So, I apologize for the extended absence. I really do mean to post more often than once per month, but with my trip home (which the Senegalese family does now know about and seems to be cool with) and the following month spent almost exclusively around Americans, I haven't had the opportunity or motivation to post anything. In fact, I'm actually writing this post in my notebook while I wait for a meeting with some of my work partners to start. It's 5:30pm, and I have been here waiting since 4:00. I've already filled out all the birthdays I could remember in the 2012 agenda book that I bought for $3 at our local superette just before arriving at the meeting. People are finally starting to arrive. This is weird, as SEnegal is playing in the Africa Cup as we speak (or rather as I write this days before it will be up online). I figured everyone would be watching it. We're meeting in one fo the rooms at the elementary school, so the chairs and desks are really little. I just broke one. It was embarrassing. I am attending this meeting, which based on my experience will start 2 hours late and take another 3 hours, because I want to convey one small piece of information about a training I plan on organizing, and gauge interest. This might sound like a wasteful use of my time, but if I'm successful it will completely open all the doors that need to be opened for this really useful and important training to happen. Look I finally managed to talk about work on my blog! I didn't like it and I probably won't ever again. I'm thinking now that I should probably photograph this meeting so that you all have some sort of meaningful connection to what I'm doing here.
Cut to studio and overenthusiastic radio host
Wasn't that wonderful! I really do enjoy Noah's blog. It's one of those blogs that I can actually sit down and read with the kids, and I don't have to worry about them seeing a bunch of harmful advertisements that will make them want things I don't feel like buying them. That being said, there comes a time when we all have to come together and realize that Noah's website traffic isn't high enough to make him any money through Google analytics. Rather than trying to visit his site far more often than we do now, because trust me when I say that staring at the same post several times a day week in and week out just hoping he has posted can really wear on the psyche, Noah has promised to continue posting, post more often, and even upload pictures if you manage to convince your friends to support (financially of course emotional support is great and all but won't really help) one of his projects. The Third (really should fact check before I write these) Annual Kaolack Regional Girls Leadership Camp will be held this coming June-ish. At this camp, 40 girls from the Kaolack, Kaffrine, and Fatick regions of Senegal come together in Badoudou (yes, pronounced BAH-doo-doo), a small town outside of Sokone on the Sine Saloum Delta. There they will spend...well more than 3 days, but less than a week...doing activities and hearing guest speakers. Each day has a different theme, like personal health, careers, the environment, etc. These are largely topics that aren't covered in Senegalese schools. This is even more important because of the girls that attend the camp. They re all middle-school aged, very high achieving, and from relatively low socio-economic backgrounds. These are girls that have the ability and motivation to succeed, but come from backgrounds that might not otherwise permit them to do everything they want to do in life. The guest speakers are particularly helpful, as they are usually women with similar backgrounds who have become nurses, teachers, or have other successful careers, and most of whom ARE married (most of these girls still do want to have husbands). In any case, this is a fantastic program to support, and we are a mere roughly $6,500 away from being able to have the camp (we need to achieve the total amount of funds requested in the grant or we get none, like in all seriousness that is actually the situation). So please, don't actually donate huge amounts of money to this because I'll feel bad, but by all means feel free to donate a little, and absolutely feel free to encourage your wealthy, well meaning friends to donate cast sums to the camp. And it's all tax-deductible (not actually sure on that one, you should probably check on that before donating)! The first 50 donors will receive a tote bag created by a blind, legless, rescued Senegalese seeing-eye donkey, but due to the Senegalese postal system, it will probably get lost on the way. Looks like we've just had a donation. Kly-yanni Mad-who of Brockport, NY has renewed her membership in the name of the immortal fish blub blub (fishy goes is the one that died, right?). Keep those phones ringing! Oh, and here is a nice
link to the website where you can donate. There is also a link on my (I mean on Noah's)
facebook page. We now take you back to your regularly scheduled program, As Time Goes By.
And we're back. Hope that wasn't too painful. Boy the point of view in that last paragraph was all over the place. When I was talking about mom renewing her membership, it took me literally 15 minutes to remember the word "renew." The closest I could get was re-establish. What is that? Ugh. Curveball just got thrown in this meeting. The president of the group that is meeting is the guy I was going to work with on trash management, but this young guy just threw down a really well-written, flashy, high budget trash project on the table. Mad drama in the room now.
SO anyways, Super Bowl is coming up. Can't say I'm that excited about another Patriots-Giants game. We should all keep in mind that if the Pats win, the Bills did beat them this season. It doesn't look like we will be able to watch the game live here (it starts at like 1am), but Casey (Patriots fan) should be able to download it so that we can watch it as a group the next day. (UPDATE: that is currently the plan, we are all going to go to a really nice resort hotel in Toubakouta on Monday to watch the game over Coronas and guacamole. Our only real issue is finding a downloadable copy that includes the commercials and the half time show. NOT THAT WE WOULD EVER ILLEGALLY DOWNLOAD THE GAME BY ANY MEANS). So nobody tell me who wins. I'm going to try and get up so I can photograph this meeting. Total success, as you can probably tell from this photo. (UPDATE: so the internet is too slow to upload a photo, but I promise that on Monday when I am near fast internet I will make another post with not 1, but
5 photos!) That's probably enough for now. I will be getting a new post-office box in Kaolack soon (UPDATE: did not succeed in doing that because of the holiday here, so I'll try again soon), so hold off on the care packages for a bit. I'll post some ideas soon, but legit I have enough beef jerkey to last like a year. More Reese's Pieces, Frank's Red Hot, salami, and flower seeds (yeah weird, I know) would be great.
Usually I peruse my movie selection in order to find a good quote from something I have watched recently, but as I'm away from my computer I'll try out my knowledge of he Star Wars films.
"Many Bothans died to bring you this information."
What a terrible quote. Seriously, I'm sorry. Let's try again.
"...good for nothing...Nerf-Herder!"
Getting there, one more.
"Ho ho ho...lutax nga krispa Greedo?"
Meaning "why did you fry poor Greedo?" but my Huttese is a little off so some of that was Wolof.
Okay good enough.
