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