It has been quite the busy holiday season in Senegal, believe it or not. Or at least for volunteers and I, and will continue to be pretty much until I leave here (which I can now start talking about because looking at my 2012 calendar- I will spend more of it in the U.S. than in Senegal, weird!)
Last month, Aunt Liz, Deb and Bill (my aunt and my parents) decided to make sure their daughter (yours truly) is alive and well and Senegal and not actually living on a set of the Truman show. I was in need of a vacation, and a lot of my volunteer friends went home for the holidays so I was real excited to see them at 6am when they came out of the airport carrying 2 duffel bags of things for me and my village.
After spending a couple of days in Dakar, doing the regular touristy stuff- Goree Island, the renaissance statue, artisanal markets, I was about ready to get out of tourist land, and so was my dad because after the first day 3 men asked him for my hand in marriage (one even offered him all of Goree Island- and he said no!) We hired a driver, because I was not about the subject them to the mess that is public transportation in this country, Pape, who was lovely and even though he and my dad didn’t share any common languages, they became fast friends. They could not believe that I regularly did this 14 hour drive to Kedougou. But this drive, in a rented car with an awesome driver- luxury compared to the back of a converted station wagon.
We went to both villages, Nafadji and Saraya to give them a taste of both of my lives here. Deb and Liz met baby Deb and Liz, which was pretty much the best thing ever. And now they are going to be the best dressed babies ever. The kids all loved my dad (who knew he was so great with kids? I mean I guess I should have known, I liked him a lot when I was one…). And it was fun to see my host family react to the fact that not only did I have a living breathing family, but that families in Africa and families in America..same deal! At night, the women threw a dance drum party just for us (My toxoma loves any chance to call that drummer over) and that night, I shared my host mom’s huge bed with my mom and my aunt, while my friend Ian and my dad shared the bed in Marielles hut (what good sports!) As my toxoma said, boys in one room, girls in the other! For more Nafadji details, read below post.
Then we went to Saraya, where they got to see the more laid back ‘city’ life, the smaller family, fewer babies, all that. They were taken aback by the fact that school is only sometimes in session due to various strikes or sometimes no reason at all. So we played with coloring books they brought- kids colored in pictures of snorkels and bathing suits (they did a great job for not knowing what the hell they were drawing). My dad kept thinking of business opportunities like African-themed coloring books and trash clean-up activities. My family all kept thinking of ideas on how to develop this place. It is interesting seeing newcomers be so surprised upon seeing the trash, the lack of business development, lack of schooling that they just keep thinking of ideas that just might work…This also made me realize that being here has made me quite jaded but that is neither here nor there.
They also kept noting the fact that some of the things here- the base is there but things aren’t quite happening. For example:
Is there an airstrip in Kedougou? Yes, but no planes.
How about that new hospital just built? Yes, it’s built, but there is no water, electricity, or place for doctors to live yet.
Oh, but there is a surgeon in Kedougou? Yes, but often not an anesthesiologist…
And there is a very nice new high school! Yes, but again, no water, and often no teachers.
The list keeps going on and on, which can be pretty funny but also just so absurd to really think about how everything is set up to be awesome, but for now, no cigar…
When we got back to Kedougou, the fam was emotionally exhausted and very excited for a hot shower. I too, was exhausted from consistently translating and from being really happy about all of the nice things people were saying about me to the parents and how excited everyone was that they came (Even though people at the hospital told me that I can go and leave my aunt because she is an English teacher and I lack patience to teach everyone English every day, humph).
Back up to Dakar after an even longer journey (but some fun stops on the way in Wassadou and then t our driver’s house for lunch, talk about Senegalese hospitality). Then we picked up Laura Feldman (woot!) and went to Palmerin for some real vacation relaxation time. Besides the fact that Laura and cut ourselves on mangroves while kayaking (and this is after kayaking in gale-force winds in South Africa and being good at it…who knows we need life-threatening status to be good at things), it was a beautiful place and I did not have to translate so much anymore.
Our last day in Dakar, we kept getting text messages about potential riots in Dakar and that we should not go anywhere in the next couple of days because of potential violence. This was the day before my parents left, and I am not sure they felt too good about me being there. I asked my dad if he felt better about my safety after seeing me here. I think it made him feel worse but that was in Dakar and I had to remind him of all the amazing people he met in village and how they are truly my family. Then I think he felt better (Right, dad?)
I would not call it a typical vacation, but I am so happy that my parents came to see my life here. And now being back in village, they are just the talk of the town and everyone was so happy they got to meet my family. And who knows, I got pretty good at playing tour guide- maybe Senegal will just hire me as one full time and I’ll stay here forever! (I kid, duh)
