Packing Advice from a Fastidious Planner

The new Peace Corps Senegal Agriculture Stage (Agroforestry, Urban Ag, and Sustainable Ag Volunteers) will arrive in a month, at the end of September, so I wanted to post on the topic that is sure to be at the forefront of many of their minds: packing. A year ago, as we packed for this experience, I dutifully stalked blogs for packing advice, so I feel obligated to pay it forward, and put more packing information out there.

Disclaimer: this is not a minimalist’s guide! If that’s what you’re looking for, look here (although there's quite a bit on this list that you wouldn't even need).

I’ll start by assuring you that you can find pretty much anything you’d ever want in Senegal, but things are a lot more difficult to track down than in America and you won’t have the time or language skills in your first 3 months in country to access a bunch of specific stuff that you want or need. For that reason, focus on packing what you want and need for your 3 months of training. You will want to be comfortable, and you will be expected to look professional; dress and physical presentation are very important in Senegalese culture.

Try to avoid spending a bunch of money on new clothes and stuff before coming. Your clothes will all get ruined, and so will a lot of your stuff. Buy secondhand when possible, and pack the things that are really important to you, rather than packing everything you think you might need over the course of 27 months. Your dollars will go further in Senegal, and having extra money for emergencies, or to travel during your service, will probably be more important to you than having a bunch of sweet new stuff (clothes especially!) that will wear out quickly.

Also keep in mind that there is tons of stuff floating around the Peace Corps community- clothes (so many clothes!), tents, multi-tools, electronics, solar chargers- either for sale or for free, because waves of volunteers are constantly arriving and leaving. Plus, many PCVs get clothes made from local fabrics (wax is the most common and least expensive kind), so your wardrobe can and will expand later on in your service.

That said, for things you want or need to buy new, there are some great discounts available for PCVs. Check them out on Peace Corps Wiki.

I would highly recommend having access to some American money (at least a few hundred dollars), if you can swing it. Bring your ATM card, and some American cash (there will be an opportunity to change money during your first week). Your first few months in country will be hard, and your walk-around allowance from Peace Corps will probably not cover everything you want, or are expected, to buy. For example, you will be expected to have a new Senegalese-style outfit made for swearing-in that will run about $20-40, and if you want to go on the beach trip at the end of training, you’ll have to pay for that out of pocket, around $30. The occasional small pleasures- Western style food, ice cream, beer- are also most important during training, when you are most cash-poor. You may also need to supplement your Install Allowance if you need major repairs done on your living space that Peace Corps won’t cover (that happened to us), if you have to pay for several expensive items at once (a bed, desk, and chair, for example), or if you have to front money for something (transportation, repair work, medication) that PC will later reimburse you for (happens all the time). Better to be prepared and avoid being stressed about money, as there will be plenty of other stressors in your life.

You will be constantly traveling back and forth between the Thies Training Center (TTC) and your language learning site for the first 3 months, so pack accordingly.  Packing, unpacking, and repacking constituted much of our time during those first few months! We also travel about once a month now. A small to medium sized backpack (ideally with good airflow between the frame and your back) is very helpful, as you will be carrying your luggage all over the place, and heavy bags (that you can't put on your back) are cumbersome for travel.

Finally, I will preface this information by reminding you that we are urban volunteers, living in a town of 15,000-20,000 people. We have electricity and running water. Urban Ag PCVs can expect a situation similar to ours, but AgFos and SusAgs are usually in smaller communities, almost always without electricity, and usually without running water. The wants, needs, and realities of those PCVs are obviously different.

You probably won’t have space for all this stuff, unless you’re lucky enough to be serving with your partner, thus doubling your baggage allowance, but here is a list of things to think about bringing. Whether you decide to go the minimalist route, or the route of the ultra-prepared, you’ll be just fine. Also, this is not an exhaustive list, just a solid starting point.

Essentials:

*During your first few months, you’ll be doing laundry around once every week to 10 days, so you’ll want enough clothes to keep you comfortable during that time. Don’t bring much more than that; you will get clothes made, buy them in the markets, and accumulate them from other volunteers. Save the luggage space for more valuable stuff!

- 2-3 shirts for working outside. I prefer lightweight cotton, long-sleeved t-shirts for sun protection.

- 2-3 pants or capris for working outside. Lightweight cotton or synthetic pants are best.

- 1-2 pair long shorts for working outside (males), exercising, or wearing around the house.

- 1-2 pair leggings (females) to wear under shorts, knee-length dresses or skirts, or around the house.

