After about 8 months "on the job" I have a believe there is no succinct job description for being a PCV. The newest addition is apprentice tailor. Matar is an outstanding tailor and his work is always really well done. I often joke with him (but it's true) that every time I leave Bambey I return with fabric from another volunteer for him to make something. When I saw him this morning and told him that my 6 hour trip to Thies produced more projects for him (from another volunteer), he told me flat out that I just needed to buy a tape measure. "Actually," he corrected himself, "I'll just buy you a tape measure... here pay attention.." and then he taught me what measurements he needs from men and women. He wasn't kidding at all and, frankly, it's a great idea.
In other news, the camp is moving along slowly. I'm really inspired by this group of middle school girls I'm working with. I'm hoping to put together several summer activities for kids because (as my brother pointed the study out to me) kids that do learning things over the summer improve drastically over kids who don't. I'm also hoping to organize a career day because everyone here wants to be a doctor because that's all they know. On a slightly related but unrelated note, if you ever want to hear of an education system that just, truly, doesn't make sense, ask me about the Senegalese one... everyday I learn more and more and become more and more confused.
Well, that's all for me tonight - more meetings and hopefully a career day to start organizing tomorrow!
KO
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
French Things
Unlike the American revolution, when Senegal kicked out its colonizers it kept the bureaucratic system in place. I can understand their logic, it's 1960 and you just became a country, why start from scratch? But now that I've lived in this system for about 8 months WHY KEEP EVERYTHING IN PLACE?! Let's just say the French system of things needing to be official mixed with the Senegalese need to take their time has driven me crazy all week. I've been trying to find out how much it will cost per meal per person for this girls camp. If this was America I would probably call the campus food provider (probably Aramark) and get an answer within, I have to believe, 30 minutes. Or at least be able to schedule a meeting with someone; bring in a list of questions and leave with a list of answers. But no. Three days ago I visited the guy in charge of food etc. he said he couldn't help me without a formal request to use the campus. When I explained to him that the request was written, submitted, AND approved by the head of the University - he shut down and shut me out. I called the head of the campus (secretary general) the next day and explained to him, to which he responded, "well, you probably should write a letter of request then." Giving in to the inefficient system I wrote my letter requesting the prices of things (because, at this point, I've already been approved to use rooms, I just needed prices to write the grant)... but the guy was busy and didn't have time for a meeting with me yesterday. Today I went to the cyber cafe to print off the letter (I don't have a printer, obviously) and the power was out. I came back when the power came back on and the printer was broken. So, on my bike ride to the University I figured out how to say "I was trying to save paper, yesterday was Earth Day you know, here I have it on this USB Key" in French.
After a slight detour (some kids called me "red ears" and I swerved off the road and screamed at them in English, French, and Wolof WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME? DID YOU JUST CALL ME RED EARS?) I arrived at 3:30. Of course even though he told me he would be there until 4pm he had already left. When I tried to explain to his secretary what I wanted "can you email a document on this key to him" she said no, but if I wanted I could email it to her and she could email it to him....
Maybe I should entirely blame the "French system," there is a lot of Senegaleseness about this whole situation as well. Honestly, I think I'm getting tired of always sticking out and my frustrations are being aimed at the ridiculously inefficient way of doing (or not doing) things.
Tomorrow there's a "party" at the middle school to "open the new foyer." I have no idea what I'm getting myself into but we'll see!
Ba suba,
KO
After a slight detour (some kids called me "red ears" and I swerved off the road and screamed at them in English, French, and Wolof WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME? DID YOU JUST CALL ME RED EARS?) I arrived at 3:30. Of course even though he told me he would be there until 4pm he had already left. When I tried to explain to his secretary what I wanted "can you email a document on this key to him" she said no, but if I wanted I could email it to her and she could email it to him....
Maybe I should entirely blame the "French system," there is a lot of Senegaleseness about this whole situation as well. Honestly, I think I'm getting tired of always sticking out and my frustrations are being aimed at the ridiculously inefficient way of doing (or not doing) things.
Tomorrow there's a "party" at the middle school to "open the new foyer." I have no idea what I'm getting myself into but we'll see!
Ba suba,
KO
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!
Today, Youssou and I watched Meerkat Manor before lunch and cheered as the meerkats fought off the snake and were sad when the pack leader dies.
