Saturday, November 6, 2010

A bit of Catch Up (posts I wrote in August).

August 8th.

Finally in Washington D.C. And after a short trip on the metro I've arrived at the Holiday Inn on Fairview. So, far so good as I was surprised to meet my first Peace Corps peer, Rachel from Colorado. The introductions were short lived with Rachel as I had to check in and get ready for dinner and drinks with Pontius.

I returned to the hotel at around 11:30pm felling bad about missing dinner and the arrival of other volunteers when, to my surprise 11 or so volunteers were gathered in the lobby of the hotel. We exchanged glances and made eye contact before finally asking, “Peace Corps?” and answering “Peace Corps.” I've finally met a portion of the 65 or so volunteers who will be traveling with me to Senegal. The rest should arrive tomorrow for a fun day of paper work, ice breakers, and a boat load of information. Not going to lie I am a little nervous.

August 10, 2010.

REALLY DOING IT!!!!

Today marks the day we, the Peace Corps volunteers of Senegal, actually depart and arrive in Senegal . Once again, I am writing this message on the airplane (its amazing what you can do in 8 and a half hours). Although I've only really been talking with a fellow volunteer, playing games, and watching Cop Out (the edited version) mostly to procrastinate about writing this blog.

I have mixed emotions flying into Senegal. Some are scared others excited but mostly it is a realization of what is really happening. I'm really doing it. Yes, they are speaking native languages on the plane, including french, and no I do not understand them at all. Yes, there are people here dressed in (what I am assuming to be) native attire. Yes, the plane is awesome and it includes free drinks, any type, free movies, music, games, a camera showing the plane flying through the air, and many more fun things. But enough about the plane and more about the day.

Today was fairly boring a sort of hurry up and wait day, if you know what I mean. We started with a very early check out at 830 and began boarding and stuffing a 2 buses full of our stuff. We were off to receive the yellow fever immunizations and to receive what would be my first official WHO (World Health Organization) card. Pretty exciting stuff until we arrived and were lined up and walked through a metal detector and then escorted into a room where a lady speaking broken English was flicking needles and mixing, what I hoped and turned out to be, the yellow fever vaccines. It was sort of a picture you would see in a horror movie torture scene but a lot less scary of course. Fortunately, I received my shot fairly early in the day and was then able to relax and shoot the stuff with my fellow volunteers. The whole process for everyone to be checked and stabbed took about 4 hours. I know but talking with other volunteers I am amazed to see how many are from so many different backgrounds and places. Its pretty cool to think about us all united under one cause.

Anyway, the day continued on, we said goodbye to our PC trainers and headed for the airport where we were given our first test, How to Check into the Airlines. I stayed back to watch 3 or 4 people travel to either United or South African Airlines (SAA). The solution was to stay and wait for SAA to open and then check in there (SAA was the airlines designated on the itinerary). Everyone was checked in, I was not over weight with my baggage (Hooray!), some repacked at the check-in stand and others just paid the difference. And so, we were off to again wait through security and the gate for our flight. Since, I am currently on the flight, 1 hour 30 to go, I think this is a good time to describe some of the feelings, emotions, relationships, and other things you might find interesting that have been happening over the past 24 hours. Oh, and just a heads up this could be a last message for a while depending on our next move but we'll both find out tomorrow.

So, training was sort of fun like a summer camp where everyone is feeling each other out and attempting to make friends. I think the interesting part is yet to come when we finally begin training and put some time in at Senegal. The main concern of traveling was of course packing and bringing enough stuff or too much stuff. The second biggest concern is the malaria medication. Some say it is horrible and causes you to hallucinate others, the PC, say it is the best thing for you. Think I am going to go with the PC on this one even though I don't have a choice in order to continue my service. But on to more important issues like the 10 core values of PC.

We learned them, got a pack it, and now I have forgotten them. Thank goodness it is pretty common sense stuff. And I've lost my train of thought as I haven't gone to sleep yet, too excited for our big debut. Wish me luck......

8.12.10

My second day in the Thies (Chayse) training center and I'm not sure life gets better. The life style is very laid back, the food is excellent and everyone is very willing to help. I still need to learn the language and my view point might vary as I begin to live with my home stay family on Monday but as of now things are pretty great.

Today I began my Rural Agriculture training. In this program we are working towards food security by demonstrating different planting techniques, using a variety of crops, and dispensing improved seeds (the seed are cross bread seeds from India that are bred with local Senegalese plants to adapt them to the dry dry climate). Pretty tight if you ask me.

Ag volunteers will also be looking to improve community participation and set up a plan, as I understood a sort of general plan, for the community to follow in order to inplement new programs (like a community garden). The one very tough thing is learning the language and things are going to get tougher when I move in with my host family. I'm excited though because that's when training really begins.

Any way the people are great. Yesterday, we had a little dance party as the guys played the drums. The majority of us were having a difficult time following the beat or being creative enough to impress the locals so one of the drummers decided he would teach us a dance. It was called the mongoose, Walker if you're reading this you need to get on this dance move. So, you start off feet shoulder width apart slightly bet at the knees. Then hop with the beat and as you begin to get into you choose a place to jump and land and stop on the beat. As you land throw your hands up above your head, bend your elbows and wrist toward the direction your facing. Add a crazy look in your eye and begin jumping in one direction until you cannot any more. When you can no longer jump forward anymore you must jump backward to where you came. Its actually pretty fun if your with a group of people, who are all into it or are Peace Corps volunteers, and you make a giant circle.

Oh, another interesting story comes from one of my fellow volunteers who entered the PC right out of college. He was sent to the Cape Verde Islands. Before exiting he applied again and was sent to China. Now, he is on his third PC stint and in Senegal. He has been home for a total of 2 months for the past four years. He has traveled to some amazing places and gotten paid for it. I thought it was pretty cool.

Alright, that's enough I think the heat being produced from my computer is attracting more mosquitoes. So, I am going to go. I don't know when I will be able to post this but I am attempting to write everyday and when I can post more I will and most likely do so in mass quantities.

I hope everything is well back in the States. Next time I will give you a run down of my first bowel movement into a hole in the ground.

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