Hello again! So I've been busy since the last time I wrote. After the election I had a site visit from my boss to have a meeting about my baseline survey. It went really well. I think everyone at the meeting really understood what I was doing with the survey and everyone was excited to do it. That was probably the easiest part of the survey. I only had to do 12 surveys but it was so difficult to get it going. The first day that we started to translate the survey was one of the most frustrating days of work I have ever had. I got to the health post in the morning and my doctor started to translate the survey from french to wolof. Getting someone to translate it was difficult as well because I asked my midwife to do it and she said no problem but then my doctor was like no we'll wait for this other woman, saa ka, who knows how to write in wolof. I was sitting there going.....ah I know how to write in wolof. But that didn't matter. But so my doctor translated about half the survey before he decided he had too long of a line outside his office. He told us to go to this other girl that knows french but that woman was out in the fields so she couldn't help us. So we went back to Saa's house to start the survey. It quickly became apparent that she did not know how to run a survey. and when she got done with the translated part she was like ok I'm done. I was like um....nope we still have three more pages and she was like well it's in french. So then she went to go get another woman that works at the health post, Ndeye. She came and finished the first one but then they told me to come back in the afternoon. I came back after lunch and a girl came to help translate it. She ended up crying because she couldn't do it. So we went back to my doctor and he then asked my midwife to help us conduct the survey.......where I had started. So she said she would help and we finally started it the next afternoon. The first one took awhile just because my midwife had a lot of questions for me as she went but it was so much better than day one. And we got all 12 done before I left for thanksgiving and Italy! I was very surprised. I also learned a little about my community. In January I will be hopefully starting my first real project, although I am continually entering med records into my computer as well.
Now leaving for thanksgiving and Italy was interesting because I had to tell my host family that I was leaving for so long. My host dad and grandpa had no problem with it, they were surprised I was going so far away but other than that it wasn't a big deal. Now the women in my family were a different story. They didn't believe me at first and then they were like well are you going home? and I said no I am going to Italy that's not home for me.
Well are you going to see your mom and dad?
nope they live in the U.S. and will not be coming to Italy.
oh. ok. well will you come back?
Yes I will come back, I'm just going for a visit.
oh ok well then you can go.
That is pretty much how all the conversations with the women went. and one of my aunts asked if I would get to see my mom and I said no she was like well after Italy you can go home for one day to see your mom and then come back. I was like haha. I can't do that but thanks for your permission to go home. They also wanted me to bring all of my Senegalese clothes with me to wear in Italy.....I did not.
Before Italy though, we had Thanksgiving at the missionary's house. The night before Thanksgiving we had two live turkeys delivered to the house and that night we killed them ourselves. It was an interesting event. And then we had to hang them up high enough so the dogs wouldn't be able to get them. The turkey's were delicious. We had so much food and it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. Not as good as a family holiday back home but probably as good as I could get in Senegal. We spent the afternoon at their house. Most people left in the evening but a small group of us stayed and we got to watch thanksgiving episodes of friends, scrubs, and modern family. We also got popcorn and brownies! It was a great day, ending with skyping my real family during their Thanksgiving celebration. That night I took the night bus to Dakar for my flight out to Italy!
