There are 17 of us living in one compound and I am so lucky to say there is not a person I dislike.
*My older sisters are silly and enjoy making fun of me. They make sure that I get my fill of Senegalese culture by dragging me to any village occasion, teaching me the fine art of village cooking (i.e. pounding corn, grinding peanuts and working over an open fire in a smoke filled hut) and attempting to teach me to dance (while mostly falling over laughing at me). Issatou (the sister I am named after) braided my hair the other day and now I am in with the Pula women!
*My brothers are all amazing. My older brothers like to practice Pular with me and insist that I sit and talk with them instead of studying. They have taught me all about work in preparation for rainy season from slash and burning the fields to re-roofing the huts. My younger brothers run, play games and garden with me. My brothers all think it’s funny that a woman likes to run “for sport haha??” (they say) and do other ‘boy’ activities, but I know they love it and its fun to stomp on gender stereotypes.
* The kiddos. My younger sister Ruby is my shadow when she is not in school. She likes to show me off as her toubab and helps me with language, chores, people’s names, etc. There are three little hoodlums in my compound. Fanta is four and attached at the hip with the neighbor girl Ramatou. They are adorable and get into as much shenanigans as possible. Djenabou is two and still scared of me. Mamadu, the one yea old, is gosh darn adorable and the happiest little stinker ever.
*My parents have been pretty low key in my life so far. My mom has never been unfriendly but hasn’t exactly gone out of her way to befriend me. I think she is more reserved and that relationship will come in time. My second mom has been very helpful showing me around the community, taking me to every single compound and patiently waiting for me to write the names of every man, woman and child in Medina. My dad is funny and gets excited every time I use a new word. He likes to check in with me frequently and insist that I shouldn’t be working when “the sun is hot.”
It’s similar to home in that there is never a dull moment, nor a quiet one.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Village Life
So I’ve been in village for almost three weeks now and along with trying to learn Pular I’ve found all sorts of things to fill my time. I’ve been to a wedding and a baptism, both of which showed no resemblance to typical American or Christian customs. I attended Mass in a furno of a hut in languages I don’t comprehend. I have started three garden beds and made soil from scratch because guess what??? It doesn’t exist here.
Last week, I helped with baby weighings and Polio vaccinations, which opened my eyes to how differently the health system of Senegal works. Instead of everyone taking their children to the health post, health workers literally go hut to hut giving vaccinations and handing out anti-parasitic medication. To keep track of who has been vaccinated they mark the fingernails of the children with sharpie and write on the huts in chalk. It seems ridiculous for a health system to be running like this in 2010 but it is honestly more practical in a village setting where otherwise children would never see a health worker.
Most recently I went to a nearby village to do baby weighings. The community was Fulbe, a different kind of Pular. They have different braids, tattooing, dancing and customs. While I was there a wedding for a 14 year old girl took place. It's overwhelming how different people live here. I just thought of my baby sister back home being put into that situation and it made my stomach turn, but here it is an every day reality. I feel so blessed to grow up with education and the freedom to choose my own path in life.
Most of the rest of my time has co-insisted of meeting and greeting people...the school directors, health workers, neighbors, prominent community members, the ladies that sell mangoes, my counterparts, etc. I have ventured out to both Spence and Mika’s sites to see my new Peace Corps brothers and meet their families. This has been a fun insight into their lives and situations while also giving me a chance to practice Pular in new settings, try out public transport and give me a break from my village.
Last week, I helped with baby weighings and Polio vaccinations, which opened my eyes to how differently the health system of Senegal works. Instead of everyone taking their children to the health post, health workers literally go hut to hut giving vaccinations and handing out anti-parasitic medication. To keep track of who has been vaccinated they mark the fingernails of the children with sharpie and write on the huts in chalk. It seems ridiculous for a health system to be running like this in 2010 but it is honestly more practical in a village setting where otherwise children would never see a health worker.