- 3-5 comfortable and professional-looking outfits to wear around the Training Center and your language training village. I’d say casual office wear is the best way to describe the look you want. Looking presentable is really important in Senegal, and it’s also important to bring things you like and feel comfortable in, otherwise you’ll never wear them. Ladies, dresses and skirts need to be below the knee (ideally mid-calf or below), and avoid tank tops/tank dresses unless they have a very wide strap (tank tops are forbidden at the TTC). Think school-teacher-esque outfits. Keep in mind that stretchy fabric doesn’t last long with hand washing. Gents, shorts are really only appropriate when working outside, exercising, or spending time in a tourist area. Here are some clothing items I am grateful I brought: linen drawstring pants, 2 linen collared shirts, black cotton capris, silk double-layer wrap skirt (bought from a hippie shop), a handful of shirts a step up from a regular t-shirt (a black one with ruching in front to dress it up a bit, a patterned polyester shirt to wear with the capris), and yoga capris for sleeping in and wearing around the house. Peter wears lightweight cotton button up shirts (mostly from Goodwill) or cotton tshirts and lightweight Carhartt khaki pants every day.

- A few solid-color tshirts and/or tank tops. I wear tank tops around the house most days, but in some places in Senegal that’s not appropriate. Bring a few if you like them, but keep them in your luggage during language training, and wear them conservatively. Solid color t-shirts (or collared shirts) are nice because you can get colorful wax pants and skirts made to go with them.

- 1 pair jeans for cold season/Dakar/to feel American.

- 1-2 long-sleeved shirts for cool season.

- 1-2 lightweight fleeces for cool season.

- 1 cute or nice dress or outfit for special occasions, and/or going out in Thies or Dakar. Sometimes it’s important to wear something nice and “normal.” Could be a tank top maxi dress, or a shorter dress for ladies, or nice jeans and a nicer shirt for guys.

- A few pairs of earrings (ladies), and maybe a necklace or 2. Senegalese love jewelry!

- 1 rain jacket, for rainy season. I have only worn mine a few times, though, and could get along without it.

- A couple of comfortable bras (females) both for working outside, and to wear with professional clothes.

- 10ish pairs underwear. They’re expensive, but SmartWool underwear are the best thing ever (for ladies). They dry quicker than synthetic and are much more breathable. I also have a few synthetic Ex Officio pairs (can be really hot), and a few cotton pairs (take longer to dry). Peter loves ExOfficio underwear (for gents). They're super durable and quick drying. You can't get good underwear in Senegal, so bear that in mind when packing.

- Bathing suit. Bikinis are fine.

- 1 pair sturdy sandals. I prefer Chacos and wear them every day.

- 1-2 pairs casual sandals or flats (for men, boat shoes or sandals, or you can get shoes here), to wear with every day skirts and dresses or pants. Sandals without backs or sandals that you can easily slip on and off are helpful, as you must remove shoes when going into a house or room, and during meals. It gets annoying if you’re always buckling and unbuckling.

- 1 pair nice sandals to wear with fancy clothes. Think bling!

- 1 pair tennis shoes or closed-toed shoes, if you plan to exercise or work in them. I have only worn mine a handful of times.

- Wide brimmed hat. I really dislike sunscreen, so my big straw hat is like an extension of my body.

- Sunglasses. You can buy them in Senegal, but they are very low quality. If you are particular about your sunglasses, bring a backup pair.

- A water bottle or 2. Nalgenes or Klean Kanteens hold up well.

- Toiletries. Bring whichever toiletries you want/need for the first few weeks. You will get sunscreen and bug spray from Med after a few days, and you can buy Western-style shampoo, conditioner, soap/body wash, body lotion, and deodorant near the Thies Training Center, but you won’t have much time to go shopping. Ladies, if you wear makeup in America, I would recommend brining some staples to Senegal for special occasions. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to put on some mascara.

- Diva Cup. Ladies, it really is the best option.

- Good pair of nail clippers.

- Meds. Bring a 3 month supply of any prescription meds, per PC’s advice. Other than that, pretty much any medical supplies you’ll need will be in the med kits PC gives you in your first week in-country. If there’s something additional you need that’s not in the kit, you can put in a special request. Save the space and leave the pain killers, antibiotic cream, and band-aids at home!

- Towel. You can buy towels in Senegal (but they’re really crappy and really expensive for what you’re getting) or use a piece of fabric or a sarong, but you’ll probably want to bring one so you have one right off the bat.  We have Eagle Creek quick dry towels and they’re super-great.

- 1-3 Bandanas. They have a million uses.

- Tent. I really didn’t want to bring a tent, but I’m glad we did. A tent is really essential, as there often isn’t enough bed space at regional houses, and sometimes Peace Corps expects you to camp at language seminar, Summits, and other PC-required events when there is limited bed space. It’s also nice for sleeping at site when it’s really hot, and for guests. If you don’t have a tent, buying an inexpensive bug hut-type tent is probably your best option, as it doesn’t rain that much of the year. There are lots of different sizes and price ranges out there.

