Quick story: I was sitting in a quiet part of the compound reading this evening when a movement in my peripheral vision made me turn my head. It was a big grey rat!! Looked a LOT like my Huxley! Just a couple sizes bigger. But the same color, the same adorable ratty face!!!!! Before I could consciously register how happy I was, my wild-animal-instinct kicked in and I stomped my foot. And he ran away!!!!! Soooo sad : ( He could have been my friend... I'm hoping he'll come hang out with me again.
Its amazing how much one can miss a rat.... Love for my little baaaby.
Busy busy busy. No parents on skype. Bed time.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Stories from Mboro
Okay. I have a couple stories from Mboro before I get totally re-absorbed into life at the Training Center.
First: Revenge u genaar!
The livestock here largely just roam the streets. Like, all of them. Chickens, goats, donkeys, even very large cows with large horns. Even here in Thies, a relative metropolis. A couple days ago, the four of us in Mboro stopped to greet one trainees family, who were sitting outside their compound to sell peanuts. There were some chickens doing their thing behind us, which I didn’t really notice until my friends host mom chucked a foam flip-flop at one. A rooster. And she pegged it. So it did a little squack-and-flap, we laughed, and then kept talking. A minute later, out of nowhere, this rooster flew up between us straight for her face!! No harm was done, but it was absolutely hilarious. Score one for chickens. Oh, by the way, the wolof word for chicken is genaar
The livestock here largely just roam the streets. Like, all of them. Chickens, goats, donkeys, even very large cows with large horns. Even here in Thies, a relative metropolis. A couple days ago, the four of us in Mboro stopped to greet one trainees family, who were sitting outside their compound to sell peanuts. There were some chickens doing their thing behind us, which I didn’t really notice until my friends host mom chucked a foam flip-flop at one. A rooster. And she pegged it. So it did a little squack-and-flap, we laughed, and then kept talking. A minute later, out of nowhere, this rooster flew up between us straight for her face!! No harm was done, but it was absolutely hilarious. Score one for chickens. Oh, by the way, the wolof word for chicken is genaar
Second: My amazing host mom
Part of our host-family responsibility is doing our laundry. Which is amazing, because frankly, I don’t like it, nor do I really have the time. However, when I got to site this time, I was already out of clean clothes. Completely. But I had to wait a couple days before my family had time. So, the day came and I brought out all my clothes. I put on a piece of cloth I bought in Saint Louis, which had yet to have ties added. Senegalese women don’t need ties on their pagnes (wrap skirts), so I figured I could do what they do. So I came out wearing a tee-shirt and this piece of cloth. I couldn’t get it to stay on, so I asked my family’s maid for help (Ngone, she’s great. Like a part of the family). She tried, but also couldn’t get it to stay. At this point my mom came out and so did my sister. Giving up, I tried to grab a pair of pants from the dirty pile to put on. My mom wasn’t having that. So, she went to her room, and came back with a full outfit! Pagne, boubou (long tunic top), and head scarf. She just gave it to me! So, I went to my room, tried to put it on, and the thing is see-through. So I put on my pajama top under it (white and black flowers… not a good look together.) Of course at this point the whole family wants to see. I went in my mom’s room to show her, and she gave me a tank top to wear instead of my pajamas. She looked at me and motioned for me to change. My brother and two sisters were in the room, and she just wanted me to strip down right there. Fortunately, she saw my embarrassment and shooed the kids out of the room. … yeah, that’s really the end of the story. She’s super nice and awesome, and now I have a beautiful, cool, Senegalese outfit! Pictures to come…
Part of our host-family responsibility is doing our laundry. Which is amazing, because frankly, I don’t like it, nor do I really have the time. However, when I got to site this time, I was already out of clean clothes. Completely. But I had to wait a couple days before my family had time. So, the day came and I brought out all my clothes. I put on a piece of cloth I bought in Saint Louis, which had yet to have ties added. Senegalese women don’t need ties on their pagnes (wrap skirts), so I figured I could do what they do. So I came out wearing a tee-shirt and this piece of cloth. I couldn’t get it to stay on, so I asked my family’s maid for help (Ngone, she’s great. Like a part of the family). She tried, but also couldn’t get it to stay. At this point my mom came out and so did my sister. Giving up, I tried to grab a pair of pants from the dirty pile to put on. My mom wasn’t having that. So, she went to her room, and came back with a full outfit! Pagne, boubou (long tunic top), and head scarf. She just gave it to me! So, I went to my room, tried to put it on, and the thing is see-through. So I put on my pajama top under it (white and black flowers… not a good look together.) Of course at this point the whole family wants to see. I went in my mom’s room to show her, and she gave me a tank top to wear instead of my pajamas. She looked at me and motioned for me to change. My brother and two sisters were in the room, and she just wanted me to strip down right there. Fortunately, she saw my embarrassment and shooed the kids out of the room. … yeah, that’s really the end of the story. She’s super nice and awesome, and now I have a beautiful, cool, Senegalese outfit! Pictures to come…
Third: KIDS!!
