Happy Tabaski! So It's been another week or two at site (the days tend to just blend together here) and my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer chugs along. I have basically been spending my days hanging out with my family, working on my language skills (that will never end!) and making more introductions and figuring out exactly where I will be working. I have a meeting coming up with the Inspector of schools of the Department of Velingara (similar to the Superintendent in the States) where we will be discussing the possibility of me giving computer training to students, and during the summer vacation, to all of the teachers (very few of whom know how to use a computer at all). This will be interesting as I will be teaching many people things as basic as how to use the mouse and what a cursor is... I should be returning from Senegal with a new found appreciation for the saying: 'Patience is a Virtue.' I'm still waiting on my Supervisor to return from Mecca, which should be in about a week, at which point I will be introduced to the women's groups with whom I will provide some business / management advice and training. I really need some more Pulaar for that, as most women here don't speak French.
As a whole things have been going well. As I said the days can kind of blend together, some days being better than others. There are definitely days where I am completely bored, feel as though I'm doing nothing and really realize how much of an outsider I am. But then there are also the days that are great, I get along well with everyone and make some new strides in my language. I had my first loss of patience with a Senegalese man who was more educated than most and was persistently asking me for money which he said he's spend on a party (this was immediately following a long and in depth conversation about the causes of poverty and the lack of funds and work in Senegal: such as the fact that all the most highly educated people leave for Europe or the US and having no capital with which to invest). I then lost my temper and yelled at him in French that spending money on things such as parties was exactly the problem and that nobody here saves for the future and that it was exactly the reason for the lack of funds and work. I did manage to add a few apologies in and walked away mid-sentence with my face clearly red and my fists clenched. It wasn't that what he said was any worse than other Senegalese, it was just kind of the boiling point. (Don't get the impression by this story and my last post that all my time with the Senegalese is spent deflecting demands for money... it's usually just once and then we can talk for hours and have great conversations.)
This past week was also Tabaski, the largest Muslim holiday of the year. It is to celebrate the Story of Abraham (same in the Koran as the Bible) where God told Abraham he must kill his only son as a sacrifice as he didn't have a goat. Right as Abraham was about to engorge his son, God replaced the boy with a goat... hence proving Abraham's faith in God and God's status as great and caring. The more I learn about it, the more I realize how similar the three major sects of religion (Christians, Muslims and Jews) are basically the same thing. They all preach doing good towards others, they all believe in one God, and they all draw on the stories and history of the same area and roughly the same time period. Religion aside, a Senegalese holiday basically consists of a lot of buildup with very little actual ‘party.’ Everyone who can (and many who can’t but do anyway) buy new clothing for the event. This is likely the only clothing they will buy that year, so it’s a pretty big deal for them. Also, the girls all do each other’s hair by adding fake hair extensions and braiding for a week straight. Finally, and most importantly, each family buys a goat for slaughter in celebration of the holiday and in recognition of God.
In the morning I got up early and joined the male members of my family at the large prayer session in the center of town. There were many, many people there and it was pretty powerful sitting in huge lines with the rest of them as we bowed and kissed the ground simultaneously in the Muslim style of prayer. I obviously didn’t know exactly what to do, but I’d seen others do it enough at this point that I could just mimic the people around me and get along fairly well. I must say, being at the prayer session earned me a little ‘Velingara street-cred!’ It was also quite powerful to kiss the ground and pray with so many people at the same time, it really invokes a sense of community and humility. After that I returned home where we did the ceremonial killing of the goat (that thing was stick and bones... hardly any meat at all!) after which the day of eating began and so I came to realize the reality of a Senegalese holiday. They basically just go around giving benedictions to all their neighbors and eating all day. I ate so much goat meat at every house that I visited that by mid-afternoon I passed out for a couple hours because I was just so stuffed. When no ‘party’ arrived as I had expected, I realized that eating meat and a new pair of clothing is definitely the most exciting thing that happens each year and is celebration enough in itself.
Also, at some point I took out my camera which made people go completely nuts. EVERYONE wanted a million photos taken of them and I was basically a photographer for the day while my family were the models; my sister’s especially loved it. I even was taken around to all my Dad’s friends’ houses to take photos for them as well (not as if I even have a way right now of making prints!) and by the end of the day I had taken over 100 photos and I wasn’t in a single one (got some of me in my bou-bou the next day). As a whole Tabaski was a good time... if nothing else I got my year’s worth of protein in one day, even though most of it came in the form of fat and cartilage (it’s amazing how good even that tastes now). And I will never forget my mental image of my brothers fighting over the cooked and picked clean skull of the goat (it looked like one of those skulls next to a tumble-weed in an old western) as they managed to find little pieces of brain and eye socket to eat. They picked it clean like a chicken wing. It’s too bad that with all the pictures I took that day I missed that one!
Two days later I left to go to Kolda for a few days as most all the other volunteers would be there, it was Jess’ birthday and we were having a house meeting. I had previously decided to ride my bike from Velingara to Kolda with two other volunteers who live close by, a distance of about 80 miles. All week my family was saying it was too far and I couldn’t do it, but I knew it was possible and was looking forward to the long ride... at least I could tell myself I accomplished something these first couple months! (Just kidding, my language has improved and I know my way around much better now. It’s just weird living for so long with no schedule or tangible accomplishments, so a little challenge like this is exactly what I needed!) So I got up to leave with the sunrise, beating the Mosque wake-up chants, and left by about 6:30 in the morning. I made it about 7km when I hit a pothole in the road and my back tire exploded! So after a week of being told I couldn’t make it to Kolda, I had to walk my broken bike back the 7km and prove them right. Needless to say I was a little disappointed but getting over stupid things like that is something I’ve gotten good at here: the land where pride can oftentimes be your biggest enemy. I ended going to Kolda via sept-place and the two girls rode their bikes without me... I passed them in the car on the way! But they made the whole distance in one day, so I will be doing that as soon as the next opportunity arises. Probably not for Christmas, as I will be carrying a fair amount of baggage, but my next visit to Kolda.
Ohhh, and for Christmas I’m going to spend it with the other volunteers in Kolda, baking cookies, watching Christmas movies and even eating duck! After which, for New Years, I think I will be going to the beach, but I’m not sure. I was originally going to go north to the beach with my stage-mates but unfortunately I think that might be a little too much for my Peace Corps budget right now. But that’s okay, this month as a whole is going to have a lot of time away from site and with other Americans, so it’s fairly relaxing. Meetings and class tomorrow, need to get some sleep. Goodnight and Merry Christmas!
Peace Always!
P.S. : Check out my Webshots albums, I’ve added some photos of Velingara... many more to go but it’s tough with the internet here to load too many. Got at least 100 up though!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Life as a Volunteer... I think
So I haven't written in a while, but I'll try to remember everything! First of all, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I celebrated at the Regional House in Kolda with other volunteers from the region. We each cooked something, and it turned out surprisingly well! We fortunately have some real chefs in the group. Going to Kolda was relaxing after my first two week stint with hardly any English and being the only American for miles (I do fortunately get at least 1 volunteer visitor a week as I live in the 'city' and they all live in the villages). Going to Kolda also means I successfully took 'public transportation' a distance of more than 100km by myself for the first time... a task that seemed impossible upon my arrival in Senegal but was actually done quite easily. I had to take a Sept-Place (REALLY old Peugots, none of which would ever come close to passing inspection in the States) and wait 4 hours at the garage just for it to leave because there were only 5 people (they wait for 7). There were two ladies trying to convince me to buy the last two seats, as being white I could clearly afford it. But fortunately I know enough Pulaar now to say only if they pitched in, which ended that conversation quite quickly!
