The Mouse Trap

So, I obtained a mouse trap.  I first tried parts of a hershy bar, but the mice don't know what good chocolate is, and they didn't go for it.  so I used some peanut butter protein bar cause they know about peanuts.  there are a lot of peanuts here.  I wasnt so sure about using protein bar at first beacause I didnt want them to just eat the protein bar and then I have super huge muscley mice.  that would be no good.  Fortunately the mice went for it and so far, it has killed 2 mice.

-mike

A Fun Week

So, this last week has been fun! I got to play with chickens during my In Service Training (IST).  which was really great, except that one night a chicken got out of its coop.  we never found it again.  it was a great tragedy.  After the chicken training we learned how to build nursery tables.  It was cool.  I did something stupid with some rusty nails and sliced open my finger.  I might have needed stitches, but I just cleaned it out, and wrapped my finger in gauze and kept hammering. The day after that was probably the best day of IST, cause we got to dig holes.  we dug holes all day!  we dug trenches, and terraces, and swales and berms, and just had some good ole fashion fun in the dirt!  Then  the next day we got to graft mangos, which was also pretty cool, cause I love trees.  the next day I think it was a friday, was quite the roller coaster ride.  I had to go back to the bank.  but on the way there I made my greatest discovery! a group of us were traveling to the bank and we passed by a european run market.  we had to stop in and to my surprise they had the greatest ice-cream bar known to man.  the Magnum bar. I am very well acquainted with the magnum bar.  I ate them in israel quite often, and almost everyday when I was in china.  It is the greatest ice-cream in the world.  although it was expensive, I ate one, and it was the most delicious thing I had eaten in months, possibly even years.  there is no ice cream that can beat a magnum bar, every flavor of magnum bar is more delicious than any other brand.  But then there was the bank, my mortal foe (see posts "Training","Day at the Bank", and "Dakar").  I walk in to try my atm card.  I check my balance (I have 6 digits).  I press the button to withdraw.  the screen says that it refuses my request.  So I call pam, and go back to the training center.  the next day I am on the phone all day with aziz, at the PC headquarters in Dakar trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with my account.  He calls the bank a few times, and they don't know whats wrong.  So then the next day he calls me and tells me that everything will work if I just go and cash a check.  So I go back into the hell hole called CBAO, and sit for a half hour in line.  then I go up to the cashier hoping that this guy doesn't think I am a terrorist like in Dakar, and he looks at my passport, and at my check, and prints out some paper, and tell me to go wait over by a pillar.  I stand there for an hour.  a full hour I stand as he calls people and sends e-mails to people.  eventually he calls me back over and hands me my cash.  I am not in a very good mood, so I go straight to the market and buy another magnum bar, this one was double chocolate.  It really hit the spot.  It is chocolate ice-cream surrounded by chocolate syrup, surrounded by a chocolate shell.  its amazing.  That night, I went to the club with everyone and had a pretty good time.  I got to drag my friend into his bed, cause I found him sleeping on a bench.  


So now I am back in Velingara.  I have started working on my garden.  I did a trash pickup and a rock removal.  I am also making very good important friends.  they run the pastry shop.  its the best pastry shop this side of the Gambia.  The shop is only going to get better because I told them about Bagels, and how white people will buy bagels.  they are very excited about bagels, and so am I.  The only problem is that they are all really horny, and they keep telling me about how they want white women.  They keep dragging women over to talk to me, which is very nice of them, I am just not interested in African women.  Other good news is that even though my friend ripped my pants one night cause he was really drunk and thought it would be fun to jump on my back without me knowing (yes it is the same one that I found on the bench passed out) my host mom took my pants and a Santana patch that I had brought with me to the tailor, and fixed my pants.  of course I had to take them back to the tailor the next day because he had stitched it in upside down.  I also found ninja turtle sheets at the market which are amazing.


So heres a funny story- my mother that I love so very much sent me a great package.  it had bacon, and spam and candy and all sorts of great things.  but it also had the two things that I eat most of here, peanuts and rice.  The day after I got my package my host mom even made rice with peanut sauce.  granted I do like rice and peanuts, please don't send me any. 


