Sorry i've been MIA recently. It's been hectic but definitely very fun. Alll 61 of us swore in as volunteers on Oct. 15th at the Ambassador's Residence. The ride there was awesome. We took four huge Peace Corps buses from Thies to Dakar and to ensure we wouldn't get caught in the heavily ingested Dakar traffic we had police escorts. I mean afterall, this was government business! We drove on the opposite side of the road towards head on traffic. It was awesome. After we we're officially sworn in; I got interviwed by national Senegalese television and then ate delicious hors d'oeuvres and went swimming and hung out at the pool of the Atlantic Club. That night all the volunteers went partying and then we all dispersed into our regions.
I went down with my two of my fellow Kedougou volunteers in a sept place with all of our belongings. ubnluckily towards the end of our 12 hour journey, our car got an irreparable flat. Our driver was also very dehydrated. Some really goofy Australian miners saw us on the side of the road and tried to help but they spoke no local languages. They attempted to speak to our driver in english which didn't really help. Some of the other volunteers sent their sept place to come pick us up so we finally made it there in the ity of Kedougou. When I was shopping for the supplies of muy hut, it was crazy to have people recognize me and shout my name. The Bassari peope are very excited to have their first Bassari volunteer. Four volunteers and a Peace Corps employee installed me in Ethiolo. The road was very mountaainous and muddy. We we're forwarned that we wouldn't make it there by the villagers who came down to forwarn us of the road conditions. Our Peace Corps driver, Boubou, was determined to make it and w did. It took us one and a half hours to drive 9 km. But we made it and the villagers we're so excited. All the volunteers and myself received beautiful bead Bassari jewelry and we had a party. the party of course involved a ton of palm wine.
Ethiolo is wonderul. It's remote and serene and and peaceful. the people are lovely and some of them are goofy, actually VERY goofy. So, I fit right in :). The parties are happening right now vbecause it's harvesting season and they are some of the coolest event si Have seen. The young men and women dress up in colorful intricate Bassari beads and clothing and dance the night away. Some parties can last up to 36 hours! I've uploaded some pictures on facebook and will update them later here. Sorry, my computer time is very limited.
But, I'm getting used to village life with no electricity, running water, or cell phone service. It's very quanit. there will be more to come soon. Peace.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Volunteer visit in Kedougou!
All 9 of us trainees going to live in Kedougou ventured down to the Kedougou region for volunteer visit. So, all 9 of us left on a Landcruiser at 7 am. I was sick that morning and wasn’t looking forward to a 12 hour drive sitting sideways on bumpy African roads. Luckily, we arrived in 9 hours and the current volunteers had prepared a sumptuous Mexican meal for us with cake!!! They were almost as excited as we are to be there. We had a mini party and spent the night in the regional house of Kedegou but all of us trainees were exhausted so we went to bed at 10. The next morning the landcruiser came back to pick us up and drop us off. I’m the furthest volunteer west from Kedegou and I’m about 80 km west of Kedegou and that village is called Salemata. From Salemata, it’s about an hour hike to my village. So, on our volunteer visit the other fellow trainee wanted to stop and see her village of Ibel on the way to Salemata. Unfourtunately, the landcruiser got stuck in the mud for seven hours. It wasn’t that bad and time didn’t go that slow. I think it’s because I’m used to spending my time not doing anything. All of a sudden we heard a lot of screaming and the 20 men helping Amadou, the driver, were cheering got the car out of the water. Yes!! But, then 20 minutes later we encountered a road block, there was too much water for the Landcruiser to go through. A man was chest deep in the water carrying his bicycle over his head. However, Amadou still thought it would be a good idea to check it out. Seriously. We got window level in and the motor started fuming. We went back to Kedougou meme and spent a nice three days there. We ate warthog sandwiches, went swimming and watched movies at the regional house. We also did one short hike to a Bedik village that was really picturesque.
