merry christmas

HoHoHo.


Well I mean except for the fact that I am conscious of the fact that the date is Dec 21, I do not have much of the traditional Christmas, well.. anything around me here. There is a sandwich stand, a prêt-a-porter (ready to wear) clothing store, and a gasoline stand with a string of Christmas lights. Not much considering Louga is pretty big. I am going to try to sniff a string out for my room tomorrow. Yes! I used to always do that in my apartments.

Our big holiday here happened about 2 weeks ago. Tabaski its called. Its celebrated in all Muslim countries. All of the men who have wives should buy a sheep to be slaughtered and eaten. My family had 6. I have a big family even by Senegalese standards. 30ish people eat here every day. So, everyone comes home from Dakar and many people from abroad to celebrate. Everyone (the women especially) buys new outfits (the women in my family changed at least 3 times a day). They totally showed me up in my one Senegalese (cheap fabric, at that) outfit. But for the first time ever (I held out as long as possible) I wore traditional garb.

(huge outbreak of children crying in my house right now with a bunch of men telling them to stop)

It is the biggest day (3 days) ever for them and I will hear about it until next year. For how much they hype it up, the day is surprisingly calm. But, I knew what to expect. People sit around, eat a bunch of sheep (so many all meat meals for the 3 days), drink soda, and eat fruit. Since I am not a married man (plus would rather eat rice, fish, and VEGETABLES any day over a bunch of sheep) I did not spring the 80-100 bucks for a sheep. I bought a bunch of cold sodas though.

Regular old lunch is like delicious as it is, so I would much rather eat that. A little carrot, little sweet potato, eggplant, cabbage, fish and rice. Delicious. I eat a variation of that every day and still look forward to it somehow.

When I got home from working out tonight I saw a plate of fried rice with carrots (and all the meat eaten out). I was like score, plopped down on the dirty ground with 2 little rugrats getting rice all over their faces, clothes, and ground and munched some spoonfuls. Rice still tastes good.

So, things are pretty good here. Work is well. I love education and have become so passionate about it.

I will spend Christmas here in my hometown, Louga. You should be where you know, where you love on the holiday. So, suitably so, Jeremiah and I will get dinner (we preordered lasagne because that’s the only way to get it) at the hotel. First we will do like wine and cheese at my house, go to dinner, go to his house for dessert/fake champagne) and go out to the nightclub. The schools are shut for Christmas and Muslims celebrate Christian holidays and visa versa here, so it should be pretty packed. Club Millionaire (the best nightclub in Senegal and only one in Louga) has had some pretty packed nights lately with so many people home from Europe. Louga is the city in Senegal that has the most people living abroad.

We had a lil party for Katie’s birthday last weekend. Also on the same day, I hosted a film premiere at the Cultural Center of the film I put up on here a few posts back (She Works, She Lives) in Louga and had a great turnout- estimate of 100 people. After there was about 2 hours of discussion about gender roles/education. A bunch of people from my family came! I was so happy they came to show their support for something they don’t really know about. It was downtown, too. They only leave the house to buy fabric to take to tailor to make clothes, buy food, go to baptisms, funerals, weddings. But they came because I asked them to. Alxumdo.

Then I went to Thies to participate in Operation Smile. Do you know about this organization? They do great work- you should check it out. I translated into Wolof and it was very rewarding to be there for these families. Everyone was yelling my name in the Post-Op room because I was the only one who understood their questions, etc. Unfortunately I got the flu or the equivalent the second day so I was dead for a few days in Thies before coming back to Louga and feeling sick for a few more. Public transportation when you are sick is amazing. Crunched up in the back, windows don’t roll down, car full of diesel smoke, going through potholes.

But anyways, I am really looking forward to me and Jer’s Xmas and New Years Eve in St. Louis. Last year was a hoot.

I wish all of you, wherever you are, Happy Holidays. Eat some holiday food and drink some holiday drinks for me.

By the way, I am looking into Korea and Japan as options for teaching English after Senegal. If you know any programs or people who have any info, I would love it.

Cheers and have a great holiday and nothing but the best in the year 2009.

photos

gift from america! neighborhood girls with their candy necklaces. their shrieking reaction was priceless. kids in the house looking at their photo albums, which are constantly being pulled out to this day. and then theres jeremiah teaching kids at a primary school how to plant vegetables- the beginning of a huge income generating garden project-inchallah.

real life cinderella

theres a lot of real life cinderellas here. i think im remembering the story correctly. anyways, over the last year or so Ive been living here, Ive seen about 5 or so girls (probably 20 years old but everything about them in girlish) come in the house and essentially live a slave life. Cook, sweep, do laundry, repeat. Then go home to her house and come back again the next day. Im pretty sure her family gets money for it. Sad thing is, all she has going for her are these skills, which dont get me wrong, she is damn good at, her next logical step is marriage. A few times she has asked me for 100 CFA which is 20 cents, which I obviously give to her. Right now I am super broke, like literally no money and so when she asked for it the other day I told her to wait until December when I get paid and then a second later I gave it to her. I mean, are you joking... you know... I can find a piece of change still.

I am creating a project I think I will love with The American Corner as well as other organizations who work with womens rights, AIDS, gender development, etc. We will do activities and trainings with 30 of the best students from 5 middle schools, followed by theatre performances in their schools. The focus is: AIDS prevention/protecting your kids and yourself, Womens Needs (often neglected), and the importance of not dropping out of school and creating plans to ensure that. I am kind of obsessed with these, particularly the last.

I mean with the regional coordinator of the education of women/school inspector/consultant today. I got his information from the Director of PLAN International, an NGO who works with kids whose programs I really admire. Anyways, we met today and I was really impressed with him. He works a lot in gender development which I havent heard anyone say thats one of their main job priorities, particularly a man. Like I straight up asked him if he thought I was his equal. Forward, yes, but acceptable. And he was like yes. And most men here (and in many places in the world) struggle to answer that. Ridiculous, right? Thats what I (and many women) deal with every day.

So, its really cool. I have found a passion in me of girls education/education in general. And there are a lot of great people here happy and willing to work with me on this project and that is what makes it inspiring.

Please watch the videos I posted in my recent posts. They are inspiring and eye opening.

I have been here 14 months now and I have really learned so much. Things are going well in my personal life, too. It is all intertwined, but in my family and neighborhood n stuff. I really like my host family, I feel comfortable and able to speak my mind, which is something I have a whole new appreciation for.

There is a gym in Louga now and I go there a lot because its something to do and I havent been able to work out very much over the last year. It does wonders for the mind, not to mention I really dig the mananger/trainer. Working out at the gym here is a whole other experience. Its fun and as everything here is, its community based. You are left to yourself to push yourself, but things like people always counting reps for eachother and you know, greeting everyone as always, and saying see you tomorrow. everything beautiful about senegal but in a gym. These people are some of the fittest people in the world, too.

The school garden is at a standstill because some fiscal year business with USAID who funded it, the money will be 3 weeks later than expected. But Jer already did classes with all of the kids about gardening and planted a bunch of vegetables at the school. I am teaching English classes again, too. But I still have a ton of free time, which is awesome, but easily accomplished.

