roland russoli updates from west africa 2007

Email Roland in Nouakchott, Mauritania (located in northwest Africa on the Sahara Desert) See Roland's Updates from West Africa for 2008 Also read Roland's Mongolia Blogs: 2007 | 2006 (Part 1) | 2006 (Part 2) December 24, 2007 Dear Family & Friends, 2007 has been a year of extremes for us having left Mongolia in May just as it was starting to warm up and after a whirlwind month in the U.S. settling into Nouakchott, Mauritania in the heat of summer. Emotionally, it has been a year of some extremes as well with the passing of some that are dear to us and we have a renewed sense of how precious our time is, even in this dusty place. The last few months have been a big adjustment and we continue to work to learn French and adapt to life in Africa. Fortunately for us, we have some spectacularly generous and thoughtful family and friends. As I was driving into the office today, sweating in my Christmas shirt and dodging goats and donkey carts, I wondered how I would ever write a Christmas letter. Then I found a pile of eight boxes on my desk. I'd like to leave them for awhile, but Roland wouldn't like that. He has been dreaming of salami, tasty cakes, and other treats for weeks so I'll find a dolly and carry them home! It's a shame though, I like the thought of so many of you sitting here in my office with me. Recently we escaped from Nouakchott and had the chance to travel into the desert and visit some ancient towns and oasis. The 4X4 only got stuck once in the sand and we were very glad to have an experienced driver named Taleb with us. He took some pride in telling us about the ancient culture, both the people and the buildings. We almost got into an old mosque, but were run off by a local woman. Maybe next year. The short camel trek to Leiguilla gave us some incredible photos and impressive bruises, but what a way to see the desert. Riding in a car just isn't the same. Quite a few French come every winter to tour the Adrar region in the northeast part of the country and we did see one group of French tourists on our trip. We used English, French and Spanish on this trip and were asked once to be interpreters. So you now know we were really off the beaten track! In 2008 we hope to be able to see our adult children who are well and busy with their own lives. Maybe Morocco in the spring. The Peace Corps program is strong here with 105 volunteers spread around the country. The next group of 77 is due to come in June, so I'll be busy next summer. Roland is teaching in several places and has a loyal following. We wish we had an orphanage or other place to connect to with the community and will continue to look for something as our French improves. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. Your letters, calls, and packages are a constant source of comfort. We couldn't do this without you! May the love and peace of this season surround you, Sarah & Roland December 21, 2007 Since Friday is the Muslim day of rest and prayer the government decided that Sunday was a wasted day. So our new weekend here is now Friday and Saturday. It's different being in a place that you are the absolute religious minority. Time to get out of town especially for Christmas week. The first two hundred miles were paved roads followed by three hundred more of desert, dirt, and black, blue or brown rocks (from fist to football size). The rock part must be driven at ten miles an hour to avoid blow outs, the dirt part is a washboard that you have to drive fast to avoid your car being shaken apart and the desert is smooth but treacherous with big rocks and soft dunes. We only got stuck in the sand one time when Taleb the driver said he knew a shortcut that would shave off twenty kilometers. Five hours later after crawling over miles of rocks and then getting stuck in sand we were ready to hang him from a tree, but with a rock and a jack he got us out. We were following a set of tire tracks all of this time and I was convinced that we were going to come across a car with several skeletons bleached by the desert sun. The first stop was the oasis of Terjit, which is a narrow canyon filled with date palms. As you walk into the oasis the temperature drops at least twenty degrees and  the sight of a ground fed stream running the length of the canyon was quite refreshing. We slept in a Mauritanian tent with mats and a straw pillow filled with straw. When I moved the mat a scorpion ran out from under it, and in the spirit of the season I pummeled it into the sand with my boot. Dinner was served on the floor (Arab style) in two large bowls. One bowl was filled with couscous and some black things (it was dark, we think they were raisins and they weren't moving) and  the other bowl was potatoes and an unidentifiable meat source I think chicken. As we were eating several bats flew into the tent looking for insects or the black things in the couscous and since the tent was open they regaled us with flying visits for the remainder of the night I know because I was awake watching them. Several more hours of dirt washboard road took us to the ancient caravan town of Chinguetti. The town was built in 1066 and many of the rock and mud buildings are still occupied. The Peace Corps volunteers assigned there led us to the Auberge de La Vieile Ville (the hotel of the old town) which was very nice with decent amenities and no bugs. The auberge had a young Moroccan chef named Isdean who dazzled us with eggplant and carrot appetisers in sauce, cold cucumber, orange and mango soup, and camel and green beans all extremely delicious.  In the morning their kitchen ran out of gas and the young chef ran down the street and whipped up a "light as a feather" pound cake with dried fruit, then ran it back to us still hot.   The next morning we were going on a camel trek and I put on my short blue hawli. (I wanted to be "in style").  The chef, Isdeen, and the auberge owner, Khalile, laughed at me and said it was a "petit hawli".  Isdean brings out a "Lawrence of Arabia-signature-series-hawli"  and I wore it all day.  It was a three hour trip but forty-five minutes out from the oasis of Legueilla it is necessary to get off the camel and walk because the dunes are too steep and the camels are loaded with us all of our gear.  