Most recently I went to a nearby village to do baby weighings. The community was Fulbe, a different kind of Pular. They have different braids, tattooing, dancing and customs. While I was there a wedding for a 14 year old girl took place. It's overwhelming how different people live here. I just thought of my baby sister back home being put into that situation and it made my stomach turn, but here it is an every day reality. I feel so blessed to grow up with education and the freedom to choose my own path in life.
Most of the rest of my time has co-insisted of meeting and greeting people...the school directors, health workers, neighbors, prominent community members, the ladies that sell mangoes, my counterparts, etc. I have ventured out to both Spence and Mika’s sites to see my new Peace Corps brothers and meet their families. This has been a fun insight into their lives and situations while also giving me a chance to practice Pular in new settings, try out public transport and give me a break from my village.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Tambacounda Here I Come!
The time has come. I am in a sept place (station wagon like vehicle that seats seven) on my way to Tambacounda. Mika and I had a hard time picking a vehicle because of the two that arrived to the Peace Corps training center, one was purple and one was playing TLC. I am certain that we made the right decision after opting for the car with good music. We are three hours in and now we are listening to Senegalese static but for a good hour we had poppin jams.
This morning’s goodbyes were more difficult than expected. The 41 of us have been together for only two months but it has been an incredibly bonding experience. Our group is the goofiest bunch of human beings I have ever been a part of. We have random sing-a-longs, crazy dance parties, play sardines like little kids, have random cuddle piles, read Dr. Seuss aloud and talk about our poop more than the average person. It may not be normal but it is refreshing to be a part of a group where you have little qualms about being yourself, whoever that may be. Saying goodbye to the Americans I have grown to love, that will now be scattered all over the country, was not easy but I am confident that all of us will do great things over the next two years and eventually we will develop these close relationships with local people in our communities.
Going back in time, Thursday we had a party for our training host families at the Peace Corps compound in Thies. We each invited a member of our family and spent the day awkwardly trying to entertain them. The best part was the hired Pula Futa dancers and drummers. They were amazingly talented and it was exciting to experience the customs of my newly adopted culture in a different way. I think the Sereers, Wolofs, and Mandinkas had to be a little jealous about how badass the Pular people are. I will try to post a video to give you all a taste.
Friday we traveled to Dakar for our swear-in ceremony at the American Ambassador’s residence. To paint a picture of this road trip, at 7:00 when normal people are hard pressed for words before coffee, we were all dressed in traditional Senegalese garb on a bus singing as a group to eclectic tunes including “Twist and Shout,” “Single Ladies, “ “Ain’t no Mountain High,” “Lean on me,” “Party in the U.S.A.,” etc. Needless to say it’s a fun group to travel with.
The ceremony was nicely done. Speeches were given by our country director, the ambassador, some important people on Peace Corps Senegal staff and a trainee from each language group represented. Besides the actual oath to transition into a Peace Corps Volunteer (because that is my new title!) my favorite part was the air-conditioning. After the ceremony we had delicious hors d'oeuvres and Senegalese juices, before heading to PC Senegal headquarters for paper work and banking (boo). Before leaving Dakar we spent an hour at a pool, (!!!) which was exciting because in a place where it is perpetually summer you long for the joy of a cool chlorinated paradise.
Now I am anxiously looking forward to my installation into my village on the evening of the 18th. Tomorrow I will be running all over Tamba obtaining the items I will need for everyday life in village and then the next day two amazing people from Peace Corps will be introducing me to my community and unloading me there for good. I have to be honest; right now I am more terrified than excited. I know things are going to be difficult and emotional and I anticipate an unimaginable degree of homesickness. I also know that those feelings will lessen (maybe even end) and that I will eventually learn the language, become part of the community, and do what I came here to do; make a difference in the health and lives of the Senegalese people.
PS: This morning I ate a blend of black beans, spaghetti, cheese and eggs for breakfast…I think that deserves an integration point (also I cut the onion and garlic I added with the bean can lid…2 points?)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A chicken named Dinner...