My situation was brought to light when I was talking to a friend in America online and I mentioned I showed my Senegalese friend pictures of bowling and swings to explain that having public activities besides football to do would be freaking cool. Martin was like BOWLING!? SWINGS? wow you really gave up a lot Claire.

I got a good laugh out of that, because bowling never seemed so novel as it does now.

Anyways, life is going well! Jer has been in Kolda (down south) for a week and I miss my site mate!!! But I have special people in my life here and so, well, at by far the poorest state Ive ever been in (still not that bad, though I doubt you would know how to deal with it ;) ) im doing well. Money SO doesnt buy happiness, though please send me some!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have learned though that I can get around town on the generosity of people alone. I catch rides from random people all of the time and sometimes taxis give me free rides too. its kinds ridiculous. little acts of kindness for a poor white girl, you know what im sayin. loves it.

And to touch back into life in America, GO OBAMA, right?? Everyone here is so happy. People knew the same moment here when you did there and its nothing but smiles. Not only because his dad is african and maybe that gives them some much needed hope, but also because of his foreign affairs and youthful perspective.

Cheers! Jamm ak Jamm. Peace only.

my current life in a video

Elle Travaille, Elle Vit! (She Works, She Lives!) from Barry Pousman on Vimeo.


This is such an inspiring video! It is made by RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) Barry Pousman. Please take the time to watch it. It is made for and used by SeneGAD, the Gender and Development Committee in Peace Corps Senegal of which I am a regional representative of. Turns out a whole lot of my work here is focused on education and even more of it on girls education. Everyone and everything in this film is a representation if every day Senegal but with extraordinary women here. We hope to see many more of them emerging in this generation. Peace. Jamm and Jamm.

it all starts with a girl- please watch 2 minute clip.

Finally-Clean Clothes!

Doing laundry here literally takes the whole day. Fill up bucket of water, soak it with a detergent for a lil while, after that you put it into another bucket (if u have one-i dont) and use a big bar of soap to scrub, rub with your knuckles and squeegie time and time again. then it goes into a bucket of clean water a few times over. Well I have only paid to have someone do my laundry once. I would rather just do it myself even though I always knew they could actually do a much better job. When I hung them up to dry in the past, I remember my family telling me many times to put my white sheets in bleach cuz they were still dirty. this was after I finished! So TODAY.....I had a breakthrough and I can now do laundry. Like 4 people in my house told me today "sa yeret dafa set!" which means your clothes are clean. its not like they weere comparing it to when they used to be dirty, its just something they say here. And Ya!! I can now do laundry by hand-sheets, towels, pants (which are a freaking pain), the whole nine! So though I am freaking exhausted-4 and a half hours of nonstop work for the equivalent of maybe 1 and a half loads in a machine. I lost a fair bit of skin off my hands through it all today, but anyways im proud. CLEAN SHEETS without bleach! I hate using bleach on my white stuff all of the time for fear of people laughing at how dirty it still is. Today -white sheets and white towel, no bleach!

We are so dependent on stuff in America, such as a washing machine or a walgreens or grocery store. Out of touch with our earth and bodies in a way. I like to learn how to be self sustainable if all of that were to go. Life is harder without packaged chicken and boxes of rice with seasonings all ready to be cooked up. Without washing machines, microwaves, ovens, stovetops,mailboxes. But sometimes I take pleasure in living without all of that. It is more real in a lot of ways.

Little joys.

hehe but I snuck a blender into this lil simple life o mine. And I am going to make a frozen coffee drink before dinner.

we must not leave any children behind

SO I was like a mommy today. I took my fave kid in the house, Fama (wearing her new white shirt from America..) to school today. She is 14 and it was her first time. School in Senegal finally started today despite being scheduled to startOct. 9. We went to the school I know very well as me and Jeremiah are starting a huge school garden project there soon. So I asked the principal to meet with her and I and sign her up and he agreed. I enrolled her and brought her into her new class where she is the oldest one and met her teacher. She was so scared and was acting totally shy with the teachers and principals which is very unlike her.

After school all of the other kids in the house who are younger and have been in school already surrounded her and asked her questions, etc. Overall they were pretty nice about it minus a few laughs when they learned what level she was in because its the first. Fact is she doesnt know how to read and that was making me too sad.

When I asked the head of the household ( my senegalese mom) if i could take her to school she was confused why. I was like what if she is sick? How will she read medecine labels? She wants to know how to use a computer and cant if she cant read. Yiye (mom) said she shoud just look for a husband. I said thats ridiculous to say. She said Fama isnt smart and, resisting the urge to call her rude which is rude to say here, I told her not to say that and that our lil Fama is smart and will be going to school.

I was feeling so much like a mom today, guiding her through all of it, scared as hell when adults asked her questions. It made me nervous even! But after I left her all staring holes into her desk in the classroom, I was glad I did it. If I did not do that today she would have never gone to school. And that is simply unnacceptable. So after lunch we went to the market where I bought her a bookbag and supplies. All in all its not very expensive AT ALL so the fact that there are so many kids left behind is just troubling. Education is not valued by many as they dont see the benefits it can reep.
It makes me really angry at times the way there are so few mentors and role models here.

It can be very depressing here between that and all of the other sad things and states of things and people(like everyone and their mom having malaria and people not believing in themselves enough to do any personal or business investment just to state the first to examples to pop into my mind...), but I am developing a thicker skin to it all and trying to do my part in this big fascinating world.

Today is a great day though because my lil girl ( who was all smiles since i told her she was going to school because she wants to work in an office one day NOT be a freaking slave wife)
had her first day at school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Education for all. no child left behind for reals. inchallah.

back in senegal

So I got back to Senegal yesterday. It was Koritae which is the holiday following the end of ramadan. Therefore everything is closed and its hard to catch a car from Dakar (the capital where i flew into) to Louga (where i live). I got into Dakar sometime around 3:30 am. I really hoped to go straight from dakar to the garage (where you catch cars) to Louga, but as a smart man on the plane told me, this is not a sure plan. And I agreed. And so his driver took me to the peace corps house and i passed out on the couch there for a few hours and then went to the garage around 8 am. It was deserted essentially. there was though a big van i rode back. they charged me a bunch for all of my suitcases. anyways, yea.



Senegalese people are very friendly. That is the difference I noticed right off the bat, beginning in JFK in NYC. I started up chats with senegalese people and greeted all of the ones i saw too because its just the way it goes. And unfortunately Americans like put a bag on the seat next to them and avoid eye contact. So I have to say for that reason I enjoy Senegal. People were really happy to be drinking during the day (they just finished fasting for 40 days which is crazy because its freaking hot!!!!!) so on the bus the guy i was sitting next to brought a big sprite and water and everyone around us shared it. again, tres senegalese. Anyways, I did make it back to Louga before lunchtime. We ate chicken which is like the fancy stuff here for holidays. So that was nice. And My Mom (america) helped me get so many gifts for everyone in my family- it was SO fun to give it all. Photo albums for all 20 something people filled with their photos, Soccer ball, clothes, sunglasses for kids, jewelry for kids, lotions for adult woman, candy, candles, tea, notebook, bookbag, etc. So yea. They were very happy. And even before I gave it all out, everyone was really happy to see me. People in town are doing double takes and like HEYYY youre back!!! ...then ask where their gift is. hehe.

