More Musings from Christine

Fall reflections of life in Canada

In the fall, you often see large flocks of birds (often Canada Geese) flying south for the winter in V-formation.  Honk, honk, honk.  But I wasn’t expecting to see herds of over 100 Canada Geese grazing on open areas of green grass in the city!  It seems so strange to see “birds” grazing on grass and not goats and sheep, like what we would expect in Niger.

The best way to get to know a new community is to get out and explore it on foot. That’s exactly what Tim and I did when we were living in Toronto in the early fall.  Everything was very convenient (walking, biking, subway) where we were temporarily lodged near “Little India” just south of the Danforth.  (We loved being so close to Indian food.  Yum!)  We slowly adjusted to the cooler fall weather by getting outside daily. When we left Toronto, the leaves were just beginning to fall from the trees, whereas the leaves in Ottawa had long since fallen when we arrived there the same day.

Getting to know your community changes though when the temperatures fall and the weather isn’t so nice to be outdoors.  November in Ottawa/Gatineau wasn’t as warm as Toronto was in September and October.  Our method of getting to know our neighbourhood consisted mainly of driving around and most importantly using Mapquest and Googling things on the internet.  Thank goodness we have access to wireless internet at our apartment!  What a change from Niger where you depend so much on the locals and face-to-face conversations to get to know your community. 

I don’t think I experienced much “reverse culture shock” upon our return to Canada from Niger.  Reverse Culture shock is when you feel disturbing emotions when re-entering your home environment. Tim and I were shopping in the large mall in our old neighbourhood our first weekend back in Canada.  It didn’t phase me at all.  I just accepted the fact that we were back in the affluent and consumerist West…that’s how life is here.  It wasn’t until 3 months later when I stepped into a large “Chapters” bookstore that it hit me.  “Chapters” is not just a bookstore.  No.  Now it’s a stationary store, a gift shop, a coffee shop, a clothing store, a linen store, a toy store, a meeting place for friends, a candy shop, a “one-stop-shopping”store. It’s so BIG, it’s actually overwhelming!   


Winter is here!  My first impressions after 2 years in a snowless country.

“What is this cold, fluffy, foreign substance?  Ohhhh, it’s cold when you step into deep snow and it goes down your boots!”

“I’m not going outside unless I have long-johns under my jeans!” 

“Bundle up. Wear your hat (toque), scarf and warm mittens.  It’s cold outside, especially when you take into account the wind-chill factor of -25 degrees Celsius!”

“I think I’ll just soak in the sun and enjoy the view while sitting here on the comfy sofa.”

“Fluffy, white snow is truly a gorgeous sight.  Just keep it nicely on the ground and not down my neck, thank you!”   

It has certainly been a pleasure to watch the seasons change from our patio door looking out onto the Ottawa River.  Waking up each morning to a beautiful view.  Calm waters as clear as glass.  Mist over the water.  Lapping water against the shore.  Stormy waves crashing on the beach as though you were at the ocean!  Ice forming along the shoreline.  Ice and snow sparkling in the sun.  Ice flows floating down the river.  One day I’m sure we’ll wake up and see the river almost frozen except for maybe the middle. 

Luxury foods - Mmmmm

When you think of a luxury meal item you like to treat yourself, what comes to mind? I know people who like to have a chocolate bar everyday, perhaps not a good idea though. I could go for a good lasagna.
I remember our cook in Niger telling us that working people in the city really go for the luxury food of rice. How about that, rice as a luxury food! I probably once thought of rice as a 3rd world peasant food, but in Niger it's an imported (typically) luxury food, not much available in villages but very popular with working people in the city. It is the peasant's luxury food, poor people have their luxuries too! Rice actually finds itself all over the world, but it is grown in flooded fields which many people don't have available, certainly not much in sub-Sahara dry lands. Fortunately Coca-cola is not the only "food" item that finds itself all over the world, you can also find rice, typically imported from Asia. Although it may be more expensive that the local cereal crop it is still within $ reach of many or most people.