People asking me for money solely because I am white is a daily occurrence here, and usually doesn't bother me as it is true that even as a volunteer I have more money than most everyone here. It's just unfortunate that begging for money is so ingrained in the culture that people expect me to give it to them, just to go out and spend it on some short term benefit. I'm not complaining, I can't blame them for wanting that 1 new article of clothing they get per year for Tabaski (the big holiday coming up this week), but they spend money without regard to investing or saving for the future. I suppose that's why I'm here as a SED volunteer... but it's hard to tell someone not to spend that money on food but save it instead . I have given food to the young boys begging, as all the money they collect only goes right to their teachers at the Koran schools who then feed them next to nothing. But I don't think I've ever given money to someone on the street. It's often tough to say no, especially when complete strangers who can't even speak hand you their unfilled prescriptions, but it's just one of those things you have to get used to here. From time to time it gets on my nerves, but fortunately I am able to keep my cool. Gotta just got shrug things off every once in awhile! Being able to laugh at yourself and shrug things off are certainly vital attributes a Peace Corps volunteer must have.
I have spent most of my time hanging around Velingara, getting a lay of the land and meeting the people here. My average day consists of waking up at 5am to the Mosque next door calling the morning prayers (they yell stuff really loud in Arabic out of crappy speakers that sound worse than scratching a chalkboard for about an hour!) and laying in bed half awake for a couple more hours. For breakfast I walk to the nearest boutique and buy some bread, say good morning to my family (introductions at all times are important here and usually take five minutes) and return to my room; all of which I can now do in Pulaar! I like to relax and eat in my room in the morning with my AMERICAN COFFEE... soooo much better than the sugar/milk drink they call coffee here, although it was hilarious to have them try my coffee and watch as they all grimaced! I also have been going for bike rides in the cotton, millet, rice and peanut fields at sunrise, which is absolutely beautiful. It's also fun to see the surprised look on peoples' faces when a toabab rides by on a bike in the middle of their fields. For the rest of the morning I spend a couple hours drinking tea and joking around with my cousins, two of which are my age and speak great french.
I've also been spending a lot of time getting my room set up (which it finally is!) and just getting situated here. Then I eat with my family around 2 (some meal that involves white rice... usually "mafe gerete", white rice with peanut sauce. Although on more than one occasion I have simply eaten white rice with a little palm oil on it). After lunch everyone naps for two hours, as even in the cold season the sun is unbearably hot in the middle of the day. I usually just go in my room and read a bit or study some Pulaar, because if I took a nap I would be out for hours! I'm pretty much always a little tired here, so I'm going to try and get more consistent exercise and augment my diet a bit now that I'm situated. I have a nice big bed, a table and chair, and a chalkboard I painted on the wall to practice Pulaar; as a whole I have one of the nicer Peace Corp rooms, but no electricity yet. Also, the wall of my bathroom just barely comes up to my belly button, so I'm fine while using the 'toilet' (hole in the ground) as I'm squatting. But the entire main road can watch my shower, which a religious parade of young girls in burkas did just the other day as they stopped right in front of my house for some reason. After nap time is some more tea and then dinner and bed. A lot of sitting around and chatting!
Just the other day I've started to go around and talk to micro finance banks just to introduce myself and get a handle on their terms for loans. I've also spoken with the Principal of the High School and the Inspector of all the schools here in Velingara, and I will likely be giving computer lessons to High Schoolers and all the teachers / administration in the public schools! Just Word, Excel, Internet, basic things like that, but in french. I've also been reading my GERME books, which are basic business books in French geared specifically for the informal West African market. Good source of new vocab for me! Also I have discovered that the life of a Peace Corps volunteer involves a lot of travelling, which I am excited about. No one goes much more than two weeks at site without a little trip to the regional house. There are also frequent excuses to go to further locations. In the near future, my whole Stage is going to the beach at Popenguine again for Christmas for 5 days. And you don't even have to use vacation time if it's less than a week away! I need to start saving up for the trip across West Africa I'd like to do... I just hope Peace Corps allows us to travel to some of the countries (Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia, etc... watch 'Blood Diamond,' that's why some of them are off limits).
I have already gotten to go to two celebrations where I was able to improve my Senegalese dancing, to the amusement of everyone around me! The first was an official declaration for TOSTAN, which is another American non-profit that works in West Africa for women's rights, mainly the ending of genital cutting and forced and under-aged marriages. The declaration was basically just a party with some music, a few skits, and an official statement that the people of the area will / have stopped such practices. The second was a project that one of the volunteers in the area, Laura, had been working on for some time. It was a contest of traditional story telling, as much of the local culture is being lost as the younger generations follow the American pop culture (or at least as they see it on TV and on the internet) development certainly has its positive and negative aspects!) There were also some skits about abusing anti-biotics and under aged marriages. As with all Senegalese events, this was followed by an entire night of dancing and some food (I swear they eat more at special occasions than the rest of the year combined). That night I hitched a ride in a bus full of teen aged Senegalese Red Cross employees who acted as security for the event. They were jumping all around and singing as we careened through the bush at 2am in a dilapidated bus with holes in the floor... alas they were singing in Wolof, so it was a little tough for me to sing along. Just another average day in Senegal... I always ending up with a bunch of people I've never met before in a place I've never been, speaking two languages I hardly know. It's worth not having AC!
So I've been at the Cyber for a long time now and should probably be heading back home. I need to keep working on that Pulaar and a bucket bath is sounding really good right now. I wonder what will be on the white rice tonight?...
Until next time! Peace and enjoy the holiday season! Celebrate properly for me!
Sorry... no time for the pics! There are a few good ones though! Hopefully in a couple days but probably not until the 12th or so when I'm in Kolda. (There will be Tabaski Pics then too!)
People asking me for money solely because I am white is a daily occurrence here, and usually doesn't bother me as it is true that even as a volunteer I have more money than most everyone here. It's just unfortunate that begging for money is so ingrained in the culture that people expect me to give it to them, just to go out and spend it on some short term benefit. I'm not complaining, I can't blame them for wanting that 1 new article of clothing they get per year for Tabaski (the big holiday coming up this week), but they spend money without regard to investing or saving for the future. I suppose that's why I'm here as a SED volunteer... but it's hard to tell someone not to spend that money on food but save it instead . I have given food to the young boys begging, as all the money they collect only goes right to their teachers at the Koran schools who then feed them next to nothing. But I don't think I've ever given money to someone on the street. It's often tough to say no, especially when complete strangers who can't even speak hand you their unfilled prescriptions, but it's just one of those things you have to get used to here. From time to time it gets on my nerves, but fortunately I am able to keep my cool. Gotta just got shrug things off every once in awhile! Being able to laugh at yourself and shrug things off are certainly vital attributes a Peace Corps volunteer must have.
I have spent most of my time hanging around Velingara, getting a lay of the land and meeting the people here. My average day consists of waking up at 5am to the Mosque next door calling the morning prayers (they yell stuff really loud in Arabic out of crappy speakers that sound worse than scratching a chalkboard for about an hour!) and laying in bed half awake for a couple more hours. For breakfast I walk to the nearest boutique and buy some bread, say good morning to my family (introductions at all times are important here and usually take five minutes) and return to my room; all of which I can now do in Pulaar! I like to relax and eat in my room in the morning with my AMERICAN COFFEE... soooo much better than the sugar/milk drink they call coffee here, although it was hilarious to have them try my coffee and watch as they all grimaced! I also have been going for bike rides in the cotton, millet, rice and peanut fields at sunrise, which is absolutely beautiful. It's also fun to see the surprised look on peoples' faces when a toabab rides by on a bike in the middle of their fields. For the rest of the morning I spend a couple hours drinking tea and joking around with my cousins, two of which are my age and speak great french.
