JUSTIN M. LANDPeace Corps - Senegal '06-'09

Return to Senegal - May 2010

2010-05-23T20:07:00.001-05:00

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Senegal: One Year Later....to be continued

2010-03-21T08:30:00.002-05:00

Nothing like getting out of the city. The ticket is booked and I'm heading back to Senegal May 15 - 22 for little Hakim Land Sane's one year birthday. Couldn't be more excited.

A quick update....4 months later.

2009-11-10T20:13:00.004-05:00

When I left Senegal nearly 4 months ago, I could have never predicted where I would end up. Over the course of a couple months in North Carolina, I landed what has been a great job in New York City. More importantly, many of the relationships that were developed in Senegal have not ended. Because many of you followed this site for so long, I wanted to post some pictures sent to me by the Sane family, some of the best friends and family somebody could ask for. Ramatoulaye, Ma Ouly and little Hakim Land Sane are growing up.

???The last post???

2009-06-25T17:05:00.003-05:00

As I have spent the past week and a half in Charlotte relaxing, working on finding a job and thinking back over the past three and a half years, I just wanted to thank everyone who was there along the way as well as those who followed my adventure and this site. Your words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers during the application process, two years plus one and in the search of the next chapter have all been greatly appreciated.

Thank You!!!

SURPRISE!!!!

2009-06-14T17:50:00.003-05:00

Back on US soil a few days 'early'. Came back and managed to surprise my mom for her birthday yesterday. Managed to get her pretty well.

2009-06-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

Packing and finishing it up......Will be in Charlotte Monday, June 15

2009-06-09T16:30:00.003-05:00

After 1155 days in Senegal, how do you spend the next few days to sum them up.....it is not easy for sure.

Somebody asked/told me tonight that "you must be stoked" to leave Senegal and you know what, I am not.

Dakar has been a solid home for the past three years. I can easily find flaws with the place as well as well some great moments, but it has been my home. Saying goodbye to friends and family is never easy, especially when you know you want to come back to visit but do not know when.

Peace Corps and Senegal have been my life for the past few years and I cherish them both for it and hopefully I will be a better person as a result of them.

Maouli Sane's Birthday

2009-05-30T04:40:00.003-05:00

Friday was Maouli's fourth birthday, so I went up to the Sane's to help celebrate. Below are some pictures.

I promise I will write about my taxi ride home later....

Sound of Music...

2009-05-30T04:05:00.006-05:00

Today, I was at the Hospital, checking in with the garden at the Psychiatry Department when Jared and myself heard some amazing music. We couldn't tell if it was coming from speakers across the wall or what. Finally, we realized a gentleman was playing a guitar beside the garden in a space hidden by a mango tree.

Because this is the type of thing we have wanted to happen in the garden, we invited him in to play. Mboup, the gardener walked in a few minutes later and it proved to be a great Friday. What more can you ask for, great music, friends, mangoes, sapooti, carosil all in a space you built from ground up.

Below is a short snippet of him playing. Sorry it is so short, was hoping to get a full song on video, but the head doctor ended up coming in for a meeting.

Mouhamadou Hakim Land Sane

2009-05-27T17:00:00.002-05:00

Probably one of the biggest honors bestowed upon me was the naming of Baby Sane today. He was named Mouhamadou Hakim Land Sane.

Needless to say, in the shock of the Senegalese attending the ceremony, I showed up late and missed the actual naming. It was 9:30 when I arrived, after being told that around 9:00 would be a good time to get there. If somebody tells you that, it means, you are probably going to be waiting till 10:30 for it to start. As a result, I told everyone I was early and they got a good laugh.

I ended up spending much of the day at the Sane's, eating the traditional lakkh, which I managed/struggled/fought back tears to eat just half of my plentiful bowl. For lunch, we chowed down on thiebouyapp (pictured), also known as my favorite dish....I couldn't get enough. After lunch, we managed to get three rounds of tea down before I realized that I needed to head home.

Three years living here and becoming part of the Sane family myself...working with Aliou at the hospital, teaching him and Fatou English for some time, being somewhat of a big brother/uncle their kids, them being the best friends somebody could ask for and enjoying dinner, a Coke, and a Fanta at their house weekly for much of my time here, it is going to be difficult to say 'hope to see you sooner than later'. To me, this relationship is partially what Peace Corps is about.

Baby Sane - Day Two

2009-05-21T07:04:00.002-05:00

The Stork Arrived.....

2009-05-20T14:40:00.003-05:00

Baby Sane was born today around 3 p.m. (Dakar time) at Hopital Principale. He weighed 3 kg, 650 g. Fatou and the baby are doing great. More pictures will come I'm sure.

Final Approach....buckle up and prepare for landing

2009-05-15T06:51:00.003-05:00

One month to go ladies and gents....after over three years here in Senegal, I only have a month to go. It is kinda crazy to think back to March 13, 2006 when I left Houston to where I am now and the impact that Senegal, its people and Peace Corps have had on me.

Looking forward to seeing everyone back in the US, but hopefully unemployment will not stare me down too long. If anybody knows anybody hiring, preferably in the northeast but can pretty much go anywhere, let me know....I'm trying to hold off working at Bojangles till post-retirement.
But, before I leave, there is a baby on the way...not mine. The Sane's baby should be here sometime next week. I think I let it slip out that I would watch one (held back in agreeing to both...that could be a disaster) of their kids next week some if they needed it...could be interesting. I am expecting one or both of them to some how hide in my luggage and pop out in the US.

It is time to buckle up!

Summer is here...

2009-05-13T18:41:00.002-05:00

First Night out of the year that it just feels hot in Dakar...granted it isn't 110 as it is in other parts of Senegal, but for Dakar, it is starting to warm up.

My buddy Brandon, a newly minted RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and good friend from UGA passed through Dakar this afternoon for about 12 hours on his way back to the States. Was great seeing him and a nice way to start closing things down here for myself.

A Trek to the Beach.....

2009-05-10T06:23:00.006-05:00

Three years in and a little less then a month and a half to go, adventures are still to be had here in Senegal.

A buddy of mine mentioned a few weeks ago that he was pondering the idea of walking from his site, N'gaye Mekhe to the beach. As of last week, he had yet to go on the trek, so being up for the challenge, I mentioned my interest. The wheels of motion began and two more recruits were found.

As of yet, most likely anyone reading this may not see the significance in this. Well, the trek had not true paths to follow over uncharted terrain for about 21 to 25 miles. The only information we knew to be concrete was to travel west and we needed to hit a phosphate factory. What looked flat on a 3 year old Google satellite image of our route must have changed some.

On Friday afternoon, the four of us met in Thies for the 'Chicken Challenge' at one of the best chicken dibiteries in Senegal. The 'chicken challenge' required each of us to eat a whole chicken, plate of fries, and a salad.....you may say this is a lot of food, which it is, but at one point, we thought it could have been our last meal. By the end of it, we were grossly full.

View Trek - May 10, 2009 in a larger map

Spending the night in N'gaye Mekhe, we were mentally prepared for the 5 am wake up, not to the mosques' call to prayer, but the terrible sound of cell phone alarm clocks.

As we had planned, we were on the full moon illuminated beaten path out of N'gaye right at 5:30. The first hour and a half were marked by the four of us shooting firworks off (you gotta have some excitement for the trip) and the onlyroads we would be on for a long time. We hit the village at the end of the road and as we had planned, utlizing the compass on a very technological watch that we realized we really didn't know how to operate, we went west. Actually, we decided to follow our shadows and a set of power lines more than the technologies of the fancy watch, but better safe than sorry (i suppose).

After 4 or 5 hours we came across the first set of terrain change. There were some really cool compacted dunes with crevasses intertwined in them. We could have spent the rest of the day there and been content, but we had to press forward. We were a bit stumped in exactly how we should cross these dunes, so we just started hiking across them till we came across the phosphate mine, which turned out to be hours ahead.

As we approached the huge mine, we came across some beautifully irrigated land, that had once been part of the mine. We felt that the mine would be somewhat guarded and our prescense wouldn't be welcomed, but we were dead wrong. Everyone was very friendly, even the guard we came across....suppose they don't get too many American hikers passing through. They even let us climb on the broken tractors, actually, we just climbed and they said nothing. One group of mechanics asked us to join them for tea, but the sun was rising, and we had a lot more walking.

Having to backtrack just a bit, we wrapped around the northern edge of the mine until we (actually just Oliver) hit a patch of quick sand and sand about a foot into the group. First for everything.

As we started distancing ourselves from the mine, the blisters on Dan and Thomas's feets were getting bigger, but then again, you should probably break in chaco's before going on a 20+ mile hike through sand or just wear shoes.

Getting closer to Mboro but not knowing exactly where we were, except for the need to go west, we came across even more beautiful gardens then on the other side of the mine. The gardeners we met couldn't have been more helpful in providing us directions for the rest of the way.

Finally, after about 9 hours and 45 minutes walking, we hit pavement and started walking in the direction we needed to go. We were no longer headed to the beach, but for much needed food and to meet up with our buddy Devon.

All along our route, we met great people, until we got to Mboro where we were called 'red ears' a few times and a nicely dressed lady walking on the road asked us for money, for no reason at all...followed by another even older lady down the street, dressed equally as nice, asking for a 'bon bon'. After awhile, you get tired of this and have no patience....especially after walking all day.

Finally, we made it to Mboro, meeting Deven on the side of the road with drinks in hand for us. After 10 hours and 30 minutes of walking and roughly 25 miles later, we had made it, minus making it to the beach.

After spending a couple hours in Mboro hanging out, we all decided to go back to the comforts of our own sites....primarily because at this point we were all sore, drained, sunburnt, exhausted, etc.

Much like last week, the trip into Dakar was not the fastest. What should have been about a 2 hour trip turned into a 4 hour one. I had to fight falling aslee, knowing that once I closed my eyes, I wouldn't be waking up until morning.

The minute I walked into my door at 11:30 and completed a much needed shower, I was faced with one of the best nights of sleep I had in a long time.

Pictures from Trek

2009-05-10T05:49:00.000-05:00

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Always a medal at the end of the race....

2009-05-05T08:22:00.003-05:00

Anytime I ran a half marathon before joining Peace Corps, it seemed that every participant got a medal, regardless if you did well or not. By the end of Saturday, I felt as if I were crossing a finish line that took a lot longer to reach than anticipated, but there was a reward at the end.

So after several months of trying to get me to his village, Mboup, one of the gardeners I work with at Hospital Fann, I finally made it to Thienaba Seck, located about 20 km from Thies. I say it is a village because that is how he classifies it, but I'd say it is more like a small town. On Friday afternoon, I met Mboup at the hospital and after serving patients their late lunch, we were off on our trek.

Taking a city bus to Pikine (Dakar suburb)we got onto a Greyhound style bus headed towards Touba (one of two religious Meccas in Senegal). The price overall was about $2.25. I typically travel in the more upscale, expensive sept-place mode of public transportation, so it was fun to change it up. The last time I took one of these Greyhound style buses, the trip took me about 20 hours but to a land far far away.

We arrived in Thienaba Seck just before the sunset and was greeted at the road by three of his young children and other kids in his compound. The next 24 hours were spent hanging out with his family and eating amazing food....definitely had one of the better thiebouyapps I've had.

While Mboup has two wives (one in Dakar), Thienaba is were he grew up. He has no children in Dakar but four in Thienaba. Typically every two weekends, he goes and visits, leaving Dakar Friday afternoon and returning early Monday. Knowing and working with him for the past two years almost, it was great to finally meet his family and see Thienaba.

The return trip on Saturday is where the race got interesting. I managed to jump into a passing bus headed to Thies fairly quickly and made it to Thies unscathed. The Thies garage wasn't bad and I managed to be the 7th person to fill the sept-place, so we were on our wayyyyyyyyy. The trip started off fine until we hit traffic outside of Rufisque. This traffic is nothing new, except as hour by hour went by, it seemed it wasn't going to end. Finally, we passed (turtled our way to) Poste Thioroye (getting closer to home) and smoke started flowing heavily from under the hood.....not good.

There was no hope in any of us taking this sept-place all the way to Dakar. Traffic is at a dead stop, the car you are breaks down, and it is dark out....what do you do????

Walk

So for the next hour or so I walked, getting closer to Dakar step by step. It was funny because I knew where I was but had no comprehension as to the distance I was away from Dakar. Walking streets at night is by far much different that riding in a car during the day.

After an hour of walking and three hours of sitting in a car, the road opened up. While there would have been traffic regardless, the 'cause' of the backup was due to a bulldozer doing construction work.

The weather was nice and I started to have a better grasp as to where I was, so I kept walking. I decided to start hailing down cabs, but due to the prices they wanted, I guess I still wasn't close enough to home. I kept walking.

I started thinking about how nice it would be to finally be at 22 Rue Thioung, 5 hours after leaving the start line. What would my medal be? I figured it out....some good ol Crystal Light Lemonade, partially frozen. That is what began to give me strength.

Finally, I reached Camberene, somewhat near where I used to live and managed to get a cab for the price I wanted. Sitting down, I felt the first bit of comfort that I had since leaving Thies.

The cab wasn't the quickest, but neither was the trip.

I was home, atlast, with a nice cold glass of lemonade.

2009-04-30T17:18:00.002-05:00

After being in Dakar, exposed to as western of a lifestyle as any Peace Corps Volunteer could obtain, for three years, there aren't too many things from back in the US that perk my eyes.

I will say, tonight, at a place down the street called Ganales, which I can say I know the employees by name and they call me Justin, not Aziz...it has taken a handful of visits, but on the televisions (they have satellite) were highlights from the Quail Hollow Open in Charlotte, NC. I must say, I got excited...you can watch NBA playoffs, but not impressed. I've been following the coverage in the Charlotte papers, but to see international coverage of the green fairways of a course you grew up near from a developing country was really nice.

So far from having to mow the grass, but so close to seeing the greens.

Dakar Guide - Spring 2009 Edition

2009-04-28T11:37:00.001-05:00

I didn't think it would take this long to get it up here, but this is a guide to Dakar, now in its third or fourth edition, that myself and fellow Volunteer Peter Treut have put together. While it is geared towards a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, it can be a great resource to anyone visiting Dakar. Enjoy!

Dakar Guide - Spring 2009

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Taste of Africa

2009-03-31T10:32:00.002-05:00

Richard Toll, Senegal - March 27, 2009

Tournee

2009-03-03T13:53:00.011-05:00

Over the past week and a half, I managed to see a lot of Senegal, visiting many Urban Agriculture Volunteers with my boss, looking at former Sustainable Agriculture sites, and assisting with the welcome of the new PC/Senegal trainees to Senegal.

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Figure I would provide you some pictures of my trip. The starts and stops included Dakar, Thies, Kebemer, St. Louis, Linguere, Richard Toll, St. Louis, Podor, Bakel, two villages outside of Bakel, Tambacouta, village outside Koumpentoum Dakar, Thies (3 nights), and Home. In bold are where I ended up at the end of the day.

Day 1:

Portion of a home urban garden in Thies, Senegal

Day 2:

Linguere Urban Ag Volunteer's demonstration garden at local Ag office

Linguere PCV and APCD Famara Massaly looking at a vegetable bed

Prison garden in Linguere

School garden in Linguere targeting young students

APCD Famar Massaly with some of the students

Garden located on the grounds of a radio station in Linguere Situation. Pictured is the gardener.

Radio station with the garden in Linguere.

Somewhat off the beaten path on our way to Richard Toll

Over the course of the next few weeks and months, this space at the hospital in Richard Toll will be transformed into a large scale garden.

Garden at the Barcelona Group's community center in Richard Toll. The garden works with some of the street kids in the community.

Day 3:

Demonstration site of St. Louis Volunteer that nicely incorporates urban gardening techniques with traditional gardening accompanied by a large drip irrigation system.

Home garden in St. Louis that had a 10 meter by 40 meter stretch of melon. While it had some pest problems, I was somewhat amazed seeing this large amount in this compound. They also had a small micro-garden.

