Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you all had spectacular Halloween costumes! Everything in the Gambia is going well. The seasons have changed with the last rain coming in on the 16th of October which provided a longer than usual rainy season. The village was getting worried about it being too long and damaging the peanut crop, but i think we're okay now. I did go out to the groundnut field with the family one day. Hard work, gave me a new respect for Jimmy Carter. They couldn't believe that a US President once worked a groundnut field. Impressive, I know. So the groundnuts, the corn, and the millet have been harvested and we are now starting to harvest the rice. It's amazing to see how hard my village works.
> But there's some play going on here too...
> What do you get when you combine fake hair, eye liner and a dead ram? TOBASKI! We just celebrated the commemoration of when Abraham did not sacrafice his son but putting on our best outfits and getting dolled up. The men could think about nothing but how big their rams were and how much rice they wanted to eat. It was a fun day and a good time seeing the village all happy and enjoying life.
> We also had another celebration in the compound...my host mom had her baby! He's beautiful (and i never think babies are cute, but this one is) healthy boy. The weight and the length don't matter here, and we'd have to convert out of metric anyway. Regardless, I spent my Halloween evening getting water and helping birth a baby. It was a really amazing experience and I get a little choked up when I think about they whole "miracle of life." Jenaba was a champ with little acknowledgement of pain and by sunset baby boy was here. I was very insistant that they name the baby Bob for my cat, and it stuck for about a week. At the naming ceremony, he was officially named Momadou (for Chris and the volunteer before me). I was a little upset and told host dad how sad I was that it wasn't Bob. "But he needs a Muslim name..." I was told. Fine. So the old ladies and I are still calling him Bob, although they are starting to call him Gibi. Whatever. It's just fun to have him around. And the real Bob seems to not be too bothered by another kid.
> It's fun to look at the compound and think about all the growth I've been witness to in a year. Kids walking that couldn't before. Kids making words who were only making noises. New wives, New babies, gardens where there weren't any, and some language skills where I could barely great a year ago. My how time flies. Only one year left.
> The work has really picked up and I've been keeping busy. I'm working with two new gardens that are really progressing quickly and looking very promising. We did two family planning workshops that hopefully will start to curb some of the population in the villages. The ladies seemed to have a good time and we walked home feeling really accomplished and proud. It was a good feeling. I'm working with two, now three schools on teacher lesson plan support which is fun, but not my main passion here. I am really enjoying my evening tutoring sessions with two eigth graders. They are smart and motivated and we have a good time discussing big concepts and small details. Sometimes even Bob comes to join us which the kids really enjoy.
> So now I'm ready for some good quality Thanksgiving time with the other Peace Corps people, and actively making my Christmas plans...I'm hoping host dad will wear a santa costume, but i doubt it. I definetly see antlers in the future of the donkeys!
> Much love and many happy holiday blessings to you all!!!!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Rain Season!
I know, it's been a while. Life has been busy in the Gambia, and yet not at all. Everything is still good and I'm still safe healthy and happy. Let's run through the highlights of the last few months...crazy it's been months already!
July's Visitor
For most of July I got to share Gambia with my dear Chris. About an hour after he got off the plane he officially proposed and I officially said yes. But the real highlight of the visit was when he met Bob. They were like old buddies right away and it was hard to get them to stop canoodling and go out in the village. The people of Koli Kunda loved our guest: Mamadou Nyang (Chris's Gambian name) and were very overwhelming to greet him. We did get out of a traditional Gambian wedding. Perhaps I'll look back on that with regret someday, but for now it would have just been too much...too many people and commotion, plus i'm sure I would have been expected to buy a goat which I'm not very interested in right now. We saw the Hyena's in the big nature reserve (behind a cage) which was a lot of fun for both of us. Chris championed academic reward ceremonies for 4H, endless conversations, and even a presidential party to open the bridge (he got to see the president AND eat the president's cookies!) There were hot days and rain days, but over all it was an experience we'll both look back upon with great fondness. I'm ready for my next visitor, but you don't have to propose too!
The Rains
...did finally come and are about to leave again which is very sad. i have enjoyed everything being very green though, and actually rather cool at night. Last week it got down to 68! The mosquitoes have gotten worse for sure, but i'm really good about my malaria medicine and mosquito net and repellent. The corn is all harvested now, but was, along with the millet, about 9 feet tall! It was crazy! I love walking to get water in the path along the millet...it's like a secret passage!
The Baby
...is not here yet. BUT i've been promised a namesake if it's a girl and if its a boy i've suggested Bob have a namesake. the family thinks I'm making a joke. I'm not. Soon, though, this kid should be here.
The Work
...is slow, especially during Ramadan. So perhaps it will pick up again. It's been a lot of little things here and there. Most recently we registered my little sister for school. I'm crossing my fingers she'll do well. I want to "train" her mom on how to further encourage her education after school hours but asking how school was and what the homework is. We're trying to get a solar set up in the next village so we can install some power strips and charge mobiles. It sounds silly but will actually be a good income generating project for the village and they hope to use that money to some day waaaaaaay down the road be able to have computer classes. That's the most exciting thing on my plate right now.
I can't think of much else exciting to write about right now. We've had a few village deaths and LOTS of other new babies born. It all makes me feel closer with the village and more like a part of them. Yesterday my ticker told me that I'm 40% finished with my service. There are a group of really good folks about to finish their service and I'm already sad they're leaving and sad to think about finishing up in a year...but equally just as ready to get home. That's life here. Maybe Next month I'll have a good hearty email about my one year reflections!
Until then, I've really appreciated all the mail and other forms of support! I' hope everyone's fall is beautiful and schools are up and running well!
Happiness is a really good rain storm.
July's Visitor
For most of July I got to share Gambia with my dear Chris. About an hour after he got off the plane he officially proposed and I officially said yes. But the real highlight of the visit was when he met Bob. They were like old buddies right away and it was hard to get them to stop canoodling and go out in the village. The people of Koli Kunda loved our guest: Mamadou Nyang (Chris's Gambian name) and were very overwhelming to greet him. We did get out of a traditional Gambian wedding. Perhaps I'll look back on that with regret someday, but for now it would have just been too much...too many people and commotion, plus i'm sure I would have been expected to buy a goat which I'm not very interested in right now. We saw the Hyena's in the big nature reserve (behind a cage) which was a lot of fun for both of us. Chris championed academic reward ceremonies for 4H, endless conversations, and even a presidential party to open the bridge (he got to see the president AND eat the president's cookies!) There were hot days and rain days, but over all it was an experience we'll both look back upon with great fondness. I'm ready for my next visitor, but you don't have to propose too!
The Rains
...did finally come and are about to leave again which is very sad. i have enjoyed everything being very green though, and actually rather cool at night. Last week it got down to 68! The mosquitoes have gotten worse for sure, but i'm really good about my malaria medicine and mosquito net and repellent. The corn is all harvested now, but was, along with the millet, about 9 feet tall! It was crazy! I love walking to get water in the path along the millet...it's like a secret passage!
The Baby
...is not here yet. BUT i've been promised a namesake if it's a girl and if its a boy i've suggested Bob have a namesake. the family thinks I'm making a joke. I'm not. Soon, though, this kid should be here.
The Work
...is slow, especially during Ramadan. So perhaps it will pick up again. It's been a lot of little things here and there. Most recently we registered my little sister for school. I'm crossing my fingers she'll do well. I want to "train" her mom on how to further encourage her education after school hours but asking how school was and what the homework is. We're trying to get a solar set up in the next village so we can install some power strips and charge mobiles. It sounds silly but will actually be a good income generating project for the village and they hope to use that money to some day waaaaaaay down the road be able to have computer classes. That's the most exciting thing on my plate right now.
I can't think of much else exciting to write about right now. We've had a few village deaths and LOTS of other new babies born. It all makes me feel closer with the village and more like a part of them. Yesterday my ticker told me that I'm 40% finished with my service. There are a group of really good folks about to finish their service and I'm already sad they're leaving and sad to think about finishing up in a year...but equally just as ready to get home. That's life here. Maybe Next month I'll have a good hearty email about my one year reflections!
Until then, I've really appreciated all the mail and other forms of support! I' hope everyone's fall is beautiful and schools are up and running well!
Happiness is a really good rain storm.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Mango Season!
7 months, it's hard to believe. One fourth of the way through. A lot of lifestyle changes from America have become second nature or normal by now and it's hard to find the events worth mentioning simply because they don't feel like big events anymore. This is a good thing. I did go back through my journal and found a few things to share...
