Confessions of a Hungry PCV

Ramadan has ended, ALHUMDULILLAIH! I can now eat and drink while the sun is out. My attempt to stay in village throughout Ramadan was fairly successful with only one night spent in Kolda. It was an interesting project to undertake and I'm glad that I did it. I had a conversation with my host Dad about it and he said that he really appreciated that I was open to embracing this part of their culture. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I am horrible at keeping diaries and journals. My "Peace Corps Journal" had 10 entries in it before Ramadan started. As a Ramadan project, I decided that I would do my best to keep a journal and I did a pretty good job. So, here is a look into my thoughts and my Ramadan Diary, with commentary in parentheses...

Day 1: The beginning of Ramadan and the nerves of returning to village after a month was absolutely terrifying. But, I reached my dad's boutique and had kids yelling my name and my dad came over and gave me a hug (half handshake/ hug combo- Senegalese people don't really hug).... 19:30 roles around and its time to break fast with Tapilapa (village bread, delicious!) and "cafe"- a tea made with mango leave, powdered milk, and sugar. We then had candied dates!

Day 2: I am woken up at 5am by my mom for breakfast. I eat with my dad and uncle (I usually eat with my brother, but he's working in the Gambia and my other brother is in Dakar), but I don't have much of an appetite. My dad says to stop fasting, but I'm determined to try this. I attempt to go back to bed, but I lie there listening to the call to prayer. I get out of bed at 8:30 (much later than usual) and greet my family. I then week my forest of a backyard with help from Binta (my sister-in-law) and Mama (a neighbor).

Day 4: We broke fast in the usual manner, but my mom gave me extra bread- they don't think I'm eating enough. She has also started to call me bobo (baby in Pulaar) which is really sweet.

Day 5: I woke up this morning slightly panicked from a dream, darn Mefloquin (malaria prophylaxis). In my dream, I'm back at the Galen Center and am working for the basketball team again. It's the first game of the season and we're playing Oregon because I see Kai and welcome her back to the Galen Center. I'm apparently the only one working and am rushing to get everything done. I yell at the men's team to vacate the court (typical) and I go to fill water bottles, only to find that they haven't been made yet (aka numbers and names written on them). I go to Sandy (our athletic trainer) to get the water bottles and she's gives me a "I'm disappointed, you know better than this" look. I begin to make the bottles, only to realize I don't know who is on the team and what numbers to use. Then I wake up. Strange (According to a lot of volunteers, it isn't unusual to experience very vivid dreams- still, I'm not used to them).

I literally saw a storm roll into my village. It was so cool to see and hear the rain coming in from the distance.

Day 9: The kids were running around tonight, pumped full of sugar, when Jubiru (my uncle)organized a game that resembled "Steal the Bacon". It was great! Some of the boys came over to chat while we were watching the kids play. They thought it was hilarious when I told them that we played a version of that game in America. It was so nice to chat with them in the evening again. This hasn't happened since I got back from IST. The kids then played a version of Duck Duck Goose. So much fun!

Day 10: I walked Dave to the road this morning (he's a volunteer in Kolda and came to visit my village for 2 days) and then talked to Spence (a volunteer in Tamba)- I love free calling (Peace Corps has made it possible to call other volunteers without having to buy phone credit)! I'm hanging out with some of the kids outside my hut when I get a call from Dave- Kelly got her phone stolen at lummo (a market that occurs once a week) and wanted to know if she could spend the night in my village before heading to Kolda- Of Course!
It was so nice to have Kelly in my village. We had girl talk and updated each other on the last 9 days, even though it felt like it's been much longer. It's so nice to have girl talk; it's the one thing I really miss in village, having a close girlfriend.

Day 11: My brother started to bake bread today in village. I was coming home from a neighbors house when I passed the large brick oven and saw that he was baking bread. I sat there watching them bake bread and it looked so delicious coming out of the oven; too bad we can't eat it fresh.

There was a funeral in my village today. I was really uncomfortable because I don't know how to act. In America, there are certain rituals and mannerisms surrounding a funeral, and unfortunately we weren't taught the Senegalese way in our cross cultural sessions. I don't want to accidentally break a social norm and act inappropriately. Someone here for the funeral called me Toubab-in MY village, NOT OK! I kept walking and pretended not to hear him. The boys told him that it wasn't ok and to not call me Toubab. He then came to greet me and called me volontaire and asked my name, much better.

Day 14: I made a list of places I wanted to eat when I go home. UGH, I miss variety in my food.... I hung out with Adele today, she's currently the closest thing I have to a girlfriend in village (oh, and she's only 15). All the other young, unmarried girls are elsewhere: Swadu is in Dakar, Ustu is in Kolda, and Kadja is in Zig.

Mamadou came back from the Gambia today! It's good to have him back

Day 15: I had cucumbers today and was ecstatic! I miss veggies. I hung out for a bit and watched the full moon move across the sky. Veggies and a full moon, what a great night.