-Mike

Another Trip To Dakar

So, I went back to Dakar.  This time it was more for work than pleasure.  Even though, Dakar is a fun place, this trip was not the best time.  I left Thies early in the morning with the rest of the Urban Ags to check out the hospital gardens in Dakar a project that I am very excited to implement in Velingara.  On the way to the Hospital, we come across a man laying in the middle of the highway in front of a car with a large dent in it, with blood coming out of his ears, still breathing.  I wanted to jump out and help the man, but I did not have a Duty to act, the scene was not safe, and I was in a bus with 30 other people.  it was pretty tragic, and I do not think that he made it much longer.  In Dakar, the gardens were beautiful. and I learned a great deal about how to run a garden, and pest control.  After the gardens most of us ended up at the American club to eat some bacon, drink beers, eat ice cream, and swim, in the warm december weather (this is the first time I have ever been able to say that).  During the time spent at the club, there was an art expo being done by the small enterprise development volunteers (SED) with some very cool african artwork and souvenirs.  I bought a nice looking tie-dye shirt, and thought that I would call it a day in regards to buying things.  but then out of the corner of my eye I see them.  swords and knives in beautiful sheaths of colored leather hanging from one of the trees.  I asked him the price for a sword he said 30,000.  I laughed and walked away straight to my bag to get money.  once at my bag, I realized that I did not have much money and so borrowed some.  I got 15,000.  so I go back up to the fellow, and tell him I have 10,000.  he tells me 20,000.  I eventually get it down to 15,000.  so now I have an authentic original african sword.  it is not very sharp like all of the other knives in africa but I plan on sharpening it asap.  so, because I now have a bank card, I figure that things will be much easier withdrawing money.  there wont be lines, and they wont background check me for terrorism (see posts "Training", and "Day at the Bank") I go to the bank with two friends.  Michelle uses her card and takes out money, then I use my card, check my balance (it showed I have lots of money) and then proceeded to withdraw money.  It didn't work.  I tried with smaller amounts, and it still did not work.  my friend Joey then tries his card, and he is able to take out money.  I tried mine again, and it didnt work.  so now I am in dakar, already in the hole 15,000 and my bank card will not work.  So I try to call pam, because she got her card the same time as me, and I then realize that my phone is out of credit.  so now I am in Dakar, without money, and no phone credit.  oh happy day! (please note sarcasm)  I eventually had to borrow more money for dinner and drinks, and had a fairly pleasent evening I just had some depressing thoughts of a dead guy, and my bank not working, and my phone not having credit and how now I have to go back to the bank and figure things out again with a translator because I still don't know french or Wolof.  I went to sleep at the Dakar house in my tent, because there were no more mosquito nets, and slept wonderfully.

The next day was much better.  I woke up, and we played frank sinatra all morning with breakfast.  Then we went back to the club, for icecream and pool time.  after a few hours we went to the country directors house 40 people in total, because we had completed the 5 week challenge (staying out of regional houses/at your site for 5 weeks, although there are some loopholes).  at his house we watched the Lion King, and Grease as we ate fried chicken wings, pizza and drank budweisers.  yes, budweisers. it will most likely be the last time I drink a budweiser or any american beer for 22 more months, and there was ice cream there too.

Now I am back in training, and we are learning about Chickens!!! WOO I got to play with chickens, and build a coop.  it was great.

-Mike

Training

So, I'm back in Thies.  I am doing some more training.  Today was cool because I learned a lot about seed saving.  Nothing much is happening.  It is nice to see my whole stage again.  some girls got fat, some guys got really skinny.

I had an Urban Agriculture summit a few weeks back right after thx giving which was alright.  between that and this training session I was in Dakar.  Dakar was pretty wild.  I went to a great chinese food place, and ate Barak Obama flavored ice cream.  A few of us went to Goree Island off the coast, It is a world heritage site.  26 million slaves went through that island before going to the Americas.  It was very interesting to go there.  The food on the island was 7 times more expensive than on the mainland.  a bowl of rice and fish was like 7 dollars when you could have easily found the same food on the mainland for one dollar.  When I went to the chinese place, it was pretty cool because I was able to talk with them in broken english, french, pulaar, and chinese.  it was awesome.

heres a funny story:

So I don't have an ATM card yet, and have to take out money using checks (see nov 13, A Day At The Bank blog post), and because Dakar is a very expensive city compared to the rest of the country, I had to take out some money.  I decided to go to the bank on the last day of no shave november (I don't shave my beard in November) and so I had a full beautiful beard.  I went into the bank not knowing how to speak wolof or french, and wrote out a check.  I went to the cashier and gave her the check (it was kind of a big check for senegal, lots of zerooos!) and my passport.  she looked at the passport and then back at me.  then I was told to wait as she went to a filing cabinet and took out some pictures of what I could make out as other white people.  she then took these pictures and my passport into a back office with a window facing the lobby of the bank where I was sitting.  Her and the bank manager studied the photos one by one, then looked at my passport, then looked at me, then back at the photos for about 10 minutes or so.  eventually I got my money.  They totally thought that I was a terrorist.  soon, I will have an atm card and I will no longer have trouble at the bank. inchallah.


-Mike

Tabaski

So, I celebrated my first Tabaski.  For those of you that don't know about tabaski, it is the muslim holiday where they observe abraham sacrificing a ram instead of ishmael (for the jews, it was isaac, and I am not going to get into details) They observe this by slaughtering a ram and eating it.  The day before Tabaski my host father and I went to the sheep market and after an hour or so of walking around and looking at all the rams we settled on a good ram.  we took it back to the house, and as we left for my fathers home village out in the bush, we put the ram into the trunk of the taxi with all of our luggage.  After all the ram is essentially just a grocery item.  The day of Tabaski I had a delicious breakfast of insta coffee and a mayonnaise sandwich (please note the sarcasm) as someone whose former profession was making sandwiches, you can only imagine the thought going through my head. a mayonnaise sandwich!? it was kinda gross.  no lettuce, no tomato, definitely no bacon. just mayonnaise. we then all went to mosque and prayed.  I did the motions as to not offend.  then we returned home. the whole village gathered as we slaughtered two rams.  I have never seen an animal that big die before, especially in such a way.  it was really gruesome and I will admit I felt a little dizzy at the sight of the blood gushing out of the rams body.  there was a point that I had to look away.  we then went to other households and watched their rams get slaughtered.  when we got back, it was time to cut up some ram.  I helped a little bit holding a leg here or there, but I mostly just watched.  the rest of the day we sat around drinking tea, and eating a ram.  for the next 2 days we ate this same ram.  if you have ever eaten meat that has been sitting out all day, you kind of get a weird taste, this however was meat that was sitting out for three days without refrigeration, it was really gross.  This was also not just meat, but almost all of the organs.  the second day it was really nasty, and by the third day I could barely eat any of it. all in all I think it was a good Tabaski.

Heres a funny story!
So, its the evening before tabaski, my first time staying in a village.  my host mom says "you should wash" I said ok maybe in a little bit.  but she insisted that I wash, and because she is my mother, I do what she says, after all she does feed me.  so I go to the washing area.  it is this fenced in area behind one of the huts.  the fence is like nipple high, and has many holes in it.  I am not to comfortable with the situation.  I am in a village where many people may have never seen a white person, let alone a naked white person, they might be curious. I make a decision.  I look around a few times, quickly take off all my clothes, pour some water on my head and throw my clothes back on really fast.  I go and sit back down with everyone like it was no big deal.  my mom however, she asks me if I washed, and I said yeah I washed.  she asks me again did you really wash? and I said yeah I washed a little, I was scared of people watching me. she responds yeah I know, I watched you... Well isn't that great.  gee thx mom. the next morning however there was a new fence up without holes.  shes a good host mom.

I was also propositioned too during Tabaski (yes after I washed myself)  a few girls and their uncles came up to me to talk about marriage.  I told them that they are very pretty, but I have a wife in America.

I was also approached by a prostitute the other day.  that was awkward.  she was like 50.  she kept trying to grab at me.  it was very awkward and I ran away.

the moral of all this is, don't eat meat that has been sitting out for three days without refrigeration.