Home garden in St. Louis with beneficiary, APCD Famara Massaly, and St. Louis Urban Ag Volunteer pictured.

A home in St. Louis that had an micro-garden, rabbit raising, and pigeon raising. This is an ideal scenario.

First time in three years making it to Podor. Made a stop there to take a look, but currently has no Urban Ag Volunteer.

Garden along the Senegal River in Podor

If I had been a photography major and hadn't been shooting from inside the Land Cruiser, this picture might have turned out better, but it was a beautiful sight heading towards Bakel for the night.

I appologize for this bluriness, but it is a picture of a truck that had fallen into a crack when a road over a rivine was partially washed away last rainy season. Several months later, the road is still not fixed and the trailor is still there.

Day 4:

Driving from Bakel to two villages just outside of the city. You can notice that there is some elevation in this part of the country.

In a village just outside of Bakel, home to a former Volunteer, a dam project is underway to hopefully better store water when the rains come.

Shot of the window during our drive between Bakel and Tambacouta

Day 7:

In Thies with Jared Tharp (my brother in a weird construed normal Peace Corps way) and Peter Treut as we prepare for the next day's gardening session in Thies.

Day 8:

Co-facillitating a gardening session in Thies for the freshly arrived Peace Corps trainees.

The Darkness of Homelessness

2009-03-03T13:52:00.000-05:00

Everyday in Dakar you see income disparity, poverty, and an endless sight of begging, from the young, shoeless talibe to blind elders being led by their young. Whether right or wrong, one typically becomes jaded and unfazed of this obvious poverty. I’m not going to lie, I am one of them at times.

The hustle and bustle of Dakar’s downtown streets during the day typically blends this poverty into obscurity.

As the sun sets and the African moon brings faint light to the Ponty, the humbleness comes out and scenes that I will never forget. It is hard to miss individuals, mothers with their young, mentally disturbed, elders, and other homeless asleep along store fronts. Some are on cardboard boxes, but many are on the concrete. On cold evenings they are so close to seek the warmth of those around them. There is one group that sleeps under a mosquito net.

You wish you could do something to make a difference but go to bed wondering what. While going against sustainability, at times, helping them get to the next day might be what is needed. No simple solution to a never-ending midnight sight.

The one thing I have learned is that it is important to not let the sharp images of night be overcome by the obscurity of day.

The Road Ahead

2009-03-03T13:51:00.002-05:00

I am going down a path I once went down before, yet last year, I seemed to hit the reset button.

For nearly three years, Dakar has been my home. A home that has offered challenges I never thought I would overcome, friendships and memories I never want to forget, and scares I will always have.

As I sit in a “hotel room” light years away from Dakar in a place I’ve heard dubbed the hottest place in the world, I wish that time would slow day. My days here are limited and it is something that has to end, but why has 2009 moved so fast.

The uncertainties of the future can be daunting at times, but then again, I ask myself…if I can’t get through the near future, then what have I learned from my experiences the past 3 and a half years.

I can’t say I have any answers as to the future….career, location, etc….but with perseverance, optimism, influence of the past and current, and possibly a little luck, the answers await.

Merry Christmas from Dakar

2008-12-25T19:03:00.004-05:00

The tree and Santa

Christmas morning bacon roll...amazing

Homemade rootbeer in Senegal....could be a first

Neighboorhood decorations

Christmas Eve spread...shrimp, chicken, deviled eggs, potato skins, salsa and guacamole, cheeses, cookies, cupcakes, eggnog, rootbeer...can't go wrong

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Hope everyone has had a very merry Christmas and have a safe holidays. Miss you all.

jland

Bacon Cheese Roll

2008-12-25T13:00:00.005-05:00

My buddy Peter and I found the inspiration the other day for the bacon cheese roll at http://www.infobarrel.com/Bacon_Cheese_Roll_Recipe. The second we saw this sight, we realized that the inspiration had to become a reality Christmas morning....we were not disappointed.

It consisted of woven bacon, velvetta and swiss cheese, jalepeno peppers, followed with a touch of maple syrup on the finished product.

The last mention of the soccer game riots....i think

2008-12-18T13:17:00.004-05:00

I definitely realized when I was home on vacation that the happenings of the Senegal - Gambia soccer game are not meant nor can they be told in a 3 minute story. For a detailed version, read the account in a previous posts.

To provide a bit more of a visual, another Volunteer pointed me to a couple videos on YouTube that I have posted below.

For this video, you are going to want to go to about 8 minutes and 30 seconds in to start seeing the effects of Senegal's loss.

The isn't the best of videos, but it shows a bit of the burning in the streets.

Vacation Home

2008-12-18T12:29:00.003-05:00

While I don't all have the pictures from my trip home yet, but here are a couple.

Uncle and Niece....sleep off

My sister and I actually I and my sister

Family picture with Millie making us proud, front and center

Thanksgiving at Home

2008-11-05T14:14:00.002-05:00

Will be in the United States from November 23 until December 10, celebrating Thanksgiving in North Carolina with my family.

Senegal - The Gambia Soccer Match

2008-10-19T04:59:00.002-05:00

I have a story for you.....one that just wouldn't have happened in many other places.....

To try and make a long story short, a bunch of Volunteers went to the Senegal-Gambia soccer game last Saturday. A lot was on the line...a loss or a tie would mean elimination from World Cup qualifying. Soccer combined with national pride is huge.

Unlike stadiums in the States, Stade L.S.S. is broken into seating sections that are separated from each other with large fences. Also, once a section is "full", doors are shut preventing people from entering or exiting. The purpose of this system is to theoretically prevent fans from becoming too unruly and that unruliness spreading throughout the stadium.

Most of us all got separated so didn't manage to sit together due to the fact that the match was over sold and each section was shut closed while a couple thousand paying fans still had yet to get into the stands. This created a scene as fans were banging on section doors to try and get to seats. There were a few tense moments. It is also important to know, that frustration with the Senegalese power company had already fueled tension during the week and weekend due to widespread power outages.

Finally, just before half-time, as everyone had broken into smaller groups, we made it into the stadium. We squeezed into the north-east section of the stadium.

In the second half, Senegal scored and was up 1-0. The stadium was in jubilation. That all changed with a few minutes to go in the match when The Gambia scored and tied the game 1-1. We should have left at this point, but had no idea what was about to come.

As the clock ticked away, fans on the east side of the stadium above the players tunnel began throwing plastic bottles and such on the field. The game ended and the object throwing intensified. Each individual on the field was being escorted off the shield with riot police with their shields up for protection.

Chaos erupted and spread. The section barriers (8 foot tall - 150 feet long metal fences) were toppled on our side of the stadium. Large, heavy cement blocks that acted as steps going up the sections were being picked up by groups of people and being thrown down the sections. Large advertisement banners were being ripped down and their wooden backings were being thrown onto the field.

Being in the middle of this, you could see the rage in many of these peoples eyes in which you knew there was little that could be done to stop them. Scary feeling to have.

We really didn't know what to do, but felt that the stands would clear out, so we decided to move to the top of the stands. Chaos was still within feet of us but there were other bystanders doing the same thing as us. As we are standing at the top of the stands, we look out at Patte d'Oie, where streams of black smoke from burning tires has already begun.

After about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting in the stands we decided that we had to make a decision. Things in the stadium weren't getting better and we were concerned that the police might open fire with tear gas and such on our section. At the same time, police at the bottom of the section by the entrance were waving for us to get out.....so we did.

Entering the bottom of the stairwell after exiting our section, there was broken glass everywhere. Every glass pane had been shattered separating the stairwell to the outside.

We got outside and the smell of tear gas was in the air...a lot of it. Black smoke was everywhere. Mayhem was rampant. Rocks and such were being thrown.

We started running with the plan to go to my old house in Patte D'Oie until things calmed down. About 75 yards of running, we got grabbed a little bit, but somehow I started getting grabbed/mobbed a lot and I became separated from the group I was with. What is a lot.....between 60 - 100 people swarming me, grabbing every part of my body.

I would loosely break free and then get swarmed again. As this is going on, I am getting hit with rocks, but the adrenaline prevented me from feeling much. My camera was in my hand because I was previously worried about pick-pocketers, now, it was being ripped out of my hands....their was nothing I could do, but let go.

At this point, I was so disoriented, that at one point, I wished that I would just get knocked out. There was little I could do, and that is a scary thing.

Finally, I got pressed against a wall (basically at the end of the stadium property on the east side) and some guys told me to sit down. I couldn't think nor did I want to trust them, but I had no choice. One of the guys slightly pulled my green polo shirt down and realized that I had a Senegalese jersey on up underneath. I think he and some of the others felt stupid after that but things were far from over for me.

They told me to take my polo shirt off and stand up to show that I was "one of them". The second I stood up, I felt I heard others stupidity at realizing I was a Senegalese fan, but I also got hit square on the head with a rock. Of all the rocks I got hit with, that is the only one I actually remembered.

I don't really remember the process of what happened next, but I somehow made it into a family compound where I was told to hide. At this point, I also had 'helpers'. I like to think of them as instigators as well, but I had no choice but to trust...a lot was on the line.

In the compound, I was completely out of it, mentally and physically. I could barely feel my head, hands and shoulders were scratched up, but not much bleeding. I ended up going to the bathroom to throw up....don't know if it was from the rocks, adrenaline, or being scared to death.
The door was being banged on, but the lady's who compound it was, refused to open it. I felt bad putting her in a situation like this, but really had no choice in the matter.

I still had my phone somehow so after about 10 minutes of collecting myself as best as I could, I was able to get in contact with my group, who had been brought to another compound by these 'helpers'. It was really shady because these 'helpers' knew where I was and knew where they were...it just seemed fishy, but not much we could do....and nothing I could do at this point. Also, I was in contact with Peace Corps, but at the time, it was nearly impossible to relay the severity of what was happening.

After about 30 minutes, I was able to meet up with those in my group, where we stayed in the compound they were in for about 5 minutes. Finally, with one of the 'helpers', we weaved through the neighborhood we were in to get to my old house. You could feel the tension and hostility in the air. I looked like a war zone. The major roads were blocked with burning tires.

Making it home to Patte d'Oie was the first time in the ordeal that I felt safe. My host mom, was amazing as well as concerned. After a few minutes, I gave my 'helper' some money so he would leave.

We stayed at my old house for about 45 minutes before leaving. As we were walking, we surprisingly came across a group of Peace Corps trainees who were waiting in a family compound for safety. They also have an interesting story about the evening.

Eventually, a Peace Corps Land Cruiser came to pick everyone up. The trainees were taken to the Regional House and I was brought to Peace Corps to be checked out by a doctor and then was ordered to spend the night there as a precaution.

Sunday morning, I felt a lot better but the bumps on the head were still there as well as some cuts, but nothing major.

I was lucky.

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As to why I was singled out, I am unsure. My major theory is that because I was running when I was being grabbed, I think it may have looked like I did something to anger someone and was trying to get away, so everyone started to grab me.

Another theory is that they thought I was a Gambian fan, but I am unsure why. Regardless, what happened to me, shouldn't have happened to anyone.

--------------------------------------

Am I angered....no. I wish things hadn't been the way they had, but nothing I can do about it. Out of all the Volunteers at the game, I'm glad it happened to me, just having a sense of familiarity with the neighborhood and such and having some minor experience with riots/tear gas here.....this was just much grander than past experiences. Needless to say, it was nice when Sunday began.

---------------------------------------

Finally, I had some great pictures of the match and scenes in the stadium as the chaos was going on, so that is what I'm somewhat bummed most about. The images would explain so much more. What happened is not something I've ever seen in the US nor can many Americans really fathom or understand most likely.....there are similarities between the US and here, but many differences as well, good and bad.

2008-09-30T12:03:00.002-05:00

So I just got home from work and turned on the TV and an American Classic was on TV, "Escape from Alcatraz." It was dubbed in French, but what a great movie. It was towards the end, but I decided to finish watching it.

It was a nice little surprise.

Also today, the minute I got out of the cab, I headed across the street to the grocery store and as I was paying, Bon Jovi started playing. That alone makes it a rare and good day.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Pictures from tournee (September 18 - 21)

2008-09-26T14:27:00.003-05:00

With the start of my third year, I have been able to go out and visit with urban agriculture Volunteers. Not only is it great to go out and see different sites and see how I can support them, but for someone who rarely got out of Dakar in his first two years, it is a cool way to visually see the country (a lot of time is spent in a Land Cruiser on the road)

This last tournee I went on, my boss and I visited Mbour, Kebemer, Linguere, Richard Toll, St Louis, and Louga. Enjoy

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=8716ad8f412f3a56&sid=1IZsnLNo4YsLS

Pictures from atop downtown Dakar

2008-09-26T14:18:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos taken from my buddy's apartment downtown. Think you might enjoy.

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=395a60f18d9111f1&sid=1IZsnLNo4YsLw

Madelyn Jane Schoenfisch

2008-09-26T14:12:00.002-05:00

While I am a little late getting this up, my sister and her husband had Madelyn Jane Schoenfisch on September 12. I couldn't be happier for Ash and Mark and really can't wait to see little Madelyn, apparently sooner than later.

Dakar Floods

2008-09-07T04:13:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to post some pictures that new Dakar Volunteer, Jared Tharp took. They were taken in Patte D'oie, my old neighborhood. This pictures were taken the day after it rained, so the water levels are much lower than they were when it rained the night before. Enjoy and stay dry!

2008-09-03T09:12:00.003-05:00

For any of you that have had breakfast breakfast at the Land household or attended a Matson family gathering at our mountain house, then you've probably had Swedish pancakes. They are pretty much to die for, especially when you load them up with powdered sugar, syrup, and being thousands of miles away from home.
With the ability to cook now at my apartment, I decided to take a stab at this traditional family staple. The recipe said it would make 16, I managed to get 8 out of it, which was primarily due to the fact that they were a lot thicker than they should, but they tasted just as good.

As I talk about food, I must also mention that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan started yesterday in Senegal. It is a time when Muslims around the world fast. As I said the past two years, it is really cool time to been in a Muslim culture and see people's faith at work.

Last year, I decided to fast for about two weeks, waking up around 5 am to have breakfast with the family and then go all day without food or water (some cheat and have water) until sun down. It is tough and I definitely have a greater respect for those who make it through the entire month.

This year is far different. Because I no longer live with a family and somewhat live the same life as I would be in the States, Ramadan has not affected me too much and I guess we can say that I'm not fasting this time around...my deli sandwich and leftover mashed potatoes for lunch today were really good.

But, but for all the Muslims in Senegal and around the world, this is your month....Bon Ramadan

Trip home....one last story...I think

2008-08-13T13:01:00.002-05:00

The other day in Atlanta, I took MARTA up to Buckhead from Atlantic Station to meet a friend for lunch. I took the bus and then subway up there. Public transportation in the US is far different than in Senegal. While I found it to be far more reliable it felt sterile and lacked character.

On my return trip, I decided to just take a cab back to my buddy's house. I got in the cab and told him the address. He asked me if I was from Atlanta and I told him I lived in Africa. He went further and asked where and I told him Senegal.

It turns out he was Somalian but when civil war struck he moved to Dakar for 3 years and lived in a neighborhood adjacent to my old one. It was another cool encounter. We spoke in English and Wolof talking about the things that make Senegal great...food and hospitality. Also, we talked about how Senegal has changed since his days there. He had been in the US for 11 years driving taxis.

As we do in Senegal, I tried to negotiate the fare (in Senegal set fares don't exist and negotiation is done prior to entering cab). We both laughed as my wallet cried.

It's a small world.

Trip Home

2008-08-13T12:53:00.003-05:00

The trip back to the US is close to being over, very close, actually sitting in Concourse E waiting for the plane to arrive. Goodbye

USA

for 10 more months and then who knows where to.

