Hell hath no fury like an african parasite in an american girl!

Oh we thought I had problems before......

Maybe its the exhaustion of Peace corps, maybe its the stress of everything here, maybe its a lot of things making my system more susceptible to well....lets face it....a living organism. First the gluten, then a boil, now a parasite? What the hell, I'm a walking medical session in the peace corps.

The good news is that my pulaar is improving enough to tell my family that I have a 103.5 fever and that I am NOT getting out of bed this morning. Of course, the hammering things on to the wall connected to my room and the confused looks when I told them make me think that my african mom = nothing like my real mom :( I don't think they cared. at all. Sad. Oh funny story though....

When I arrived at my village Hawa, one of my little sisters (about 4) ran up so excited and quickly grabbed my hand and led me back to the compound. After jumping onto my lap (before I even sat down) she whipped around and smiled her great big smile. "Binta Sih!" Cute, except for the fact that she was cover in....drum role please.....pink eye. Damn it. I proceeded to mean mug her until she fell off my lap and doused her in purell. Haha not really but that was the scene that played out in my head. My thoughts...under no circumstances are you to touch your eye!!!! I Purelled my life away ASAP! She's still adorable despite the goopey pink eye though.

Anyway....my family definitely noticed that i'm sick. Frequent bathroom trips I don't think are common in Africa unless you are. Because seriously, Africa bathrooms aren't pleasant. Especially at night. But, my question is..... why did they leave a bucket in my room randomly. I'm a little afraid to ask and I returned it the next morning. Hmmmmm...... the question endures.

But why do Africans think that the cure to any malady is food? My fever is 103, I'm sweating like a monster and running to the bathroom. I don't really want to make a pitstop on the way to the toilet to eat a monster bowl of rice and god knows what with the pink eyed children eating with their hands. My "dad" called me out last night for not eating. When I told him why he tried to take me to the hospital. I refused and said that the peace corps would take care of it.....hmmmm not thinking so. When I called I got the typical response of well, drink ORS and take some Ibprofen. Not helpful Med....not helpful.

So this last time in the village, with my health failing and my patience grading......i'm throwing up the Seneglese chicken wing hand motion. I refuse! To eat 3 lunches and 4 dinners, to play with your pink eye and use a bucket for an unknown reason. Haha!

For those of you who may be wondering, I'm not completely miserable. It is fun despite Galaas (my parasite) and my constant stomach ache. I'm excited to go to my site except for one little issue. My closest neighbor informed me that we have a river (YAY swimming!), but wait, dad don't worry there aren't alligators like you asked. No....there are pythons. But then I thought, they aren't poisonous and they dont have fangs. I soon realized that while this is true, they'll squeeze me to death and eat me. Great!

Again, I'm continuing to have random cravings for weird foods in the united states. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Captain Crunch crunch berries, mexican food mostly and then always Tsukasa. Yum! And the larium dreams are kicking in. I've had a lot where I feel like I'm half sleeping, but not in my bed. In some kind of insect infested area. On our site visit I had one that I was sleeping in a compost pit with monster millapedes. And another the other night where the edge of my bed is actually the opening to like an ant hill or something. So I spend the night crouched in the corner of my bed terrified that these things are actually happened. So i'm not really seeing them which I guess is good, but I definitely am convinced until morning that I'm sleeping with bugs. Yikes!

Africa: 2 Sarah: 0

Love you guys and thanks for the encouragement! I miss you! Also, from this point on, wait to send me anything until I put up my new address. I should have it soon!

rough night

the beach was crazy......like a fraternity party almost.

I miss my buhoe and I think I have a boil on the top of my foot....its nasty :(

thats all for now. I'm exhausted and don't really have the energy to do a long entertaining blog. sorry, love you all!

Charets, Earwigs and one skinny little girl

So the anticipated volunteer site visit has come and gone. Its strange, the days seem so long, but at the same time its crazy that a month has already passed. 23 months left guys!!!!! I leave for my training village with a lot more courage, a little more language confidence and a couple pounds (probably from dinner tonight--i heffed it up and there were bananas for dessert yum!). Africa FUN!!!!