Obviously today was a lot better than yesterday, but nothing too exciting otherwise to report. I had a really good meeting with some of the girls' group girls and I think I earned some street cred with them when I told off a group of middle school boys. Work's coming along pretty quickly and I'm actually cutting this blog short to finish putting together my part of a grant proposal.
Ba suba,
KO
Obviously today was a lot better than yesterday, but nothing too exciting otherwise to report. I had a really good meeting with some of the girls' group girls and I think I earned some street cred with them when I told off a group of middle school boys. Work's coming along pretty quickly and I'm actually cutting this blog short to finish putting together my part of a grant proposal.
Ba suba,
KO
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Where are you going with that?
I started off today like I start every morning: news, coffee, oatmeal, shower, and greeting my hfmom. When she saw me this morning the first thing she said to me was, “where are you going with that helmet?” See, yesterday I had tried to go for a bike ride against her warning of, “it’s too hot” and ended up back home in 20 minutes saying myself, “it’s too hot!” (this whole ‘mother’s are always right’ thing seems to transcend cultures). I quickly explained that I was not trying to beat the heat again but rather riding to a meeting at the University and was off!
The rest of the day pretty much went downhill so I’m going to skip over all of that. It’s not like one major thing went wrong, it was just one of those days where a series of things goes wrong and it feels like karma’s coming to kick your ass.
I ended my day the same as I end every day: sitting on the mat with my host family watching Marina (my favorite soap opera). Then right before a huge climatic scene (“when are they coming back with Patty’s body?” ask the characters who don’t know Patty’s alive and probably about to walk through the door!!!) the power cut…. So the host family started chatting. Eventually they asked me to join in (I usually love conversation but when it’s in Wolof I usually can’t even figure out what they’re talking about) so I thought I would pose a question of my own. “Why does everyone think that because I’m white I want to marry them?” Everyone laughed and explained to me that it was just a joke and when some stranger yells at me that they love me I should just respond that I’m married and I don’t love them. That, of course, made way for a discussion about how my husband should really marry one of my hfsisters and when I explained they were far too young and that’s illegal in the US… “he could move to Senegal.” Eventually my hfmom proclaimed it was my husband and me rekk (only). (For those that need to be caught up, I told everyone I was married.)
The “unwanted attention,” whether it is the marriage requests or just being yelled at about whatever, is one of the hardest things to deal with. I understand that I stick about but every single day since I’ve been in country I’ve had at least one frustrating experience with someone singling me out (usually it’s a guy following me for about half a block asking me how I am in Wolof, French, and English as I ignore him but it ranges based on the day). It’s nice that I can joke with my host family about it but I don’t think they understand that it doesn’t feel like a joke.
Sorry for two frustrated posts in a row but that’s how Africa is some days. I refuse to let Africa win tomorrow!
KO
The rest of the day pretty much went downhill so I’m going to skip over all of that. It’s not like one major thing went wrong, it was just one of those days where a series of things goes wrong and it feels like karma’s coming to kick your ass.
I ended my day the same as I end every day: sitting on the mat with my host family watching Marina (my favorite soap opera). Then right before a huge climatic scene (“when are they coming back with Patty’s body?” ask the characters who don’t know Patty’s alive and probably about to walk through the door!!!) the power cut…. So the host family started chatting. Eventually they asked me to join in (I usually love conversation but when it’s in Wolof I usually can’t even figure out what they’re talking about) so I thought I would pose a question of my own. “Why does everyone think that because I’m white I want to marry them?” Everyone laughed and explained to me that it was just a joke and when some stranger yells at me that they love me I should just respond that I’m married and I don’t love them. That, of course, made way for a discussion about how my husband should really marry one of my hfsisters and when I explained they were far too young and that’s illegal in the US… “he could move to Senegal.” Eventually my hfmom proclaimed it was my husband and me rekk (only). (For those that need to be caught up, I told everyone I was married.)
The “unwanted attention,” whether it is the marriage requests or just being yelled at about whatever, is one of the hardest things to deal with. I understand that I stick about but every single day since I’ve been in country I’ve had at least one frustrating experience with someone singling me out (usually it’s a guy following me for about half a block asking me how I am in Wolof, French, and English as I ignore him but it ranges based on the day). It’s nice that I can joke with my host family about it but I don’t think they understand that it doesn’t feel like a joke.