So for my going away gift for my host family I treated them to dinner. Only here in the lovely land of Senegal spoiling your family does not consist of taking them to a plush air-conditioned sushi bar but entails buying them a live chicken to consume later that night. As I was picking out a dirty chicken from the rambunctious bunch, I began to have a moral complex about playing a role in the death of an animal. I soon justified it by remembering that the person raising and selling the chicken depended on the buyers for their livelihood. Moral crisis averted.
I returned home with the chicken and my friends, Eric, and Meera. I asked my Aunt where she wanted the chicken…which by this time I had named Dinner. She replied that anywhere in the yard (of sand) was fine and didn’t seem worried about it leaving the compound. Moments after the chicken was released a rooster paraded though my compound gate and promptly mounted dinner. “Stop screwing Dinner,” I yelled while Eric kicked the rooster away. I almost never like to see my meals have relations with others in their species before I consume them.
After the issue was resolved and the rooster was far from gallivanting around my compound, Eric, Meera and I thought a card game was in order. We relaxed and enjoyed a few lovely rounds of skip-bo before one of them said in a hushed voice, “hey guys…I don’t see Dinner…” We search up and down the street thinking that we had been outsmarted until Dinner was spotted hiding under the only SUV in Sangalkam. He escaped once more before receiving the punishment of kitchen confinement.
PS: Right now I am eating peanut butter out of the jar with the top of a pen…my standards have plummeted…please don’t judge me.
I returned home with the chicken and my friends, Eric, and Meera. I asked my Aunt where she wanted the chicken…which by this time I had named Dinner. She replied that anywhere in the yard (of sand) was fine and didn’t seem worried about it leaving the compound. Moments after the chicken was released a rooster paraded though my compound gate and promptly mounted dinner. “Stop screwing Dinner,” I yelled while Eric kicked the rooster away. I almost never like to see my meals have relations with others in their species before I consume them.
After the issue was resolved and the rooster was far from gallivanting around my compound, Eric, Meera and I thought a card game was in order. We relaxed and enjoyed a few lovely rounds of skip-bo before one of them said in a hushed voice, “hey guys…I don’t see Dinner…” We search up and down the street thinking that we had been outsmarted until Dinner was spotted hiding under the only SUV in Sangalkam. He escaped once more before receiving the punishment of kitchen confinement.
PS: Right now I am eating peanut butter out of the jar with the top of a pen…my standards have plummeted…please don’t judge me.
Ngurndan e Senegal
A lot has happened since I last blogged so I am going to have to recap via list.
1. Counterpart workshop was not as bad as it was initially made out to be. It was awkward and intense but I made it through and now I have a modest idea of what I will be doing my first two months in village. I also got to stare at my counterparts long enough that I am now confident I could pick them out of a group of Senegalese people. Both of my counterparts are kind, encouraging and supportive. They also mentioned that on the day of my arrival they will have a Tam-Tam (a party with drums and dancing). What a great way to start out!
2. Best day and a half vacation ever! We rewarded ourselves for making it through CPW with a relaxing/crazy/ fabulous over-nighter in Popenguine. I climbed a mountain like structure, swam in the ocean under the stars and fire-works, had a picnic in a bunker previously used by the Senegalese military, drank delicious fruity drinks, and took leisure strolls up and down the beach with good friends and good music.
3. Before going back to my training village I found out my best friend lost her sister in a car accident, and I am devastated for her and lost in the helpless feeling of not being able to comfort her. I love you very much and you are constantly in thought and prayers Buckaroo.
4. Got to talk to grandma Rava on the phone! It was comforting to hear her voice and exciting to catch up with her.
5. Had discussions in Pular about polygamy, marriage, Osama bin Laden, education, malaria, neem lotion….I may sound like a baby and use 50% since language but my words are coming and when you can talk you have the ability to build relationships. This is an exciting concept.
6. Our garden is BEAUtiful. The school kids have really taken an interest in it and invested time and energy into making it look wonderful.