Etiolo, my future home, is a village 90 km southwest of Kedegou city. I will be living in a village of 1000 people in Southwestern Kedegou called Ethiolo. My village is 10 km from Guinea and it’s supposed to be beautiful. It’s also a Bassari village, and the Bassari are animists! This means that my village is about 90% Christian/Anismsts because are synonymous here. Ethiolo is supposed to be really picturesque on the top of a hill and its popular with tourists due to the initiations. The big initiations are in May and even tv stations come to see them. They’re apparently really cool. I’m living wit my counterpart and he is the owner of the campement. His name is Balingho and I heard he is pretty goofy. Also, he is featured in the Lonely Planet as the guy to go see in my village because he knows all the local hikes and where all the caves are! I’m really excited to work with him,
Language is coming on very slowly but it’s coming. Hope you’re all doing well. Only three more weeks of training!
Etiolo, my future home, is a village 90 km southwest of Kedegou city. I will be living in a village of 1000 people in Southwestern Kedegou called Ethiolo. My village is 10 km from Guinea and it’s supposed to be beautiful. It’s also a Bassari village, and the Bassari are animists! This means that my village is about 90% Christian/Anismsts because are synonymous here. Ethiolo is supposed to be really picturesque on the top of a hill and its popular with tourists due to the initiations. The big initiations are in May and even tv stations come to see them. They’re apparently really cool. I’m living wit my counterpart and he is the owner of the campement. His name is Balingho and I heard he is pretty goofy. Also, he is featured in the Lonely Planet as the guy to go see in my village because he knows all the local hikes and where all the caves are! I’m really excited to work with him,
Language is coming on very slowly but it’s coming. Hope you’re all doing well. Only three more weeks of training!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Two weeks in Homestay and My future Senegalese home, Ethiolo!
These last two weeks have been interesting to say the least. The rain season has really kicked in! It’s been raining everyday which has been a blessing because it cools the weather considerably. One day after class, Macumba (Alex) a fellow volunteer and I went with my four year old Senegalese niece , Neene Galle, to the only place in town that sells cold drinks. It started pouring while we were there and poor Neene Galle began shivering. We stayed there an hour waiting for the rain to stop but it unfortunately didn’t. It was still raining cats and dogs and as we’re running down the street, lighting struck two feet away from us! We saw the sparks hit the ground and the heard the loud thunder hit. I screamed! Neene Galle, who I was carrying , dug herself into me. We needed to get cover as quickly as possible and of course we created quite a scene! Two white women running down the street in a lightning storm, one carrying a child definitely went unnoticed. Not to mention all of Sangalkam, our training village knows us by our Senegalese names! Immediately after the lighting stuck, the doors to the barber shack opened and we ran in. It was really smelly and small. Inside the barber shack were three creepy men who looked like they had just reeled in some bait. Macumba and I looked at each other then we realized we were sitting inside of a metal box during a lightning storm. Stupid idea, So, we took our chances and ran back to the homestay. We luckily did not get struck by lightning.
I had some medical issues this time around. Due to the really healthy Senegalese diet especially the one during Ramadan which is even more carboloade than normal,, I’ve been eating a lot of bread with a ton of butter and sugar. They look at you with three heads if you only put one cube of sugar in your coffee cup. Obviously, you should put at least four t because “that’s how we Senegalese avoid getting sick”. So, in addition to gastrointestinal issues for three weeks straight, I ended up getting a “creeping eruption on my ass.” A creeping eruption is a hookworm which when my host aunt told me the word in wolof which got translated into French I thought it was something really really bad. When I found out, I ran immediately to Macumba’s compound screaming my head off and had her family members inspect my ass as well. Just to get a second opinon. The woman on her compound thought it was hilarious and yes, indeed confirmed it was a worm. I freaked out. I got my medical book and was so panicked about my exact condition that I self-diagnosed myself with jock itch. Luckily, Macumba set me straight and also helped me with my situation. My family (mainly my aunt Jara) told her to kill it. We opened my medical kit, got the gloves, tweezers and killed it. The next morning after all this, I had the grandiose idea of going on a run. Not a smart idea when you’ve been shitting water for three weeks. So, I came back and felt woozy. During class, I started feeling nauseous and when my LCF, Pape, asked me to come to the board everything seemed to get dizzy and black. I fainted but was very luckily picked up by my charming LCF. Pape was panicked and we called med. That afternoon I was taken to Dakar and stayed the rest of the day in air conditioning and used a flush toilet. I miraculously become better the next day.
