A celebrity in Senegal

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, a celebrity made a guest appearance in Senegal. Even better, in Pakane. Toucouleur…my hut. No no, I don’t mean Akon, that Seneglese sensation (gag). Since its been about a week and a half since I have been at site, this could be old news to some of you who got my excited text message late one night. Bear in mind that I am on hallucinogenic malaria medicine, so don’t judge me. Seriously. Anyway, so here I am minding my own business, sleeping and feeling the breeze as Felix the bat buzzes too close to my mosquito net, when he starts to talk to me. Naturally, as anyone would do when I bat starts talking to them, I respond in Pulaar. It’s apparently not weird at all for a bat to speak to me, aka I am insane. So, peering through my mosquito net, the bat flies toward me and hovers at eye level, giving me the pleasant surprise of speaking face to face with my first celebrity. Tony Danza. Much better than Akon in my opinion. Especially since, the Danza bats face was that of a young, whos the boss Tony. Delightful! However, I am apparently crazy, since I’m not exactly sure if it was a dream or not…

It had to be, right? Oh Melfloquine, you make my life interesting. And for lack of anything else to do in the village, I now have a friend. Tony Danza.

As far as projects, I start my field training on February 5th, back in Thies. That means skype possibilities people! Get excited. After that, probably early march, it is time to start planting trees. However, I’m going to try to hold a meeting with my village (despite my lack of pulaar abilities) and see who all is interested in having a tree pepiner. Also, I’m still really excited for this drip irrigation project that I’ve been talking about with local ngo’s in Senegal and West Africa. I think that it is something that will have a real lasting effect. Not that trees will not, but hey, gotta water them some how right!? Wish me luck on that one.

I’m a little nervous to go back to my termite mound…oops, I meant my hut. I’m pretty sure that when I go back, they will be one in the same. It’s been about a week and a half, since the 23rd, when I left for Christmas. I was planning on being back in the village for new years but seeing as how my fears came true since the last blog, and I have giardia…that didn’t really happen. I have been sitting in Dakar, watching countless movies over and over since Med was conveniently out of the office and not picking up my phone calls. The treatment of waiting it out a week and seeing if it goes away is not really my idea of fun. And I think Tony Danza would agree. I finally got so fed up that I left Dakar on New Years day, after a night of curling up on the couch of a 3rd year volunteer’s Dakar apartment and watching as we lit off, what would be, extremely illegal fireworks in the states.

So here I am, in Kaolack, staying an extra day to play with all the fun goodies I got in Christmas boxes. I picked up 4 more today. ☺ So far, I’ve gotten 3 from the parentals, 1 from the sister (I LOVED it!!!! It was so much fun to open and I’m guessing that the only non-girly thing was from Scott. Too bad zeke wasn’t here to open my presents for me though), 1 from the Pittengers (thank you so much, crunch berries are amazing), 1 from Chris (I’m a little terrified of the present you sent) and 1 from the Graggs. Thanks everyone, its really made my Christmas! Happy New Years and I hope to hear from everyone soon! The danza bat sends his bat along with my parasite too!

Whats the score up to so far? I think its…

AFRICA:3 (maybe 4)
SARAH: 1

Also….that is the cutest picture of max and sammy that I have ever seen!