Mike

Music

So, Back in the states all my friends were telling me about how cool and great senegalese music is.  For those of you that told me senegalese music is good, you are so wrong you have no idea.  senegalese music is quite terrible.  They are still listening too Celine Dions "My Heart Will Go On" which is the theme song to Titanic.  that is not a good song.  Another popular artist here is some chick named Viviane. she's like the current Miley cyrus or Taylor swift of Senegal.  She really sucks.  there is waaaay too much percussion.  the chord progressions are amateur.  Most other Senegalese music kinda sounds alike too.  a lot of drumming and yelling.  There is rap here.  the rappers are outrageously ridiculous and they all want to be Akon.  so you have people here that are quite poor, but they decide that they want to have fly kicks and aviators so that they can be like Akon.  If you are white and are watching a rap concert (and there are many small rap concerts) the rapper automatically thinks that you know about rap, and that you can rap, and that you enjoy rap.  They will bring you in front of the crowd.  This happened to me.  I was at a rap concert in a village of 800 people one night.  the rapper saw me in the crowd and tried to get me to go out in front of everyone.  I was still in my boubou, and decided not too.  He did look absolutely ridiculous... after a while I was bored so I ran home, put on clothes and sunglasses (it was after 10 at night) and went back.  I jumped in front of the crowd and started dancing as much like a jewish boy can to rap music.  I felt like one of the beastie boys.  they gave me a microphone and a back stage pass (remember, i am in a village with 800 people, only about 50-70 of which are actually there watching this happen) I just rolled with it.  I danced and pretended to know the words and made the crowd wave their arms and clap their hands and really just live in the moment.  There was a video camera there to capture the whole moment.  I do not know where the video is, but I would like to watch.

Since my village experience I now want to go out and buy some fancy pants, some fly kicks, a new hat featuring an American sports team, a bigger bet buckle, and some aviators just in case this kind of situation arises again (and I believe it will).  the next day as I was sitting under the tree reading a book, a few gentlemen and their nieces came up to me asking about marriage.

Mike

Day at the Bank

Today I decided to take out some money.  I dont have an ATM card yet, so I had to write myself a check.  Pam came with me because I don't speak french.  We got there 10 minutes before the bank opened (it opens at 9:00).  there was already a line. We wrote our names down on some paper and waited.  while waiting we saw the cutest baby praying mantis! it was no longer than 2 inches and it had some pink in its body and its eyes were like yellow and red,( it was still changing to green) Pam thought that it was gross, so naturally I picked it up and began to play with it. While waiting I also noticed a man inside spraying the bank down with a fragrance spray, which I thought was kinda weird. At about 9:10 they decided that it was finally time to open up the bank.  The security guard standing outside tried the key on the front door.  It didn't work.  He then went around back and tried to open the door from the inside. it didn't work.  so for another 20 minutes or so (as the crowd was forming) they tried to open the door.  eventually it was opened.  I then waited in about 3 more lines until I got my money, by which time it was past 10:30.  It is fun to write a check here because I make 6 digits every month.  It feels like I have a lot of money, but I know that I don't.

Language

So, this week I had a language seminar.  a couple of other new volunteers came out of the bush and crashed at my place and at Pams.  classes were ok, I learned some dirty words.  There was an appropriate amount of drinking and debaucherie.  The whole week really tired me out, and ive been napping a lot the last two days.

The most exciting things that have happened this week:
I caught a chicken with my bare hands, just like Rocky!
I bought an extension cord surge protector!  this may not seem very exciting, but the outlet in my room doesnt work.  at night it gets hot, and then during the day it gets hotter.  now I can finally use my fan!  having a fan is very exciting!
Next week Ill be in Kolda for Tabaski! my senegalese host mother got me new clothes, this time the color doesnt resemble puke!  I think im going to look good.

For those of you that don't know about Tabaski (which includes myself a bit) Its an Islamic holiday where they observe the sacrifice abraham made instead of killing Ishmael (to the jews it was Isaac)  People observe this holiday by killing a goat and eating it.  I am excited.  this is a real holiday I can get my teeth into, literally! haha.

Mike

Something Interesting...