Today, was the equivalent of Christmas Day for Peace Corps Volunteers. We got out sights announced to us! I’m going to be an Ecotourism volunteer in Southeastern Senegal in the village of Ethiolo within the region of Kedegou. I will be living amongst the animist Bassari people of Senegal who are becoming more and more popular amongst tourists. Every May, they have a beautiful initiation that attracts a ton of attention. The Bassaris are different than the other Senegalese. From what I’ve been described, it really feels like Africa there! I will be living in a thatched roof hut with no electricity and water. I’m really excited because I will be living at the base of he largest national park in Senegal in a really beautiful picturesque village. I am really far in the bush however and it takes 7 hours to get to my regional capital by bike!! It’s going to be a typical Peace Corps experience! Inshallah!
I had some medical issues this time around. Due to the really healthy Senegalese diet especially the one during Ramadan which is even more carboloade than normal,, I’ve been eating a lot of bread with a ton of butter and sugar. They look at you with three heads if you only put one cube of sugar in your coffee cup. Obviously, you should put at least four t because “that’s how we Senegalese avoid getting sick”. So, in addition to gastrointestinal issues for three weeks straight, I ended up getting a “creeping eruption on my ass.” A creeping eruption is a hookworm which when my host aunt told me the word in wolof which got translated into French I thought it was something really really bad. When I found out, I ran immediately to Macumba’s compound screaming my head off and had her family members inspect my ass as well. Just to get a second opinon. The woman on her compound thought it was hilarious and yes, indeed confirmed it was a worm. I freaked out. I got my medical book and was so panicked about my exact condition that I self-diagnosed myself with jock itch. Luckily, Macumba set me straight and also helped me with my situation. My family (mainly my aunt Jara) told her to kill it. We opened my medical kit, got the gloves, tweezers and killed it. The next morning after all this, I had the grandiose idea of going on a run. Not a smart idea when you’ve been shitting water for three weeks. So, I came back and felt woozy. During class, I started feeling nauseous and when my LCF, Pape, asked me to come to the board everything seemed to get dizzy and black. I fainted but was very luckily picked up by my charming LCF. Pape was panicked and we called med. That afternoon I was taken to Dakar and stayed the rest of the day in air conditioning and used a flush toilet. I miraculously become better the next day.
Today, was the equivalent of Christmas Day for Peace Corps Volunteers. We got out sights announced to us! I’m going to be an Ecotourism volunteer in Southeastern Senegal in the village of Ethiolo within the region of Kedegou. I will be living amongst the animist Bassari people of Senegal who are becoming more and more popular amongst tourists. Every May, they have a beautiful initiation that attracts a ton of attention. The Bassaris are different than the other Senegalese. From what I’ve been described, it really feels like Africa there! I will be living in a thatched roof hut with no electricity and water. I’m really excited because I will be living at the base of he largest national park in Senegal in a really beautiful picturesque village. I am really far in the bush however and it takes 7 hours to get to my regional capital by bike!! It’s going to be a typical Peace Corps experience! Inshallah!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Il faut metriser le dialogue!
Sunday was move into training homestay day and I was really nervous. I had no idea what to expect, not to mention that I couldn't speak Pullo Fuuta. My LCF, language and crosscultural facilitator Pape, my two classmates and four other trainees were dropped off in Sangalkam. Sangalkam is a small village with a market, tailors, a mosque and few stores. ALl I remember seeing immediately after getting off the bus was sand and children. I got dropped off at my compound which had three buildings. I met my host mom, neene. Neene is a 50 year old woman who is a host mom for the first time! When i arrived she was sweeping the sand on my compound. Yes they sweep the sand all day long!Neene is pullar for mom and she gave me my senegalese name, Anta Sow. I had no clue that's what was happening but luckily my neene speaks a bit of french. After that I met all the women on my compound. I believe there are 10 including my host mom and my two host cousin children, neenee galle and oumo, who are sisters and 4 and 2. They're really cute! Neenee gallee is so smart and helps me filter my water everyday. she's been picking up french and repeating "bonjour" in my ear while I try to nap in the heat of the day. Unfourtunately, "sa suffit" has not entered in her french vocab yet.