Sorry for two frustrated posts in a row but that’s how Africa is some days. I refuse to let Africa win tomorrow!
KO
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Rains...?
I usually wake up every morning around 5:30am for morning prayer call and then promptly back to sleep. This morning, however, I woke up a second time before my alarm to a sound that I just did not comprehend....rain hitting the awning outside of my window. Real, actual, rain. Honestly I thought I was going crazy or just hearing things but I got a text message from Alyssa with news of rain in Thies and saw the two volunteers on either side of my site had posted on facebook about rain. Overreacting much? Have too much time on our hands? Yeah... possibly... but the first rain last year was some time during June. Senegalese responses seem to be between, "CATASTROPHE!" and, "a freak rain. the heat will still come."
The rain seemed to give everyone energy which might sound like a good thing until you're the only white person in the room and, on top of that, a girl. I went to Thies and back but life here isn't that easy (and apparently it's harder after a 15 minute sprinkle). Let's just say every person that saw me today thought it was appropriate to try to talk to me, ask me how I was, ask me to marry them, ask me to buy bananas, or just generally ask for money.
So, what I learned today was that, though the rain brings cooler weather it apparently makes everyone feisty in a kind of annoying way and less enjoyable way. Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining much work is starting to come along. Let's hope the rains hold off for a few more months though - I'll take the heat to not screw up the growing season.
KO
The rain seemed to give everyone energy which might sound like a good thing until you're the only white person in the room and, on top of that, a girl. I went to Thies and back but life here isn't that easy (and apparently it's harder after a 15 minute sprinkle). Let's just say every person that saw me today thought it was appropriate to try to talk to me, ask me how I was, ask me to marry them, ask me to buy bananas, or just generally ask for money.
So, what I learned today was that, though the rain brings cooler weather it apparently makes everyone feisty in a kind of annoying way and less enjoyable way. Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining much work is starting to come along. Let's hope the rains hold off for a few more months though - I'll take the heat to not screw up the growing season.
KO
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Babies and Commonalties
To be honest, I'm not a kid person. This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows me. Sure, I find babies adorable, and sometimes I do want to hold them or make funny faces and make them laugh but I'm not a kid person. I have a friend from college who is a kid person and it's amazing how interesting and adorable she finds all children. Frankly, I only like the cute ones and I like them when they're quiet, but she has patience unending for all kids. Until very recently I thought she was an exception to the general rule (who likes crying kids?) and then I've started to watch my hfmom more closely. It turns out, she's just like Sarah - she's a kid person too! Crying, cute, ugly, sick, happy, giggling, you name it, she'll hold your baby. Maybe, in her case, it's something that comes from having 11-ish (it's bad luck to count your children here so I have no idea exactly how many kids she has but it's between 10 and 11) kids but she, somehow, still has patience that I don't. There's the very real possibility that this is just something every parent has and, due to my age and lack of younger siblings, I haven't come to appreciate children yet. But I'd rather attribute it to universal commonalties.
Even though somethings seem so foreign to me still (cut me some slack I do live in Africa), almost everyday I come across these little things that are the same in any culture. And really this probably isn't an enlightening observation. Maybe it's just that mom's are the same all around the world but sometimes Africa doesn't feel quite as foreign.
Even though somethings seem so foreign to me still (cut me some slack I do live in Africa), almost everyday I come across these little things that are the same in any culture. And really this probably isn't an enlightening observation. Maybe it's just that mom's are the same all around the world but sometimes Africa doesn't feel quite as foreign.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Only on days when I have work...
It seems like it is only on days when I actually have official work today that I get called "red ears." I was on my way to a meeting at the University of Bambey and some kids called me "red ears" really loudly. I realize that racial slur sounds ridiculous and it probably shouldn't anger me as much as it does but it's the rudeness that gets to me. For some reason today it really got to me and I almost turned around to scream obscenities at them when I realized I was surrounded by other people and kept them to myself. I was able to get myself back into a "professional" mindset before my meeting and the meeting was amazing. I met with the Secretary General who was a Fulbright professor at Fordham so we had a really interesting conversation about his time in New York as well as the role of Islam in America (he studied Theology and Philosophy). He also approved the project I had presented (the real reason for the meeting)! The big project is moving forward but it still has another big hurdle to get over so more to come I'm sure.
KO
KO
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