Happy Father's Day

Family (American, that is)

I'll be really honest with you, the hardest part about being here, is being so far away from friends and family and feeling like you may be missing out on things back home. Especially on a day like today (it's Father's Day, in case you missed the title of this blog post). As I am still in Dakar (ugh!), I was luckily able to speak with my family this morning. Skyped my Mom and Dad in New Jersey and my Grandfather in Florida. It just isn't the same though. Especially since I remember Father's Days in the past with much fondness. Usually it would begin with a brunch (bagels and cream cheese anyone?) and then be followed by an outing in NYC (to a play or museum), followed by a lovely dinner to round out the day. But it's not the activities I miss so much as it is the company. Yes, that's right, you heard it here first, I am an almost 25 year-old that misses her mommy and daddy. But I'm not ashamed to admit that, especially since they have both been my main supporters, not just over the past 4 months, or the application process leading up to getting here, but for as far back as I can remember. So I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you parents, and Happy Father's Day Dad. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

P.S. I feel like it would be appropriate to take this opportunity to reflect on the different roles a Father plays in Senegal, at least in comparison to America (That's what a really good, informative blog would do, right?). I'll have to get back to you on that one, I've been out of village for a while, and it's kind of hard to remember right now. 
P.P.S. A Peace Corps Father's Day Tribute

Evil Incarnate

A pretty intense blog title don't you think? And what could I be talking about you ask? Mosquitos. In the 3 and 1/2 months since I've been in Senegal I've come to decide that they are the enemy, the ultimate enemy. Forget serial killers and terrorists, kidnappers and Republicans (oops, did I say that last one out loud?), Mosquitos are the physical manifestation of all that is evil in the world. 

Doesn't that just look evil? And trust me, this is not something that I am rushing to conclusions on, I've had 3 and 1/2 months to logically and practically think this one through (Maddie and SWK, aren't you proud? Practical and logical.). It's something in the eyes I think. You know how in animated movies (Disney, Pixar, etc.) you can always tell who the evil character is by the mean, beady, shifty eyes? Same deal here. For additional evidence to prove my point, please see below. 

Beady eyes (Jafar from Aladdin)

Mean eyes (Stinky Pete from Toy Story 2)

Shifty eyes (Randall from Monsters Inc.)

But on a more serious note, Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in West Africa. According to the World Health Organizations, each year, there are more than 225 million cases of Malaria worldwide, killing around 781,000 people each year. In fact, 2.25% of deaths worldwide are attributable to Malaria and ninety percent of malaria-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. 


As a Preventative Health Educator in Senegal, one of my primary project will revolve around Malaria prevention. I'm hoping to do mosquito net distributions, Malaria causeries and Neem lotion demonstration (the Neem tree is prevalent in Senegal, and its leaves can be combined with soap and oil to make a lotion that repels mosquitos). I'm also hoping to tap into larger-scale projects that will benefit the country at large as opposed to just in my own village and the small area surrounding it. In April, the Peace Corps announced a partnership with the President's Malaria Initive (PMI) that will expand Malaria prevention activities throughout Africa. 


In fact, Peace Corps Senegal just hosted the first "Stomping Out Malaria in Africa" boot camp at our training center in Thies. For 2 weeks, Peace Corps volunteers from the Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia took part in training activities dealing with educating and sharing the best practices on Malaria prevention. During boot camp, volunteers visited a home-based care unit and met with representatives from the Senegalese National Ministry of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development, IntraHealth, ChildFund, and Roll Back Malaria. From this training, more comprehensive techniques for dealing with Malaria prevention have been developed and are now just waiting to be shared with the rest of the world. 


For now, I will do my best to prevent Malaria, both in myself and in my local community (although this daily anti-malaria medication is definitely not my favorite). And don't worry Mom, while my bites may be many, I'm not scratching. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Little America

Do you know that song that starts out "one of these things is not like the others"? That's pretty much what I've come to realize Dakar is. At least in relation to the rest of the country of Senegal. Dakar is more like a little America. For example, from the Peace Corps office I am within walking distance of an actual supermarket. I'm not talking about a "toubab" store that you might find in a regional capital, this supermarket (Casino) is a magical place. An aisle full of different cereals, another that is stocked with cheese, yogurt, milk and miraculously, ice cream, even Ben and Jerrys. In Tamba we are lucky to find ice cream at all, and our choice of cheese is limited to laughing cow which I'm not sure counts as it doesn't have to be refrigerated. 

Did I also mention that in Dakar there is such a thing as take-out? And sushi? At least so I've been told, I've only seen the menu for the sushi restaurant, not the place itself, but for now, I'll remain a believer. It's almost like being in New York again. Well...ok...maybe that's a stretch. But it is closer then I've been used to since getting here 3 and 1/2 months ago. 

Saturday, 2 of the other volunteers and I went to an actual shopping mall. Complete with a food court, bowling alley and an Apple Store. I was so excited to see it until I actually got there. Not only did I feel as though it was sort of a tease (It was like you're so close to America and then you realize that you're still just as far away as you were before), it also made me stop and think about what my villagers would say if they ever saw such a thing. I'm honestly not sure that they would even be able to comprehend the idea of a mall. Many of the women in my village haven't ever left the surrounding area of Sare Alaji, and some have never even left the village itself. I could also imagine the look of the children's faces when they passed the merry-go-round. Eyes wide with disbelief. It's odd to me that a mall such as this exists in Senegal when the majority of the population not only will never see it, but also most likely would not be able to afford 90% of what was offered inside. These are just the things that pass through my head as I sit in the med hut and wait to be cured. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

Med hut...round 2

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I am back in the med hut in Dakar yet again. I've been here since Wednesday night. The PC doctor seems confident that I will be alright in the near future, so I'm hoping to catch a ride back to Tamba with another volunteer on Thursday. 


