Archives: October 2005
Tue Oct 25, 2005
musings
It's become increasingly difficult for me to write these blogs because things have stopped standing out to me as "culturally different" in the way that they used to - it's odd to realize that I am truly settled in here simply because I have nothing major to report, everything's just normal. I am sure that a month ago I would have been writing about my recent slightly harrowing visit to one of the big Dakar markets (Sandaga), but by this point in time I have learned how to bargain, how to find what I need locally, and although I still get harassed because I'm white and people think I have lots of money, it doesn't surprise me and I am more able to deal with it. I guess just that realization in itself is significant - although there are still pieces of the life here that I find frustrating or stressful, I expect them and feel able to manage them without it being a big deal.
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Fri Oct 21, 2005
Sustainable Development where it counts
10/20
For the past week and a half we have been preparing for our future projects in N’Der, a village in the north that is in the final stages of becoming an eco-village. Looking back, the village tour was so necessary so that I can now understand the village mindset that I’m to be confronted with going back into a village, and can spend less time adapting and more time making a real difference. I know that I have not talked much about the program itself, however, and will now try to clarify a few points about my work here.
First off, my program consists of learning about sustainable development and ecotourism, but in the “South” (i.e. 3rd world environments).
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Tue Oct 18, 2005
Ramadan & religion
This month (according to the Islamic lunar calendar, not the western solar calendar) is the month of Ramadan, a time when all Muslims are required to fast (including abstaining from water) from sun-up to sundown. The idea behind the holiday is to build compassion for those who are poor, and who frequently are forced to go without food. It is also a time of special prayers, as it was during this month that the Koran was revealed to Mohammed.
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Mon Oct 17, 2005
Into the Interior Day 6 - Katie
10\05
We left Kedougou today, which is a relief for me (although the running water was a bonus) because there was a knee-eating monster there. He certainly liked me since he took a bite out of every square inch of knee skin I have, the result being two softball size knobs-of-knees that I am sure will unquestionably divert any male attention I could potentially receive.
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Into the Interior Day 5 - Katie
10\04
We were supposed to leave Kedougou today to go to another village called Iwol and then end up at Dindéfalo. Rain, however, ruined our plans as thunder clapped in the distance and locals looked warily at the black horizon. Rain in the interior, they informed us, is different from that in Dakar because it is not just rain but torrential downpours. With roads being as bad as they are, it was a good thing to sit around…not to mention it’s the first day of Ramadan and it’s probably best to conserve energy.
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Thu Oct 13, 2005
Into the Interior Day 4 - Katie
10-03
Our last day in the village was productive, with each group choosing one goal to focus on for the future and us aiding them in organizing themselves to accomplish the task. A positive day called for a positive dinner, so I dined with Deb’s family up the road to see her family and living arrangement. There we were escorted to her hut, covered in squash, by a man, woman, and 10 children who gathered around us on the bed and stared with wide eyes and open mouths and us. I have never felt more like an alien in my life. We were served a huge pot of mafi and had a meal of communication and miscommunication as no one in the family spoke either French, English, or Wolof. Miscommunication-wise, we asked the man if he liked bananas and he thought we wanted banas, so he brought us a huge bunch. Communication wise, we were able to laugh at ourselves for not knowing any common words, were able to express excitement towards our upcoming dance, and learn some Puular to boot.
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Into the Interior Day 2 - Katie
10-01
Mamadou took me to shower at the Peace Corps volunteers house, Sarah, since I told him I felt uncomfortable bathing in his shower, which consisted of three walls of sticks about naval-high, situated in the middle of the habitation so everyone could clearly see. Although I understand modesty doesn’t exist here, I feel uncomfortable enough when the kids crowd around me in awe of the “toubab” and could just imagine the size of the eyes when they caught sight of my white bum.
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Tue Oct 11, 2005
Village Visit: Pictures
Click on "more" too see my photos from Southern Senegal!
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Village Visit
I have just come back from a 9 day visit to several villages in Southern Senegal. Rather than trying to sum up the entire experience in a few coherent paragraphs, I thought I would just pst some excerpts from my journal. The part in quotations is from the journal, the rest is background info, or stuff I added afterwards to put the journaling in context for y'all. Warning: this entry is LONG. Hope people are cool with that. I also have a ton of pictures - to see some of them, go to the blog entry entitled "village visit: pictures." Ok, here goes - perhaps some synthesis will follow at the end, so scan down if you get bored.
