back to the village and back to reality...

So I tried to include some pictures with that last post about my vacay, but Blogspot was not cooperating, so you'll just have to go to my Picassa web page listed on the side of this page.

I am back in Kaolack after 10 days in Thies, working with the training staff and meeting the 50 new trainees (and 3 Mauritanian PCV transfers). This is the last group of Trainees before my Stage's replacements come in March, which is crazy to think about! I am heading back to site today, loaded down with a huge hiking bag, a small duffel, and a purse, hoping to get a bus-thing headed directly to my road town. I called the family in the village last night to tell them to send a charret for me, so hopefully they pull through for me. I'm going to greet everyone back in the village, finish outplanting my last few trees, and sleep for a few days before even thinking about work--or at least that's the idea. It's weird to think that my next month at site is relatively up in the air--I've got some ideas for things that I want to do or places that I want to see, but nothing that has a time restraint or is extremely time sensitive at this point, which is a shock after the past 6+ months.

Ramadan supposedly starts Friday night and Saturday should be the first day of the fasting month. Enjoy something delicious for me this weekend!

Btw, a street cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in the Kaolack house (side bedroom, underneath the bunkbeds, in a box). Though they have now been moved in box outside, they are very cute--still blind, can't really move, and just beginning to squeak. Adorable! If only I had time to take care of a kitten at site...

Amerik, Alhumdouliliah!

(Written about a week and a half ago, when I had just returned from my vacation and was still jetlagged)

From mid-June to July 20, this was my mantra: I’m going to America, Alhumdouliliah (Praise God)! Well, my all-too-brief trip came and went and now I’m back in Thies getting ready for a new batch of “greenies,” or new Trainees, as the PC Training Director was calling them earlier today.

My vacation was incredible. I don’t think I actually have words for it, adequate enough to describe all of the feelings and thoughts going through my head during the trip. It was exciting, overwhelming, invigorating, exhausting, refreshing, eye-opening, reassuring, and any other word you can throw at it. Most of all, it was too short.

I know many PCVs I have talked to feel ready to return to Senegal by the end of their US vacations, but I must admit, I wasn’t. Had you given me a few more days in CL, I probably would have been. However, as it was, I was so exhausted from constantly being on the go and traveling about so much trying to see as many people as possible, that I could have used a few more days in CL to just relax and veg, and go through all of the junk in my room—plus have time to acknowledge while everyone else over there have lives to get back to, mine is over here in Senegal. Oh well, no time to dwell on too-short of a vacation (and now I have a few extra days to use on traveling somewhere around here!).

Honestly, it’s good to be back. Though I’m in Thies, I really wish I could bypass this step (though the start of PST is why I cut my trip short in the first place) and just hide out in my hut in my village for a few days, but that can’t happen. Well, at least not for another 10 days or so—welcome the newbies and show them around a little, regroup in Kaolack, get back to the village, give out gifts, finish outplanting the last few trees from my tree nursery, and then sleep for a few days with the start of Ramadan (end of next week, probably). Gotta hit the ground running and plan the last 9 months or so of my Service, can you believe it?

So back to my trip…AWESOME! After some relatively quick flights from Dakar to JFK to O’Hare, I arrived in CL and immediately got to work hanging out with friends and meeting fiancés. Immediately I was overwhelmed with all of the choices around me, especially related to food. I can’t tell you how many times people asked what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go and I had nothing to offer in response except an open jaw, look of disbelief, and muttering “I don’t even know where to start…” Seriously. America is the land of plenty—really, the land of way too much, but I feel like that is a post for another time.

So to the surprise of many, I’m sure, I didn’t have my first coffee until I had been back for four days—Conscious Cup Latte, so good! However, my body has been off of caffeine, especially espresso, that I didn’t realize what the side effects might be…so I dragged my parents to the gym and had the most intense workout I’ve had in recent memory (I even ran, of my own free will!). I was on fire, full of energy and couldn’t stop, until I crashed a few hours later. It was rough. That wasn’t the first time I felt such extreme effects of caffeine on my trip—kinda worrying, but so delicious that it was totally worth it. It was quite interesting to actually be able to notice the direct effects of the caffeine. This doesn’t mean I plan on cutting my coffee habit upon my return to the States—maybe just curb it a (very) little. I really enjoyed being able to be back in the coffeehouse/café culture in both CL and DC, even as I went from one coffee date to another to another (though I can count my actual coffee drinks over the entire trip on one hand—I think). Absolutely fabulous!

After a few days in CL, I headed to DC, my post-University home and met up with some of my faves. A highlight was my Serere-titles “Garyo, I yeriik margaritas” (Come, let’s drink margaritas) party at Cactus Cantina. I was honored and amazed by everyone who showed up to say hi and give hugs. Seriously, it was such an awesome mix of people (MT, AU, XA, Brussels, etc, all showed up to say “hey”) and while I was worried at first about people not knowing each other or getting along, my worrying was for naught. It was awesome and my only regret is that I didn’t take any pictures that night (turns out my battery was dead anyways, but still)—instead I will have to save the images in my memory. Fabulous, seriously.