7. I had a traditional Senegalese outfit made for swear in. I picked out a deep purple color, bought six meters and gave it to my host dad (who is a tailor and does embroidery). I attempted to explain what I wanted but resigned in defeat after not being able to have a coherent conversation about embroidery in Pular. I figure they know best anyway, right? RIGHT! My “complet” is embroidered with enough gold to make me bullet proof. The foreign ambassadors and other dignitaries may have to wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from my bling. I have included a picture for your enjoyment.
8. I had to say goodbye to my training family in Sangalkam, whom at first I wasn’t too cracked up about but in the last few weeks have grown pretty fond of. My Aunt and dad are genuinely sweet people and I have gotten comfortable in their home. Saying goodbye was actually pretty sad and the women of our families cried as our bus rolled away. It is bizarre to remember my emotions upon arriving to the village the first time (sick to my stomach, terrified, not speaking any Pular) and compare them to how I felt leaving the adorable kiddos, dad and aunt I have come to care about.
9. I am back at the training center and was lucky enough to talk most of my family via skype on mother’s day. I have a beautiful mom and grandma I couldn’t be luckier to have in my life. I got to wish my 16 (!!!) year old sister Brit a happy birthday and can’t believe that in another week Jake will also be 16! I have been able to talk to my new Afgani sister Sana several times and am inspired by her daily leaps and bounds in the U.S. I love you all and feel incredibly fortunate to have you in my life!
10. I’ve gotten lots of letters and love from America these past few weeks and I am so grateful. It brightens my day/week to hear from home and remember how much support I have. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and love. My new address is posted so keep sending me updates and funny thoughts.
11. I just took my last LPI (language proficiency interview). I am expected to reach the level of intermediate mid (whatever that means) for swear in. I am glad to have it over with and think I sounded somewhat competent which is a bonus.
12. This is my last few days in Thies. Wednesday a member from each of our training families is coming for a pre-swear in party…let the dancing begin. Thursday we all go to Dakar for swear in at the ambassadors’ house and then beginning Friday people are traveling to their regional capitals and eventually their villages. I am installed in my village the 18th and am excited and terrified. I am not sure how much communication I will have with the outside world but keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I enter the world of the unknown and try to assimilate into the culture, learn the language and attempt to work to improve health resources, education and awareness!
1. Counterpart workshop was not as bad as it was initially made out to be. It was awkward and intense but I made it through and now I have a modest idea of what I will be doing my first two months in village. I also got to stare at my counterparts long enough that I am now confident I could pick them out of a group of Senegalese people. Both of my counterparts are kind, encouraging and supportive. They also mentioned that on the day of my arrival they will have a Tam-Tam (a party with drums and dancing). What a great way to start out!
2. Best day and a half vacation ever! We rewarded ourselves for making it through CPW with a relaxing/crazy/ fabulous over-nighter in Popenguine. I climbed a mountain like structure, swam in the ocean under the stars and fire-works, had a picnic in a bunker previously used by the Senegalese military, drank delicious fruity drinks, and took leisure strolls up and down the beach with good friends and good music.
3. Before going back to my training village I found out my best friend lost her sister in a car accident, and I am devastated for her and lost in the helpless feeling of not being able to comfort her. I love you very much and you are constantly in thought and prayers Buckaroo.
4. Got to talk to grandma Rava on the phone! It was comforting to hear her voice and exciting to catch up with her.
5. Had discussions in Pular about polygamy, marriage, Osama bin Laden, education, malaria, neem lotion….I may sound like a baby and use 50% since language but my words are coming and when you can talk you have the ability to build relationships. This is an exciting concept.
6. Our garden is BEAUtiful. The school kids have really taken an interest in it and invested time and energy into making it look wonderful.
7. I had a traditional Senegalese outfit made for swear in. I picked out a deep purple color, bought six meters and gave it to my host dad (who is a tailor and does embroidery). I attempted to explain what I wanted but resigned in defeat after not being able to have a coherent conversation about embroidery in Pular. I figure they know best anyway, right? RIGHT! My “complet” is embroidered with enough gold to make me bullet proof. The foreign ambassadors and other dignitaries may have to wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from my bling. I have included a picture for your enjoyment.