It was a little embarrassing when it was time to get off the beast.  I had trouble getting my "ample derriere" out of the saddle and the younger camel driver just picked me up like I was a child and set me down.  I did better the next time.   When we arrived at the oasis we were given bowls of bitter nuts and dates and, of course, Mauritanian sweet mint tea.  The camel driver also made an afternoon snack called "hops", which is bread baked in the sand with hot coals on top.  It has a hard crust, the inside is doughy, tasteless, and sandy.  I told the camel driver not to quit his day job to become a baker (luckily, he only spoke Hassiniya). So instead of a tent we opted for an elevated mat under the palm trees. The young boy who managed the camp went back to his straw hut village a short distance from our camp and the camel driver went to take care of his camels and we were the only two people in the oasis.  Between listening to the camels and goats crying and the night creatures crawling under our beds, and the incredible drop in temperature it was a long night, but the stars were pretty and you can see them all. After returning to Chinguetti the next day we took hot showers enjoyed another Moroccan meal and prepared for Tabaski, the next day. Tabaski is the Muslim holiday which commemorates when Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience.  Just before the act, God provides a sacrificial lamb.  Christians believe the son was Sarai's son, Isaac, offered up and Muslims believe it was Haggar's son, Ishmael.  The holiday is celebrated by slitting the throat of a sheep in front of the family and then sitting down to dinner.  On this holiday we were in the middle of the dessert short-cut and we stopped at a tent in the middle of nowhere.  Taleb got out and greeted Mohamed Lemine Boukheir who invited us to celebrate Tabaski dinner.  First water is brought out to wash your hands.  Then a plate of dates.  Desert dates are different from the ones bought at Harris Teeter, just a natural sweetness no added sugar.  Then his daughters served sweet tea (Mauritanian tradition dictates three small glasses of very sweet mint tea).  The daughters then brought out a plate of bread and sheep covered with flies.  I turned to Sarah and acknowledged I would probably be getting very sick from this meal.  I waved the flies of and dug in, only with the right hand, of course.  Mohamed was cutting meat off the bone and placing it in front of us.  I found that I could eat bread and get through just about anything, including the sheep's stomach which was a little chewy.  The man was very kind and gave us several photos of himself and asked to be photographed.  I had bought a knife from a street vendor in NKC and offered this as a gift for his generosity and he seemed pleased.  We passed through a few more towns including Azougi and Oudane both founded by the Berbers in the 11th century.  After picking up a few souvenirs and several kilos of dates we headed home. It seems odd to celebrate Christmas in such a place.  Outside of our home there are no colored lights or wreaths, or Santas.  And certainly not a peppermint mocha from Starbucks.  Luckily, there is still Christmas.  No matter where we go it will always be our tradition, for with it comes memories and images that will always be in our hearts.   So to all of our dear friends, we wish you the best of Christmas.  Merry Christmas, Mary Beth and Lee Anne.  Merry Christmas, Roland Jr. and Merry Christmas Andrew wherever you are.   Peace to you all,   Love, Roland November 27, 2007 Thanksgiving in Mauritania.  Sarah made two pecan pies and two apple pies and then got so sick she could not get out of bed or the bathroom for twelve hours so Thanksgiving day was put off until Friday. The embassy gave us a Butterball Turkey donated by the Butterball company for the holiday. The country director, Obie Shaw, Sarah's Tunisian coworker Amel and her husband Bubacar, and two Peace Corps volunteers, Angela and Will joined us. It was very nice eating and chatting even though our TV network did not have the usual bevy of football games attributed to that season. Les Miserables ( appropriate) the drama, and the 1939 Judy Garland version of The Wizard of Oz ( also appropriate we're not in Kansas anymore ) and even a little of Macy's Parade topped the TV fare for the day. We managed to decorate our Christmas Tree with felt ornaments and Buddhist good luck charms ,and put up our  Mongolian Nativity scene. We are going to keep Christmas very simple this year, since there is really nothing to buy each other here . I already bought Sarah two Arab outfits with veils and a meat thermometer ( I know that sounds strange one as nothing to do with the other and she needed the thermometer for the turkey) for her birthday and I already own two (howli's) rags for my head, for the sand storms.  So at Christmas we will be heading north to the desert mosque called Chinguetti which was built in the 13th century, of course we can't go in, being infidels ( the Buddhists were less conservative ) and all but we can take pictures and the desert is suppose to have beautiful scenery. Somehow looking for a star in the night, desert sky seems to be the thing to do for a simple Christmas.   We did attend the Marine Ball several weeks ago and  that of course was an emotional experience, especially when they salute the marines who gave their lives for our country. I am sure that will always be a difficult remembrance.   The students have stopped throwing rocks and demonstrating in those three cities, they were apparently upset with the government for a variety of reasons which included the price of bread and electricity, I understand occasional "coups" are a way of life here in Mauritania and nothing to loose sleep over. It has always been my understanding that if a place gets too hostile ( too much rock throwing ) the US usually pulls out all Peace Corps personnel ( I wonder what a bucket of rocks costs these days ? )   Bad news for the local dogs, hundreds of dogs were fed poisoned meat ( apparently a usual occurrence ) which is the African version of animal control. The donkeys which carry construction materials and water all over the town are usually hit with rubber hoses or sticks to make them move faster.......their backs usually show the marks. This place is not for animal lovers or the faint of heart.   