Installation

I have now been installed. Though this sounds like I am some appliance fitted into the back corner of a closet. This is what Peace Corps calls it when they drop you off in middle of nowhere and waves goodbye leaving you with a puzzled look. Nowhere is a middle size village called Ouarkhokh with a population of about 4,000. It is 15 kilometers from a town called Linguere where I can go to connect to the internet, check my mail and hangout with another volunteer who calls Linguere home. I myself live in an octagon shape hut made with cement and a grass roof. It has an attached bathroom otherwise known as a hole in the cement floor that works as a bath and toilette. I also have a bit of a confusing family situation, I live in a compound with three women and their children who all shared a husband. He died a few years ago and the women have taken over the house but lost the sense of family that is seen in most Senegalese families. The women all cook their own meals (my mom also cooks for me) have their own sheep and goats and split the water bill. They of course do interact with each other but each does their own thing for most part and the compound is quite compared to any other in the village. This is an example of the complex relationships that come with polygamy that have yet to understand. Since I don’t have a father, the compound next to mine has abapted as theirs as they did with the last volunteer. The head of the family is my father, a well respected member of the community, he is very nice and his compound is the source of my electricity. Having two families also means having two lunches and two dinners. I give my mom money every month to cook for me and she does a great job adding variety to an otherwise dull menu of rice and fish for lunch and rice and beans for dinner every single day. My father also gives me a portion of their lunch and dinner. I usually push the food around to make it look like I ate something or give some to the Taliba (young boys who are sent off to the local Koranic school to learn the values of faith by begging for food everyday). My days so far are spent greeting people and going to the school and health post to talk and in order to establish a friendly relationship which will be beneficial for future work. My day ends with a refreshing bucket bath and I am usually in bed by 10. Since the heat is unbearable in my hut at night, as it is for most of the day, I sleep outside on a very nice stick bed using a mat for extra comfort. As for work so far there is not much to say. I have started a garden which is apart of the two goals peace corps wants new volunteers to finish by the end of two months when we go back to Thies for more training. The garden is still in its infancy so hopefully it will turn out some good carrots, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. On Monday I am helping out with Bob Marley day at the local high school which as music lover nothing could be better for a first project. It has been organized by a new English teacher who has quickly become my friend since he is the only one I can truly talk to as my Wolof is also still in its infancy. There is also a literary club at the school which I am excited about helping with funding for new books. That’s it all I have for now I will be accessing the internet about every two weeks, which hopefully insures regular blog posting.

The end of Training is near

It is exactly a week before swear in and this is my first journal entry. Things have been a little crazy with so much traveling and work, I have not keep up with this blog. So, I am not going to try catching everything up to speed. Instead, I am only going highlight a few aspects of Senegalese life. For all those who are worried Senegal is the most peaceful place I have been. At first glance it could seem the opposite but as one of the most stable countries in West Africa it has a very low violent crime rate. With a long history of peace people have integrated peace into their everyday greetings. Greetings are extremely important for relationships with people and the most commonly used phrase is peace only and god willing. It may seem small but I have come to appreciate a peaceful way of thinking. Living in a host family for the past two months has been an exciting learning experience and very demanding. The idea of being thrown into a Senegalese family is that the PCT will be greatly sensitized to the culture and learn the language (Wolof) at a faster speed. For instance, I know how to eat around a big bowl sharing with nine other people, take a bucket bath, the dialectic process of making attaaya (Senegalese tea) and my language is improving daily. I live in a large compound with 26 other family members. My mother is 55 years old and has given birth to 12 children. She is a great loving mother but has been in mourning for months since her husband’s death a few months ago. I am an official member of the family with a new name, Ada Diop, but my new family life comes with some frustrations. I only live with my family for 20 days out of the two months, the downside of the new training structure, and I feel no real connection to my family. It’s hard to get close when I am always saying goodbye. My family has already hosted two other volunteers and they often compare my language skill and personality to the two others that have come before me. With these and other small frustrations it is great to have down time with the other volunteers when we go for technical training at the PC center in the city of Thies. The volunteers are great and everyone gets along for the most part. Often times we talk about life in the states and I realize that still see my life in states, which I haven’t fully embraced the next two years in Senegal. However, I know once I move to my village in the next few weeks I will be hit with reality.