It was nice to get back to site, I think my family did miss me while I was gone. Especially the little kids, I got a really nice big greeting from all of them upon my return. Unfortunately, I got sick the second day that I was back in village and I think I must have looked really sick too. My family kept telling me to lie down, and they kept moving my location in the compound based on where the most shade was. On Tuesday night they even made me a special dinner of macaroni (which was delicious, although made with a ton of oil. Even so, I ate every bite). I hope that when I get back, they'll teach me how to make the macaroni their way. It was pretty intense watching the cooking, which was done over a fire in a big steel pot. I hope that cooking is a skill I'll be able to bring back to America with me, I'll have to make sure that wherever I end up living has enough room for a fire pit out back. 


In case you were wondering, I did indeed have a bed waiting for me when I got back to my village and it does make all the difference. I'm hopeful that soon I'll even have 2 beds. When I left for Dakar there were the beginnings of a cement bed in my backyard. Once that is completed I'll be able to sleep outside at night, it should be much cooler and more comfortable. There has also been discussion of a fence around my shower/bathroom, as well as a shade structure over it. Once done, it will be a pretty sweet setup. I'll make sure to post pictures soon. 


I've really been enjoying the children in my family. One of my favorites, Mehta, is about 3 years old and she is just adorable. She does this thing where she holds out her right hand to me so that I can shake it. Sometimes she'll just sit next to me and do this 4 or 5 times in a row. Very cute. Fatou, who is about 5 is also quite delightful. She likes to sweep my hut for me, she doesn't think that I do it correctly. How hard can it be to sweep? But apparently I really am worse then a small child in my village right now. They tell me that I need help with everything and right now the only thing I can do is smile, accept and say "thank you." I really am grateful for all the help, this would be way harder if they thought I was all set to go right from the beginning. I am hoping that I'll be coming back to America much more self-sufficient, even if there is no where in the states that I'll have to pull my own water and then carry it back on my head. How do you like that picture?


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Top 5

I have been released from med and am finally back in my regional capital. I have stayed the last two nights at my regional house and this afternoon I will return (equipped with a stick bed AND a bag of cement for a outdoor cement bed. Celebration? I think so.) to my site. In the meantime, I've had a lot of time to think and I give to you all now, my top five favorite things about Senegal.


1. Fabric
Who said that I wouldn't be able to get my shop on in Senegal? The fabric choices here range from the ridiculous to the sublime and I could literally spend hours at a fabric stall in my local market pillaging the stacks upon stacks of fabric. Just this morning I picked up a fantastic purple, pink and yellow tie-dyed dress, complete with a beaded hem. I for sure will be turning heads when I get back to my village.


2. Egg Sandwiches
Never before in my life have I craved eggs as much as I do in Senegal. Hard-boiled, fried, scrambled, etc. Luckily for me, getting an egg sandwich here is a simple feat. You can buy them on the street or make them in the comfort of your own home (or hut...I guess). Just last night I had a delicious sandwich of two hard-boiled eggs, mayo, hot sauce, salt and fresh ground pepper. And at night in Tamba, they make amazing breakfast sandwiches, with egg, onion and potato. Just add some ketchup or hot sauce and you're golden. I have a feeling that eggs are about to become a main staple of my diet, seeing as how the only thing I really trust myself to do on my little gas stove (please see previous post for further explanation) is boiling water. I hope I don't start to resemble a hard-boiled egg, well, at least not any more then I already do now. 


3. Illegal Downloads
Did you know that there are no downloading laws in Senegal? Say hello to all the crappy television shows and movies that I have been dying to see for the past several years. Of course, the internet is on the slow side, yesterday it took me seven hours to download one episode of "Make it or Break it." No big deal, PCVs have plenty of free time. 


4. Communal Napping
In Senegal, as long as you are visible to other people, that is considered being social. I often fall asleep on one of my family's cement beds in the late morning, as well as in the evening twilight before dinner. Often, I will wake up to little children sleeping next to me (or possibly just sitting and staring at me). Pretty sweet deal if I do say so myself. 


5. Ataya!
Ataya is the word for tea in Senegal. You drink it out of really small cups and it is made with foam on top. The more foam, the better (at least according to the Senegalese). I love it when people in my compound just hand me cup after cup of tea. You would think that drinking hot tea on a hot day would be unbearable, but surprisingly, I find it rather refreshing. 


Hopefully my list of "tops" in Senegal will only continue to grow. But for right now, five seemed like a good round number to me. Like I said before, back to site this afternoon. I'll check back in at the regional house in a few days, but until then, I'm signing off. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Fire in the hole!

Have I told you the story where I almost set my hut on fire? I don't think so, here we go. I do have a sort of stove in my hut. It is a gas tank with a little burner on top. I think I will mainly be using it to boil water in the morning for my tea and oatmeal, possibly to make hard-boiled eggs for dinner. I'd like to think that eventually I will get more ambitious; however, my first stove experience was slightly on the terrifying side. It may take several weeks (or months) for me to get over. 

The first day I got to site, one of my sisters helped me put my little stove together. All looked well and good and I was happy to think that when I needed my stove, it would be ready to suit all of my culinary needs. I believe it was day four when I gave cooking (I use the term loosely, I really was just trying to boil water) a try. So, I lit my match, set it on the burner (I am really not a fan of hot things, especially fire), and turned the knob on the tank to light the burner. The next thing I know, there are flames three feet high shooting up out of my stove. Did I mention that I live in a hut with a roof made out of dry grass? I had visions of my entire hut going up in flames, along with all of the belongings I lugged over from America, leaving me homeless and penniless. 

