Have more posts on way

Still have two upcoming posts that need to be written, but here are the topics....Korite......Middle Finger Sighting

Softball

October 21, 2006

Today was the start of the Flaming Aces softball season. Don't ask about the name, because I have no idea where it came from. Yes, I said softball season. It is kinda funny because the majority, if not all Senegalese have no clue what softball, or really baseball is.

The Flaming Aces is comprised of volunteers in the Dakar Region. The league is one that is put on by the embassy. There is a social and a competitive league. While the skills and talent of the team speaks for itself, we decided to just play for fun in the social league.

Pretty much for the next 3 months, the Flaming Aces are playing double headers, two Saturdays each month. Organizers of the league fit in our busy schedules and difficulties of some to make it to Dakar every weekend and allowed us to play every two weeks instead of every week. Because of that...we are greatful.

So, today was a great day. We had t-shirts made and were forced to borrow equipment from all the expats, but in the end, all of us realized that signing up for this league was a good idea.

To sum up the days games, we lost the first one to a bunch of american 12 year olds. They may not have been 12, but they were definetly no older than 13. While we lost, we had a good time.

The second game, we did much better. We got the W. We didn't play perfectly, but some of the kinks from the first game were worked out. I suppose this is what happens when no one has practiced in a year or so.

Next two games...November 4

Special Delivery - Happy Birthday

October 17, 2006

So today, I was able to celebrate my July 14th birthday again. After much concern, I finally received a birthday package sent towards the end of June. Thanks yall. Sorry it took so long.

Fall Weather

The weather here is starting to become somewhat nice. It is so nice that I think I may have written about this before. While it is typically still hot during the day, the breeze has been amazing and taken the edge off at times. I get out of the shower in the mornings and when the cool breeze hits, you question whether or not you need to put on a sweater. Unfortunatly, the leaves do not turn here.

Since I have been here, the weather has only been hot. I can't say that I have been cold here. When that cool breeze hits though, it really does remind me of home. It is moments like this, when memories of home come at weird times, that are the toughest.

Escapades with my friends...the pickpockets

October 21, 2006

I have been fairly fortunate during my 7 and a half months here in Senegal. I still have my health, which is all I guess you can ask for these days. The potentially negative experiences such as breaking my hand and having my bike stolen have all made this journey interesting, which I really can't complain about.

Last night and again today, I had new set of occurences that some may consider negative. At the time, I did too, but now, it is just another story to tell. So, here I go....

It was around 10 pm on Friday night, and I had just spent a couple hours with some PCVs at the regional house in Libertie Six, about 2 miles from my house. I took a Car Rapide, as I always do, for 75 CFA (15 cents) to Patte D'Oie (my neighborhood). I got out where I typically do to make the 200 to 300 yard walk to my house...not a big deal. As I got out and started walking, something did not seem right. I really had no clue what it was, but I had that feeling.

As I continued to walk, I started to feel as if someone was following me. Thats cool, I am a pretty boring person to watch and follow, but if that wants to be someones Friday night entertainment, than go for it.

With my follower starting to follow to close and me starting to walk faster than normal, I decided to do a few zig zags. I covered up my pockets with my hands. Also, I turned my head back both ways to try and tell the guy I knew he was there. Unfortunatly, he was stupid.

Finally, I had had enough. I turned around, found my messenger bag had one strap undone and pushed the guy away. He looked at me like I was an idiot, but, unfortunatly, he was the idiot. A lady seeing the events unforld told me that I should weave back and fourth. I just noded my head.

The moment I confronted the guy, I was literally fired out. I really wanted to beat the crap out of the guy....so I did. Only kidding, my anger was controlled. Needless to say, it really made me upset. I can't say that has ever happened to me before, and I guess with the first time, you will always remember it...unfortunatly the memory is that of a pickpocket.

The fun does not stop there gang. The next afternoon in the same spot, the same thing happened almost but with another friendly pickpocket...fortunatly this one had a sense of humor. I had just gotten out of the car rapide and was walking towards the Rout de Aeroport and I see the hand of a guy who I am passing pull at one of the loops on my bag. Once again...stupidity here. I guess the senses get strong when you rarely let your guard down.

The moment he went for my bag, i brought it in close to my body as if I were protecting a football going through a gauntlet. I turn back and the guy looks back and smiles and gives me a thumbs up. Needless to say, I did laugh. It is a shame that this is where my humor came from.

As for the reason to the pickpocketing, it is the end of Ramadan and people need money for the festivities of Korite. It is a shame that this sort of thing has to happen, unfortunatly, it is the reality.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

I promise, or atleast hope to update things this week. I have a number of topics to talk about. The whole broken computer thing has thrown off my ease and ability to write...as a result, emails and posts have suffered. I appologize.

Pictures from past few weeks

Here are some pictures from the flooding in my neighborhood, Tour de Senegal, Garden and its pests, and car ride to Ndiom. Some of the pictures didn't get uploaded for some reason, so I appologize.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?Uc=7cwno9h.28muypwl&Uy=lq44z7&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&mode=fromshare&conn_speed=1

Trip to Ndiom

The girl to guy ratio in Peace Corps Senegal, as well as from what I've heard throughout Peace Corps, is quite high. There are a lot of girls here. In most PC regions in Senegal, there are atleast a few guys. Dakar region actually seems close to a 50 - 50 ratio. In the Matam region, things are far different. From my stage, one guy was sent there to watch after about 8 or 9 girls. I don't know if I could do it.