Photos here are the the Niger river.
The Niger River retreats and narrows by hundreds of metres every year during the 9 months of dry weather, you can see this in the first photo. In the rainy season the river widens, flooding and regaining its original size (hopefully!).

This provides a natural environment for growing rice, indeed the river bed is lined with rice patties. There is one big problem though - there's only one river.

Pound for pound, bulk quantities of the cheapest rice are about 4 times more expensive that millet in Niger. Millet is the food staple of the nation for Niger and it can remarkably grow in dry sandy fields thank God (also Sorghum and some other grains). Millet is staple/daily food for the rural villages and for most of the population. Ironically in Canada, millet is much more expensive than rice.

As I sit here looking out the window at the Ottawa river, I notice that there are no rice patties, a missed opportunity :-) !

The next time you eat rice, enjoy the luxury of it and be glad that you can afford this very fine food.

Bonjour Canada! What we appreciate about returning to Canada.

1. The abundant greenery! The green grass. Green trees and colourful flower gardens. Green spaces and public city parks for leisure walks. No more vast expanses of sandy dirt devoid of grass or even weeds!

2. Excellent Thai and Indian food. Lots of choice in ethnic restaurants (especially in Toronto and Montreal). Currently in Toronto, we live only 2 minutes from “Little India”, 10 minutes from “Greek Town”, 10 minutes from one of the “China Towns” and only minutes away from other ethnic restaurants, grocery stores and clothing stores.

3. Many comfort and health foods that we can’t find in Niger. Peaches and nectarines, cranberries, grapes, raspberries and other berries (although Niamey did have a very short strawberry season), whole-wheat and multi-grain breads of all kinds, rhubarb, orange sweet potatoes, black beans (you just couldn’t find these yummy legumes in Niger).

4. Going to grocery store to shop in peace and not getting harassed or pestered by vendors in the market the minute I step out of the car! Fixed prices at stores. No guessing or bartering required. Although, I for one quite enjoyed bartering and really got into it when I was not in a hurry. You can get some pretty good deals that way!

5. You're not likely to fall ill to malaria. No more weekly anti-malarial medication and no more worries about terrible tropical illnesses.

6. The cooler and cleaner air (less black car exhaust and smoke from garbage fires). The beautiful colours of autumn. Appreciating the sunny fall days since the autumn sun in Canada isn’t as direct and hot as in Niger. Great weather for hiking in the day and sleeping at night. (Christine isn't looking forward to wearing heavy winter jackets and boots. She quite enjoyed wearing sandals all year round!)

Here we are in the Rocky Mountains near Canmore, Alberta.

7. Flush toilets and relatively clean public washrooms. No more using smelly public latrines, squatting over a tiny hole, hiding in the bushes or bringing my own toilet paper everywhere!

8. You're not likely to be kidnapped in Canada (in reference to the separate kidnapping incidents earlier this year of 2 Canadian diplomats and some European tourists).

9. Well-equipped sports facilities and indoor gyms where you can exercise without getting heatstroke. It’s nice to be able to jog and do exercise outdoors without overheating and sweating profusely! Do you like Tim's barbells he had made from old automotive parts?

10. High-speed internet.


11. More predictable drivers who generally follow the rules of the road. In Niger, it appeared that there were no rules, or if there were, very few people knew or respected the rules of the road. Although, we’re not looking forward to all the traffic congestion, especially in Toronto!

12. Clean streets. No garbage in the streets or burning at the side of the road -->

13. Blending-in with others on the street and not standing out as the “rich white person” walking down the street.

14. Better medical facilities and health care.

15. Bike paths on many city roads and scenic trails. Biking is a lot safer in Canada and Europe.


16. Ahh. The melodious sound of water lapping on the side of the canoe as you paddle!

17. Clean plush train seats that you aren’t afraid of laying your head on. (France is to be congratulated for excellent service on the TGV going from Paris to Strasbourg.)

18. Clean and clear (not brown) flowing water in lakes and streams.

19. Seeing friends and family again after 2 years living in Niger. Although it will be hard at first to set down new roots (wherever we settle) and to invest in meeting new people.

