Kedougou, Senegal
West Africa
As you see this is my blog from two years ago, when I started this adventure. To update regarding my whereabouts, after 10 months in Europe I went home for 8 months and worked in San Diego. Last year in April 2006 I headed to New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, and India for a total of 4 months. I was home for 6 weeks before I made the biggest change to my life. I moved to Africa to live in a hut for two years, to serve a developing community, to develop myself and become who I was meant to be.
I have been here in Senegal for 8 months working for the Peace Corps. I have had total writer's block for approximately six months. There is so much stimulation in my life, so many weird things, that I just cant seem to verbalize my analysis. But I will tell you what my life is like, and how my choice to serve in another country has effected every aspect of my existence.
Physically speaking, this is a hard job. I bike everywhere in extreme heat and am subject to nasty rashes and bites. There is often no water to wash with during the day and electricity is something I can only get when I come into town. The food is miserable most of the time. But this was all expected and I deal with it. That is all I can do.
Six months ago I was dropped off in my village with a few belongings and a bike. What seemed weird then seems normal now. I may have become a bit strange. I am very interested in the secret life of cows and often watch them when they aren't aware. They lick their own nostrils in the most delicious manner. I have 2 or 3 cows that regularly find shade in the shadow of my hut and sometimes swing their horns in my front door just to check in on me. We are mutually interested. Goats and sheep have mock human voices and when they cry out it sounds like a child imitating a goat. Chickens are disgusting dirty animals. They are so tasty in America but are tough and scrawny here. Same with the cows. They are malnourished like everyone else.
My dog got in a fight with a monkey. How many people can say that?
West Africa
As you see this is my blog from two years ago, when I started this adventure. To update regarding my whereabouts, after 10 months in Europe I went home for 8 months and worked in San Diego. Last year in April 2006 I headed to New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, and India for a total of 4 months. I was home for 6 weeks before I made the biggest change to my life. I moved to Africa to live in a hut for two years, to serve a developing community, to develop myself and become who I was meant to be.
I have been here in Senegal for 8 months working for the Peace Corps. I have had total writer's block for approximately six months. There is so much stimulation in my life, so many weird things, that I just cant seem to verbalize my analysis. But I will tell you what my life is like, and how my choice to serve in another country has effected every aspect of my existence.
Physically speaking, this is a hard job. I bike everywhere in extreme heat and am subject to nasty rashes and bites. There is often no water to wash with during the day and electricity is something I can only get when I come into town. The food is miserable most of the time. But this was all expected and I deal with it. That is all I can do.
Six months ago I was dropped off in my village with a few belongings and a bike. What seemed weird then seems normal now. I may have become a bit strange. I am very interested in the secret life of cows and often watch them when they aren't aware. They lick their own nostrils in the most delicious manner. I have 2 or 3 cows that regularly find shade in the shadow of my hut and sometimes swing their horns in my front door just to check in on me. We are mutually interested. Goats and sheep have mock human voices and when they cry out it sounds like a child imitating a goat. Chickens are disgusting dirty animals. They are so tasty in America but are tough and scrawny here. Same with the cows. They are malnourished like everyone else.
My dog got in a fight with a monkey. How many people can say that?
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