Padi Kusheh-O

That's Krio for 'Friend, Hello'

I know, I'm a natural

Lately I've been very overwhelmed with a ton of mixed feelings that vary hour to hour between being excited/nervous/unqualified/stressed (about how much I need to get done before I leave)/excited, again.

I can't sleep.. So I figured, why not write a blog with some interesting facts about Sierra Leone? I hope you find them as fascinating as I do.

• There are two seasons, rainy season from May to November and dry season from December to May- the average temperature is around 81° F
• 50% of the population is under the age of 15
• One of the top 10 diamond producing nations in the world (Pssh, knew that one already)
• The country is slightly smaller than South Carolina, and is bordered by Liberia, Guinea, and the Atlantic
• They have an abundance of pineapples, bananas, papaya, coconuts, and mangos (Mmmm YES)
• The average woman bears 6 children in her lifetime
• The government recognizes at least 16 different ethnic groups- while each speaks its own language, the majority speak either Mende or Temne, and almost everyone speaks Krio, as well as English
• Religious makeup is mainly split between Muslims (55%) and Christians (35%)
• The palm tree and the rice grain are symbols recognized nationally - there are over 20 different words to describe rice in Mende

 Ok, this hour I'm back to being excited