Foreign countries seen from a distance: 2 New babies in the village: 2 Months it took me to figure out what the two-year-old girls say when they curse at each other: 9.5 Screaming matches between co-wives: 1 Minimum number of times the generator was run for the sole purpose of charging the family cellphone: 1 [...]
One year ago today, my stage arrived in Senegal. I don’t have anything particularly profound to say about this—it’s the first big milestone, but in two months we’ll hit the one year at site mark, and after that it’s all really just a countdown to COS. (I hear time keeps speeding up, especially in that [...]
In my village, keeping up with the Joneses means keeping up with the Bahs: a few years ago the chief’s son sent money from Spain for a concrete block, tin roof batiment, so last year my family knocked down a row of huts and built their own batiment. Batiments aren’t particularly superior to huts—water seeps [...]
Village men who work abroad (in Spain) currently visiting the village: 1 Goats killed in his honor: 5 Typical meals per day during the rainy season: 4 Number of those meals that consist solely of milk and couscous: 2 Kilos of rice for one meal for the household and for the household + guests, respectively: [...]
Last Wednesday I made the trip from Dakar to Tamba by myself for the first time. About 450 kilometers, it takes seven to eight hours by sept-place, the decrepit Peugeot 505 station wagons that are the primary form of long-distance transportation in Senegal. Here’s how to get from Dakar to Tamba: Go to the gare [...]
Goat roast #2 last Saturday, Dakar on Sunday, Ile de Goree on Monday, Steven on a plane Tuesday night, me back to Tamba Wednesday, me sick Wednesday night to the present (though much better now)… It’s been a long week. Which is my excuse for a lame post and no picture uploads. I’m tired. Everyone [...]
One of the benefits of my slowly improving Pulaar is understanding stories that I couldn’t have followed six months ago. The seemingly simple task of asking questions has always been complicated by my limited vocabulary and my inability to correctly phrase abstract questions. Now that I can ask those questions, though, one answer can often [...]