Day 1: (Saturday, Oct 1) Note: I had been vomiting the day preceding the trip, and the morning that we were supposed to depart I was still very sick. In the end, I was unable to leave with the group to go to the villages, as I was physically unable to make the 12-hour car ride. I originally thought I would have to stay in Yoff (which was an incredibly depressing thought, to be alone in Yoff and also to have missed the experience), but in the end found someone from a partner organization, Tropis, to accompany me down to Medina Kouta (the first village) on sunday, when I was finally well enough to travel. This was, unfortunately, rather expensive for me as I had to pay for transport and for my chaperone's time, but it was entirely worth it to be able to go. Ok, enough background, here's the journaling. "Today has been, without question, the worst day of my trip. I'm feeling a bit better, though still really weak and nauseous and I can't eat. But I slept all day and think I'll be well enough to make the trip and join the group tomorrow...I have never felt as homesick in my life as I felt today. Being sick just totally weakens all of my emotional defenses & I feel incredibly and intensely lonely....I think this is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I'm not even sure what I'm learning from it yet. But I've got to dig down deep and find the energy for a positive attitude...I can't give in to feeling sickly."
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Mon Oct 10, 2005
Into the Interior - Katie
09-30
Armed with deet, deoderant, a mini pharmacy, and the new National Geographic on Africa, our party of 8 americans, 4 senegalese, 2 facilitators, and 2 drivers departed from Yoff at 7:30 am, prepared to brave the interior of Senegal for 10 days. Our drive consisted of a 14 hour baking-fest through baobobs and villages, small broken down towns and past military bases. Unfortunately, the van I was in was not the leading bus so we were required to stay behind the other bus the entire drive. This posed a problem solely because the van in front had a habit of spewing black smoke every time it either accelerated or climbed any sort of incline…which happened a lot. Thus, the grime piled on our skin until we looked like coal miners and even our shirts could no longer wipe it away.
More...
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musings
It's become increasingly difficult for me to write these blogs because things have stopped standing out to me as "culturally different" in the way that they used to - it's odd to realize that I am truly settled in here simply because I have nothing major to report, everything's just normal. I am sure that a month ago I would have been writing about my recent slightly harrowing visit to one of the big Dakar markets (Sandaga), but by this point in time I have learned how to bargain, how to find what I need locally, and although I still get harassed because I'm white and people think I have lots of money, it doesn't surprise me and I am more able to deal with it. I guess just that realization in itself is significant - although there are still pieces of the life here that I find frustrating or stressful, I expect them and feel able to manage them without it being a big deal. More...
[0] comments (763 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Sustainable Development where it counts
10/20
For the past week and a half we have been preparing for our future projects in N’Der, a village in the north that is in the final stages of becoming an eco-village. Looking back, the village tour was so necessary so that I can now understand the village mindset that I’m to be confronted with going back into a village, and can spend less time adapting and more time making a real difference. I know that I have not talked much about the program itself, however, and will now try to clarify a few points about my work here.
First off, my program consists of learning about sustainable development and ecotourism, but in the “South” (i.e. 3rd world environments).
More...
[0] comments (293 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Ramadan & religion
This month (according to the Islamic lunar calendar, not the western solar calendar) is the month of Ramadan, a time when all Muslims are required to fast (including abstaining from water) from sun-up to sundown. The idea behind the holiday is to build compassion for those who are poor, and who frequently are forced to go without food. It is also a time of special prayers, as it was during this month that the Koran was revealed to Mohammed.
More...
[0] comments (785 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Into the Interior Day 6 - Katie
10\05
We left Kedougou today, which is a relief for me (although the running water was a bonus) because there was a knee-eating monster there. He certainly liked me since he took a bite out of every square inch of knee skin I have, the result being two softball size knobs-of-knees that I am sure will unquestionably divert any male attention I could potentially receive.
More...
