so the rainy season has arrived, however unlike the 500 year flood so many of you got to experience this year it has rained twice. and drizzled three other times. rain here is scarce and i've been told that even this year it is wetter than average. but it is amazing how green everything has become with the little rain we've gotten. there is a greenish fuzz everywhere that the animals have gone crazy for and the trees seem a little fuller. even the people, though they are working very hard in the field everyday- seem happier now that the rain has come. but with the rain comes sandstorms and they are not fun. the sand pelts you like little needles and gets everywhere...i can't stand it and spend more time that i want to sweeping out my hut. but if this is the only rain the fuuta gets and everything depends on a good rainfall...i'm happy for any precipitation. even if it brings bugs and humidity.
the fourth of july was such a great time. the south of senegal is completely different than the fuuta...green, mountainous, jungle-like even. it was so cool seeing the different landscapes on the way down, and even better seeing all the other volunteers again and meeting new ones. it sounds like everyone is doind good...having similar experiences adjusting which is reassuring that i'm not going crazy. the trip took us two days down there, three back...totalling about 20 hours of traveling in a crowed car/bus/van. not the most comfortable way to travel but it gets you from place to place. we stayed at a hotel...i got to sleep in AC!! it never felt so good. there was also a pool where i spent the better of two days near or in. an awesome vacation with a much deserved rest.
we got about a week left in the village before we go to thies for IST. since everyone is in the rice fields working, i've mostly been hanging out at a couple of people's homes talking with a few of the women who stay at home. this is good-i've been practicing my pulaar with them and learning a lot of new things about the village. i'm excited to go back to thies; see and talk with the other stagers, get more health training, take a coupld of weekends to the beach, live with my keur issa host-family again. i've been able to stay in touch with them and they are just as excited to see me as i am...i miss them a lot too.
a quick cultural exchange that happened the other day and i had no idea what was going on:
my family and i were sitting around waiting for dinner when a few kids came running up from the river shouting and pointing. my family and the rest of the village quickly found out what was wrong and and ran down to the river. i was told "nake" as the quizzical face i was making showed them that i didn't get what was happening. in response to "nake" i nodded my head and followed everyone to the river. i had no idea what "nake" meant. i thought i misheard and they meant "nage" which is cows. maybe the cows were crossing the river again. once we were at the river, i followed everyone's gaze to the island where a bunch of people, an older woman, two men, and some children, were chasing and beating each other with branches. the older woman chased a girl into the river. other children followed her and kept hitting her. the two men took off running towards the boat. once in the boat, one stood and continued hitting himself and the paddler. suddenly he jumped into the water, got back in the boat and continued the beating. they arrived at the other people, picked them up and then proceeded to paddle across the river to our bank. suddenly another man came running from the fields, into the river, and climbed int he boat. as initiation everyone beat him too. then as if nothing happened they stopped. as they got closer to the back i realized that the two men were my uncles, demba and moussa, the woman a great aunt. everyone crowded around them and all were talking noisily and with big gestures. finally, my second host-mother noticed that i still didn't know what was going on and took me aside. "nake" she repeated and then started pinching her arm. "like a mosquito?" i asked. "yes, like a mosquito but they --------" then she stuck out her tongue and said "it is delicious". ahhh, lightbulb. "you mean honey?" "yes!!!!" "nake makes honey." "yes, now you understand." "yes, now i understand." BEES. nake = bees. they opened a bee hive in the field and were fighting off bees. eureka!
just an example of how a typical day for me goes.
cheers!
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