Election Madness

You would think that living in a small farming town in West Africa would make me pretty out of touch as far as the US election goes, but there has been a surprising amount of coverage. Senegal's national TV station, RTS 1, has been providing a lot of coverage and there's always the internet. Walking through the Dakar market, we saw loads of Obama t-shirts (no McCain t-shirts for some reason...). Everyone here is supporting Barak Obama, mostly because he's African. Some don't like Bush and see McCain as the same, but yet again mostly Obama is black and the Senegalese are really excited about the possibility of a black president. I have been asked multiple times today who I am voting for, and am always met with a grin when I say Barak Obama. I sent my absentee ballot in 5 weeks ago, so I'm hoping that it arrived safely in Murfreesboro. I'm pretty sure it won't be counted, but I can't complain about who wins if I didn't vote, right?

Right now I am sitting in a hotel conference room in the fanciest hotel in Thies where they have set up chairs and mattresses and most importantly a tv with sattelite connection so that we can watch the non-stop coverage on CNN International. There is a restaurant attached to the hotel so we're pretty much set. The entire new stage (40 volunteers) is here as well as those volunteers who live nearby and the two university students that are visiting me in Pout for the week to see what exactly Peace Corps volunteers do as they are both looking into Peace Corps after graduating. More about our adventures later.

Just wanted to post something on Election Day before I know who my next president will be to let you all know that I do have constant english language news coverage, so you can stop worrying. :)

Allez Obama!!!