8. I had to say goodbye to my training family in Sangalkam, whom at first I wasn’t too cracked up about but in the last few weeks have grown pretty fond of. My Aunt and dad are genuinely sweet people and I have gotten comfortable in their home. Saying goodbye was actually pretty sad and the women of our families cried as our bus rolled away. It is bizarre to remember my emotions upon arriving to the village the first time (sick to my stomach, terrified, not speaking any Pular) and compare them to how I felt leaving the adorable kiddos, dad and aunt I have come to care about.
9. I am back at the training center and was lucky enough to talk most of my family via skype on mother’s day. I have a beautiful mom and grandma I couldn’t be luckier to have in my life. I got to wish my 16 (!!!) year old sister Brit a happy birthday and can’t believe that in another week Jake will also be 16! I have been able to talk to my new Afgani sister Sana several times and am inspired by her daily leaps and bounds in the U.S. I love you all and feel incredibly fortunate to have you in my life!
10. I’ve gotten lots of letters and love from America these past few weeks and I am so grateful. It brightens my day/week to hear from home and remember how much support I have. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and love. My new address is posted so keep sending me updates and funny thoughts.
11. I just took my last LPI (language proficiency interview). I am expected to reach the level of intermediate mid (whatever that means) for swear in. I am glad to have it over with and think I sounded somewhat competent which is a bonus.
12. This is my last few days in Thies. Wednesday a member from each of our training families is coming for a pre-swear in party…let the dancing begin. Thursday we all go to Dakar for swear in at the ambassadors’ house and then beginning Friday people are traveling to their regional capitals and eventually their villages. I am installed in my village the 18th and am excited and terrified. I am not sure how much communication I will have with the outside world but keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I enter the world of the unknown and try to assimilate into the culture, learn the language and attempt to work to improve health resources, education and awareness!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
My new address!
PCV: Amanda Lyon
BP 320 Tambacounda
Senegal, West Africa
I love letters and pictures and will post a wish list soon!
BP 320 Tambacounda
Senegal, West Africa
I love letters and pictures and will post a wish list soon!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Africa always brings something new...
The last week I have been in my training village attempting to advance in language by hanging out with my local family and practicing as much as possible. I had my second language proficiency test and it seemed to go adequately. We are expected to reach a level of mid-intermeadiate (whatever that means) by swear-in, which is to take place May 14th.
My weekend was full of good times. Saturday after language class some friends and I visited a local turtle conservation park called " Le Village des Tortues du Senegal." The park is meant to promote education and conservation of African tortoises. It was neat to see an eco-friendly side of Senegal. I spent the rest of the day visiting the families of other volunteers and praticing Pulaar...along with some Uno and creme glace of course.
Sunday some friends and I visited the beach once again. The day was perfect and rejuevenating. We hired a car to take us directly to the beach and then called them to pick us up so transportation could not have been less stressful. Once we arrived we sat our butts right on the beach and filled our hearts desires with reading, swimming, listening to music, eating delicious melon and even practiccing yoga! There was even a random european family who entertained us by driving back and forth on the beach jamming to techno music and doing silly car dances. While waiting for our ride back to the village we enjoyed a ice cold beverae beside Lac Rose (which was not pink this time either and I am beginning to doubt that it ever is except when photoshopped on Wikipedia). The day was necessary given the constant stress that lurks in the background of daily life when learning a new culture and language.
Other than that the last week has been full of language and preparations for the arrival of all of our counterparts for a workshop in Thies starting tomorrow. This workshop is meant to give our the counterparts (I mentioned mine in my previous post) a taste of what we are going through adapting to a new culture and learning a foreign language. We are expected to form an action plan for our first three months after being installed in our permanent village. Around 80 counterparts from all over the county who speak different languages will be staying at the center. I imagine it will be an akward and difficult couple days but luckily this Saturday our whole stage will be rewarded with a day at the beach!
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