6 New Volunteers, 11 Stitches, and 12 Days in Dakar

The title gives all the exciting points away but I'll try to keep you in a little but of suspense.

Part 1: 6 New Health and Environmental Education (EE) Volunteers

Yes, it is true I am now longer a "freshman" volunteer. I graduated on May 13th when the new group of Health/EE volunteers swore in at the American Embassy. Shortly after swear-in 6 of the newbies arrived in Kedougou, excited, eager, and scared to finally be out on their own in the place they will be spending the next 2 years of their lives. Unfortunately, (due to PC policy I cannot name all of them [Really this is just a good excuse because I can't remember all of their names. I hope none of them are reading this]). Any how, my area got one of the six new volunteers. It's a boy and his name is Ben. Ben is a genuine, fit, and sincere guy with a desire to get outside and go on adventures and learn the Pulaar tongue. You should have seen the smile on my face when I found out he liked adventures and Pulaar. Ben and I have hit it off so far but my first visit with him really made me realize just how "green" these new volunteers are. Things like cows and goats out in the open, always having a flashlight on me, and the large presence of different infections and disease don't shock me as much as they do him. One of my favorite conversations with Ben starts with him saying, "C.J. it gets really dark here."
Me: "Ya Ben. It's called night time."
Ben: "Ya I know but you can't see anything. "
Me: "It's night time there is no light. You didn't bring a flashlight."
Ben: "Not last night left it in my room before going to dinner. Then, it got really dark and I couldn't find my way back to my hut."
Me: " Alright, well...It gets dark, there are no lights, you need to carry a flashlight on you when you leave and don't excpect to be back before dark."
Ben: "Okay."
I don't mean to seem mean but thinking about it now I probably could've been more sensitive. The comment just caught me so off gaurd at the time. Ben is going to be a great volunteer and dark or light we will have some good times I am sure.

Part 2: 11 Stitches and 12 Days in Dakar

It all began Monday May 23, 2011. It was a simple and non-eventful day. I started with some work in the garden, then studied at the Priemer school near my village, before returning home for more gardening and a hope to kick the ball. Unfortunately the latter was changed when I kicked the sheet metal covering my wood frame door. Unknowlingly the bottom corner of sheet metal had come undone a little and on my way out to water my orange tree my left foot made its acquiantance. Feeling the impac but no real pain I instinctually looked down at my foot. To my surprise there was not much red but quite a bit of white. It took me a second to realize the white I saw was bone and the little of bit of red was rapidly growing. I dropped the bucket and picked up the first aid kit. My namesake, at that same moment, arrived at my hut to ask to use my bike. He was shocked to find me cleaning and tending to such a wound. His words were something like, "Oh my Good God" but in Arabic. I quickly put him work to get me water to clean up. With the wound attended to, I made the crucial decision that the wound was bad enough to call the medical staff and see what they would like me to do. I secretly already knew they were going to tell me to go to Dakar as quickly as possible to prevent possible infection and to get stitches which new would be needed.
Long story short I was driven to Kedougou with in an hour of the iccident by a teacher and on a bus to Dakar wih in 6 hours. I arrived in Dakar, saw the doctor, and was stitched up with in a day of initially cutting myself. Now, I am laid up in Dakar for 12 days with no real plans. The only good thing to come of it is that I will get to watch the Champions League final at the destination of my choice with some good friends and I'll try to write a few more blog posts to inform you a bit more of what I have been up to. Until then Yo Allah okkee mon cellal e golle e ko hondun fallaton. (May God offer you health, work, and what you want).