An Official Volunteer

So a lot has happened in the past 10 weeks.  I would like to first apologize for not posting anything before this, but my schedule and the lack of Internet made writing very difficult.  Let me describe my recent training events.  So I had my final exams a couple of weeks ago in my technical areas, my language, medical, and safety and security.  After that, I went back to Samba Laobe for my last Community Based Training (CBT) stay. 

My last couple of days with the Kande family were nice, but short.  I was finally able to grasp and convey some meaning with the language and they seemed delighted to finally have mutual understanding.  The time went quickly, as all time has gone here.  Saying goodbye was sad, but it was nice to see how much they cared for me.  One of my language teachers even said that my host mom “refused to let me leave, and that she will be talking to Peace Corps to have me come back.” 

            After my last CBT stay and exams, we were allowed a couple of afternoons to relax and decompress.  I had not had free time like that before, and so it felt strange, but so nice to just be able to hang out with people.  Those days went quickly as well.  Soon, it was the morning of swearing-in, which was held at an agricultural center building in Thies.  The grounds were well kept, with cobblestone walkways, grass fields, and palm trees shading the area.  The swearing in was held in an elongated room adjacent to the courtyard, where local officials, Peace Corps Senegal officers, all of the trainees, and the invited host nationals sat in far rows.  The ceremony did not last long, or maybe it seemed that way to me because it was all in French.  I don’t speak French.  Eventually, all of the trainees stood, raised their hands and recited the Masonic vow to uphold the Constitution of the United States. 

            After, there was a “Cocktail” hour, where everyone bustled for food at the tables.  One thing that stood out was how many of the Senegalese piled up the food to take home to their families.  I think of it rather comically, but some volunteers would have appreciated getting to eat something.  After that, the new volunteers took many pictures in their traditional Senegalese outfits and spoke short conversations with the host family members that were able to attend.  When the party had wound down, everyone piled into buses and went back to the training center. 

            We then got ready for our beach weekend trip, which I was helping organize. The whole group, or everyone that wanted to come, was to spend roughly two days at a house together on the beach.  The village we went to was just south of Dakar, called Toubab Dialow.  The house was owned by a man, now my friend, called Douda Fall.  It had crumbling blue paint over a white wash tint.  The house was large, by any standards and the grounds were large enough to accommodate people sleeping in tents.  The house was situated a small stairway above the beach and looked out onto the evening sunsets.

            The short days we spent there were punctuated by groups swimming in the lukewarm ocean, exploring food shops in the nearby village, and cooking of Thanksgiving dinner.  A small group of volunteers devoted the majority of the day to cooking a special Thanksgiving meal.  We brought to turkeys to slaughter, cook, and eat.  In addition, delicious side dishes were provided to make the meal more like home.

           Needless to say, the weekend went too quickly.  The morning after returning, we departed for our regions.  I am now in Kolda proper and readying myself to move to my village.

            Tomorrow I move to my permanent village.  I will hopefully be able to post again in a couple of weeks, but my plans so far have not gone well.