Birthday Celeberation!!!

Bday cake ordered by Sam.. Was almost as decilious as the U.S.

 

One of the best Bday memories of my life!! Who can top drinking Polish nuns dancing souja boy “Crank that” and them acting like American thugs.

I must start of by saying I love my PC/Kolda family, they made this one of my best bday memories. One of the best birthday’s I’ve had since my young age. Oh I must add I am now 22, getting up there in age.


Well, my actually bday was uneventful, just any other day in the life of Ms. Pratt. Got calls from American friends, (well only two, Yinka and Lele) and family, more calls from the PC family.


This is not how I intended to spend the day BUT this is Senegal, nothing goes as planned. I was in Dakar for med reasons, and then decided to visit St. Louis (5hrs from Dakar) for the weekend, it was jazz festival. Then I was going to take the overnight bus home, on Sunday and be on time to celebrate my bday, the Monday. So I reserved my space on the bus, however, I was not able to pick up my ticket since I was in St. Louis, I was only going to be able to make it back on time for the bus at night. And OFFCOURSE, they said it was okay, but guess what, it was not, I had to pay for the ticket by a certain time or they will give away my spot and that is what they did.. COMMUNICATION! COMUNICATION!! So just bought a ticket for the next day.


Therefore I was stuck on my bday in Dakar, in the Med hut (our PC hospital), with not enough money in my bank account to celebrate in Dakar. Friends mandate (paycheck) had ran out, already being in Dakar for a week


Polish ganster nun



PARTY!!!

Ok fast-forward, make it back to site and I got to celebrate my bday that Wednesday.


Mike, my husband, Sam, my jaja, Jeanne, Rachael, Cara and Charlene, and Aly in Spirt all made it out for the celebration, with my banker friends whom got there later. OH and the nuns.

It was really lovely; the nuns learning how to crank that, Macarena, and various others. We had delicious warthog, cake, and delicious Senegalese beverages.

We made it home about 2 in the morning, with four people in my bed (the intake of how many people my bed can take keeps going up) and one on the floor (we could have squeezed her in too)!!!

Lecious pork dinner.

So this is just thanks to everyone who made my 22 years on this earth special.. LOVE YOU all J

As Integrated as I get!!!!!!!

Almost a year in-country, and about 10 months as a volunteer and at site, and I’m quite comfortable in my community. I feel well integrated, as integrated as I can ever be. My language is flourishing; I can have full-lengths conversations now about serious issues. Well as serious as conversations get in Senegal, there are not much intellectual conversations going on.

I now get comments like “you are a Senegalese now,” “you can really speak the language,” I am included in family conversations and decisions. Quite awesome!! I really feel like I can do as chez moi. This is not to say I’m 100% integrated, but I’m as integrated as I can get, granted I’m only here for two years, I have a whole n’other life and world waiting for me. I have come to realize I will never be a true Senegalese no matter how much integration I do and the faster I’ve come to realize that the better my service is going.

Some things I’ve learned to tolerate and live with it for the moment; such as I’ll always have living creatures in my room no matter how hard I try to get rid of them. I’ll have to use the left hand for the moment, I can’t take showers, or sit on a real toilet, or that I’ll be eating rice daily. Other things I just refuse to accept, like being treated a as second class citizen been treated as the rich America (which I’m not). Not agreeing with teachers and students relations, men having more than one girlfriend at a time. Overall just not subsuming to the ideas, (which is due to lack of education of the people), which I know if I get use to, it will be hard to break when I return. Writing this I’ve come to realize WOW I’m really getting comfy here and I’ve come to accept quite a few things and just learning to adapt and rolling with the punches. When I’m away from my family I really do miss them, I miss my routine and the many friends I’ve made along the way.

Work is coming along slowly but surely. I’ve also come to terms with myself that there are three goals of PC, each equally important. It’s not just about the development work but also the sharing and exchanging of cultures and ideas, which is as important if not more. Because if we do truly understand each other (the various cultures) there will be less tension, which increases peace.