As a result, the girls of the Matam region through Kris a suprise birthday party, inviting some of the guys from my stage up. So, this past Friday, myself and 4 others met in Thies, rented a sept-place (7 seat car), and began the long trip to Ndiom. It was an awesome trip up there. We drove from Thies to St. Louis, which I've been to before, then went from St. Louis to Ndiom, where I have never been before. It was really cool to see the vast change in landscape and temperature. When I left the Dakar region, it was very green, hot and humid, and people around. On the way to the north, it quickly grew less green, a lot hotter and drier, and few signs of life. About 7 hours after leaving Thies, we arrived at the small garage in Ndiom; a town no bigger than the size of my pinky.

The partying began the minute we arrived. Kris was pretty suprised. It isn't easy to get everybody together like that, but somehow it was pulled off flawlessly. The girls did a great job. They took care of all the food and drinks. While there, we had chilli, spaghetti, french toast, chips and bean dip, and a good time. For some reason, my stomach started bothering me late in the day Saturday, so my eating and drinking were curtailed to starvation, thirst, and running to the bathroom. The only thing they couldn't really figure out where the power outages and heat, both things that are difficult to solve.

Saturday night, we ended up having a pretty impressive game of kickball. Apparently kickball is coming back in the States right now (that is what rumor is), so logically, Senegal is the next place on the map for these trends to hit.

Sunday morning rolled around, and it was time for some of us to head back to our sites. Five of us went to the garage and got into an allhum supposedly headed to Dakar (but we were just taking it to Thies). The minute we got onto the road, we knew we had made a mistake. This was not going to be a quick trip. While it was only 10 am, I was hoping to be in Dakar at a house that I am currently housesitting at 8pm, including a quick stop at my house.

Six hours into the trip, we finally reached the garage in St. Louis. The five of us dove off the Allhum realizing there was no reason to take it to Thies, because it would be another 5 hours or so. The other guys rented a sept place and headed to Thies and I jumped into a sept-place headed to Dakar. Around 9 pm, I managed to reach Patte D'Oie. Because I had no time, I avoided stopping by my house, jumped into a cab, and headed for the middle part of town to house, dog, and cat sit. I was pooped.

What a good weekend, minus having an upset stomach for part of it. The coolest part of the trip was to see another part of the country and see how the volunteers interact there. You might think that all volunteers and regions are the same, but the Dakar region is far different...it was neat to see another side to things.

Royal Ramadan Rumble

We are currently around the halfway mark of Ramadan. I believe that it comes to a conclusion on Korite, which is supposedly on the 25th of October. Unfortunatly, my Ramadan knowledge is not up to par.

I give those Muslims who follow the monthlong fast much respect. Going from sun up to sun down with nothing to eat or drink is far from easy and then devoting yourself to prayer and the breaking of the fast at sun down is quite a fascinating site.

With the fasting though, people typically get more hostile towards each other. It is hot outside, people haven't eatin or quinched their thirst, they get a little cranky. For the white peace corps volunteer non-muslim-faster, you can find yourself in some pretty interesting situations as a result of this crankiness.

Up until Ramadan, I do not believe I had seen a fight in Senegal (other than Senegalese wrestling on TV). With the onslot of Ramadan, I have seen 3 or 4 fights...pretty interesting stuff. Here are the highlights of two of them, both occuring on different forms of public transporation...I can't alway jump into my BMW and drive to the garden.

FIGHT 1: I was coming home from downtown Dakar after a morning of working and then running errands much of the afternoon. I was pondering taking a taxi only because the bus from downtown takes forever due to traffic and usally you have to stand, but, I used my better judgement and took the bus. Once inside the bus, I found it not too crowded yet, but there were enough people where I had to stand (eventually the bus fills to about 75 or 100 tightly packed individuals). I went to the cashiers both inside the bus and paid my 175 CFA (25 cents). The cashiers sit in a caged stall by the rear bus door.

Three stops into my journey and now far past American fire marshall standards, a gentleman got mad at the cashier for telling people to pack it in. The continued to bicker for a stop or two, until the cashier had enough and leaped out of his cage and grabbed this gentleman's neck. Pushes and shoves were exchanged for a minute or two as the passengers really had no place to move.

Honestly, I didn't know what to think on this one as it was happening literally a foot away. It was a little intense for a minute, especially on a hot and packed bus towards the end of a day.

FIGHT 2: I was heading downtown after work one day last week on an Allhum (big, rusty, white bus) and alittle commotion occured. Commotion occurs fairly frequently on this form of transportation, but it is usually just verbal. It is alway over the same thing...25 CFA (5 cents I think). The cost of the fare on the Allhum and Car Rapide is based on how far you travel, so it could be as little as 50 CFA but no more than 125 CFA when traveling throughout Dakar. Sometimes, there is a dispute as to whether the fare should be one price or another....when this happens, usually somebody is trying to screw somebody (whether it be the cashier on the Allhum or the passenger)...its just how it is. I have gotten ripped off a few times and I've also argued a few times too.

So, on this trip, the passenger apparently thought he got ripped off. The cashier would not budge, which makes me feel as if the passenger were to blame. The commotion went from the back of the Allhum into the road. The passenger eventually started pushing and may have thrown some punches too, im not quite sure. He had a little posse too, but they didn't seem to help him out. Eventually the driver got out and cooled things down a little. We started moving again and the passenger started chasing the Allhum down, but soon we were out of sight...crazy people.

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I was having a conversation with someone in the States about this the other night and they couldn't really comprehend the reasoning for fighting as a result of fasting for Ramadan. It sounds kinda hypocritical. Unfortunatly, I couldn't fully agree with them. The same thing can be said about Christmas in the States. It is supposed to be a happy and festive time of the year, yet people can get a little cranky when they are doing all of that shopping. Same concept but different place and religion. In both cases, neither religion is at fault, just the weakness of society. Basically, what it comes down to is that we are all human.

If you want to call this an update....

I am sorry to announce that I have nothing new to put up here...I am still alive though, smell really bad because Ive been working outside all morning, and need a haircut. Hope all is well.