I got a wave of crazy homesickness the other day early in the morning. Out of nowhere. Because I miss my baby rat Huxley so crazy much. Which made me miss everything!! But I had to pull it together and go take a language test at my LCF (teacher)’s house. Where, by the way, an Adorable two year old named Adama lives. As soon as I walked in the door he saw me, smiled Huge and raaaan to me with his arms open. So I scooped him up and just got to hold him for awhile. Spent a big part of the morning hanging with my 21 and 6 year old brothers. Just like it sounds. Hanging with family. Later, had to stop by my friends house, where there are a two and three year old who both wanted to be held. Ahhh such soothing medicine for home-sickness.
I got a wave of crazy homesickness the other day early in the morning. Out of nowhere. Because I miss my baby rat Huxley so crazy much. Which made me miss everything!! But I had to pull it together and go take a language test at my LCF (teacher)’s house. Where, by the way, an Adorable two year old named Adama lives. As soon as I walked in the door he saw me, smiled Huge and raaaan to me with his arms open. So I scooped him up and just got to hold him for awhile. Spent a big part of the morning hanging with my 21 and 6 year old brothers. Just like it sounds. Hanging with family. Later, had to stop by my friends house, where there are a two and three year old who both wanted to be held. Ahhh such soothing medicine for home-sickness.
Okay. My battery’s about to die, so that’s it for now.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Change of Address
Dear friends:
Haven't had a lot of free time in the last couple weeks, but I want to let you know my address for letters, packages, whatever, has changed! I will only be in Thies for the next month, and since mail takes about that long, my address change is effective immediately. This is my new address:
Jessica Striley
B.P. 552
Saint Louis, Senegal
West Africa
Although I won't be living in Saint Louis, I will be able to go there regularly to check my post box.
The delay is intense, but it means a lot to get mail from home. Even if you think you have nothing to say, every word means a lot here. To have a physical connection to home that is, in a sense, current. And although the delay on me writing back to you is, again, intense, I will write you back!
Okay. Also, much to say, but not right now, 'cause its bed time!
Love Love--
Jessica
Haven't had a lot of free time in the last couple weeks, but I want to let you know my address for letters, packages, whatever, has changed! I will only be in Thies for the next month, and since mail takes about that long, my address change is effective immediately. This is my new address:
Jessica Striley
B.P. 552
Saint Louis, Senegal
West Africa
Although I won't be living in Saint Louis, I will be able to go there regularly to check my post box.
The delay is intense, but it means a lot to get mail from home. Even if you think you have nothing to say, every word means a lot here. To have a physical connection to home that is, in a sense, current. And although the delay on me writing back to you is, again, intense, I will write you back!
Okay. Also, much to say, but not right now, 'cause its bed time!
Love Love--
Jessica
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Here's a little information about sending me mail. First, the address to send things to for the next few weeks:
PCT Jessica Striley
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thies, Senegal
West Africa
The only other thing to mention is that it costs like, 98 cents to mail, and you have to write PAR AVION and/or AIRMAIL on the envelope.