I've also been spending a lot of time getting my room set up (which it finally is!) and just getting situated here. Then I eat with my family around 2 (some meal that involves white rice... usually "mafe gerete", white rice with peanut sauce. Although on more than one occasion I have simply eaten white rice with a little palm oil on it). After lunch everyone naps for two hours, as even in the cold season the sun is unbearably hot in the middle of the day. I usually just go in my room and read a bit or study some Pulaar, because if I took a nap I would be out for hours! I'm pretty much always a little tired here, so I'm going to try and get more consistent exercise and augment my diet a bit now that I'm situated. I have a nice big bed, a table and chair, and a chalkboard I painted on the wall to practice Pulaar; as a whole I have one of the nicer Peace Corp rooms, but no electricity yet. Also, the wall of my bathroom just barely comes up to my belly button, so I'm fine while using the 'toilet' (hole in the ground) as I'm squatting. But the entire main road can watch my shower, which a religious parade of young girls in burkas did just the other day as they stopped right in front of my house for some reason. After nap time is some more tea and then dinner and bed. A lot of sitting around and chatting!
Just the other day I've started to go around and talk to micro finance banks just to introduce myself and get a handle on their terms for loans. I've also spoken with the Principal of the High School and the Inspector of all the schools here in Velingara, and I will likely be giving computer lessons to High Schoolers and all the teachers / administration in the public schools! Just Word, Excel, Internet, basic things like that, but in french. I've also been reading my GERME books, which are basic business books in French geared specifically for the informal West African market. Good source of new vocab for me! Also I have discovered that the life of a Peace Corps volunteer involves a lot of travelling, which I am excited about. No one goes much more than two weeks at site without a little trip to the regional house. There are also frequent excuses to go to further locations. In the near future, my whole Stage is going to the beach at Popenguine again for Christmas for 5 days. And you don't even have to use vacation time if it's less than a week away! I need to start saving up for the trip across West Africa I'd like to do... I just hope Peace Corps allows us to travel to some of the countries (Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia, etc... watch 'Blood Diamond,' that's why some of them are off limits).
I have already gotten to go to two celebrations where I was able to improve my Senegalese dancing, to the amusement of everyone around me! The first was an official declaration for TOSTAN, which is another American non-profit that works in West Africa for women's rights, mainly the ending of genital cutting and forced and under-aged marriages. The declaration was basically just a party with some music, a few skits, and an official statement that the people of the area will / have stopped such practices. The second was a project that one of the volunteers in the area, Laura, had been working on for some time. It was a contest of traditional story telling, as much of the local culture is being lost as the younger generations follow the American pop culture (or at least as they see it on TV and on the internet) development certainly has its positive and negative aspects!) There were also some skits about abusing anti-biotics and under aged marriages. As with all Senegalese events, this was followed by an entire night of dancing and some food (I swear they eat more at special occasions than the rest of the year combined). That night I hitched a ride in a bus full of teen aged Senegalese Red Cross employees who acted as security for the event. They were jumping all around and singing as we careened through the bush at 2am in a dilapidated bus with holes in the floor... alas they were singing in Wolof, so it was a little tough for me to sing along. Just another average day in Senegal... I always ending up with a bunch of people I've never met before in a place I've never been, speaking two languages I hardly know. It's worth not having AC!
So I've been at the Cyber for a long time now and should probably be heading back home. I need to keep working on that Pulaar and a bucket bath is sounding really good right now. I wonder what will be on the white rice tonight?...
Until next time! Peace and enjoy the holiday season! Celebrate properly for me!
Sorry... no time for the pics! There are a few good ones though! Hopefully in a couple days but probably not until the 12th or so when I'm in Kolda. (There will be Tabaski Pics then too!)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Bienvenue à Velingara!
Hey! Well Im here at site in Velingara, on my own in Africa and doing well! My french is really quite strong now, I can hold conversations with anyone and people can explain Pulaar to me in French. The Pulaar is going to be difficult, but I have plenty of time! There were a few problems during my install: for one my hut isnt finished so Im living at my Aunts place for now. Its really not a big deal, as the two compounds are on the same block and the family spends equal time at each. Its just a little annoying not to be able to unpack all my stuff. Also, my supervisor left for Mecca the day after install, but my supervisor is here and one of my brothers (or cousin, not really sure) has be helping me A LOT... hes really kind, patient and speaks good french. Its pretty funny down here, definately a more relaxed attitude than up north. I have A LOT of sisters and cousins and they all just walk around topless whenever they want. Ive had to tell people Im married in order to stave off offerings of peoples daughters! In general I am really excited to be here and as of now its looking like it will be a challenging but fun two years.
Im going to go to Kolda regional house where the other volunteers in the region and I will cook a real thanksgiving meal. Apparently they have some recipes so that we can make all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes from locally available food. The Kolda House is definately a little American haven... I will likely go every other weekend. (I think I watched 3 movies there the other day!) Its nice to be out on my own now, though a bit bizarre to have no schedule whatsoever! My only real job for now is to talk to people, learn the area, improve my french and learn Pulaar. Well Im off to a little more sitting around! My new address is up, but Ive heard it takes FOREVER for stuff to get here. Jamtan! (Peace Only) and have a great Thanksgiving!
Im going to go to Kolda regional house where the other volunteers in the region and I will cook a real thanksgiving meal. Apparently they have some recipes so that we can make all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes from locally available food. The Kolda House is definately a little American haven... I will likely go every other weekend. (I think I watched 3 movies there the other day!) Its nice to be out on my own now, though a bit bizarre to have no schedule whatsoever! My only real job for now is to talk to people, learn the area, improve my french and learn Pulaar. Well Im off to a little more sitting around! My new address is up, but Ive heard it takes FOREVER for stuff to get here. Jamtan! (Peace Only) and have a great Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 10, 2008
I'm Actually a Volunteer Now!
'The Stage that Stayed' at Swear-In... all 40!
So about two months after leaving home, I'm finally a volunteer! Leaving my host family in Thienaba was tough and there were a few tears shed. It's amazing how close you can become to people when you can't even talk. I feel like I know all their personalities and can laugh to jokes that are in a language I know only 5 words of - based solely on facial expressions and emotional reactions. It makes one realize how what we say to people, while significant, isn't as important as just knowing that they are there for you and care about your well-being. While I will miss them, I am VERY excited and a bit anxious to move to what will be my home for the next two years. November 7th was our official swear in at the US Ambassador's House in Dakar (PS: I'm becoming an ambassador later in life... I wouldn't mind having a pool like that in my back yard!). I first want to say that our stage (group of volunteers who come to country at the same time) is amazing and is the first in known PC Senegal history to have all 40 that arrived stay for all of training, pass the language exams and ALL swear-in! It really is a great group and it's disappointing to know that I will likely only see some of them who live far away a few times. Now the pressure is on for all of us to stay for the entire 27 months.
The Kolda Krew from our Stage
(Jess, Emily, Dorothy, Megan, Darren and Me)
We all went to the Ambassador's house where everyone gave speeches, ranging from the PC Country Director - Chris Hedrick, The Training Manager - Demba, The Ambassador, and a Representative from the Senegalese Department of State; all were generally very well delivered and inspiring. A few volunteers also got up and gave some short speeches in local languages and did an amazing job... makes me a little jealous that as of right now I only really know French (comme ci comme ca). After the official ceremony we got some AMAZING food, which didn't make it 4 feet out of the kitchen before it was devoured by a pack of starving newly appointed volunteers and their possibly even hungrier trainers.