- Therma-rest, or some other sleeping pad. Not necessary, but makes your tent more pleasant.

- Gift ideas for host families: 3 small photo booklets (one for your language training family, one for your eventual host family, and one for yourself to show people when discussing your family), coloring books and crayons for kids, inexpensive earrings and nail polish for women, chachkis from your state or hometown, American candies. You can buy fruit, coffee, and tea to give as gifts once you get to Senegal, but it’s nice to have something American to present as well. The photo booklets are great topics of conversation for language learning and cultural exchange.

Electronics:

- Computer. If you have a computer or can get one, bring it. Peace Corps Senegal expects a lot of internet/computer work, and while it’s possible to serve without a personal computer, it’s difficult. Bring some sort of case, and ideally a bag to protect it from dust and moisture. *I would recommend bringing a computer over a tablet, if you have the choice. The PC grant website and the Volunteer Reporting Form do not work on tablets, and sometimes tablets have trouble connecting to the wireless networks at regional houses.

- USB key. If you have one, bring it. If you don’t, consider buying one. There’s lots of file/info swapping, both for PC work and fun.

- External Hard Drive. Again, if you have one, bring it. Many computers die in Senegal, so find a way to back up your files. Again, there’s lots of file/info swapping, both for PC work and fun.   Every movie ever produced is somewhere in Senegal on some PCV’s external hard drive, so if you want to tap into the multi-media treasure trove, you’ll need somewhere to store all the bytes.

- Kindle. I broke down and bought one before coming, and while I still prefer books, it is so convenient for Peace Corps. If you have one, or can buy one, or can ask to be gifted one, do it. Plus, there is a PC Dropbox library with hundreds of free books! Peter is still only reading real books, so his backpack is usually heavier.

- iPod and ear buds. If you have one, bring it. Great for long, cramped, sweaty car rides and working in the garden. iPod touches are great because you can connect to wireless. Consider bringing a backup pair of ear buds for when your first pair inevitably dies, or gets eaten by your dog.

- iPhone. Neither of us have ever had one, but lots of PCVs find them useful for staying connected, taking photos, and having music, etc.

- Camera. If you want to document your experience, bring one. We have a camera that is waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof. It certainly doesn't take the best photos, but we like that we don't have to coddle it.

- Headlamp and/or flashlight. Batteries are poor quality, so bring rechargeable ones, extras, or solar charging stuff.

- Power adaptor. Necessary for plugging American things in. They have them at most hardware stores in Senegal, so no worries if you can’t find one in America.

- Solar charger, for those of you who don't expect to have electricity (AgFos and SusAgs). We have never used our GoalZero charger, other than to make sure it works, since we have electricity. We're selling it (GoalZero G10 Plus, and Nomad 7 V2) for $110 (originally paid $145). Email me if you're interested!

Work Supplies:

- Grafting knife and shears. If you’re an AgFo, PC will give you these tools, but if you have or prefer high-quality American stuff, bring it.

- Bungie cords. Very useful for strapping things to cars, bikes, charettes, and rigging things around the house.

- Carbiners. If you have some, bring them. Again, good for traveling and rigging things.

- Multi-tool or pocket knife. Not necessary, but helpful to have if you have one.

- Office supplies: extra pens, pencils and sharpie, big organizer folder for paperwork, college-ruled notebook, letter pad, envelopes, rubber bands, paper clips. This stuff is not necessary, but it comes in handy when you are overloaded with paperwork, handouts, and manuals at PST, and then when you get to site and still can’t get away from this stuff. You can buy most of these things in Senegal, but they’re scarce and of poor quality.

- Clipboard. Yes, I’m a nerd, and I love my clipboard. I use it almost every day- in the house, in the garden, in the fields.

- Good scissors.

- Seeds. You can get seeds here in Senegal, but you might want to arrive with some of your own. Get heat tolerant varieties. If you’re into trees, consider buying African Moringa seeds from ECHO. They are flourishing in our garden, and if you plant them when you install at site, they will be sizeable trees by the time you head back Stateside. Nobody in Senegal has seed-bearing trees yet, to my knowledge.

- Duct tape. It solves most problems. Bring a roll if you can fit it.

Home Goods:

- Cocoon tropic weight sleeping bag. It does get a bit chilly at night during the winter months, and I have yet to see a blanket for sale here. Bring a lightweight sleeping bag, or swipe your blanket from the plane. This sleeping bag is perfect for winter temps in Senegal. Also available on Amazon.

- Cocoon silk sleeping sack. This is one of my favorite things we brought. It’s super lightweight, packs down small, and dries quickly. Can be used like a sleeping bag or sheet on a bed. Also available on Amazon.