First Impressions back in Canada

1. Wow! Black garden soil rich in organic material. Not the red, nutrient deficient sand we used in Niger for potting plants and growing veggies. (although cow manure was certainly cheap and easy to obtain in Niger!)

2. The ponds in Canada don’t dry up over the summer and they have grass and natural vegetation growing to the edge, instead of muddy animal tracks trampling the vegetation leading to the water.


The picture to the left was taken in November of a pond ("mar" in French) which is the sole source of water for the village. The picture on the right is the same pond in June before the rains arrived.


3. In Canada, there is a lot of food waste. People don’t tend to pick up their chicken/meat bones with their hands or clean them off to the very bitter end. In Niger licking your fingers after a messy meal is quite acceptable. I was horrified one evening in a restaurant to see the amount of meat wasted on a T-bone steak by a man who ordered too large of a meal to complete. I guess he didn’t think of taking home a “doggie bag”.

4. Mmmm good coffee.... Donut and coffee shops or convenience stores stocked with junk food at every street corner rather than fruit/veggie vendors or men pushing wheelbarrows of fresh produce down the road. Like any culture, Niger does sell a lot of western junk food (candies, cookies, chips) at roadside kiosks and quick Nigerien snacks are deep-fried bread dough and fried yams.

5. The countryside feels rather empty without herds of scrawny cows, goats and sheep wandering around. In Canada (and Europe) there are very few animals out grazing. Instead the fields are filled with large bales of hay or crops of grain and corn.
Note that all the farm animals pictured below are gifts/loans to local people and financed by Samaritan's Purse (by your donations). Photos taken by Tim.

Au revoir Niger!

Au revoir Niger. What we'll miss about Niger.

Some things we'll miss! (in no particular order)
1. Living “on the farm” in the middle of the city!
Waking up to rooster crows, guinea fowl honking and bleating goats. Meeting spunky goats and laid-back sheep wandering the streets and garbage dumps for anything to fill their empty stomachs. Passing small herds of cattle munching on anything edible growing along the sides of the streets. Vegetable gardens and crops (millet, corn, legumes) growing on any piece of available land.





2. Our pets we left behind. Snowy our cat and the 3 dogs (daytime guards and playful companions) we’ve enjoyed taking care of at each of the houses we lived in.



3. Having connections with people in many diverse settings (from church, NGO work, school, etc.) The chance for both Tim and Christine to be more connected with each other’s jobs. Christine learned a lot about Tim’s work in humanitarian development.

4. Our new friends and colleagues, both African and internationals like ourselves.

5. Having a night guard at the house to open the gate (an automatic garage door opener), water the garden, clean the animal cages, and take out the garbage to the street.

6. Having very affordable house-help 3 times a week. Now we’ll have to get used to sharing the domestic house work! No more piling the dishes up high for our cleaning lady.

7. Greeting people on the street (something you don’t see much in big cities in Canada with people too caught up with their iPods and cell phones to look up and smile). Africans are very warm and friendly people.

8. The “fish guy” who brought huge freshly caught capitaine (Nile perch) to our door upon request. And the “veggie man” who came by several times a week on his bike with fresh produce. He was a kind old soul who was always heavily dressed despite the oppressive heat and always wearing a green “winter-like” scarf around his neck.

9. Being able to see the sky (not often possible in Canada), enjoy the sunset and actually predict the weather for the day with fairly good accuracy! Expect heat and sun (no rain) for about 9 months of the year. When the humidity starts rising and the clouds start building, expect rain.

10. Looking forward to each of the fruit seasons (mango season, guava season, tangelo season, tomato season, etc.). We’ll really miss having our mango (or two) a day!

11. “Street chicken”. The ultimate in drive-by fast food! Get a roast chicken stuffed with couscous for only 5 dollars from the vendor at the side of the road! Convenient and delicious, although rather scrawny. A whole chicken barely feeds 2 hungry people!

12. Freshly roasted peanuts (in liquor bottles!) and homemade peanut butter that tastes even better than the best natural peanut butter found in the stores in Canada.

13. Senegalese fast-food (a heaping plate of rice, sauce and meat of your choice for only 3 or 4 dollars!) The best hamburgers in Niamey at “La Cloche” bar and restaurant.