The Thienaba Crew at Swear In - All Decked out in our Senegalese Clothes
Later that night, back in the training center in Thies, there was a little dinner party for the volunteers, trainers, and a member of each volunteer's training host family. My brother and homonym, Moustapha, came to represent the Diops. For the most part it was a bit of an awkward-fest, I think I actually talked more with Moustapha than any of the other volunteer / host family pairings (it is a little easier to maintain a conversation in French than Wolof or Pulaar). Also, during the presentation of diplomas to the host families, they mentioned the passing of my father and Moustapha become a little choked up. In the end, however, he was able to maintain his composure very well and went up to accept the diploma on behalf of the family of Alioune Diop. There was also crazy Senegalese dancing going on between the volunteers and Senegalese, accompanied by local musicians playing some crazy Senegalese guitar/drum thing. In the end it was a good day and I think everyone was happy to finally be official volunteers.
Senegalese Musicians
The two Moustaphas at the Post Swear-In Party
I enjoyed a few moments of extreme pride and contentment that day, knowing for probably the first time in my life that I was doing exactly what I should be and I am exactly where I belong. I think all us here were a little afraid to make the decision to leave home for two years, but I know that it was definitely the right one for me. There are very tough days here where you feel completely out of place, confused, and lost and you question every decision you've ever made. And then there are days where you just want to start dancing for no reason other than the feelings of pure excitement, adventure and joy that pulse through your whole body and soul when you realize where you are and what you are doing with your life. In the end the lows and the highs are both invaluable experiences that make life what it is; and you can't have one without the other. If it weren't for those moments when you are simply frustrated and want to quit (and this has nothing to do with Peace Corps but with anything), the moments of success would not be nearly so meaningful and joyous. Let's just say I'm glad I'm here as it has made me appreciate everything so much more, especially all that I left behind in order to live in Senegal.
Crazy Senegalese Dance Party
Far from the first time I've "danced" the Sabaar.
Well off my little rant and back to what's been happening: two days after swear in we all woke up at 6am (some of us still a little happy from our 'volunteer only celebrations') and started our journeys to our respective sites. It's crazy that we're all splitting up after two good months, but that's what we're here for! So basically the ride went smoothly, the Gambian border guards didn't hassle us too much and the driver was pretty quick (I think it only took about 10 - 11 hrs). Now I'm sitting in the Kolda Regional house, enjoying the company of the Americans who will be my neighbors and friends for the next two years. I also have the company of a TV with a well stocked movie collection and internet connection on computers with American keyboards and no time limit (can you tell that based on the length of this post?). So we spent all day shopping today buying what'd we'd need for our huts and in 1 day I will be dropped off in Velingara to truly face Senegal on my own for the first time! I can't wait!
Random Gambian Fisherman
The ferry across the Gambia River
The ferry across the Gambia River
I'm not sure what my access to the internet will be at sight but I'll be back on as soon as possible. If not before, I'll be back here at the regional house for Thanksgiving. Peace to you all and keep in touch!
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Final Thienaba Days
Baobab Tree in the fields near my house in Thienaba... I get to see this everyday!
French Class with Regina (la Prof), Lindsay, Michelle and Ankith
Yes Mums! I'm alive and have the pic to prove it!
Some local Sai-Sais returning from the fields wanted their picture taken
Believe it or not I've actually been getting up at sunrise to run recently (I know, I'm surprised too) and the millet fields interspersed with baobab trees and ant highways are beautiful (and pleasantly cool) with the rising sun and layer of mist... not to mentioned the surprised faces of the local farmers when a toabab comes running through the fields at 7am. I've really been enjoying this last week of training; I'm finally fairly comfortable with my French and the days are generally relaxed. I also bought a boubou today for swear in, so get ready for a few pictures of the Senegalese Mike (as my brother claims me to be). Peace out, Happy Halloween, and talk to you all soon!
Language class... I'm pretending to speak French and Wolof
PS: I finally have some pics with me in them for you Mums! You can thank Ankith (Ibrahima) and Lindsay (Yacine)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
More Training!
Hey All!
Needless to say training is starting to drag on a bit, but at least it's nice to have a small grasp on French at this point so I can communicate with my training family; whom I already know I am going to miss. This past week has been great... full of new experiences. First I want to apologize for last weeks post, I didn't mean to scare anyone. Everyone who went to Dakar for the match was fine, they just came home with some interesting new stories. We really are all well cared for here, and the Senegalese people as a whole are extremely kind and caring towards strangers.
So as I said we all visited Dakar just to get a lay of the land. It is certainly a world apart from the rest of Senegal. Although you can see the inadequete housing on the ride in to the city, the traffic and scenery downtown practically makes you feel like you're back at home. We saw all the sites of downtown, no-one got pickpocketed (as far as I know) and we all got to see the PC offices and the all important Med Hut where we will all likely be forced to spend some time. We got some great views of the entire city from the roof of a hotel (see above!) Also, a fifteen year old boy, who was one of the hundreds of people trying to sell stuff to people in cars stuck in traffic, attempted to sell us pirated porn videos (a little funny yet a sad tell-tale sign of the state of Senegal at the same time... example below), as well as all the vendors in the city trying to sell us random items (the same guy will be selling a wallet, polo shirt, peanuts, and a pirated version of "The President's Daughter," supposedly starring Beyonce). Overall it was a heck of an experience... there's lots of action in Dakar, and it really is safe, I promise!
Later in the week we also had a trainee-trainer soccer match: basically that means a bunch of 30yr old Senegalese men who are in good shape and have played soccer their entire lives against a mix matched team of volunteers. Surprisingly the game ended in a 3-3 tie! Lucky for us a few of the volunteers are great football players and I think the trainers were trying to be a little too fancy with their ball handling. One thing I definately learned from the match is that I realllllyyyy need to start running...
We also had counterpart workshops this week. I got to meet my counterpart, Abdurahman Sane, and my supervisor, Fatou Niene (forgive the spelling, I'm sure it's as bad as my pronunciation!) Fatou is a very intelligent and influential woman in the community and will be a great person to work with. Abdurahman will be my daily contact and is a laid back guy who will be living just down the street. After the meetings I am very excited to swear in and get started. The workshop as a whole was quite hilarious... seeing 40 or so Senegalese engaged in "business meetings" a certainly an experience; I'm just glad it was done in French so I could atleast understand the better part of it. All the counterparts even recieved diplomas at the end... apparently that's a motivational tool commonly used by Peace Corps. I can't wait to give out my first!
Well as always internet time is limited and I must go. Getting ready for the last 9 day stint in our training villages to finish language training, then its only a few days before swear in! Inshallah, I'll be down in Velingara soon!
Sry... pics not working now, will try again later.
Needless to say training is starting to drag on a bit, but at least it's nice to have a small grasp on French at this point so I can communicate with my training family; whom I already know I am going to miss. This past week has been great... full of new experiences. First I want to apologize for last weeks post, I didn't mean to scare anyone. Everyone who went to Dakar for the match was fine, they just came home with some interesting new stories. We really are all well cared for here, and the Senegalese people as a whole are extremely kind and caring towards strangers.
Someone trying to sell a Djemba to Aaron in Dakar
So as I said we all visited Dakar just to get a lay of the land. It is certainly a world apart from the rest of Senegal. Although you can see the inadequete housing on the ride in to the city, the traffic and scenery downtown practically makes you feel like you're back at home. We saw all the sites of downtown, no-one got pickpocketed (as far as I know) and we all got to see the PC offices and the all important Med Hut where we will all likely be forced to spend some time. We got some great views of the entire city from the roof of a hotel (see above!) Also, a fifteen year old boy, who was one of the hundreds of people trying to sell stuff to people in cars stuck in traffic, attempted to sell us pirated porn videos (a little funny yet a sad tell-tale sign of the state of Senegal at the same time... example below), as well as all the vendors in the city trying to sell us random items (the same guy will be selling a wallet, polo shirt, peanuts, and a pirated version of "The President's Daughter," supposedly starring Beyonce). Overall it was a heck of an experience... there's lots of action in Dakar, and it really is safe, I promise!