- Sheets. Many people bring a set of sheets from America. You can easily get sheets made from Senegalese fabric, or buy second hand sheets in the market, but it can be nice to have one pair for when you install, since you might not have time to get some made or buy some beforehand.

- American pillow. Not necessary, but I have yet to see a comfortable pillow in Senegal. They are all overstuffed and made of foam chunks, so if you value a good pillow, bring it.

- World map or other wall decorations. I brought an old NatGeo insert fold-up map, and it’s a fun reference for our host family when talking about America, Senegal, and the world.

- Kitchen supplies: big knife, small knife, vegetable peeler, garlic press. Most volunteers eat most or all meals with their families, so this stuff may not be important to you. If it is, bring it from America or buy it in Dakar. The knives available everywhere else in Senegal are crap, and I have yet to see a peeler anywhere.

- Foodstuffs. If you’re into food, and/or think you might want to occasionally cook for yourself, it can be nice to bring along some staples and comfort foods if you have space in your luggage. Peter and I packed what we wanted, and filled the rest of our weight-quota with food and snacks. It was a bit cumbersome at times, but I would say it was worth it. In addition to snacks (see below), we brought: Annie’s Mac n Cheese, nutritional yeast (so good on popcorn, and in rice!), and soy sauce (you can find it here, but we didn’t know).  You could also bring spice mixes (check out these spice tins from Teeny Tiny Spice Co, available on Amazon Prime), soup mixes, and dip mixes. We did not bring spices, and were able to find a good range of staple spices, except dill. If you like dill, bring it! I have yet to find it in Senegal, even in Dakar.

Random stuff:

- Resistance band. If you plan to exercise at site, this is a great lightweight tool.

- Dry bag.  Good to have for rainy season travel, but not necessary.

- Collapsible laundry hamper. I brought an old fold-up one from Target, and while it’s totally not necessary, it’s really helpful for transporting stuff and/or keeping it together during your transient first few months in country, as well as once at site.

- Fabric bags. I carry one of these Envirosax or ChicoBags with me at all times. They’re great for groceries, random gifts of produce from counterparts, neighbors, or strangers, or random stuff you end up needing to transport.

- Ziploc bags. Bring some of varying sizes. They come in handy for lots of things, from keeping your cell phone dry to storing seeds to keeping snacks fresh.

Incoming Trainees: enjoy your last few weeks in America! Spend as much time as possible with family and friends, and indulge in all that you love in America, be it food, drink, live music, temperate weather, pets, clean spaces, laundry machines and dishwashers, oh I could go on…  Read your pre-departure materials and know what you’re getting yourself into, but try not to sweat the small stuff. Get familiar with Wolof (a few hours is enough- many of you will be learning and speaking other languages), and don’t worry if you don’t speak a lick of French (I don’t, and I'm just fine. I wouldn’t recommend spending time to learn it at this point).

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email.

We’re looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you to Senegal next month! We’ll see all of you soon in Thies, maybe even at the airport in Dakar. Until then, have fun, get excited, and eat a slice of good pizza for me!

Jamm Rekk,

Kaitlin

July in Review

In America, July is probably my favorite month. It’s usually defined by a big 4^th of July bash, weekends on Branch Lake, several family birthdays (on both sides), and as a result, lots of beer and swimming.  Because we drank beer on only 3 days in July and swam on only 1 (and we both got staph infections as a result), it doesn’t really feel like July. But the calendar doesn’t lie; tomorrow it will be August!

Despite this month’s departure from what we usually know and expect this time of year, it was a good month. We saw new parts of Senegal, spent time with Peace Corps friends, and enjoyed lots of time home in Guinguinéo, and in our new demonstration garden in our back yard.

Peace Corps Senegal has a few major annual social events hosted by volunteers at various regional houses across the country. One of the biggest, and most fun, is the 4^th of July party in Kedougou, the lush southeast part of Senegal. This year, to add more of a service component to this massive gathering of volunteers, several Kedougou PCVs planned a tree planting event preceding the 4^th of July party. The event was a great success; all told, a group of Peace Corps volunteers and Senegalese counterparts and volunteers planted over 400 trees in the city of Kedougou. Inshallah, those trees will bring shade and beauty for many years to come.

After a solid 13 hours of travel in a packed car to get there, and two days of working hard to pick through laterite rock and heavy clay soil, digging holes, amending them with manure and charcoal, planting the Flamboyant seedlings, and erecting bamboo seed protectors (to shield the trees from roaming livestock and children), the 4^th of July debauchery commenced. As with any good 4^th of July celebration, it involved mullets, jorts, and beer. We enjoyed every minute of it, although we certainly missed the friends with which we usually share this great American holiday.