Italy was absolutely amazing! Airports on this side of the world are definitely less strict than the U.S. but it was easy to get through. At the Dakar airport all the desk workers liked me because I speak wolof and am probably the only white person they deal with that spoke wolof. I also met a Senegalese man that speaks perfect english. He exchanged my money for me and I didn't speak any english to him first but then he just whips out his english and I was shocked first that he knew english so well and as I was walking away I realized that it was with no accent as well. I wanted to go back and talk some more. My flight into Italy got in an hour late but I made it to the train station to meet Cathy. It took a little while to find her at the train station but we eventually hooked up and walked to the hostel we were staying at in Rome. It was so great and strange at the same time to be in a place that I was normal in and with people I knew. We had a great night in Rome and then found an episcopal church the next morning! It was beautiful! We also found a park to hang out in before our train left for florence. It was so nice to be in a place with reliable public transportation and transportation that had time schedules. We got to florence in the evening. I met Cat's host family, wonderful people. That first dinner was amazing. We had delicious food and it was a sit down at a table family dinner. I haven't had one of those in a long long time. And I got to sleep in a real bed with a down comforter and another blanket and many pillows. It was so comfortable. I got a museum pass while I was there. Great decision. I went to many museums and got to see the original David. I saw so much beautiful art and churches!!! so many churches and all so different. I got to go to another episcopal church the sunday I was in Florence. The priest was so kind and inviting. Florence itself was beautiful and I went on many long walks just wandering around. They put up christmas lights in the streets and it was gorgeous. It rained almost every day that I was there but I had my raincoat so that was no problem. I went to a drawing class with Cat...I never knew how much work went into drawing. Her teacher asked me if I was going to draw and I was like oh no I don't do the whole art thing. and she was like well you could try and I was like, no no you don't understand I can't draw. She said well you could just sketch and I was like I really can't draw. She said ok........well you could try. lol. but then later at a break she asked if I was part of their program and I said no I am actually in the Peace Corps and am just visiting Cathy. I think she then understood why I couldn't draw. The Italians were very nice people. I also heard Wolof being spoken by Senegalese people!!!! I had to do a double take just to make sure I was hearing correctly. Overall though.....Italy, I definitely recommend to anybody. I hope to go back and travel to more places around Italy. I got my Christmas shopping done in Italy and this is probably the earliest I will ever have my Christmas shopping done before Christmas.
Coming back from Italy was another adventure. First, the lady at the desk made me check my duffel bag since I also had my backpack. This wasn't a problem at first and I really didn't feel like giving her a problem over it cause it wasn't a big deal. However, I had a 4.5 layover in Algeria which was mostly spent watching 30 Rock because I had finished my book already. Then we got into Dakar an hour late so I got in at one in the morning and was not looking forward to arguing with cab drivers about a price to the house because they like to charge white people more in general and then when you are coming out of the airport it's even more. And then I waited for my bag for about half hour and was told it probably wasn't there so then I had to go wait in line to claim my bag and tell them it wasn't there. This took forever! I was at the airport until 4 a.m. And then had to get to the office in the morning by 9 for a doctors appointment......I was late. And I was told I had a lung infection. So I have been hanging out in Dakar for the past few days. but it is all better now so I get to go back to village and I got my bag back on saturday!!!!!! It was a very happy moment when the lady on the phone told me they had it and I could come get it because I had realized my new scarf was in there with my chacos and all my jewelry. And now I am getting ready to head back to village for about a week before I leave again for Christmas!!! Hope everyone is in peace and have a very merry Christmas and happy new year!!!!! xoxo
Now leaving for thanksgiving and Italy was interesting because I had to tell my host family that I was leaving for so long. My host dad and grandpa had no problem with it, they were surprised I was going so far away but other than that it wasn't a big deal. Now the women in my family were a different story. They didn't believe me at first and then they were like well are you going home? and I said no I am going to Italy that's not home for me.
Well are you going to see your mom and dad?
nope they live in the U.S. and will not be coming to Italy.
oh. ok. well will you come back?
Yes I will come back, I'm just going for a visit.
oh ok well then you can go.
That is pretty much how all the conversations with the women went. and one of my aunts asked if I would get to see my mom and I said no she was like well after Italy you can go home for one day to see your mom and then come back. I was like haha. I can't do that but thanks for your permission to go home. They also wanted me to bring all of my Senegalese clothes with me to wear in Italy.....I did not.