Dakar from the rooftop
Later in the week we also had a trainee-trainer soccer match: basically that means a bunch of 30yr old Senegalese men who are in good shape and have played soccer their entire lives against a mix matched team of volunteers. Surprisingly the game ended in a 3-3 tie! Lucky for us a few of the volunteers are great football players and I think the trainers were trying to be a little too fancy with their ball handling. One thing I definately learned from the match is that I realllllyyyy need to start running...
Who needs a 7-11 when you can by munchies on the highway?
We also had counterpart workshops this week. I got to meet my counterpart, Abdurahman Sane, and my supervisor, Fatou Niene (forgive the spelling, I'm sure it's as bad as my pronunciation!) Fatou is a very intelligent and influential woman in the community and will be a great person to work with. Abdurahman will be my daily contact and is a laid back guy who will be living just down the street. After the meetings I am very excited to swear in and get started. The workshop as a whole was quite hilarious... seeing 40 or so Senegalese engaged in "business meetings" a certainly an experience; I'm just glad it was done in French so I could atleast understand the better part of it. All the counterparts even recieved diplomas at the end... apparently that's a motivational tool commonly used by Peace Corps. I can't wait to give out my first!
Well as always internet time is limited and I must go. Getting ready for the last 9 day stint in our training villages to finish language training, then its only a few days before swear in! Inshallah, I'll be down in Velingara soon!
Sry... pics not working now, will try again later.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Hello from Thies! I am currently sitting in an air conditioned restaurant that has free internet access, eating ice cream and hanging out with some friends... heaven! I spent the last week in Thienaba with my host family. It was a fairly tough at times due to a recent loss in the family, but in the end the family has been strong and together pushed through it. The entire family has been praying together many times a day (before they often prayed the five daily prayers separately), which is powerful to say the least. Otherwise the time in the village has become fairly routine, consisting of language classes, Thebu Jen (the meal of rice, a little fish, and some veggies that I eat twice a day, most every day) and taking naps under the tree. I'm really adapting to Senegalese culture well, I can take a nap with the best of them!
Last night, back in Thies, a bunch of us went out to some live music. The band was great but at first no-one there was dancing. So it ended up being a bunch of toababs dancing in front while everyone else watched... we were probably more entertaining at first than the band. Eventually, however, we managed to get a lot of the Senegalese up dancing as well and in the end everyone had a great time. Monday I'll be making my first trip to Dakar since we arrived there by plane from the US. I will be bringing the least amount of money possible as the likelihood of being pick pocketed is really high. Also, there have been a lot of riots in Dakar recently as the government has been charging people double for electricity and often times completely cutting the power even to people who pay. Another huge riot occured after the Senegal-Gambia football match, which ended in a tie, eliminating Senegal from the World Cup. Unfortunately a few volunteers and trainees who were at the game got caught in the middle of it and were beaten and robbed. Needless to say I'm glad I wasn't there. Overall, however, Dakar is perfectly safe in the day, so no worries! I'm really excited to see the big city.
Next week is also counterpart workshops, where I will be meeting my supposed future work partner for the first time. Fingers crossed she speaks French! Swear-In is in just a couple weeks and I can't Wait! Training has been a good time and its nice to be around other Americans, but I can't wait to be totally set free in this new country. There is hilarious stuff that happens pretty much every day here but unfortunately I can never seem to remember them when it comes time to write this blog. Needless to say every day is interesting here in Senegal. Well gotta go, talk to you all soon. Have a good Halloween and GO SOX!!!
Last night, back in Thies, a bunch of us went out to some live music. The band was great but at first no-one there was dancing. So it ended up being a bunch of toababs dancing in front while everyone else watched... we were probably more entertaining at first than the band. Eventually, however, we managed to get a lot of the Senegalese up dancing as well and in the end everyone had a great time. Monday I'll be making my first trip to Dakar since we arrived there by plane from the US. I will be bringing the least amount of money possible as the likelihood of being pick pocketed is really high. Also, there have been a lot of riots in Dakar recently as the government has been charging people double for electricity and often times completely cutting the power even to people who pay. Another huge riot occured after the Senegal-Gambia football match, which ended in a tie, eliminating Senegal from the World Cup. Unfortunately a few volunteers and trainees who were at the game got caught in the middle of it and were beaten and robbed. Needless to say I'm glad I wasn't there. Overall, however, Dakar is perfectly safe in the day, so no worries! I'm really excited to see the big city.
Next week is also counterpart workshops, where I will be meeting my supposed future work partner for the first time. Fingers crossed she speaks French! Swear-In is in just a couple weeks and I can't Wait! Training has been a good time and its nice to be around other Americans, but I can't wait to be totally set free in this new country. There is hilarious stuff that happens pretty much every day here but unfortunately I can never seem to remember them when it comes time to write this blog. Needless to say every day is interesting here in Senegal. Well gotta go, talk to you all soon. Have a good Halloween and GO SOX!!!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Greetings from Thies! Just got back from a day and night on the beach... International service definately has its perks! All the trainees pitched in and we rented a house on the beach for the night; enjoying the water, a few Gazelles (cheap Senegalese beer), and the good company.
Beach House!
Trip down to Kolda
Megan sleeping on the looong ride down to Kolda
Beach House!
Trip down to Kolda
Megan sleeping on the looong ride down to Kolda
Random village on the road
The Peace Corps as a whole has a very youthful attitude surrounding it, which makes for some good times. As a whole our stage (training group) has been getting along very well, I really lucked out and got placed in Senegal with some great people.
So I should be spending the next week back in Thienaba with my host family, getting in some much needed French practice. Less than a month untill swear in! Its already flying by!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Volunteer Site Visit Numbre Une
Greetings from Kolda House in the southern region of Senegal! As I said before, the other day I found out where my site is for the next two years. Its a decent sized city of about 24,000 but don't let that fool you, it's still going to be a bit out in the boonies. The Kolda region is south of the Gambia, so when travelling between here and the training center in Thies or Dakar we need to cross international borders; which is interesting to say the least.
We were woken up at 6am to get on the Peace Corps Bus (not a big school bus or Greyhound) and head to our site visits. We started off with 22 people and a lot of gear, including a refrigirator, on the roof. As we moved southward, however, people got off to meet up with current volunteers for a week and get an idea of what our lives are going to be like for the next two years. We had to bride our way through the Gambia, which is pretty cool. Not many people can say they had that experience.
Overall the ride took 14 hours on EXTREMELY bumby roads but the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Overall Senegal is really flat, with the southern regions being more green than the northern. The other volunteers in my region are great; they threw a little party for us when we arrived last night, which was great fun. The house has elecricity, TV, and internet (that I'm using to write this) and seems to be a great spot to meet up with other volunteers and get a little taste of home for a while.
Well I'm going to keep this one short as I'm coming down with my first Senegalese ailments: diarhea, headache, chills, and some funky rash. But ohhh well, it all comes with the territory. Atleast I'm somewhere with a nice bed. A bientot!
We were woken up at 6am to get on the Peace Corps Bus (not a big school bus or Greyhound) and head to our site visits. We started off with 22 people and a lot of gear, including a refrigirator, on the roof. As we moved southward, however, people got off to meet up with current volunteers for a week and get an idea of what our lives are going to be like for the next two years. We had to bride our way through the Gambia, which is pretty cool. Not many people can say they had that experience.
Overall the ride took 14 hours on EXTREMELY bumby roads but the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Overall Senegal is really flat, with the southern regions being more green than the northern. The other volunteers in my region are great; they threw a little party for us when we arrived last night, which was great fun. The house has elecricity, TV, and internet (that I'm using to write this) and seems to be a great spot to meet up with other volunteers and get a little taste of home for a while.
