Stáge in Thiés, Senegal, West Africa
17 August 1999
Here is a grande lettre for you. I think about my
family often. I wonder about how different things are over there. I
see something new and/or bizarre every day; sometimes these things are
very shocking and unbelievable. For example, the other day I
was waiting for my bus and I started to tie my shoe. Suddenly,
a naked child ran up to me and shook my hand. This didn't surprise
me at the time. I could go on and on with strange examples, but I
would run out of ink and I don't have many good pens.
As I am writing this I am sitting in my host-family's
living room. My father is sitting on the floor on his Muslim
prayer rug. My baby sister Jenowa (2½ years old) is whining in the
local language Wolof. My brother, mother, and father are speaking in
that jumbled, bouncy language in loud tones. My room is infested
with cockroaches and the electricity cuts out on a daily basis. It's
usually very difficult to get to sleep with the heat (90º+ F and humid),
loud noise (including Muslim prayer chanters), weird smells, and all my
thoughts. Fortunately, I'm usually very tired, so I can get to sleep
rather quickly, considering.
I am learning a great deal about my job and Guinea.
I understand that my primary job is to help several school teachers
incorporate environmental education topics into their classes. Also,
I will organize an ecology club with kids, make mud stoves
(demonstrations), talk to people about how to make their lives easier
while helping the environment. My area of work in Guinea is called
the Fouta Djallon. Some areas are quite cool, while some others can
be very hot also. So far I have learned about students abilities to
learn, how to do community assessments, how to make gardens and tree
nurseries, how to prepare visual aids, make a compost pit, build a mud
stove, and make animations (ways to convey messages thru song, theater &
games with kids).
My language classes have been going very well. I
feel almost functional with my French, yet I have not yet begun the local
language Pulaar. It's actually a very pretty language. Also,
11 Western African countries speak this language, which is rather
exceptional. I heard that it's quite difficult. O-oo = No;
IyI = Yes; On jaarama = Good day/Hello.
Well, I'd like to talk about some of the customs now.
The toilets here are hole in the ground (they are called Turkish toilets).
People wipe with their left hand and water -- that's the 'water method'!
(Note: Mike mentions in a later letter that he does use toilet paper).
It's bad to offer your left hand to someone or to eat
with your left hand. There is a ton of young kids walking around
every day. They walk in groups and yell Toobab (that means
'white person').
Whenever I go somewhere it's necessary to greet everyone,
and I mean everyone. There's a huge string of salutations to go
through. We have TV. People watch it a lot here.
There was this Mexican soap opera called Mari-Mar. The whole city
stopped to watch. It was a very crappy show, but it was fun to
watch, since it's dubbed in French. The show isn't on anymore.
I'm going to Guinea in a couple of days. I hear that
the weather is much cooler there. Unfortunately, the beer in Guinea
is real bad. It's called Skoal, I think. This is an important
thing because of the stress of Stáge. I'm looking forward to a
change of pace.
My days are long and often difficult. I have classes
for 10 hours a day (including lunch and sieste). Yet, most
people here are pretty tolerable. Several teachers are really
extraordinary here. Some of the other volunteers are pretty cool,
but not all. I thought that all volunteers would be amazing,
exceptional people, but as with all people, you can't love 'em all.
(he apologizes and cuts off here, and begins with his new
letter, sent at the same time, dated 9/15/99).