14. Tim will miss driving a big land cruiser!


15. Speaking French on a daily basis. But then again we may move to Quebec.

16. Very affordable house rental and services. You can get a really nice outfit made by a tailor/seamstress for only $15. Alterations cost only $1.00. You can hire a plumber, electrician or tree trimmer for a bargain deal.


17. The lively worship at the Nigerien churches we attended. Churches in Niger are for the most part made up of new believers and active Christians with a passion for Jesus and spreading the Good News.

18. The slower pace of life. Having more relaxed time to read, reflect, journal, go for walks, visit with people, and enjoy life. Less time was spent on the internet (most of the time we didn’t have internet at home) and more time for friendships and recreation.

19. Friendly geckos on the walls and hiding in your sandals.

20. Seeing camels in the city everyday (walking past our house, on the streets, in the market) and waiting for a camel to saunter across the intersection.

Countdown to Canada

Times of change and departure are always difficult,
it was not easy to leave 2 years ago to come here, to a strange and new place, and it is not easy to leave what is now a familiar place with friends and colleagues. We are at least enjoying several dinners out these days with various friends, two dinners today even.

We have less than 1 week before our departure from Niger, with a stopover in France, then arriving in Toronto, God willing.

Its been a very successful 2 years all in all. At least with the expectation of a new baby, we have a good excuse for our Nigerien friends why we want to go back to Canada. Niger certainly is known for poor medical care and especially for maternal problems.

Christine figures she will miss living on the farm (Niamey); you'd have to live here to understand that. A farm with camels no less!

Here's some recent photos - taken when Christine accompanyed Tim to projects at SP sites in Bani-Bangou BB land. The tent photo above - is taken at our SP office base in BB. We sleep in tents or on cots outside. No travel luxuries here.

The other photo is Tim with an SP supervisor ayouba for the BSF water filter construction, along with some filters at a village construction site.

Mmmmm clean water, much better than drinking straight out of the pond.


We are hoping that it will be warm in Canada, we are used to a lot of heat out here.

A bientot

GOLF as you've never seen before

Yes - come one come all to the exotic golf vacation resort in Niger, known as Rio Bravo. Bravo is a good name for it as you need some bravery to golf here. Niger is of course mostly desert but that is no reason to not play golf, at least not for the carzy Frenchman who built the course.

Rio Bravo is the one and only golf course in the country, it is an 18 hole par 70 golf course and it is located about 40 minutes drive from Niamey. Rio Bravo has special extra rules for obvious reasons and you will soon find out. The regular golf words/terms are still used despite not being quite the same, for instance the putting “greens” are called greens despite that the only speck of green on them is the painted sign adjacent to them, the greens themselves have no grass!

10 reasons why Golf is better in Niger

(in reverse order)

10) No problem with sprinklers in the way as there is no need for them since there is no grass.

9) Easy to find your ball on the fairway! On the flat brown rocky surface of the fairways, you can see your orange golf ball from more than 100 meters away.

8) You get assigned not one but two personal professional caddies who know the course, and their caddie fees are only $2 each for the whole game (or more if you want). . Your 2^nd caddie goes ahead of you to help spot your ball and to sweep a path for your ball on the putting greens (kind of like curling).

7) Unlikely to be rained out! Niger has not a drop of rain for 9 months of the year and it is usually sunny.

6) No lost balls in water traps (or unlikely). Each water trap (they only contain water during the rainy season) is equipped with some African kids to help out. For 20 cents, they will wade and swim into the water trap in order to find your ball and give it back to you.

5) Sand traps are no stress! (a) Being in a sand “trap” is no worse than the fairway which is mostly sand as well (b) you can whack your ball out of it onto the “green” with your putter since it is hard packed rocky sand;

4) Only your first two putts are counted! Because of the bumpy dirt surface of the “greens” (the greens don’t have a speck of green) you are allowed to count only 2 putts even if you took 20.

3) Your ball always has a perfect lay in the fairway as you are required to replace your ball on top of the portable artificial turf that you carry with you (see photo) for each shot. Always an excellent surface to play off.