The bags are packed with who knows what. Turned out my two checked bags were a bit heavier than I had anticipated…53 pounds and 51 pounds, so I had to do a little rearranging at the airport. I didn’t think I was going to have to be that guy. Turns out, my entire luggage, carry-on and all weighed about 135 pounds. It should be interesting getting it all to my apartment come tomorrow morning. I just didn't have enough room left for a blender.

The trip home has been a quiet and quick one. Most of the time was spent in Charlotte and the beach with my family, with stops in Chapel Hill and Savannah. Time in Atlanta was short, very short, lasting about two days, so I apologize for not getting to see nearly everyone I wanted to or for as long as I hoped too.

Go Dawgs!!!

Story Stateside

2008-08-13T12:23:00.001-05:00

Fresh off Delta Flight 35 from Dakar, Senegal on the morning of Friday, July 18 a buddy of mine picked me up from the airport in Atlanta and we were off for the start of one of our friend’s bachelor parties. We made a stop at Chick-ful-a and then Costco to pick up food and drinks for the weekend.

The minute we got out of the car at Costco, I couldn’t have been any further from life in Senegal. While I consider Dakar home, coming back to the US to visit, especially the first day back, a lot of catching up occurs. My mind was on the number of pounds of hamburger meat we were going to buy.

Well, that soon changed and it became clear yet again that it I a small world. Walking in to the store, I looked over my shoulder and there were three men of African decent (African-American, African, other, I didn’t know) walking in. One was wearing an outfit native in Africa and prevalent in Senegal called a boubou. I didn’t find anything unusual about this, but his buddy was on the phone and all of a sudden, I picked up a bit of Wolof coming out of his mouth.

I couldn’t believe it, it brought me back home.

The minute his buddy got of the phone, I turned around to say hello in Wolof. Their eyes widened and smiles spread. We talked for a bit outside and then again inside the store for awhile. They all lived in the States now but were Senegalese.

I’m not going to lie, it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in two and a half years.

2008-08-12T09:32:00.002-05:00

Oh wow....I've had writer's block too long...I promise I have some posts coming.

Pictures of my new home

2008-06-04T15:41:00.002-05:00

I just moved in about a week and a half ago and a few people have been asking for pictures, so here you go.....

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4YsJ4&emid=sharshar&linkid=link3

Artisanal Fair

2008-06-04T14:31:00.002-05:00

2008-05-06T18:19:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is doing well. I just wanted to apologize for not having updated this in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, you are going to have to wait a bit longer.

Currently, I am in the process of transitioning between my two years of service and my third year. While I will still be living in Dakar, a lot of emotions are being felt. I finished up with two of my projects at the Hospital last week. I am moving to an apartment next week after becoming part of an awesome family for the past two years.

In the meantime, I am leaving Dakar on Thursday and taking a week long break. My goal is to pretty much disappear during that time. I don't get out of the city too often, nor enough, so I am looking forward to this R & R.

When I return, I will more concretely take over some new responsibilities.

For those of you that have supported me for the past two years, you have no idea how much it has meant. Thank you.

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On a side note, as a result of staying a third year with Peace Corps, I am required to take a month long vacation home. My tickets have been booked and I'll be back late July to mid August. I figure this will be my last time back to the States until I finish up early Summer 2009....after that, who knows where I'll go.

Perks of the job

2008-04-21T17:37:00.003-05:00

For all of those who have lived or live in Senegal or even West Africa, you will be happy to know that mango season has arrived here in Dakar. It truly is one of the bigger benefits to staying for a third year. It is just another one of those things I don't think I can compare to the State's. Also, the mangoes you pick up at your local Piggly Wiggly are nothing like the mangoes here.

There are too many better feelings when going to a mango stand, buying the biggest mango they have (biggest one I've gotten was about 1.5 kg or 3.3 pounds) and devouring the whole thing. Sometimes the stomach gets a little achy, but you literally just can't stop eating them because they are so good. There isn't much more in life than experiencing the juice of a mango nearly the size of a football dripping down your chin.

Raise your boisson sucre and ching ching to another mango season...

Peace Corps Director Visits Senegal

2008-04-17T11:56:00.003-05:00

Since I arrived in Dakar almost two years ago, I have met hundreds of people as a result of my micro-gardening projects at Hospital Fann. They range from low key visits of interested Senegalese who heard about the project, development workers, doctors/medical researchers from all over the world, school groups to higher profiles visits of Peace Corps/Africa country directors, American military representatives, Raul Gonzalez (soccer player for Real Madrid), White House staffers, and the First Ladies and Daughters of the United States and Senegal. It has been a unique and interesting experience for sure.

This past week, Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter and Chief of Operations for Africa Region Lynn Foden were in Senegal visiting Volunteers and really just checking in. On Tuesday afternoon, I had the honor to show them two of my sites at the Hospital as well as the Peace Corps/Senegal Director Chris Hedrick. The first site was the large project at the Infectious Diseases Ward. This is a site that has been featured in international press and well known in the Peace Corps/Washington circle apparently. I am currently wrapping up my responsibilities at this site, so it was rewarding have it visited. Prof Sow gave a brief description of the project before Peace Corps got involved in 2005 and how much it has changed since. Also, he thanked Peace Corps for its service and commitment to the project. Following the Prof's words, I really stressed the high level of collaboration involved in the project. The project involves the Infectious Diseases Ward, Center for Microgardening in Camberene, Peace Corps, and Development in Gardening. It was important to me to highlight this collaboration. Also, I wanted to stress that this is a big time project, that involved several thousands of dollars worth of funding to complete. The reason for this is because big time projects often times are not possible in developing countries and it is difficult if not impossible for individuals to replicate some of the technologies we utilize at this site.

(Chief of Operations/Africa Region Lynn Foden, PCV Justin Land, Director Ron Tschetter)

Following the Infectious Diseases project, we walked to my new project at the Psychiatric Wing, which means a lot to me. This project is one unlike the other. There is no funding, it doesn't target the hot-button international health topics, and there is little collaboration. The things I wanted to point out to the Director is how the project has taken months to develop and currently not complete, but because it is utilized as a therapeutic resource for the patients, building speed isn't crucial (which Mboup and I did not anticipate when we started). Also, one of the goals of the project is to see if it can be done in a way for everyone to be able to replicate, which was talked about. While we have been able to piggyback a bit from my other projects, since July, roughly 20 to 30 dollars has been spent on the project, and some of these expenses weren't mandatory. The final point that was discussed was the therapeutic rewards of the project on the patients. Treatment of mental illness in the US and even more so Senegal, is not great. The garden is not the solution, but we are trying to act as a free option and also to show that we do care about individuals with mental disorders. I think we are succeeding, which I'm proud of, but I know we can do more.

(Getting my boss to work for me...Director Tschetter, PCV Justin Land, PC/Senegal Country Director Chris Hedrick)

For me personally, to be be able to talk about the Psych project and in a sense, get awareness out there about it was the most rewarding part of the visit. There was a couple members of the Senegalese press there and a media release by the US Embassy which can only help. Hopefully this time next year as I will be saying my goodbyes, we will be farther up the stairs.

While the visit at the Hospital was over, it was not the last of my interactions with Director Tschetter and Chief of Operations/Africa Foden. I was invited to a reception at Country Director Chris Hedrick's house in the Director's honor. Peace Corps staff, Senegal NGO leaders, Volunteers, and RPCVs living in Senegal attended...anytime you get a bunch of Peace Corps Volunteers in a room, whether they are former or current ones, a good time is going to be had.

Wednesday morning, myself and two other Volunteer's were invited to go out to Goree Island with the Director for pretty much a private tour of the island, which is definitely the way to go. We took a private boat over around 8:30, long before the first boat of tourists and sellers arrived at the island around 10:30. I definitely saw a different side to the island...it was really cool.

With everything said and done, the Director headed to Thies to continue his journey. Out of all the visits, this was the most meaningful. After working with the organization for two years and signed up for a third, and being one of about 8,000 current Volunteers/trainees he leads, it was cool to shake his hand and show him and Lynn what I do on a daily basis.

A Time for Goodbyes

2008-04-17T11:22:00.002-05:00

Since I joined the ranks of Peace Corps/Senegal, four stages (groups of Volunteers) completed their service, the fifth is leaving now. The goodbyes that go along with these have become part of the game. The thing that is different with this current stage leaving is that it is my stage, the group I entered with. We have all come along way since we met in Philadelphia as strangers two years ago. Through the two years, many of us have become family, and the bonds that are created here are very unique and special...almost something that can't be described if you haven't experienced it.

As an example of these bonds, last night, I went out with three of my buddies who I entered with to say farewell to one of them. It was a tight group, through two years, we bonded like brothers, yet we all lived in different corners of Senegal. I'm not gonna lie, toasts were made, a few tears were shed...it was the culmination of our trials and tribulations here. Out of this group, two of us are staying another year, so the two leaving are gonna be missed here.

New York Times - Better Mental Health, Down on the Farm

2008-04-17T11:07:00.005-05:00

Tara Parker-Pope on Health - April 11, 2008, 10:54 am

Working with farm animals may boost coping skills. (James Estrin/The New York Times)

Caring for farm animals appears to offer a therapeutic benefit for people with mental illness, according to new research.

Earlier studies with cats and dogs have shown that animal-human interaction can decrease stress and improve self-confidence and social competence. But less is known about whether working with other types of animals offers any benefits to those struggling with anxiety or other psychiatric disorders. Even so, the use of farms to promote mental health is increasing in Europe and the United States, as various treatment programs offer so-called “green” care, which includes time in community gardens and on farms as a form of therapy.

To determine whether time working with farm animals makes a meaningful difference in mental health, Norwegian researchers studied how life on the farm might affect patients with problems like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and personality disorders. Reporting in the journal Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, they recruited 90 patients, including 59 women and 31 men, with psychiatric ailments. The vast majority were being treated with antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, mood stabilizers and other medications.

Two-thirds of the patients took part in the farm intervention, where they were asked to work with cows, sheep and horses for three hours a week over a 12-week period. The remaining one-third served as a control group and received standard psychiatric care.

By the end of the study, 19 of those in the farm group had dropped out, while only two in the control group had left the study. But during the six-month follow-up, the farm patients reported a statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy and coping skills compared to those who had not spent time working with animals.

The researchers noted that work with farm animals may improve mental health in part because it gives a person physical contact with another living being. Routines that include activities like feeding, milking and caring for other living creatures may also promote self-esteem and confidence.

“Patients may have learned new tasks…and afterwards felt more self-confident,'’ the authors reported. “The contact with the animals may have produced a pleasurably experienced social interaction that made the patients less afraid of new situations.”

House Approves Global AIDS Program

2008-04-02T17:01:00.002-05:00

In the past two years on this site, one thing I've really wanted you, the reader to do, is to use your own judgments to make conclusions, keep an open mind, and open your horizons. Much of the time, I've tried to keep my opinions to a minimum.

Because I feel many of my peers back home know little about the outside world, past the city they live in and possibly what appears on the nightly news, its important for me to share this article with you all.

What the American people are doing abroad regarding development and global health is important, and quite frankly we are taking the leadership role. Being on the ground here and seeing these dollars utilized ranging from large scale projects with Ministries (governmental not religious) to the most grassroots in villages. When you multiply what is happening just here in Senegal to all African countries, hopefully we (not just the US, but everyone) can eradicate malaria, diminish the wide-spread nature of HIV/AIDS, and increase the overall health of Africans.

You may ask yourselves why we should care as Americans....we are all human.

So, for those of you that think (and consequently debate the justifications) that the U.S. is only focused on the Middle East regarding foreign policy then your wrong. As an American, you should be proud...for many reasons.

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By JIM ABRAMS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Wednesday to triple to more than $10 billion a year U.S. humanitarian spending on fighting AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa and other stricken areas of the world.

About $41 billion of the $50 billion over five years would be devoted to AIDS, significantly expanding a program credited with saving more than 1 million lives in Africa alone in the largest U.S. investment ever against a single disease.

Every day another 6,000 people are infected with the HIV virus, said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, D-Calif. "We have a moral imperative to act and to act decisively," he said.

The House voted 308-116 to extend and broaden the scope of the $15 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that President Bush promoted and Congress enacted in 2003. It has been hailed as a noteworthy foreign policy success of the Bush presidency.

The White House, which backs the House bill, said the program is supporting anti-retroviral treatment for about 1.45 million people and is on track to meet its goals of backing treatment for 2 million, preventing 7 million new infections and providing care for 10 million, including orphans and vulnerable children.

In 2007, 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV and AIDS, according to the United Nations.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, added that while the program is based on altruism, it has strengthened U.S. security.

Without addressing the AIDS pandemic, she said, it "will continue to spread its mix of death, poverty and despondency that is further destabilizing governments and societies, and undermining the security of entire regions."

The compromise bill was one of the last endeavors of the former Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Tom Lantos, D-Calif., who died of cancer in February. The measure is named after Lantos and his predecessor as Foreign Affairs chairman, the late Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., who worked together on the 2003 act.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a similar $50 billion bill, and the legislation is seen as having a good chance of passing in an election year in which few major bills will reach the president's desk.

To advance the legislation, conservatives had to give up a provision in the 2003 act requiring that one-third of all HIV prevention funds be spent on abstinence programs. Instead it directs the administration to promote "balanced funding for prevention activities" in target countries.

Liberals, in turn, had to accept some restrictions on family planning groups participating in AIDS programs. Conservatives, concerned that money might be diverted to abortion promotion, pushed for a provision that allows the use of funds for HIV/AIDS testing and counseling services in those family planning programs supported by the U.S. government.

A measure in the 2003 act requiring groups receiving funds to have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking, opposed by some health groups as impeding efforts among sex workers, was also left intact.

The White House, which originally promoted doubling the program to $30 billion, has expressed concern over the $50 billion figure but not opposed it.

Some conservatives still objected. "This is irrational generosity," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., saying the country doesn't have enough money to help veterans and the elderly. "This is benevolence gone wild."

The bill authorizes $10 billion a year, or $50 billion through 2013. Of that, $41 billion is for AIDS prevention and treatment, $4 billion for tuberculosis and $5 billion for malaria. The actual dollars still have to be approved in annual spending bills, but over the last five years Congress exceeded the $15 billion goal, appropriating $19 billion for global AIDS and related programs.

It expands the program, originally focused on 15 mainly sub-Saharan African countries, to include Caribbean nations as well as Malawi, Swaziland and Lesotho in Africa. The goal of the next five years is to prevent 12 million new infections, provide anti-retroviral treatment for 3 million, and train more than 140,000 health care workers. The bill increases coordination with drinking water and nutrition programs and efforts to educate girls and women.

"This will be remembered as the single most significant achievement of President Bush's two terms in office," said Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., chairman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa.

Another Taxi Story....Yawn

2008-03-27T14:51:00.003-05:00

Over the course of the past two years, I figure I have alluded to taxis in some form in numerous posts....well, here is another one.

Typically, in the past, I have only shelled out for cabs in due necessity, whether it be that I'm in a rush or it is too late for a bus. In the past month or so, I have taken them more out of convience...Dakar public transport has temporarily defeated me. During the span of the past month of taxi taking, I've had two interesting encounters.

First, early last week, I hit the snooze button one too many times. It has been a re-occuring problem actually...I don't think my body always likes trying to wake up at 5:45 - 6:00 (unless it is from a nap in the afternoon). With that being said, I had an appointment with an American student scheduled at the hospital and needed to get some work done prior to it. To compensate for the hour dealing with public transport, I figured a $3 (a lot for a Peace Corps Volunteer budget) taxi fare and 15 minute ride was what it was going to be.

I walked out of my house groggy and to the main road...flagged down a cab and was on my way. The ride was going smoothly. It wasn't the most structurely sound taxi I'd ever been in, but for here in Dakar, I trusted my life with it and it wasn't bad.