So, yesterday Geoff and I had an interesting discussion about the modernization of senegal.  Senegal is a very diverse country, economically, and socially.  it has a primate city (dakar) and then many satellite cities throughout the country.  people eat mostly rice because that is what they can afford, yet still have televisions.  and when they watch television usually its a soap opera.  nothing good.  but they do get a glimpse as to what is beyond senegal.  These people see americans and europeans with computers, and TVs and cell phones, and want a piece of the action.  so the go out and spend money on a tv or a cell phone instead of say a notebook for their children to go to school with or for more vegetables at the lunch bowl.  They are trying to modernize but they lack the understanding of the utility of the modern technologies.  they will keep a television on all day and not watch it, then wonder why they have to pay so much money for electricity.  they want to be modern, so they decide that instead of selling or turning off the television, they should make sure to turn off the lights.  although that is still a good idea, its not solving the problem, the television is the thing that is wasting more power than anything else.  Geoff was telling me about how he was helping with a computer class, and when people showed up to learn about computers, he found out that many of the students couldn't read or write.  he asked them what they were going to do.  The general consensus was that they just wanted to play on a computer and feel like they were modern.  they just wanted to have their picture on the screen and take a picture of it.  another example is that men will buy motorcycles and just drive them around mainly to just greet their neighbors.  most of the time, they don't have a real purpose for owning a motorcycle, and they don't know how to best use such a high tech piece of machinery.  I know a man that instead of getting electricity to his house, he bought himself a motorcycle.  I know he doesn't need it. theres no where for him to go except to work.  he could have just as easily bought a bicycle for his traveling, and gotten electricity for his family.  The use of cell phones is unbelieveable.  people will buy a cell phone (which are usually pretty cheap) but then spend a lot of money on buying phone credit and will go through all of it in a single day because they think that they need to call everyone on their contacts list.  they waste all of their money instead of saving it for when they really need it.  They just follow what they think everyone else is doing on tv.  it is important that they modernize, but they need to modernize slower or they will not understand how to best use such advanced technologies.  they utility aspect of the west is being lost.  granted yes, Americans are always wasting money on ridiculous things, but they aren't wasting money instead of buying a nutritious meal, or going to school.  Americans understand (generally) that having electricity is more important than having a personal vehicle.  the next generation of senegalese, will be much better at understanding what is a higher priority I hope.

I ate a hamburger again.  it was delicious.  thankyou mother for sending me bacon.  Things are still hot here.  last night I slept in my tent outside because my room was way too hot.  it was the first time in a long time that I felt cold and wanted a blanket.  I usually sweat in my sleep here.

Today Wasn't Very Exciting

today wasn't very exciting.  I got my clothes washed. then I ate some chocolate that my lovely mother that I love so much sent me.  afterwards geoff (another volunteer in the region) annika and I went to the local radio station to check the place out.  Once I am good enough at Pulaar or french I pan on doing radio shows.

there is this song that is fairly popular here in the fair country of senegal.  not sure of the name of the song.  It starts out with the theme from Carmen, but it has the words to noel like the christmas song, and it has african drumming for percussion.  it is quite a fun song to listen to...

If You Ever...

If you ever have a chance, you should watch a western in french.  it makes the movie very weird, and adds a lot of humour.

I Ate a Hamburger

So I ate a hamburger.

This was not like a hamburger in the states.  no this was much much different.

The other day I past by a restaurant looking place and asked the man inside about what he has.  on the wall there is a menu, so because this is senegal, I didnt believe everything on the menu.  I asked him "do you have pizza?" "no" chwarama? no. ice cream? no, hamburgers? yes.  so hamburgers it was!  after waiting an hour, with the lovely miss honnick we got our hamburgers.  the bun was delicious and sweet about 8 inches in diameter. (thats a pretty big bun) it was at least 3 inches thick maybe 4.  the top bun was hollowed out and ketchup and mayonaise was smeared inside.  then frenchfries were added to fill the gap in the hollowed out bun.  onions and tomatos were then added as well as more ketchup and mayonaise.  the meat of the hamburger needed some serious work.  it was about a centimeter thick and 3 inches around.  but it was fried with 2 eggs.  It was a delicious sandwich.  and for only 1000 cfa (2 dollars US) American burgers aint got nothin on it.  the only down side to the restaurant is the lack of beer, and air conditioning.  I give it 4/5 stars.

I plan on going to this restaurant more in the future and help the man with his hamburgers.  although it was delicious, it woul dbe nice to eat a real hamburger.  for Velingara style hamburgers, it is probably the best in the city (and maybe the only one in the city

Something funny happened.