So aside from the friendliness, the thing I have mosst noticed about it here is the heat. It is SOOOOOO HOT. SO HOT. At 3 am it was 95 degrees, according to the plane. So daytime is above 100. Last night I was so jetlagged and whatnot that I went to bed at 8 pm. And having the fan straight on me, not putting my mosquito net down, it was not all that bad. then the electricity went out twice during the night. and i woke up both times and realize why pretty quickly-no fan. So anyways right now I am back from the market (went twice this morning) and am sitting on my bed in my skivvies with my fan on trying to cool down.

I had cleaned my room so well before going to America and you know if you lived in America, granted no one had been at your house since you left for vacation, when you come back, your house will look the same. NOT HERE. coverrred in lizard poop and cockroaches. I had one empty, clean jar filled with about 7 roaches, my bathroom had about 5. right when i walked in, i looked into the ant hill, lizard poop covered bathroom and a roach ran over my foot. im like welcome baaaack.

So yea its veryy dirty here in comparison. But like its cool. It is def more a cultuer shock coming back here then going back to America. All the things I saw on the car ride to Louga, like boys riding donkeys, women coming out of the bush carrying stuff on their heads, it was all very African, you know. And like i had gotten so used to it before,but I am experiencing it all again as new. So thaats kind of cool. Im looking forward to lunch. I havent had breakfast because like no one is selling it beause its the day after the holiday. Almost everything is closed, unless run by catholics or its a bank or the phone company.

SO- I had a great vacation. Relaxing but still enough crazy fun. I visited my supervisor today and she invited me to a meeting at the mayors office to start a new program for the talibes, so im looking forward to that. thats next week. I have a lot of work to get going on, but im taking today easy. I think this next year is going to fly. I need to start looking for a job in SE Asia for after this. Do u have a contact?

Anyways, thanks mother for all the gifts. Pics to come. And Yea, More to come in la future. cheers. (nap time before lunch)

Claire

work (ing it out)

Imagine being shipped to a foreign country (a week after graduating college) where you know nothing about the culture (except from what you read on wikipedia) and speak none of the many languages. Well meaning people train you in their language but shortly after they then toss you into another city where you are left completely to your own devices. No one suggests a viable work path. You are a business counselor with no business experience. You live in a large spread out city with no city directory or signs anywhere. And they say get to work....

Well that is my situation. I have felt helpless at times, and also useless. It is a hard path to find how you fit into a foreign culture and what you can do to be of help when you have nothing but yourself, no money or anything.

Anyways, I am starting to figure it out. I have technically been in the work field (not training or community integration period) for 4 months. I have done all kinds of random things but nothing has stuck. So, now some things are starting to make sense and I am realizing my possible strengths.

I am planning for an upcoming leadership camp with the girls at the middle school we did a scholarship camp with. Its so great because Awa, the Cross Cultural Director of PC Senegal is into and experienced in doing these camps, will talk to girls about being a strong woman, a career woman, and talks about health and assertiveness and all sorts of things. It is so much better if she is the leader, I am the host and behind the scenes. So I am really looking forward to that.

Also today I went and visited The Hunger Project which is an American NGO (Non Governmental Organization) and I met a man who works there and spent a few hours talking with him (things go so slow here- gotta stick around for the second round of tea!) and realized his project is similar to other ones I have gone to, mostly working with older woman, which as much as I try to be into, I am not. I want the full potential of kids.

So, he told me about an orphanage nearby where he has a director friend. So we went there and I kind of love it. The kids there are just that, orphans. And while there are a lot of those in Senegal, many who end up becoming talibes and begging for money, these ones live here and go to school. But they dont know love of parents, of family, of all of these things. They lack wordly knowledge, self esteem, etc. And I went there and talked with them for a bit and felt a really strong feeling in my stomach the whole time. Obviously some of it is sadness but also a feeling of really wanting to spend time with them and hopefully help them in some way. Moral education, general education, things like this.

Anyways Thursday I am going back, I told em Id be there for the whole morning. I am really looking forward to it. And hopefully after that we can do some little trainings and activities. In challah.

There are other possibilities such as a school garden, which we are trying to get a propsal and interested school going. The goal is to expand that to nutrition education, science, and basic business lessons.
Anyways, it is so easy to feel intimidated in said situation, but I have had to find myself all over again, in almost every aspect and I am proud to say, I think I am starting to see it. Alxumdidilay.

Read more, Learn more, CHANGE THE GLOBE!..the kids will do that, that is

Lets have a water fight!

I had a thought with a few other Volunteers recently and it has come back into my thoughts a few times since.

We were talking about how much fun the kids would have with a water fight here. And a few of us mentioned how we had thought of asking for water balloons from america to do said activity. And then we were like ... Obviously not!! It is always a water conservation game here, even in a house with running water.

Americans have sooo much water we have water fights!! We all laughed. Its so true. All of the efforts gone to conserve here make these people such small wasters of anything.

And then i thought about taking the kids here to a water park. A FREAKING WATER PARK. I chuckle right now thinking how preposterous that is here. what an insane concept here. they would love the crap out of it though, oh my gosh.

The other day I bought 3 talibe kids some new jelly sandals and they looked SO adorable. all in their fresh white jellies. I saw one of em the next day and he had the BIGGEST smile.

How can you say no to a little dirty child who begs for money every day when he asks for a pair of shoes? How? I can't. Jer and I had been hanging out with them for over an hour before they asked too, and only one of em did. I was like damn it you dont have any shoes, of course we will get you some. You and your lil buddies.

One thing I have learned here is sharing. At a time when I have the least money-wise, I have indeed picked up the Senegalese trait of sharing what I do have. I am proud of that at least.

I am also a little nervous to come back for vacation so broke!

Nonetheless, I am so excited to come back. September :)

Even more reason i NEED this vacation

Just sittin here, adding pictures on facebook when i smacked my elbow and back a few times to remove the flies (having only 10 around in my screened in room is like nothing). I was like gosh, glad its a fly, kinda gross it could be ANYTHING. and then i put my hand firmly on this lingering fly...or so i thought. a cockroach was creeping on my neck. i flung it across the room and surely enough, it was a medium sized roach.

Gross.

im taking a cleansing bucket bath.

I dont know if you know how the fact that my parents said they would fly me home in September has literally changed my life. Life is difficult here. Looking forward to a much needed vacation. Until then, I wanna get some good projects set up. Things are finally looking up in said department.

September is the perfect time to take vacation because it is Ramadan, the Muslim 40 days of fasting. Yea, Im cool on that. People dont do anything as they are fasting (even from water!) in the freaking Sub Saharan. Also school comes back afterwards and I wanna be around for that.

