The Past Few Months

The day I got examined

So, I went up to Dakar to get my mid service medical examination.  The entire thing went surprisingly smooth.  I arrived in Dakar with my friends Rachel and Hildawg.  As we got off the highway the rain began to pour and I finally got to know Dakar during the rainy season.  It was really gross.  Sewage was everywhere, the animal and human poop that was in the streets was then all over the place.  Every step had to be careful.  You did not want to step in a puddle, or a stream of water.  I was unsuccessful and am now waiting for my feet to change color or some kind of worm to show itself. 

So, I eventually got examined.  I had them take a good look at my ears because I had been hearing weird crackly noises.  They said that they didn’t see anything abnormal, but that they were going to switch me to new malaria medicine from mefloquine to doxycycline (sp?). Yay!!!  Since having switched, I no longer hear noises, I have lots more energy, and lots more motivation.  Things are much clearer now that I have changed to doxy.

So, then I went to the dentist.  I have never had trouble with the dentist in America.  I almost enjoyed it.  Going to a dentist in a developing country is very different.  You quickly realize why dentist offices in America are the way they are.  There was no soothing smooth jazz playing, no fun toothy pictures on the wall, and all the magazines are French (not to mention the chairs are less than comfortable).  In America there is excellent Kenny G music playing, comfy chairs, and fun posters.  My dentists office is especially fun because he has a PacMan arcade game that can be played for free.  I like going to him, he is friendly and the dentist assistants are usually pretty cute.  This dentist here in Dakar was a very friendly man.  There were only three people in his office.  Him, his secretary, and me.  There was no assistant to clean my teeth before the dentist saw me, he just went right in.  everything was fine for the most part, he even spoke a little English.  The cool part was that as he was examining me,  there was no one handing him tools or helping.  It was completely a one man show.  So, then he gets to my two wisdom teeth that peace corps decided I did not need to have pulled before my service began.  He tells me that I have a cavity in each one…great. 

So, I leave the office and go straight to the Nice Cream ice cream shop.  I was very excited to eat some Barack Obama flavored ice cream.  Its like milk chocolate with nuts and crunchy stuff in it.  It is essentially like the best flavour ever.  Unfortunately for me, they were all out and I ended up getting some banana thing instead which was less than pleasing.

So, I had never gotten cavities filled before.  As you can imagine I was a little nervous about it, especially cause the dentist’s office isn’t very friendly.  I go in like normal I go sit in the chair and realize that it is just the dentist and I.  No assistants.  He shoots me up full of novocaine and goes to town on my teeth.  Twenty minutes later I have my first cavities filled.  So, I then went to Nice Cream and they had it.  Barack Obama flavor, and it was just absolutely wonderful.

The rest of my trip in Dakar was filled with pizza and icecream.  Lots of icecream.

So, then I went to Theis to assist in training.  I probably didn’t need to be there.  I essentially sat around and occasionally put in my two cents.  I got to meet all the new people though.

So, then I got back to Velingara.  I met my new arch nemesis…The Bathroom.  I had some experience with this enemy in the frat house, and in my old apartment.  Here in Velingara all I want is for my shower to work.  I don’t really care about the sink or the toilet, as long as my shower works.  So I tell my landlord this and he gets his plumber to come over to try and fix my bathroom so that water wil flow into it, and into the shower so that I can wash myself.  Everytime the plumber came to my house he made things worst until finally there was just water leaking everywhere.  There was water permeating through the cement walls.  It was pretty bad.  So then the man who actually own the property (he lives in spain) came in for the holidays and checked out the house.  He was all like “this is no good” so the next day he came back with some guy from the water dept.  the next day him and a bunch of guys come and tear some pipes out, and install some new pipes.  I assume that everything is fixed.  But I was wrong.  The new pipes leaked too, and to this day they are not fixed, but I do have a shower.

So, then it was Tabaski.  Tabaski is the Holiday to remember that one time when Abraham went up to the mountain with Isaac to sacrifice him before the lord but instead killed a mountain sheep.  Because my host family moved to the village that is where I went.  As I get to the village and get off my bike my families dog runs at me and tackles me to the ground.  It was great.

So, work wise I have been doing stuff.  I made a new radio show called Lundi Science with my friend Curtis.  Its about science and stuff.  I feel really good about it.  I can’t wait to make more episodes.

I have started studying French, its going pretty well I’d say.

I have started being the town luthier fixing all the guitars in the city.  Business is good.  I do it for free though.

So, there is like this huge flock of turkeys that runs around my town.  I had always thought that it was very strange that a native American bird was running around the streets of Velingara.  That put me in charge of Turkeys for Thanksgiving.  So the other day Curtis and I went over to the turkey owners house to talk turkey.  This is one of the nicest homes I have been in, in Africa.  We look at the flock, and go inside to discuss prices.  He starts the prices at 10,000 cfa  for the female, and 15,000 cfa for the male.  I say ill give him 20,000cfa for both.  Then he tells me in English that he will give me the female for free.  I accept the offer. 

So, then we get into talking and he tells Curtis and I that his grandfather was a French jew.  That fact blew my mind.  A part jewish Senegalese.  He then shows me a huge menorah with a large star of david on it that his grandfather had brought from france.  Not only is this man jewish, but he told me that he was a Levi, just like me and my family.  We then continue talking and I agree to give his son Joseph Levi  Monte (Monte is like French for Berg) guitar lessons.

Since then the first lesson went well, and tomorrow I will be travelling with a pair of Turkeys (I named them Esther and Yitzak) down to Kolda for Thanksgiving.

-Mike