Needless to say, I screamed. Shrieked, really. I'm sure that my entire compound heard me and thank god, because about 10 seconds later there were five people on my doorstep ready to save me. I think we figured out the problem (gas leak, I didn't screw something into the tank enough), and the next morning I made the best tasting cup of tea I've had in a while. I hope Africa will help me get over my fear of fire. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

Med Hut

I am still here in the med hut in Dakar. I'm cleared to go back to site as of Wednesday, but I'm a little nervous about getting myself back to Tambacounda via public transportation. One of my friends is coming into med tomorrow and I think I'm going to hang around here until she is cleared to go back so we can undertake the journey together. Hopefully it won't be more then a few days. If it is, I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and brave the journey alone. 


I have gotten to know the area surrounding the Peace Corps office pretty well since I've been here. It's in a nice area of Dakar, with a nice bakery, a supermarket, a bank and some restaurants very near by. Even though I haven't been feeling that well, I've been trying to take a long walk everyday to get myself more comfortable with the city of Dakar. 


A funny thing happened to me on one of these walks. I stopped at a fruit/vegetable stand to buy some bananas to cut up and put in my daily morning cereal. I approached the vender, greeted him in Pulaar and proceed to ask him for 3 bananas. Or so I thought I was asking for bananas. I wasn't paying all that much attention to what he was doing, I was too busy watching my bag and the comings and goings of the Senegalese people on the street. I payed my 300 CFA and continued on my way back to the Peace Corps office. When I returned, I went into the kitchen to put my purchase away, all the while feeling very pleased with myself that I was able to take on this small errand all by myself. All of a sudden, as I went into my bag to get my bananas, I realized that what I actually had was a bag full of tomatoes! Apparently, we had a slight breakdown in communication. Oh language barriers and the fun stories and scenarios they create. It's a good thing I like tomatoes, otherwise i would have been really disappointed. It just gave me an excuse to take another walk later in the day, this time I made sure to check the bag for my fruit before I left. 


Being in the med hut has been interesting. There was a conference in Dakar for the Eco-T (Eco-Tourism) volunteers last week, so I got to meet some volunteers that I hadn't seen before. I've also gotten to know the Peace Corps office a lot better. I'm very happy to report that every Peace Corps staff member I've encountered thus far has been incredibly helpful. From what I hear, I should even have a bed upon my return to site. You all have no idea how much that thrills me. 


As I figure out how I will make the return journey to site, I will continue to enjoy the luxury of the med hut. Air conditioning and high speed internet, what more could a PCV ask for? Happy Memorial Day to all my American friends. I'm slightly bummed that I'm not home to celebrate with you, but I'll just have to make my own fun here. I feel a trip to the American club for some swimming and some good old fashioned BBQ is in order for today. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Rocky

Install was...rocky and awkward. But I'm told that if it isn't awkward, something is wrong, so I'll take solace in that. I'm happy to report that I did not run after the Peace Corps car as it drove away; however, I may have had a teensy tiny panic attack in the backseat of the car as we were driving down the bush path to my village. No worries, nothing that breathing into a paper bag can't solve. And isn't that also why they invented big sunglasses? To hide all emotions and feelings in one's eyes? For now, I'm leaning towards yes. 


My family seems to be very nice, at least I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt until I understand more of the language. Speaking of language, my limited understanding of Pulaar has been by far the most frustrating part of my install. To say we're having communication issues would be an understatement. 


The best example of this would be my lack of a bed. I arrived in village hoping that my family would have built me a cement bed like I asked them to. I was slightly dissapointed to find that this was not the case. The first three nights I slept in my backyard, on a therma-rest, inside my tent. This may be explaining the obvious, but it was HOT! I should have realized that the name "therma-rest" implies warmth. After the third night, I just couldn't do it anymore and I slept just on the concrete floor of my hut. Not a perfect solution, but a slightly better scenario if you ask me. I was not sleeping with mosquito netting however, and although its not the season, wouldn't it be just my luck if I came down with a case of Malaria.


I'm currently in Dakar, in the med hut (again! stupid medical problems!) and I'm really hoping that when I get back to village, there will be a bed for me. Keep your fingers crossed for me please!


Also when I return, I'm hoping that an older, more experienced PCV will be able to do some translating for me. I need to figure out how much I should be paying to my family as a monthly contribution, as well as who specifically I should be paying it to. I'm also hoping that with this exchange of money (or kaalis in Pulaar) I might be able to get some help in return. I'd really like it if someone could help me out with water on a daily basis. The village well is pretty far from my family compound, and I'm not quite at a point where I can carry a full bucket of water on my head (I'm hoping I'll be able to work up to that). I'm also hoping that we can make some sort of arrangement for laundry. I've been trying to do it myself, but I'm not sure how clean my clothes are actually getting. I feel like I'm pretty much just letting them sit in soapy water for a while and then trying to rinse out as much soap as possible. I'm not sure if I'm really making any difference in the cleanliness of my clothes at all. 


I'm trying my best to integrate into my family life as much as possible. Right now that means a lot of sitting around and smiling and nodding at people. I'm making a concerted effort to spend as little time as possible alone in my hut. When I read, I make sure it's out in the open. When I nap, I make sure that I am also out in the open. I'm having a little trouble with the napping thing. I often wake up to find children staring at me. It's a little disconcerting, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. 