You may remember from our May blog post that we were hoping to find an American NGO who would be able to provide mobility assistance to more people in Baay’s Handicap Organization. It happened! After sending out countless emails to large mobility assistance organizations in America and receiving no responses, Lisa Fritsche, Peter’s wonderful mother, connected us with PET International. PET international is a volunteer-run, faith-based organization providing hand-cranked wheelchairs, or mobility devices, called personal energy transportation devices (PETs), to those in need. They are unique in that they are sturdy, simple, and low cost. Turns out PET sent a shipment of PETs to Senegal in March, through the U.S. Navy’s Project Handclasp, and PET quickly and efficiently connected us with Keur Yaakar (the House of Hope), the Senegalese organization who is handling the distribution of PETs. Keur Yaakar is located in another small city, Nioro du Rip, in the Region of Koalack (our region), about 90 minutes away. Baay was familiar with Keur Yaakar and their work, and had met their director, Dialla Toure, before. Our friend and fellow PCV, Vivian, also lives in Nioro, and knows Keur Yaakar and Dialla. It is a small world indeed!

Within two weeks of contacting Keur Yaakar, Dialla came to Guinguinéo to present Baay and the Prefect with 4 PETs to distribute to Guinguinéo residents. Dialla arrived at our house to bring us all to the Prefect’s office about 30 minutes after we got home from Kedougou. Crazy!

We came home and assembled the PETs under the big neem tree out front, drawing more and more onlookers as the afternoon went on.

Two of the recipients, Mbaye Samb and Mbaye Ndiaye, came to our house to get their PETs, and the third PET was delivered to an unsuspecting Serigne Sow, who had no idea he was getting a PET. He was so excited! The last PET is awaiting transport to a town down the road.

We see the PETs and their new owners around town almost every day. While it always feels good to help someone, what gives me greater pleasure is knowing that these people were able to get the resources they needed because of strong community connections. We put the need out there on our blog, Lisa connected us with a friend, who connected us with a co-worker, who connected us with a work partner, who our father and another PCV already knew. It was just a few degrees of separation. We still haven’t heard back from any of the other organizations we contacted, where we didn’t have personal connections, and it’s been nearly two months. I truly believe our world is more interconnected than we think, and if we intentionally expand our community and express our needs and the needs of those around us, our community, and the universe, will provide.

In terms of agriculture work, Peter has been busy supporting our Master Farmer, Cheikh, by writing a grant for his material needs, and managing the purchase of said materials (neem oil and mosquito netting to control pests, new tools, fertilizer, manure, etc).  Peter has also extended improved field crop seed (corn, millet, beans, and sorghum) to 5 farmers in Guinguinéo. He will track the performance of this seed in relation to the farmers’ own seed, to figure out whether improved seed will outperform conventional seed here in Guinguinéo. It is a little more work for the farmers, but it’s important data that could make a big impact on our community.

I had another site visit from two of my bosses, to check in on my tree pepiñeering work, and help troubleshoot any issues.  They were pleased with our work, and said they had never seen so much grasshopper damage!

Moving from one crisis to the next (the first crisis being the grasshopper invasion I mentioned in previous posts), the rains are essentially nonexistent and it’s nearly August. Last year, the rains started in earnest in mid-June. Guinguinéo has seen more rain that the surrounding villages, but it still isn’t enough to sustain field crops, which are a dietary staple here, and often the only source of family income. Most of the farmers have planted most or all of their crops after rains earlier this month, so if we don’t get more rain soon, everything will die and there won’t be enough time to reseed. The consequences are dire, and yet all we can do is simply hope that it rains.

Despite the lack of precipitation, our home garden is growing. It’s hard to tell in the photos, but we’ve got corn, radish, beans, peas, basil, a few tomatoes, and some squash seedlings coming up already, in addition to five species of trees. Yesterday Peter planted hot pepper, okra, and bissap (related to hibiscus; the flowers are made into juices and sauces). We’ll seed more beans and melon and squash once the corn gets a bit bigger, for a “Three Sisters” demonstration. For everything that has germinated, many things haven’t. We seeded over 40 different seed varieties and only about 6 germinated. Some of the seed was old, and some of it didn’t like the heat, and/or salt in the water. However, our third attempt has definitely been our best, despite the seemingly pathetic germination numbers.