The Ambassador
The American Ambassador to the Gambia came on trek to see some of the projects that American money is supporting. I was asked to meet with him and have lunch. I got really excited about the opportunity to hobnob and wore nice clothes, did my hair, and even washed my feet. My host family was so impressed that I could clean myself up! After a lot of confusion involving a meeting of all the regional cheifs, dancing celebrations, and the amount of time it takes to get from point A to point B around here, I finally met up with Ambassador Wells. We shook hands, discussed how hot it was and the next thing I knew I was eating lunch on the balcony with the drivers, NOT with the Ambassador. I was a little deflated. He's lucky he's a really nice guy who I could never be mad with! The day ended with me walking back to my village and passing my host mothers and some brothers. They insisted I return to the island to greet the family there who they were visiting. I mostly just sat there, but it was fun time with the gals. Situations like this happen all the time here, except the part about me looking nice.
The Wedding
"I always cry at weddings, especially when the bride is a good friend, moving to another village, not finished with school, and only getting married because her husband needs someone to cook for him" read a text message I sent to a good friend. My pal Hule had a surprise wedding that had maybe a week's worth of notice. She's smart as can be and has so much potential, but was yanked out of school to cook. As a PCV there are all these lines to straddle. I have to be supportive of the culture and traditions, I don't feel like it's my place to protest the way things have been done for hundreds of years, yet I have to encourage progress and development, I need to say something because this girl could be a doctor or a politician; I have to celebrate with the village, yet be sad for my friend. There's a lot of balance I'm still trying to figure out. So my solution was to go to the wedding, dance (everyone loves a dancing tubob) but NOT smile. Anytime the subject came up, I always explained that I was not happy about it and why. And then at the near end of festivities I found myself holding Hule's hand while her hair was being braided to send her out to her new village. There I was in the middle of a cirlce of 100 women who were singing, some happy, some as sad as me. It was a surreal moment that made me appriciative to have the opportunity to share in these lives, for better or for worse (wedding pun intended). Hule's new village is not far away and has a really good school. Soon I will go to visit her and hopefully talk to her husband about why it will be good for her to finish school. I talked to Hule's father about all of this the other day and he was just as livid, if not more, as I am. I was getting nervous as he was expressing his anger and dissappointment over the whole thing and waving around a big pair of scissors (the uncles of the bride are responsible for the marriage arrangements, not the father, and he's a tailor, a really good one actually, which is why he had the scissors). I bought him an icie to calm him down and then got an invitation to a really good lunch. Situations like this happen all the time here, especially the part about me buying icies.
The Bridge
Development is happening here. It's crazy to see. A bridge is being built on the south side of the island I live near. I was told it would be done last week, but it wasn't, of course, but it's still making quick progress. Roads are also being paved, but that's not as impressive as a bridge that will help people get to the nearest hospital faster. I report this because it's really exciting. I know, a bridge doesn't sound like a very big deal, but trust me, it's the FIRST bridge to go across the river here. Situations like this rarely happen here, especially the part about the bridge.
The Rains
...are not here yet. It's still hot and now it's also humid. Throw in some dust storms at night that leave so much dust in the air you almost can't see the sun the next day. Situations like this happen all the time here, especially the part about it being hot.
The Gorko
Chris arrives in a month! Everyone is very excited for his visit, me most of all, but the women in the village take a very close second in their excitement. Everyone wants to meet my gorko (man/husban) and they want to make sure he has a big party in honor of his arrival. I always protest that they didn't even do that when I came to town! Every morning, the children gather around my door waiting for me to wake up so they can fight over who gets to put a sticker on our calander that counts down until Chris is here. The sounds of the kids naming the figures on the drawing that accompanys the calander have taken over the chickens as my alarm clock. "Fatoumata, Gorko Fatoumata, Bob, [house], mango [tree], [river]..." Situations like this will only happen once, maybe twice, especially the part about Chris going to Africa.
The Work
I'm now an "advisor" for the neighboring village's 4H club. They are really fun kids and the leaders are very motivated. We just wrote a proposal for a tye dye program to expand the skills and potentially funds of the club. Also in the work are meetings about cooking food, exercise, dog and cat care, horse and donkey care, local first aid, and nature walks, plus a bunch of local crafts and such. Lots of fun! I also hung out at the skills center at the village across the street. The women there are fabulous and I'm excited to define my work with them more. Our community garden is on standstill as we have no seeds because the seed man is really slow and not from the village. My plan is not to stress out about it. Beyond that, it's just little things here and there. I did some batik tye dye with some village ladies which was a lot of fun. The ladies were sassy with each other and kept undoing each other's work or disagreeing about the next steps. But the end result was really pretty. I made mosquito repellant with my one granny. She's always looking for something she can sell and was really into this process. I think she's great and I enjoy her enthusiasm. Situations like this happen all the time here, especially the part about the women being amazing.
The Odds and Ends
Other than that, everything is good. I'm safe, healthy and happy. I had some small stomach issues, but they passed quickly, thank goodness. I'm not sure the cause, but it didn't hold me down. Bob is doing well and getting bigger still! He's gotten really muscular the last month and is really heavy for his size. My one host mother is pregnat which will be really special to welcome a new baby in the compound. She has 2 boys now, one who is adorable and one who is the definition of a little shit. Maybe this time it will be a sweet little girl! I'm hoping to get her enrolled in an adult education class. She made it to grade 6 and then stopped going to school. She's always trying to read and loves it when I give her a magazine to go through all the words. She also has a lot of potential. I found out today that one of my host sister's birthday is the day before mine, and the other a week later. We will have to be sure to celebrate, but first explain birthdays....
I hope everyone's summer is off to a good start! Does anyone have any exciting summer adventures planned? There are many successes back in America to celebrate too, engagements, graduations, grad school acceptance, new babies, a year of med school down....I love hearing about all of these things! Don't forget to keep sharing, it makes those moments of mental escape all the more sweet!
Much love to you all!
The Ambassador
The American Ambassador to the Gambia came on trek to see some of the projects that American money is supporting. I was asked to meet with him and have lunch. I got really excited about the opportunity to hobnob and wore nice clothes, did my hair, and even washed my feet. My host family was so impressed that I could clean myself up! After a lot of confusion involving a meeting of all the regional cheifs, dancing celebrations, and the amount of time it takes to get from point A to point B around here, I finally met up with Ambassador Wells. We shook hands, discussed how hot it was and the next thing I knew I was eating lunch on the balcony with the drivers, NOT with the Ambassador. I was a little deflated. He's lucky he's a really nice guy who I could never be mad with! The day ended with me walking back to my village and passing my host mothers and some brothers. They insisted I return to the island to greet the family there who they were visiting. I mostly just sat there, but it was fun time with the gals. Situations like this happen all the time here, except the part about me looking nice.
The Wedding
"I always cry at weddings, especially when the bride is a good friend, moving to another village, not finished with school, and only getting married because her husband needs someone to cook for him" read a text message I sent to a good friend. My pal Hule had a surprise wedding that had maybe a week's worth of notice. She's smart as can be and has so much potential, but was yanked out of school to cook. As a PCV there are all these lines to straddle. I have to be supportive of the culture and traditions, I don't feel like it's my place to protest the way things have been done for hundreds of years, yet I have to encourage progress and development, I need to say something because this girl could be a doctor or a politician; I have to celebrate with the village, yet be sad for my friend. There's a lot of balance I'm still trying to figure out. So my solution was to go to the wedding, dance (everyone loves a dancing tubob) but NOT smile. Anytime the subject came up, I always explained that I was not happy about it and why. And then at the near end of festivities I found myself holding Hule's hand while her hair was being braided to send her out to her new village. There I was in the middle of a cirlce of 100 women who were singing, some happy, some as sad as me. It was a surreal moment that made me appriciative to have the opportunity to share in these lives, for better or for worse (wedding pun intended). Hule's new village is not far away and has a really good school. Soon I will go to visit her and hopefully talk to her husband about why it will be good for her to finish school. I talked to Hule's father about all of this the other day and he was just as livid, if not more, as I am. I was getting nervous as he was expressing his anger and dissappointment over the whole thing and waving around a big pair of scissors (the uncles of the bride are responsible for the marriage arrangements, not the father, and he's a tailor, a really good one actually, which is why he had the scissors). I bought him an icie to calm him down and then got an invitation to a really good lunch. Situations like this happen all the time here, especially the part about me buying icies.
The Bridge
Development is happening here. It's crazy to see. A bridge is being built on the south side of the island I live near. I was told it would be done last week, but it wasn't, of course, but it's still making quick progress. Roads are also being paved, but that's not as impressive as a bridge that will help people get to the nearest hospital faster. I report this because it's really exciting. I know, a bridge doesn't sound like a very big deal, but trust me, it's the FIRST bridge to go across the river here. Situations like this rarely happen here, especially the part about the bridge.