I hope to visit my alma maters when in America and i dont know, get connections set up. or like money?

anyways, EWWWWWW on the roach. its sure to be eaten up by ants tonight. ew ew ew i still feel it on my back. bucket bath time.

peace.

weirdest bug

so im sittin in my room tonight and i heard a kind of tapping with a pen on the wall sound and then some other clicking sound i cant really describe. i figured maybe it was fatimita, my lizard friend. then the clicker shows itself scurrying across my floor. my first thought was its just another cockroach and glanced around for my chaco (sandal) to swiftly put an end to its life, leaving it for the ants to eat for dinner. but it was not a cockroach, though similar in size to a larger one. so i smack this mystery bug with the shoe and leave the shoe there, hoping ants eat this variety of bug. a few minutes later i hear the clicking, popping noise but like 5 times as loud. i lift up the shoe and the bug's body starts flipping up in the air, like 8 inches high over and over! clip pop flip clip pop flip! it was crazy. after i kind of backed away nervously, i approached it and went for the kill. and its fulll of white goo. i await to see if ants eat it tonight.

Tomorrow morning I am going with my counterpart, who I am supposed to work with a lot more than I have, into two villages he works in. I am going to check out some alphabetization classes, where women learn how to read in wolof and pulaar. I am interested to see how this ties into business here with their selling of things, etc.

I have little village exposure so I am interested to see the differences even though its just a few miles outside of Louga.

I am waking up earlier than normal so I am treating myself to a bean (spicy kidney beans on white baguette) sandwich and coffee (instant) at this one breakfast stand near my counterpart's office. A breakfast stand is a few rickety benches around a rickety table where a women has her pans of fixings for bread, including some, but usually not all of the following: beans (many volunteers choice), onions, hard boiled eggs, garlicy mayonaise, tuna. if im feeling insanely fancy slash hungry, beans with a hard boiled eggs is the way to go. now considering adding the mayo. genius.

there are a lot of foods i never ate before coming here, including mayo. and i certainly increased mustard intake, cuz its the only kind of dipping/sauce choice sold at your every day boutique (which are the overabundant convenience store here in senegal).

Things have been kind of heard here the last few weeks. A lot of build up kind of taking its toll. A lot of expectations are had of a lone American. But I am hanging in there and expect it to pass. Work is looking up, and I think that will help.

Buttt, I did have a nice birthday. Two days of fun with my PCV Senegal Family of Demba, Adama and Aminta. (not their real names). Food, drinks, dancing :) Balloons!! Birthday sign. Cake. So it was great. And Tayo, who shares my bday came in from Kaolack to celebrate Saturday night with us, so that was nice :)

Well, I want to come to America for vacation, like really bad. So.... 50 bucks from 50 peoply oughta cover it?? :)

Goodnight.

isnt anyone getting marrried??

I want(need) a vacatioooooooooon.

461st word forgotten in senegal

Last night, Friday, I was playing cards with a few PCVs here in Louga. And there was this piece of wood sitting around (no surprise) but on one end it was pointy. anyways i dont know how to explain it very well. it was a cubed rectangle thing with one end sharpened, i suppose you could say. haha and i was like 'this is like, im gonna stab you in the heart' and brenden was like ...
"a stake...". well, yea that would have been the right word! he was like "461st word forgotten here in Senegal". we laughed. Its so true. I have unusual amount of blanks when speaking in english,as we all do. Like.... whaaat... was...that word... ?

I cant imagine if I stay out traveling around not using english all of the time for a lot of years how that will be!

Interesting, i suppose. Just an insight I find telling.

hangin in there alright

Hello everyone,

I cannot believe June is coming to an end already. Seriously, it could just as easily be May in my life. Time is so different here. Yesterday night I was walking to the boutique and I ran into one of my students and I was like see you tomorrow morning. he was like, no, the day after tomorrow, today is wednesday. Students are pretty on top of days seeing as they have a regular schedulem but he made an error. And I definitely believed him. I was like, must be. So I asked when I got back to my room where my two volunteer friends were waiting. Adrian was like, yea today is Wednesday and jer was like no, its thursday. haha it was in fact thursday, but anyways, we really were not sure.

And sometimes when I think about what month it is, I am even wrong. Time is going really quickly for me. Days are really hard to distinguish from eachother. I guess I know its Friday if the boutique is cloesd longer than usual because its the holiest day here and they close to pray.

But anyways, work is finally starting to make sense. I sort of had a great day yesterday, a realization I can actually do something here. And that I think is organizational strengthening and computer literacy in schools. I have started teaching the teachers because it is easier and it makes more sense because they will be around in the schools a lot longer than one group of students.

I truly believe now there is no job more important than to be a teacher. I have seen the effects of a culture that doesnt value education and has a low literacy rate. A good teacher is what it takes. So if I can help a school run more efficiently, that leaves more time for mentoring of students by teachers. Yesterday I taught two teachers at a primary school how to run this program that was created by peace corps volunteers in Senegal before for doing grades on excel and all other kinds of documents that produce automatically for them with some entering of information. They really dug it. And I finally felt like I helped someone with something useful. They were really into the grades being automatically calculated.

We were sitting in a boiling hot teachers room around an ancient computer but it was the shiz. I am going to teach this all over in the schools here. Its so crucial and a great building block on which to take it further, learning internet, etc. I am going to do that for sure.

So these days I am doing IT, english classes (i could have been totally happy taking the other offer of being an english teacher fromt he peace corps), and youth work such as gender aawareness, leadership, career planning, motivation and plain old hope.

I really want to bump up work on IT. Its so key in this global world. If you cant connect to the internet or run an institution on a computer, it really sets you back. All they need is someone to take the time to teach em.

So I went camel riding a few weeks ago. It was so awesome. This campement is highly recommended by other volunteers for good reason. It was expensive for us, 35 bucks a person (including food, camel ride, first drink), but totally worth it. it was funny because on the crazy truck ride to the campement (after other crazy rides) one scene I saw reminded me ofthe lion king. And then when we got to the campement the only thing i could think of was aladdin.

If you come visit me, well be going here. youll love it.


So other than that everything is going pretty well. I say whatever I think to people like my family and neighbors, and after lack of vocabulary confinement in such an unfamiliar environment, that is so liberating. I am finally being myself really. And It seems most people are accepting that. The culture here is not condusive to my personality, but they are open to it and are pretty cool about my opinions. It seems a lot of them would actually dig such a free,progressive state of mind but its just not natural or accepted.

I have some cool friends here too. Reality is I hang out with men here mostly. They are more like we dont give a f*ck like me, rather than being uptight and trying to please other people (like the women).

I like to think by constantly breaking stereotypes, it helps something but who knows if that is reality.

My lil sister and I planted a flower and it grew and became a flower but i killed it. I have never kept one plant alive. ever. I have the perfect opportunity to learn how to garden by the other volunteer here but till this point I still havent gotten into it. Though I do go to the garden a few times a week and just chill. Its the most tranquil place in Louga. There arent any parks or anything and anything resemblant of that is also used as a landfill. sexy.