Well I'm going to keep this one short as I'm coming down with my first Senegalese ailments: diarhea, headache, chills, and some funky rash. But ohhh well, it all comes with the territory. Atleast I'm somewhere with a nice bed. A bientot!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thieneba Trip Numbre Deux
Hello All
I'm back in Thies after a ten day stint at my training site in Thieneba. There has been so much that has happened and I'm afraid I will forget some of it, but here it goes...
All the SED and EcoT volunteers went out to the village of Popenguine to visit an EcoT site (pics below) on the beach. It was great to talk with the Park Officials and the Womens Group that created the reserve and to see an actual site where my friend Ankith will be working for the next two years. It was also nice to go for a little hike; I've basically been spending most of my time sitting and you get a little antsy after a while. After the trip to Popenguine and some more info sessions (yeah - malaria, blister beetles, and a million other bugs, parasites, and amoebas that I can't even name), I went back to my training site in Thienaba.
Popenguine
Popenguine
Popenguine
Life in the village can run at a pretty slow pace compared to what we are used to back in the states, especially during Ramadan as nobody has much energy due to the fasting. I have kept myself pretty busy though, as we have language classes all day. My French is getting better every day, and I can't wait to start learning a local language. This past visit I have really started to get closer to the family, the culminating moment coming a week in when I was unanimously considered a real member of the family. It's amazing how far a little patience and a few jokes can go.
My sister, Khyadi Ba
My Sisters Rokhya and Fatau trying to hide from the camera because their hair isn't ready yet... seem familiar to the US?
My Brother, Balla, who helps me out with my French A LOT!
The last day before I left Thienaba was Koritay, the feast at the end of Ramadan. If you'd like to celebrate your own Koritay its quite simple: just eat any animal that had eaten the crumbs from breakfast just four hours before until you can't move, sleep under a tree, drink lots of tea and repeat. It's a great day... Also, the kids run around asking for pocket change or candy, its kinda like Thanksgiving and Halloween all in one glorious day. I really was bummed to be leaving my family for the next 14 days as I go to visit a current volunteer and have a few days at the training center; I was really starting to feel really comfortable there. I love my family very much and I wish I could live with them the entire time I'm here... so it goes.
My Niece, Binta, and my nephew, Cheick
My Sisters partaking in the Korita feast... mmmmmm freshly killed mutton (he was my alarm clock the day before, what a tasty shame) After a couple of weeks with no red meat it is undescribable how good it tastes.
So I found out where my permanent site is going to be today: Velingara, a city of 24,000 in the Kolda region. (In other words I'm south of the Gambia in the more rainforestesque region... Alhumdolilah!) I can't wait to check out my site, training is flying by and the time is quickly approaching. I will miss my family in Thienabe but I'm excited to get to my real site. Once again running out of time, but that's a decent post for now. I still can't believe this is my life right now, it's unbelievable and certainly a heck of a lot more exciting than some cubicle job would have been! Love and miss you all!
My room in Thieneba... more pics coming, its tough to take photos as everyone in the world wants 500 pictures taken of them as soon as they see the camera.
PS: Keep my father in your prayers as he's suffering from liver problems and malaria. He's a strong man and I'm sure he will pull through, but the good thoughts never hurt... ohhh and my brother is doing well.
PPS: Mums, if you want to neaten this up for me a bit that'd be great! Love you, talk to you soon!
I'm back in Thies after a ten day stint at my training site in Thieneba. There has been so much that has happened and I'm afraid I will forget some of it, but here it goes...
All the SED and EcoT volunteers went out to the village of Popenguine to visit an EcoT site (pics below) on the beach. It was great to talk with the Park Officials and the Womens Group that created the reserve and to see an actual site where my friend Ankith will be working for the next two years. It was also nice to go for a little hike; I've basically been spending most of my time sitting and you get a little antsy after a while. After the trip to Popenguine and some more info sessions (yeah - malaria, blister beetles, and a million other bugs, parasites, and amoebas that I can't even name), I went back to my training site in Thienaba.
Popenguine
Popenguine
PopenguineLife in the village can run at a pretty slow pace compared to what we are used to back in the states, especially during Ramadan as nobody has much energy due to the fasting. I have kept myself pretty busy though, as we have language classes all day. My French is getting better every day, and I can't wait to start learning a local language. This past visit I have really started to get closer to the family, the culminating moment coming a week in when I was unanimously considered a real member of the family. It's amazing how far a little patience and a few jokes can go.
My sister, Khyadi Ba
My Sisters Rokhya and Fatau trying to hide from the camera because their hair isn't ready yet... seem familiar to the US?
My Brother, Balla, who helps me out with my French A LOT!The last day before I left Thienaba was Koritay, the feast at the end of Ramadan. If you'd like to celebrate your own Koritay its quite simple: just eat any animal that had eaten the crumbs from breakfast just four hours before until you can't move, sleep under a tree, drink lots of tea and repeat. It's a great day... Also, the kids run around asking for pocket change or candy, its kinda like Thanksgiving and Halloween all in one glorious day. I really was bummed to be leaving my family for the next 14 days as I go to visit a current volunteer and have a few days at the training center; I was really starting to feel really comfortable there. I love my family very much and I wish I could live with them the entire time I'm here... so it goes.
My Niece, Binta, and my nephew, Cheick
My Sisters partaking in the Korita feast... mmmmmm freshly killed mutton (he was my alarm clock the day before, what a tasty shame) After a couple of weeks with no red meat it is undescribable how good it tastes.So I found out where my permanent site is going to be today: Velingara, a city of 24,000 in the Kolda region. (In other words I'm south of the Gambia in the more rainforestesque region... Alhumdolilah!) I can't wait to check out my site, training is flying by and the time is quickly approaching. I will miss my family in Thienabe but I'm excited to get to my real site. Once again running out of time, but that's a decent post for now. I still can't believe this is my life right now, it's unbelievable and certainly a heck of a lot more exciting than some cubicle job would have been! Love and miss you all!
My room in Thieneba... more pics coming, its tough to take photos as everyone in the world wants 500 pictures taken of them as soon as they see the camera.PS: Keep my father in your prayers as he's suffering from liver problems and malaria. He's a strong man and I'm sure he will pull through, but the good thoughts never hurt... ohhh and my brother is doing well.
PPS: Mums, if you want to neaten this up for me a bit that'd be great! Love you, talk to you soon!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Thies and My First Host Family Experience
Je dis "Asallamalekum" et vous me respondez "Malekum salaam," bien sur! "Nanga def?" "Maangi fi rekk. Yow nag?" That's basically the exchange of words between me and any random person on the street. They love it when a toubab speaks even a little of their language. That simple greeting upon passing a Senegalese person usually grants you a warm smile (often times accompianied with an expression of surprise) and a new friend that you can count on to back you up if the moment ever arises (which is unfortunately not all that unlikely).
So I've been here for a little over a week now and I'm starting to get used to life in Senegal. The heat isn't too bad right now as it's staying under 100°F... unfortunately, depending on where I end up being placed, it could reach as high as 120°F during the hot season. I've also been working on my French, which is my official language for training; although I have picked up a few Muslim and Woloof phrases as well. Eventually during my service I should end up being highly proficient in both French and a local language... but that is a long way off yet. I've been using some of m newly found language skills in the market in Thies (pictures of the market throughout this post... they're not that good because it's a little risky for me to have my camera out in crowded places). Thies is one of the biggest cities in Senegal and is home to the training center for the Corps de la Paix. I've mainly used the market so far to pick up gifts for my training host family (some dates, tea, and sugar make great gifts, especially during Ramadan as all Muslims refrain from food and water while the sun is up for the entire month and eat dates to break the fast). My haggling skills have been alright, but could still use improvement... they always assume us toubabs can afford the high prices.
