WAST

With a new year come new challenges. First I got sick of every one saying that I have a lot of money, slightly true but not really. I also got tired of them saying that people just give away new TV’s and cars in America to anyone who wants it. So I have been trying to get a savings program going. How you ask? I have been telling them to put change in a jar and save up to buy the TV or fencing that they want. Simple concept right? I have had problems of them actually doing it because if you have the money at this instant then go buy attya (tea) and borrow money from your friends when you need it. For example I am trying to get my school director to plant the garden to sell off the excess vegetables, or plant some fruit trees to make revenue for the school. Or even better plant the garden during the rainy season, so you don’t have to water it daily and sell of the vegetables that way. Dose not get that concept either but oh well that is half the reason we are here is to educate people on how to provide for themselves. The fun part is for the last three days we went to WAST in Dakar. WAST is the west Africa softball tournament. It is a tournament for all the aid workers in west Africa put on by the us embassy. Fun time all the peace corps teams dressed up in different themes ours being Boy scouts, of course if I had known this I would have brought my stuff from the states. Either way it was slightly unfair for two reasons. One is we all live in villages and are undernourished. Second all the other teams get together on a weekly base to practice. So needless to say all our games were 0-20. Although the last game we played was against another Peace Corps team from Cape Verd. So we both looked at each other and said we are done with softball. So we found a kickball and played that instead. In the evenings we all stuffed our bellies  with good food, mostly of the cheese biased variety, then we went out dancing every night. Currently I am completely sore, who knew dancing for 6hours a night would be a decent workout, but my belly is happy which means I am more willing to go back and eat rice for three weeks straight. 

helping the world dose not take smarts it takes talking like a six grader

I know it is a little late but happy holidays to my friends and family. It was a little weird spending Christmas over here because it was so warm and there was no snow. So me and my friends did the only thing that anyone would do in this situation when they miss snow...head to the beach. We rented out a house in popeguine and spent five days laying around on the beach in good company and forgetting that we were in Africa for the moment. Also Popenguine is a huge catholic town so we were able to go to mass on Christmas eve. Granted I did not understand any of it because it was in french and Wolof, two languages I don't speak, but the cool part was the there was no organ the music was entirely singing and drumming. It was amazing experience. The next morning we did a gift exchange and played in the sand. As for work it has been slow I have been going around to local baptisms and talking with people on daily basis trying to get them to think about nutrition, first aid, and sanitation like washing your hands. Although I have not got my family to wash their hands with soap but they are cleaning their dishes with soap and bleach. so slow steps but on the plus side I do consider myself fluent in Sereer, I speak like six grader but people can understand me so that is all that really maters. I found out some very interesting things for start my dad is a shaman. So him and my brother Mbye know traditional herbal medicine as well my dad can make talismans to ward of evil spirits. The interesting part about this is he became a shaman because he used hunt wild animals. In Sereer culture they believe you have to kill the animal in your dreams spiritually first then you kill it physically the next day. that incite is what people recognize as a spiritual blessing and means you have great incite in to life. So this means if I ever start having dreams about sick sticky children mobbing my village and they only way to stop them is to pelt them with soap, I know that God has giving a gift and my work will pick up. That or the meflquin is creeping back into my system. Either way Waagum fi a fax no safu (I am able to do good with soap).