I do now know where I will be living and working for the next two years. Its a really small village about 30 km south of Saint Louis. I don't know a lot about it, but hopefully will know soon. Will write more when I do. I've heard its beautiful, and hopefully won't be Insanaly hot because of the ocean.
Because, yeah, the hot season is approaching. The last two days in the four or five mid-day hours it has been Crazy hot. And this is me trying not to get worked up about it since it will probably get hotter still, and .... wow. Thats hard to imagine. I guess the idea here is you get used to it, and even then everyone spends the mid-day doing nothing. Like, nothing nothing.
Tuesday I leave to go spend four days in ville with the volunteer working there currently. I'm replacing her, and it's a chance to get a taste of the place before being thrown in.
I also still want to say something about the work I now know I'll be doing, because a lot of it sounds pretty cool. Like the introductory surveying methods involve some ethnographic-style tools. Also, theres a country-wide organization within Peace Corps called SeneGAD. The work with young men and women to address gender development issues. Its a lot of grass-roots support, education, and group discussion activities to create organic change. I know thats pretty vague, but its all I got right now. Sounds like a thing I really want to get involved with though.
Gotta go. I'm sweating on my laptop....
PCT Jessica Striley
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thies, Senegal
West Africa
The only other thing to mention is that it costs like, 98 cents to mail, and you have to write PAR AVION and/or AIRMAIL on the envelope.
I do now know where I will be living and working for the next two years. Its a really small village about 30 km south of Saint Louis. I don't know a lot about it, but hopefully will know soon. Will write more when I do. I've heard its beautiful, and hopefully won't be Insanaly hot because of the ocean.
Because, yeah, the hot season is approaching. The last two days in the four or five mid-day hours it has been Crazy hot. And this is me trying not to get worked up about it since it will probably get hotter still, and .... wow. Thats hard to imagine. I guess the idea here is you get used to it, and even then everyone spends the mid-day doing nothing. Like, nothing nothing.
Tuesday I leave to go spend four days in ville with the volunteer working there currently. I'm replacing her, and it's a chance to get a taste of the place before being thrown in.
I also still want to say something about the work I now know I'll be doing, because a lot of it sounds pretty cool. Like the introductory surveying methods involve some ethnographic-style tools. Also, theres a country-wide organization within Peace Corps called SeneGAD. The work with young men and women to address gender development issues. Its a lot of grass-roots support, education, and group discussion activities to create organic change. I know thats pretty vague, but its all I got right now. Sounds like a thing I really want to get involved with though.
Gotta go. I'm sweating on my laptop....
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Alright. Blog time.
So, I've definately adjusted more. It still bummed me out to leave my family to come back to the center, but its less frustrating to be here. I finally got the package my dad mailed a month ago, and have had three letters in the past two days!! Soooo lucky :)
Letters are so wonderful, its hard to explain. Even though things are good here, it sometimes still feels like my whole life back home is cut off... which isn't a great feeling. But also, I know its not really true at all, so... thats all fine. Point is, *hint hint* I love getting mail!
So, what can I add about my experience? We're currently in the middle of the Easter holiday here. Even though most every one is Muslim, the holiday break is like, 2 weeks long. Which means, I just gained two brothers and a sister!! Two of them are closer to my age, and they've both been great with helping me learn wolof. My sister is really great at being patient with me, and speaking clearly and in simple words so we can have actually conversations. Plus she crochets!! Its a big thing here, apparently. Mom-- still working on your shawl here, and she actually did part of a row. Figured you wouldn't mind. It was a great bonding experience. Closest to my age is my brother Medoun, who also speaks the most English of ayone in my family. He's also really sweet and patient with me. He's the first one in my family to point out that even though their previous volunteer speaks Wolof better than me now, he did once struggle just as much as I am. They will both go back to college at the end of the weekend, which is a bummer, but I'm glad to have met them.