I was really looking forward to this site visit, maybe a little too much. I didn't end up going to my site (bummer), but we went to the girl who's in my training village's site. The volunteer, who shall remain nameless for the moment, was.....well, lets just say it wasn't the cleanest hut i've ever seen in my days. But first things first. After leaving Kaolack via Alhum, an hour later I found myself traveling into the bush by Sharet for another 2 1/2 hours. Yikes!

Alhum: A truck-ish kind of vehicle that seats probably 60. Not comfortably mind you. Only about the width of a pickup truck with 10 rows that seat 5 or 6 people across, the cleverly named Alhumdulillah is not my favorite. I think the direct translation of that is something like Praise be to God. In my opinion, it should be named Inchallah. Translation: God willing. As in, God willing, this thing will make it to its destination, despite the potholes in the road. More like road in the potholes!

Charet: A horse drawn cart. Cute....

It rained all day, so the charet ride was less than pleasant. But surprisingly more so than the way back to civilization. Upon arrival, things were fine. A tasty dinner of Millet flavored sand and beans, followed by the same millet swimming in a bowl of milk straight from the cow. Delicious???? maybe i'll let myself get a little hungrier before opting for that one again. Mosquito net up and we're in bed. I chose to sleep on the broken cot instead of snuggling up to a random non-deodorant wearing, potentially lice infested boy. (Just for you Chris because you know I was tempted on that one :) )

Next morning, breakfast! Starving lets open the bowl!!! What! Thats right all, its the same millet and beans and millet and milk from last night!!!! Ugh, 3 bites and a protein bar it is. At this point i'm not too concerned, or didn't really pay attention, at the fact that after spilling millet and milk all over the floor, it wasn't cleaned up. Hmmm......

A day in the garden and its back to the bucket for a bath where i'm attacked by stink bugs and go running back into the hut still lathered up and the war has officially begun. Sick from the gluten at lunch, I hit the sack early. Never having had an issue before I pop the mosquito net down and close my eyes. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I forgot something and turned on my flashlight to find that I was not the only one sleeping on the broken cot. A clan of earwigs decided to take shelter inside my net. LOVELY! Skinny girl freak out MAJOR!!!! it wasn't pretty. The rest of the nights provided entertainment to the volunteer and Natalie while I spent the necessary 25 minutes each night to inspect my net for any type of bug. Regardless, I didn't sleep for 3 days and I now have an ear ache. I think one may have crawled in my ear and nested. Crap---creeping eruption will not be fun in my ear. Actually, creeping eruption isn't in your ear, its a fungal bacteria thing and yes, a girl in my stage has it right now. It sucks.

Anyway, after an endless battle with bugs, earwigs and feeling like the oddball out since i'm more human rights than environmental maniac, we head out. Back to Thies. The sun is shining and i'm on the Charet, leaning against the back with my feet up enjoying the ride. I'ts fairly smooth and I think, this isn't so bad, I almost forget that i'm in Africa (minus the earwigs). Oh whoops! the wheel fell off. Oh yea, Sarah, you're still in Africa, how could you forget? An hour later, I'm sitting across a thin piece of wood and leaning on nothing. Holding on for dear life, I eventually begin to relax again. Oh whoops!!! Your butt fell through a hole and you're stuck practically under the horse. Please don't poop!!!!! You're still in Africa and at the moment---Africa NOT fun!!!

But, bruised lack of butt and all, back in the training center bubble in Thies, I'm relaxed. Clean (yay for showers) and ready for the beach tomorrow. Thats right!!!! Beach weekend, be jealous!!!

I'll be in the village starting Tuesday till next Sunday. Call my cell or else i'll talk to you guys when I get back. LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!! (And Chris don't worry, the money will work itself out and we have Paris and the Senegalese waterfalls to look forward to!!!)

--Oh and correction, the hut is not being built now. I'm the second volunteer to go to Pakane, but my family is supposedly amazing and there are banana and papaya trees in my back yard. Plus, Pulaars are herders so I'll have milk (unpasteurized but at least I don't have to worry about osteoporosis!!) And its on the delta yay!