Sarah is travelling north to Atar and Chinguetti this week to visit with her Peace Corps volunteers, she has a job that constantly keeps her busy and moving. The English lessons I teach are going fine, I have not caused any international incidents yet. Our French lessons are coming along very slowly. The lessons are usually one and a half hours long, but at the one hour mark I am usually glazing over wondering what is on television, Sarah is  more committed to learning than I, as long as I can say " le menu ?" ( the menu ) and "la addicion se vous plea "( the check please ) I am fine.   Only 27 more shopping days till Christmas, enjoy every one of them and try to keep it simple Love to  you all, Roland October 20, 2007 There will always be days that we remember as extra ordinary. The day Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, the day John Kennedy was shot, days when time seemed to stand still. Great joy and great sorrow, forces us to remember where we were and what we were doing on that day, in that hour; up to that minute. In that day, is the essence of what we share with each other . It is God's gift and God's curse to us, but it is the common denominator that touches us all and binds us to one another. " Life for him was an adventure, perilous indeed, but men are not made for safe havens. The fullness of life is in the hazards of life, and at the worst there is that in us which can turn defeat into victory. "   Andrew David Russoli      July 20,1984 - October 20, 2005   On this day with, Strength & Honor Roland October 2, 2007 This would be a good example of an outdoor meat market, the small black things are flies not pepper St Louis downtown and the fishermans grave The fishing boats are called pirogues pronouncd like the potato perogies you eat at the Hungarian festivals On Friday we packed up the African Queen with several gallons of water, a compass, a map, and oh yes I almost forgot, Nati The Driver, who speaks four languages (not English) and knows the roads like the back of his hand. We drove one hundred and fifty six miles south to the country of Senegal. It took six hours to get there and the temperatures hit one hundred eighteen degrees. The road was full of pot holes and every twenty miles or so we were stopped at police check points, sometimes waved through, and sometimes having to stop and pay bribes to get through the point. At the town of Rosso, we boarded a ferryboat with trucks, goats, and chickens included. It takes about fifteen minutes to cross the Senegal River, but another forty five minutes for passports, tariffs, and bribes to get passage across. One policeman stood at our car window repeating one word for about ten minutes, until Sarah looked up the word in the French dictionary and we realized the word was " gift", we both said " no parle no parle" he left disgusted. Our final destination was a town called St. Louis which was founded in 1659 and was the first French settlement in West Africa. St. Louis is on an island and the bridge that you cross was designed by Gustav Eiffel of Tower in Paris fame and was constructed in 1897. Our hotel was located in the old " slave quarter" and everyday we had to drive through the fish market that had been located there for several hundred years. The tables that the fish are sold from are black from years of fish juice and age.  The fisherman who live here, live in the grass huts surrounding the boat docks, and the looks you get from them are stern at best, but easily understood. The people who live here are from generations of African freed slaves but remain slaves to their own despair. They have no money,few possessions, and no hope, a sad formula for a very difficult life. You don't even dare get out your camera to take a picture here unless you are prepared for conflict. Sarah and I ventured into the city for dinner one night without Nati and after going down three streets with people pointing and yelling, we realized that the red circle with the white dash in the middle definitely means " one way do not enter".......... the French....... not even the traffic signs make sense. St Louis is a ruined duplicate of New Orleans with scrolled ironwork and colonial style architecture. The Muslim Cemetery was interesting with a series of walled family plots,  all interconnected. The graves of  the fisherman are distinctive with the fishnets of their former owners draped over the graves. Sarah and I visited the graveyard one day when just the two of us were driving around town. The next day, when Nati was with us, he told us that the police occasionally go into the area because there are twenty or thirty " crazy people" that seem to frequent the place.........sometimes ignorance is bliss. Hope your day is a cool one, Roland September 26, 2007 The receptionist, Cityboo who keeps order in the clinic (below). Above is John Paul, chef and volunteer medic behind the clinic desk. Cityboo's daughter (above) with her star sticker on her forehead compliments of Sarah. Stickers seem to be a universal joy for children, especially these,you would think I gave them a gift certificate from Toys or Us. The foot path between the house is enough for one person to walk. As severe as the poverty is in this area if you look in the center of the picture one of these shacks has a satellite dish, one should always be able watch Dr. Phil and Judge Judy no matter what your circumstances. September 24, 2007 The slum area called the Kebe was just as I had imagined. It consists of a maze of shacks with a foot path connecting them all, spread over acres of poverty. The inhabitants are the " Black Moors" who were descended from the African tribes, many being the slaves of the Arabic " White Moors". The language of the Kebe is Hassaniya not French . (great!) The clinic doctor ( Claudine) was on a well deserved holiday and the medic ( John Paul) was working , as his trusty receptionist Cityboo kept order. The clinic consists of a one room shack with a table, three