The Rains
...are not here yet. It's still hot and now it's also humid. Throw in some dust storms at night that leave so much dust in the air you almost can't see the sun the next day. Situations like this happen all the time here, especially the part about it being hot.
The Gorko
Chris arrives in a month! Everyone is very excited for his visit, me most of all, but the women in the village take a very close second in their excitement. Everyone wants to meet my gorko (man/husban) and they want to make sure he has a big party in honor of his arrival. I always protest that they didn't even do that when I came to town! Every morning, the children gather around my door waiting for me to wake up so they can fight over who gets to put a sticker on our calander that counts down until Chris is here. The sounds of the kids naming the figures on the drawing that accompanys the calander have taken over the chickens as my alarm clock. "Fatoumata, Gorko Fatoumata, Bob, [house], mango [tree], [river]..." Situations like this will only happen once, maybe twice, especially the part about Chris going to Africa.
The Work
I'm now an "advisor" for the neighboring village's 4H club. They are really fun kids and the leaders are very motivated. We just wrote a proposal for a tye dye program to expand the skills and potentially funds of the club. Also in the work are meetings about cooking food, exercise, dog and cat care, horse and donkey care, local first aid, and nature walks, plus a bunch of local crafts and such. Lots of fun! I also hung out at the skills center at the village across the street. The women there are fabulous and I'm excited to define my work with them more. Our community garden is on standstill as we have no seeds because the seed man is really slow and not from the village. My plan is not to stress out about it. Beyond that, it's just little things here and there. I did some batik tye dye with some village ladies which was a lot of fun. The ladies were sassy with each other and kept undoing each other's work or disagreeing about the next steps. But the end result was really pretty. I made mosquito repellant with my one granny. She's always looking for something she can sell and was really into this process. I think she's great and I enjoy her enthusiasm. Situations like this happen all the time here, especially the part about the women being amazing.
The Odds and Ends
Other than that, everything is good. I'm safe, healthy and happy. I had some small stomach issues, but they passed quickly, thank goodness. I'm not sure the cause, but it didn't hold me down. Bob is doing well and getting bigger still! He's gotten really muscular the last month and is really heavy for his size. My one host mother is pregnat which will be really special to welcome a new baby in the compound. She has 2 boys now, one who is adorable and one who is the definition of a little shit. Maybe this time it will be a sweet little girl! I'm hoping to get her enrolled in an adult education class. She made it to grade 6 and then stopped going to school. She's always trying to read and loves it when I give her a magazine to go through all the words. She also has a lot of potential. I found out today that one of my host sister's birthday is the day before mine, and the other a week later. We will have to be sure to celebrate, but first explain birthdays....
I hope everyone's summer is off to a good start! Does anyone have any exciting summer adventures planned? There are many successes back in America to celebrate too, engagements, graduations, grad school acceptance, new babies, a year of med school down....I love hearing about all of these things! Don't forget to keep sharing, it makes those moments of mental escape all the more sweet!
Much love to you all!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Three Month's Challange
I'm sorry this is so long! A lot's been going on since the last email and
it's been a little longer than I think it will typically be between
communications...
Well "3 Month Challenge" is over and we're back in the capital region for
some in service training. It's nice to see everyone again, but quite a
shock to be around everyone all at once after being in the "quite" village
setting for so long.
CULTURE
I use quiet in quotations because Koli Kunda has been quite the place the
last two months. I've had a taste of everything (not literally) and feel
really well settled in my village. My host uncle married his second wife
(it's a polygamous society, not a divorce society). The festivities were a
little more tame than I expected, but man, they didn't seem to end. First
there was "Prepare your tubob Barbie" day in which my hair was braided (it
looked really bad and there are NO pictures), I had my feet hennaed, and I
was constantly told to go here and there to ooh and aah at the gifts of rice
and veggies that the guests brought. Then there was a dance party waiting
for the bride to come (think jr. high school dancing) and the ladies sure
loved it when I would get up and swing my arms around mildly for a while.
That's the best description I have of the dancing. At about 11 I went to
sleep and the van with the bride and her posse pulled in at 6am. I did get
up to greet them. She came out covered in a white sheet which she remained
under for about a week and went in her house and stayed there for the
entirety of festivities. Eventually I was called out to sit and watch the
"ceremony." It was basically a man talking (the bride still in the house and
men and women separated) and ladies answering cell phones and greeting each
other and carrying on the gossip. Sometimes I forget I'm in AFRICA and that
was one of those moments...cell phones? at weddings? The last phase of the
festivities was to check out the loot. All of the wedding gifts were laid
out for the ladies to comment on. There were no bread machines or duplicate
toasters at this wedding. I think she was registered at Bowls R Us, because
she received either bowls or clothes. That's all you really need here
though. I must say I was happy when everyone went home and things quieted
down. I adore the new wife. She's 18 and really sassy and funny. She and
the family have really taken to each other as well which is nice since i've
heard stories of new wives being trouble.
We also celebrated Mohammed's (the Prophet) birthday...alllllll night long.
The village even rented loudspeakers to project the prayers. The prayer
calls reminded me of Jiroff (training village) and made it feel like so long
ago. Then when they were still going on at 4am I found them annoying. BUT,
it was really special to walk to the mosque at midnight and see the whole
village gathered. I walked back home soon after arriving with the other old
ladies who don't like to stay awake all night. On the way some guys were
talking to me, not necessarily in the most harassing way, but man, my host
granny ripped into them and I was even a little scared. It's good to know
someone has my back here.
There was a male circumcision ceremony for a pack of little boys. It was
basically prayers and dancing (are you seeing a trend in how we celebrate
here?) It was a very colorful experience and I wish I had my camera, but
all the same I'm glad to have that one as just a mental memory.
There was a funneral in the village recently too. (Grandmom should not read
this part: The village head's son died from a snake bite while he was out
running around at night...something I DO NOT do. A week or so later this
death was avenged when the whole village went out to hunt down every
venomous snake they could find...supposedly 3, but no one ever saw any of
the snakes) It was terribly sad and a sudden death and it was hard to see
the village that has so warmly taken me in feel so grief stricken. The
hardest part of it all was the notion that they don't hug here. All I
wanted to do was comfort people with an embrace, but even a hand on the
shoulder was weird. The women spent the day preparing food for later the
day and the men digging the grave and preparing the ram. The women's work
was no different than the church women bringing their dishes and setting up
the basement for the latest funeral. I found it strange how there was such
a sense of familiarity in that setting. There was no dancing at this one,
but there were prayers.
WORK
All of this culture has really slowed down any attempt at work, but we're on
it slowly slowly. We are making really good progress on a women's garden
which is now a community project, which I prefer. The land is cleared, the
fence almost ready and when I get back to village I'll start doing workshops
and we'll be planing before we know it! I held a metting on "my own" or
with the Village Development Chair leading it and somehow knowing what I
wanted to discuss. I was impressed with how much my language has
progressed, which I still feel is lacking, but we all understood each other.
I'm working on a tutoring session at the school now, which I didn't plan on,
I was just making it happen before I could stop the words from leaving my
mouth. We had one session and it went, ok. We'll see.
I'll be helping the World Food Program coordinate school gardens through out
the country. This is very recent and I'm not positive on all the details,
but it's something I look forward to.
I also helped judge the tree nurseries at the schools in my region. It was
fun to see the schools, but long hot days and our 2 flat tires didn't help
much. I guess I'd still do it again though so it must not have been THAT
bad!
That's pretty much it for "work." Things kind of float around, but I'll save
those for other emails!
LIFE
The family is still amazing. They are really feeling more like family every
day. I feel annoyed with people at times and supper appreciative at
others. The kids are still adorable and my favorite boy Juju (3) has stolen
my heart. I've allowed myself to be a little more affectionate with
him...when he doesn't look too snotty and germy. The last month 2 of my
favorites have been in the capital visiting relatives. it's been terribly
quiet without them though. I talked to them on the phone one night and it
was nice to hear them again...SAME with my realy family. It's always good
to talk to MY mom and dad and grandmother. It makes a difficult week or day
so much better. LETTERS also make a huge difference when the mail truck
comes! Thank you everyone for the support! Replies are on their way,
although it might take a while. Bob Saget is growing and sweet as ever.
He's in and out a lot, mostly on the prowl for food like any other growing
boy. At the moment he is trying to get in the house with a lizard he
caught. We're working on the "no toys in the house" rule. He did set his
tail on fire when I had a candle out one day, but I honestly don't think he
even noticed. The PC family has been good, and growing too. I'm making
lots of new friends and finding lots of good people. My house is sort of
half way up country and at a major junction so I've been running a hotel
more than being a PCV I feel. It's nice to see people as they pass though
and make connections but not have them around to hear all of their
complaints about things like administration or other volunteers. The most
exciting thing on the radar with life is that Chris is visiting in July!