How do you say “I’m allergic to goat face” in Pulaar?

Well, I have to say, the Senegalese people are definitely friendlier on and after Korite. But then again, wouldn’t you be grumpy too if you had to fast for an entire month? Korite: the celebration of the end of Ramadan when Muslims break the fast and eat for an ENTIRE day. On the bright side for me, I don’t have to eat alone in my room anymore, unless of course they hate me ☺ But in general, I’ll eat from the bowls with them. Welcome to your new home germs! My body.

Our celebratory meal of meat, noodles and an onion, garlic sauce was certainly a nice change up from the usual rice (gluten galore) fish (aka fish bones) and some kind of veggie cooked beyond any recognition. However, as my family joked with me earlier that morning about how funny it would be to see me cook the Korite meal, I peeled potatoes and sliced onions in the back while they prepared the meal. Luckily, being a woman, I was not around when the deed was done but I did get to witness the aftermath of pre-cooked goat dinner. Unlike my fellow village trainee Michael. Yikes!!!!

Greeted by a bowl of fur, flies and goat, I put on my sunglasses and pretended to fan myself to keep from looking tooooooo horrified. Dad and Rachel, you know how hard it is for me to hide anything on my face. I’m sure they noticed. Thankfully, they took the glaring goat away from sight and to my knowledge cooked the crap out of it. Can’t be sure though. Soon, they returned with a bowl of cooked something, my guess is the same stuff you pull out of a turkey but in a goat. Haha! I think I ate a kidney.

Africa: 1 Sarah: 0

My question here, however, is not with the goat itself. But, why do we need to eat the goat face as opposed to say, the leg? Yes I know that some cultures have delicacies such as eyeballs and hearts…… But to my knowledge, I’m the only trainee who had to eat a face. Everyone else got donuts ☹ Sad but not surprising considering my luck.

Later in the evening, the women brought out the bowls and while removing the lid, just like out of the movies, the theme from Psycho blasts through my head as I’m greeted with a goat face! BAAAHHHH aka Murderer in Goat language! Maybe it’s the malaria medicine or I’m just going crazy but I could have sworn the goats were loader and more obnoxious that day. As I ate, my family kept throwing the eyeball over on my part and I, like clockwork, kept throwing it back until “Mi Haari.” I’m full. “But Binta, you didn’t eat your eyeball!” I don’t think they believed me when I said “Of course I did, and it was delicious hahaha”

On a lighter note, I kind of feel like a puppet in Taaten. Any time I enter a room its “Binta Am!!!! Dance! They think its hilarious to see a white girl shake her butt like they do. As do I. The uproar of laughter when I tried to explain that in America I have a butt, but in Africa not so much is something that I will never forget. Well, that and the fact that I cant walk through the village without one of the girls or women pinching my back side. Hahaha! Sarah’s butt is loved world wide ☺

Things are looking up here, I’m starting to settle in, even though I think 11 days in a 3 house village is way too long without any outside contact! Also, my bed is lopsided and I definitely fell out one night. The other trainees got a kick out of that one. Thanks for laughing at me guys. Haha!

I got your letters and the packages today! I love and miss you all and I’ll talk to you soon. I’ll be on a volunteer visit for the next week then I’ll be back in Thies. Call my cell for anything I’d love to hear from you ☺

Also, I found out my site!!!!!! I’m going to Pakane Toucouleur in the Kaolack region. Its 12km from the department capital so that’s close to internet and stuff like that. They’re building my house now which is great! NO BUGS AND MY OWN BATHROOM!!!! Its really good too because that means that I wont be living with a family, it’ll be my own house! The roads are paved which is awesome for biking too! I’m not the first volunteer and there’s a JICA volunteer there too. That’s the Japanese Peace Corps which is kinda cool! The best part is that my closest friend here is going to be right next to me!!! YAY FOR FRIENDS!





This is my significant other for the next 2 years :)





---PS my body is adjusting a little better!!! Thanks for all your comments it gives me something to look forward too.

Status: still sweaty but eating ice cream :) and I carried a bucket on my head :) :) and also, it takes forever to upload photos here, thats why there isn't more :(

buckets and ice c