Because our garden is small, and because we have a steady paycheck from Peace Corps, we can afford to pay the increased municipal water bill. The purpose of our garden is to show people that we can actually grow things, and that they can do it to. Right now, we’re focusing more on seeing what we can grow here, and in future seasons we will focus more heavily on experimentation and demonstration (ex: fertilizing with compost versus manure, watering with greywater versus municipal water, mulching some beds and not others). However, we feel a bit foolish that most people who are interested in gardening wouldn’t have the kind of disposable income to do what we’re doing, and literally pour liters and liters of expensive water into the garden every day. If a normal Guinguinéo citizen had started a garden expecting the rains to come, like we had, and the rains didn’t come, as they haven’t, they’d probably just have to let the garden die rather than pouring more money into it. Since we only have two agricultural seasons left after this rainy season, we have decided that it is more important to continue to water the garden, and learn what works best, so we are better qualified to advise people in the future.

As always, we have lots of helpers in the garden! The kids will each have a plant to take care of this summer; we’re planning to seed the kids’ plots tomorrow. Ouli chose bissap, Soda chose a sunflower, and Fallou and Pa Gorre both chose okra. They have been a huge help in rounding up the seemingly endless rocks, concrete chunks, pieces of plastic, and random trash items in the garden thus far, and we’re excited for them to be able to play a more active role in growing things.

In pet news, we’re halfway done with sterilizing them! A new veterinarian was recently transferred to Guinguinéo to serve as the head of the Bureau of Livestock. His primary role is to inspect meat, and provide support for livestock health in Guinguinéo and her surrounds. However, he also knows how to spay and neuter animals. How convenient for us! The alternative would be traveling to Dakar to get it done, which would cost hundreds of U.S. dollars. It just feels too weird to do something like that when we know how much of a difference that amount of money could make in most households. Plus, it would certainly be a topic of conversation around town, if we were to make such a trip for a cat or dog, which most Senegalese people loathe.  We were leaning toward letting Happy Cat keep his balls, until he sprayed Peter’s pants on the floor of our bedroom…

Thus, we put our trust in Docteur Sarr, who did a great job with Happy Cat, despite slightly overdoing the anesthesia (he was cross eyed for a full 24 hours after the surgery). Happy boy is recovering well, and warding off infection thus far. We’re giving him antibiotics 2x/day (Cephalexin from our med kits, chopped up into kitty dosages) and washing his “baggage” morning and evening. Lady’s procedure will obviously be more invasive, and more dangerous. However, we can’t handle male dogs trying to get into the compound when she goes into heat, and killing or abandoning the puppies that would ensue out in the bush (which is what would be expected). This predicament is the reason that Senegalese people almost never keep female dogs to guard their homes or livestock.

We left Happy Cat alone for about an hour post-op, and in his drugged stupor, he managed to get himself stuck under the bookcase.

The first waxing crescent moon on Tuesday July 29^th marked the end of Ramadan, with the celebration of Korite, or Eid Al Fitr (which means the Festival of Breaking Fast, in Arabic). Although our family doesn’t fast during Ramadan because we are Baye Falls, Ramadan is the hardest month financially, since Baay’s dibi (BBQ restaurent) has very few customers (or on most nights, none). For our family, Korite means moving closer to financial stability once again.

Prepping for our Korite feast!

We all got a special treat on Korite: Caitlin, our wonderful ancienne, and “big” sister, came home to Guinguinéo. Caitlin extended her Peace Corps service for a third year, and is currently based in Dakar working on a film about motherhood in Senegal, The Yaay Project.  She was just on home leave in America, and practically came straight back to Guinguinéo to celebrate Korite with the family, and to bring a host of exciting gifts from America! Thus, the morning of Korite was spent prepping for our lunch feast, playing with new presents, and resting. I can’t remember another morning when it was just our family at home (we usually have lots of Baay’s visitors coming through), and oh it was sweet!

Presents from America!

To celebrate Korite, we had 6 chickens for lunch, nestled atop a bed of salad, with fries and onion sauce. Yum! We all ate until we were stuffed, and rested for a few hours before putting on our fancy Korite clothes, a big part of the tradition of the day.

We spent the evening sitting outside, drinking attaya (tea, Senegalese-style), chatting, and taking photos. It was a special day of relaxation with the family, and it felt great to just be home, with no obligations other than to eat a lot, rest, and take turns entertaining the kiddos.

Korite from an adult perspective (we were taking the photos).

Korite from a kid perspective. Ouli, Soda, and Fallou were allowed to take turns with our "unbreakable" camera for the special occasion.

Finally, for those of you following the news on the Ebola outbreak, we wanted to let you know that we are fine. Peace Corps announced yesterday that they are evacuating PCVs in Guinea (our next-door neighbor to the southeast), Liberia, and Sierra Leone (close neighbors, but we don’t share borders with them). Senegal remains unaffected; there have been no Ebola cases here, and hopefully it will remain so.

