It's all about Sam and Ally Oh we Can't forget Mike

Me, Ally, Sam. We made smores for Sam's Family

This is a little sentimental blog about my new family here in Senegal. 

Although I love my entire stage and the entire Peace Corps family, these are the people I have come to rely on whenever I have problems here.

My new PC (Peace Corps) family. They understand the problems that I go through as they too are facing the same challenges and obstacles. I've realized whenever I'm down or I'm having an issue its better to talk to the PC family then anyone else. They understand the issues and at times I've been there. They know just the right advice and what to say, to give you that hope and sunshine to keep on trekking. 

At times talking to friends and family back home is not the best idea as they may not understand, and quite  frankly CANNOT comprehend the challenges we face daily.

Sam and Ally are both in my region and we have been together since this journey started. Sam and I were the only two in our language class. Ally was in the same training village and we saw her everyday. Ally and I were actually cousins during training. They are both my closet neighbor.

Oh and Mike well lets see, he is my site-mate/husband. Its just a joke we have going on ( I don't have pictures with him yet). In the beginning he was not my favorite, hence they say hes my husband BUT, I have no choice but to love him because he is my site make and I think as far as PC Senegal goes we are the closet volunteers to live together. A two minute walk from each others house

SO as time goes on you would be hearing alot about these people.. 

I've come to rely on these three people as my anchor and I know they are always there for me no matter what and willing to help me in any way..

We got matching pants made

Sam and I at swearing

LOVE YOU GUYS

The 3rd Annual Black Arts Festival

A big cone in the middle of the city

This year the 3^rd black arts festival was celebrated, which was started by the first president of Senegal. It is suppose to be a festival celebrating all the black arts around the world. There were such grand plans for the festivals but only a few manifested. The country was not prepared by the date of the festival, which is from the 18 of December through the 31^st. There were a lot of no shows, people canceling, or and things being postponed. Some of the concerts spaces were not ready; a museum that was supposed to open is still under construction.

OH but there is always light at the end of the tunnel and I am glad I was part of the celebration. I was able to see the opening ceremony on T.V. in Dakar. It was very interesting with some speeches. Wycleef was supposed to perform that same night BUT that got postponed to the next day.

There is a big statue that in honor of the renaissance that was finished. I still have to make that journey up the hill to see it (one of my things to do next while in Dakar).

I was able to see a photography display, a display of South African Arts and clothing. I was also able to see Lucky, the first human being on earth that was discovered in Ethiopia. I also got to see the skull of an ape, which was much older than Lucky.

To top it all off I was serenaded by the band Casave (I hope that’s how it’s spelt) from the Caribbean, Rick Ross was supposed to be in attendance but GUESS WHAT? He did not make it. 


All in all I was glad I was a part of this history because who knows when the next one would be. Overall it was fun getting to learn about black arts and its culture. 

Clothes from South Africa

It was Bright Idea at the Time!!

At the end of our training, in Theis, we thought it would be a nice idea to ride the train to Dakar. We had asked around and everyone told us the train would be running that Sunday and it leaves at 6:45, so we had to be at the train station by 6.

So we all got up (about 17 of us) at 5am in the morning after been up all night for the past two days. We walked all the way across town with ALL OUR LUGGAGE. This was a month’s worth of luggage and all the other things we had accumulated over the month. Needless to say it was a lot of SH*T. Each of us had at least two bags and most of us had more. This was usually a 20mins walk, so with all our stuff in the dark it too k us about 45mins. SOOO FUN. There was no taxi (cab) in sight; the only cars we saw were those that were dropping off bread.

So we were doing all this walking and we had NO IDEA where the train station was, we were just going with faith and hoping we would see it. I guess this is how this whole journey has been, and how it would continue. “Just going by faith and hoping all will be okay in the end.” So me and two other people saw a cab, we decided to take it: not knowing where we were going, while suffering from back pain. Thankfully the driver knew where the station was.

(You would be surprise how many drivers don’t know where things are BUT say they do, and after minutes of driving around ask you how to get to your destination. I DON’T KNOW. You are the driver. Thank God these cabs don’t run on a meter system. If it was so, it would be one hell of a ride, spending all our money on cabs and these crooks just been crooked for NO REASON).

So the station was less than 5 minutes away from where we took the cab, BUT we were thankful for the relief on our backs. SOOO guess WHAT? We get to the station and the TRIAN DOES not run on Sunday’s. Thanks people for giving us the wrong info.