As I mentioned before, I am once again in the med hut in Dakar. That was a hard one to explain to my host family. Hey, I've only been here for 6 days, but I gotta jet now. Sorry. The conversation when something like this: 


Me: Hannde, mbido jogii Tamba sabu jango, mi yahat Dakar. Mbido sokli yiide cafoorowo o sabu mi sellani. (Translation: Today, I have to go to Tamba because Tomorrow I have to go to Dakar. I need to see a doctor because I am unwell.)
Moussa (my host brother): ?!?!?!?!?!
Me: I don't know what you're saying, but I have to get on my bike and ride to Tamba now. 


At this point in the conversation, my bike was physically taken from me and I was made to wait while one of my family members biked into Tamba (10k) to find my counterpart and bring him back to my village. I'm not totally sure what the whole point of that was, since I could only tell him the exact same thing I had told Moussa. They finally had to call Pape, our Tamba PCV support staff member, and ask him to translate. I did feel bad though, especially when my counterpart (Sadjo) asked when I would be back and I had to tell him that I didn't know. "One day, two days, three days?" He asked me. "Mi annda," (I don't know) I replied. 


I was lucky yesterday in that I did not have to face Senegal public transport by myself. Three PCVs from Kedougou were also headed into med and they stopped in Tamba to pick me up. Vonnie, one of our fantastic Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMO) authorized us to rent out an entire sept-place just for the four of us (usually they hold 7 people). Unfortunately, that will probably be the most comfortable sept-place ride I experience in Senegal. 


Blood tests today, doctor tomorrow. I'll be here at least until Saturday so I'm told. 


Asaala maalekum,
Rachel

Taxicab Confessions and Supermarket Sweep

Taxicab Confessions: 

In the past several days, I have had two interesting experiences with public transportation in Senegal. To that end, I give you the following anecdotes. 

Saturday was my last full day in Thies at the Peace Corps Training Center. It was a day of laundry, packing and last minute errands. One such errand, which proved to be quite an adventure for me and 5 fellow PCVs was the procuring of trunks necessary for transporting and storage of our belongings from the training center to our regional capitals and finally on to our host villages. There were 6 of us that went on this particular errand, as we were told that if you bought trunks in groups, you would be more likely to get a better price. Anne, Emily B., Hilary, Jim, Emily M. and I did our best to get as good a deal as possible on our trunks. Forunately for us, Anne and Emily B. speak French. Unfortunately, we still didn't wind up getting such a good price on our trunks. We paid 16,500 CFA ($33) for each one. 

(Sidebar: once I get a better handle on Pulaar, I'm seriously going to work on my French language skills. I feel a little useless when I go out with people an can provide zero help in any given situation since I speak NONE of the language)

Now that we had our trunks, all 7 of them since we also picked up an extra for another PCV, it was time to figure out how to get them back to the training center. Emily B. still had some shopping to do in the market, so we only wound up needing to cram 5 people and 7 trunks into 1 taxi. I don't know how we did it, but we made it happen. We must have looked hysterical climbing out of the car at the training center. It must have looked like one of the clown cars in the circus, more and more people just kept getting out with stuff and no one could figure out where it was all coming from. 

Sunday morning, bright and early at 6am, was when we were supposed to leave for Tamba. I was totally ready and raring to go, despite the lack of sleep and early hour. However, the same couldn't be said for our driver, as he was fast asleep in the front seat of the car. It took no less then 4 tries before he would even lift his head up from the fully reclined seat. We finally got on the road at about 7am. 

It was then we realized that our cab driver either didn't speak French or didn't deign to speak to us, as he fully ignored anything that we tried saying to him. This included; "can we please stop for breakfast" and "pull over now, I have to go to the bathroom." It was not the most pleasant car trip in my recent memory, but at least we made it to Tamba in about 7 hours. 

Supermarket Sweep: 

As tomorrow I will be officially installed as a Peace Corps Volunteer in my village, yesterday was spent running around trying to buy everything that one might need to furnish an honest-to-god village hut. The experience we had at our first stop was right out of that old gameshow, "Supermarket Sweep." I was literally just grabbing things and putting them in a big pile on the floor. I'm not even going to give a final total, it would just horrify my mother (sorry mom!). It was A LOT of CFAs ($), that's all I'm going to say. 


In case you were wondering what one might need to furnish a hut in the middle of the bush, here are some of the things that I can now call my own; foam mattress, gas tank with stove attachment, lots of buckets, cooking supplies, candles, matches, soap, food (beans, peanut butter, bissap, sugar, honey, pasta) not to mention numerous other miscellaneous items. Worse case scenario and I get there and find out I forgot something, it's only about an hour bike ride back into Tamba (maybe even less once I get really fit and good at biking). 


Wish me luck as I'm dropped off, unceremoniously, into the wild. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

My oath

In case you were wondering about that really intense oath we had to do during our swear-in ceremony, please see below. On an unrelated note, I have made it to the Tamba regional house. This is really happening!


I, Rachel Lazar, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps. So help me God.


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

"Looks like we made it"

We made it! All 46 of us in the Health/EE Stage.

We were excited, what can I say?

It's official, I am no longer a Peace Corps trainee, but a Peace Corps Volunteer. Time for the real work to begin. The day started off early, I set my alarm for 5:30am took a shower and did my hair (the American way, I had just enough fancy hair products left for one day of controlled curls). The buses left for Dakar at 7am. Sadly, we did not get a police escort this year, as coincidentally, the President of Cote d'Ivoire was in Dakar the same day as our swear-in. I guess this means that I'm not as important as I thought. 