Day 16: Meg (a Kolda volunteer) came today!! It was fun, she chatted with everyone in Pulaar and everyone was saying how much Pulaar she knew. One day, I will be at that level. I'm determined!

Day 20: Today was an adventure. We [Meg and I] went to St. John Cortiba (a new site) and Fascahone (a potential new site). The 20K bike ride on bush trail and car path wasn't so bad despite patches on deep sand and a swamp. It was really cool to see a new site and to talk to a potential village about getting a volunteer. The meeting was in Pulaar and I understood the majority of what was being said-Yay! I didn't have much to contribute, but it was good to see the process of setting up a new site. We had lunch (first day of not fasting) and then it started to rain, so we set off for Meg's site. The bike ride back was so difficult! It rained the whole time and the road was ridiculously muddy. We basically biked through a river for 20K. I have scars and bruises from this ride. I then caught a ride with Peace Corps into Kolda, yay comfy transportation!

Day 22: I woke up sore from the bike ride to Fascahone and the bike ride back to village from Kolda. Boo. Despite just returning from Kolda, I had to fight the desire to go right back to get score updates from the USC- Hawaii game. Good thing people have access to internet and can send me the score tomorrow morning. This is going to be a long football season. I can't believe I can't watch my Trojans.

Day 23: I need to keep my back door closed at night. When I was sweeping my room today, I shooed about 10 frogs from my room-gross. I then finished my Ramadan project book- Atlas Shrugged! Sweet- gotta tell Kate.

There was drama at home today. My brother didn't leave any bread to break fast. I was kinda sad not having bread, but my dad came home from a prayer circle and apologized for the lack of bread. He asked if I wanted him to get bread and we could break fast over again, and obviously I told him no. Then Mamadou (not the bread baking brother) gives me bread with beans that he had gotten and made me vitalait (powdered milk with sugar). My mom then gives me rice from the prayer circle. Then they expected me to eat dinner too! Ugh- so full, too much food.

Day 24: Today I had a headache while hanging out with Adele, so I went home to lay down. On the way home, passing the oven, my brother decides to play the name game and they said something I didn't understand. When I said I didn't understand, they started laughing and didn't explain. I already had a headache and it's difficult enough speaking Pulaar when I'm feeling well that I became really upset and had tears in my eyes. I quickly said that I needed to go and went to my room to cry. I'm trying so hard, don't they get it? I just want someone in village to understand me.

Tonight after dinner, I found a chicken hiding out in my room. So that brings types of animals in the past month to a chicken, frogs, a bat, and the various insects.

Day 26: I am so bored of the rain. I can't believe its raining AGAIN. So, you know how two days ago, I was really upset and felt like no one understood me in village? Well, I think that Tidiane does. Tonight he came over to see how I was doing. We talked about why I was upset and I explained that I wasn't feeling well and that it takes a lot for me to understand and speak Pulaar. He told me that they were just kidding around and then said that if he were in my shoes in a foreign country, he would feel the same way. I don't know if he really gets it, but at least he's trying. Yay friends!

Apparently on the 26th night of Ramadan, they don't sleep and stay up all night for a prayer circle. So, Mamadou baked bread tonight. I attempt to go to bed, but the sound of singing keeps me up. Also, Sarah texted me tonight saying that the weather report for Kolda said it was 80 degrees. At the time, I was wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt because I was cold. I guess my body is adjusted to the temperature.

Day 27: Last night, I was woken up at 3:45am to eat. I guess when they don't sleep they eat when hungry. This time it was rice, follere, and chicken with pasta!!! Would you like some carbs with your carbs? Anyways, this is the first time I've had meat in village!! (I've had fish a couple of times, but never meat)

Day 28: All the females in the village are getting their hair braided in preparation of Korite! I love watching them get their hair braided, it's so much fun to watch. I told Binta that she can braid my hair too because I know she likes to play with my hair and it makes her happy.

I went over to see the newborn baby today! He is so small and light skinned. They said that his body and my body looked alike. I love babies!

Day 29: I dreamt that I was in Costco. Thank goodness Ramadan is almost over!
They saw the moon tonight!! Ramadan has officially ended! Let Korite begin.

Korite: We had breakfast when the sun was out! We had bread and coffee, then an hour later, a second breakfast of Cheeb (rice with oil) and macaroni. Off to pray! I have now prayed with three different religions: Buddhism, Christianity, and now Islam. After prayer time, it was off to greet people in every compound and the children go around asking for change. It reminds me of Chinese New Year. Then we had lunch with beef and off to the soccer pitch! It unfortunately started to pour, so we all went home. Korite is so much fun!

Village wide prayer time

Ramadan Stats:
Days:29
Days I fasted: 27
Nights in the regional house: 1
Books read: 3
Loaves of Tapilapa eaten: 13
Visitors: 3
Days it rained:22
Money spent: 4 mille (8 dollars)
Mefloquin Dreams: 14
Braids in my hair:12

That's it for Ramadan!

--Peace Out!

p.s. I've been in country for 6 months! Time flies...