I sat down next to two nuns at a bar. (this is a true story) and listened to their conversation and asked (in pulaar) if they were speaking russian. they said no, its polish (in french). so I told them that they have beautiful eyes(in polish). they giggled like catholic school girls and said thank you. then they finished their beers and drove off on motor cycles.


true story. Africa is pretty cool.

After 3 Months...

I have never written a blog, nor have I ever read a blog for more than a few days.  I am still not quite sure what they are about and my delete key no longer works, so I am going to try my best at blogging.

I supposeyou al want to know about what I am doing here.  I wake up every morning and ask myself that exact question.  What the hell am I doing here? Its hot, there aren’t any girls nearby, and the beer kinda sucks.  But non the less I am staying here for a few years, so I have at least gotten used to the beer sucking.  After all for the “good” beer in a tall bottle its only 1.50$ Amercian, and its bigger than a pint.

Sometimes I have power, sometimes I don’t.  My house has a well, and a water spicket.  I should be filtering my water but I don’t.  It seems pretty clean to me.  I’ve been dirnking out of it for almost two weeks now, and I haven’t gotten dysentery or or amoebas yet.  I did have amoebas when I was filtering my water back in September.  I had diahrrea for 2 weeks straight.  It wasn’t very fun.  I have finally been here more days, healthy than sick, which is actually a big change since 2 weeks ago.

So far my schedule has been something like this:

            Wake up around 8-9, shower and buy an egg sandwich.

            Get to work around 10 and sit there with the other men in the ministry of agriculture.  We eat fresh roasted peanuts and drink tea.  I get bored and around 10:30-11:00 I go to a garden and dig some plots or talk with the ladys that work there. (not ladies I am interested in) these women are middle aged and have been farming their whole lives. 

            I get back to the ministry around 11:30

            Sit for a few more minutes

            Then I go home

            At home I set up my hammock and read a book, right now it’s the hobbit. I also talk with my family as I wait for lunch

Lunch is at like 1:30ish

            After lunch I drink tea with my host family then make my way to the hotel for free wifi and a coke, sometimes a beer.

            I get home before sundown and hang with the family, sometimes ill play guitar until dinner.

That’s my basic schedule as of now.  Sometimes I go to the market, sometimes I eat meat on a stick. It depends on my mood.

Things that are weird in Senegal:

            People are terrified of frogs. Even grown men will run if you hold up a frog.  I have seen this, I have done this.

            People hate cats and dogs.  They throw things at them.

            People eat freshly roasted peanuts, which at first you think “oh that must be delightful!” but they really aren’t.  they don’t taste like peanuts you would get at Jacobs Field (yes Jacobs field not progressive park because progressive park is a stupid name) they peanuts don’t have salt and are only really half roasted and taste kind of like awful.  I only eat them if I have to or are really bored.

             There is no cheese but lots of cows and goats

            There is no such thing as the color blue.  The color blue was introduced by the French during their colonization.

            For some reason it has been my experience that catholics always have a much nicer house and compound than everyone else.  It is just what I have noticed, perhaps I am wrong.

            People will have their TVs on all day with no one watching, and then not understand why they pay so much for electricity.

            People love meat, but there is not much ground meat.  No hamburgers, or hotdogs.

            There is a time of the year between april and july that people call starving season, because they run out of rice and corn and other field crops but they don’t practice food processing and preservation.  There is no pickling, fermenting, salting, drying, or smoking of foods to save them.

            Even though it is like really hot all the time, people don’t seem to sweat ever.

            One of my host sisters thinks that the word baguette is a wolof word.  She wont believe me when I tell her that it is a French word.

            It is not illegal to be gay, but it is illegal to do gay things, but two guys holding hands is normal

            Girls don’t have to wear shirts, but they generally do need to be covered from the waist to their ankles or at least below the knees.

            Its cool to have 4 wives

            My host brother and sister and I were drawing pictures, and they thought that it was soooooo funny that I drew sunglasses on the sun. 

That’s about all for now.

This is the opinion of an individual and do not represent the United States Government or Peace Corps.

Posts are on the way!!!  keep checking for updates!