So I am currently at the Training center in Thies. Staging was interesting, I suppose. We basically just sat in a hotel conference room and talked about our expectations and how we plan on dealing with difficult situations. C’est la vie. Getting the yellow fever vaccination wasn’t too fun- not because it hurt, but because it involved sitting around in a small fluorescent-lit room for 3 hours on the floor waiting for the nurses to go through everyone’s paperwork and get all of the vaccinations together. Then we got back on the bus and went to their airport. Washington Dulles is gorgeous. The international terminal is HUGE. Google it if you haven’t been there. Me and a few of my new friends went out for lunch at a restaurant there, and I had my last American beer for a while, and a lovely cobb salad. I will miss that.
The flight was annoying- it wasn’t horrible considering we were flying to Africa (about 8 hours) but we left at 6 ish and landed at 5 am local time- 1 am eastern time. Then we had to get through customs, gather up our baggage, get to the busses while the country director greeted us, and take a 2 hour busride through the outskirts of Dakar to the training center during what felt to us like the early hours of the morning. Needless to say we were not exactly alive-awake-alert when we got here. After a quick breakfast of baguette with peanut butter and jelly and tea, they let us take a nap. The afternoon was just introductory sessions and medical interviews where we received our malaria pills and got a chance to discuss any particular medical concerns we had. No worries though, we get more vaccinations while at PST (pre-service training) and plenty of medical sessions discussing how to stay healthy in Senegal. We even got a whole manual on common ailments and what to do for PCVs here today. We also got med kits containing all the stuff that my mom already gave me, even bug spray and sunscreen (thanks mom, can you say I told you so?)
Last night was a little difficult. As we were going to bed, it sort of hit me that holy s***, I’m in Africa. And I’m not going home in a week. Or a month. Or a year. Well, maybe a year. But then I’m coming back to Africa. Between being nervous, adjusting to the new food, the new environment, and being extremely sleep-deprived, I found myself in the bathroom throwing up while everyone was going to sleep. Welcome to Africa, I suppose. Later in the night, one of the current PCVs who was here to help with training came over and talked to me as I was sitting on the step outside my room, and told me all about his experience out in a remote village and how despite the seeming removal from everything, communication with the outside world is still surprisingly easy these days. There is cell phone reception virtually everywhere, and one can easily find and internet café or get back to the regional office to get on the internet every so often. Hence, expect more blogging fairly regularly. I felt a lot better after talking to him.
So, my sister emailed with a barrage of questions earlier, and said I can answer them on the blog for everyone. So here-
Sleeping arrangements: we sleep in sort of a bunk- yes, with bunk beds and all, single sex. We have a single sex bathroom, and it amazingly has running water, real toilets, and a shower. The shower is just a faucet or water that shoots out from overhead without a real showerhead, but it still feels amazing and since it is not heated it is the perfect temperature for here.
Food: Breakfast is normally a baguette with some peanut butter, jelly or chocolate sauce type of stuff which I haven’t tried yet. Also, they have instant coffee that they put in hot milk, so much for getting over my coffee addiction. Supposedly if you drink milk in the rest of the country it may not be healthy for you, but for now it’s safe in the center and it will become a judgement call in the future when I learn more about my host family and what the culture is like in my particular region. For lunch, we sit around a communal bowl and eat the national dish with a spoon- rice and fish, usually with some vegetables. It’s spicier than I’m used to (for those of you who know me, I don’t really like spicy food) but I’ll get used to it. It really does taste good though. For dinner, it’s more traditionally American, with chicken and potatoes on our own plate with silverware and all.
Weather: It’s pretty much the same weather here as it was at home. It is currently the rainy season, but it hasn’t rained yet since we’ve been here. I mean we only got here yesterday. However, there are a lot of clouds that roll through which indicates the rainy season, as opposed to the super clear skies where you don’t see a cloud for months on end during the hot season (according to a current PCV.)
Job: I’m excited to be agroforestry. It sounds like a really diverse type of field, and I’ve met volunteers that have worked on the moringa initiative, in the mangroves, and making live fences. Moringa is a local fast-growing tree that has edible leaves that locals can eat to get some fiber. I actually tried it today. It pretty much tastes like what you imagine eating leaves would taste like, but you can sort of bite into it. I’ll put a few pictures up soon. Do not worry, I promise! I just want to buy a converter for my computer- I’m borrowing somebody else’s now.
So that’s where I am at for all of those who are wondering what my first 2 days in Africa were like. I don’t know if I will update this every day because it takes a while and I want to spend more time getting to know my stage (pronounced with a French accent, stahj, sort of). However, don’t forget to email me if you want to get in touch!! Or call or text, since it’s free for me to receive them!
Love to you all back in America,
Emily
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