Before Italy though, we had Thanksgiving at the missionary's house. The night before Thanksgiving we had two live turkeys delivered to the house and that night we killed them ourselves. It was an interesting event. And then we had to hang them up high enough so the dogs wouldn't be able to get them. The turkey's were delicious. We had so much food and it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. Not as good as a family holiday back home but probably as good as I could get in Senegal. We spent the afternoon at their house. Most people left in the evening but a small group of us stayed and we got to watch thanksgiving episodes of friends, scrubs, and modern family. We also got popcorn and brownies! It was a great day, ending with skyping my real family during their Thanksgiving celebration. That night I took the night bus to Dakar for my flight out to Italy!
Italy was absolutely amazing! Airports on this side of the world are definitely less strict than the U.S. but it was easy to get through. At the Dakar airport all the desk workers liked me because I speak wolof and am probably the only white person they deal with that spoke wolof. I also met a Senegalese man that speaks perfect english. He exchanged my money for me and I didn't speak any english to him first but then he just whips out his english and I was shocked first that he knew english so well and as I was walking away I realized that it was with no accent as well. I wanted to go back and talk some more. My flight into Italy got in an hour late but I made it to the train station to meet Cathy. It took a little while to find her at the train station but we eventually hooked up and walked to the hostel we were staying at in Rome. It was so great and strange at the same time to be in a place that I was normal in and with people I knew. We had a great night in Rome and then found an episcopal church the next morning! It was beautiful! We also found a park to hang out in before our train left for florence. It was so nice to be in a place with reliable public transportation and transportation that had time schedules. We got to florence in the evening. I met Cat's host family, wonderful people. That first dinner was amazing. We had delicious food and it was a sit down at a table family dinner. I haven't had one of those in a long long time. And I got to sleep in a real bed with a down comforter and another blanket and many pillows. It was so comfortable. I got a museum pass while I was there. Great decision. I went to many museums and got to see the original David. I saw so much beautiful art and churches!!! so many churches and all so different. I got to go to another episcopal church the sunday I was in Florence. The priest was so kind and inviting. Florence itself was beautiful and I went on many long walks just wandering around. They put up christmas lights in the streets and it was gorgeous. It rained almost every day that I was there but I had my raincoat so that was no problem. I went to a drawing class with Cat...I never knew how much work went into drawing. Her teacher asked me if I was going to draw and I was like oh no I don't do the whole art thing. and she was like well you could try and I was like, no no you don't understand I can't draw. She said well you could just sketch and I was like I really can't draw. She said ok........well you could try. lol. but then later at a break she asked if I was part of their program and I said no I am actually in the Peace Corps and am just visiting Cathy. I think she then understood why I couldn't draw. The Italians were very nice people. I also heard Wolof being spoken by Senegalese people!!!! I had to do a double take just to make sure I was hearing correctly. Overall though.....Italy, I definitely recommend to anybody. I hope to go back and travel to more places around Italy. I got my Christmas shopping done in Italy and this is probably the earliest I will ever have my Christmas shopping done before Christmas.
Coming back from Italy was another adventure. First, the lady at the desk made me check my duffel bag since I also had my backpack. This wasn't a problem at first and I really didn't feel like giving her a problem over it cause it wasn't a big deal. However, I had a 4.5 layover in Algeria which was mostly spent watching 30 Rock because I had finished my book already. Then we got into Dakar an hour late so I got in at one in the morning and was not looking forward to arguing with cab drivers about a price to the house because they like to charge white people more in general and then when you are coming out of the airport it's even more. And then I waited for my bag for about half hour and was told it probably wasn't there so then I had to go wait in line to claim my bag and tell them it wasn't there. This took forever! I was at the airport until 4 a.m. And then had to get to the office in the morning by 9 for a doctors appointment......I was late. And I was told I had a lung infection. So I have been hanging out in Dakar for the past few days. but it is all better now so I get to go back to village and I got my bag back on saturday!!!!!! It was a very happy moment when the lady on the phone told me they had it and I could come get it because I had realized my new scarf was in there with my chacos and all my jewelry. And now I am getting ready to head back to village for about a week before I leave again for Christmas!!! Hope everyone is in peace and have a very merry Christmas and happy new year!!!!! xoxo