[0] comments (813 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Into the Interior Day 5 - Katie
10\04
We were supposed to leave Kedougou today to go to another village called Iwol and then end up at Dindéfalo. Rain, however, ruined our plans as thunder clapped in the distance and locals looked warily at the black horizon. Rain in the interior, they informed us, is different from that in Dakar because it is not just rain but torrential downpours. With roads being as bad as they are, it was a good thing to sit around…not to mention it’s the first day of Ramadan and it’s probably best to conserve energy.
More...
[0] comments (357 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Into the Interior Day 4 - Katie
10-03
Our last day in the village was productive, with each group choosing one goal to focus on for the future and us aiding them in organizing themselves to accomplish the task. A positive day called for a positive dinner, so I dined with Deb’s family up the road to see her family and living arrangement. There we were escorted to her hut, covered in squash, by a man, woman, and 10 children who gathered around us on the bed and stared with wide eyes and open mouths and us. I have never felt more like an alien in my life. We were served a huge pot of mafi and had a meal of communication and miscommunication as no one in the family spoke either French, English, or Wolof. Miscommunication-wise, we asked the man if he liked bananas and he thought we wanted banas, so he brought us a huge bunch. Communication wise, we were able to laugh at ourselves for not knowing any common words, were able to express excitement towards our upcoming dance, and learn some Puular to boot.
More...
[0] comments (802 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Into the Interior Day 2 - Katie
10-01
Mamadou took me to shower at the Peace Corps volunteers house, Sarah, since I told him I felt uncomfortable bathing in his shower, which consisted of three walls of sticks about naval-high, situated in the middle of the habitation so everyone could clearly see. Although I understand modesty doesn’t exist here, I feel uncomfortable enough when the kids crowd around me in awe of the “toubab” and could just imagine the size of the eyes when they caught sight of my white bum.
More...
[0] comments (337 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Village Visit: Pictures
Click on "more" too see my photos from Southern Senegal! More...
[1] comments (341 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Village Visit
I have just come back from a 9 day visit to several villages in Southern Senegal. Rather than trying to sum up the entire experience in a few coherent paragraphs, I thought I would just pst some excerpts from my journal. The part in quotations is from the journal, the rest is background info, or stuff I added afterwards to put the journaling in context for y'all. Warning: this entry is LONG. Hope people are cool with that. I also have a ton of pictures - to see some of them, go to the blog entry entitled "village visit: pictures." Ok, here goes - perhaps some synthesis will follow at the end, so scan down if you get bored.
Day 1: (Saturday, Oct 1) Note: I had been vomiting the day preceding the trip, and the morning that we were supposed to depart I was still very sick. In the end, I was unable to leave with the group to go to the villages, as I was physically unable to make the 12-hour car ride. I originally thought I would have to stay in Yoff (which was an incredibly depressing thought, to be alone in Yoff and also to have missed the experience), but in the end found someone from a partner organization, Tropis, to accompany me down to Medina Kouta (the first village) on sunday, when I was finally well enough to travel. This was, unfortunately, rather expensive for me as I had to pay for transport and for my chaperone's time, but it was entirely worth it to be able to go. Ok, enough background, here's the journaling. "Today has been, without question, the worst day of my trip. I'm feeling a bit better, though still really weak and nauseous and I can't eat. But I slept all day and think I'll be well enough to make the trip and join the group tomorrow...I have never felt as homesick in my life as I felt today. Being sick just totally weakens all of my emotional defenses & I feel incredibly and intensely lonely....I think this is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I'm not even sure what I'm learning from it yet. But I've got to dig down deep and find the energy for a positive attitude...I can't give in to feeling sickly."
More...
[0] comments (380 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Into the Interior - Katie
09-30
Armed with deet, deoderant, a mini pharmacy, and the new National Geographic on Africa, our party of 8 americans, 4 senegalese, 2 facilitators, and 2 drivers departed from Yoff at 7:30 am, prepared to brave the interior of Senegal for 10 days. Our drive consisted of a 14 hour baking-fest through baobobs and villages, small broken down towns and past military bases. Unfortunately, the van I was in was not the leading bus so we were required to stay behind the other bus the entire drive. This posed a problem solely because the van in front had a habit of spewing black smoke every time it either accelerated or climbed any sort of incline…which happened a lot. Thus, the grime piled on our skin until we looked like coal miners and even our shirts could no longer wipe it away.
More...
[1] comments (550 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