Ive had this really icky heat rash under my one armpit which has forced me to abandon deoderant. I see why so many people smell here, cuz i started to as well. Its so hot here. But I mean I have adjusted. Funny thing is you would think Africans were maybe used to the heat and so its no big deal, but they notice it just as much as I. Its one of the greetings here in the drawn out greetings of Senegal. See a typical greeting below:

How are you?
Im here
Where is your family?
They are there
Are they in peace?
Yes, all of them
Thanks be to God
Thanks be to God
How is the heat?
Its hot, painful
You are doing well?
yes, and you?
yes. thank you.
You are in peace?
yes, peace only, thanks be to god
how is your health?
health only
Are you having fun?
yes, fun senegalese only, thanks be to god
your ok?
im ok
And the affairs?
They go.
thanks be to god
thanks be to god

---

Seriously.
------

sometimes they ask about a whole bunch of specific people and its always they are there, yes in peace.

Anyways, hope all is well in america. go obama!

talibe--april 30

Have I ever really talked about the talibe here in Senegal? I don’t think so and it’s a major component of life here. The talibe, as if they don’t have their own names, like me the toubab, Its really sad, too. And most people here do not think its sad, it is a necessary component of the culture to a lot of people here.

So, parents give away a young boy child to a marabout, which is a religious muslim leader. And so they go and study the Quran, which is the Bible of Islam. They memorize this. So in turn, they know how to write and recite the Quaran. I will hold out my judgements on this particular aspect of what will they do with these skills other than stay here and recite the Quaran. Supposedly one of the now Peace Corps language trainers, who is a really lively smart guy, used to be a Talibe.

So they never see their parents, rather they spend their whole days begging for money. In the past, this was to give them a sense of humility, comparable to adult monks who receive alms in Thailand for example. But these children now beg to fund the whole operation. Rumors of kids being beaten if they don’t meet a quota during the day are around. But if you give money to these kids, they don’t get it. I buy them food if we are near bananas or whatever.

So not only do these little packs of boys spend their days with their hands out, palms up, in dirty ripped clothes, wandering alone in dark nights, lucky to have shoes, but they also have to come into houses and ask for lunch and dinner. Its part of the society, everyone always gives it to them, unless we hardly have any ourselves, in which case you qsk them to excuse you and come back tomorrow. So, they walk in the front door, stand there shyly, waiting for someone to say “talibe, come here” and they come hand their empty coffee can or empty butter plastic container to someone who plops some rice and occasionally some fish or veggies in. And so is their lives.

I cannot help but be upset by it. I have tried a few times to explain it to Senegalese people. These are kids, I say. They probably think no one cares or loves them. Their own parents gave them away to spend their lives begging- for what? Some think its necessary. Is it so there are people to read the Quaran? I don’t know. I have a Senegalese friend in St Louis who works with NGOs to provide education to these kids. Tostan, an American NGO started in Senegal by, I believe, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, has a program providing various services for these kids, too. But there are so manyyyy, how can we reach them all? I don’t know. For now, I give them occasional eggs and bananas. And ask their name.

Its like maslows heirchry of needs. You don’t think about emotional health until physical health is taken care of, which in most cases its not top notch.

Other news: I drank a diet coke today and it tasted so nasty. I used to love those things, though I know when I come back to America I will have a big fountain 44 oz sucka. I think cuz its so freakishly hot, water is the only good drink. It is HOT. Sleeping in sweat is so cool. Thank God I have electricity for a fan. It blows hot air but I reckon its better than dada. Those village volunteers are much more hardcore.

wrote this last night

On dirais que tu es en joy today. Hahaha just realized he wrote the last word in English. That would be my host brother who just sent me a text saying my fam said I seemed really happy today. And not only that, Yoro called me tonight.I feel quite strongly for the man. And we don’t get to talk a lot because its expensive and were broke. He is in Dakar. But we talked for over ten minutes which is a lot. And I cried because I miss him so much. Which shit its been a long time since ive done that. Which is to say, Im happy.

Even more so, I talked to my sister for over an hour tonight. Expensive TROP (very) but worth it! GREAT to talk with her. I bought 3 freaking cards of credit which usually I go through in over a month. Second time ive called her and its been over 4 months. Good times.

Right which brings me to the original point of this blog. Just like when Suzanne said things about having a small apartment or a little bit of money, I would sometimes refer to my much lesser circumstances. Which they are. But Ive also learned a lot. And I also chose this situation and I don’t believe ive ever really complained about it.

I studied abroad in England and started to catch onto cultural differences, greediness of the west and whatnot. But now living in the essentially opposite culture has done something different for me. I want to be clear I don’t think Americans are selfish or that all of you living much cozier lives than my friends and family here are wrong for doing so. It is what it is. And you go to work every day and earn your money for your life, so you deserve it. I believe that. If anything, living in Africa, which is like some dark mysterious place as portrayed by the media, has made everything that much more confusing. To me, its clear these people have obviously been screwed and have much less of a life chance and sense of optimism than my American ass does.

Its also clear they are awesome, deserving, smart, heart warming folks also. Just seeing the smiles on Daba and Anta’s face when I was coming back into my room tonight after buying my second phone card because they were happy for me reminds me how nice some people are. Sometimes I loathe my family here but its usually gone by the morning. And when I go off at them, they seemingly forgive and forget. Kind of like a family. Very Senegalese. So anyways. Theres a mosquito in my net right now and is gotten me a few times. Grr.

So, even though life sucks, it doesn’t. And you know,these people are happier than your average American. And I was reading barrack obamas book ‘dreams from my father’ and somewhere in there there is a guy talking about blacks in the ghetto in America and how its sad to see kids not smiling. Its not right and he waned to do something about it. And I thought, man these kids smile so much here. Today when Lamp called me over (who knows why) to watch him splash really cold water for a bath on top of a rock in the back of the compound while making ridiculous excited faces, it reminded me of my brother when he was little, as Lamp often does. (which gets him favoritism-aka cookies and a little pocket change) And its just so cute. The other day I bear hugged him in front of his friends. He is like 13 years old so that’s totally not cool. It was hilarious for me. And so the kids are happy here. The people generally are, though always complaining about money but often willing to spot you some. Anyways, today is one of those good days.

gender is a biotch

Feminists: Beware. Senegal isn’t ready for you. They often seem completely oblivious to that, but nonetheless, this is not a culture that values woman as individual people. Things and attitudes are slowwwwwwly changing, not that it’s enough.

Just got through with another gender discussionish argument of sort at the boutique. Yep, that is my Sunday night. I was just hanging at the shop, poking at a huge moth on top of a rice sack. So, some guy I find kind of cool, Faye, (plus is a good friend of my favorite guy here) start onto a conversation. First, we (me and my every day chat buddy Ngun & Malik, boutique worker-another daily fixture in my life) dude were talking about how Americans like to have a lot of fun. (I mentioned the ping pong table team louga built and uses regularly) Because we have money. Because we work. That was all agreed on.

And so then it goes onto the fact that Faye thought my life in Senegal was all grand and dandy, easier than in America (based on his little knowledge of me and America). And I told him its not true, one reason being I don’t get a lot of deserved respect because I am a female. Females are sub-servant, always doing everything while dudes sit (stereotypically) here.