We're all excited for the visit (don't ask if I am, of course I am!)...this
includes the village. They want to have all sorts of celebration...probably
dancing and prayers. I always interrupt their plans by reminding them they
didn't even do that when I arrived and they laugh at me! It's also REALLY
hot. 120 is the highest high and 70 the lowest low lately. Everything is
brown, dry and dead, or almost dead. The animals are all fairly emaciated
and yet some how all having their babies it seems like. Even the wind is no
reprieve as it too is hot. We manage though and once it's over 100, I don't
much notice beyond that. I made it out to Basse [Santa Su] one weekend to
bank and see friends. It's REALLY hot up there and I feel for the folks
posted all the way out in the sauna. Basse's pretty happening though and I
might head up there every other month or so. We shall see.
MAIL
Again I'm really grateful for all the letters, packages and support
otherwise! Since the last e-mail I've received letters from Clarks, Logans
(and 2 post cards and 1 package), Val, Rick, Mother, and a package from
Chuck and one from Eloise. In regards to the packages specifically, THANK
YOU! I'll be taking all the goodies to the school, some will be rewards for
going to the tutoring session, the rest at the disposal of the head master.
For the curious, I feel like I should update some package successes and
less success from personal experience and from what I've noticed with other
volunteers....
Success:
School supplies...NO penciles, rulers or sharpeners arrived broken!
Hard pretzels
Slim Jims/jerkey
Tuna "pouches" (I hear there are chicken ones that travel successfully too)
Oreos, would you believe there enough preservatives that they stay FRESH for
a long time?
Tea bags
Kool Aid/drink mixes
Peeps...duh they store well!
Life savers and hard candies (life savers have limited wrapping too!)
Sour patch kids (ate the same box for 2 months)
Noodles (a surprise item that was really wonderful)
Less Successes:
Chocolate chips (although they are wonderful and I am eating them happily,
they tasted a lot like the ziplock back, maybe leave them in the original
bag next time....there will be a next time right?)
Mint Gum-it made everything else in the box taste like mint
Musical cards...they don't make much of an appearance around the children
because i'd go crazy for sure!
Reminders:
Putting things in zip lock type bags is really handy on several levels;
freshness, re purposing, protection of other package contents
A letter or note inside the package would be nice too! It doesn't have to
be all business!
Feel free to wrap stuff in magazine or newspaper articles that I'd enjoy
reading. This mail I had obituaries and grocery store adds, the latter is
just cruel!
Be creative or test the limits of what will mail!
Mail only comes to me on the third saturday of the month and how long it
takes to get to Africa is random, but you can try and account for that
timing.
it's been a little longer than I think it will typically be between
communications...
Well "3 Month Challenge" is over and we're back in the capital region for
some in service training. It's nice to see everyone again, but quite a
shock to be around everyone all at once after being in the "quite" village
setting for so long.
CULTURE
I use quiet in quotations because Koli Kunda has been quite the place the
last two months. I've had a taste of everything (not literally) and feel
really well settled in my village. My host uncle married his second wife
(it's a polygamous society, not a divorce society). The festivities were a
little more tame than I expected, but man, they didn't seem to end. First
there was "Prepare your tubob Barbie" day in which my hair was braided (it
looked really bad and there are NO pictures), I had my feet hennaed, and I
was constantly told to go here and there to ooh and aah at the gifts of rice
and veggies that the guests brought. Then there was a dance party waiting
for the bride to come (think jr. high school dancing) and the ladies sure
loved it when I would get up and swing my arms around mildly for a while.
That's the best description I have of the dancing. At about 11 I went to
sleep and the van with the bride and her posse pulled in at 6am. I did get
up to greet them. She came out covered in a white sheet which she remained
under for about a week and went in her house and stayed there for the
entirety of festivities. Eventually I was called out to sit and watch the
"ceremony." It was basically a man talking (the bride still in the house and
men and women separated) and ladies answering cell phones and greeting each
other and carrying on the gossip. Sometimes I forget I'm in AFRICA and that
was one of those moments...cell phones? at weddings? The last phase of the
festivities was to check out the loot. All of the wedding gifts were laid
out for the ladies to comment on. There were no bread machines or duplicate
toasters at this wedding. I think she was registered at Bowls R Us, because
she received either bowls or clothes. That's all you really need here
though. I must say I was happy when everyone went home and things quieted
down. I adore the new wife. She's 18 and really sassy and funny. She and
the family have really taken to each other as well which is nice since i've
heard stories of new wives being trouble.
We also celebrated Mohammed's (the Prophet) birthday...alllllll night long.
The village even rented loudspeakers to project the prayers. The prayer
calls reminded me of Jiroff (training village) and made it feel like so long
ago. Then when they were still going on at 4am I found them annoying. BUT,
it was really special to walk to the mosque at midnight and see the whole
village gathered. I walked back home soon after arriving with the other old
ladies who don't like to stay awake all night. On the way some guys were
talking to me, not necessarily in the most harassing way, but man, my host
granny ripped into them and I was even a little scared. It's good to know
someone has my back here.
There was a male circumcision ceremony for a pack of little boys. It was
basically prayers and dancing (are you seeing a trend in how we celebrate
here?) It was a very colorful experience and I wish I had my camera, but
all the same I'm glad to have that one as just a mental memory.
There was a funneral in the village recently too. (Grandmom should not read
this part: The village head's son died from a snake bite while he was out
running around at night...something I DO NOT do. A week or so later this
death was avenged when the whole village went out to hunt down every
venomous snake they could find...supposedly 3, but no one ever saw any of
the snakes) It was terribly sad and a sudden death and it was hard to see
the village that has so warmly taken me in feel so grief stricken. The
hardest part of it all was the notion that they don't hug here. All I
wanted to do was comfort people with an embrace, but even a hand on the
shoulder was weird. The women spent the day preparing food for later the
day and the men digging the grave and preparing the ram. The women's work
was no different than the church women bringing their dishes and setting up
the basement for the latest funeral. I found it strange how there was such
a sense of familiarity in that setting. There was no dancing at this one,
but there were prayers.
WORK
All of this culture has really slowed down any attempt at work, but we're on
it slowly slowly. We are making really good progress on a women's garden
which is now a community project, which I prefer. The land is cleared, the
fence almost ready and when I get back to village I'll start doing workshops
and we'll be planing before we know it! I held a metting on "my own" or
with the Village Development Chair leading it and somehow knowing what I
wanted to discuss. I was impressed with how much my language has
progressed, which I still feel is lacking, but we all understood each other.
I'm working on a tutoring session at the school now, which I didn't plan on,
I was just making it happen before I could stop the words from leaving my
mouth. We had one session and it went, ok. We'll see.
I'll be helping the World Food Program coordinate school gardens through out
the country. This is very recent and I'm not positive on all the details,
but it's something I look forward to.
I also helped judge the tree nurseries at the schools in my region. It was
fun to see the schools, but long hot days and our 2 flat tires didn't help
much. I guess I'd still do it again though so it must not have been THAT
bad!
That's pretty much it for "work." Things kind of float around, but I'll save
those for other emails!
LIFE
The family is still amazing. They are really feeling more like family every
day. I feel annoyed with people at times and supper appreciative at
others. The kids are still adorable and my favorite boy Juju (3) has stolen
my heart. I've allowed myself to be a little more affectionate with
him...when he doesn't look too snotty and germy. The last month 2 of my
favorites have been in the capital visiting relatives. it's been terribly
quiet without them though. I talked to them on the phone one night and it
was nice to hear them again...SAME with my realy family. It's always good
to talk to MY mom and dad and grandmother. It makes a difficult week or day
so much better. LETTERS also make a huge difference when the mail truck
comes! Thank you everyone for the support! Replies are on their way,
although it might take a while. Bob Saget is growing and sweet as ever.
He's in and out a lot, mostly on the prowl for food like any other growing
boy. At the moment he is trying to get in the house with a lizard he
caught. We're working on the "no toys in the house" rule. He did set his
tail on fire when I had a candle out one day, but I honestly don't think he
even noticed. The PC family has been good, and growing too. I'm making
lots of new friends and finding lots of good people. My house is sort of
half way up country and at a major junction so I've been running a hotel
more than being a PCV I feel. It's nice to see people as they pass though
and make connections but not have them around to hear all of their
complaints about things like administration or other volunteers. The most
exciting thing on the radar with life is that Chris is visiting in July!
