Bring it on.

So Senegal.
     I had such an amazing time, met some truly amazing people.  I really loved being in that part of the country, however I wish I had been able to spend some time exploring the country. Here are some images before my camera broke; in the very first of many sand storms.

Monument De La Renaissance, Africane. Dakar, Senegal

 BUNK 3!

 First bedroom, Mbur Senegal.

 First school I worked at.

 Goats, everywhere.....everywhere.

 My 3 sisters (From left to right) Nema, Umi, and Nogaye

 My first Compound

 Inside

Ladies gathering water from the well.


It was such a great experience, once I figure out more ways to tell you all I will.
    Well then the day came. We had all been anxious forEVER waiting to find out where our permanent sites were going to be. It was such a fantastic mystery and I worked really hard to not actually learn anything about the country, just in case any hints about my site were slipped to me (they were over time, luckily I was still pretty shocked when I found out).  Anyway, so Tuesday April 10th, arrives. That morning everyone was so anxious you could read it on everyone's faces. We had one session specific to our vocational groups [sidenote: we had been training essentially as a whole for the past month, only the two days before this had we been broken down into our specific sectors. There were about 48 people, and 9 of us were Agroforesty. It is now 8 after one of us left early. But while everyone was in sessions learning about baby weighing and health things, I was identifying trees and planting live fences. LOVE IT.] and then brunch. THEN. it was time.... We were all led to the basketball court, where there is a massive mural of both Senegal and The Gambia. Then we were all blindfolded and walked around to the point of disorientation. We were each handed a paper. (well I know at least I was, I was blindfolded if you were reading correctly). The countdown.
3
2
1
     OPEN!! I take off my blind fold and I am standing literally almost on the blue ocean and grey area of Cassamance, Senegal. My paper says Kartong, The Gambia. !!!. !!!. Remember that time I lived on the black line that outlined The United States in California? Try that again, this time on the edge of West Africa. I would like to think I am the luckiest girl in the world at this point. This is sadly the best map I could find that at least points out it's placement. If you so chose, you may a MUCH better map of The Gambia and search the bottom of the coast for a better explaination. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartung According to the paper, my town has a population of 5,000 people with 400+ compounds. It is a small beach town in a rathar organized setting with eco lodges and a beach. MY specific compound has no electricity, but I will be able to get to the internet any time I go up to the training house in Kombo. (where I am now telling you all about it). There is a daily clinic and market, but there is no bank or post office.  My job description as I am given is to
1. Help the women of TRY (an advocacy group dedicated to improving the health of Women through research and education...google it, it's try-oysters.com), fishermen, tourism/businessmen
2. Inspection of oysters and cockles, data collection
3. BaanaFaa projects with WWF (yes, the Wildlife foundation) /TRY
4. Community gardens
5. Beekeeping
...
.....
I am very excited at this point.

I have a host family of about 15 people on the outskirts of the village and I am the 4th volunteer and the family is very experienced with Peace Corps.

So I have a mini dance party.

Then the next morning, it is finally time to head off to THE GAMBIA. After waiting for it for so long and hearing so many wonderful things and being so close, all 18 of us hop on a bus like it's taking us to the land of milk and honey (which as it would soon prove, it actually is).
The bus ride was exceptionally long because the ferry into Banjul was out of service, so we took the long way accross Senegal to Faranfenni. It was the most beautiful thing. We played a game called donkey punch the whole way down. Think of punch buggy in The United States, and replace the Volkswagon Buggys with donkeys. You have punch donkey. Albino donkeys, got 2 punches. My arms were bruised by the time I arrived but it was really amazing. Yes, there are that many donkeys.

So we're here as of yesterday. I can't even describe how amazing it has been. The food, the training HOUSE. The kindness, it really is a completely different atmosphere down here and let me tell you, it feels good.

I'll write more soon. We go to our new training villages for 5 weeks on Saturday, then we have our swear in in May and then I'm off to Kartong for 2 years. We have had one day off this whole time so far so a bunch of us went into Dakar and saw the large statue (the first picture) and walked around a bit. Little dancing on the beach. The usual.
Anyway, it is late now and I intend to take my bucket bath and settle into the couches with a book for the eve.
PS. mail me stuff. Seriously. Mail me stuff. and then in about 6 months, mail me more. pause, repeat. for the next 2 years. Please and thanks.
Also thank you for reading this.

I apologize for the delay with this, but it is much more of a daunting task than I anticipated. I have had a crazy first month.  We have been in classes constantly and then our first 3 weeks on site with our first host family, and then the people! OH THE PEOPLE! I am such a lucky lucky lady.

I thought I may share a few anecdotes with you fine people.
First, I have comprised a list of things that I had done before coming that were shockingly helpful upon my first week at site.
1.) Knowing Spanish. My 18 year old sister Nema knew Spanish so when I couldn't communicate in Mandinka or English, we would speak in Spanish.
2.) Living in New York for 4 years, learning to ignore certain amounts of attention while simultaneously being constantly surrounded by people.
3.) Acting! Makes learning new languages so much easier.
4.) An unlimited knowledge of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, Rhianna, Kesha, etc. The kids LOVE them here.