chairs, and a foot locker for the medicine. The room had little ventilation and almost did me in after yet another night of intestinal woes that Sarah and I  keep enjoying. I wasn't prepared for the 100 degree plus temps under that tin roof. After my clothes were soaked through it took fifteen minutes of sitting outside with the women and children patients until the room stopped spinning. Most of the patients had diarrhoea, some the flu, dental abscesses,bronchitis, parasites, rashes and growths. One nine year old girl had several maladies and was a deaf and mute with no visible way to communicate her problem. Special needs children have no help here in this world. Another three year old girl was born with a skin disease that made her entire body look like it had been gone over with a blowtorch, her face was completely disfigured and she was nearly blind. The receptionist Cityboo, looked older than his forty plus years with the left side of his body paralysed by a stroke. The clinic is attached to his home and he receives " small money" for keeping order and guarding. John Paul asked my age and when I told him I was sixty three he said with a laugh " oh papa". I have heard this name before from the street vendors, I know it means grandfather since the life expectancy here is about fifty to fifty five. As vanity sometimes rules the day I prefer to think of it as a nickname like "Papa Hemingway". The clinic itself has few resources. Claudine is paid by a West African NGO and John Paul is a chef who volunteers his time. Their supply of medicine is replenished by charging for the medicine they give out usually from fifty cents to three dollars and there is no charge for the office visit. I am not sure how my army medic skills will translate into this place, but Sarah has given me a stethoscope and some basic equipment so at least I look the part. Unlike the needs in Mongolia , of twenty four adorable orphans, this project takes the spirit of charity to a whole new level. The needs here make the orphanage look like the Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club. Many of you have asked for a challenge here on the " dark continent".......... Julian of Norwich said, "He did not say : You will not be troubled, you will not be laboured, you will not be disquieted: but he said you will not be overcome."  lets hope Julian knew what she was talking about..............................Strength and Honor Roland September 11, 2007 "Across seas of monsters and forests of demons we travelled" "The 13th Warrior" I hate change, and that might be hard to believe, but its true. When I was in 3rd grade, I remember all that I wanted out of life was to be married and have two children, one boy and one girl. I wanted to name the boy Rocco (which sounded very Italian) to carry on the family name, and the girl Gina ( after a famous Italian movie actress), to comfort me in my old age. I wanted to live in Allentown and go out to our family bungalow in Shimerville every Sunday with my whole family, just as my parents,uncles,aunts, and cousins had done for years. In my mind, I planned out my whole life and then life began to unfold. If I would have  gone to a fortune teller at the Allentown Fair, and be told that I was going to go to war, in Vietnam, have dozens of occupations, have multiple marriages, multiple divorces, have a son who, for years would struggle with his life, (but who is now successful in his struggle), and another son who would be killed in Iraq, and then at the age of sixty I would travel with my wife and spend two years in Outer Mongolia where she would work with Peace Corps and I would teach English, and follow that with another two year commitment to a dust bowl in West Africa where we would do the same, I would have curled up into a fetal position and would have probably have stayed in that fortune teller's tent forever. You can never anticipate what turns your life will take and that is probably a good thing. The pain you experience often overshadows the joy, probably because of the scars that result, but pain gives you wisdom, as nothing else can, and hopefully the lessons you receive can be translated into something beneficial for you, if not for someone else. We all make mistakes on this path that we travel, but tomorrow is indeed a new day, another opportunity to make it right. Joesph Campbell once said " We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.",other wise we are always looking back and like Lot's wife who looked back and became a pillar of salt ,we become a pillar of regret, or guilt or fear or any and all of things that stop us from living the life we are meant too. As difficult a time as I have had with all of this myself, I can assure you that life is just too short not to play it forward. This Sunday we fried we some eggs and Sarah made some garlic grits (  must be from Southern Italy) on our very own skillets from yes......... the very famous SEA SHIPMENT . The shipment arrived Friday and the last to come off the truck was the elusive Box # 22 with the dvd's and the computer and even,more importantly was Box # 16 that was marked  " Fragile Dishes " that contained five bottles of Gordan's, twelve bottles of wine and four bottles of Cuban Rum which will certainly provide a sufficient amount of antiseptic for any cuts and bruises that we will incur while we are here. Last night the electricity went out, which is a common occurrence, so with the windows open we were able to enjoy a night of sweating and of listening to the donkeys braying ( which is donkey talk for screaming) as well as an added feature of someone out in the dark whipping what sounded like a little girl. This is a world far removed from the world we know, it has not been an uncommon sight to see a very small child to get whacked for some minor infraction just walking down the street, a public sight that would have been very rare in Mongolia. And as far as a comparison to the US ......well that is definitely an apples and oranges kind of comparison, no lets make that kiwi fruit and watermelons. This world is a hard place, and these desert people are not a people easily understood by my very western mind. French lessons continue to mystify us, it