I want to end on a lighter note, though, so I'll share a dirty little secret. We used to have limited access to refrigeration, mostly for cold water and keeping well sealed condiments from spoiling. I say limited, because Baay's dibi frig looks like this on a typical day... Yes, those are sheep eyes staring back at you from below a sheep stomach (sheep head and edible inside-parts dishes are a staple in our house, as these are every-day by-products of the dibi slaughter), and yes, that is a film of blood and sludge in the bottom of the frigo. So appetizing!

We decided our health and morale would improve if we had a, well, more sanitary refrigeration situation. And by we, I really mean I.  After hearing about it for a few weeks, Peter finally consented. We certainly don't need it, which is why we're slightly ashamed to share that we bought a frig. However, it greatly expands our food options (hello, dairy!), and allows us to make bigger meals and save leftovers, which means we can spend more time on our agriculture work. We're currently both taking Cipro, a strong antibiotic, for gastrointestinal issues, and my hair is falling out in heaps. The hope is that the frig will also allow us to eat more nutritious food, to help stem these health challenges. I'll leave you with this image of our new frig, that lives next to our kitchen counter (metal table), so I can go pour myself a cold glass (or rather, metal cup) of water!

In July:

1.     The biggest challenge we faced:  Lack of rain. While it makes our work very difficult, the lack of rain poses a major challenge to Senegal’s food security, and many families’ income. Every day, we hope for rain.

2.     The most exciting/best experience: Spending Korite with our family was a reminder of how far we’ve come (in terms of language learning, cultural competency, and building relationships), and how good it feels to be Diops. As in America, we are surrounded by love here.

3.     What we are most grateful for:  Serving together. As July brought some nasty intestinal illnesses for us both (thankfully at different times), as well as more work than ever, we are grateful for the support and stability that we provide each other. We are becoming a stronger team every day!

4.     Language factoid:  Moroom means peer, or equal, in Wolof. The other day we were walking around town with Peter’s counterpart, Via. I asked him how old he was, and he replied that he was Peter’s moroom. Knowing that Vieux was at least in his mid-forties, I asked how old he thought Peter was. His response: he thought Peter was 46, just like himself. Peter and I laughed, and concluded it must’ve been because of the mustache and the overflowing wisdom.

Things we’re looking forward to in August:

- Agro Forestry and Urban Agriculture Summits, where we will get together with our respective sector PCVs and PC Staff to share ideas and technical information.

- The much anticipated, week-long, Kaolack Girls Camp will commence the second week of August.

- A mangrove reforestation planting weekend on the coast, organized by the amazing Roz Vara, Elise Swanekamp, and Patrick Wauters.

- In between all of the traveling, we’ll be busy outplanting tree seedlings from tree nurseries to their permanent homes in family compounds and farmers’ fields. Hopefully it will start raining so they survive!

Finishing the Harry Potter series (finally!) on my kindle, while Fallou naps after our Korite feast.

Jamm Rekk,

Kaitlin

Diop > Ndiaye

I’d like to start this post with a joke…

Pape Diop and Ablay Ndiaye walk into a bar.  Neither orders a beer. (Because they’re both good Muslims)  Ablay is hungry.  He reaches into his pocket for his wallet so he can buy a snack.  He remembers to his embarrassment that he’s already eaten his wallet, and the money it contained.  Then he realizes he’s not reaching into his pocket at all, because there is no pocket, because he’s already eaten his pants.  His stomach rumbling loudly, he turns to his friend to ask for a few CFA to buy some rice, his favorite food.   He realizes to his horror that his friend isn’t there, because he’d eaten him before coming into the bar.  Delirious with hunger at this point, and clearly hallucinating, he has no choice but to eat the punch line.

All the stories we told about Baay broken arm up to this point were lies.  Ablay Ndiaye came over for lunch one day, and the meal was about 15 minutes late.  He got so hungry that he had to take a big ol' bite out of Baay's arm.  We've been lying to protect Ablay Ndiaye from the consequences of his appetite.  It's not his fault he was born an Ndiaye.

I suppose it’s half joke, half public service announcement.  One should never trust an Ndiaye around food, or even non-edibles, because they’ll eat them all.  All they do is eat.  All they know is hunger.  They eat rice a thousand times a day.  They eat with both hands.  They’re never full.

And now I would like to assure you that everything I’ve written thus far isn’t strictly true.  It does, however, give one a good view of some aspects of Wolof culture, Senegalese culture and interactions in our daily lives.  In Senegal, there is a concept called “joking cousins.”  When you are born, you are born into a rivalry.  On one side are you, and people who share your last name.  Pitted against you are people with another specific last name.  In our case, as Diops, we have a joking relationship with everyone of the last name Ndiaye.  (I realize now that we may have never explained how to pronounce these names, so here goes… “Di” makes a “J” sound, and Diop rhymes with “Hope.”  “Ndi” makes an “Nj” sound, and Ndiaye rhymes with “Lie.”  Biased rhyming selection?  Prove it!)  We are lucky enough that we are participants in what has to be the biggest joking relationship in Senegal, population-wise.  It seems that about every third person we meet is either a Diop or an Ndiaye.

