short. These past few days have been very busy. And I have to eat dinner in 15 minutes. But I am in Guinea!! It's crazy. The power just went out in the building I am in but fortunately the computers run on solar power.

Anyway, things have been going well. I am currently staying in a village called mamou. It is in the Fouta region of Guinea which is very mountainous and beautiful. The weather is always warm, but never too hot, unlike other parts of the country. In fact, I hope to be placed in the Fouta region once I am finished training. The food is a bit scary for me right now. Most meals consists of rice and sauce and the sauce is usually some strange concoction of potatoes, peppers, spices, and meat. The meat is especially disturbing. I am told it is goat meat and it looks like they use every part of the goat except for only the skin and hooves. But still, I am adapting.

The people here are incredibly warm and they are all fascinated by seeing white people. We are like celebrities over here. I think they are more interested in us than we are in them. I still can't speak any local language and my french is progressing slowly. But, its been less than a week...so I'm not getting discouraged.

Tomorrow, we leave for Dubreka where we will have our three month training session. This is also where we begin our host family experience. Tomorrow night I will be adopted by a Guinean family which speaks no english and I will be living with them until the end of training. I'm slightly anxious about that, but it will be a wild ride and I'm excited about it.

The next message you get from me will most likely be typed by one of my parents, because I probably won't have much email access. Plus, I need to start doing the 'real letter' thing. As I said before, emailing me is perfectly fine if you want to. But if you'd like to actually send me letters or other things. This is my address.

Anders Hyatt
Corps de la Paix Americain
B.P. 1927
Conakry, Guinea
West Africa

Please don't send food. Mice will eat it.

Ok, its time for me to go! Wish me luck over the next few days as I learn to live with my new family. Of course I haven't forgotten all of you. You are my family too and I love you all. Take care,

Love,
Anders

p.s. - if you got this email, you are on my list. If someone you know is not on this list, tell them sorry. but they can read my updates on my blog site which can be found at www.aghyatt.blogspot.com

First email from Anders

just to tell you, this wont be a long message because my internet time is limited and the keys on the keyboards here are all rearranged. there is a man outside the window right now singing some kind of islamic prayer. they do that five times a day here. he came in earlier to tell me something i didn,t understand at all.. but i figured it out.. he wanted me to leave for dinner. the language barrier has been challenging but im already getting some french down. i have been in guinea for three days now and it feels more like three months. the country is soooo poor. second poorest in the world. and it was apparant as soon as i left the airport. however, our accomodations have been excellent so far.. the weather is warm and im making lots of good friends. this is all so exciting. i want you all to know that i am happy and safe over here and that i think of you often. youll hear more from me later... take care.

love,
anders