is difficult for ,me to understand a language that when you want to say the number 80 you say something that translates to 4  20's..........the French, no wonder we never got along, they make everything so complicated. Today is the anniversary of  9/11, watch your back, but more importantly enjoy your day and count your blessings. Love to you all, Roland September 4, 2007 This is not a generation of children who know about " Ken and Barbie" dolls or PlayStation's. What they learn about at a very early age is the art of survival. I spoke to someone today about several areas at the outskirts of the city called " the kebe". The kebe are shanty towns  where the poorest of the poor live, apparently I haven't seen anything yet, but that is for another day. Until that time.........keep staying in the moment. Roland P.S. The fabulous Julia Middleton  has passed from this place and a new star is on the horizon. Her memory, is a star that allows us the understanding that life will always be worth living no matter how difficult ,and every minute should be lived as though it were our last. Sunday was a first, the old Baptist hymn "Blessed Assurance", performed with bongo drums, tambourines, and a high pitched lululululululululululululululululu which adds an interesting touch. All this followed by two hours of speakers, readers, praisers and a lot of sweat. The music as always was incredible, one song.. ........everyone on their feet singing and swaying with a pulsating African rhythm. The Africans doing double and triple clapping for each beat and the Americans and the Brits occasionally finding their opposing palms.....must be a missionary thing. One of the photos I am including shows a small vegetable stand attended by several children and their mother. Multiply this by several hundred and you get some idea of what many families do to scratch out a meager existence. The families live in small shacks made of scraps of wood or pieces of cardboard covered by a sheet. Some are housed in primitive tents and all have a short supply of food. Unlike Mongolia that seems to have an abundance of chubby babies, these children are almost thin to a fault. The poverty here is beyond your imagination, even with all the sand, life here is hardly a day at the beach. August 14, 2007 I understand the temperatures in the US are reaching above 100 degrees... poooooooooooor babies. mmmmmmmmmm just above 100 those would be our night time temperatures... on a cool night. Yes that is a picture of me in a Hawli as per the request of my patron law firm of WardBlack. I am told that the Hawli protects you from the sun and keeps you cool. Just imagine an eight foot piece of black cloth that you wrap around your head three or four times ... oh yes very cool--only if you attach one of the air conditioning units that Mickey Mouse uses at Disney World. The car shown here is our 1999 prize, now affectionately known as the "African Queen". It usually starts in the morning and as long as you can immediately drive off. If there is a more than a ten second delay (such as closing the garage door) it stalls and you have to raise the hood and pump the thingamajig (which is Mauritanian mechanic talk). After that, it is good all day until you start it again the next morning. The other day, I arranged for a French tutor to come to the house two nights a week. He didn't speak any English, and I really don't speak French. So I asked him if he spoke Spanish. It so happens that he did. In my best "Spanglish" I made the arrangements for the time and price of the lessons. Margaret and Miguel would have been so proud. I perfected my Spanglish during the years that I went to Honduras with Habitat volunteers. I remember one day Margaret, who always translated for me, and I went into a hardware store and I looked on the shelf and saw a sharpening stone. After assuring her that I had it under control, I stepped up to the counter and thought I asked "can I sharpen my knife with that stone?" The shopkeeper looked confused, as Margaret came up behind me and whispered in a low voice "you just asked him, can I sharpen my pig with that stone?" Luckily I was able to make the arrangements for our lessons without any international incidents. The students that come for English lessons are really quite amazing when it comes to languages. Most of them speak at least five to six languages. They all speak French and Arabic plus the local languages of Wolof, Soninke, Pulaar, and Hassaniya. Just to give you a taste of them this is how you say hello how are you in each of the local lingos. Wolof - Nanga Def Soninke - An'do Tampiye Pulaar- No mbad-da Hassaniya - Ish haal-ak I tested the Wolof pronunciation out with our maid Fatu and it is pronounced just as it is written, just in case you need any of them in your travels. We met the new Defence Attache' at the market the other night and joined him and his family for lunch on Sunday. They were all very nice and he and I have something in common. We both served in the First Infantry Division, although I am guessing he was not born when I served so many years ago during the Great War. I was remembering the division and its motto with which I sometimes tortured my Habitat volunteers, and it might be a motto that exemplifies our tour in Africa. "No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great, duty first." Amen Roland July 25, 2007 By using her computer at work, Sarah managed to forward me a few pictures of our abode. The place with the high walls and red flowers is our home. Notice the gigantic satellite dish that should receive much more than nine channels. Although I must say Armed Forces Network does have good movies every day ,so that is a plus. The patio area shown, is nice but a little hot to sit on right now; and the other picture is taken from the second floor of our street and neighbourhood. Definitely not in Kansas anymore. We finally purchased a vehicle. It is a 1999 4WD Mitsubishi with 80,000 miles on it. It has one yellow headlight (the Mitsubishi dealer was out of the white ones) and one white headlight, one parking light is smashed, one brake light is out, the front extra bumper is gone (from when the previous owner hit the horse.....true