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.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
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
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
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