10.30.2007

The End of Training Is Near

Spent last weekend in Dakar, which was nothing short of amazing. Its a big, exciting city and I cant wait to spend more time there. We spent the weekend exploring, went out dancing at night and then spent all day chilling. Went to an American Club that had a really nice swimming pool and a volleyball court, played loads of volleyball and definately had a large part in the other team winning. Daniel was not excited to be on my team, but I think I was most improved. I am crazy sore afterwards. Ill have to do that more often. Also, I get in free because Im an American, so thats good.

Spent all day Monday in Dakar taking a tour of the Peace Corps office and the American Embassy, which was good. While in Dakar,tried to buy some mugs for my home in Pout, which I will move into in two weeks, and whenI went to buy them, they didnt have a price tag on them, so the women told meI couldnt buy them.That really blew my mind.Never would that happen in the states. I dont know how much it costs so I cant sell it to you. When I got outside I couldnt believe that had just happened. Perhaps it is not a big deal, but I was just really frustrated by it.

More news to come.

10.22.2007

Popenguine Is My Favorite Place on Earth

Due to popular demand and the fact that I am not studying Mandinka but Wolof, I have changed the name of my blog. Doesnt have quite the same sound, but what can you do, huh?

So this weekend my stage went to Popenguine, which is on the Atlantic Ocean just south of Thiès where we work. 40 or so of us went to a beach house to get away from it all and its easily the most fun Ive had since coming to Senegal. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been hands down. If my camera hadnt already broken I would post pictures for you all, but you can probably just google it. Spent 36 hours sitting in a chair on the porch doing absolutely nothing and having the best tiome of my life. I wish I could put it into words. But like all good things, my beach house experience came to an end and I am back in Thiès at work.

Nothing too exciting to report except that in 3 weeks I will be moving to site to start my life there and am a bit anxious about it. I will be all by myself. I found out today that my new address will be:

PCV Mandi Kimberly
B.P. 360
Thiès, Senegal
West Africa

Not too different from the old address, but then again Im only moving 11 km down the road, so what do you expect? Please send packages. I am dying here. Any American food is appreciated. M&Ms, granola bars, cliff bars, raspberrry flavoring for bottled water, mac & cheese. This is only what Ive been craving today. I have my own kitchen at site and plan on cooking for myself, so any American food I can cook up would be great.

10.16.2007

So This Is Life

The Honeymoon is officially over. Nothing so exciting to report on these days, so instead I will tell you a bit more about my daily routine.

I get up around 6:3o every day to take my bucket bath, which is surprisingly refreshing and yet I always kinda worry that I missed something. I leave my house at 7:20 to bike to work with Maria, another trainee in my neighborhood. After 10 minutes of being yelled at and mocked by small children, I arrive at work to eat breakfast, normally bread and jam.

Work normally consists of four hours of Wolof language training, then three hours of techinical training; which is the business aspect of my training. Sometimes they spice things up by thorwing in some medical or cross cultural training instead. Medical is always a bit nerve rackig realizing how many things could go wrong.

Work ends at 6:oo and I bike to the internet cafe near my house to email and sometimes use Skype. It works pretty well. Then I go home and talk to my host family theoretically, although sometimes I just end up reading in my room. Eat dinner with my family then more socializing, sometimes an episode of Prison Break dubbed in French, and then off to bed to repeat the entire process all over again.

This is my life. Any questions?

10.12.2007

I Pout'd

So its been awhile since Ive posted largely due to a four day stay in the sick bay at the Training Center with a bout of the Senegalese flu folowed by dehydration. Sounds fun, right? Worst four days of my adult life so far.

While I was in sick bay, a Peace Corps employee was killed in a car accident, so everyone was mourning and its the first time Peace Corps Senegal has had to deal with that. Terrible. Because of the funeral, everything got pushed back a day, including site announcements. If you are not familiar with the Peace Corps, they have a day where they tell all of the trainees where we will be going for the next two years. Kind of a big deal. Basically, its like moving Christmas back a day. You may laugh and think Im overexaggerating, but I havent been that dissapointed in a long time.

At any rate, today was site announcement!!! I am going to Pout (yes its said just like it spelled, which will take some maturity on my part because Ive been giggling about it all day). Its a sweet site. Im 10 km from Thiès, heading towards Dakar and super near the beach. Feel free to look it up. Off to dinner to celebrate, like I said this is a big deal. More news to come.

10.05.2007

Sometimes I Lie

I am studying Wolof as a language, and its coming slowly but surely even though I still speak like a three year old. For todays language class, our teachers dropped us off in downtown Thiès and told us to talk to people. No joke. As if I can communicate with people. There were many unsuccesful attempts to communicate and sometimes when it didnt work I just walked away. Here are two excerpts from conversations that I had in Wolof with strangers today.

Creepy old man 1: Do you have a husband?
Me: I dont understand.
COM: Husband? You?
M: Oh! No, no, no! But I have a boyfriend who lives in England.
COM: A boyfriend? So he is not your husband?
M: (sensing trouble) Not yet, no.
COM: How would you like to be my wife?
M: No.
COM: But you need a Senegalese husband....
M: Im sorry sir, but you dont want me. I cant cook fish and rice. I dont even know how.
COM: You cant cook fish and rice?! (looks me up and down suspiciously and leaves)

Creepy Old Man 2: Do you have a husband?
Me: Yes I do. Five. Four live in England and now I have one in Senegal. I like them very much.
COM2 Exit scene

Lesson learned: Never answer men honestly when they ask about marital status.

10.03.2007

My Korite Prom Dress

So Ramadan is half over and at the end of Ramadan is a huge festival to celebrate the fact that it is once again socially acceptable to eat and drink during the day. To commemorate this event, my host sister decided that I should have a traditional Senegalese outfit made for the celebration, which loads of people do. So one day after work we went to the market to buy fabric. She doesnt even ask what I want but picks out fuschia and powder blue material and asks me for money. I tell her I dont do powder blue and pointed to a brighter, electric blue that I preferred. We argued for awhile and finally she accepts that I want the other blue but wont budge on the fuschia. Since I had already mistakenly given her my money, she paid and we left. Yes thats right, fuschia and electric blue.

On the way home we stop at the tailor. He points out that the colors dont go together, and my sister blames me. So the tailor tells me I should have listened to my sister and gone with the other blue. She describes this entire outfit to him, none of which she has asked me about, including long sleeves. I tell the tailor I dont want long sleeves as its 90 degrees in Senegal these days, and she tells him I dont understand what theyre talking about and to ignore me. I tell her I dont want the outfit and wont pay for it and she says she doesnt care. When we get home, my sister tells my host mom, who in turn tells me I should have listened to my sister and gone with the other blue.

Basically, my 22 year old host sister is designing her dream Korite outfit and having me buy and wear it. She thinks we are going to the market next week to pick out a necklace and high heels, but I have to draw the line somewhere. I have these horrible visions of an 80s prom dress dancing around in my head and am actually dreading picking it up this weekend. The positive: instant halloween costume if I just throw on a sash and tiara.

Pictures to follow.