Pictures! This time with fast internet :-)

Me after digging my well

Aforementioned well

My garden space

Awesome terraces

Onions!

My host nephew?

My Malaria test.  It was negative!

There have been a few new developments since my last post. Primarily that I have to change garden plots because my village failed to mention that my plot has salty soil so nothing will grow.  I tasted the salt its there.  I really wish they would have told me this before assigning me that plot.  Such is life.  Two weeks of hard work for some pretty pictures I suppose. 

Weekend Update

Hello all.  Not the most interesting post I'm afraid, but I can't pass up the chance to take advantage of free internet to inform friends and family of all the thrilling details of my life!  I know I know you've been holding your breath for the next post so here it is :-P 

In my last post I boasted about how I really hit the ground running in 2011... now what is the next logical thing that can come from that sort of hubris? ROADBLOCKS!  Yes things have slowed down considerably.  My nursery bed was eaten by termites, my carrots didn't sprout, my mint cuttings died, and double digging all those terraces is slow and HARD.  These things are minor hiccups though compared to my current roadblock. I've been at the Kaolack regional house for 4 days trying to get over what I have now come to believe is both a cold and an intestinal bug.  PCV life is so so glamorous.  There are times when you want to get out of village for a few days, but this is far from the restful vacation I was looking for.  I'm being good though and am actually allowing myself to stay here instead of forcing myself back to village and work.  Village guilt is a powerful powerful thing, especially when your host mother is watering your garden while your gone.  Those who know me well know that I'm not good at taking time for myself.  I'm much better at working.  Perhaps it's my Catholic roots creeping in to give me this absurd guilt but it's hard to shake.  In reality my sudden jump into massive amounts of work is probably why I’m sick right now.  Work out in the village is a little hard on the body when you’re eating primarily carbohydrates.  It’s going to be fun going to Dakar in February and hopping on a scale for the first time in country… I’m pretty sure I’ve lost a considerable amount of weight.  Anyways I’m rambling.  Also its not my intention to guilt family into more care packages, not that I don’t want them, the juries just still out on whether the 6 in the mail will ever get here.  I would keep writing but the only things I have to talk about aren’t really easy to stomach, unless you’re a PCV that is.  Poop talk is dinner conversation here.  Also I have to get back to watching 30 Rock and then Godfather II :-) Things aren’t so bad I guess.  Here’s some pictures of my exploits from New Years through now.  Enjoy!

The Last Sunset of 2010

And apparently that's all the internet will let me upload at the moment.  Such is life in Africa.  

Cheers,
Garrison

Accomplishmets for 2011

1. I am still a PCV.  Anyone who is in the Peace Corps will know that this is indeed an accomplishment.
2. I ate my final Cliff Bar.  I’m still amazed that it lasted until 2011.
3. I finished making my diversion swail in my garden. (Basically a ditch that follows the contour of the land to help prevent erosion during the rainy season and direct water to my hypothetical, but soon to be real, banana tree. 
4. I made a pepiniere of bell peppers, three kinds of tomatoes, and cabbage.
5. I planted lettuce and carrots in my double dug bed.
6. I dug a well all by myself :-) (ok ok it’s not that impressive since the water table is only about 6 feet down.  But when was the last time you dug a 7 foot deep hole about a meter in diameter in a day and a half?)

That is all.  Just wanted to let you know that I hit the ground running in 2011… and brag about digging a well.  I’m pretty pleased with myself.  As are the other villagers who seem flabbergasted that I can actually work. I feel like a real PCV now :-P.  Happy New Year!

Cheers,

Garrison

Help put on the Kaolack Girls Leadership Camp!

Hey everyone.  So here's the deal.  Kaolack is putting on a girls leadership camp this year and we need your help to fund it! I will be bringing two girls from my village, and Insha Allah will be doing Theatre of the Oppressed work with the girls at the camp.  This is a really great opportunity to motivate them to see their full potential and stay in school rather than just marrying early and popping out kids for the rest of their lives.  If you're interested in contributing here's the link.  It has much more information put together in an immensely more eloquent way than I just did, so check it out. 

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-163

Every little bit helps so pass it on to all who may be interested. Thanks!

Cheers,
Garrison

Christmas in Popenguine

December = Fail… for blog posting anyways, for everything else it’s been pretty good.  I believe I left off last time telling y’alls about IST and trying to get in the holiday spirit.  Well that was ok I suppose.  On both accounts I didn’t quite get what I wanted.  IST was a bit lacking in useful information and my holiday endeavors were a bit lacking in… well a country that gets excited with me about Christmas.  Even so, Christmas was still pretty awesome thanks to the five wonderful people I got to spend it with, the three amazing meals we ate, and the single best beach house I have ever stayed in…  for the sake of full disclosure I haven’t stayed in all that many beach houses, but regardless it was still awesome! Take a journey with me through images and poetry.