Other DC highlights included Mama Marcia’s West African Dance class at Dance Place, seeing the ladies from Women for Women International, hanging at MTC with those cool cats, getting a Whole Foods salad with a former resident, bridesmaid dress shopping with Em, innumerable coffee/breakfast/coffee/dinner/random chat dates with people, the Mahan housewarming party, seeing the White House and wandering around DC/MD, and so much more. Special thanks to the Lewis’, Mahans, Abby and Co, and Em and Brian for housing me throughout my DC stay and many more thanks to everyone who showed me such kindness and generosity while I was around. Your kindness will not soon be forgotten.

Weddings, weddings, weddings. All of us over here in Senegal are convinced there’s something in the water over there (the US), because it sure seems like 90% of the people I know are getting married (only slight exaggeration). Tainted water however allowed me to have an INCREDIBLE time at the weddings of two different very close hometown friends. I had so much fun dressing up in pretty American-style dresses (made from Senegalese fabric), putting my contacts in, wearing makeup, and doing my hair in something other than a ponytail/bun. While being able to eat delicious food and then dance to fabulous music is a staple at Senegalese celebrations as well, they just aren’t the same as American weddings. I traveled with Em and her fiancé Brian down to South Carolina for our good middle/high school friend Michelle’s oceanfront wedding. I had never been through the Carolinas, so eating real Carolina BBQ (before and during the wedding!), wandering the streets of Charleston, drinking Sweet Tea, and reuniting with high school friends was a blast—the rain only made a very brief visit before dinner started. Early the morning after, I headed right back to CL for my good friend Jason’s wedding, which was also a blast! The guests were some of my closest CL friends, the music was rockin’, everyone looked beautiful/handsome, and I caught the bouquet (woot woot!). Both weddings were different and equally enjoyable in very different ways—thank you for inviting me to join you guys on such special days! Congrats to Richard and Lori Shelmerdine, Jim and Michelle Gribble, and Jason and Colleen Deal, all of whom got married during my visit to the States.

After the wedding extravaganzas, I was able to finally spend some (all-to-brief) time with my sister and family for a few days. Lots of shopping with my sister, gym time, a quick trip into Chicago, a pilates mini-class with Deb, strawberry shortcake, Italian and Mexican foods, and a fabulous big family party were all highlights of the brief four days I had in CL before returning to Senegal. A lot of time was spent stressing about gifts (cadeaux) to bring back to my Senegalese family here, but I hope I have some good stuff. [Side note: apparently nail polish is NOT appropriate in the Muslim culture…oops!] It went by way too fast.

The trip was good for my spirit and soul. It reminded me of the people I have in the US whom I care deeply for and who care for me as well. I had several amazing conversations with different friends about a variety of subjects which alone made such a long trip worth every penny. Things have changed in the 18ish months I’ve been gone, but not as drastically as I had feared when I left (and thus would miss while serving here). It was reassuring and affirming. Life goes on and people change, but the important stuff still matters, which I needed to see.

So after my excited (and long) post about my vacay, please don’t think that I’m not excited/glad to be back here in Senegal. As hard as it was to leave, there was never a question of me not going back. My life and work are here right now. I have family here and there, friends here and there as well. God sent me to Senegal for a purpose and I don’t believe (err don’t know if) I’ve fulfilled that purpose, so I’m not leaving quite yet. There’s so much I want to do in the last 9 months of my service—probably more than I should attempt to get down—in order to fulfill my commitment to the US Government, myself, and most importantly, to my village. In this next year, look forward to hearing about the second year of the school garden, a reproductive-health lesson training conference, a girls’ leadership day, a first edition copy of the Serere-English dictionary, health lessons in my community and at the school (yea hand washing and water treatment!), and anything else I can get my hands on and conceivably work on, a feelanga Roog (If God wills it; literally: if it’s delicious to God—don’t you love that?!).

And, of course, musings about where God will send me in the next chapter of my life…

Thank you again to everyone who made my trip to the US possible. To my parents, sister, extended family, DC/MD/VA hosts, breakfast/coffee/lunch/dinner/random meeting dates, thank you for sharing your love and opening your arms to this sweaty and dirty PCV. Your kindness will not soon be forgotten and if any of you want to make it out to my part of the world, I will do all in my power to make sure you experience some real Senegalese teranga, or hospitality, for all that you showed me during the 2.5 weeks of my stay.

brief...

I promise a (ridiculously long) post about my trip to America is coming (not like I didn't see many of you while I was there...), but until then check out the pictures from the trip.

Amerik, Alhumdouliliah!

Hopefully I will get the update posted tomorrow, before the new Trainees come on Thursday morning, Inchallah. Miss you all already and enjoy the heat! Just remember, you have access to A/C!