It took us about 2 hours to get to the Ambassador's house in Dakar, which is where the ceremony took place. Everyone looked fabulous in their Senegalese outfits (just look at the above photos if you need proof). The ceremony was very nice. Our country director, Chris Hendrik and the American Ambassador to Senegal gave very nice speeches and Etienne, our training manager looked like he was on the verge of tears for most of the occasion. After we stood up to take our swear-in oath (complete with the raising of our right hands) I felt like we should have had graduation caps to throw in the air, headwraps just don't give the same effect. To expand on that, I will say that swear-in felt like the most intense graduation ceremony I have ever taken part in. I wish I could remember the exact words of the oath that we had to repeat, just to give you a better idea. 


With the conclusion of the ceremony, we were invited to enjoy cocktails and hor d'oeuvres out on the Ambassador's patio in the backyard. After some lovely food (my first guacamole since being in country and possibly my last for the next 2 years) and many pictures, we were off to the American Club for the paperwork aspect of the day. We were given our bank cards (yay for no longer having to scrounge for CFA and being a poor PC trainee) and made to fill out some other miscellaneous paperwork, and with that, the process was complete. We had a few hours to enjoy ourselves around the pool at the American Club and at 4pm we were back on the buses and headed for Thies. (Sidenote: rush-hour traffic is not just an American thing. It took us a little over 3 hours to get back to Thies from Dakar. The ride was torturous.)


Today is a day for packing and last minute errands, not to mention other important things like laundry (although, I definitely think that I will be paying my homestay family to do mine for me. When I do it, I'm not really convinced that my clothes are really getting all that clean). I feel lucky that I have the whole day to get things in order. The people going to Kedougou left at 8:30 this morning, and those PC volunteers going to the regions of Kaolack, Linguere and St. Louis are leaving this afternoon at 2pm. Sunday looms bright and early for me, as I'm scheduled to leave at 6am! At least I'll have plenty of time to sleep during the 7-hour car ride. I just hope I don't forget any of my stuff here in Thies. I also hope that everything fits in the car. I'm sharing it with two other PCVs and between our bags, our bikes and other miscellaneous items, I think it might be a tight fit. Once I get to Tamba, I'll have until Wednesday afternoon to get all the stuff i will need for my hut (bed, mattress, buckets, etc.). Wednesday = Day Zero 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Me and Hailey

Me and Andrew

Kirsten, Me and Nic

Here's a throwback, "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child

Preface: this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but due to internet complications, I'm a day late. Please blame the world wide web and not me. Thank you!


One of the best things that we've done thus far was the homestay reception for our families yesterday. I was expecting my Neene, but instead was surprised with my younger sister, Binta. I love my Neene, but I was thrilled to see Binta. She was all decked out for the occasion too, it looked like she even had a new complet made (yellow with jewels on the top and gold embroidery). If so, I am honored that she dressed up for me. I was also really excited that she got to see numerous young adult women that are trying to make careers for themselves. Binta is so smart and talented. She speaks Pulaar, French and Wolof but hasn't been in school for the past two years or so. I hope that yesterday showed her a little bit that you can have a career if you want to. 


It was a day of music, dancing and laughter. When the time came to say goodbye and watch everyone drive off in the Peace Corps "magic" bus, I definitely got a little teary-eyed. I don't think I'll be able to see my training homestay family until mid-July when I come back to Thies for in-service training. I am so thankful that I was put with such a wonderful family. I only hope that my permanent homestay family will be just as patient and understanding. 

Binta and me
(the necklace I'm wearing was a present from my family)

Tomorrow I will post all about our swearing-in ceremony in Dakar, so get psyched. The outfits are fantastic. I doubt Peace Corps Senegal has ever had a group of better looking Peace Corps volunteers. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

"Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles"

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-

God took up Daniel once again, 

Stood by his side - and miracle of miracles-

Walked him through the lions den!

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-

I was afraid that God would frown,

But like he did so long ago, at Jericho,

God just made a wall fall down!

When Moses softened Pharaoh's heart, that was a miracle.

When God made the waters of the red sea part, 
That was a miracle too!

But all of God's miracles large and small,

The most miraculous one of all

Is hat out of a worthless lump of clay,

God has made a man today

                                                                                 ~Fiddler on the Roof

Or in my case, a woman today. What am I referring to you might ask? My language exam! I achieved a level of "intermediate-mid" which means that I passed and do not have to stay for an extra week of language training! WOOHOO! On the one hand, this is great news. I have worked really hard over the last week or so to bump up my Pulaar abilities. On the other hand, I am terrified. But I don't think having an extra week here would have helped with it, if anything, I would just be terrified for longer. This way I'll have the week that I'm not at the center for extra language help, to be in my village, getting over my all-encompassing, paralyzing fear (It's possible that I'm being just a smidgen on the dramatic side right now...). 

Another triumph today, the fabric that I dropped off at the tailor's on Monday has been successfully turned into clothing! What an amazing feat! I'm so impressed with people that can literally make something out of nothing. To me, it's mind-baffling that a piece of fabric can be turned into an A-line wrap skirt that even has pockets. It is truly remarkable. I am a little concerned that now that I have learned that it is indeed true that you can design your own clothes and have them made for you at approximately $6 an item that I'm not going to be able to stop. Only time will tell. And here's some incentive for everyone. If you come to visit, I will take you to get some awesome African clothes of your own. Just something to think about. 

Tomorrow is our reception for our host families. They will all come to the Thies Training Center where we will dance, eat good food, drink delicious bissap juice and just generally have a good time. Unfortunately, we were only allowed to invite one person from our families. I believe that my Neene is coming which will be great. I just wish that she had also been allowed to bring my 11 year-old sister, Ami. As a show of thanks and appreciation, I will be wearing the outfit that my family had made for me. I will be covered from head to toe in bright orange fabric with birds all over. Please feel free to scroll back through my posts if you would like a visual. I will try to get more pictures tomorrow during the festivities. 