T’was the night before Christmas (in Popenguine) when all through the (beach) house 

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (except for Daisy preparing a Mexican feast of epic proportions and deliciousness.  I mean serious deliciousness). 

The stockings were hung by the chimney (wooden giraffe) with care 

in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there (We weren’t taking any chances, hence the biskrem, powdered milk, carrot and letter). 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds (watching love actually), while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads (possibly induced by the fine locally produced liquors we picked up in Warrang earlier that day: Bissap liquor and chocolate, coffee, banana liquor.) And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap (…yeah I got nothin) When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter (the movie ended and we realized we had only 10min to get to midnight mass!). Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash (Go go go get to mass!). The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below (Actually there was a good amount of moonlight) When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer (or in our case a church with two firmly locked doors and a previously unnoticed calendar stating that midnight mass starts at 10…) 

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St Nick (What the heck, we may have missed mass but its three minutes past 12 which means its CHRISTMAS!) "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!" 

Okay I may have stretched the limits of our Christmas’s relation to this poem, but I thought it might be fun :-).  Christmas morning rolled around and we woke up to a truly magnificent sight.  No not the beach, not the house, not the presents, or the stockings, something much more magical and amazing.  The biskrem was gone, the glass of milk was empty and the carrot was considerably nibbled.  I asked around and none of us did it, so take that you non-believers Santa visited Senegal!  After thoroughly enjoying our nostalgic Santa excitement we got down to eating our second magnificent meal.  This was a delicious strata courtesy of Kelsey.   

We enjoyed this meal with a lovely woman from Saint Louis whose mother had actually been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Popenguine in the 80’s.  It’s a small world and we really are one big interconnected family.  Full and happy we next proceeded to mass, take two.  This time the doors were not locked and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  There’s nothing quite like mass with a 40 or so person Senegalese choir with traditional drums.  Pretty amazing.  Some of our group got their religion fix that day; I got my choral music fix.  Now what would be next on a PCV’s agenda after church? Well food of course!  That seems to actually be the answer to what’s next whenever PCV’s are together.  Cooking good food really is the main event for every gathering here and for our brunch Kelsey provided some amazing homemade cinnamon rolls.  We enjoyed these while opening our secret Santa presents.  My midday consisted of reading, sleeping, and Home Alone II.  Oh yeah it was that good.  I couldn’t rest forever though because I had to prepare our third amazing meal.   

Two roasted chickens in a lemon butter cream sauce, with julienned carrots, and pesto pasta.  I told you, we really like eating. 

After dinner we made a nice bonfire on the beach and made smores and attempted to light off some fireworks.  I say attempted because we ran into a little problem… the beach in Popenguine erodes away quite a bit every winter and makes the waves rather, big.  I guess we didn’t realize that the tide was coming in so it was quite a surprise when in the midst of lighting two fireworks a wave washed up and put out our fire and knocked over the fireworks.  Don’t worry the fuses had already been lit so they still went off… on the ground… pointed at us… It was a massively good time.  The rest of the fireworks were ruined however, but we had a good time anyways trying to light them and occasionally getting one to launch a few feet.  We finished out the night with a classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  We weren’t able to finish it because we were falling asleep, but it was still nice.  Right before I went to bed I skyped with my family and Hannah.  I must say this was really strange.  It was Christmas as usual at Grandma and Grandpa’s and with everyone on the phone I could picture it so clearly.  I felt pretty lonely hanging up the phone and being back in Senegal.  Apart from that very reasonable moment of homesickness though, it was a wonderful weekend, and I can’t imagine having spent it with any other group of people.  Thanks to Amy, April, Daisy, Kelsey, and Clint!  Merry Christmas everyone!

Let it snow let it snow let it snow!

Oh the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we’ve no place to go

Let it snow let is snow let it snow

Translation: It’s really really hot outside and everyone is burning garbage but since I’m stuck in Senegal I may as well get into the Christmas spirit!  It’s really more of an emotional translation than a literal one. 

Yes the Christmas Season is upon us.  The streets of Senegal are filled with cheer as everyone begins their shopping and starts putting up lights.  The traditional Mango tree in the center of town is filled with ornaments and the Talibe are being extra nice so that Santa won’t give them coal.  Also far from the usual fare of rice with fish, the training center is now bursting with the smells of fresh baked cookies, apple cider, and scrumptious honey baked ham… Hmmm now which part of this fantasy is the least likely to be true?  Eating pork in a Muslim country, or the Talibe being nice so that they WONT get coal?  I’ll let you be the judge.

Yes I’m a little Christmas crazy right now, but when you’re thousands of miles from home in a third world Muslim country it’s either let Christmas uneventfully pass you by, or grab your Santa Hat and paper snow flakes and make it happen yourself.  I was very well educated in the lore of Santa Claus as a child and I don’t remember anyone saying that he skips over Africa so look out everyone I’m rollin out the red and green carpet pour le Pere Noel. 