story), there are nicks and pings on several parts of the body, the dashboard lights don't work, and there is a hole in the running board where a wooden stake came up from the road. But it is considered a great car by those who know, even though it cost an arm and a leg by any American standard. I must say driving down the street after filling up with diesel (which is called gasoline here, gasoline is called essence, which sounds like you should be dabbing it behind your ear) did feel really, really good. It is just something about driving your car down the street, which must be a guy thing, even through here you really have to watch out for the beggars and the donkeys, so deep concentration is required. The French classes are coming along, I now know more French in six lessons than I knew Mongolian after two years. There are two Jordanians, eighteen Mauritanians and us in the class. The instructor Bubacar speaks only French in the class so you can't even ask to go the the bathroom; unless you can say it in French. Consequently, I have been drinking a lot less water before the lessons. Even though there is an air conditioner in the room, you only feel it if you sit in two of the twenty two seats in the room, so it seems like a two hour lesson in a sauna. The English teaching is slow in starting for me, but Sarah's work has definitely taken off with seventy new volunteers to care besides about fifty of those already here. Last Sunday, we went to church. Several people told us that it was "some kind of Protestant service but didn't know what kind" and these were people who had gone to it........ interesting. We walked in and a woman named Barbara playing a guitar introduced it as the "Nouakchott Evangelical Church". I couldn't recognise most of the songs which were the mostly the campfire kumbaya type, Sarah knew a few. However, when the choir sang, they were amazing. This music was the great grandfather of Gospel. One lead singer would sing a verse then the choir would join in with the refrain accompanied by drums, tambourines and that strange wailing that sounds like lululululululululululululululululululu. It was incredible. I wish I could record it and send it to you, but it is truly African. I don't think you could achieve that sound anyplace else in the world, it was worth the whole service especially since the sermon was tedious and disorganized. The service was in French and English but the people were very friendly, and we went to lunch with several of them afterwards  They, all women, turned out to be nurses from different countries so they had much in common with Sarah. I guess that's all for now, one day at time, Stay well, watch your back Roland July 19, 2007 Besides being where we are, and what we are doing, this has been a difficult week. Tomorrow, Friday July 20th, Andrew would have celebrated his 23rd birthday. Last year, at this time I was looking across Tsaagan Noor (White Lake) in Outer Mongolia. This year we will drink Mauritanian Mint Tea looking at the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa. It doesn't really matter where you are as Yogi Berra, the famous baseball player once said "No matter where you go there you are." At this time I am aware of at least a half dozen parents who have suffered through the loss of a child. What I have learned is that it doesn't matter if you are in some remote corner of the world or in your own backyard, its not the place, its the pain, and everyone you know wants it to be over.... for you.....for themselves....forever. Eventually you try not to bring it up again, with the people that you know. You try to hide any tears or deliberately turn away from anything that reflects a memory, but the pain remains and is as real as any and all that surrounds you. Today, I taught a class at the language school that has offered me a job. I conversed for two hours with a man whose name is Mohamed. He is a Mauritanian businessman, who would like to see his country progress into the 21st century. We spoke of poverty,of politics, and finally of war. He asked me what I thought of the war in Iraq, and I told  him it made me sad to see American soldiers being killed there and I could not imagine the outcome or how it could possibly be resolved. I told him about Andrew's death and being a father himself I know he understood why I teared  at the mention of it all. Our time was up and it was silent for those last few moments before he stood to leave. Before he walked out the door he turned and said, "About you son......I pray that God will bless him." As I thanked him, my thought was that thousands of miles away from that little cemetery on Pleasant Ridge Road, on the fringe of the Sahara Desert a Muslim father asked a blessing from his God for my son, on the eve of his birthday. An unique gift for an hard time that more than ever calls for strength and honor from us all. Roland July 13, 2007 I thought I would give you all a short update on life on the "dark continent." There is some good news to be had on the "how much more Dr. Phil can I watch department." I have one job offer to teach English at a private language school and I have an interview for a housing coordinator position with the embassy on Tuesday, so those seem promising. The French Language lessons start Monday night. The school director said he wanted to give us a test to see at what level we spoke French , I told him not to waste the paper. The "roach pate" seems to be working on the large adult models but the babies are immune to it, so I am considering the purchase of a 150 lb anteater to see if that will curb the insect migration through our house. Even though the nights are blessed with a breeze that comes off of the  ocean (that I have not found yet, it is possibly it is yet another African myth) the night air is often tainted with "air du toilet". It seems there is a cement block construction team of about 25 people (men, women, and children) who are working in a field aside of our house. Now, that in itself is not a problem but, there are no port-a-johns or latrines of any kind that are utilized by the people who live in tents or anyone else for that matter, so the field itself is fair game for a place "to go." In fact, all day