Tales of the 2 Boyfriends---ie my host brothers

Yesterday 36 people descended upon the bank in Conakry. We were given our simple living allowance, modest settling in allowance and transportation money to get to our site. While this is a very small amount in actual dollars most of us walked out of the bank with a bag full of money. Yes, the largest currency in Guinea is 5,000GF which is equivalent to $1USD. Without actually robbing a bank, I received the high that I image so many bank robbers dream about...Emerging from a dark bank into the daylight with your hands full of actual usable cash money.

I will try not to dwell too much on my Forecariah visit but many of you might find my final evening with my family quite hilarious. The day before my 18 year old brother Bouba kept asking me to go get a picture taken with him from the village photographer. I insisted that I had a camera and would send him some photos once I begged someone to print them from the states..that is where many of you came into my plan. You will be happy to know that this will not be necessary but came at a cost to me. So I thought I had successfully avoided the situation with my response. BUT the next day, Bouba said to me we were taking a picture tonight. Just so you know, I have a million pictures of the family which include him so I am thinking this is totally unnecessary. I tell him my camera does not work well in the dark. They don't own cameras so they don't know this may not be the absolute truth.

Well, he got the last laugh. Just as I finished eating my 1st bite of oily greasy rice and sauce with fish heads..might I add with my right hand which allowed me to smear it all over my face and look like Bozo the clown...the photographer showed up to take "family photos". In my efforts to avoid this situation, I declared that I just started eating. Well, since time is not an issue the photographer sat down and waited for me to finish eating, wash my face and hands and brush my teeth. After about 30 minutes I realized he was not leaving so I gave in.

The photo shoot was ready to begin. My first photo was taken with Bouba. Just as the photographer took the shoot he threw his left arm around me and grabbed me like I was his girlfriend. WHHEEEE...at least that was over. I proceeded to take pictures with the women in the family, just the "kids", some of the "kids", the men in the family, a complete family photo with me sitting next to my mom, a complete family photo with me sitting next to my dad. Finally, I am sure this is done.....nope, my other brother, Ibraham, age 21, decided that Bouba cannot get the only boyfriend photo so he wants to take a picture where we are staring into each others eyes. NICE! Now, I am sure we are finished BUT NO Bouba cannot let Ibreham have the last photo with me so Bouba and I have 2 more "engagement type" pictures taken. Finally, I declare I am done...FINISHED!!!

Yes, I love my brothers and sure I will take pictures with them BUT my friend Sara who is staying with my host dad's brother had the same experience a few days earlier. Hers resulted in her dad declaring that she would marry her host brother and take him back to the states. I think my dad does not know which one he wants to marry me off to so I was able to avoid this situation. When asked by him who I wanted to dance with at my going away party I mentioned my mom and sister which would be the safest choices. This resulted in a comment that "girls dance with boys".

Gotta get going to swear in as a public servant and take the president's oath...well the same oath that the presidents take. Don't worry I won't let all this new power go to my head :)