Half-way to the hospital, the driver said he needed to pull over real quickly to fix something. The car seemed to be working fine but because I was the consumer and he was the driver in the situation, I obliged. A couple minutes roll by, and then a couple more, and a couple more until he gets back into the car for good 15 - 20 minutes later. My anger/frustration/emotions don't always show (call it hard to read maybe) but I told him I wasn't paying him full fare. I think he chose to ignore me or pretend to not understand my wolof...not sure.

We pulled into the hospital and down to the Infectious Diseases' Wing and I hand him 1,000 CFA (not full fare). While I have suggested in the past about paying the fair price, I felt that was what I was doing. Unfortunately, my chauffer did not like this. We argued for about 5 minutes, somewhat heated. Can't say it was how I wanted to continue my morning but happens every once in a while. Finally, I just decided to get out of the cab. Wellllllll, not so fast little Justin. The brute strength of my driver's forearms and fist wrapped around my bag strap prevented me from getting out or possibly moving.

I consider myself an expert fighter and champion of mind games but this guy could have kicked my ass thrice (1 + 2 = thrice) times in a span of me blinking my eyes. So being the southern guy I am, I told him to remove his hands from my bag and then pay him the 500 CFA extra that I deducted when he stopped his working taxi for 15 minutes. The problem was that my change was in my pocket but because of the tight cut of my jeans, I had to stand up to get into my pockets....it took me another couple of minutes to explain this and promise him I wouldn't flee.

Finally, while the time was still hovering 8:00 am, I managed to still have my life and another story to tell.

Second, on the contrary to the last taxi story, this is one of a different nature. Because I have been in the mood lately of taking taxis out of convenience, I have not always been rushed when I've been in them.

Because I am currently house-sitting and needed to pick up an outfit from my house for a conference to attend today, I went home after work on Monday to get it. In order to get from my house to where I'm house-sitting, there is no easy way to get there based on public transportation, so I took a cab.

I went to my neighborhood cab stand and jumped into a cab. The driver was super cool and I soon realized as we were going up the incline over the bridge, the cab was struggling and going at a turtles pace. I was in no hurry, the driver was nice, made a joke or too about his sick little cab, and I was content being in that cab.

The trip that should normally take 15 minutes took 45 and honestly it was one of the most relaxing 45 minutes I'd had in awhile. It was close if not better than sitting in a barber's chair getting a hair cut. I'm fairly confident I snoozed off for a second or too. When I made it to my destination I thanked him for such a marvelous ride...it was great.

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Third, I know I said I was only going to mention two but I'm only going to briefly mention this one so when I read this in 35 years I will remember the time I was going downtown during W.A.I.S.T. at 9:30 at night to my hotel from the American Club and the taxi driver dropped me off at a dead end street in the middle of nowhere and said he did not know where the President's House, Place de l'Independance, or the Ponty (most recognized street name in Dakar) was...all of which were around my hotel...thes are places EVERYBODY knows. Despite being physically and mentally exhausted, somewhat furious, and fearing being robbed...I jumped out of the cab as it was still rolling and walked briskly down the street in and out of boutiques and behind trees...while being tall, lanky, and white, I was trying to camouflage myself into the surroundings. In the end, my survival tactics worked, I made it back in one piece. This was one of my weirdest cab experiences....I would have rather been a contestant on Cash Cab though.

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I don't know what any of yall are thinking when you read this or are questioning my safety here, I wouldn't change my time here as a whole at all. Love the excitement...one more year.

Psychiatric Wing Project Update

2008-03-15T09:31:00.007-05:00

From a physical standpoint, my newest project at the Hospital Fann Psychiatric Wing continues to be a work in progress...which I look at as a good thing. While I was approached about the idea last May, due to the First Lady's visit, my vacation back to the US, and then Ramadan, is was not until October when things started. Over the course of the past few months, a lot of changes/improvements have been made. The cost of the project remains low and hopefully in turn, sustainable and potentially achievable by others.

Currently, Mboup (psych wing technician) and I have brought in 70 tires and enough composted material to fill them, added landscaping touches and started the planting of flowers, and redone the fencing to better secure the project as well as increase it's size. We are hoping to add roughly 50 more tires and add a shaded seating area that will hopefully be used in the next phase of the project. Also, we are hoping to continue to beautify the landscaping.

Here are some pictures of the project since the beginning....

June 29, 2007:

November 14, 2007:

Experimented with two in-ground beds (one pictured). Later removed.

One of two raised rock wall beds

February 27, 2008:

The top rim of the tires is cut and then the bottom is lined with plastic. The cut top rim is then used to secure the plastic

March 5, 2008:

The fence posts and fencing were all removed, then re-installed in order to extend the perimeter of the garden

March 15, 2008:

Entrance

2008-03-15T09:30:00.001-05:00

Two Year Anniversary here in Senegal

Saturdays at the Office

2008-03-09T08:48:00.003-05:00

Saturdays in the Dakarois work schedule is something I have never understood....some places are open, some aren't....some people work, some don't. Basically it isn't like a typical Monday to Friday were a lot of people work nor is it like a Sunday where nobody works. Regardless, for me, working on a Saturday noticeably feels different.

It is not every Saturday that I go to the Hospital, but I try to go in at least once or twice a month to check in on things, and each time, I thoroughly enjoy it. On Saturdays, the Hospital is very quiet and relaxing, which is the reason I enjoy going. I can go in for an hour and call it a day, just to check in on things. I don't feel obligated to change into my work clothes, but feel comfortable wearing shorts and tennis shoes.

With work on the Psych project reaching momentum and Mboup, the gardener for the project being out of town, I decided to go in yesterday to water the Psych garden and hangout with Lope, one of the gardeners from the Infectious Diseases Ward.

After spending a bit of time at the Infectious Diseases Ward and having breakfast with Lope, I headed to Psychiatry. When I got there, I noticed a few patients beside the garden in some shade socializing. One of them I had met a few times over the course of last week.

I started watering and noticed a couple of them were speaking English. I wasn't entirely surprised, partially because The Gambia's proximity to Senegal and numerous conversations I had had in the past with some patients in English. What surprised me was that they were speaking English with each other.

A few minutes later, the only girl in the group, and the best of the English speakers walked to the entrance of the garden and asked if she could come in. I invited her in and gave her a tour of the garden and had a nice 10 minute conversation with her. One of the other guys, the one I had met before came in as well. As the conversation wound to a close, one of them asked if I wanted a cup of aataya (tea) in a few minutes.

As I got back to watering, I thought in my more about the meaning of the project to me, the meaning of conversations with the patients to me and possibly to them, as well as the potential support group that these individuals have with each other on this Saturday afternoon in the shade drinking tea, speaking English, and an American to the side. As a result, I gave them a handful of mint for their tea and continued to talk to them for a bit across the fence before finishing up my watering.

When I finished, I closed up the garden and ended up chatting with the group for a few minutes and had some tea and for some reason it was one of the more memorable things that I've experienced here.

Out of the group there, everyone, including myself, had a story, but it didn't matter on this Saturday to this group. The warmth I felt was strong.

It is weird how words sometimes can't sum up your thoughts, and this moment is one of those cases. Basically, the time I was at the Psych project strengthened my emotions for wanting to stay in Senegal another year as well as realizing more of what my potential is and should be, and not settling for less.

Hope you have all had a great weekend.

2008-03-08T09:58:00.002-05:00

http://www.ocidakar2008.com

Since I have been living in Dakar, the city has been gearing up for the Islamic Conference. Every major road has been and some still are under construction. Upscale hotels have been built, yet ironically, none to my knowledge have been completed.

Its seems over the past week, a big push has been made to finish up the road projects to the best of their ability, or atleast to get them so a dignitary can be driven on them. The results of this push were evident when I was coming home yesterday evening from the American Club in a taxi and the typical 20 minute trip took an hour...it'll be interesting to see what happens once you put motorcades on them.

Referring back to a couple months ago when the street vendors rioted, it seems that the government is trying to keep them off the busy streets during the Conference (I somewhat agree). I can only assume this off of observations because last night when I was coming home, all of a sudden, about 75 street vendors came running off a bridge carrying their peanuts, phone cards, q-tips, steering wheel covers, etc with the police following close behind. My cab driver and I got a good laugh.

The city should get interesting over the next couple days and I must say, I'm looking forward to being here for it.

One more year....

2008-03-03T08:50:00.002-05:00

Because rumors have been flying here in Senegal and I had given little information about when I was going to return back to the US, I just wanted to inform everyone that I decided to extend my Peace Corps service for a 3rd year early last week. My responsibilities here will change for the most part as well as increase but the details and paperwork is still in the works.

I will most likely be back in the States sometime this Summer, around July/August, for a mandatory one month vacation that comes with a year extension.

This decision is one that I am happy to of made and really look forward to the year to come.

Consular Warden Message - February 28, 2008 - U.S. Embassy Dakar

2008-02-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

Organization of the Islamic Conference: March 13-14, 2008

The U.S. Embassy in Dakar is issuing this Warden Message to remind U.S. citizens of the upcoming Organization of the Islamic Conference to be held in Dakar on March 13-14, 2008. This event will bring thousands of visitors, among them many heads of state and other foreign dignitaries. Although much is being done by Senegalese police and security elements, events such as this sometimes bring inconvenience and an increased risk of security incidents.

In the days leading up to the conference, Dakar residents should expect an increase in traffic disruption as motorcades ferry participants throughout the city. Due to the increase in police presence, pedestrians and motorists are reminded to have available all necessary documentation and be courteous when dealing with police. As noted in the Department of State’s Country Specific Information page for Senegal (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1013.html),Senegalese law requires that all persons carry personal identification at all times, and all Senegalese law enforcement officials have the authority to challenge suspicious activity and to request personal identification. To minimize inconvenience in the event of theft, the Embassy suggests that U.S. citizens carry copies, preferably notarized, of their passports and other identification documents, rather than originals.

Given the size and focus of the conference, an increase in situational awareness is recommended. Due to increased congestion and security, American citizens may wish to limit unnecessary movement during the event and purchase items such as food and fuel before the conference begins.

Please remember that public demonstrations, political gatherings, and student protests are relatively common in Senegal, both in Dakar and in outlying regions. In the past, these events have sometimes turned violent. Due to the potential for violence, U.S. citizens should avoid political gatherings and street demonstrations, and maintain security awareness at all times. For guidelines on dealing safely with public demonstrations, please see the American Citizen Services page of the U.S. Embassy Dakar website at http://dakar.usembassy.gov/service.html.

Months to Come

2008-02-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 25, 2008

While my time here in Senegal is coming to a close day by day, it is far from done. After being in the States for 10 days in early February, attending the West African Invitational Softball Tournament (W.A.I.S.T.) last weekend, and all of last week being taken up by the All Volunteer Conference and COS Conference, I am ready to get back to work. It is nice to feel rejuvenated and having a strong desire to make some positive changes.

At my main site at the Infectious Diseases Ward at Fann Hospital, I am hoping to get back into the nutrition and food preparation side of things. This is an area which I got burned out doing last year, so I am hoping I will see full commitment amongst those involved in the project this year to tackle this. Hopefully, in the end, this project will be looked at as a well rounded one.

Also, I will slowly transition myself out of the gardening portion of this site so the technicians will be better prepared when I leave.

At my new site at the Psychiatric Ward at Fann Hospital, I just secured a small amount of funding that will allow us to nearly double the growing space. While this site will probably have a volunteer at it after me on a small scale, continuing to work with the technician at the site, I want the patients to be more greatly integrated in it by the time I leave.

As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, it is most likely that I will be replaced by a new Volunteer in mid May, so over the next couple months I will be involved in some site development so the future Volunteer will have things to do as well as a place to live. Along with this, once this Volunteer arrives in Dakar, I’ll be working closely with them to try and get them more integrated into the city.

Another Volunteer and I are trying to put together a book on Dakar which will be incorporated into the training of new Volunteers. Dakar is a massive city with little source of compressed information, so we are trying to compress everything together with the Volunteer in mind.

While I am not searching for accomplishments, I am hoping by the time I leave here I can say that I got the job done or showed somebody how to do it instead of just leaving things hanging. Too many people have given up on Africa, I don’t want to be one.

Taxi Fares

2008-02-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Early on in my Peace Corps service I found it difficult to constantly have to negotiate for prices….whether it be in a market or with a taxi. At times, it was, and still is annoying. The reason for this annoyance is because I’m not Senegalese, and regardless of how hard I try, I never will be…often times adding a few steps to the negotiation process.

With this being said, it has been fascinating as well. Often times, through these negotiations, you strike up relationships (many good and some bad). Also, you learn that Senegal is a customer-based market (different then a customer service based market) in which if one vendor or driver doesn’t agree with your price, another one might…and there are plenty of others. This is not a good thing if you are in a hurry though and luck is not on your side.

While I have always wanted the best price for things, more importantly, I have started to want the fair price….for me and for the seller. Lately, I have been at a crossroads with this approach regarding taxi fares.

I typically break my taxi fares when I negotiate in Dakar between 1,000 CFA, 1,500 CFA, and 2,000 CFA depending on where I’m going. While still being a firm believer in negotiating the correct price for when I’m going somewhere, I have had a difficult time lately trying to determine if that is the fair price.

In the past several months, Dakar traffic and road construction has increased to try and meet the deadline for the Islamic Conference happening in Dakar in early March. This construction has made getting around the city very tiresome. Unfortunately, because the detours and ramifications caused by this construction changes almost daily, you never know how you will be affected.

Some may disagree with my approach based on the fact that once you make a contract (written or verbal) you should stick with it, but lately I just haven’t been able to justify getting out of the cab and paying the negotiated rate. If it should have taken 30 minutes to get home but instead took an hour, with no fault of the driver, especially one as a customer, I honestly feel as a responsible customer, I have a duty to do.

The way many taxi drivers in the city operate is that they have to pay to use the car they are driving that day. After talking to a few buddies, I think the fee in Dakar is roughly 10,000 CFA. On top of that, they must pay for the gas they use, which like in the States, it is high here too. It is not cheap to operate a taxi.

As a result, the combination of responsible consumerism and little standard in negotiated prices during a time of grand influx has made me much softer in paying what I feel is the ‘fair’ price, not the negotiated price at the end of the ride…I wish my wallet always agreed.

COS Date

2008-02-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

Sunday, February 24, 2008

During the COS Conference, we were supposed to declare our end date with Peace Corps. While on paper I have a date, it might change though. Guess the best thing for me to say is that I’ll see yall sometime this summer?

COS Conference

2008-02-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday February 23, 2008

For the past 3 days, I’ve been involved in a conference at the Hotel Fana in Almadies (area of Dakar) regarding the close of my service. All the volunteers remaining here in Senegal from my stage attended. Out of the 36 that arrived in Philadelphia in March 2006, 27 attended the conference.

The conference, led by former PCV Nicole Dewing, consisted of a lot of different components. The first day was mostly a sense of reflection of what each of us had done (large and small). This is interesting because we each have had unique and differing experiences. Also on the first day, we started thinking about how we could turn these experiences (large and small) into positive components for future use, such as a resume or Peace Corps related paperwork. That evening, we had a panel discussion at Club Atlantique with former volunteers living in Dakar followed by a reception with the RPCV community living in Dakar. It was really interesting to see the RPCV community in Dakar come together. There are roughly 50 – 60 former Volunteers living and/or working in the city.

The second day was most mostly spent learning how to fill out all the paperwork needed to complete our service. This paperwork pertains to medical, financial, programmatic, and bureaucratic maters. Thursday evening, about 10 of us met a group of study abroad students studying in Dakar to answer questions about our experience as Volunteers.

The feedback sessions took up most of Friday. While the security session occurred on the first day, we dealt with programs, medical, administrative, and training feedback on Friday. These sessions were very beneficial and hopefully everyone involved in Peace Corps/Senegal will continually strive to make it a respected and valuable organization in Senegal.

Friday evening came around with a COS celebration ceremony at our country director’s house. I don’t think any of us were disappointed in the hospitality. Speeches were made by some Volunteers and staff congratulating and thanking everyone. Also, superlatives were passed out, in which I got….best go to person.