When we went to the market yesterday for the first time. It was INSANE. As soon as we got out of the taxi we were immediatly swarmed by people wanting to abuse us like tourists. It was supposed to be our first trip to the oceon, and instead it was full of absolutely ridiculous attention. The "ocean" was full (no exaggeration) FULL of people fishing and cleaning fish and moving fish and 2 toubobs. I know it's the part of the market and day where people make thier living and I know that's where my daily fish comes from but it was still overwhelming to see.
I really like my family, I have a mother and 3 sisters that live here 5 in total (Faatou, my namesake, lives somewhere around here in Mbur and Sophie lives in Dakar) Nogaye (20) Nema (18) and Umi (15) live here. My mothers' first husband has passed and she is remarried to someone in Dakar, her brother Sid (31) lives in the front yard and always has his friends over. I like it here, lots of electricity and genuinely full of love and appreciation but sort of difficult. Thier first language is Wolof, second is french, and third is Mandinka, which ultimately is not even the same words let alone dialect that will be used in The Gambia. But it will be good to know some basic greetings and such. It's good practice, a great opportunity to learn another culture. Just sort of confusing for the roundabout.  My permanent site in The Gambia will not have electricity at all, so having a plug in my bedroom was a real treat. In 3 days we say goodbye to the other 48 people (2 people have already left, one during initial training and another after our first homestay) we have befriended and leave them behind in Senegal as we make the 10 hour trek to The gambia to meet the other volunteers who are already there and waiting for us. It will be, I promise you, a 10 hour party. there are 20 of us and we are the 20 musketeers (as Stephen says) and the general consensus is, literally none of us have EVER missed a place so much that we have never been before. It is amazing how much pride I feel and how excited I am to go. THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!! I also feel lucky for the group of totally righteous people I am surrounded by. We are all so supportive of eachother and so inclusive of the other group. When we are in Thies at the training center we always meet after dinner, just the 20 of us and debrief. I really love us all, and there are a few Senegal folks I would love to sort of acquire, like steal for us but even they all say we are an amazing group. It's a great feeling.
My sisters and I like to draw and then they give me thier prictures, they are usually pictures of thier family and thier home and I label them with Mandinka words and then I hang them up in my room. I draw pictures of things I would like to talk about and then use them as vocab references.  So when the time come for true sentence structure I'll have the vocab to insert and then I will be able to (in theory) say what I want to say!!
[sidenote, the dude who lives in the room attached to my compound named Usumoo apparently, I made a joke about him hiding his arm and it turns out he doesn't have one. Oops]
I have started a book referred to as "the poop book" among my other PCT's to share latrine and illness woes over the next 2 years. My only entry from myself is about my very first night on site where I went to use the latrine and forgot to take all my money out of my pockets so I dropped a whole bunch of coins down. So far, it has already served to be truly amusing. This, will be one very grand adventure.

I actually recorded a video of me video blogging, which I promise was much more amusing. I don't think I'm very entertaining in written form. But hey, someday I'll figure out a way.

I'll work on linking some blogs of my friends, maybe they will keep you all in the loop better. Until then, I go into Dakar tomorrow to check out the huge statue and check out the city.  Tuesday I find out where my permanent site is (WHOOHOO!!) and then Wednesday we're out.

I miss you all and hope you're all doing well.
Happy thoughts.
Until then, check out this website
http://www.gapminder.org/

West Africa....is super hot.

     I have taken a bit of time to write anything, because I would like to acknowledge that it is hard to separate my feelings from my thoughts here. 50 of us are going to stay here in Senegal after training, while 19 of us proceed down to The Gambia in May for ICT and then we are sworn in, sometime in June.
    So I thought instead of the emotions I would share the facts I have learned.
    These people I have met in the past week, have been some of the most amazing and inspiring people I think I have met thus far on certain levels. And trust me, I have met some amazing people in my life.
   Some things I have had to learn and adhere to in the past week
   1) more than 4 squares of toilet paper is not only considered a luxury, but excessive
   2) if you are a wad-er become a folder.. it will produce greater respnses
   3) People suspected or convicted of homosexual conduct can be sentenced from 5 to 14 years of prison if they are lucky enough to go through the system, otherwise they may be left to public mentality of stoning. Yes, Stoning.
   4)anyone who can eat pizza RIGHT NOW, do so.
   5) Please appreciate America for all of its faults for we are eons ahead in ways I would have never imagined.

    I am trying to keep my emotions separate from my thoughts but I had hoped some of these things may provoke thought or perspective or emotions.

   I am learning the language of Mandinka and will be traveling to Mbuur on Wednesday. I will try to write next week.
    Thank you for reading, decrease your tp usage and I will write ASAP. Health and happiness,


Meg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_Gambia

I own, alot of heavy stuff.

First of all....The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

I am obligated to post this message due to the fact that these videos and postings are solely my experiences and interpretations of this experience with the Senegal or Gambian culture.  I have nothing but respect and fascination reserved for traditions of cultures different to mine. So I certainly don’t plan to speak of The Gambia and its people in anything but in a positive light…any jokes or anecdotes that I provide here are merely in good humor and are my experiences alone!

With that said.

Anyone who knows me knows my favorite part of life is "jumping". Buying an airplane ticket and just moving somewhere new, or even visiting.  I usually jump and hope there is an ocean or a net there to catch me and I am so thankful of the wonderful things I have landed on so far.  I am about 15 minutes away from boarding an airplane to Dakar, Senegal in West Africa right now. This jump, I am bringing a parachute. 

There are 50 wonderful people going to Senegal, and 19 of us are going to The Gambia. 7 of that 19 of us are doing agroforestry and environmental work.  It took us a while to get through bag check :)  7.5 hour flight and then we arrive in Dakar, Senegal at 6:10 am Senegal time.  I was so worried about weight limit, and now I'm worried I'm late for boarding. I will write as soon as I can. Thank you everyone who is reading this, it means you loved me enough to see the first one and I love you all.