We're all excited for the visit (don't ask if I am, of course I am!)...this
includes the village. They want to have all sorts of celebration...probably
dancing and prayers. I always interrupt their plans by reminding them they
didn't even do that when I arrived and they laugh at me! It's also REALLY
hot. 120 is the highest high and 70 the lowest low lately. Everything is
brown, dry and dead, or almost dead. The animals are all fairly emaciated
and yet some how all having their babies it seems like. Even the wind is no
reprieve as it too is hot. We manage though and once it's over 100, I don't
much notice beyond that. I made it out to Basse [Santa Su] one weekend to
bank and see friends. It's REALLY hot up there and I feel for the folks
posted all the way out in the sauna. Basse's pretty happening though and I
might head up there every other month or so. We shall see.
Again I'm really grateful for all the letters, packages and support
otherwise! Since the last e-mail I've received letters from Clarks, Logans
(and 2 post cards and 1 package), Val, Rick, Mother, and a package from
Chuck and one from Eloise. In regards to the packages specifically, THANK
YOU! I'll be taking all the goodies to the school, some will be rewards for
going to the tutoring session, the rest at the disposal of the head master.
For the curious, I feel like I should update some package successes and
less success from personal experience and from what I've noticed with other
volunteers....
Success:
School supplies...NO penciles, rulers or sharpeners arrived broken!
Hard pretzels
Slim Jims/jerkey
Tuna "pouches" (I hear there are chicken ones that travel successfully too)
Oreos, would you believe there enough preservatives that they stay FRESH for
a long time?
Tea bags
Kool Aid/drink mixes
Peeps...duh they store well!
Life savers and hard candies (life savers have limited wrapping too!)
Sour patch kids (ate the same box for 2 months)
Noodles (a surprise item that was really wonderful)
Less Successes:
Chocolate chips (although they are wonderful and I am eating them happily,
they tasted a lot like the ziplock back, maybe leave them in the original
bag next time....there will be a next time right?)
Mint Gum-it made everything else in the box taste like mint
Musical cards...they don't make much of an appearance around the children
because i'd go crazy for sure!
Reminders:
Putting things in zip lock type bags is really handy on several levels;
freshness, re purposing, protection of other package contents
A letter or note inside the package would be nice too! It doesn't have to
be all business!
Feel free to wrap stuff in magazine or newspaper articles that I'd enjoy
reading. This mail I had obituaries and grocery store adds, the latter is
just cruel!
Be creative or test the limits of what will mail!
Mail only comes to me on the third saturday of the month and how long it
takes to get to Africa is random, but you can try and account for that
timing.
One Month!
Hi all!
I wasn't planning on being able to send out more email this soon, but I had to come back to the capital for my flu shots.
I've been in my village for about a month now and I really love it. The family is more than wonderful and take very good care of me.
There are a lot of women and children around so there's always someone to talk to or play with or go fetch water with.
I've become quite fond of Hawa the 6ish year old girl in the family. She's very sweet, although very energetic. She almost always goes with me to the well and is very good at bossing me around like only a girl of that age can do.
The big news is that my personal family has grown. I have been given a kitten by my family after they saw how much I liked the big cat that roams around the village. His name is officially Bob Saget, but we just call him Bob. I decided the name would be easy for the Gambians to say and that the addition of "saget" would be particularly comical to my American visitors. Bob and I get along well, although he is very much a kitten and CONSTANTLY wanting attention. He is white with a black tail, black ears, and a few black spots...so he fits in with all my other pets (Balboa excluded) being monocromatic and having a name that starts with a "B." Bob has also proven to be a successful mouse and lizard hunter. He's a good boy.
Aside from Bob I AM making friends in the village. I stopped by one compound on my way around town one day, just to say hello. I then got a lunch invitation and the friendship of Hule a 13ish year old gal who goes to the school. I think I will be working hard to maintain this friendship as there are lots of funny gals in this compound AND good cooks (my family's cooking leaves much to be desired, but I make do).
I still need to go around town and make some more friends. My biggest problem is remembering names. There are SO many! I do know how to say "there's one of me and many of you, so give me time to learn your name." Folks seem understanding of this.
I"m also trying to explore the surrounding community more. "The Island" is quite a swanky place with lots going on. We had a regional meeting there and I walked around a bit on my own. The market is fairly substantial and there are "tubob" shops around where I can find some comforts should I really be struggling. There's also internet somewhere there but I have yet to explore that. It's not my priority at the moment.
My least favorite part is the military camp near by with a lot of men looking for a wife or ticket to America. I loathe having to walk past the camp as their attention is very annoying. Every time I get near that place I think "man, I hate these guys." Fortunately there's a back way to get to where I would go to pass by the camp so I can avoid it 98% of the time. Really that has been the only negative part of this experience so far.
My first week in village I did feel a little down physically. I think I was just burned out from the go-go-go of training since I never took any time off if I felt a little sick like a lot of people did. I spent my first 4 days mostly just sleeping in village. My family was very understanding as was my body and by day 5 it was like the light switch got turned on and I was ready to go. Thankfully that's all the more "sick" I've been, no major stomach problems still...knock on wood!
I did go to the "garden" with my host father, uncle, and bothers and cousins. This has been the major accounting of "work" so far. They were clearing some of the tall grasses so their mango and banana trees can grow better. Really I think they were just burning out the snakes...none of which I saw. The process was quite interesting and I saw the men working with the same sort of grace and intuition that I see in the ladies, no matter what they are doing. There is a rhythm here that I think each person is born with. It stops me every time I catch it. I hope I can find it and become just as efficient as everyone here.
Other "work" involved sitting in on a community meeting. It was to assess the status of a farming project and see where the folks involved stood with its progress. I was asked to take notes, which I was more than happy to do, but had trouble doing since my Pular really isn't that good. I wrote down a sequence of words that I was able to recognize though. Progress? Thankfully they didn't want the notes I took. They did write a few things on a blackboard which I copied for them onto paper. I thought that was most interesting since they were writing in English and since most of the people can't read to begin with. I guess it's for record keeping. I did enjoy sitting in on the meeting to observe my village in such a setting and not have to be responsible for facilitating it. It was also a good way for me to introduce myself to the community as a whole.
A second community meeting was held by a man trying to get a woman's garden going. I'm fairly excited about this endeavor, however wonder about the village's true enthusiasm about the garden. We shall see. It would be a fairly "easy" project though and most of it is planned out already, I just have to be a motivator and supporter.
I went the school about a mile down the road too. I met with the head master and we talked about what I could and wouldn't do and what his wants were for the school. He was a nice enough guy and was very insistent that I return the next day for a "program." I expected some sort of skit night, but instead I ended up passively chaperoning a school dance. I enjoyed the people watching greatly and the kids were really charming. A 10 year old boy tried to hit on me and even put his arm around me. "Precious," I thought getting up to get some more rice. The next day the schools in the area were having a track meet. There's a big celebration on the 18th I think, for some national holiday and all the country has a national track meet. I enjoyed watching all of the kids running and celebrating the victories of their com padres. It was touching to see such celebration for each kid. It was a really hot day though and I don't know how the heck those kids were able to run so much in the heat of the mid day desert sun. Crazy I say.
In all, I'd call the first month somewhat successful, for not accomplishing much at all. I'm not sure when the next email will be so happy Groundhog Day, Superbowl, Birthday Kenny and Grandmom and Eloise and Chris, happy Valentine's Day to all, and all my fingers are crossed for snow days for y'all!
I wasn't planning on being able to send out more email this soon, but I had to come back to the capital for my flu shots.
I've been in my village for about a month now and I really love it. The family is more than wonderful and take very good care of me.
There are a lot of women and children around so there's always someone to talk to or play with or go fetch water with.
I've become quite fond of Hawa the 6ish year old girl in the family. She's very sweet, although very energetic. She almost always goes with me to the well and is very good at bossing me around like only a girl of that age can do.
The big news is that my personal family has grown. I have been given a kitten by my family after they saw how much I liked the big cat that roams around the village. His name is officially Bob Saget, but we just call him Bob. I decided the name would be easy for the Gambians to say and that the addition of "saget" would be particularly comical to my American visitors. Bob and I get along well, although he is very much a kitten and CONSTANTLY wanting attention. He is white with a black tail, black ears, and a few black spots...so he fits in with all my other pets (Balboa excluded) being monocromatic and having a name that starts with a "B." Bob has also proven to be a successful mouse and lizard hunter. He's a good boy.
Aside from Bob I AM making friends in the village. I stopped by one compound on my way around town one day, just to say hello. I then got a lunch invitation and the friendship of Hule a 13ish year old gal who goes to the school. I think I will be working hard to maintain this friendship as there are lots of funny gals in this compound AND good cooks (my family's cooking leaves much to be desired, but I make do).