With all that said I’ve been doing quite a lot, working mostly with school, I have a few clubs going at the school, computer classed, giving (trying) to give the various women’s groups the basic business skills. Working on scholarships, staying in school programs early teen pregnancy, some environmental and health issues.

No “grand” projects so far, just working daily one person at a time, which is were the real change lies. Laying the foundation!!

Food for thought: Its the dating game

This is something I've come to realize that is very paramount, in African cultures (maybe it’s just an African thing or a developing world thing has those too always kind of go hand in hand with various issues). I've experienced it first hand in Sierra Leone; see it happening here in Senegal, having personal stories from friends in other African countries that have seen this transpire in their day-day lives.

What is this thing you ask? There is no one word for it so I'll try my best to describe it. Before I go any further I'm not saying every one is this way, it’s just a generalization and there are always people who don't fit into these categories.

I guess you can call it cheating but it’s not the cheating that the problem. Not that cheating is not a problem but people all over the world cheat. And this is about cheating while in a relationship, so the deceit in love. (This will be a comparison between the U.S. and African cultures). But it seems in African cultures it’s accepted, especially when the men cheat. Women are complacent when their men cheat; they accept it and at times are even okay with it. This is the major difference with the African and Western mentality. Yes, Western men cheat but they hide it, and Western women will throw a fit if they ever find out, even end the relationship. But not so with African women.

African women will know there men are cheating, have solid proof, even know who the other women are, maybe even have the same group of friends BUT yet they do nothing about it. This will NEVR fly in the U.S. With Americana it’s me and only me, if we don't work out then you can go and try someone else. But with Africans it’s about having all this women and seeing which one works best and which one is wifey material. The women silently (not always) compete with each other for this position. You hear things like "I'm his number, even though he has other girlfriends", "I'm the one the family knows, so that’s what matters," “I can go and come out of his house when I feel" Things like that you hear.


And this does not just stop at the dating level it also goes on during marriage. Husbands having wives at home yet have girlfriends in the streets (I'm a by product of such relations). And this is not just to blame the men, women will know these men are married but they don't care as long as they get their money, sex and whatever else they need from the man. The wives know this too but even if they are not okay with it they accept it. Which is my problem, the fact that we (women) just accept it.


Some argue that we (Americans) are stupid for not accepting which they point out to one of reason why so many American women are still are not married even in their late years. I guess the African way does make of the lack of companionship that’s Americans yearn.


Just a food for thought on this issues because it’s something that has been on my mind. At first with so many things I was disgusted but now I have come to tolerate and accept it as the way of life. Not quite sure who is wrong or right. (next blog topic). I mean everyone seems to be happy and get what they want out of the relationship. The wives are home, have everything provided for them by their husband (relatively speaking). The husbands get to have more than one sex partner and girls get the money they need to pay for their various expenses.


But again why is it right for the men to do this and not the women. When I ask this question the answer I usually get is I’m a man I can you are a women you should not do these things. As most of you know I’m a firm believer no matter what, if a man can do it so can a woman. As men will quickly tell you I want my girlfriend(s) to only be dating and definitely my wife just to be sexing me and only have that emotional bond with me (as you know cheating is not just about the sex). This how the men weed out the wives in their life to choose wifey, choosing the woman who will stay faithful.


There is also a factor that there is lack of dating people start off telling each other ther love each other, before even knowing each other and then they start bulding a relationship. There is never a definite break up. (another issue I'm expericing first hand). Things just die down and there is always possible that it can be resurrected. People start a relationship with the end in mind saying you will be my wife and see how things go. Another difference in America we date, people break up and move on. Sometimes they stay friends but of the time that’s the end of that relationship.

So what are your thoughts on these issues. Is it right what the men are doing and what about the fact that these women just accept it (my biggest issue) and should women too be able to do the same thing as men. And what the fact that people never beak up.