It is a shame that things are coming to a close…I wish I could stay a lot longer. The past two years here are something I don’t think I could ever regret. The people I have met, spanning numerous nationalities, have been amazing. The emotions felt through the roller coaster haven’t made me sick in my stomach but stronger in my head. There have been challenges that most of the readers of this site will never experience or possibly understand, which is difficult but I wouldn’t change for the world. After two years, I’m proud to be able to call myself a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer.

W.A.I.S.T. 2008

2008-02-26T08:45:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

This past President’s Day weekend was the 35^th annual West African Invitational Softball Tournament (W.A.I.S.T.) in Dakar, Senegal. Twenty Eight teams and nearly 600 individuals from all over West Africa competed. Out of these numbers, 13 were Peace Corps teams from Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Benin, and Mali.

Every year, this tournament is something Volunteers and ex-pats alike look forward too. The weekend is full of exciting softball, great hot dogs, and time to socialize. The days are filled with softball games and events are organized during the evenings.

This year, my team, Peace Corps/Dakar, better known as Corps de la Plage had a good run, unfortunately due to some technicalities in the tie-breaker rule, we did not make the playoffs. We managed to go 3 – 1 in the round robin but due to the strength of our bracket, we did not clinch the playoffs.

Because our theme was beach related, our uniforms were blue life-guard style tank tops with board shorts for some and shorter style shorts for others. Also, we managed to get a few props to go along with our theme which included an inner tube, whistles, tanning oil, and kite.

The night time events included a welcome party at the American Club on Friday, a W.A.I.S.T. party at the Marine House on Saturday, and an awards banquet and after party at the International School and American Club on Monday. On Sunday night, my buddy Kris and I hosted the Jimmy and James Sunday Night Grandslam at the Oceanium. We had been putting it together for the past several months and managed to draw more people than last year, totaling roughly 350 people, mostly Volunteers. It was wildly successful and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, my experience with W.A.I.S.T. is coming to a close for the time being, but knowing the tradition that is behind it, several more generations of Volunteers and ex-pats will be able to experience this great weekend for hopefully another 35 years.

Dakar Rally heading to South America for 2009 after terrorism canceled '08 race

2008-02-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 11, 2008
Dakar Rally heading to South America for 2009 after terrorism canceled '08 race

Associated Press

PARIS -- Argentina and Chile will host the 2009 edition of the Dakar Rally, which was canceled this year because of fears of terrorism in Africa.


	The 2009 edition of the Dakar rally will last 17 days and travel through Chile and Argentina.

Organizers said Monday the race will start in Buenos Aires on Jan. 2 and finish in the Argentine capital Jan. 18. The full route will be announced Tuesday in Argentina by Patrice Clerc, who runs the company that organizes the rally. This year marked the first time that the 30-year-old rally, one of the biggest competitions in automobile racing, was called off. The threat of terrorist attacks pushed the element of risk to levels organizers deemed unacceptable. The roughly 550 competitors were to have embarked on a 16-day, 5,760-mile trek through remote and hostile dunes and scrub from Portugal to Dakar, Senegal. The race, once known as the Paris-Dakar, was canceled following warnings from the French government about safety after the al-Qaida-linked Dec. 24 slaying of a family of French tourists in Mauritania. Eight of the competition's 15 stages were to be held there. Organizers promised that the cancellation did not mean the end of the Dakar race.

2008-02-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

Currently in Atlanta till February 11th. I am hoping to update this site with a handful of new posts when I get back home to Dakar and things slow down.

Trip Home

2008-01-22T08:33:00.000-05:00

I will be back in the US during the week of February4 to be best man in a buddy's wedding. With the exception of a couple days, I will be in Atlanta. Unlike my vacation home this past summer, my time is somewhat limited this time around, but I hope to see as many of you as I can. Let me know what your plans are.

Hope all is well.

Senegal, the seven-letter country that gives extra points to its Scrabble heroes

2008-01-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

From The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3162648.ece)

January 10, 2008

Adam Sage in Paris

The head of state has demanded a victory. The nation expects one. And the team is focused on what promises to be a memorable event.

The French-language Scrabble championship is being held in Dakar this year and Senegal is determined to demonstrate its prowess in a discipline that has become a national passion.

With President Wade throwing his weight behind the tournament, Senegalese players – who have won international Scrabble tournaments before – are under pressure to show that they are as much masters of la langue française as the French are themselves.

Although the World Francophone Scrabble Championship does not start until July the build-up is already under way in the West African country, with Issa Mbaye Samb, the Sports Minister, having declared the event a national priority.

“Scrabble will be treated with full honours,” he said. “It has brought a lot of satisfaction to our country.”

He said that the Scrabble team should enjoy the same facilities and prestige as other sporting stars, including footballers. A ten-day training camp is planned to enable the champions to sharpen their concentration and foster a team spirit.

“They’re absolutely passionate about this,” said Antonin Michel, France’s best player. “They’re incredibly competitive and it’s almost like an Olympic sport to them. I don’t know of any other country that takes it as seriously. It’s unique, certainly in the Francophone world.”

Among English speakers the only nation with a similar passion for Scrabble is Thailand, which hosts the world’s biggest tournament.

When Senegalese players won three titles at an international competition in Quebec, Canada, last year, President Wade told them: “I exhort you to conserve your titles. You are among the best. I am proud of you.” He added that Senegal’s success in a discipline of the mind and of the intellect showed that the country had the capacity to succeed in other areas as well.

Commentators added that the Senegalese Scrabble triumph would help to demolish stereotypes about Africans – particularly in France, the former colonial ruler, which used to think that only Belgium could rival its grasp of Molière’s language.

“The French were surprised at first,” said Ndongo Samba Sylla, a 29-year-old economist who was Senegal’s first international Scrabble champion. “They did not think that Africans could play in a language which was not their mother tongue. But now they know we can and they treat us as equals.”

This month Senegal’s standing was underlined when the International Francophone Scrabble Federation authorised the use of 14 Wolof words – the language spoken by 45 per cent of the Senegalese population.

The terms refer to local objects and customs – such as thié boudienne, a fish and rice dish, or xalam, a Senegalese lute – for which there is no French equivalent.

Such words have been included in a new version of the official French-language Scrabble dictionary, to the delight of the Senegalese. “This is a way of opening our culture to the world,” Mr Sylla said.

Letters abroad

— Duplicate Scrabble is the predominant version of the game played in the Francophone world. The rules are as follows:

— Each player sits alone at a table, with his own board and another on which all the letters are arranged face up

— A “director” takes charge. He holds a prearranged list of the order of tiles, and starts the game by announcing the first seven letters to be used by all players, who then have three minutes to make the highest-scoring word possible

— When the time is up, all hand in their suggestions on a small piece of paper. The highest-scoring suggestion is announced, and all players arrange that word on their boards, while earning the score from their own suggested plays

— A giant board hangs on the wall, charting progress with large paper letters pegged to it as the game unfolds

— The game continues, with all players playing with identical boards, until the tiles are exhausted. The player with the highest score wins

— Games take up to two and a half hours to complete. Accents are disregarded, and letter values are largely similar to those in the English version, with the notable exception of W, which is worth 10, rather than 4

Source: Jerusalem Scrabble Club

The time is coming....sooner or later

2008-01-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you, it is really really weird to think that my two years here in Senegal are almost up. For nearly four years, the commitment to Peace Corps has been in my head. I value the ideals of the organization more than ever, and I know that they will have a large input in my future.

The magical thing about this experience is that everyone is different. Personally, I know I am going to have a tough time letting go of this experience. It is so unique and has made me realize more clearly great how great we have it and the importance of giving back. I'm not going to lie, I have battled back and fourth as to whether or not to stay an extra year. Honestly, I haven't reached that decision yet, but it is quickly approaching.

With that being said, it truly hit me today that my two year commitment is coming to close. Ironically, I was sitting at my computer searching for jobs, working on resumes, cover letters, and all the other fun stuff that accompanies looking for a job (doing this from Senegal has made it much more interesting too) and I received an email from Peace Corps.

This email was not the typical one, in a sense, it was one of the most coveted emails a Volunteer receives in their service.....Close of Service (COS) invitation. What this is, is the invitation to the COS conference, where the remaining Volunteers from your group get together for a couple days to discuss the past two years with PC Administration. Just in a flash, reality truly hit.

Not only did this email establish the date of the conference, but it puts into motion all mechanisms that go into a Volunteer finishing their service. The one thing that answers some of your questions is when I will finish here (if I don't stay). My official COS date is May 12, but you are allowed to leave up to 30 days before (April 14) and 30 days after (June 12). Depending on a few factors hindering the later, I will probably choose the latest date possible. As to where I plan to go, I don't know yet, but I'm not ruling out anywhere.

So, when June 13 rolls around, who knows if I'll be spending another year in Senegal, enjoying a job in an enjoyable place, or in my parents' basement (just kidding). I do know that my time here in Senegal is sadly one day closer to the end and when June 13 falls on the calender, I better call home and wish my mom a Happy Birthday.

2008-01-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

So I walked out my door this afternoon and had to run back in and grab my camera. My little niece Fatou was in the sink getting cleaned up and she was absolutely adorable, so I decided to get a picture.

2008-01-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Dakar Rally Canceled After Terror Threat

By ANGELA DOLAND

PARIS (AP) — Al-Qaida threats against the Dakar Rally and an attack in Mauritania forced organizers to cancel the annual race on Friday, the eve of the 5,760-mile trek across North African desert scrubland and savannah.

It was the first time the automobile, motorbike and truck rally has been called off in its 30-year history. In a statement, organizers blamed "threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organizations." the Dec. 24 killings of a French family and international tensions.

The race's central appeal — its course through African deserts, scrubland and savannas — is also its weak point, making it difficult to protect thousands of people as they cross remote regions.

"No other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken," organizers said.

France, where the race organizers are based, had urged the rally to avoid Mauritania after the four family members were killed in an attack blamed on a terror cell that uses the Mauritanian desert as a hideout.

Officials say the cell is linked to the Algeria-based al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks, including the Dec. 11 twin suicide bombings at U.N. offices and a government building in Algiers, which killed at least 37 people.

Patrice Clerc, who heads the company that organizes the rally, told The Associated Press the threats against the rally came from al-Qaida's North Africa wing. He said the French government warned explicitly that the race was threatened but did not share its intelligence.

"Yes, we perhaps bowed to terrorism but our company today does not have the right to run this risk for all those people who trust it," Clerc added. "We don't have the right to play games with safety."

Mauritania's foreign minister criticized the decision to scrap the race.

"This decision has no relationship with the actual security situation in Mauritania, a country that has always been stable and peaceful," said Foreign Minister Babah Sidi Abdallah.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he did not want to "stigmatize" Mauritania, but warned of the risks "in a very uncertain region and one crossed by the networks of al-Qaida in North Africa."

"We simply want those who risk a lot to benefit from our information," Kouchner told RTL radio. "We are warning them: It's dangerous."

Al-Qaida in North Africa, in a Dec. 29 statement posted on an Internet site that it often uses, criticized Mauritania's government for "providing suitable environments to the infidels for the rally." It did not directly call for attacks on the race or its participants.

In the past, terrorism fears have forced organizers to cancel individual stages or reroute the race. In 2000, several stages were scrapped after a threat forced organizers to airlift the entire race from Niger to Libya. Several stages were also called off in 2004, reportedly because of terror threats in Mali.

The race, organized by the France-based Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), had been due to start in Lisbon, Portugal, on Saturday and finish in Dakar, Senegal, on Jan. 20. Eight of the stages were to take place in Mauritania. Some 550 car, truck and motorcycle drivers were expected.

Cyril Neveu, a five-time Dakar winner in the motorcycle category, acknowledged that the race could have been targeted by terrorists.

"It is a big caravan of more than 3,000 people," he told French broadcaster I-Tele. He said he respected the organizers' decision but added: "Many are going to be disappointed."

"Providing security from the first to the last competitor is an onerous job," Neveu added. "One cannot say that there was zero risk."

Only the father of the slain family survived the Dec. 24 attack, in a town 150 miles east of the Mauritanian capital as the family picnicked on the side of a road.

That attack was followed up be another four days later, when three Mauritanian soldiers manning a checkpoint were killed. Mauritania is a largely peaceful Islamic republic that has been rocked by the back-to-back attacks.

Authorities have blamed a terror "sleeper cell" linked to the Algeria-based al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa for the murders of the family. Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility for the killing of the soldiers.

The Mauritanian government had announced last week that it would mobilize a 3,000-man security force to ensure the race's safety.

Those in the country's tourism sector decried the loss, calling France's reaction "exaggerated and disproportionate."

"The worries expressed by the French are unfounded," said Mohamed El Moustapha Ould Cheibani, who heads a tour agency in Atar, a city 270 miles north of the capital, Nouakchott. "It's like getting punched in the back of our tourism industry."

Associated Press writers Ahmed Mohamed in Nouakchott, Mauritania, and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.

Mid service appts

2008-01-04T16:40:00.000-05:00

As Peace Corps Volunteers, we are all supposed to get mid-service medical check ups and dental cleanings. Typically, what happens, is that the Volunteer calls the medical office around their year mark to set up the appointments. The medical stuff is typically done in the Peace Corps medical unit while the dentist stuff is outsourced.

Because I am in Dakar and somewhat always around, I often get over looked....which doesn't typically bother me. Also, because when I feel healthy, I don't typically feel a need to get checked out. I guess the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is somewhat a story of my life.

After my year mark hit, I stopped thinking about this whole mid-service medical stuff. Then Volunteers in the group that came 6 months after me started and probably finished getting theirs. So, a few days before Christmas this year, I went into the medical office to see if I could just get out of mine....we have to get medical stuff done just before we leave country. Regardless, this was 21 months after arriving in Senegal...far from my mid-service...my fault

I managed to compromise with the medical unit and just get my teeth cleaned, which happened this afternoon. Within five seconds of probing my mouth with a metal spike, the dentist had already determined that I had no cavities. I'm not going to lie, but I was surprised.

The whole appointment lasted about 30 minutes. The time I was supposed to wait to drink and/or eat after the fluoride was twice as long, but I'm not going to lie, it wasn't the best of days, so I waited 35 minutes and had some nems....I don't regret it. For some reason, free toothbrushes and floss weren't passed out.

So you may ask yourself, "why didn't I get checked out earlier?" It is simple, I am a firm believer that if I feel healthy than that is what I am. I can't choose the day I die but I can live my life to the fullest (and foolest as I accidentally typed). If I feel sick, then I'll take care of it, but for some reason, the last person I am typically concerned about is myself, and I don't have much of a problem with that.

To healthy teeth and good health...Happy 2008!!!

Go Dawgs...

2008-01-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

In spirit of tonight's Sugar Bowl, here is a short video. I apologize for it being turned sideways, but I could not find a way to turn it, so please turn your head sideways. Video was taken on December 31 in St. Louis, Senegal.

Unbroken Links???

2007-12-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

I am hoping that the links to my pictures from Christmas and Tabaski were fixed. Please check below and enjoy.

Another Christmas in Senegal

2007-12-26T18:18:00.000-05:00

A lot of times, you never understand the magnitude of the traditions surrounding holidays that you have experienced much of your life, until change occurs. In my family, the main holiday was always Thanksgiving. From the time I was born till the Thanksgiving before I came to Senegal, my family and extended family spent it at our mountain house in north Georgia. For me, it was and is a place that I keep close to my heart, providing a sense of connection to my late grandparents, and also an aurora of calm, relaxation, and always good food. For me, here in Senegal, I knew that regardless of what I did for Thanksgiving, it could not compare to the memorable 24 others.

Christmas this year was something new for me. I was a bit apprehensive. Because my parents were in Senegal last Christmas, this year was the first year I didn't spend with my family. I have somewhat lost touch with American/typical holidays here, but Christmas is one you can't avoid, so I wanted to do something that felt right.

