January in Review

I’ve been dreaming of posting a small collage of photos every week, with simple captions to explain potentially foreign images, as a way to reflect and share. However, with our schedule full of comings and goings and spontaneous visits from parents and siblings and cousins and work partners and community members and fellow volunteers- unpredictable, unscheduled happenings, in general- as it is, an ongoing monthly review feels more attainable right now. Despite my commitment to To-Do (and Honey-Do) lists, our best-laid plans are often delayed or derailed (or augmented?) by…something. And it’s all about setting achievable goals, right? As such, I’ll start with this monthly roundup of photos and text, and maybe it will eventually happen more often.

*Sidenote, and example of the unpredictable nature of our days: yesterday, we got roped into a “quick visit” to our father’s friend’s new “filtered water factory” to taste the clean water and see how the system works. We’re told it was recently purchased from, and installed by, a Swiss gentleman. After touring the facility (5 tanks of varying sizes and the “Swiss Pure Water” machine, all in one room) and sampling the water, a camera appeared all of the sudden and Baay started giving the cameraman a tour, explaining in great detail all about the different steps in the purification process. Baay then walked over to us, explained to the camera that we were American and that we had come there to purchase filtered water with our new buckets (we had not; I had purchased 2 new buckets at the market for food storage, and was intercepted by Baay and Peter en route home to visit the factory). The filter factory employee then proceeded to fill my filthy bucket with clean, pure water on camera (the dirty bucket water was immediately tossed out once the handheld was turned off). I was then asked to go on camera and say:

Ndox mi neex na, sela na. The water is delicious and clean.

Because I can’t say no to my Baay and his friend Camara (who is one of the few men in Geo who pays me what I consider proper respect), I said yes. That is how I became the poster child for “Swiss Pure Water” in Guinguinéo, which I had not heard of an hour previous to this event. Apparently the ad will be aired on Guinguinéo television in the coming weeks. And so it goes… Back to the month in review now.

In January…

We worked (with the help of siblings, parents, and pets!)…

Compilation of photos documenting the creation of the flower garden in front of our apartment (we hope the seeds germinate!) and Lady Obama’s new outdoor digs.

Studying up on Guinguinéo’s trees, making compost in our demonstration garden with the assistance of a damp Lady O (she got watered along with the compost by mistake), and touring the fields of my work counterpart, Mackiny Tall.

We rested…

Lots of sleeping puppies and kittens, some humans, lizards soaking up sun on a building in the Catholic compound (See the church bell to the left? It rings every Sunday morning.), and newborn puppies in Mackiny’s neighbor’s compound (Mama dogs here dig a burrow for their puppies- very cool). Unfortunately, our human siblings never seem to nap, or rest, for that matter.

We played…

Puppies, and kittens, and children!  Cuteness overload!

We stretched…

I’m beginning to realize we have quite a few photos of our fur babies… Can you imagine what it will be like when we have real, human children [Inshallah]?!

We cooked…

New England potato salad for the family (with bread, of course! No such thing as too many carbs in Senegal!), cheeseburgers (the second most labor intensive meal we have made to-date, after pizza. We forgot to capture the actual patties on camera), and amazing oatmeal combinations (thanks for the oats, Mom!). Not pictured, but of note: unbelievably delicious grilled cheese (thanks to a Lebanese grocery store in Kaolack).

We ate…

Many a bowl of our yaay’s famous ceeb u jën (fish and rice, Senegal’s national dish). I unfortunately have a tough time stomaching this meal day after day, but it’s Peter’s favorite.

We experienced our first weird skin maladies…

Yes, those are my (Kait’s) hairy, freckled arms, and yes, I am wearing socks on my hands, to protect our bed sheets from the “medicated pomade” PC prescribed, at Peter’s urging. Hand washing queen-sized sheets is the worst. And yes, it's fungal, and likely some form of ringworm. Gross.

We had our camera “borrowed” by two sassy little sisters, unbeknownst to us…

Around the compound, through Ouli and Sodas’ eyes.

Around the kitchen, through the same eyes (and “borrowed” camera).

We learned the names (scientific, English, and Wolof!) of many new trees…

Something tells me you might not be interested in the names of these trees and much as I am, so I’ll spare you.

Little brother Fallou and Lady O helping me gather seed and leaf specimens for tree identification (photo credit: Soda Diop, 8 years old).

We enjoyed much quality family time together…

Our beautiful family (clockwise starting top left): Yaay and Baay on a typical morning (always well dressed!).  Our 4 siblings, Ouli, Pa Gorré, Fallou, and Soda, hanging in our apartment.  Pa Gorré, Ibrahim (neighbor boy), and Fallou with their sweet hats.  Peter and Happy Cat.  Pa Gorré and me (post head-boo-boo kiss).  Cousin Maimouna.  Fallou and Happy Cat.  Peter, cousin Ndiaye, Ahmed and his new baby (Ahmed used to work with Baay and is big brother to Sidy), and Sidy (who works with Baay and is pretty much like family).

We finally booked our honeymoon, after a year and a half of marriage! We’re going on safari in Botswana in May! In true Hammersley/Maeder fashion, we’re going with my parents, and my sister, and her partner. For those of you who attended our wedding, you may remember that my parents enjoyed their honeymoon with the entire Maeder clan on Branch Lake.  The trend continues, although Botswana is a titch more exotic than Ellsworth, Maine.

Looking forward, February will bring… 

- a week-long Wolof Language Seminar in Kaolack, with 2 other volunteers and our patient LCF (Language and Culture Facilitator), Aly Dabo.

- a Baye Fall Maggal in a village just outside Guinguinéo, during the 2 days in Feb we will be home.

- the start of a month away from our home in Guinguinéo, for various Peace Corps activities and trainings, including the annual All-Volunteer Conference in Thies, the West African Intramural Softball Tournament (WAIST) in Dakar, and 2 weeks of technical “In-Service Training” in Thies for our entire 60+ person Stage. 

- my 28^th birthday, which is hard to wrap my head around. How can I possibly be so close to 30 already?!

- surely, a whole host of new experiences and people we can hardly predict, or plan for.

At my Mother’s suggestion, I will end this and other monthly posts (Inshallah) by sharing the following:

1) The biggest challenge we have faced: constant, unrelenting noise (except when on a charet in the bush, see below). I see it as a sort of extension of there being “no boundaries.” The idea of noise pollution isn’t a thing here in Senegal.  Screaming or singing children, men with loudspeakers, deafening home sound systems, cars or motos with gratuitous horn usage, metal saws, pop-up concerts with walls of speakers. These things are never hushed, or acknowledged as an annoyance. It’s just loud here all the time, and sometimes it’s really taxing. It’s 11:39 PM right now and there is a full-on concert happening a block away, simultaneous religious singing being blasted from somewhere, and a crowd of people blowing whistles nonstop. It sounds like the apocalypse, even with earplugs. Nobody else seems to notice, though.

 

2) The most exciting/best experience: charet rides to and from villages surrounding Guinguinéo. People don’t really talk on the charet, so it’s quite peaceful. I love looking out over the savannah, and hearing and feeling the cadence of the horse (or donkey).

3) What we are most grateful for: other than givens like “our amazing host family” and “each other” and “Lisa’s letters” and “Sue’s care packages,” we’ve decided that this month, we are most grateful for rediscovering the joy of a hot [bucket] shower. It has transformed an unpleasant experience full of yelps and goosebumps (it really is chilly at night!) into a relaxing ritual akin to a spa visit. It’s the small things…

Jamm Rekk,

Kait (and Peter)