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