So it is kinda of crazy to think that I have been here in country for 2 weeks already. It feels like I have been here for so much longer. My training group is awesome. I am learning Fulakunda, which is a dialect of Pulaar which is spoken in a lot of West African countries. My home stay is in a town called Mbour just outside of Thies where we are training. It has been pretty hot but tonight apparently it is about 70 degrees right now and I am freezing in my sweatshirt and jeans. I hope that means I am acclimating well to the weather.
The first week at my training home stay (called CBT) was a bit tough and extremely overwhelming at first. My new Senagalese name is Aiisata Kande. I am the first volunteer my family has hosted so we are both trying to figure out how to act and what to do. There are a ton of kids and I think my host dad has two wives but I am honestly not sure. The family structure is very hard to figure out because several of the sons live in the same compound with their wives and kids so I am not quite sure who is who. I don't have any pictures of them yet but hopefully I will be able to take some this next time around. We have a two week stint this time and that is going to be hard with just all the constant language and kids screaming "toubab" at me.
So 'toubab' is a term that is used to describe anyone who is not senegalese. Kids and adults all call us that when we are walking down the street and it is how they get our attention. The kids can be very cute but when it is an adult our a person near my age it is really annoying. I can't stand how they treat animals. It is painful to see them hitting and whipping the horses and kicking at the goats. My host dad threw his shoes at one of the cats in our compound for no reason. I didn't say anything of course but it was horrible to watch.
We will spend a total of about 33 days in our homestay during PST. I'm glad it is broken up into shorter sections. I can't eat the food very well so I know I am losing weight. Fish and rice with a horrible tasting sauce. They cook with so much oil and overcook the vegitables so much that there is little to no nuritional value to the meal. I can suppliment my diet with vitamin pills and peanut butter, but this is what they eat everyday for their whole lives and it totally contributes to their short lifespan (about 60 years). Hopefully I will be able to go to the market and find some fruit or something sine they don't have that either.
I know I probably am sounding like a huge downer on this, but the family itself is very nice and they are doing what they can to learn how to live with an American just as I am learning to live with and in Senegal. It can't be easy for them either and they are sharing all they have with me, which is relative terms is not very much.
The presidential elections are this sunday so that will be very interesting. I don't have time to go into much detail here, but let me tell you that a lot of people do not want the current president to be re-elected for a 3rd term. It is against the constitution and he has wasted a lot of money on pointless things that do not help his country. (27 million dollar statue anyone?)
As soon as I get back to the training center (or if I can find an internet cafe) I'll post my address on the side and write a 'wish list' if anyone is so inclined to send me stuff :-).
Cheers to all!
Christine
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