Senegalese families are interesting and confusing because they're very big. My host family consist of either 17-19 people and my mom is the oldest sibling and the matriarch of the family. She lives with her four brothers, their families and some other nieces and nephews. She only lives with her "real" siblings, same mother same father. She has the nicest room because she is the head of the family.Her room has a fan and nice tv. I have a bunch of cousins on the compound and I still haven't figured out whose children they are. My cousin, Hali Matu, is awesome and speaks french...She is fascinated by all the Toubabs, wolof word for foreigner in town. She seems really funny. So, that's who I communicate with mainly. She's in a great position since she's a woman and educated. She is one of the few young women that I've met who is educated so she's in a really fortunate position. I don't know why she being younger than Anta Gee, my namesake and other cousin, is allowed to be educated. I've felt like a member of the family. I've been away for a day and a half back at the training center and my host family has called me three times. Conversation is really limited over the phone. Me: " Jara? Ca va" Jara" Ca va, Anta? Me: Ca va. and then silence. Luckily tonight Halli Matu was on the phone and conversation was a little more fluid. I talked to every girl in my family and they said how much they missed me. They're really sweet. They also made me a senegalese booboo from the tailor to take back to the training center with me.
At the homestay, I have a turkish squat toilet that smells slightly gross and I take bucket baths. The bucket baths are not that bad. It's interesting to know how little water you need to get yourself clean. The hard part has been trying to clean myself with a kettle of water after having used the sqautter. I haven't found the technique yet.
Bringing out the camera on the first night was pure insanity. They all got super excited about the pictures and I had to take pictures of all the members and their 10 different poses. Also, they love my body spray. They ask me to spray their arm pits and my first night, they lined up in front of my room with their arms in the air so they could get sprayed. It was pretty funny.
Class is interesting. It's really hard to stay motivated when it's hot, class is under a tree, goats are mating, and it's Ramadan. We moved into homestays in the middle of Ramadan and life is harder than normal. It is hot and our poor teacher of pullo fuuta is exhausted which makes him less motivated to teach. Our first three days of class, the first 18 hours of class. We have class 6 hours a day, we're spent memorizing the same dialogue which consists of saying hello, what's your name, what's your last name, what is your job, where are you from, and what do you do. After the third day, I couldn't handle it anymore! I wanted to learn either vocab or grammar something other than memorizing the same lines over and over and over which meant nothing to me. We demanded to change the pace of class but Pape was really adamant about "il faut d'abbord metriser le dialogue!" We lost the battle and I almost lost it. We have begun to learn grammar thank goodness but communication is really limited at home. I've become really content just sitting around, watching and napping in the heat of the day!
inshallah!
Senegalese families are interesting and confusing because they're very big. My host family consist of either 17-19 people and my mom is the oldest sibling and the matriarch of the family. She lives with her four brothers, their families and some other nieces and nephews. She only lives with her "real" siblings, same mother same father. She has the nicest room because she is the head of the family.Her room has a fan and nice tv. I have a bunch of cousins on the compound and I still haven't figured out whose children they are. My cousin, Hali Matu, is awesome and speaks french...She is fascinated by all the Toubabs, wolof word for foreigner in town. She seems really funny. So, that's who I communicate with mainly. She's in a great position since she's a woman and educated. She is one of the few young women that I've met who is educated so she's in a really fortunate position. I don't know why she being younger than Anta Gee, my namesake and other cousin, is allowed to be educated. I've felt like a member of the family. I've been away for a day and a half back at the training center and my host family has called me three times. Conversation is really limited over the phone. Me: " Jara? Ca va" Jara" Ca va, Anta? Me: Ca va. and then silence. Luckily tonight Halli Matu was on the phone and conversation was a little more fluid. I talked to every girl in my family and they said how much they missed me. They're really sweet. They also made me a senegalese booboo from the tailor to take back to the training center with me.
At the homestay, I have a turkish squat toilet that smells slightly gross and I take bucket baths. The bucket baths are not that bad. It's interesting to know how little water you need to get yourself clean. The hard part has been trying to clean myself with a kettle of water after having used the sqautter. I haven't found the technique yet.
Bringing out the camera on the first night was pure insanity. They all got super excited about the pictures and I had to take pictures of all the members and their 10 different poses. Also, they love my body spray. They ask me to spray their arm pits and my first night, they lined up in front of my room with their arms in the air so they could get sprayed. It was pretty funny.