About two months ago, I decided I was going to spend Christmas at Aliou and Fatou Sane's house and grill cheeseburgers. I work with Aliou at the hospital and go over to there house typically a couple times a week. Also, there two girls are adorable.

On Christmas afternoon, another Volunteer and I went over to the Sane's to cook and feast. Amy and I were in charge of fixing the cheeseburgers, in addition to making coleslaw and Jello chocolate pudding. We also brought several boisson sucres (soft drinks). Fatou fixed French fries and surprised us with making a cake. Because at times, I believe in excess, my goal in all this was for someone to eat sooo much that they would throw up....you have to aim high you know.

Before we ate, the two girls opened gifts that my mom sent from the States. The generosity and enthusiasm of my parents back home to the excitement of the girls opening the gifts was absoluetely amazing.

By now, it was time to eat. All the sides were prepared and the last of the burgers were coming off the grill. Those, other than myself, sitting around the table, did not know what was about to hit them. Each burger was roughly .38 pounds of good quality beef with some diced onions and garlic accompanied by a touch of soy sauce and pepper mixed in, bringing the total weight to about .4 pounds of burger....they were some good ol' burgers that Senegal had yet to experience.

About halfway into the meal, one of the girls dipped her fork into the mustard (really spicey here) and it apparently went down the wrong pipe. As a result, the bathroom came o' calling and my goal was somewhat achieved.

About 45 minutes after sitting down, no one could move. We were absolutely stuffed. As a result, I talked to Aliou this morning at work and he said that his daughters did not move the rest of the day and night.

In the end, under the circumstances of being away from the States, I could not have anticipated a better way to spend my Christmas. It was probably one of the more memorable, touching, and rewarding ones that I've had.

Hope everyone on the opposite side of this post had a Merry Christmas celebrating old traditions or creating new ones and continues to have a safe holiday season.

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***Sorry, I tried to take more pictures of us being stuffed, but for some reason my camera stopped working.

Tabaski

2007-12-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

The Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, or Tabaski as it is commonly called in much of West Africa occurred on Friday, December 21. It takes place annually on the 10th day of Dhul Hijja of the Islamic lunar calender, which happened to be December 21 this year. The holiday acts as a remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son, Isaac under the order of Allah.

As a result, here in Senegal, Muslims who can afford to purchase sheep (can be other domestic animals meeting certain requirements), must do so and then sacrifice it as a symbol of Abraham's sacrifice. My family had four sheep, but because one was fairly small, we sacrificed three. According to the Quran, a large portion of the meat has to be given towards the poor and hungry people, often times to talibe (young children beggars), so they can all join in the feast. Some meat is given to other families and friends. The remaining meat is then cooked and eaten in a large feast that rivals an American Thanksgiving. Even though we gave a large portion of meat away, I could barely move for the next couple of days.

During the few days surrounding Tabaski, Muslims dress in their finest clothes, make-up, and yes, lots of perfume, all while enjoying the company of family and friends.

***WARNING***
Some of these pictures are not for the weak stomach.

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Also in the pictures, I have included a couple shots of the streets. They were taken on the day of Tabaski, in which no one is on the streets, so typically, they are full of chaos. Enjoy

2007-12-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

From my home....

....to yours

2007-12-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

I came across this article tonight and figured it was an important one to share. The University mentioned is the one right next to Fann Hospital where I work.

------------------------------------------------------------------

SENEGAL: Disabled students conquer daily challenges

Photo: Serigne Adama Boye

Students recently protested a shortage of housing for the physically handicapped at Dakar's Cheikh Anta Diop University

DAKAR, 18 December 2007 (IRIN) - On the campus of Cheikh Anta Diop University in the Senegal capital Dakar, physically handicapped students can often be seen crawling unaided up concrete staircases or across dirty bathroom floors.

With a few exceptions – such as the main library and a new amphitheatre – buildings on the sprawling, sandy campus have no handicap accessibility.

"Users of hand-powered or motorised wheelchairs have to crawl to access certain buildings," the disabled students association said in a recent letter to the authorities. The association compiled a list of their grievances and proposed solutions and presented it to university officials at the beginning of the school year.

Serigne Diop, a government official, says he cannot erase from his mind what he calls an "unbearable" image. "I saw a severely handicapped student trying to make it up a spiral staircase on crutches. I think she did not want to crawl so as not to get her clothes dirty," he said. "Other students passed by her without bothering to help at all."

Given the difficulties of getting around, physically disabled students often arrive late to classes. That is for those who have on-campus lodging. For those who do not, commuting is a problem, as public transport vehicles have no accommodations for wheelchairs, the disabled students association says.

Abandoning school

In their dorm room, which also serves as the headquarters of the association, students lament two disabled female colleagues who had to abandon their studies for lack of on-campus housing.

They were not the first and likely will not be the last, say handicapped students.

"These two students, who had passed the university entrance exams, had to drop their academic ambitions and return to their home villages simply because they did not find housing on campus," Fulbert Manga of the association told IRIN.

Disabled students remaining at the university say they face the same struggle daily – lack of housing, lack of access to most school buildings and public transport, inadequate financial assistance and difficulty getting decent jobs.

Photo: Serigne Adama Boye

The social services building is one of few university buildings that have ramps for wheelchair access

While Senegal's constitution includes laws protecting the rights of disabled persons, and the country is a signatory to related international conventions, the daily reality is otherwise, students say. For the disabled, arriving at university means taking on a huge battle far beyond keeping up with studies.

Inadequate

The handicapped students association in November staged a protest at the university, calling for better housing. For some 250 disabled students, at least 162 beds should be made available according to quotas agreed to by university officials, but only 107 beds are available, fourth-year sociology student Insa Sané said.

The director of housing, Makhtar Ndoye, says given the wider problem of housing at the university the housing department has had to fight to keep even 107 spaces for handicapped students. At Dakar's main university, only 5,136 beds are available with a student body of some 55,000.

Bathrooms also pose a constant problem for disabled students. "In not one single men's room will you find a sit-down toilet, and that's the case even in some women's restrooms," Yague Touré, a second-year physics and chemistry student, told IRIN.

"We are constantly protesting these inhumane conditions in the toilets." In many restrooms, inaccessible in a wheelchair, the floors are wet from faulty faucets. "Those of us who use wheelchairs are forced to crawl in dirty water." Housing official Ndoye says the university plans to install sit-down toilets and repair the faucets.

Regional problem

Djibril Sow, West Africa director of an African Union institute for the physically handicapped, said disabled people face such barriers in public places across the region. He said many more disabled students would likely be in university were conditions better.

"Certainly if conditions were improved, the number of physically handicapped students in Dakar would be multiplied by 10 or 20. From Dakar to [the Burkina Faso capital] Ouagadougou, the disabled face the same kinds of problems."

sab/np/nr

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

Garden Pets

2007-12-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

At one of my gardens this morning, we came across a new friend...

Price of gas

2007-11-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

While I haven't driven a car since March 2006 (not a fact I'm proud of) and don't know the exact price of gas in the States, I can assume from the news reports, it is continually going up.

Since being here in Senegal, I have been meaning to report the price of gas here to you. It is sold by the liter/litre. The current price of regular gas (premium gas is closer to 700 CFA per liter) is 606 CFA per liter. A liter is roughly a quarter of a gallon and at the current exchange rate, one US dollar equals 444 CFA. As a result, a gallon of regular gas here in Dakar is currently..........

$5.16 a gallon

2007-11-28T01:24:00.000-05:00

The mouse is back....grrrrrrrrr. After nearly a year on the run, I saw a tail scurry across my roomhouse. I figured I might be able to catch it with bug spray, but that just didn't work (while my body may wake up at 5:45, my intellect is far slower getting out of bed) and this sucker bust have been taking steroids in the off-season because he is much faster.

The chase is on!

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I think this is the earliest post I have ever written...time to go to work. Hope you all are doing good and enjoying the cold weather. Just remember, taking showers outside with no hot water in cold temperatures (65 degrees is cold) is not something you want to experience before the sun comes up. Happy readings and enjoy the day at work.

2007-11-21T14:48:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

GO DAWGS

Dakar Riots - November 21, 2007

2007-11-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

Since I moved to Dakar, I have experienced many protests, ranging from students at the university to ones surrounding elections. I have seen riot police shoot off tear gas, but honestly, I have never felt threatened or that I should alter the course of my day. I want to live my life. Some may disagree with this, but we all have differing thresholds. For some reason, I like excitement and future stories to tell too much.

While I remember seeing a notice a few days ago at the Peace Corps office mentioning the protest, I don't know if I read it past line two. I did get a phone call today informing me of the protest, but once again, this is Dakar, and protest happen. So, what did I do after work today, I tried to go to the Peace Corps office.

About half way there, the allhum I was in came to a stop. Police were forcing everyone to turn around. By forcing vehicles to turn around, all passengers were getting out of them. About 10 seconds after getting out and already seeing flames and black smoke just up ahead, everyone started running in the opposite direction. I had no clue what was going on until I realized a huge police truck with about 5 guys on top in riot gear and tear gas launchers. Let me tell you, I've never run that fast in my life, unfortunately, nobody really knew why they were running or where they should run too....for the most part, I was amongst normal Dakar citizens. While this was going on, I looked out the corner of my eye and about 5 feet from me, a police officer tackled a guy. I don't know what he did, but he was getting a whipping.

Finally, the big truck turned around and headed back in the direction of the smoke. Within 2 minutes though, a smaller police truck comes down with guys in riot gear and tear gas. This time, I managed to find a vehicle to get into that was heading towards my house (I don't leave anywhere near this part of town). When I was seated, I managed to get my camera out and ready for our getaway. As we were leaving, I tried to take about 5 pictures, only to realized my camera wasn't on. Very quickly, I got just one and turned to the kid sitting beside me and told him I just wanted a picture of Senegal.

This site is not one for political discussion or for me to give my views on what is going on. Part of me being here and doing what I do, I have to limit the things I say, but I urge you all to read about it. My goal is to provide the readers of this site the needed information to make their own conclusions.

If one of your conclusions is, "Justin, what were you thinking" then I have already heard it.

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EMAIL - Bus strike and T.U. march (Sent 8:16 AM)

Dear Volunteers,

The Dakar Dem Dikk which is the principal public transportation service (Large Blue Buses) in Dakar is on strike today. Transportation will be a little disturbed for the day. Prices may increase a little with the other means of transportation such as taxis, car rapides and Ndiaga Ndiaye buses. Also, the trade union march which was reported to you last week begins today at 3 p.m here in the capital not far from the Peace Corps Dakar Office. The duration of the march is unknown. The marchers have been granted authorization to march and will begin their demonstration at the Medina Poste Office roundabout and advance towards the RTS radio station on Avenue Malick SY. Police will be present to maintain peace and order. Marches may also occur in other regions and departments of the country therefore stay informed and plan ahead your movements.

On another note, PCVs in the MATAM region are to know that there will be an unauthorized trade union march in the area today. Police may be present therefore your attention and vigilance is important. Use common sense and sound judgment and avoid large crowds and gatherings. Once again, PCVs who are to travel to Dakar today please do so before the march begins or wait until it concludes.

Thank you and enjoy your day.

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Senegal police fire tear gas at rioters in capital
21 Nov 2007 12:45:54 GMT
Source: Reuters

DAKAR, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Police fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters who rampaged through the Senegalese capital Dakar on Wednesday, burning tyres and smashing car windows after authorities cleared away street vendors.

Several hundred rioters set fire to piles of rubbish, blocking streets and traffic and forcing businesses to close their shutters, witnesses said.

"The street sellers are throwing stones at police," said Mamadou Diallo, as he swept up debris outside a closed commercial centre. "The police replied by firing tear gas."

Plumes of black smoke rose above the city's business district, set on the western tip of Africa's coast, as riot police pursued youths down sidestreets choked with tear gas. The disturbances spread to neighbouring residential quarters, witnesses said.

Casualty figures were not immediately available.

Vans packed with riot police rushed towards the disturbances in the city centre. In one of them, police beat a detained protester with batons, a Reuters witness said.

The riots, the most serious to hit Senegal in years, erupted after President Abdoulaye Wade's government ordered police last week to move on street sellers from Dakar, where thousands of people earn a living peddling goods on the streets. (Reporting by Alistair Thomson; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)

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EMAIL - PC office closed early (Sent 1:13 PM)

To All PCVs

The Dakar Peace Corps Office has closed until Friday morning. We have decided to close early today due to the manisfestations in and around the capital. There have been bus burnings and rock throwing exchanges with Police on the streets since this morning. A march by the Trade unions is also scheduled for today beginning at 3 p.m from Place de l'Obélix near Boulevard du General Charles de Gaulle also known as Centenaire. Therefore, if you are to come to the capital please avoid the main streets. We would suggest not coming to Dakar altogether until Friday morning.

Senegal tries to clear streets of beggars, hawkers

2007-11-18T08:47:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press
Saturday, November 17, 2007

DAKAR, Senegal: Under presidential orders, Senegalese security forces have begun clearing the capital's clogged intersections of beggars, hawkers and walking salesmen.

The thousands of beggars and illegal vendors blocking traffic is "unacceptable," President Abdoulaye Wade said during an investment conference held in Dakar earlier in the week.

Wade argues that the country is losing millions of dollars every year because potential investors visiting Dakar are frightened by aggressive beggars and men hawking perfume knockoffs and phone cards to put more calling credit on mobiles.

"We cannot allow our city to turn into a place of squalor," Wade said.

Security forces descended on two of the capital's most congested markets — Marche Sandaga and Avenue Ponty. Soldiers, who arrived in trucks, and policemen on foot began the clearing operation after midnight Thursday.

Two days later on Saturday, only the roundabout leading into the two market streets appeared to be less congested than normal, but the walking salesmen and beggars, including barefoot children and handicapped adults in wheelchairs, had returned to the side streets.

Amadou Dieng, a beggar, had taken refuge on a small street not far from one of the markets that was being cleared.

"This sweep will do nothing other than increase our poverty. Where do they expect us to go if they are forbidding us to be in the streets?" asked Dieng.

The operation has thrown a spotlight on Senegal's global ambitions, which are at odds with the poverty of its population; more than half of working age adults are unemployed.

Dakar has been chosen to host a summit of Islamic countries next year, for which numerous high-rise buildings, five-star hotels and luxury bungalows are being built.

In an attempt to clean up its image, Senegal created a new ministry last year charged with public hygiene. Its mandate includes the fight against congestion.

Local aid groups estimate that there are between 50,000 and 100,000 unlicensed vendors and beggars in the capital, although no formal tally exists.

Many of the beggars are children who are sent out to seek money by their Islamic teachers. They are typically required to bring back around the equivalent of US$0.50 cents a day, or face a beating.

Pictures - November 14, 2007

2007-11-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

I had gotten some requests to show some pictures of the new garden at the Psych Wing of Fann Hospital that I am working on. It is somewhat my baby right now and is the new challenge that I needed in my service. It is nothing like the other two projects I am involved in at Fann and much smaller scale, but letting me use the things I have learned, liked, and not liked, and hopefully implement a sustainable, creative, and beneficial project while teaching, working, and collaborating with Mboup, and employee at the Psych Wing.

Currently, it is still a work in progress and everyday, something new happens. In my eyes, it will always be a work in progress though. Long term, the idea of the garden will switch more to a therapeutic approach for patients. It is a low cost garden (currently $11 in the hole) with an emphasis on alternative, recycled containers (tires, water bottles, oil jugs, etc.). The soil is all composted material from one of my other gardens. One of the biggest challenges right now is sunlight....there is not as much as I would like, but like everything else, gotta take what you have and go with it.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them...just remember, ideas aren't always as easy to replicate here.

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Here are a couple pictures from the other garden and some of the guys I come across during my work day. While a simple photo, I really feel that the picture above with Lope is one of the pictures that I feel somewhat sums up my service here and making realize that I made the right decision.