On a note unrelated to Africa, Senegal, the Peace Corps or Health in any way, I am currently in the middle of Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five." Let me just say, Vonnegut was one strange dude. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not enjoying the book, it's just not really what I was expecting. The one downside to a kindle is that you can't read the blurb on the back cover before you start. I am quite enjoying exploring the concept of "free will." Now there's something for me to sit and ponder in my hut in the middle of the bush. I will stare up at my ceiling, commune with the Tralfamadorians and possibly, even become unstuck in time myself. "So it goes" (Vonnegut; Slaughterhouse Five). 

Asalaa maaleku,

Rachel

The end...and the beginning

We have almost arrived at the end of PST; however, my service is really just beginning. In a little over a week, I will be dropped off by a Peace Corp car in my non-english speaking village of approximately 500 people. There is a rumor that some volunteers actually run after the car. I just hope that I'm not that volunteer. It will be exciting to have my own space and designate my schedule as I please, but I'm also worried about being productive and dealing with loneliness. I've gotten to know my 45 fellow PCVs very well over the past 9 weeks and not being around them all the time will be a little sad. 

Omar, Fatou, Me, Aggi and Fati

I'll apologize in advance for the scattered nature of this blog entry. It's been such a long time since I've been able to post anything, I just want to make sure that I don't leave anything out. 


Last Saturday, after the awkwardness of counterpart workshop, all 46 of us piled into 2 Alhums (large, falling apart vans that are used for public transportation) and headed to the beach. The house that we stayed in has affectionately been dubbed the "MTV house," and which good reason. I see no reason that the next season of "The Real World" shouldn't be filled in Popenguine. The house is there and waiting. We had a huge patio that overlooked the water and was right on the beach. All you had to do was walk down some stairs and you were on the sand. 

Popenguine, the view from our house

Sunset over the water in Popenguine

Still more Popenguine

We did some awesome dancing, watched a beautiful sunset over the water and feasted on pasta with tomato sauce. The weather was wonderful and the fataya (the Senegalese version of a fried dumpling stuffed with fish) were plentiful. We also kept the drinks flowing through most of the night.


The only downside was the number of beds, as there was definitely not room for 46 of us. I think I wound up sharing a twin size mattress with 2 other people. But that's fine. We're all very close here in PC Senegal. There were some older PCVs with us in Popenguine, I'm not totally sure why. But I do have to say that on Sunday morning when I climbed out of my sleeping bag to use the facilities, I came back to my room and found one of them sleeping in my sleeping bag. Not just on the mattress, but actually in my sleeping bag. The volunteer was even using my pile of clothes as a pillow. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Actually, I know exactly how I feel, not good. I wonder if this, "what's mine is yours" attitude just comes with time.  


We drove back to Thies from Popenguine and had exactly 45 minutes to pack our stuff for our homestay villages. I was happy to be back. I feel really comfortable with my family, it only took the whole of PST. A highlight from the week was when the power went out on Tuesday. I broke out my ipod and speakers and introduced everyone to Bon Jovi, New Jersey's finest. My Neene started dancing and we all got up and joined her. For the first time, I was actually able to understand a good amount of what my family was saying to me. Granted, everyone had to speak slowly, clearly and directly to me, but it was still nice to be understood and understand. 


I am back from my last stay with my homestay family. Parting was bittersweet. I love my homestay family and am sad to be leaving them; however, I am excited at the prospect of starting out on my own, in a new village as a real live Peace Corps Volunteer. Saturday night they made my favorite dinner for me (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, french fries and fish with a marinated onion sauce) and posed for pictures. I was very touched. My Neene is coming to our host family reception on Thursday so I will see her in the near future. As for everyone else, I'm not sure when our paths will next cross. We have In-Service Training in July so I'll see if I can coordinate a visit with them then. 


Today was filled with a lot of language training, our final language exam is tomorrow morning. My time-slot is bright and early at 8:15am. I'm the first of the Pulaars to go and honestly, I'm just happy that I'll be getting it over with. I actually switched with someone so that I could have the first slot. I really do feel like my language has improved drastically over the last week or so, I just hope it will be enough. 


I was able to get the to the tailor today to have some pretty awesome, if I do say so myself, clothes made. My swear-in "complet" (Senegalese dress attire) is finished (and beautiful if I so say so myself. Picture bright pink with silver embroidery. Pictures to follow), I picked it up at my homestay village on Saturday, but I did want some more everyday clothes. Hopefully on Thursday I will have 2 skirts, a shirt and a pair of pink elephant pants to my name. I want to make the pants my PC trademark. 


Wish me luck for my exam tomorrow, tonight, I will try to dream exclusively in Pulaar. Hannde jamma, mi ekkoto hoydude e pulaar tan. 

Emma, Me and Cady at the beach

Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Celebrations, Counterparts and Crying

First of all, a very happy birthday to my friend Jen C! I'm glad that I was back from Dakar in time to help her celebrate. To add to the festivities (although I'm 99% sure this was due to it being counterpart workshop and not Jen's birthday), we had bissap juice and beignets as a mid-afternoon snack. The Peace Corps has been holding out on us, because everything was delicious. I most certainly ate more fried food then I should have, but I really can't feel bad about it. For those of you who aren't familiar, a beignet is a french pastry. Here, it is pretty much the Senegalese version of a donut. In other words, scrumptious. 