Class is interesting. It's really hard to stay motivated when it's hot, class is under a tree, goats are mating, and it's Ramadan. We moved into homestays in the middle of Ramadan and life is harder than normal. It is hot and our poor teacher of pullo fuuta is exhausted which makes him less motivated to teach. Our first three days of class, the first 18 hours of class. We have class 6 hours a day, we're spent memorizing the same dialogue which consists of saying hello, what's your name, what's your last name, what is your job, where are you from, and what do you do. After the third day, I couldn't handle it anymore! I wanted to learn either vocab or grammar something other than memorizing the same lines over and over and over which meant nothing to me. We demanded to change the pace of class but Pape was really adamant about "il faut d'abbord metriser le dialogue!" We lost the battle and I almost lost it. We have begun to learn grammar thank goodness but communication is really limited at home. I've become really content just sitting around, watching and napping in the heat of the day!
inshallah!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Arrival in Senegal!
Our flight from D.C. arrived an hour early at 5 am on Wednesday, Aug. 11th in Senegal. It seemed very official because peace corps buses and jeeps were waiting to take 64 agriculture and business volunteers to the training center in the city of thies, senegal. Thies pronounced like "chess" is the second largest city in Senegal located two hours in land of Dakar. I have not yet seen Dakar but will during our the training period. The "Corps de la Paix" training center is nice! It was donated by the senegalese government and has been our home for the last four days! We've been sleeping, eating, learning and sweating here! It's really humid because it's the rainy season. However, today was the first day of rain and the first day we were permitted to go off site and visit thies! It's a busy city and pretty liberal! I barely heard nor used any french on the street. We all obtained a crash course in wolof, main local language of senegal, to barter in the market.
We've been doing a lot of listening here. All of our trainers are awesome! They're all Senegalese except for the few current volunteers who are here for the technical aspect of our training. My two favorite sessions have been how to properly squat when using a latrine and wiping your ass with your left hand. the left hand is such a big no no in senegal. Another half an hour was used explaining to us who and how we're allowed to greet in Senegal and the proper form of how to do it. I'm still confused about it which means that I'm going to get reprimanded a lot at my training site!
The LCF's "the language and crosscultural faciliators" who are our senegalese teachers. Amongst the 64 of us, we're learning 8 different languages. I passed out of french and have been chosen with 6 other volunteers to learn pulaar fuuta! I'm stoked because pulaar is spoken in 27 countries in Africa. However, I'm going to be learning the hickest version of Pulaar--this has narrowed down the location of my future sight! I'm going to be serving in the lush region of Kedegou which is the farthest from Dakar and the most remote but it's the most beautiful and animal friendly. Senegal's largest national park is in Kedegou. I'm excited! Tomorrow, I'm leaving the training center with the 6 other volunteers learning my language with our language teacher to live together in our training village. Our LCF's are awesome! They are moving to the villages with us and will be leaving in homestay!!
I will not be taking my computer but will be back at the training in a week to check my mail! On September 8th, I will find out the exact location of my sight of service and will go visit it for three days!!
A jaamara!
We've been doing a lot of listening here. All of our trainers are awesome! They're all Senegalese except for the few current volunteers who are here for the technical aspect of our training. My two favorite sessions have been how to properly squat when using a latrine and wiping your ass with your left hand. the left hand is such a big no no in senegal. Another half an hour was used explaining to us who and how we're allowed to greet in Senegal and the proper form of how to do it. I'm still confused about it which means that I'm going to get reprimanded a lot at my training site!
The LCF's "the language and crosscultural faciliators" who are our senegalese teachers. Amongst the 64 of us, we're learning 8 different languages. I passed out of french and have been chosen with 6 other volunteers to learn pulaar fuuta! I'm stoked because pulaar is spoken in 27 countries in Africa. However, I'm going to be learning the hickest version of Pulaar--this has narrowed down the location of my future sight! I'm going to be serving in the lush region of Kedegou which is the farthest from Dakar and the most remote but it's the most beautiful and animal friendly. Senegal's largest national park is in Kedegou. I'm excited! Tomorrow, I'm leaving the training center with the 6 other volunteers learning my language with our language teacher to live together in our training village. Our LCF's are awesome! They are moving to the villages with us and will be leaving in homestay!!
I will not be taking my computer but will be back at the training in a week to check my mail! On September 8th, I will find out the exact location of my sight of service and will go visit it for three days!!
A jaamara!
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