Granted, I don’t do that. I am a sort of male-female here. But there are the men who, you know, don’t shake my hand, ask me to be their 3rd wife, dismiss my words, tell me to sit down when I play sports, and constantly tell me they love me. (can really be a nightmare if you aren’t able to handle it) I am surprised each time a man is professional, in all reality. It does happen.

The discussions I have with people about gender roles always back to well, its Islam. And I’m like so you have a book that says men can have 4 wives, that’s a great idea! Guess I wont think for myself. I kept going back to Senegal being naxna (good) for dudes, naxul (bad) for gals. Which, I mean, is true.

Definitely the best thing about learning wolof is telling people off in their local language. White person is telling me off in wolof. I can’t not listen.

Lately, I average a stranger every two days. Last week was a good week. Being called a toubab is, no matter how hard you try to ignore it, really really annoying. It’s the word for white person. Some say its for the French only, who have a much worse reputation in Africa than America does. In fact, they love America here. So, maybe feminists do want to come for a vacation here rather than say, America-loathing Europe.

Some say toubab is for any person who is white. Its not malicious at all in most cases. But it feels, to an American, racist. Because, hey, lets face it. You’d be bitter at the French too if you were Senegalese. So I don’t like to be lumped in. And its always a lump with Europe, which with they are more familiar. And like, I am not European. Americans have a really nice reputation in Senegal, which I accredit partially to the Peace Corps definitely. Peace Corps is soft diplomacy. You really don’t see Europeans speaking Wolof. Or Pulaar. Or Mandinka. Etc. And that means almost everything to people.
It shows them you understand them because you care about them. And that’s something unique to Peace Corps throughout the world.
I tell people “I have a name. I don’t call you black. I call you by your name and if I don’t know it, I ask for it. Understand? Where is your respect?”

Or the other day, at bean sandwich stand (I was all proud I got up so early so I went for a coffee and kidney beans on bread sandwich) I had a guy telling me he loved me. And I wasn’t in the mood for it so I asked him where his freaking respect for me is. Can’t a girl just have breakfast and listen to her earphones? I know you don’t talk like this to Senegalese women. And everyone there was like “wax na dig, wax na dig”, like you speak the truth. It just needs to be in wolof and you have a newfound freedom.

Being able to express yourself is so invaluable. And telling off (really surprised, impressed) people is just a bonus.

Madame Sekk

Oh my gosh, something I never thought possible is turning out to be sort of natural. Me-a teacher of youth! Though right now I still think teaching in America is out of the picture, it is an interesting revelation of mine. I keep taking on new students, classes, and working in more schools. Another reason I think Louga was fatefully chosen to be my site- there are a lot of schools. So as of right now, I have two English classes once a week, am tutoring two students personally, doing various talks and discussions in classrooms, am doing the SeneGAD scholarship program with one of the middle schools and maybe another, and hope to build another girl’s group out of the candidates. The reason I am really hoping for that is because these are the girls with the best grades in school, which could make for a really beneficial girls group. In challah. I am really happy with the punctuality and professionalism of the middle school principal in the scholarship process. Tomorrow I will supervise the girls writing their essays responding to the questions about life after school, etc.

Please consider donating to SeneGAD to see that all girls in the country who are worthy of it, receive the scholarship to continue their studies. And I can seriously imagine what that would do for a girl here-give her so much confidence and pride, and that really touches me. Girl power, yo. Education, yo!

I actually was at the American Corner in the Cultural Center today and there were some young teenage boys doing online quiz games, testing knowledge in science and then English. And I was trying to help them with their English (I got one wrong hahaha) and then afterward spontaneously agreed to start doing a class with them Friday mornings because they don’t have school then. (how can I say no to kids who pay to use computers and take educational quizzes!?) Its weird how the students here are really eager to do classes in their free time. Ok I guess its not weird because the educational system here could afford to stimulate their minds more and also there are hardly any after school activities. Alors! In steps Ndaye. Me. So… yea. Oh along with that, I am starting this week to teach some elementary school teachers a grade keeping program on excel and basic internet skills. Hopefully that will trickle down to other teachers and students. And if successful, I will do it with more schools.

In a lot of ways, all Peace Corps volunteers are teachers. Mine is just more blatant at the moment. I am totally winging it each and every day, but each time I gain more confidence and skill. Its pretty cool actually. I am surprised more people do not join the Peace Corps, because hey its like free travel and awesome professional experience, what with all the freedom and trust. And then I am like wait, this sucks here dude. This is hard, ambiguous work. And the people really can get under your skin. Its definitely the most testing experience of my life. Its like you cant just escape the people that piss you off. And that’s just it- I do get pissed off here, something really rare for me in the past. They are here, you are here. I am indeed here. It is still not totally normal, I thought to myself as I squeezed by a truck parked in the middle of the vegetable market this morning, stepping in trash. I have my doubts it ever will be. But who knows, really. I have made it 7 months, which leaves just over a year and a half left. Time flies more than it takes forever.

my pet

I don’t really know her that well yet, so I haven’t given her a name. And I cant decide whether to go Senegalese, maybe Fatimita. Yea I kind of like Fatimita. And while I am tempted to name my friend I have only seen 3 or 4 times throughout the last few months, I don’t even want to give a last name, say maybe Gaye or Diop, to the family of cock roaches stopping by the last few days. Now a wall-roaming gecko I think has more staying power, and thus, it is now decided she is to be named Fatimita.

Sometimes I think about the pluses and negatives of living in a city versus a village in Senegal. I have electricity and can buy eggs and icecream treat things(though I think ive maybe bought this once. The village volunteers coming into a city go far more hogwild.) Everyone in Louga city will never know me (though large amounts of people seem to) and thus I am often white person entertainment, followed by white person who speaks wolof entertainment, followed by tests of how much wolof does this white person speak, rather than a person.
300 person villages get accustomed to the toubab, people outside of my neighborhood are catching on slowly. Hearing a kid scream “bonjour Madame” or “toubab, toubab” can literally ruin your day if you let it. “Dude im not fucking French you little brat. Haven’t you seen me here before? My NAME is NDAYE. DEG NGA?!?!”

haha so. Anyways, I am kinda earning some village cred with all these critters hanging out in my room. Down south they have to use their candles to look for snakes under beds. Here I just turn on the light and find my chaco to kill the little (ok huge and speedy) cockroach.

Message to Fatimita: please don’t come on my bed, I will be really really freaked out. I have intimacy issues. Please stay on the wall for now. We’ll negotiate as time goes on. Cockroaches aren’t scary anymore. The little snake that was in my room that I had to leave and squeamishly scream outside while my brother removed, well that might always be scary. I don’t want to make any promises, but maybe one day we can snuggle.

Interested in helping some galz?

SeneGAD is a great organization within Peace Corps Senegal, striving to bridge the gender inequality gap. Gender inequality here is grave and I personally committed to doing what I can to help. It has become my main interest as I see such a great need for the improvement of education and quality of life for girls here. Read on about Senegad and please feel free to donate in the fundraising section. We do not have a lot of money and a lot of girls to help out. Money goes a really long way here, too. Thanks:)
http://www.senegad.org/

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!

living life

Am I writing too many blogs these days? If so, let me know. Blog writing seems so self-righteous.