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Circus Show

2007-11-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

I remember having a conversation with my dad on the phone a few months ago, telling him how I was looking forward to living a life not in the spotlight. That may sound weird, because I am far from a red carpet celebrity. By standout, I mean from the Peace Corps sense, being the "Dakar Volunteer", being white in an overwhelmingly non-white society, speaking a traditional language (not national language), etc....I standout. Standing out isn't all that bad, so I somewhat rescind the comment I said to my dad, but one aspect I do not like about standing out is the "circus show" phenomenon.

You may or may not know what this is, but regardless, it is disrespect of difference. Early in my service, I don't remember if it bothered me if I was minding my own business and a Senegalese person would come up to me to try and be cute or funny and speak arrogant french to me in places not typically frequented by white people/expats/tourists/non-Senegalese/etc (public transpot, thieb(cheb) shacks to name a few). The thing is that it isn’t over at “Bonjour” but lasts for awhile typically. You always get a few that have to mess it up for everyone.

I feel like I've gone a long time since I have had this experience. I go to the same places for lunch now and take the same route to work now, not because I want to avoid confrontation, but because this is my home. And it is nice to be able to do that, say that, and feel at ease.

Tonight, was a different story. I was on the DDD Bus #5 coming home from downtown after meeting a couple of friends and I sat down in a seat and three guys started talking to me. You know it right when it happens, and I realized that I was the circus show and in for a long ride. After a year and 9 months of the circus tour, you get tired of it....i'm trying to figure a way compare it to something at home, and thing I can compare it to is the fat kid in school (who is minding his own business) who always got picked on even when he didn't know it.

All of these conversations are exactly the same. The all bring up Senegalese food and women. That is typically it. I'm looking for new material so I can spice up my act.

Yes, I did call it an act. Everyone has there own coping skills to situations. From my point of view, you can either be an asshole, shut down, or go with the flow. If you are an asshole, you are going to get eatin alive. If you shut down, you will be ridiculed right in your face. If you go with the flow, you can get annoyed but also have fun with it.

Tonight, I decided to take the "go with the flow approach." One of my biggest tactics in this approach is to never agree with the "opposition", so I didn't. I somewhat got them laughing when I decided to pull the wolof card out of the hat. Seeing a white guy on the last bus head out of town was a good opener, but hearing one speak wolof was apparently a new joke.

So the first thing they brought up was obviously Senegalese food (yawnnnnn). I love Senegalese food, but as a topic of conversation from hecklers just gets old. In their eyes, thiebudiene (rice and fish) is the only Senegalese dish. Sometimes I feel more cultured and Senegalese than them after just talking to them about food, primarily because there is more than one dish in Senegal. To their suprise, it is not my favorite dish.

The next topic is whether or not I am married or want a Senegalese wife. The answer to both is no. I am definitely not married, I can't fool myself on that one. Senegalese women are beautiful, and while I am not opposed, I currently just don't find that to be in my best interest right now. I can't say I'm looking for a wife at the moment....I'm looking at the next 7 months and then what and where I am going after here (I don't put that in my circus show though).

Well, one paragraph is not just enough for this topic though. While I say I do not have a Senegalese wife, they typically dig a bit deeper, and I will provide them with as much as I can. They typically ask if have I have a Senegalese girl. Of course, I say no, because that is the wrong answer. Going against anything I learned in 7th grade health class, I'm sure Sunday School when I was 8, and the sweet, innocent, angel status I felt I once had, I tell them that I have 4 or 5, spread across Senegal (NOT TRUE....its actually 8 during peak travel periods). This got them rolling.

By getting them rolling, I am referring not to the 3 guys who initially started talking to me, but the entire back portion of the bus. I hadn't had this happen to me before, but it was somewhat interesting.

Then, the guy across from me tells me he just came from the US yesterday. I take this for a grain of salt but ask "from where?". He says "the capital". In my mind, I know what the capital is (and was) of the US, but I ask him again where he is from. He says the same thing. So, I ask him where that is. While I did not see the news reports or notice any demolition when I was in Washington DC this past summer, APPARENTLY NEW YORK CITY IS THE NEW CAPITAL.....I heard it first on the Dakar Dem Dikk….who would have thought.

Finally, I was close enough to my stop, where I did not find it socially awkward to get up and head towards the exit. I somewhat felt that I should bow, but I held off, instead, I just passed around a hat to see if anyone would put change in it to show their appreciation for my performance.

It was nice to get off the bus and make it home, only so I could recreate it in my head, cry about it, and write this 5 minutes later. Getting back to it though, if I hadn't taken the give it back to them sarcastic approach, I would not have survived. I wish I could deal with curtious, nice, and respectful people 100% of the time, but, its only 95% of the time here. With those 5%, you can't handle the situation like you would in the States (atleast I can’t), in this culture, you can't settle for being a victim of your race, nationality, culture, beliefs, you gotta spit it back and play their game....it took me a long time, but tonight, I proved myself to be an equal, which is all I can want….welcome to the JLand circus, with Dakar shows every hour.

So, is this a good approach to handling a situation like this. I honestly don’t know. The thing I do know though is that the next time one of these people sees me, they typically know my name, know I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer, know what I do here, and have lost the arrogant attitude they once had.

At the end of the day, you have to be the standing ovation act in the circus show before you can sit in the audience.

Anybody want some sucre

2007-11-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

Today, when I got home from work for lunch, I looked down at my niece, Fatou, and did a double take. While the pictures don't really give her justice, she was covered in sugar...hair, face, clothes, hands, feet. I don't know what she got into, but it made me want to be a kid again.

Senegal: Youssou Ndour in Atlanta On Sunday December 9, 2007

2007-11-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

Freedom Newspaper (Raleigh, North Carolina)

11 November 2007
Posted to the web 12 November 2007

Following initial review and reactions by fans regarding the venue capacity and vicinity, organizers of the Youssou Ndour concert have confirmed a new venue known as The Dekalb Event Center a.ka Atlanta Live @ 3595 Clairmont Road, Atlanta Georgia 30319.

Senegambia Productions has done it again! ATLANTA will once again live up to it's name "HOTLANTA" in DECEMBER @ the Youssou Ndour show with a chance to win three prizes which includes two roundtrip tickets to anywhere in West Africa, $500 Cash and a Desktop computer

They have promised, and they are ready to deliver Youssou Ndour as one of it's two biggest Senegambian events of the year to Atlantans and it neighbors. So, if you have not yet reserved your tickets to Atlanta, now is the time do it.

When asked about its second event of the Year which is scheduled with Assane on New Year's Eve , Lekbi quietly replied- It is going to be an evening when Senegambia Productions will also present hot and rising Gambian artists under the management of Gambian Talents international, as well as music by renowned DJ King Solomon and DJ Sheikh Ndong.

Tickets for Youssou Ndour will go on sale @ TicketMaster on Wednesday, November 14, 2007.

Work Summed Up Today in a Photograph

2007-11-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2007-11-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

Everyday, I typically read three different stateside newspapers online. I don't know why at times, other than it has become part of my routine. Today, in the AJC, it already started talking about Christmas and good ol' St. Nick. It is funny for two reasons; first, I couldn't even tell you what month it is, second, the past few days I was in Tamba (8 - 13 hours southeast of Dakar) and was at a large boutique wanting to buy a Coke, when I came across a bag of Christmas cookies...expiration date: October 10, 2007. Guess they were trying to market the season's early shoppers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

What are we doing...Where are we going

2007-11-04T05:31:00.000-05:00

Sunday, November 4, 2007

As I have stated before, over the past 19 months, I have grown tremendously. I am still 6 foot, 2 inches, but I feel my mind and eyes are far older at times. The combination of this experience and my desire to take in what I see has done that. Often times, it has made my interpretations and views almost philosophical.

This post is one that is based off my thoughts for the past several months. In a sense, it is the foundation to what I believe in, especially regarding what I’m doing here. I’m not sure if I’ve written a post like this before, so hopefully you will be able to make it through the first if not second paragraph.

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Luck is a funny thing. At times, you may have good luck yet in other instances, you might have bad luck…common sense. Unfortunately, the thing with luck, good or bad, is that you can’t choose which way it is going to come or when you will be lucky.

The first instant in life in which one faces luck is at birth. You can not choose who your parents are (good or bad, successful or unsuccessful, rich or poor), where you are born (modern medical facility or unsanitary conditions), what country you will be born in (country with lots of social programs or country undergoing civil unrest), socioeconomic status (wealthy, influential family or poor, lowest caste family), etc. From that moment, you have the rest of your life in front of you. This initial luck often times provides the foundation for the rest of your life.

After living here in Senegal and having a lot of time to take things in, I’ve realized how lucky, privileged, and spoiled my life has been. Constantly, I have questioned whether or not this is right. The only answer of justification I can provide myself with is to understand that luck is something that just happens, but its what each of us do with luck, whether it be large or small, that sets us apart.

Everyone is different when it comes to this. Sometimes when difficult situations arise, people shut down, others believe in adaptation and hard work to prevail, or at least to give themselves a chance. The television show MacGyver was a fine example of this. MacGyver, the main character, always seemed to find himself in difficult, life threatening situations in which luck was not on his side. Using the little resources around him, he was always able to turn the tables and save the day.

It is troubling though to know that I do not always use my luck in positive ways, especially under my current conditions. Regardless of what statistics published by international organizations say, not all Senegalese are poor and impoverished, especially in Dakar, but it is widespread. Also, there is a large amount of economic disparity.

Sometimes, I look in the mirror and question what I am doing. I have so many opportunities and resources here. If I want a Coca-Cola, I can just buy it. If I want to go to a nice restaurant, I can’t do it everyday, but I can every once in awhile. If I want to go to happy hour on a Monday night to meet friends I can do that. Those reading this back in the western world might see no problems in this, often times, normal behavior. Just realize, from a figurative standpoint, it is always the morning after a night of drinking that you question why you did it, often times with a splitting headache. Literally, I mean that I wake up in the morning, get off the bus near work and see men, women, children, families, and crippled begging…it’s tough to comprehend and face myself in the mirror after seeing that every morning. As I mentioned earlier, it makes me question what I’m doing at times…is it right, is it wrong…I’ll never know. I think the reason for this unknowingness is because I truly believe that regardless of how hard I work, I can always do more

In a sense, the biggest question I ask my self is “how can I live my life the way I want, but be a servant to mankind at the same time?” Often times, I get torn up knowing that no matter what or how much I (or even others) do, it will never be enough. This is not a reason to give up, but a reason to continually strive to do more and realize how lucky we truly are.

A lot of the thoughts I have provided came through time. They would not have happened if I hadn’t been for one thing, which has also been the best thing about my experience. My situation here in Senegal has broken me down as a person and then raised me back up with more open eyes. A lot of times, it takes tragedy and cases of hardship to do this. The more I think about it, I don’t know too many people that get to experience this, in which I feel very lucky to feel like I have.

In the months leading up to joining the Peace Corps, a lot of people said the Peace Corps would change me and I’d come back a different person. I disagreed adamantly then and disagree now as well. I do not think that I have changed in the literal sense, but I have grown here as a person. I’m probably always going to be the tall, lanky guy I was before I left, but I hope that this growth provided by my experience here fuels my future and continues to keep my eyes open.

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If you have made it to the end, congratulations. As always, I am not going back through to proof read what I wrote, so if none of what I wrote makes sense, I apologize.

Hope you all had a great weekend and GO DAWGS!!!

Response to a few questions

2007-10-29T11:35:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite aspects about being a Volunteer is being a resource to potentially future Volunteers. I always enjoy answering questions. By trying get a well-rounded sense of what Peace Corps life might be like, one can only benefit.

I felt I should post my response to an email I received asking about my experience here in Senegal. Here it is (I did have to modify my response a bit for this site)...

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The first time somebody suggested I look into the Peace Corps, I laughed at them. It was Spring 2003. I didn't really feel it was for me at all....ultra liberal, hippie, etc (all the stereotypes). It took two years for me to actually ponder the idea. At that point, I searched for answers, much like you are doing now. One thing I wanted was for someone to just tell me to do it, primarily because there are so many unknowns, a huge commitment, and also not the "typical" thing to do. Don't search for an answer to this question, it's not out there. The decision for this is yours and you have to make it for yourself. It is not easy, a lot of people quit, its not for everyone, and everybody's experience is different (some more than others). Also, if you make the leap, go into it with little expectations, you have to be flexible...the more expectations you have, the more disappointed you will be. Biggest recommendation to give you is to get your family on board with your decision if that is what you choose....they may not be your best friends but when the going gets tough, you can always talk to them....parents you can rely on 24/7 is crucial...you are going to probably cry and pull your hair out at times....its normal, but you need a good support network at home to clear your mind.

I'm sure I have more to say, but I'll get to your questions

Did you get the geographical area you specified or did they just place you in Senegal?

I think the application process has changed a bit since I signed up, but I was able to choose my region, or at least a preferential list...sub-Saharan Africa was my first choice. I didn't find out my country till months later...the application process is long and tedious. I know you said you wanted to go to Latin America, but my suggestion is use that as guidance, but just go anywhere. This is an experience that can take you somewhere you will probably never go again, and you are going to live it. Its not about where you go, its about what you make it out to be...every place has pros and cons about it.

Same with your job...is that what you wanted to do?

I sat down with the campus Peace Corps recruiter at UGA and picked my sector (urban agriculture). I didn't really know what it was or meant, but it seemed hands on, which is what I wanted.

Do you feel like the training really prepared you (or as much as it could) for going off and working on your own?

The technical (agriculture) training was ok. Americans just learn differently and sometimes the host country national trainers don't understand that...every country's program is different. The language aspect of training was the best you could have had anywhere in the world...it was amazing.

One thing about training though is that it is supposed to provide you with the foundation, it is up to you to continue to learn once you are at site and adapt things to your site.

Did you have the opportunity to say whether you prefered a city or a village?

My program is urban ag, so I knew I was going to an urban area, but I just didn't know what an urban area in Africa was. I didn't think I was going to be in Dakar (capital city) though (I think I'm one of only two or three first year volunteers to be placed in Dakar in PC/Senegal history). Dakar has about 2 million people while the others drop in size tremendously. The next largest city has about 280,000, and it has a small town feel. Health volunteers in Senegal are in villages. Business volunteers are typically in large towns. It really depends on the program as to where you are.

Looking back do you think you would make the same decision to join now that you know more?

Things aren't perfect, I don't want to kid you. There is a lot of BS. You gotta go with the flow at times and put your foot down at others...it just takes some time before you can do the later. With all that said, I think this is the best experiences ever. There is a difference in job and experience. You have to make this what you want it to be. If it weren't knowing that I need to get a real job, I'd stay on for a third year in a heart beat. I'm really gonna miss things here. It is nice when you can reach the point and say that, it feels like home now.

Do you ever have safety issues?

I live in the largest city in West Africa, so there are safety issues, mostly pickpocketing. I have had a few attempted pickpocketings, but no success. Now, I know the areas to go and not to go. My bike was stolen from my house within the first month or so, but then again a month later, our sheep was too. You just have to play heads up ball. There are always issues, but as long as you are aware, you should be good.

I read that you broke your hand or wrist but have you had any illnesses?

I think I have had a runny nose once, but I've been very healthy. The main reason for that is that I don't live in a village. A lot of people get mango worms in their skin, ameobas, diarehha, etc. The medical care Peace Corps has is pretty good though.

What is the health insurance provided like? How did they handle your broken bone?

Everything is taken care of, you don't pay for a thing. Every Peace Corps country office has a medical unit. If they can't handle it, they will find someone who can. Also, you get a mid-service check up, in which a dental cleaning is included. You will be given all your prescriptions, vaccinations, drugs, first aid stuff, for free too.

What do you think you will do when you get back (if you have an idea) and do you think the PC will help you attain a job in that field?