The basic set up of the Peace Corps training involves total immersion. We are all split up to live in different villages based on the lqnguage we qre learning (there is French and 5 local languages being taught). While at our training villages we live with local families who are instructed to treat us just as another member of the family and not a guest. During the day, the trainees learning the same language meet for small group (4 people) language classes. Then we spend lunch, dinner and the night with our families. After periods in the village, we reconvien at the training center for health, safety and technical training classes for a few days at time, then back out to the village; back and forth for two months!
So this past week I spent my first three days and two nights of time with my host family in the village on Thienaba. It was such an incredible and overwhelming experience that I will try my best to explain it although I know any and all words will fall short. My name for training is Mustapha Diop, after my 17 year old brother. (I like to joke with the family how I am the second Moustapha, "Moustapha deuxieme," even though I am the elder of the two.) I am supposed to be learning French but hardly anyone in the family knows it (myself included) and they all speak Woloof amoungst themselves. Needless to say the first couple nights included a lot of confusion and hand gestures, but even after those few days some progress was made. I haven't quite figuered out the family tree yet, as I live with a good 25 people in the compound (fortunately the Peace Corps requires that I get my own room). Imagine being surrounded by twenty five people simultaneuosly speaking at you in a language you do not undestand a single word of... it's quite overwhelming at first. Overall the family is extremely kind and patient, and a few of them will bear with me as I butcher the French language. The kids especially like hanging around me and could spend the whole day just touching my white skin and staring while trying to get me to repeat the names of objects in Woloof.
As instructed by the Peace Corps, and as I would wish it, I live in the same conditions as the rest of the family: I eat out of the same communal bowl, I use the same hole in the ground toilet (and yes... wipe with my left hand), and take showers with a bucket of water. Surprisingly these are not the things that take the most getting used to. For now the inability to communicate has been my biggest frustration. Also, I'm pretty sure one of the children is sick with maleria. Unfortunately 1 in 8 Senegalese children die, the leading cause being maleria. Hopefully this is not the case for my fellow Diop (Volunteers have had child brothers and sisters pass while living with their families before). Already I love my host family; they have been so kind in sharing what little they have and are patient as saints. So please, keep them in your prayers.
Fortunately, like me, they like to joke around. Many awkward moments of utter confusion have ended with a lighthearted laugh (usually at my expense, and deservedly so). Just the other day the women were pounding millet in the morning. They are so strong and well practicied at this daily ritual that they can throw the pestle up in the air, clap a few times, catch it and bring it down with surprising force onto the millet in the mortar; only to repeat the motion again and again with outstanding grace accompannied by brute force. So when I went to give it a try (which is already funny to them because I, a man, was doing a woman's job) I also threw the pestle in the air and clapped... and they laughed and laughed and laughed. Later on they were talking to a neighbor and all I could pick out of the conversation was my name, a clap, and another outburst of laughter. It was at that moment that i felt as though I started to connect a bit with the family.
The first day and night in the village I was certainly wondering what the heck I was doing there, but by the end of the couple days the family and I had shared a few laughs, leaving me anxious to return to the Diop compound and continue to improve my French and Woloof so that I can someday have a decent conversation and learn more about them. Hopefully that will be soon, Inshallah. Well time for me to go, my time at the cyber cafe is running out again and the Peace Corps doesnt pay well enough for me to sit here all day (and enough has happened that it would easily take that long to write it all down)!
Ba Suba et A Bientot!
So I've been here for a little over a week now and I'm starting to get used to life in Senegal. The heat isn't too bad right now as it's staying under 100°F... unfortunately, depending on where I end up being placed, it could reach as high as 120°F during the hot season. I've also been working on my French, which is my official language for training; although I have picked up a few Muslim and Woloof phrases as well. Eventually during my service I should end up being highly proficient in both French and a local language... but that is a long way off yet. I've been using some of m newly found language skills in the market in Thies (pictures of the market throughout this post... they're not that good because it's a little risky for me to have my camera out in crowded places). Thies is one of the biggest cities in Senegal and is home to the training center for the Corps de la Paix. I've mainly used the market so far to pick up gifts for my training host family (some dates, tea, and sugar make great gifts, especially during Ramadan as all Muslims refrain from food and water while the sun is up for the entire month and eat dates to break the fast). My haggling skills have been alright, but could still use improvement... they always assume us toubabs can afford the high prices.
The basic set up of the Peace Corps training involves total immersion. We are all split up to live in different villages based on the lqnguage we qre learning (there is French and 5 local languages being taught). While at our training villages we live with local families who are instructed to treat us just as another member of the family and not a guest. During the day, the trainees learning the same language meet for small group (4 people) language classes. Then we spend lunch, dinner and the night with our families. After periods in the village, we reconvien at the training center for health, safety and technical training classes for a few days at time, then back out to the village; back and forth for two months!
So this past week I spent my first three days and two nights of time with my host family in the village on Thienaba. It was such an incredible and overwhelming experience that I will try my best to explain it although I know any and all words will fall short. My name for training is Mustapha Diop, after my 17 year old brother. (I like to joke with the family how I am the second Moustapha, "Moustapha deuxieme," even though I am the elder of the two.) I am supposed to be learning French but hardly anyone in the family knows it (myself included) and they all speak Woloof amoungst themselves. Needless to say the first couple nights included a lot of confusion and hand gestures, but even after those few days some progress was made. I haven't quite figuered out the family tree yet, as I live with a good 25 people in the compound (fortunately the Peace Corps requires that I get my own room). Imagine being surrounded by twenty five people simultaneuosly speaking at you in a language you do not undestand a single word of... it's quite overwhelming at first. Overall the family is extremely kind and patient, and a few of them will bear with me as I butcher the French language. The kids especially like hanging around me and could spend the whole day just touching my white skin and staring while trying to get me to repeat the names of objects in Woloof.
As instructed by the Peace Corps, and as I would wish it, I live in the same conditions as the rest of the family: I eat out of the same communal bowl, I use the same hole in the ground toilet (and yes... wipe with my left hand), and take showers with a bucket of water. Surprisingly these are not the things that take the most getting used to. For now the inability to communicate has been my biggest frustration. Also, I'm pretty sure one of the children is sick with maleria. Unfortunately 1 in 8 Senegalese children die, the leading cause being maleria. Hopefully this is not the case for my fellow Diop (Volunteers have had child brothers and sisters pass while living with their families before). Already I love my host family; they have been so kind in sharing what little they have and are patient as saints. So please, keep them in your prayers.
Fortunately, like me, they like to joke around. Many awkward moments of utter confusion have ended with a lighthearted laugh (usually at my expense, and deservedly so). Just the other day the women were pounding millet in the morning. They are so strong and well practicied at this daily ritual that they can throw the pestle up in the air, clap a few times, catch it and bring it down with surprising force onto the millet in the mortar; only to repeat the motion again and again with outstanding grace accompannied by brute force. So when I went to give it a try (which is already funny to them because I, a man, was doing a woman's job) I also threw the pestle in the air and clapped... and they laughed and laughed and laughed. Later on they were talking to a neighbor and all I could pick out of the conversation was my name, a clap, and another outburst of laughter. It was at that moment that i felt as though I started to connect a bit with the family.
The first day and night in the village I was certainly wondering what the heck I was doing there, but by the end of the couple days the family and I had shared a few laughs, leaving me anxious to return to the Diop compound and continue to improve my French and Woloof so that I can someday have a decent conversation and learn more about them. Hopefully that will be soon, Inshallah. Well time for me to go, my time at the cyber cafe is running out again and the Peace Corps doesnt pay well enough for me to sit here all day (and enough has happened that it would easily take that long to write it all down)!
Ba Suba et A Bientot!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Staging and PST
So I'm finally in Senegal! I went to two days of staging in Phili, which provided a great opportunity to get to know all of the other volunteers. We had some basic prep classes and got to go out to dinner at night with our walk around money. Everyone has gotten along extremely well and I'm glad to have them all as my friends and support over the next few years. The volunteers come from all around the country and are all between 21 and 25 years old. Needless to say we're all excited to be here.