Speaking of counterpart workshop, it was... awkward. And I was only here for part of it. I arrived back at the training center at about 10:00am and counterpart workshop started yesterday morning. It was nice to meet my counterparts (Sadjio Ba and Moussa Jaillo); however, I exhausted my knowledge of the Pulaar language in approximately 15 minutes. This leads me to the last part of the title of this blog entry, crying. I pretty much lost it this afternoon and sobbed for about an hour over the fact that I know NO Pulaar and in 2ish weeks I will be dropped off in a village of 500 people that speak no English. Oh, they do speak other languages. French, Mandinka, the occasional Wolof. Unfortunately, none of that really helps me. The region of the country that I am going to is apparently famous for the plethora of languages spoken there. Many of which, I had never heard of until a few weeks ago (Malinka? Jaxanke?), and none of which, are English. 


As I sat on a bench, crying hysterically to my friend Emma, my language instructor wandered over. I'd like to point out that I had almost stopped crying at this point. He took one look at me and said, "you have been crying." This, of course, caused me to lose it again, and I broke into the loud, ugly kind of sobs that make it sound almost like you're dry-heaving (my apologies for the graphic nature of this description). I was horribly embarrassed and didn't know what to do, neither apparently did Sidy (my instructor). Thank god Emma was there to try and smooth things over. I'm pretty sure the entire training center heard my sobs, as such was the loud volume of my hysterics. Luckily for me, I have another 2 weeks (yikes!) to get a handle on this thing. 


Tomorrow, all 46 Peace Corps Trainees leave for a weekend at the beach. Another cause for celebration. We are headed to Popenguine, where all of us will cram into a house for 24 hours of fun in the sun. Caution: debauchery may ensue. It should be nice to finally have a day in which we can all just relax together and have some fun. PST really does run you ragged. I'll attribute my fragile emotional state to my level of exhaustion if that's alright with everyone. Just remember, words of encouragement are always appreciated, in any form (phone calls, texts, e-mails, letters. You get the idea). 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Radiology, Senegal Style

Good news everyone, my ankle is not broken nor does it seem that there is any ligament damage. Yes! I have been at the Med Hut in Dakar since about 3pm yesterday and was given an all-clear by the radiologist and PC doctor this morning. On the downside, my ankle/foot does still hurt, but the PC doctor and I have adopted a "wait and see" attitude. If there is no improvement in a week, we will re-evaluate and possibly make an appointment with an orthopedist in Dakar for further evaluation. I'm banking on some serious improvement in the near future, so hopefully, that will not need to happen. In the meantime, I've got a big, black, ugly brace on my leg, but I'll make it work. Maybe this new trend will catch on. If so, I hope the Senegalese nationals name the trend after me. I'm thinking maybe "toubab couture." 

As I type, Peace Corps is trying to figure out when someone can drive me back to the training center. I hope it's today, as I am currently missing our CPW (counter-part workshop). All of our in-country counterparts are at the training center in Thies getting to know us as well as what it is that we will actually be trying to accomplish in the next 2 years. As I did not have a chance to meet either one of my counterparts while I was visiting my site, I am doubly anxious to get back into the swing of things. Keep your fingers crossed that my transportation will be figured out quickly. 

In the meantime, I will take advantage of the air-conditioning and (relatively) fast internet connection. Currently, I have season 1 of Bones downloading on itunes. I'm very excited about that. I have also been able to get my shopping fix, I'm pretty sure I was going through withdrawal. What can I say, everyone has vices and it appears that mine is shopping. Could be worse. Don't worry Mom, I didn't order anything (at least today. That being said, you might want to expect some packages in the mail. All practical items for Africa, if I do say so myself). I was more "window shopping" on the internet. Really, this little sojourn couldn't have come at a better time, as I have also been able to update myself on all things related to the royal wedding. People.com is currently promoting an article entitled, "Kate Middleton: Sneak Peak at Possible Wedding Hairstyle." I would be lying if I said that I wasn't hanging on every word. Tomorrow I will do everything in my power to get online and find a picture of the wedding dress, as I have been waiting for the dramatic reveal for months now. Everyone is saying that there is way less hype surrounding this wedding than there was for Prince Charles and Diana. I can't really comment on that as it is outside of my realm of memory. 

Back to my current situation, if today has taught me anything, it is that I must learn French ASAP. I barely understand anything that the radiology technicians were saying to me. I don't like being in the dark, especially when it comes to personal injury. I was lucky that everyone at the facility was so nice, otherwise I might still be sitting there, trying to figure out if I was done or not. Any suggestions as to how I might speed up the learning process? I feel a little overwhelmed trying to learn French and Pulaar at the same time, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that it is necessary. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress, whether you like it or not. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

The face of my attacker

Insert blood-curdling scream here, here and here! This is the face of my attacker! Ugly, huh? You would run too if this were chasing after you. Readers, please, no judgement. This is a terrifying creature. 

On the more positive side of this tragedy (just kidding, I'm not such a drama queen and I am acutely aware of the war in the middle east. I would never equate these two instances), my fellow trainees have vowed to avenge my injury. There has even been some talk of taking pitchforks and torches to lead a cat-rat hunt tonight. Honestly, I think most people here just get really bored at night and this gives everyone some sort of activity to focus on. However, I will continue to lie to myself that this is a quest of vengeance, not merely for entertainment purposes. 

The PC Doctor will be here tomorrow and hopefully she will just reinforce that this is only a sprain and the only cure is rest, ice and ibuprofen. Honestly, I find it oddly comforting and reassuring that my clumsiness translates directly from New York City to Senegal. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Fight or Flight?