Luckily I am here at the training center where my Christmas activities won’t be so strange.  I’m not sure how my family in the village would react to me putting ornaments on a Baobab tree.  So here’s the plan.  Firstly decorate the training center with an absurd amount of everything Christmas: lights, trees, snowflakes, etc.  Step two watch every Christmas movie known to man.  Step three, sing carols, buy presents, and generally prepare for Christmas.  Step four celebrate Christmas with my best friends in country and eat copious amounts of baked goods. 

Surely I am somewhat in denial that Christmas isn’t quite going to be like it is back home in the states, but I’m going to try god damn it!  In all honesty this is pretty strange.  I’ve never spent Christmas away from home, but hopefully it will turn out all right.  To everyone back home, enjoy the holidays and cherish your chance to be with family and friends.  I would trade every present just to be there with mine.  Speaking of presents… Don’t send me any!  It’s really expensive and consumerism is so America’s thing.  I am like soooo much better than that now (can you hear the sarcasm?).  But seriously it’s expensive and there are more important things than stuff.  If you feel so inclined to get me a present, do this instead: go to www.kiva.org and make a $25 loan to someone in the developing world (preferably in Senegal).  Don’t send me a kiva gift certificate, loan for yourself.  After Peace Corps I will most likely be a poor starving actor and I’ll just end up withdrawing the money as I need it.  If you make the loan, having fancy non-arts jobs and what not, you will probably be able to keep reloaning that $25 dollars and it will thus do much more good.  Who knows you may even come to like helping third world development and loan even more.  I’m just trying to save the world here.  Actually this is an entirely selfish venture to make Santa think I’m super good so I’ll get more presents.  I hope he doesn’t read blogs.  Fingers crossed ;-). 

Happy Holidays Everyone! And Happy Hanukkah to all of my Jewish friends celebrating right now. 

Garrison

Mental Health Update

Well I'm a little over 6 weeks into my service now and I thought I should give y'all, and myself really, a little evaluation of my metal health.  Don't worry it won't be as boring as it sounds.  I'm at the training center in Thies again after just 6 weeks at site and it really is kind of surreal.  The shift from PCT to PCV is huge mentally and being back here is showing me how much happier I am now than I ever was during PST.  Looking back at journal entries and blog posts from those first few months its a little embarrassing how much I was freaking out.  For example when I first got here I was absolutely terrified of leaving the training center to walk around Thies, and now that just seems absurd.  Initially I was willing to get ripped off rather than actually try to bargain because bargaining was uncomfortable.  Yeah now not so much.  In fact now I will argue at length in order to get the price down by just a couple hundred CFA, less than 50 cents. Also I used to just smile when kids called me Toubab or asked me for money.  Now I tell them they’re rude and ask them for money.  The list goes on and on. 

I think the big difference now is that I’m past the giant wall of swearing in and I can actually see what my life is really going to be like.  I have to say starting to plan projects does wonders for increasing one’s perception of self-efficacy.  The little things help too, like not having to live out of a suitcase or being able to cook food for myself if I’m tired of rice and fish.  Those who know me well know that I’m a bit of an old man sometimes, so it’s also been nice not being around so many people and being able to go to sleep when I want. You may think that’s lame, I think it’s amazing.  My hut has become my little cave of restful solitude and I already miss it.

Don’t get me wrong things are definitely challenging, but now they’re challenging with a somewhat visible purpose to life which helps make things more bearable.  Other things are just purely frustrating though like having the Alhum driver blatantly overcharge you by 500CFA.  I knew the appropriate fare and I knew he was ripping me off so I told him so, and then proceeded to argue for a while until I got frustrated and may have insinuated that he was being racist.  There was also the time over thanksgiving where a cola nut seller grabbed my broom, I had just bought a broom, and wouldn’t let go unless I bought 2 kilos.  Yeah I started in French then switched to Seereer and then finished in English because neither of those previous languages got my point across.  It was pretty funny though because when I switched to English he started copying everything I said.  I made him say some pretty unfriendly things about himself.  Ok so maybe my mental health isn’t 100% perfect but the more comfortable I get here the more I can’t stand people being disrespectful to me.  I personally think that making the cola nut man say he was an ugly rude disrespectful stupid man was good for my mental health.  I also like my new tactic for dealing with people who call me Toubab.  I turn around and call them African. I did this to a group of Moto drivers in Kaolack and they loved it.  This is something I never would have imagined doing when I first got to country. I’ve grown so much :-). 

It really does make me happy though looking at how comfortable I’ve become.  It feels cool to be totally fine with walking around a crazy third world city and crack jokes in the local language.  That’s freakin cool!  How many Americans in the entire world do that? Not many and call be arrogant but I’m pretty proud of that.  I’ve certainly come a long way from that first week of wanting to get right back on the plane.  I have a long ways to go for sure, but right now as I take stock on how far I’ve come, I think I’ve done alright.  Those are my musings for the night.  Stay tuned for pictures of Thanksgiving, All Vol, and IST.

Cheers,

Garrison