This means that when meeting a new person, there’s a one-in-three chance that we’ll immediately have something upon which to relate to them, and about which we can mutually joke.  Early on in our time in Senegal, it was a mixed blessing... or rather not a blessing at all, but rather a challenge.  With limited language skills, getting told that I was fat, love rice, eat all day, and have a stupid last name was hard to understand, and when I did understand the actual words it was hard to understand why I was being insulted quite so aggressively.  As we’ve previously blogged, Wolof culture is pretty aggressive and relies heavily upon teasing, joking, and mutual insulting in interpersonal relations.  With profoundly inadequate language skills it was impossible to achieve the necessary mutuality for these interactions to be anything but really unpleasant, one-sided barrages of insults.  Now, with slightly more adequate language skills (though still lacking) the insult-driven interactions are less intimidating and have become a lot more fun.

"That ficus looks like an asparagus spear... Mmmmmmmmmm, asparagus."

Despite how people may perceive me, I find social interactions with new people to occasionally be uncomfortable and awkward.  This is how I feel about interactions in English.  Interactions with new people in Wolof, in which my whole mind is focused on understanding what is being said (and therefore my ability to diffuse awkwardness with humor is somewhat hobbled) are usually even more uncomfortable.  However, usually someone in any given group I meet is named Diop or Ndiaye.  This gives me something upon which to immediately relate with him/her, and therefore diffuse any awkwardness.  Either by doing a verbal high-five with a fellow Diop or by exchanging insults with an Ndiaye.  It’s also a very easy and fun way to impress people with your Wolof skills and cultural knowledge, and thereby gain credibility and respect, which are pre-requisites for any sort of collaboration. 

Gaining someone’s respect by insulting them and their whole family is hilariously different from American culture.  It’s fun to imagine what America would be like were it to have the concept of joking cousins.  Smiths calling Joneses fat and greedy.  Johnsons telling Millers that they are their slaves.  Wilsons telling Moores that they are all poor and can only afford plain rice.  I think it might be fun.  I wonder who the Fritsches and Gardners would have a joking relationship with… maybe those greedy Hammersleys, or those shiftless Maeders.

           

Here are some of my favorite insults in Wolof (and translated in English)

Ñaata yoon nga ndekki tey?

How many times did you eat breakfast today?

Doo suur.

You are never full.

Ku sant Ndiaye, du suur.

A person with the last name Ndiaye is never full.

Boo gisee ceeb, doo mën a tiyye sa bopp.

When you see rice, you can’t control yourself.

War nga dem bëreji.

You have to go wrestle.  (subtext: you’re gigantic/fat)

Dangay lekke ñaari loxo.

You eat with both hands.  (subtext: even your left, butt-wiping, hand)

Senegal is well known as one of the most peaceful nations in West Africa.  Except for the problems in the Casamance (which inshallah will soon finda peaceful resolution) Senegal has had relatively violence-free political transitions since France withdrew in 1960.  There are many theories as to why this is the case.  One is that since Senegal is so devoid of natural resources, there’s nothing worth overthrowing anyone for or seizing power over.  But that’s a more depressing argument than the one I prefer, and hear more frequently from Senegalese people than anything else.  People here believe it’s the joking culture that maintains the peace.  It’s not that people are working out their aggression and frustration in the form of harmless insults, but rather that the joking builds camaraderie and community-strengthening interpersonal ties.  Senegalese love to joke and tease.  Perhaps more-importantly for the maintenance of peace, Senegalese love to be teased.  Our father’s best friend is named Ablay Ndiaye, (the man featured in all the photos) which is illustrative of how having a joking relationship with someone is not a hindrance to friendship, but rather a boon.  Whatever the reason(s) for Senegal’s long-lasting peace, we’re doing our part to insult our community into increased inter-connectedness.  That is if the plague of Ndiayes here can restrain themselves from eating all the camaraderie.

Jamm rekk,

Peter

Actually Ablay Ndiaye is so close to our family that we call him Baay Ndiaye.  He's a wonderful, wonderful man and the closest thing we have to a grandfather here.

P.S.  Here are some fun facts you might enjoy…

Ablay Ndiaye is the standard name for a generic Senegalese.  Like “John Q. American” for a generic American… or whatever it really is, as I can’t really think of what the standard name is right now.  Ablay Ndiaye is also a euphemism for penis.  Like “John Thomas” or “Johnson” or “Percy” or… “Peter.”  Thanks Mom and Dad (and Grandma Schmitt, née Peter!)