I still need to go around town and make some more friends. My biggest problem is remembering names. There are SO many! I do know how to say "there's one of me and many of you, so give me time to learn your name." Folks seem understanding of this.
I"m also trying to explore the surrounding community more. "The Island" is quite a swanky place with lots going on. We had a regional meeting there and I walked around a bit on my own. The market is fairly substantial and there are "tubob" shops around where I can find some comforts should I really be struggling. There's also internet somewhere there but I have yet to explore that. It's not my priority at the moment.
My least favorite part is the military camp near by with a lot of men looking for a wife or ticket to America. I loathe having to walk past the camp as their attention is very annoying. Every time I get near that place I think "man, I hate these guys." Fortunately there's a back way to get to where I would go to pass by the camp so I can avoid it 98% of the time. Really that has been the only negative part of this experience so far.
My first week in village I did feel a little down physically. I think I was just burned out from the go-go-go of training since I never took any time off if I felt a little sick like a lot of people did. I spent my first 4 days mostly just sleeping in village. My family was very understanding as was my body and by day 5 it was like the light switch got turned on and I was ready to go. Thankfully that's all the more "sick" I've been, no major stomach problems still...knock on wood!
I did go to the "garden" with my host father, uncle, and bothers and cousins. This has been the major accounting of "work" so far. They were clearing some of the tall grasses so their mango and banana trees can grow better. Really I think they were just burning out the snakes...none of which I saw. The process was quite interesting and I saw the men working with the same sort of grace and intuition that I see in the ladies, no matter what they are doing. There is a rhythm here that I think each person is born with. It stops me every time I catch it. I hope I can find it and become just as efficient as everyone here.
Other "work" involved sitting in on a community meeting. It was to assess the status of a farming project and see where the folks involved stood with its progress. I was asked to take notes, which I was more than happy to do, but had trouble doing since my Pular really isn't that good. I wrote down a sequence of words that I was able to recognize though. Progress? Thankfully they didn't want the notes I took. They did write a few things on a blackboard which I copied for them onto paper. I thought that was most interesting since they were writing in English and since most of the people can't read to begin with. I guess it's for record keeping. I did enjoy sitting in on the meeting to observe my village in such a setting and not have to be responsible for facilitating it. It was also a good way for me to introduce myself to the community as a whole.
A second community meeting was held by a man trying to get a woman's garden going. I'm fairly excited about this endeavor, however wonder about the village's true enthusiasm about the garden. We shall see. It would be a fairly "easy" project though and most of it is planned out already, I just have to be a motivator and supporter.
I went the school about a mile down the road too. I met with the head master and we talked about what I could and wouldn't do and what his wants were for the school. He was a nice enough guy and was very insistent that I return the next day for a "program." I expected some sort of skit night, but instead I ended up passively chaperoning a school dance. I enjoyed the people watching greatly and the kids were really charming. A 10 year old boy tried to hit on me and even put his arm around me. "Precious," I thought getting up to get some more rice. The next day the schools in the area were having a track meet. There's a big celebration on the 18th I think, for some national holiday and all the country has a national track meet. I enjoyed watching all of the kids running and celebrating the victories of their com padres. It was touching to see such celebration for each kid. It was a really hot day though and I don't know how the heck those kids were able to run so much in the heat of the mid day desert sun. Crazy I say.
In all, I'd call the first month somewhat successful, for not accomplishing much at all. I'm not sure when the next email will be so happy Groundhog Day, Superbowl, Birthday Kenny and Grandmom and Eloise and Chris, happy Valentine's Day to all, and all my fingers are crossed for snow days for y'all!
pcV, wmphasis on V
I"m finally official! Yesterday we swore in at the US Ambassador's house. It's a pretty swanky place with a really great view of the ocean, but enough about that. The ceremony was very basic and to the point. Dressed in our matching fabric, all styled to each person''s own taste, we opened with Islamic and Christian prayers, both national anthems and then all of the necessary speeches. As we took the oath, i got a little choked up and teary eyed as I thought about all of the waiting to get to that moment...well more waiting for the moment of officially arriving in village ready to get working, but having something like an oath to really cap it off was significant. It was also really sweet because we had to sit alphabetically which put me next to Wells, a character I met almost a year ago at Madagascar's non-staging. We took a moment to "debrief" and savor the moment and of course pose for a picture with our certificates and big dopey smiles! We also sang a song in our languages, it wasn't the most spirited of songs, but it was neat anyway. The whole thing was televised and no long after all was said and done, a couple in our group got text messages from their host families that they saw them on tv! Following the ceremony and photo shoot we made our way for lunch and some light shopping to get ready for today; the shopping extravaganza. A wild party later ensued. I won at some coin toss game and for the first time in all training, was at the front of the food line! I went to sleep instead of going out dancing so I could be ready to go for our day of shopping. We had a lot of money to spend to get the bits and pieces to settle into our new places. These are the things on my shopping list:
-mattress
-double burner, with accessories and gas tank (i had a lot of trouble getting this and my burner's fate was in the hands of a man who said "trust me." I'm glad I did)
-cups
-plates
-plastic medicine cabinet
-pizza pan (because I"m teaching the neighbor how to make pizza)
-kettle
-rope
-cutting board
-floor mat
-sheets
-pillow
-small trunk
-plastic lawn chair
-paint and a brush
-any food items I can find
-soap, soap soap
In all the process was very easy and I'm glad I only have to do it once, i guess that's why they call it the jungle baby. So now all I have to do is help pack the truck on Monday and then bump out to the middle of the country. I'll be there getting settled in and enduring the "three month challenge" as they call it, which is just time we're to spend in village as much as we can to get familiar with the community and continue working on language. I do have a visit to Senegal planned so I can be in the know about the evacuation routes since I am a cluster warden (a person who does the head count for the folks in my region in the event of an emergency). I'm thinking this trip will be around February, but who knows. I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back to internet next, that will be part of the experience, so this will be the last big email for a while. I will still get mail once a month so if you feel so inclined write! (address below). I hope to have many new pictures to put up of the adventures! If you haven't seen pictures yet, see if this link works: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037496&id=50801709&saved#/album.php?aid=2037496&id=50801709
I tried to get a video tour of my house online but the connection is too slow here. I'll have to find some other way. I'm sorry to get hopes up about that.
I hope everyone enjoys the winter weather, I know I am :). It will soon be getting HOT here though so you'll be able to make similar weather jokes to me. Be well and safe all!
I love and miss you much!
-Katie
Katie Cahoon, PCV
C/O Peace Corps/The Gambia
P.O. Box 582
Banjul, The Gambia
West Africa
-mattress
-double burner, with accessories and gas tank (i had a lot of trouble getting this and my burner's fate was in the hands of a man who said "trust me." I'm glad I did)
-cups
-plates
-plastic medicine cabinet
-pizza pan (because I"m teaching the neighbor how to make pizza)
-kettle
-rope
-cutting board
-floor mat
-sheets
-pillow
-small trunk
-plastic lawn chair
-paint and a brush
-any food items I can find
-soap, soap soap
In all the process was very easy and I'm glad I only have to do it once, i guess that's why they call it the jungle baby. So now all I have to do is help pack the truck on Monday and then bump out to the middle of the country. I'll be there getting settled in and enduring the "three month challenge" as they call it, which is just time we're to spend in village as much as we can to get familiar with the community and continue working on language. I do have a visit to Senegal planned so I can be in the know about the evacuation routes since I am a cluster warden (a person who does the head count for the folks in my region in the event of an emergency). I'm thinking this trip will be around February, but who knows. I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back to internet next, that will be part of the experience, so this will be the last big email for a while. I will still get mail once a month so if you feel so inclined write! (address below). I hope to have many new pictures to put up of the adventures! If you haven't seen pictures yet, see if this link works: http://www.facebook.com/album.
I tried to get a video tour of my house online but the connection is too slow here. I'll have to find some other way. I'm sorry to get hopes up about that.
I hope everyone enjoys the winter weather, I know I am :). It will soon be getting HOT here though so you'll be able to make similar weather jokes to me. Be well and safe all!
I love and miss you much!
-Katie
Katie Cahoon, PCV
C/O Peace Corps/The Gambia
P.O. Box 582
Banjul, The Gambia
West Africa
Friday, January 1, 2010
Two Months In
Happy New Year All!
Things are going well in the Gambia. The last 2 months have been so crazy with a lot going on. I'll do my best to condense it down to the highlights.
First and foremost, I'm safe healthy and happy. I feel very safe here and have host families that really value my safety and comfort. I have also somehow managed to avoid being sick. I did have a quick head cold, but it was much more mild than the ones I get this time of year in the states. My tummy has been very good to me. I also enjoy the place, the people and the work very much. Not everyday is perfect, when you're learning a crazy new language in a crazy new place, far away from your real "home people," you'll have that, but I've found lots of ways of coping, like enjoying the children, sweeping my floor and being proactively patient for various situations.