After two days in Phili we came to Senegal and have been receiving basic health, safety, introduction, etc. classes. Today was the first time we have walked out of the compound, and now we are free to come and go as we choose. Unfortunately I do not yet know where in the country I will be placed, but I should be finding out in the next couple of weeks. Our daily schedule has pretty much consisted of waking up early to a breakfast of bread, followed by classes in the disco hut (the big circular hut), then lunch of rice in a communal bowl on the ground, more classes, Western style dinner, then hanging out and bed (with my sweet mosquito net!)
I have also been using the squat toilet, which is an interesting experience. The first couple of times I had a little trouble doing it without falling over, but I've been getting better at it. Needless to say it is hot and buggy, but all the local people have have been so nice and patient with my poor language skills. In a couple days I will be moving in with my host family and taking my language classes in the local village. Every once and a while the whole group will meet back up at the training center for more classes. After we are sworn in on Nov. 7, we will be placed at our sites for a little of two months of 'integration' time; during which we have no job. Then we go back to Thies for three weeks of IST (in service training) which will be mainly technically based.
Well I have to go, my time at the cyber cafe is up and its taken me forever to type in this French keyboard. I will be getting a phone, so I'll let you all know the number. Sooo much more to say but no time! I'll write again soon, Inshallah (If God Wills It) Au revior!
Friday, September 5, 2008
It all fits in 3 Bags!!!
So the time has finally come for me to leave for my time in the Peace Corps. For those of you who don’t know, here’s a general idea of what I’m getting myself into (at least as far as I know, they’re very big on testing our patience for the unknown by leaving things very ambiguous). First I’ll be flying into Philly from Boston on Sept. 8 for 2 ½ days of Staging. Here I’ll meet people for the first time, get introduced to the program, get a few shots and start to take my malaria medicine, which I will be on constantly for the next 27 months. Then we (the other trainees and I) take a bus to NYC, where we fly as a group to Dakar, the capital city of Senegal; landing in the early morning of Sept. 11. There we’ll be met by a blast of hot air, a loudspeaker making announcements in a language that I will just then realize how little I understand and the Peace Corps Senegal training crew. We’ll then hop in a van for the 2 ½ hr ride to Thies, the city where my training will be held. Based on my past experience in Jamaica and Nicaragua and what I’ve heard about the driving in Senegal, it'll be quite a journey. I don’t know how this sounds to you, but I can’t wait!
Once we’re at the training site, I’m a little confused as to exactly what our schedule will be (as I said before they love being ambiguous: I applied the better part of a year ago and didn’t even find out where I was going until this summer). As far as I can tell, we will spend about a week at the training site getting crash courses in Wolof (the local African dialect), culture and safety, sleeping in bunks at the training site. Then we will split into small groups and visit some volunteers at their sites for a few days to see first-hand how the Peace Corps work. After that, the next 2 ½ months will be spent going to language, technical, cultural, and safety classes at the training center in Thies for 8-9 hrs a day, 6 days a week. Ohhh, and did I mention that everything will be taught in French… so I better learn it quick! During this time all the trainees (we’re not officially volunteers until we are sworn in at the end of training) will be living with separate host families. Assuming all goes well I should be sworn in and start my assignment some time in December.
For my assignment I still have no idea where in the country I will end up, whether or not I will have power or running water, or what my exact assignment will be. I do know that I am in the field of Small Enterprise Development. This would likely include projects such as providing basic business education classes to my community, helping to organize or run a microfinance program, and facilitating connections between my community members and other business organizations or NGO’s which can help them to create or grow their own business. The most important part of anything I work on, however, is that it needs to be self sustaining and effective once I leave after two years.
I’m certainly starting to get a little anxious to go. It’s going to be tough but I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I’m ready for my departure. I must say it has been hectic recently getting everything ready to go, but I think I finally have all my stuff packed. Here’s a list of what I’m bringing, it seems like a lot but when you see it all laid out or packed up the my bags it really isn’t that much for 27 months.
- Bathing suit, Running Shorts, and two pairs of Khaki Shorts
- Old Point-and-Shoot Camera
- New Camera (thanks to my extended family for helping me to afford this! You’ll be receiving some pictures soon.)
- Nikon D60 w/ 18-55mm and 55-200mm AF VR lenses
- 3 batteries (still don’t know what my access to power will be, so better safe than sorry)
- 12 GB of memory cards
- Travel Tripod
- Manual… still need to read that
- 8 cotton collared shirts (3 of which are short-sleeved)
- 6 tee-shirts & 3 undershirts
- 1 each: PJ bottoms, sweatshirt, rain jacket, long sleeve polyester shirt
- 10 pair underwear & 2 pairs of Under Armor shorts
- 2 cool linen pants, 1 pair jeans, 1 pair informal khakis
- 2 dressy outfits (Dockers and Business shirts)
- 1 beach towel, 1 bath towel, 1 face towel
- 2 bandanas, 2 baseball hats, 1 caddie hat (brim all the way around)
- 2 pair cheap sunglasses
- Tevas, Birkenstocks, hiking shoes, dressy shoes
- 4 pair white socks, 2 pair dress socks
- 2 Frisbees (1 lights up in the dark)
- Soccer ball w/ pump
- Pillow, travel pillow, fitted & flat sheet, sleeping bag sheet
- 2 Nalgene bottles & collapsible 2gallon jug
- Coffee press & coffee
- Ziploc bags and Tupperware
- Swiss Army Knife & sharpener (Thank you Creontes!)
- Lightweight sleeping bag (Thank you Tripps!)
- Duct Tape, Kate’s Mixed Up Salt, and Cajun Spices
- Harmonica (Thanks Daniel… I swear I’ll practice where no-one can hear me!)
- Dop Kit
- Toothbrush, 1 tube toothpaste, 3 deodorants, razor w/ extra blades, shaving cream, travel mirror, floss, shampoo, 2 bars of soap, travel comb/brush
- Ibuprofen & Multivitamins
- Extra Strength Gold-Bond powder & lotion (It’s going to be over 100° F and I have to wear pants… Guys, I think you know how important this will be!)
- ‘Electronics Case’
- Rechargeable AA & AAA batteries
- USB battery charger
- Solar Charger
- Wind-Up Flashlight
- Power Converter
- iPod w/ charger & extra headphones
- Radio transmitter for iPod
- USB Memory Key & External Hard-drive to back-up pictures
- Playing Cards & Dominoes
- Paper / Pencils / Pens / Planner / Drawing Stuff / Calculator
- Pictures of friends & family
- Peace Corps and French books as well as some pleasure reads
- Tapestry and poster to ‘make my house my home.’
Ohhh ya… here’s my address while I’m at training, which should be the first 2 ½ months or so. Just so you know, it could take up to a month for a letter or package to get to me, but I’d appreciate any correspondence.
PCT Michael Hebert
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thies, Senegal
West Africa
(write:
“SENEGAL – WEST AFRICA
AIRMAIL – PAR AVION”
on anything you send as well)
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thies, Senegal
West Africa
(write:
“SENEGAL – WEST AFRICA
AIRMAIL – PAR AVION”
on anything you send as well)
It’s time for me to ship off and I look forward to writing again soon and letting you all know how it is to live in Senegal. Until then, enjoy the end of summer / beginning of fall!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
So Apparently I'm living in Senegal?!?!
I just graduated from Fairfield University and decided to join the Peace Corps as a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer. With my EXTREMELY limited French I was assigned to Senegal and I'm so excited to begin "the toughest job I'll ever love." Well, you only get to live once... so here goes nothing. Besides, why not try to add a little more to the world than you take away?
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