Gosh, how do I say self-righteous is French?

Anyways, yea I am these days working a bit more on my French than my Wolof. That is because I think I like French more (flows more smoothly-is that correct English?) and because my French is already a lot better than my wolof so I just want to have one language I can actually have a decent conversation in. Like a good one. It is pretty difficult. Sooo… and also in terms of work at the moment, I work with people who speak French. And all of my real friends here speak French too so when my wolof hits a lull, they understand the words in French.

So--- life. I still get plenty of sleep. I am back on a yoga schedule. 1 a.m. when its not too hot and the people generally sleep.

Today I will have my second meeting with, what I guess is, my girl’s group. I am kind of basing it off of my few distinct memories of girl scouts. Remember all of the good times, bonding, and confidence building associated with such after-school programs? So, last time was introductions. There were about 10 of them, ages 11-16 and we sat in a circle and each one said their name, what they like studying in school, what they do for fun, and what they want to do for a career. I will be lucky of one them goes on to do that, but hey if I can have any influence… They really seemed to enjoy it. I had a girl in my neighborhood who had heard about it ask if she could come. So that is cute.

And I realized making an idiot out of myself is appreciated. They love my nose though. People here do. Because it is long and narrow.

Anyways, today’s agenda is this(after much random chatter, as is the case for adults here too): Each one will write 5 things on a piece of paper that each of them thinks they cannot do. And afterwards I will instruct them to tear that up. You guys can do anything you put your mind to! And then I want each of them to draw a self-portrait and write 5 positive adjectives describing themselves and we will each present ours. And essentially that is it. Considering doing the human knot thing, too.

This will take at least an hour or two. I need to keep it short because today is my tutor and friend’s baptism for his newborn girl. So I need to go eat some ceb u yapp. Rice and meat-probably sheep. Its exciting. Seriously. Because people eat well for such occasions. Maybe I will take some pictures.

And next week’s girl’s group plan is to go to Jeremiah’s (urban agriculture volunteer) work and he is going to teach them some gardening. Each one will get to go home with a flower, too. I honestly cannot wait. Another idea is to teach them to ride bikes, do research on the internet, English, arts and crafts, maybe anti mosquito lotion making (and then sell it) and perhaps some basic business skills.

So, last weekend me and 3 other volunteers (1 was in town visiting Jeremiah) went to a highschool english club meeting and played Pictionary with them. And it was a lot of fun. I made up the words to use so I did not play (because it would be an easy guess for me) but the students (about 30 of them) were having a riot. The other volunteers who don’t normally do things like this, really enjoyed it too and were glad I set it up.

I am meeting with the President of said English club tomorrow to help plan for some big event they are having where they are hosting an English club from St. Louis to come into Louga and form networks. They of course are having problems having the money to pay for the event. So tomorrow I will try to discuss fundraising ideas with them tomorrow. They are good kids who just looooooove English. And hey, so do I.

I like being a volunteer with such a broad scope of work. I can help anyone out essentially. And it is free for them. And our taxes pay for this. It is a great thing. Speaking of which, I am having a hard time deciding what to do with my tax return….. I think use it to travel to Mali, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea. Like in 6 months or so. That is probably what I will do. At least a few of those countries. Gambia is an easy one, seeing as its in the middle of Senegal. Mali sounds cool though. I don’t know, why not? It is enough for a plane ticket to Europe or even maybe America, too. Eeeeeek. But only for the ticket. I def think traveling here makes most sense. So cheap. Yea, that’s the answer. Someone come visit me and lets travel together.

I have turned down one person for English tutoring because well, he was just an arse about it. And so many people want English tutoring so I might as well go with the respectful ones.

And next week I am going to head to the schools and begin searching for scholarship candidates for the scholarship I previously mentioned.

Oh, also starting next Monday team louga will have a 15 min slot on the radio for whatever we want. Since I work with businesses here, I will try to compile a list of local events for each week and local services (such as HIV testing) and classes (such as computer training) available to people here in Louga.

So, other than that, I still have plenty of down time to just hang out with my family and neighbors and some friends I have met out and about. Plenty of free time. But this is part of the Peace Corps- cultural exchange and also building my language skills. And I do try to help the kids here with homework, too. And I am a master spinner of kids in circles.

Who knew I loved kids so much? “ndaye touty loves kids”, they say. I usually have a kid on the hip and one holding the other hand. It is what I do. But tonight I think I am going to drink a beer after the baptism. Shiiiiit, I deserve it.

Oh, tacos are a serious problem. The lack of them. My dreams will not give em up. I wake up sad.

In other news: I have been texting today with Anthony, who is in Iraq, and also my bestest friend. Just 100 cfa per text and he is doing alright. Goood, good.

I am starvingggggg. Bye.

Worth noting: If I make it out of this thing alive, I will be able to do anything and take about any insult. Struggles day in and day out. If you are considering peace corps and aren’t a tough cookie in one way or another (all volunteers are different and draw from different strengths) id reconsider maybe. Um because being a in a conservative collectivist culture where everyone is kind of the same, is kinda ridiculous at times. And the people here anyways, can seem really mean at times. And its just the way they are. This last paragraph was just added on at the cyber café because of yet another incident.

Also worth noting: I think I kind of experienced racism Saturday. They wouldn’t let us in an establishment without a good reason at all. BOOOOO.

im a kid again!!!!!

Thought being a kid was so easy didn’t you? Well I am here to tell you as an adult who essentially feels like a child again—kids seem pretty stupid.

I live with a family. The boys I would date do too. My “mother” gives me disappointed looks when I don’t go to religious functions, my language skills are of that of no more than a ten year old, people tell me what I “really should be doing” all of the time(like sitting at the millionth lame baptism rather than working), and like a spoiled only child I get all of this crazy attention. It is a ridiculous life I lead!

And the problem is I am not at all a child. I am living away from everything comfortable and familiar (or once familiar) out of choice. Because I am educated and because I want to work hard and for something I believe in. So that in itself is not childish. If only I could say all of this in French or (the great language of) Wolof.

Dating here is realllllly cool too. Tonight I went with my friend over to his friend’s house. We drank some tropical Fanta. And while it actually was fun because these were some of the only ‘cool’ Senegalese girls I have met, it sure wasn’t drinking beer with my peeps. And then I walk home to my house/compound , which has a bolt lock so I have to wake up dear brother to let me in.

………..Errrrrrrrrrrrshhh…(stop time)

Didn’t I totally just live alone in a cool apartment in a city with things to do at night?

Didn’t I use to sound somewhat intelligent?

But alas, this was my decision. And I adjust to it. I am pretty adjusted to it. I guess. I mean I certainly feel like if I were to return to America I would feel like a freak there, too. So it is indeed a predicament I am in. But this is what life is made of- sorting out the ridiculous stuff to find a deeper something or another. And I do indeed find joy and happiness in things I never have before.