Since my last e-mail, we've been in our training villages with a few field trips here and there. My training village was wonderful. It was a medium sized village that embraced the 3 of us (Jo and Julia being the other 2 trainees with me-good ladies with whom I formed the "Debbo Clubagie" or "Girl's Club" since we were the only village with all girl trainees and we would get very gigglie on field trips). These gals are now like sisters to me - don't worry Karen, you will ALWAYS be my best and favorite and MOST real sister! The other trainees are really sweet too (sweet is the descriptive word for good, nice, pretty, and well, sweet). I have settled in a few really good friends but everyone has something really good to contribute and no one is unbearable.
My host family in training village was really amazing. It was a small family with a handful of children. My host father was very mild (like my real dad) and my host mother was a very busy lady and always made sure I had what I needed (ie water) (like auntie Eloise). I also had an old woman in the compound who was really a co-wife to the other mother, but she was older and sassie like a grandmother. I probably miss her the most, she'd talk to me a lot, I'd pretend to understand and when she realized I wasn't understanding she'd laugh at me in a sweet way. My youngest brother Ousman was my second favorite. One day he caught a pigeon and cooked it for me. It was yummy. He translated a lot for me - the kids know some English because of school, often Ousman would translate my bad Pulaar into better Pulaar so the family would know what the crazy Tubob (white person/stranger) was saying. I had an 8 yearold sister who would often come with a pack of girls and sadly no aderol (sp?). She would eat bags of sugar and her behavior reflected it. I enjoyed her in small doses. She helped with my laundry a lot but also peed on my house a few times in the process. It made for a funny story more than it was disgusting. This is a weird transitions, but leaving Jiroff was so sad. The Girl's Club all cried, as did some of the villagers, which crying Gambians is rare.
We went to our permanent sites for 4 days before coming back to Kombo (the capital region). My site is equally as wonderful as Jiroff. It's a cute medium sized village up country on the north side of the river. It's hotter there (the temp increases with your depth into the country) but I don't care. The family is really wonderful and the location is really ideal. My host father, Amadou, is about 40 and very well respected in the community. He's a hard worker and the fruits of his labor are obvious. I will probably work with him a lot since he is interested in progressive ideas which is also rare for Gambians. He has 2 wives, 2 mothers, (father deceased, thus why he is the head of the compound), maybe 8 children (counting them all is difficult) his brother who lives in the compound with his wife and several of their children. There are also other brothers and sisters that live all around and visit often. It's a BIG family but not overwhelming which is really nice. My host father also speaks very fluent English which is nice but I hope that makes ME learn Pular better. My neighbor, Omar, is a baker so I have convinent access to an oven and will be teaching Omar the finer arts of cookie and pizza baking. *By oven I mean more like a pottery kiln than a kitchen range. I also have a cat and dog in my compound. My first goal is to make the cat like affection and not just focus on mouse hunting all the time...which is just as fine really. I don't think she has a name, nor the dog. The dog does have ticks, fleas, and other malidies. I'm holding off on being too affectionate with him.
My house is small but cozey. I like it a lot. *See video of house tour.
The location of the village is ideal because it's on the north bank road (the GOOD road - it even has lines painted on it) but is very close to the river. There's also a major junction near by that attracts a lot of tourists so there is some "civilization" around without me having to make the 10 hour trip back to Kombo. I guess volunteers stop by there frequently for a cold drink and to finish the first leg of their trip to Kombo. I'm excited to host guests, I already had two stay the night before we made our way to Kombo yesterday. If you're looking on a map you might see JanJanbureh/McCarthy Island/Georgetown (one island/city - 3 names). That's the happin' place near me. It's only a motorized ferry away...not all ferries are motorized, unless you consider your HANDS to be motors! *see video.
The work will be good also. There's lots of tree planting to be done, perhaps a school garden and working with the school in general, maybe getting women mobilized, and lots of individual support and "skills transfer." I'm sure the list will grow as I get to know the village better, which is fine with me.
That's the basic run down of life here so far. If you have any more specific questions, send them my way and I'll be happy to satisfy your curiosity.
Here are a few general points of interest:
*the only wildlife I've seen are monkies, some babboons, and birds. The birds are really quite beauitful. I hear there are hyeneas in my area and hippos not too far away.
*my Gambian name is Fatumatou Jallow...Fatu for short, Koko to the PC crew (kong-kong is knock knock here, I thought my host mother was trying to say "katie, your dinner is here" but really she was saying "knock knock, your dinner is here" To mock me now, the PCt's like to call me Koko, to the point that they don't all know my real name anymore! Also, one of the most awkward moments happend when I met my Toma (namesake). She's about 11 and was sent to live with another woman near the capital when Fatu was still a baby. This happens a lot here and no one thinks anything of it. I went through all of the greetings and she was unresponsive. Soon my brother told me that she didn't speak Pulaar but Mandinka since she grew up in a Mandinka village. Everyone laughed at this. They had been saving up this joke through all of my training village experience. Typing about it can't do the real story justice, just know that it was reallly really awkward and funny. The other trainies liked the story.
*the food is ok. mostly rice. there's a lot of cous too which I like a lot less. My people (Fula's) have cows and drink a lot of milk. Good for me, although I've only had a few sips as niether of my host families have a lot of cattle. We eat with our RIGHT hands, if i break out a spoon I get laughed at! Freshly slaughtered ram tastes ok. I do miss red meat and bacon. I don't like fish as much as they serve it but it's growing on me.
*Thanksgiving, Christmas, My b-day, and New Years were all spent together with the training class. It didn't feel like we were missing the holiday at home quite so bad. The christmas boat ride (at sunrise) was really beautiful and a nice treat.
*Thank you everyone for cards and packages. It's nice to know I'm not forgotten already!
*Next up: Swear in on Jan 8th, then move in to Home on the 10th.
*I've gotten used to and like now the sounds of donekies, goats and chickens as well as the daily prayer calls to the point that they are comforting sounds and I miss them when I sleep somewhere not in village.
A Special List of Thank You's
*Grandmom: binoculars, they are small and easy to take on adventures with me
*Allen Lau: the flashlight for my birthday last year is VERY handy and a life saver
*Karrie Buttrick: the no slip hairties from my easter basket hold up better than any other hair ties i've ever used
*Erin Georgic: the journal, the kids like the buttons AND should i need buttons, i have extra!
*Pete Smyrl: floss, i've used it to hang my curtains (i am doing ok without duct tape though!)
*EVERY letter, Sarah, Peggy, Val, Chris, Dad, Barbie, Nick & Sarah, Cindy/Clarks, Ralph and Lois, and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone but thank you!
Mailing Information:
I've had some questions about mail. Here are some answers:
I will get mail delivered to me once a month, it takes about 2 weeks at quickest to receive a letter.
Care package details:
*since waste disposal is non existant here, it makes me feel better if you can remove as much packaging as possible. If you put things in ziplock baggies, they are very useful upon reuse. For example: I had some sour patch kids put in a ziplock baggie and then in a box and mailed. That is idea. Another example, I had some sunscreen sent that was in it's own plastic wrapping. I promptly scolder the mailer of that package and another small bottle was sent without the plastic. That is ideal and the mailer and I reconciled!
This is a list of things that if you're looking to fill a box, i would be happy to get! I'm not suggesting that I NEED or really WANT all of these things, this is just a list for the curious:
Items for the community
-books, children's books, coffee table books, gardening type books: less words, more pictures
-PENCILS
-colored pencils
-notebooks
-erasers
-pencil sharpeners
-decks of cards
-anything creative you can think of
Food
-food items that don't spoil. there are pouches of food out there on the market that are tuna and chicken and stuff that i add some water to i guess and it's real food!
-trail mix/granola bars
-beef jerkey
-food that can be made with hot water (oatmeal, beans, noodles...)
-candy (all the chocolate I've seen mailed has made it unmelty)
-cookie ingredients: i can get oil and eggs and milk, but i can't get brown sugar and chocolate chips
Household goods
-magazines of any variety
-pictures (gambians LOVE pictures)
-world maps
-scented candles (i don't suggest sending these in the same box as food, it will make the food taste like the candles)
-seeds for my garden: basil, tomatoes, garlic (does it come from seeds?) lettus, pretty much anything
-if someone is really ambitious, a french press and maybe some coffee
Things are going well in the Gambia. The last 2 months have been so crazy with a lot going on. I'll do my best to condense it down to the highlights.