But what do know, the Lord work in mysterious ways. Our cab driver was like, “wait here, I can go to the garage (the place where we take transport for outer-city journeys) and get you a mini-car that can take you to a Dakar. A mini-car is like a van that stops on the way to get people and drop people off.

So we sent two people with the cab driver to get the mini-car. About 20 minutes later they were back with the car YAYAYAYYA.

So we got our own private car that dropped us off right at our destination.  Usually it would just drop us off at the garage, and we had to find our way to our destination.  Overall it was cheaper than what we would have spent.

YAYAYA… one for the Toubabs..

Us on the mini van

                          WE ALL MADE IT SAFELY

Frustrations.. All I want is my money

Okay. This is just a quick venting entry.

Lets see, where do I begin. It all started with the Peace Corps opening our bank accounts, for our living allowance. First off, I'm in the forgotten region, all the way down south where most people in Dakar or the North I've ever heard off. Due to this, people in the region use a different bank than the rest of Peace Corps. Luckily enough a branch of the bank that Peace Corps normally uses was just opned down there. YAYAY. So with my group we had an option of staying with what other people already used in our region or go with the Peace Corps bank. I chose the Peace Corps banks because, it can be used whereever in Senegal unlike the other, which is only in my region for the most part.


Okay so since I requested this change, I did  not get my debt card with the rest of my group, I got it 6weeks later. So during those times if I needed money I had to write a check to myself. (yes I just cant't go to the bank and take money out, I can only write checks to myself).


So that was one stumble block I had to get over. When I came to Thesis to pick up my card, the first bank I went to said they did not have it, it was at the other bank. Went to the other bank and the the guy said, No your card is not here you have to go where you opened the account. Then I said well NOO your other bank said it was here... OH: then he went into the back and looked and what do you know it was there.


So,  got the card, tired using it at the ATM BUT I could not get money out. My pin was correct it, I could see my balance I just could not take money out. Spent about an hour at the bank, getting a tour of the bank, going to each person and station and nothing could be done. They just kept saying go to the branch were you opened the account.


So that was unsuccessful, therefore, I called the Peace Corps and a day later it was fixed; I was able to get money out. I went back again a couple of days later and I am back at square one. (I'm having the same issue, I cannot take money out). Went to the bank today but nothing was resolved. Now I have to wait  till Monday.


Just a fun story to show you how the system works here in Senegal. Customer service does not exist.


I shall keep you posted.


P.S. I'm not only one have thins problem, lol. The people that decided to switch banks are all having the same issue.  

Tamkharit

Tamkharit is the Muslim celebration for the New Year. It comes one month after Tabaski. This year it is celebrated on December 16. There is the traditional dish served in Senegal for this holiday. It is a Senegalese couscous served with a tomato sauce, vegetables, with meat. It is not the same couscous served in North Africa and the Middle East but just as delicious.

It has become a Senegalese tradition for people to go from house to house with friends after the meal. Children spend the week before Tamkharit making the drums they will play for this evening of celebration. The drums are often made from tin cans and sometimes just a plastic container is sufficient. Of course there are those who have friends with drums, but a sound, any sound is all that is required.

These house-to-house visits include performances. Children sing and dance and each group has a treasurer. If the people they perform for like their performance, they give the performers a few coins, or sugar, or rice. This is then used by the group to buy candy or for food prepared for or by the group members.

Info courtesy of E.S.

How I spent my Tamkharit

So since I'm currently doing training, and we as Peace Corps volunteers don't technically have off for any holidays, Senegalese or America, I spent most of my day in training. After training I went to a friends house, who I consider my sister and we hangout whenever I'm in the neck of her woods. The celebration started around sunset although I did not make it there till 7ish.

When I got there, her mom gave me some of the delicious couscous, with an onion sauce with meat and lots of vegetables. According to my friend they had been preparing this meal the entire day. The couscous is made from scratch and some families usually kill a goat. They have also been eating there and there the entire day. They even eat the couscous with meal. (so guess they just drink that, because its very watery).

Later on some kids came by and gave the family a bowl of the food their parents made. Some boys came by dressed as women with wigs, make-up and everything. Others came as musicians. My friends family just gave them a cup full of rice for coming over.

I heard, in other cases, the main goal is for people to dress like who they are not normally. Example, the poor dress like the rich and vice versa, men like women, and vice versa, kids likes adults and vice versa, etc.

Overall it was a good experience getting to experience their new year's. However, I wish I was home so I could see how my family and town celebrates this new year.