In meta-news, this experience has been a huge afirmation of faith. Heres an example: I love me training site and and family. But in about a month, I'll be placed in a new community with a new family. Which can seem a little scary. And every time I chewed on that fear/anxiety for even a moment I was struck with such a powerful sense that it was all fine, that it was even going to just get better, that... there is no fear left. And like I said, thats just an example. Its really beautiful seeing old patterns come up about different things. Noticing what's happening there, juding, realizing I'm juding, letting go, seeing the pattern loose its power, and just noticing. Yeah, so I had been feeling kind of exhausted and fuzzy, but just kept up with my meditation, closed and open eyed, and sometimes it still is exhausted and fuzzy. But something clicked last sunday. We finally had a day off, and I think I gave myself permission to rest more than I had. I just felt my awareness expand as I sank back into exactly what was happening. ... This is hard to put into to words, obviously. The point is, that permission to rest that I had been holding back from myself has extended into my daily activities here, just as it had back home. And that's been a huge blessing. Again, to just feel comfortable and assured that everything is perfect, and I can rest, because God is in charge of everything and God is good. Thats a big paragraph to say something so simple!!
Okay. Also, I've been bonding more with some fellow volunteers and just having a good time being alive.
'Nuf for tonight.
LOVE LOVE LOVE coming back to all of you back home. And thanks for all the love you're all sending. I'm gettin' it :)
PS forgive the spelling errors. Apparently this is in French and I'm just not fixing that right now.....
Also, soon I'll post more about what I'm actually learning about what my job will be for the next two months. Cause its really exciting!!
So, I've definately adjusted more. It still bummed me out to leave my family to come back to the center, but its less frustrating to be here. I finally got the package my dad mailed a month ago, and have had three letters in the past two days!! Soooo lucky :)
Letters are so wonderful, its hard to explain. Even though things are good here, it sometimes still feels like my whole life back home is cut off... which isn't a great feeling. But also, I know its not really true at all, so... thats all fine. Point is, *hint hint* I love getting mail!
So, what can I add about my experience? We're currently in the middle of the Easter holiday here. Even though most every one is Muslim, the holiday break is like, 2 weeks long. Which means, I just gained two brothers and a sister!! Two of them are closer to my age, and they've both been great with helping me learn wolof. My sister is really great at being patient with me, and speaking clearly and in simple words so we can have actually conversations. Plus she crochets!! Its a big thing here, apparently. Mom-- still working on your shawl here, and she actually did part of a row. Figured you wouldn't mind. It was a great bonding experience. Closest to my age is my brother Medoun, who also speaks the most English of ayone in my family. He's also really sweet and patient with me. He's the first one in my family to point out that even though their previous volunteer speaks Wolof better than me now, he did once struggle just as much as I am. They will both go back to college at the end of the weekend, which is a bummer, but I'm glad to have met them.
In meta-news, this experience has been a huge afirmation of faith. Heres an example: I love me training site and and family. But in about a month, I'll be placed in a new community with a new family. Which can seem a little scary. And every time I chewed on that fear/anxiety for even a moment I was struck with such a powerful sense that it was all fine, that it was even going to just get better, that... there is no fear left. And like I said, thats just an example. Its really beautiful seeing old patterns come up about different things. Noticing what's happening there, juding, realizing I'm juding, letting go, seeing the pattern loose its power, and just noticing. Yeah, so I had been feeling kind of exhausted and fuzzy, but just kept up with my meditation, closed and open eyed, and sometimes it still is exhausted and fuzzy. But something clicked last sunday. We finally had a day off, and I think I gave myself permission to rest more than I had. I just felt my awareness expand as I sank back into exactly what was happening. ... This is hard to put into to words, obviously. The point is, that permission to rest that I had been holding back from myself has extended into my daily activities here, just as it had back home. And that's been a huge blessing. Again, to just feel comfortable and assured that everything is perfect, and I can rest, because God is in charge of everything and God is good. Thats a big paragraph to say something so simple!!
Okay. Also, I've been bonding more with some fellow volunteers and just having a good time being alive.
'Nuf for tonight.
LOVE LOVE LOVE coming back to all of you back home. And thanks for all the love you're all sending. I'm gettin' it :)
PS forgive the spelling errors. Apparently this is in French and I'm just not fixing that right now.....
Also, soon I'll post more about what I'm actually learning about what my job will be for the next two months. Cause its really exciting!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)