long it is not unusual for people to relieve themselves in the street, as you are walking by, usually against a wall or if convenient aside of Sarah's truck, where ever it is parked. Among the general population there does not seem to be any correlation or care between this practice and the diseases that it spawns. It is also very interesting that the lack of toilet paper does not seem to be an issue to those who frolic among the dunes. A small pot of water accompanies them on their "toilet" and the left hand is used to do the job. So it is common knowledge that even if you have carpal tunnel syndrome from swinging a fly swatter all day you never offer your left hand in greeting or meeting for obvious reasons and when eating from the "common bowl" which is Mauritanian tradition make sure you lead with your right. The flies are relentless and I am beginning to develop calluses from swinging one of six flyswatters that I have located through out the house. At least twice a week one of us deals with some gastrointestinal malady caused by who knows what. The good news is last night began Four Nights of Harry (the Harry Potter films) on Armed Forces Network; most movies on this network seem to keep stopping and starting at will, so watching TV here really is more of a slide show than a movie but you take what you can get. All of the advertizing for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines always come in with perfect reception and those usually occur every ten minutes or so, I have considered joining. And so this ends my brief African update. For all of my friends who said they were anxious to visit with us because they always wanted to come to Africa I understand that the temperature usually hits below 100 during the first three days of February......... so plan ahead. Au Revoir Roland July 2, 2007 One item that you didn't see on CNN last week was a raid that took place several Sundays ago in Nouakchott. No, it had nothing to do with me. sorry to disappoint but, three internet cafes were raided and two Algerians, two Morroccans, and a Mauritanian were arrested for recruiting operatives for Al Quaeda. The group were formerly called " the Algerian Salafite Group for Preaching and Combat (sounds like they should be Baptist) and were planning to carry out an attack in Nouakchott. Luckily the Mauritanian Anti Terror Police were very much on the job and arrested them before it got out of hand. Lets hear it for the MATP! So how many of our friends are still coming over to visit ????? On a lighter note, the bug problem seems to be under control something called "pate' de cafer" or roach pate' not to be confused with gooseliver seems to work like a charm. You just have to roll a ball of the paste up and put it in every corner of all of the rooms and let nature do the rest. I have not seen a critter in a week. Our French language classes start in one week but in the meantime we have been playing the Berlitz CD's and asking each other "which is the way to the bus stop and do you want to buy a white shirt" both phrases I am sure we will use soon especially, if we are unable to buy a car or the sea shipment doesn't show up with the rest of our clothes. Food is really expensive here, 30 to 50 percent higher than the US. A roasting chicken costs fourteen dollars and a gallon of milk five dollars and there are no coupons, so thank Harris Teeter the next time you see him. Baguettes are still a good deal at thirty seven cents so I am guessing everyone around here eats lots of those. I know I am. Sarah is traveling this week with the volunteers and will be gone until mid week and on the 4th there is a very formal 8 PM (luckily I brought a suit) event at the embassy. Now all I have to do is try to figure out how to catch a cab there and back. Thats all for now. Still Floundering, Roland June 26, 2007 A good friend of mine in Mongolia (who I wish was here) once said that "Ulaanbaatar is going to seem like Paris compared to Nouakchott". I laughed. I shouldn't have. We received our security briefing yesterday." You need to buy a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I  would suggest a winch and sand ladders (sand ladders?) and a satellite phone, if you go to the beach, fish market or vegetable market go with a group of people otherwise its dangerous, if you travel remember if you go too far out and something happens, there is no one that will come out to get you, if you go past a certain city to the east there are land mines; past a city to the south there are bandits, to the north and west there seem to be some Al Quida factions operating in the area other than that enjoy your stay in Mauritania.".......interesting. We received our air shipment from Mongolia and one of the boxes is missing number  # 22 had our computer and DVD collection in it. Even if we are reunited with our computer we were now told that Macintosh computers do not work in this country............interesting. Our international phone doesn' t seem to be working in this country. Other then baguettes, food here is expensive because nothing is grown in the desert everything is shipped in, local jobs pay one quarter what they paid in Mongolia. We have to buy a car and because of the area it doesn't seem to matter how old or how many miles it has on it prices are usually double or triple book value...........interesting. Sarah's serums for the volunteers were not shipped when they were suppose to be so she may have to do a road trip to the hinterlands to collect them and hopefully she will be able to decide on the route to determine the possible calamities she is willing to deal with bandits, landmines, sandstorms oh my ! Also ........interesting. On the up side our coffee pot may through unbroken and we enjoyed some brewed Maxwell House coffee this morning with our baguettes and strawberry rubarb jam from Vermont. There is an ancient Chinese curse, "May you live an interesting life." A little down, but still in the fight, Roland June 18, 2007 Fathers Day ......a day that presents its own set of difficulties. We haven' t figured out how to use the phones yet . The internet cafe with the Arabic French keyboards and symbols that drives me crazy is closed ; Roland Jr is in