Post 3

            I find it hard to believe that I have been in Africa for over a month now.  In some ways, I still can’t believe that I am in Africa at all.  The differences in lifestyle, aesthetics, and people are stark.   But despite those differences, the hospitable nature of the Senegalese makes one feel so completely welcome that it is almost as if you have been living here your entire life.  Since I have adapted somewhat to my life here in Senegal, I cannot fully express all of the first impressions I had a month ago.  But, I will try to put it down on paper as best as I can, combined with my recent activities.

            So far, the Peace Corps training has been very full, but fun.  The days have been split by spending intense learning sessions at the Thies training center, and in our Community Based Training sites.  We have spent about a week and a half total in Thies, and about two and a half weeks in our communities.  The days in Thies start around 7:30 AM.  Class and training sessions concerning everything from how to respond to a security issue at our sites to how to create tree peppinieres (intense small nurseries) fill the day until around 6:30 PM.  The evenings are typically spent decompressing in some manner, sometimes just talking around the center, sometimes going out for a beer to the local pub.  I use pub liberally, since it is really the foyer of the owner’s house compound, with a freezer filled with local beer. 

            The other weeks have been spent at our first communities, living with host families.  I live with the Kande family in the Samba Laobe neighborhood of Mbour.  Samba Laobe could be characterized by concrete and corrugated aluminum family compounds distributed over a sandy landscape.  I have likened it to Tatooine, from Star Wars, due to both the waterless beach composition and the relentless heat.  The heat in Senegal is formidable, and is made more intense by a substantial amount of humidity.  I have not been cold since I arrived.  I sleep with my door open and on top of my sheets to facilitate any cooling effect of a chance breeze.

            Living with my host family has been an experience that no amount of my prose could possibly capture or fully convey to give an effect of comprehensiveness.  Living in Samba Laobe with my host family has been one of the toughest challenges I have lived through and one of the most rewarding.  The combination of the heat and the fact that my family speaks no English whatsoever has made my life both completely simplistic and incredibly complicated at the same time.  All of my communication has been reduced to single words and hand motions charades.  This makes my observations and attempts at adaptation all the more essential.  I try to live in the manner that they do; the cultural norms and habits being very different from my previous lifestyle and culture.

            I live with the chief of the village of Samba Laobe, which I am told, is a very good position to be in.  Two of his adult sons and their wives live with his wife and children.  I count the total inhabitants of my compound to be around 15.  Most of the family is children, ranging from the eldest son of 30, to the youngest toddler of about 1 and a half years old.  The children have been the most inclusive and active in my family life.  They constantly talk to me, crowd around whatever I am doing, whether it is reading, eating, or otherwise.  I think having an American living with them is just too exciting to ignore. 

            The family life here is of paramount importance to Senegalese culture and identity.  It is strange to spend time alone when at home.  All time is spent out in the courtyard of the compound.  Even if the activity is personal, such as reading, you are expected to sit with others.  It is an interesting dynamic that I appreciate, but it can be exhausting, when you come from American culture that highly values alone time. 

            Upon arrival to my home compound, my Neene (host Mom) was running towards me, clapping her hands and yelling my new Senegalese name: Usman Kande.  When staying with a family and not from Senegal, guests are given a Senegalese name that is the same as another member of the family.  My tokara (namesake), Usman, is the second son of my host father. 

I will not lie and tell you that this trip has been only easy and exciting so far.  Much of it has been difficult.  From my body adapting to the new schedule, food, climate, and stressors to the culture shock of Africa, Senegal, and Peace Corps.  There have been some lows so far.  One incident sticks out in my mind that happened during my first stay with my host family.  I still had yet to adapt to the climate, and was experiencing a combination of heat exhaustion and stress.  I started to run a fever and couldn’t eat a full meal for a couple of days.  Delirium and lethargy marked most hours of the day at a time when I just wanted to feel well so that I could enjoy the experience as much as possible.  My body just couldn’t keep up with my new changes, schedule, and lack of sleep.  But for every drop, there must be a rise.  I recovered after another couple of days, and am now feeling much more comfortable and back to normal. 

            The passage of time here in Senegal can accurately be described as long days, and short months.  The days seem to last forever, with the events of the morning seeming distant when evenings arrive.  But, a month has already flown by with break neck speed.  I feel that I have lived here much longer than one month, but still have an immeasurable amount to learn.  Through the difficulties that have come from the stark change in my life, I feel that I am supposed to be here.  I am glad for it, since I did not really feel that way in America.  Not to say that America is not my home, or always will be, but instead that this is a necessary next step in my life.  I know that it is still early to make such declarative statements about such a lengthy commitment, but things have been getting progressively better.  The first couple of weeks were difficult in so many ways.

           

 So I wanted to get something posted while I could.  The internet is tenuous here, at best.  I am planning on posting more soon.