Somewhat keeping my options open, but looking into the international shipping/logistics sector. PC says they help you out and do if you go to Washington, but I prefer to do it on my own.

What is the support system like from PC for safety, health, work questions, etc?

It is all there. Whether it is by phone, text, email, most volunteers here are pretty well connected to the office. The majority of volunteers in senegal have phone coverage at their sites.
How often do you see other PCV's?

I see them just about everyday, which I don't like (especially early on), but I live in the capital, where the PC office is. Volunteers, for whatever reason, are typically in town. Now, its not a big deal, mostly because I've been able to adapt to things.

What is your work schedule like and are you doing it all on your own?

It is so difficult to say what my work schedule is, in a sense, because you are always on the job as a PC volunteer. But, I go to the hospital Monday thru Friday from about 7 am to Noon. At the hospital, I have my main project at the infectious diseases ward. This project was already started when I arrived and is in collaboration with a few groups. I am involved in a second garden at the HIV/AIDS outpatient center that was started by an NGO started by the guy I replaced. Information about that one can be found at www.developmentingardening.org. I am in the process of starting a new garden by myself at the psych ward of the hospital. This is my baby right now. It is not something I could have done right when I got here, but when I was approached to do it a few months ago, I couldn't turn it down.

With work though, my schedule is something that I dictated. Out of 150 volunteers in Senegal, I have the most structured work schedule. Part of that is me, the other part is because you can't really have structure in a village. I really wanted to make what I was doing at the hospital a job and hold myself to high standards.

Also, I teach english twice a week from about 8 to 10, but dinner is included in that time too.

Some countries have more structure, but realize that a developing world work environment is far different from a first world work environment...a lot of people going into PC don't think about this. Part of this isn't just work but about the experience too. This is a very non-traditional job in a lot of places.

Overall take on your experience? (I'm guessing from your blog you're loving it)

I love it. My experience in Senegal is far different from all the other Volunteers here. Living in Dakar is interesting and my job set up is different. It isn't everyday that Laura Bush, Raul (soccer player), white house staff, Peace Corps country directors, and diplomatic visits come to your site. Being different has been one of the hardest things for me to handle here...I wish I could just be under the radar. It took awhile to get used to everything and I still don't like big visits, I'm not here for that, but its the way it is and can be important for a cause.

In my 19 months here, I'm the happiest I have been, and I see it continuing till the end. I'm gonna miss this experience tremendously, and value it highly. Just remember, its what you make out of it.

Don't hesitate to ask more questions. Feel free anytime.

Pictures - Ile de Madeline

2007-10-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

I went back to one of my favorite places in Senegal today, Ile de Madeline, off the Dakar coast with some friends. Here are the pictures from the visit. It was a perfect day.....sunny, hot, and nice water.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4YvLA&notag=1

Uncle Eddie...

2007-10-16T17:38:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

While people often times take it for granted and don’t realize it, life in the United States is pretty good. Things are typically quick, simple, and efficient. Also, there is a heavy emphasis on customer service. It’s typically the merchant that will go out of their way to make the customer happy and not the other way around.

Things in Senegal can be and typically are, quite different. As I have come to find out over the past 19 months (wow time is flying by) this difference isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing. While I prefer quick, simple, and efficient actions, the opposite can be fun once you get used to it.

I think I’ve mentioned it before about how difficult it is to break large bills (above $4) usually. In order to break certain bills, I often have to go to certain places that I know will do it and then spend half of it buying something so I don’t feel guilty. If you go to a neighborhood boutique and you don’t have change, well, you better go find some, or you aren’t going to be bringing home that new tube of toothpaste that you need. Sometimes, you have to go back to a boutique to get your change. I don’t know if this is common for everybody or just me, since being white, I typically stand out from the majority of boutiques customer base.

This past weekend, one of the coolest things happened. I was out in a part of town by the American Club and realized that I really needed to buy some laundry detergent and a razor. As a result, I stopped by a boutique that I hadn’t been to before and started talking to the owner. I paid him a 5,000 CFA bill ($10) with about 4,000 CFA in change coming back to me. The guy goes through his drawer for about a minute looking for change and then pulls an Uncle Eddie from the National Lampoon Family Vacation films and starts going through coffee cans looking for money. Finally, he gave me my 5,000 CFA back, plus 150 CFA that I would have been given in change and told to come back later to pay.

The minute I turned to walk away, it struck me that I had just made a profit in this boutique trip. Not only did I still have my 5,000 CFA, but also 150 CFA, 6 packs of detergent, and a razor. For some reason, I found this business deal quite amazing….but I guess my middle name is “trust”.

The next day, I went back and handed the boutique owner the 1,000 CFA that I owned him. I didn’t even have to get my change because he gave it to me the day before…genius.

Come a few months, I sure am going to miss things like this.

Pictures - Korite

2007-10-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Here are pictures taken on Korite. It is the last day of Ramadan here in Senegal, which it is celebrated with a feast.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4Yu8A&notag=1

How to Give - Email from Friends of Senegal and The Gambia

2007-10-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

Copy of an email sent out by Friends of Senegal and The Gambia. It references on how to make a donation to the N'Dongo Family.

Dear Friends,

It is with regret that I inform you of the loss of a dear friend to Senegal PCVs and RPCVs from the last 4 years. Lamine N'Dongo, Safety and Security Officer, died in a car accident on Sunday, driving the PC car near Bakel. The driver was on the passenger sit and is currently in the hospital, injured but stable.

Lamine was a friend to those who knew him. He took care of each of us like we were family. He knew everyone in the police force throughout the country and God forbid anyone messed with us, he would take care of it tactfully and quickly. He believed in Peace Corps and was proud to be part of its mission. He leaves behind a wife and four children, all girls.

We would like to make a collection for his family on behalf of the Friends of Senegal and The Gambia and the RPCV community at large. FOSG will match any funds collected. Some RPCVs already started collecting funds and I've invited them to join our collection so we could match the total amount. Any small contribution would be of great help to them.

Please send a check or money order to Dan Theisen to:

Pay to the order of Friends of Senegal and The Gambia
Memo: Lamine N'Dongo's Family Fund

Daniel Theisen
428 Bowleys Quaters Road
Baltimore, Md 21220

We will wait at least 2 weeks to give people time to send their checks to Baltimore for Dan to process them. If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me through the FOSG list or directly to marielsie.avila@gmail.com.

Thank you,
--

A note from the PC/Senegal Country Director

2007-10-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Dear Peace Corps Senegal Family:

Perhaps sometimes I overuse the term family in referring to our relations and work together, but never have I felt so strongly that family is the right word to use for Peace Corps Senegal Volunteers, Trainees and Staff this week. We have all pulled together in the wake of the devastating news of the death of our friend and colleague Lamine N'Dongo. I was touched by the efforts of Volunteers from around the country to express their sympathy with Lamine's family. And I know that his family was touched deeply by the sentiments we expressed in the visits of two large delegations from our Peace Corps Senegal family Monday night and last night.

I want to thank everyone who was part of dealing with this terrible tragedy in the most humane way we could manage. From those who informed the family to those who were at the site of the accident and prepared and transported Lamine's body, to everyone who visited Lamine's family, and those who called and wrote: thank you. Thank you also to the emergency workers in Tambacounda who assisted effectively and with compassion.

Looking forward, we will be putting in place a fund for the care and schooling of Lamine's children and we will have a ceremony at the new Peace Corps building in Lamine's honor. As we are determining the best means to provide for Lamine's children, anyone who wishes can make a donation, which Molly will keep until we open an account. Returned Volunteers in the U.S. are now organizing a fund, as well, and we are coordinating with them.

Lamine was a brave, kind and tireless soul. He was a friend to us all and dedicated to the safety of all Peace Corps Volunteers. We shall miss him deeply.

Word of Lamine's passing stunned Peace Corps friends from around the world. I wanted to share with you some of those notes that I have received.

-Chris

Mamadou Lamine Ndongo

2007-10-09T03:25:00.000-05:00

The past two days have been tragic for the Peace Corps/Senegal family with the loss of Safety and Security Coordinator Mamadou Lamine Ndongo, a man who who only knew how to care for those around him. I will try and write more later, but currently we are in a state of mourning and grief.

Pictures - Urban Ag Summit (Kolda)

2007-10-09T03:18:00.000-05:00

Between Thursday, October 4 and Saturday, October 6 in Kolda, an urban center in the south of Senegal, the Urban Agriculture sector of Peace Corps/Senegal held a conference. Here are pictures from it.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4Yu0g&emid=sharshar&linkid=link3

Pictures

2007-09-26T09:09:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in getting pictures out. I have run into some problems accessing Kodak Gallery, so I have temporarily switched to Shutterfly.

Camp Access - Lycee Thioroye - August 6 - 10, 2007
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4YueA

Party - Roaring 20s - Mbour - August 25, 2007
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4Yulg

Fieldtrip - Parc Hann Zoo - September 2, 2007
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4YuWg

Football (Burkina Faso/Senegal) - Stade L.S.S. - September 8, 2007
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1IZsnLNo4YutA

Who would have thought....

2007-09-24T12:42:00.000-05:00

Two years ago from this time, I received my invitation packet for Peace Corps. I still remember where I was when I made the phone call to accept this invitation to Senegal...Life University in Marrietta, Ga doing Red Cross Katrina work. At that time, I figured that I was heading into some remote African village where I would be wearing only a loin cloth for two years talking in clicks....well, that never happened.

One thing I was not expecting was to have wireless internet hooked up in my room. Finally, after a couple of months figuring it out, bringing a router from the US, going through two modems, and two wireless cards, I am now connected to the information superhighway from my roomhouse.

It is somewhat amazing how connected on can be here. Cell phones are everywhere (whether people have credit, even myself, to make a call, is another story). Cyber cafe's are fairly cheap and growing to the far edges of Senegal. Western music has infiltrated the soil here. It is kinda weird, but sometimes I feel more connected to the US and friends here, than I do when I am back home.

The reasons for the internet investment are twofold: 1.) To make communication back home easier and theoretically cheaper. In order to call Senegal, it is expensive from the States. With the marvels of the internet and skype, I can now call the States for about 2 cents a minute...even with my small pittance, I think I can afford it. 2.) I am hoping that it will make my upcoming job search a bit easier. Being able to do work from home versus an internet cafe is much easier. Hopefully it pays off.

With that being said, while I probably won't be signed on all the time due to erratic power surges and outages, I can be reached on Skype at: j.land

Off with the left

2007-09-18T12:09:00.001-05:00

Monday, September 17, 2007

The left hand here in Senegal is what I consider the “no, no hand”. When it comes to contact with another person, such as a handshake, you just aren’t supposed to use it. The major reason for this is because it acts as a natural toilet paper...I can only imagine if this craze caught on in the U.S..

With that all being said, there is one instance that left hand usage is deemed acceptable in the constraints of personal contact. If an individual is leaving for a long period of time, the left handed handshake is done. It is somewhat a sign of endearment, wishing luck on the long journey.

This handshake is not something that happens often and when it does happen, you feel the power and meaning behind it. In my service here, I’ve done it once before, and it was with another Volunteer. Last night at the airport, the left handed handshakes came out for my brother leaving for Morocco. That moment was one of the more powerful ones that I’ve experienced here. Saying goodbye is never easy, especially with people you are close too, but something about this handshake, really gave me that sense of belonging here and realizing how valuable this experience is.

Unitl Next Time...

2007-09-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Monday, September 17, 2007

When you talk to many young Senegalese here in Dakar about their future, many give you a similar response, stating a desire to get out. There reason for this isn’t necessarily because they do not like Senegal, but because of greater opportunities (university, job, etc.) elsewhere, whether it be in France, Spain, U.S., or somewhere else.

I feel that most Americans truly do not understand how lucky we are, just because we are American and the opportunities that exist. Sure, our system may not be perfect; cheaper and universal healthcare, greater equality within public education system, stronger environmental laws, lower taxes, and cheaper toothpaste all existing elsewhere throughout the globe….but our system is not bad.

The percentage of those who wish to get out of Senegal for opportunities that actually do is slim. Illegal immigration to Europe (primarily Spain) is a constant topic in the papers. The cost is high for legal immigration and depending on the destination, can be difficult.

For those that do make it out, they are often times still a valuable resource to Senegal. Western Union and Money Gram have a good business here with money wired back to families. While $100 could be a weekend on the town in the States, it can potentially go a long way here. This transfer of funds can create a better opportunity (medical, educational, emotional, etc.) for those here in Senegal. Some leave Senegal for educational purposes and return for the betterment of Senegal (doesn’t mean that a brain drain is not occurring).

My living arrangement here in Dakar is quite unique. I have a brother who has lived in France for the past 10 to 15 years working. One of my sisters was in France for about a year. Now, as of early this morning, one of my other brothers, left for Morocco to attend University.

He had attended university here in Dakar, but it didn’t provide him with the opportunities and challenges he needed. As a result, he boarded a plane and left for Morocco for 3 years, with a small suitcase, half full backpack, and a briefcase.

Through the past few weeks when he found out he was leaving and now, I’ve tried to compare his leaving to my coming to Senegal. For about 6 months prior to leaving for Senegal, I knew I was coming to this country and about a year and a half before, I was 100% about doing Peace Corps. My brother, within about 2 or 3 weeks, found out he was leaving for Morocco. My farewell tour alone took longer than that. It’s amazing how quick of a turnover he had.

Second, one of the biggest concerns before flying over here was the baggage limit. I can’t even tell you the number of times my bags were repacked and reweighed to meet the requirements. I ended up bringing 3 large bags and a backpack I think, all filled with who knows what now. It’s hard for me to even envision only being able to bring just a small suitcase, backpack, and computer bag for 2 years, let alone three. I think this goes to either my desire for personal possessions, possibly a stereotypical American thing, to my brother’s ability to pick up and go.

Finally, my biggest amazement, was asking my brother when he would be back, thinking I would see him before I left Peace Corps middle of next year and he said he wouldn’t be back. I was amazed, just in the ability to be able to do that. The number of volunteers that return home for vacation is great. I really have no clue if I could go two or three years without going home. It was interesting to hear his friends ask him when he’d be home and he said “3 years” like it wasn’t a big deal. And just to think that a tear or two was shed with my leaving made me realize that some of my friends and I need to toughen up.

I still believe one of the most interesting things about the Peace Corps experience is seeing the differences and similarities in culture, religion, handling of situations (this one being one of them), etc. Often times, things may seen foreign and strange, sometimes disagreeing with them. But in the end, what it comes down to for me is recognizing and understanding (often times through experience) these differences with an open-mind, and realizing that we all bring an importance to the global table.

Goodluck Khalilou

Dryer Sheets

2007-09-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

Saturday, September 15, 2007

My set up here in Peace Corps/Senegal is a unique one when you compare it to that of 93% of other Volunteers in this country. I have had the rare opportunity of spending my entire service in the capital city, Dakar. In Peace Corps/Senegal history this is uncommon. A lot of Volunteers live in villages (some remote and some close to small towns), while others live in small towns and cities…but Dakar is the crown jewel. Some say it offers the best and worst of Senegal. While there are disadvantages about living here, there are also perks. I typically don’t go hungry, usually busy with work, can catch up on news back home at a click of a mouse button, relax at the pool, can use a washing machine to clean my clothes, and can grab a beer with friends.

I don’t remember who it was but in a conversation with another Volunteer a few days ago, they pretty much summed it up like this:

“While the majority of Volunteers ask for drink mixes and food in their care packages, Justin asks for dryer sheets.”

What can I say, I like my clothes smelling fresh and little static.

Pictures

2007-09-17T15:44:00.000-05:00

For some reason, Kodak Gallery has not been working for me over here in Senegal for the past month, as a result, I have been able to post several batches of pictures, ranging from another field trip to the zoo, football match, and the summer camp I worked at. Hopefully, I can remedy this problem sooner than later.

Also, I am hoping to get a few posts up later this week.

Hope all is well with everyone...

JLand