First and foremost, I'm safe healthy and happy. I feel very safe here and have host families that really value my safety and comfort. I have also somehow managed to avoid being sick. I did have a quick head cold, but it was much more mild than the ones I get this time of year in the states. My tummy has been very good to me. I also enjoy the place, the people and the work very much. Not everyday is perfect, when you're learning a crazy new language in a crazy new place, far away from your real "home people," you'll have that, but I've found lots of ways of coping, like enjoying the children, sweeping my floor and being proactively patient for various situations.
Since my last e-mail, we've been in our training villages with a few field trips here and there. My training village was wonderful. It was a medium sized village that embraced the 3 of us (Jo and Julia being the other 2 trainees with me-good ladies with whom I formed the "Debbo Clubagie" or "Girl's Club" since we were the only village with all girl trainees and we would get very gigglie on field trips). These gals are now like sisters to me - don't worry Karen, you will ALWAYS be my best and favorite and MOST real sister! The other trainees are really sweet too (sweet is the descriptive word for good, nice, pretty, and well, sweet). I have settled in a few really good friends but everyone has something really good to contribute and no one is unbearable.
My host family in training village was really amazing. It was a small family with a handful of children. My host father was very mild (like my real dad) and my host mother was a very busy lady and always made sure I had what I needed (ie water) (like auntie Eloise). I also had an old woman in the compound who was really a co-wife to the other mother, but she was older and sassie like a grandmother. I probably miss her the most, she'd talk to me a lot, I'd pretend to understand and when she realized I wasn't understanding she'd laugh at me in a sweet way. My youngest brother Ousman was my second favorite. One day he caught a pigeon and cooked it for me. It was yummy. He translated a lot for me - the kids know some English because of school, often Ousman would translate my bad Pulaar into better Pulaar so the family would know what the crazy Tubob (white person/stranger) was saying. I had an 8 yearold sister who would often come with a pack of girls and sadly no aderol (sp?). She would eat bags of sugar and her behavior reflected it. I enjoyed her in small doses. She helped with my laundry a lot but also peed on my house a few times in the process. It made for a funny story more than it was disgusting. This is a weird transitions, but leaving Jiroff was so sad. The Girl's Club all cried, as did some of the villagers, which crying Gambians is rare.
We went to our permanent sites for 4 days before coming back to Kombo (the capital region). My site is equally as wonderful as Jiroff. It's a cute medium sized village up country on the north side of the river. It's hotter there (the temp increases with your depth into the country) but I don't care. The family is really wonderful and the location is really ideal. My host father, Amadou, is about 40 and very well respected in the community. He's a hard worker and the fruits of his labor are obvious. I will probably work with him a lot since he is interested in progressive ideas which is also rare for Gambians. He has 2 wives, 2 mothers, (father deceased, thus why he is the head of the compound), maybe 8 children (counting them all is difficult) his brother who lives in the compound with his wife and several of their children. There are also other brothers and sisters that live all around and visit often. It's a BIG family but not overwhelming which is really nice. My host father also speaks very fluent English which is nice but I hope that makes ME learn Pular better. My neighbor, Omar, is a baker so I have convinent access to an oven and will be teaching Omar the finer arts of cookie and pizza baking. *By oven I mean more like a pottery kiln than a kitchen range. I also have a cat and dog in my compound. My first goal is to make the cat like affection and not just focus on mouse hunting all the time...which is just as fine really. I don't think she has a name, nor the dog. The dog does have ticks, fleas, and other malidies. I'm holding off on being too affectionate with him.
My house is small but cozey. I like it a lot. *See video of house tour.
The location of the village is ideal because it's on the north bank road (the GOOD road - it even has lines painted on it) but is very close to the river. There's also a major junction near by that attracts a lot of tourists so there is some "civilization" around without me having to make the 10 hour trip back to Kombo. I guess volunteers stop by there frequently for a cold drink and to finish the first leg of their trip to Kombo. I'm excited to host guests, I already had two stay the night before we made our way to Kombo yesterday. If you're looking on a map you might see JanJanbureh/McCarthy Island/Georgetown (one island/city - 3 names). That's the happin' place near me. It's only a motorized ferry away...not all ferries are motorized, unless you consider your HANDS to be motors! *see video.
The work will be good also. There's lots of tree planting to be done, perhaps a school garden and working with the school in general, maybe getting women mobilized, and lots of individual support and "skills transfer." I'm sure the list will grow as I get to know the village better, which is fine with me.
That's the basic run down of life here so far. If you have any more specific questions, send them my way and I'll be happy to satisfy your curiosity.
Here are a few general points of interest:
*the only wildlife I've seen are monkies, some babboons, and birds. The birds are really quite beauitful. I hear there are hyeneas in my area and hippos not too far away.
*my Gambian name is Fatumatou Jallow...Fatu for short, Koko to the PC crew (kong-kong is knock knock here, I thought my host mother was trying to say "katie, your dinner is here" but really she was saying "knock knock, your dinner is here" To mock me now, the PCt's like to call me Koko, to the point that they don't all know my real name anymore! Also, one of the most awkward moments happend when I met my Toma (namesake). She's about 11 and was sent to live with another woman near the capital when Fatu was still a baby. This happens a lot here and no one thinks anything of it. I went through all of the greetings and she was unresponsive. Soon my brother told me that she didn't speak Pulaar but Mandinka since she grew up in a Mandinka village. Everyone laughed at this. They had been saving up this joke through all of my training village experience. Typing about it can't do the real story justice, just know that it was reallly really awkward and funny. The other trainies liked the story.
*the food is ok. mostly rice. there's a lot of cous too which I like a lot less. My people (Fula's) have cows and drink a lot of milk. Good for me, although I've only had a few sips as niether of my host families have a lot of cattle. We eat with our RIGHT hands, if i break out a spoon I get laughed at! Freshly slaughtered ram tastes ok. I do miss red meat and bacon. I don't like fish as much as they serve it but it's growing on me.
*Thanksgiving, Christmas, My b-day, and New Years were all spent together with the training class. It didn't feel like we were missing the holiday at home quite so bad. The christmas boat ride (at sunrise) was really beautiful and a nice treat.
*Thank you everyone for cards and packages. It's nice to know I'm not forgotten already!
*Next up: Swear in on Jan 8th, then move in to Home on the 10th.
*I've gotten used to and like now the sounds of donekies, goats and chickens as well as the daily prayer calls to the point that they are comforting sounds and I miss them when I sleep somewhere not in village.
A Special List of Thank You's
*Grandmom: binoculars, they are small and easy to take on adventures with me
*Allen Lau: the flashlight for my birthday last year is VERY handy and a life saver
*Karrie Buttrick: the no slip hairties from my easter basket hold up better than any other hair ties i've ever used
*Erin Georgic: the journal, the kids like the buttons AND should i need buttons, i have extra!
*Pete Smyrl: floss, i've used it to hang my curtains (i am doing ok without duct tape though!)
*EVERY letter, Sarah, Peggy, Val, Chris, Dad, Barbie, Nick & Sarah, Cindy/Clarks, Ralph and Lois, and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone but thank you!
Mailing Information:
I've had some questions about mail. Here are some answers:
I will get mail delivered to me once a month, it takes about 2 weeks at quickest to receive a letter.
Care package details:
*since waste disposal is non existant here, it makes me feel better if you can remove as much packaging as possible. If you put things in ziplock baggies, they are very useful upon reuse. For example: I had some sour patch kids put in a ziplock baggie and then in a box and mailed. That is idea. Another example, I had some sunscreen sent that was in it's own plastic wrapping. I promptly scolder the mailer of that package and another small bottle was sent without the plastic. That is ideal and the mailer and I reconciled!
This is a list of things that if you're looking to fill a box, i would be happy to get! I'm not suggesting that I NEED or really WANT all of these things, this is just a list for the curious:
Items for the community
-books, children's books, coffee table books, gardening type books: less words, more pictures
-PENCILS
-colored pencils
-notebooks
-erasers
-pencil sharpeners
-decks of cards
-anything creative you can think of
Food
-food items that don't spoil. there are pouches of food out there on the market that are tuna and chicken and stuff that i add some water to i guess and it's real food!
-trail mix/granola bars
-beef jerkey
-food that can be made with hot water (oatmeal, beans, noodles...)
-candy (all the chocolate I've seen mailed has made it unmelty)
-cookie ingredients: i can get oil and eggs and milk, but i can't get brown sugar and chocolate chips
Household goods
-magazines of any variety
-pictures (gambians LOVE pictures)
-world maps
-scented candles (i don't suggest sending these in the same box as food, it will make the food taste like the candles)
-seeds for my garden: basil, tomatoes, garlic (does it come from seeds?) lettus, pretty much anything
-if someone is really ambitious, a french press and maybe some coffee
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