Ok, this is round 2 since my computer just deleted the entire message i had typed...frustrating.

It's been nearly a month in country, and the daily experience of simply living with an African family and taking daily trips to the market have become part of my routine. It is strange to be living in a place, a city of about 100,000 and to have yet to see a single land line telephone. It's rare to pass a morning without encountrering expample of how foreign Guinea really is compared to my experience of life at home. The people here are so generoud, it's hard not to feel guilty when my family insists that I eat firest, and the best at every meal.

The othere day I was given my African name, by my family,Fatim Bangoura, I'll keep this name for my entire stay in Guinea, even after I leave my host fmaily and move into my site. It's a Susu name and the language of my family. Anytime that I see someone, even if I just saw them a few minutes ago, I"m expected to greet them again. With all this practice I've mastered local greetings, but can't say much more. My focus is still on French, in african dialect. Next week i'll be receiving my site, the location where I'll be living for the next 2 years beginning in April. As soon as I receive my site I'll begin learning the local language of that region. French is the language of institution in school, so the level of french communication directly correlates to the level of education.

There is a great group of Americans that are here with me, and that helps to make things 'fun'. We go out for cold sodas and beers, ice cream - when the electricity is on, and have informal dinner parties to break from our traditional diet of rice and sauce.

The training part of my experience is good. Learning about business in the context of a collectivest society with an inflation rate around 30 percent...interesting! But i've been good and healthy since my arrival in forecariah...and that has been great. I'm in the capitol city of conakry today, and not sure when I'll exactly make it back to check my email again. I did receive my first letter from the states today - thanks becky! And, thank you for all the email updates!

I miss you and love you all! ~amy