I think that I have officially become a part of my Senegalese homestay family. On Thursday night, there was a knock on my door and my Neene called, "A daanoto?" In english that means, are you sleeping? To which I replied, "no." In came my Neene and 3 of my sisters (Binta, Ami and Aggi). And why did they need me, you might be wondering. Well, because they wanted to give me the awesome complet (traditional Senegalese outfit) that they had made for me! I was so moved and so overwhelmed that I almost started crying. They made me put it on right away and my whole family was so excited to see me wearing it. It's a long skirt (known as a pagne), with a long tunic-like short-sleeve shirt to wear on top, complete with a head wrap. The head wrap is definitely my favorite part. There is a strong possibility that I will be wearing one every day for the next 2 years of my service. What's even more adorable about this situation/gift, is that one of my little sisters has a matching outfit to mine. I will make sure to get a picture of the 2 of us together before I leave. 

Do you like my head wrap?

Aminata (my aunt), me, baby Fatimah, Aggi (my sister), Binta (my sister) and my Neene

On a slightly less happy note, last night I fell and twisted my ankle. Apparently I am just as much of a klutz in Senegal as I am in New York. In my defense, I was fleeing from a direct threat. The human mind must decide between fight or flight, and last night my decision was clearly flight. You see, at the training center we have an animal known as a "bush-weasel." We more commonly refer to it as the "cat-rat." It has the head of a rat, the body of a cat but is low to the ground, and the tail of a rat. It is also the size of a cat. In short, while most likely not dangerous, it is terrifying. 

After my very satisfying skype conversations with SWK and Natasha last night, I was on my way to meet my friends where they were watching "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" on a big projector screen. As I was walking, I couldn't but help get the disturbing feeling that someone or something was following me. I could hear the creature getting closer and closer and once I looked back to investigate and saw the cat-rat, I began to run. I ran past the med hut (while I heard the cat-rat increase its pace behind me) and through the garden beds, and that is where my downfall occurred. I tripped over a cactus and caught my right ankle in one the trenches that we had dug to protect our garden and down I went. I know have a scraped up left knee, some cuts on my right palm and a bandaged and swollen right ankle that hurts when I try to bear weight on it. I think I may see a call to the Peace Corps Medical Officer (PCMO) in my future. 

This morning, Chelsea, Emily, Meredith, Larocha, Emma, Hailey and I all went for Sunday morning brunch to one of the restaurants in downtown Thies. While not quite as satisfying as a four flower mimosa and the lemon ricotta pancakes from Sarabeth's on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, it certainly did the trick for what we were looking for. Also, the cappuccino was excellent. The first decent cup of coffee I've had since I've been here. After that we did a little shopping in the marse (market), where I picked up some pink elephant fabric that I plan on turning into some short of tank top. I think tonight we will see if we can finagle use of the kitchen to cook some sort of a healthy and cheap dinner for ourselves. I'm hoping for pasta with a tomato sauce that has lots of veggies in it. 

In the meantime, I will nap and ice and elevate that darn ankle. I will also do my best to stay away from strange African rodents. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

The Paris of Western Africa

Today I got my first glimpse of Dakar (and no, driving through it from the airport at 6am does not count). Known to some as "the Paris of Western Africa," it is definitely someplace that I'm going to have to get to know better. If only because of all of the reminders of America. First we went to see PC Senegal headquarters along with our medical unit, known to us PCVs as the "med hut." The med hut is beautiful. It is air-conditioned with a television (that you can watch "Beverly Hills 90210" on) and a library full of trashy romance novels. But that's not even the best part. The best part is that there is a "magic phone" that let's you call America for free! And you can talk for as long as your little heart desires! If I ever do wind up in med, at least I'll have plenty of entertainment. 


I do have to comment a little bit on the lack of organization with today's agenda. We had 2 buses as our method of transportation today and I feel like we should have been doing more head counts. On 2 separate occasions, we left people behind. Once in downtown Dakar. So yeah, that was pretty bad. I would have been fuming if it had been me. 


Downtown Dakar kind of reminds me of Chinatown in New York only on a larger scale. There are a ton of street vendors selling watches, shoes, clothes, etc. And a lot of fresh food markets that smell overwhelmingly of fish and have weird cuts of meat hanging from the ceilings. People also sell interesting things in the streets (literally, in the middle of the street. People come up to your car/bus and bang on the windows). There was one man walking around trying to sell lamps and another who had gigantic lighters. They were almost the size of a newborn baby, which leads me to wonder, who would need such a thing? Isn't portability one of the major benefits of a lighter?


After our exploration of downtown Dakar (which included a stop for the best ice cream I've had since I've been here. Also the only ice cream I've had since I've been here), we headed to the Atlantic Club. This may turn out to be my favorite part of Dakar. The Atlantic Club is for ex-pats and PCVs get in for free! Amazing, right? All you do is show your PC I.D. and the gate opens for you. There is a beautiful pool and a grill that serves American food, not to mention tennis courts, a volleyball court, and a bar. If only I had brought my bathing suit I could have done some laps. I really do miss my swimming. I wonder if there are any pools in Tamba.


We met with a woman from the U.S. Embassy who essentially told us to watch out for people who are trying to use us to get American visas. And then a very nice man from the State Department told us that Senegal is only at the moderate level for terrorist threats, so we shouldn't worry. After that it was off to the police station for finger-printing. So all in all, a very uplifting afternoon. Almost 2 hours later we were back at the training center for dinner. I think we're all pretty exhausted. Tomorrow we go back to homestay for 5 nights. Hopefully I'll be able to get to an internet cafe at some point in there, but if not, I'll make sure to update everyone when I get back on Monday. 


Happy Passover! I'm sorry that I'm not there to share it with family and friends. I miss you all.