Crowded corners, bumping into many Africans, and trying to keep up with Zalika(the young girl with us), yet being overwelmed by all the sights and smells that entered my mind for the first time ever in my lifetime- some good, some bad, but most simply unfamiliar. Yes, this is the busy market in Niamey. Taking in so much, the people began to really stand out to me- their faces especially. The joys so many had, though the majority had nothing. The persistance of those wanting to sell me something and the urgency of the beggers. Then from across the crowded street stood out an older man with one leg as he was hobbling around on crutches. How challenging it must be to get around on the bumpy dirt streets in this intense heat. He was moving so well- must have been on them for quiet sometime. Then there was the begger with no fingers on either of her hands. The man of bones and I think blind crawling through the tiny market pathways. On his hands and knees moving so slow, not asking for a thing just seemed to have the ambition of getting some place. The market, the people, and interactions were hard to take in. I thought I had prepared myself and built up the strength, but in reality words cannot portray the reality of life here. Its like one of my teammates said earlier today "we are living out the national geographic" and its intense.
Friday, August 7, 2009
First Day Out and About
Journal entry: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Crowded corners, bumping into many Africans, and trying to keep up with Zalika(the young girl with us), yet being overwelmed by all the sights and smells that entered my mind for the first time ever in my lifetime- some good, some bad, but most simply unfamiliar. Yes, this is the busy market in Niamey. Taking in so much, the people began to really stand out to me- their faces especially. The joys so many had, though the majority had nothing. The persistance of those wanting to sell me something and the urgency of the beggers. Then from across the crowded street stood out an older man with one leg as he was hobbling around on crutches. How challenging it must be to get around on the bumpy dirt streets in this intense heat. He was moving so well- must have been on them for quiet sometime. Then there was the begger with no fingers on either of her hands. The man of bones and I think blind crawling through the tiny market pathways. On his hands and knees moving so slow, not asking for a thing just seemed to have the ambition of getting some place. The market, the people, and interactions were hard to take in. I thought I had prepared myself and built up the strength, but in reality words cannot portray the reality of life here. Its like one of my teammates said earlier today "we are living out the national geographic" and its intense.
Crowded corners, bumping into many Africans, and trying to keep up with Zalika(the young girl with us), yet being overwelmed by all the sights and smells that entered my mind for the first time ever in my lifetime- some good, some bad, but most simply unfamiliar. Yes, this is the busy market in Niamey. Taking in so much, the people began to really stand out to me- their faces especially. The joys so many had, though the majority had nothing. The persistance of those wanting to sell me something and the urgency of the beggers. Then from across the crowded street stood out an older man with one leg as he was hobbling around on crutches. How challenging it must be to get around on the bumpy dirt streets in this intense heat. He was moving so well- must have been on them for quiet sometime. Then there was the begger with no fingers on either of her hands. The man of bones and I think blind crawling through the tiny market pathways. On his hands and knees moving so slow, not asking for a thing just seemed to have the ambition of getting some place. The market, the people, and interactions were hard to take in. I thought I had prepared myself and built up the strength, but in reality words cannot portray the reality of life here. Its like one of my teammates said earlier today "we are living out the national geographic" and its intense.
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