Like rice for example. Now when dinner comes around I hope for rice with a few beans. It is freaking delicious dude. I might have a heart attack if someone gave me sushi and a taco. Which brings me to the fact that the anti malaria drugs we take give you ridiculously vivid dreams. As the Doc put it- some people pay for this kind of stuff illegally. And well, it has taken me through the taco bell drive through twice this week. And I still remember my order very clearly and remember talking with dude over speaker. Damn it. Taccooooos.


Oh man, the sheep just broke loose. They are now rummaging around the back area. Bahhhhh. The way they pen up these sheep really should be changed-they always get out if the whole group of em work together.

Africa is totally ghetto. Hahahahahaha. Glad to be here in L’Afrique.

-----

current work projects:
Developing a marketing campaign for free HIV testing at CDEPS. I am thinking flyers and radio spots for starters.
Which brings me to the next thing:
Monday myself and team Louga have a meeting with RTS Radio to pitch doing a radio show. Topics will include news, local and international, health information, local events, music, explanation of american lyrics that they listen to, business and agricultural info and just a lot of stuff. Sounds really fun and radio reaches a really wide audience in developing countries because almost everyone has a radio, whilst not all have tvs. or electricity to have a tv, etc. but radios people do have.
And I had my first girl scouts type of meeting last week. We talked about school and work after school. It was really cute. They are ages 11-16. And they want to meet every week.
Oh, and thinking of starting teaching english classes. Everyone wants them afterall.
And me and the guys are going to one of the english highschool classes to facilitate a gender discussion/game with them. They each take a card with like a word on it that we will pass out. One example will be "work" or "sports" or "cooking" and then each student puts it up on the board under the category of male or female or in the middle. Then they will tell why they put that there and it goes from there. Im looking forward to it. So many topics are just never introduced here.

Cheers!

what im up to...

Hellloooo---

Well I have written so many themed blogs over the last months that I never get around to posting. Now today I SWEAR I am going to the cyber and putting this blog up. In challah. (if God wills it- the phrase you end about 50% of sentences with here). Anyways, today I will give you a little overview of current life here.

I have gotten so comfortable here that I do not even think about really reporting about it. Because it is just my life, quoi.

Let’s see—I am finally done with all training and it is now time for me to start my work. The first 3 months here at site in Louga were spent on community integration and language skills. And that was fully a success. My language skills need to come further. But considering I came in not speaking French nor wolof and now I can not only get by, but have conversations with a mesh of both, it is pretty crazy.

So plans for work coming up: Michelle Sylvester scholarship interviews and selection. This involves going to the local middle schools and asking the principal to give me the names and grades of the top twelve girls. Then teachers have to write their recommendations for these girls as well as the girls write essays about what they want to do with their life and why they want to stay in school. Because right around age 11ish girls here tend to drop out of school to do work around the house.

So then I will meet them each individually and talk to them about plans for life and observe their financial situation in their homes.
I choose the top 4 candidates and then a committee within peace corps Senegal will choose the top one or two candidates now for having a year scholarship. Do you want to know how much that costs in American money? 60 bucks, but that is far too much for many here. Especially when women are seen as destined to marry and cook and clean.

So I am thinking about taking the top twelve girls afterwards and do a girls club, a sort of girl scouts. We can meet once a week and talk about life skills, such as decision making, life after school, developing individual personalities. Kids here are not often asked who they are as people, or what they want to be when they grow up. It is foreign, but I ask most kids I spend any amount of time with. Which is about most of my time.

So there is that. And then working with the highschool English clubs. We are putting together a culture night with the centre culturelle here. I am going to teach how to play pictionary. This is good for English practice, a view of American culture, and fun. And they are going to do a play and other things. We start work on that next Monday, in challah. I am doing that in partnership with Adrian, a health volunteer in a nearby village, and Anne Marie, the woman in charge of the “American corner” here at the cultural center in louga. (not to mention she is also my cousin via Thies).

Which reminds me, I need to go visit this one English class again on Saturday that seemed to have promising students.

Then, Jeremiah (urban agriculture volunteer actually in the city with me), Adrian, and I have a meeting with the big radio station here to try to figure out a way to work together and have a radio show run by us. Volunteers in other regions do it and it is a great way to promote important issues and events, ranging from business, health, agriculture, culture,
etc. And also play some music and whatnot. So hopefully that should work out well.


So these are the main current projects I am most excited about here. I really forsee myself working with youth a lot- they have less preconceived notions and are more open to change and formation. And a serious shift in attitude about gender and education is needed. Adults are already kind of stuck in their ways, quoi.

I am becoming more Senegalese every day, it is kind of bizarre. My clothes, my eating habits- they are starting to shift. Well, I mean obviously. But it is kind of interesting that I seem to be one of the few volunteers who kind of prefers being with Senegalese people at this point. Huge toubab events are quite bizarre and we are quite awkward socializers, really. Doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy toubab things too, it is just im instead becoming functional without the things I once required and was once used to.

It is very strange to think about certain things. Last night was an interesting mix of culture moment- me and my two closest peace corps neighbors made dinner together. It was sick- we had fried chicken, salad and mashed potatoes. Insane, right? Well for us. We hadn’t done anything like it since thanksgiving. And haha so we made it all and then made plates out of tin foil (plates- toubab, out of tin foil- not), plopped on the floor (senegalese) and ate it all with our hands, even though there were forks. (not toubab). Using your hand to eat, especially chicken and salad, is so much easier and just better. It is always funny and kind of scary to imagine the reactions of Americans if we were to do some of the African things we now do regularly around them.

The comfort of being here for almost 6 months now is evident. I do things to people in the street, like fake punch people when they don’t know I am not a tourist. And then laugh it off in wolof. And a lot of times when I do stuff and say things in wolof people will know I am American and often guess if I am from the peace corps. We have a good repuation in the country. You don’t see French people speaking wolof. Ok, there is one drunk French guy who does. But I don’t know, tis weird. All I know is living here rocks. I could not imagine dropping by St Louis and Dakar and calling it a day and saying I have seen Senegal. Senegal is awesome. Too awesome for that.

For example, I was just in St Louis a couple of days ago after josh and Liam came to visit me here in Louga. Liam and I went to st louis becase its only an hour from here and my personal fave city in Senegal. So, I meet this security guard when im at the ATM and he says something in wolof and I reply and then he is like woah- come eat. So Liam and I went and ate some lunch with these two guards, no problem. And they actually spoke Mandinka too, which is the language Liam uses. Surprising people with your local language skills is almost always fun, especially is a psychotically touristy city like st. louis. And I can ALWAYS eat at any house, even if I do not know the people. And I get tea all of the time too. From total strangers. This is Senegal. But you woul not know this if you came here and went only to restaurants.

Do I miss good food? Yes. Does the food seem really tasty here now? Yep. Is it even comparable? Nope. Does is matter? Nope. Will I move to another country next? Yes. So I better work on getting turkey sandwiches on wheat bread with cheddar cheese and honey mustard out of my head. Oh and ceasar salad, too. And oreo icecream. Byeeeeeeeeee. Time to eat some rice! And ya know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.