far away Greensboro. Andrew is gone and I am in West Africa . It is a day to do something different. The Moroccan Market wise a choice. The market is a square acre of humanity. Vendors yelling prices at customers: piles of fruits and vegetables: meat and fish on outdoor tables covered with flies: donkeycarts running back and forth: and bags of spices and herbs hanging from every booth. The men wearing blue or white flowing robes with black or white long head dresses that cover head and neck: the women in every color imaginable in a rainbow of patterns and colors in which no two were alike. We bought black olives soaked in oil from large barrels: Tunisian dates that still had the stems attached: mangos and cantelopes. Mauritania doesn't grow much as mining and fishing constitute their main industries, so all of this at the market is trucked across the Sahara Desert from Morocco. We have eaten in two restaurants here already (Sahara Cafe and Savana ) and the food is excellant and bakeries sell baguettes and pasteries to die for. The Muslims chant those haunting prayers five times a day from numerous mosques through out the city. Unlike Mongolia no Mormons or Evangelists seem to reside here it  would be a dangerous climate for them in this place. This place brings a whole new meaning to the term "getting stoned". There is one Catholic Church and I am certain the Mass is celebrated  in French. I should have listened closer to the Sisters at Fraternite of Notre Dame. Sarah is doing well in her job she will head south tomorrow to start training volunteers and everyone at her office speaks French; unlike Mongolia there is not much of an interest in English. Well  I need to start my walk home to start making some inquiries about jobs. The guys riding those donkey carts seem to be having fun but since I was always accused by my mother of not taking care of pets it probaby would not be a good idea unless I could get the maid Fatu to add it to her list of things to do. I must do something, a person can only watch so much Dr Phil. Father's Day ended with father movies on AFN and the 9PM movie was perfect " The Godfather " which certainly reminds us to keep on the lookout for those guinea worms as well as remembering the places from which we came. Happy Father's Day Roland June 13, 2007 Hello from West Africa, Our "stuff" including my computer has not yet arrived so I can't send any pictures. If you have seen any movies lately depicting the Arab-African world ie Spy game, Black hawk Down) you have a pretty good idea of what  Nouakchott, Mauritania looks like. Nouakchott means " the place of the winds" and it certainly lives up to it's name. The people we have met from the Peace Corps are incredibly gracious and friendly. Since our house is surrounded by a twelve foot wall with barred windows and a guard sits outside on our patio from 7PM to 7AM , I am guessing everyone is not as friendly. There is a very defined caste system in this place, each level with its own customs and rituals. The White Moors (Biden) were the warrior and educated class. The Black Moors (Harratin) were former slaves of the Biden and the artisans and slaves make up the remaining classes.In 1980 slavery was declared illegal in Mauritania with 100,000 slaves in country. It is said that in the city of Adrar the practice still exists of buying and selling. From April through October it is oven hot with hot winds blowing sand off the desert. December through March is supposedly cools off and a sweater is needed at night (I am guessing a really light sweater) In our two years in Mongolia I only saw one small bug in our apartment. In my first hour in our house I killed four roaches large enough to paint, name, number, and race around a track and I have killed at least five more since then. I understand there are blister beetles, scorpions, and swarms of locusts, plus a variety of infections, maladies, and parasites, one of which is a guinea worm which I am guessing only goes after Italians. Mongolia is seeming more like Disneyland everyday. On the brighter side, we live in a two story, three bedroom house,that has an air conditioner in every room, a truck for 90 days (we will have to buy a car after that), and a maid (Fatu) who works from 7:45 AM to 1:30 PM five days a week for about 121.00 per month, and a bakery that is close by which bakes really good baguettes for about $.37 or 100 ouguiya (ouGHEE-yah). Donkeys, goats, and roosters seem to wander through the streets making donkey, goat, and roosters noises. There are beggars on every corner in wheelchairs, carts or just dragging themselves along (an incredible number of beggars with missing limbs). If the electricity goes out in the house, (which also nixes out the water which pumps the water from our well which is very dark, dingy, and creepy), I will have to go in the back of the house and start the generator and I am certain that will only happen on a dark and stormy night when the shutters are banging against the house and the guard mysteriously disappears. Some streets are paved but most are sand.......sand........and more sand. Dorothy we are not in Kansas anymore we are definitely in the Sahara Desert. Sarah's co-worker Amel loaned me a TV last night until ours gets here. I looked up on my roof to find a satellite dish big enough to detect life on distant planets, but alas only about nine channels are received. The channels are however in ENGLISH in fact they are the Armed Forces Network which also gives you a constant stream of advertising for the Army, Navy , Air Force and Marines. I watched the movie " Hellboy" and Dr. Phil this morning, I drew the line at Judge Judy, I have standards. I wonder if I could stay in this air conditioned living room and eat nothing but potato chips, drink bottled water, read books and watch AFN for the next two years? I know, I know I can't do that I promised you all a great adventure but I need to get my bearings and they seem hard to come by just yet. Disoriented but still alive and learning French, Au revoir Roland See Roland's Updates from West Africa for 2008

College Park Baptist Church 1601 Walker Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403 cpbcgbo@bellsouth.net 336.273.1779