It is a small world, afterall

New picsss--- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098747&l=2fa4c&id=39100438

Some of you may be aware of my issue with the phrase “it is a small world”, because in most cases it is unnecessary. And simply not true, an exaggeration of a coincidental meeting. I finally said it this Easter weekend.

I went back to Thies for Easter because my family and friends there are Catholic. Educated Catholics with a habit of fun. Nice thing about the biggest cities here. University educated people. I went back Friday and stayed with the family of a friend I met when I was there 6 months ago. He came in the next day. His family is great. Oh, yea I hardly know you but I am gonna come stay with you which they were cool with of course. I was fed and given a room with fresh sheets. Senegal and its hospitality at it again. So Saturday, Easter Eve, I went to the shop (literally a small boutique with some chairs) I spent most evenings at during training. Everyone was dressed to the 9s for the holiday. A girl named Sarah who was a Peace Corps volunteer ten years ago was there. She said she had the opportunity to come do some a couple weeks’ work for her medical school there and snatched it up. She actually was a volunteer in Guinea but they used to do training in Thies, Senegal. She is still more nostalgic for Thies more than Guniea even though she did two years there. So she was there and really nice. She had a host family in the same neighborhood ten years ago. My current pals there. She lived with a friend, Claude. So she’s now my cousin. Blood and all.
And so then up comes Vieux (Senegalese friend) with some white man. He immediately identifies himself as American with a firm handshake and a “hey” or some simliar greeting. Which is funny because I never know what to say to a white person-bonjour, hello, etc. And it turns out he and Sarah were both volunteers in Guinea together at the same time. They trained a year apart but knew like all of these people in common. And that was 10 years ago. Pretty random.

He had a host family in the same neighborhood. And actually has been dating a girl from his host family since a few years after he lived there. He has been living around Africa and scored a short term job with World Food Bank in Dakar and snatched it up to be near his lady. And worth noting, he totally did it. He took a host sister of his from Guinea, brought her here to Senegal and gives her education and a better chance in life. It is a ridiculously tempting thing and he is doing it.

And so we’re talking, being Americans living in Africa, cheersing beers, and then seemingly out of nowhere Aaron blurts out “Yea I am from Akron Ohio”. I was so caught off guard.
I have spent probably 50 plus nights at this boutique and there has never been a peace corps volunteer I don’t know, let alone two, and one from Akron. I was like “did someone tell you???? Someone told you where I’m from!!” He was like “nope, I went to North high school, grew up on Dan Street.” So crazy. We reminisced about the Bucket Shop! Can you believe it? We cheersed a beer to the place. Wow. Akron, Ohio!!!!!! I haven’t talked to someone in person from Akron Ohio in 6 months. Hometown people meet up at Out Figgy Boutique in Thies, Senegal on Easter eve.

So, there it is- my official “it is a small world” occurrence. It was a great night, leading to dancing the night away. And eating pork. ☺

In other news—I ran for the position of Regional SeneGAD (gender and development) representative and won! What exactly that entails is not completely clear but it means I will be more hands on with a cause I have found to be very important. And I will be a go-to person for the people in the Dakar region for info, etc.

So Easter weekend was so great. It was perfect timing, needing a serious break from Louga. I ate the best I have eaten since I have been here. Easter was so seriously patron. Yummy appetizers and snacks, such as toothpicks with sausage, cheese and pickles, a platter of vegetables (including fancily carved tomatoes topped with a cream sauce and green beans), shrimp, egg roll things, eggs, and so forth. And then two differently seasoned chicken dishes, and fries. They kept giving us snacks and wine and beer throughout the whole day. And cookies. And more snacks. And then a chicken dinner. So ridiculously not normal here. I was now accustomed to Mulim fetes where rice and meat and fanta is worth waiting around hourrrrs for. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely dig on some ceb u yapp. So anyways, it was so amazingly delicious. And we spontaneously stood up from our chairs and danced to youssou ndour which reminded me I was in Senegal. Oh, and all of the conversation I didn’t understand was also a good indicator of geographical location. So, all in all, it rocked.

I came back this morning at 8 to Louga. And here I am. Today I will eat ceb u gen. (rice/fish). Tomorrow I will go to the colleges and get started on this scholarship thing. Happy Easter to all. I saw I missed mother and fathers phone calls on Easter. I was mid day napping. Hope all is well.


Cheers!