2) The “rough” is no rougher than the fairway, it’s the same hard packed sand with almost no bush nor grass. Another perfect surface to play off!

1) The next time you play golf in Canada and are tempted to complain about the conditions of the grass, remember Golf club Rio Bravo in Niger, and you will be happy to have grass!

Looking for a new place to play golf? Now you know where to go, Niger is waiting for you!

Adventures in Taxis

(Note that all photos shown here are a form of taxi!)

Taxis usually come in two forms: car or motorcycle, but could be a van or truck if you’re going into the bush or even a long canoe! Here in Niamey, taxis are cars. If you go to big port city of Cotonou, Benin, the best way to get weave through the congested streets is by "Zim" or motorcycle.

Taxis come in many states of repair or disrepair. Door handles that only work from the outside, modified door handles made out of clothes hangers, holey seats with the foam poking through, the metal skeleton of the vehicle showing, shattered windshields held together with packing tape, windows that don’t open completely or close….

The average taxi serves multiple clients at the same time (like a private run bus). “Just squeeze in. There’s always room for one more!” Babies and small kids can go on their mother’s lap or maybe even on your lap. “Hello there. What’s your name?”
Don’t expect private door to door service unless you have a hotel taxi or want to pay quadruple the price of a regular fair x two! Expect to share your taxi with at least 3 or 4 or more others.

Taxis also serve many unusual and everyday purposes! Commuting to work, going to the market, carrying your groceries home from the market, moving house, moving construction materials or agricultural supplies.

The trunk of a taxi is very versatile. It can hold anything and everything: freshly caught, fish, 50 kg bags of rice/corn/millet/potatoes/onions, pots and pans, precariously placed bowls/buckets of fermented porridge, open baskets of fragile tomatoes, small furniture, bags of manure for the garden, live chickens or goats with their feet tied, or entire legs/thighs of freshly butchered beef piled so high the trunk must be strapped down!

Some items just don’t fit in the trunk. Construction materials such as metal or wood poles may have to lay the length of the taxi and stick out of the window next to you. Once we were in a taxi where the driver hauled two HUGE truck tires on to the roof of the little old taxi. We were seriously concerned the roof would cave in on us!

Normally the taxi driver drops people off in a logical order (first come first served or whoever’s stop comes first on the way). Be prepared though to make a few detours which may bring you far away from your destination or lead you through bumpy side streets, narrow alleys and garbage dumps. The taxi driver decides where he will go and when. He may need to buy some gas along the way, or get a drink, or do a personal errand, or stop to make change for the 2000 CFA bill (worth about $5) you gave him.

Getting around town by taxi is pretty inexpensive. One average distance fare costs 200 CFA (about 50 cents). Carry plenty of little change in your purse. Don’t expect the driver to have much change for any bills no matter how small the denomination unless you happen to catch a taxi near the end of the day!

Taxi drivers are generally polite and very friendly. If they stop to buy a bottle of water, they usually buy extra and offer their passengers a bottle too. They open the door for you if you have a heavy load. Sometimes they are considerate to pull over well off the road so that you don’t have to get out into busy traffic. Generally, though, when you tell them to stop, they put on the brakes immediately. No warning to the cars behind. No gradually slowing down. No pulling over to the curb. No pulling over at a more convenient and safe location. Lesson: give the driver ample warning regarding where and when you want to get off.

Taxi etiquette: always greet the driver and EACH of the passengers when you get in. Failure to do so is very rude. Several times, I (Christine) have been reprimanded by ladies who have felt snubbed because I failed to greet them properly. Africans are very social people. They find Westerners rather antisocial in comparison. For instance, they can’t understand how Westerners can walk along a busy street without even greeting a soul or making eye contact. There will be times when the taxi driver wants to listen to radio or the other passengers are equally as tired as you, but generally it’s polite to carry on a small conversation throughout your drive. It always impresses people too if you can greet them or carry on a small conversation in one of the local languages. When it’s your stop, wave a friendly goodbye…

“Fofo. Kala han fo.” (Thank you. See you another time.)