A Life Without Internet...

INTERNET!!! Let me say, this post was originally written on April 1st. Due to internet I'm a bit behind in posting...

First off, let me say that I’m SO sorry for the delay in updates! My life has been very intense lately, mainly due to a very busy training schedule and some home stays with no internet.

A few key points first:

1.     I now have a Senegalese phone number! You can call me at 77-489-0308 (the country code for Senegal is 221). My parents have been buying credit on Skype and calling me that way, but I’m not sure of the cost. I can receive and send texts as well, but probably on a sparingly basis due to cost.

2.     I did manage to keep my cell phone number in the States. I converted it to Google Voice, so if you send me a text or call me on my old number, I’ll still get it! It’s actually really fun to get voicemails because they get emailed to me and I can listen to them :) I can’t call back but I can text back via email.

Ok – now for the fun stuff! Since I’ve last written, I’ve gotten lots of details about my life!

I am officially learning Fulakunda, a dialect of the Pulaar language. I’m happy to be learning a dialect of Pulaar because variations of this language are spoken in a lot of other West African countries.

For 15 of the last 20 days I’ve been doing community based training, which means that we get split into small language groups with 1 instructor, and then taken into villages where we live with host families. There are 2 other Peace Corps trainees in my group, and our instructor is a Senegalese native who is my age, so we all get along really well.

My Language Group! Nathan, Boubacar, and Randi

When I arrived in the village of Samba Laobe, I could speak about 6 sentences in Pulaar, mainly greetings, but was dropped off at my host family’s house. I was instantly greeted with huge smiles and the shouting of my new name, Rama Kande. In the Senegalese culture, it is common to have a namesake, someone in your community or family after whom you are named. So, my namesake is my 5 year old sister, Rama Kande – super cute but comes with a serious 5-year old attitude!

My and my namesake Rama

In my compound, there are about 15 people. I have my own room but share the toilet and shower facilities (which are located outside) with everyone else. The toilet took some getting used to since it’s just a hole in the ground, but there’s no roof, so one advantage of that is getting to see the stars and moon at night while you’re peeing haha. (Sanibel crew – the stars here are incredible and I think of you all often when I look at them! SO bright!)

The experience with my family has been absolutely amazing. Imagine allowing a complete stranger to move into your house, occupy a room, and essentially become a member of your family. Now imagine that this person spoke no more of the language than a 2 year old! This was me just 15 days ago, and the hospitality my family showed to me was without a doubt one of the most gracious things I have ever experienced.

My Neene

My Baaba

My Wonderful Senegalese Family

My typical schedule is as follows:

7:30am – 8:45am Wake up, eat breakfast, leave for language class

9:00am – 1:30pm Language class at my instructor’s house (in his sandy yard that contains about 20 goats and 10 chickens…needless to say a DRASTIC change from my cubicle at Discover)

2:30pm Eat Lunch – I eat every meal with my hands, and I eat LOTS of rice. I haven’t gotten sick of having the same meal over and over yet, but after 2 years I may never want to look at rice again

3:00pm – 5:00pm Relax/Make Attaya – The afternoon is just too hot to do anything, so most people stay inside during this time. They either take an afternoon rest or make attaya, the traditional tea in Senegal. It’s a 3 cup process that takes about 2 hours to complete. I’m learning to master the process, but I’ve got some practice to do!

5:00pm – 7:00pm Either more language class or some Peace Corps activity with the other 2 people in my language group and our instructor

7:00pm – 8:30pm Hang out with my family/help make dinner

8:30pm Eat Dinner (This took some getting used to because I was so incredibly hungry this late at night)

9:00 Hang out with my sisters and practice Pulaar or dancing. They think my attempt at dancing is hilarious, but I’m learning lots of good Senegalese moves!

I have no electricity in my house at all, and no running water. So at night if I want to read or need to study, I use my headlamp (thanks sis – it’s getting tons of use!).  My family usually goes to the well every morning and stocks up on water for the day that we keep in large plastic tubs – I run all mine through a filter before drinking, don’t worry! I have been surprisingly comfortable with this drastic lifestyle change, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a lot of time to even think about not having electricity or internet.

A couple of other pics because they're fun!

Jemmi, Me, and Samba

Carrying our baby Samba on my back

A few things I have missed:

1.     News – I have very little idea of what’s going on in the world and that is a struggle for me!

2.     Broccoli – So weird, but I want some! There are veggies here but I haven’t seen any broccoli yet.

3.     March Madness – Even though my team didn’t make it (womp womp) I still crave sitting with a great IPA and watching some basketball

I am truly loving this experience though and am so happy with the decision I have made to take my life in this different direction. I find out my permanent soon and then will be traveling for 4 days to visit the volunteer I’ll be replacing, so exciting news to come!

Peace and love to all! Thanks for reading.