In search of waterfalls

I am cherishing my last few weeks in Kedougou. The landscape has gotten so green it is like living in the shire. So these past few days I took off on a 3 day bike ride through the country side.

Of course every good bike ride deserves several breaks to play with your camera.


One of our newest volunteers Kay got schooled in badass-ery. How to walk through crocodile territory with your ride on your shoulder.


The road has become inundated with water, but at least the swirls are pretty.


I am always willing to ham it up in front our our beautiful mountain range.


Here is the most photographed waterfall in Senegal, Dindefello. It is cool but kinda like the Yosemite of the region, there are always tourists. I prefer some of the falls farther off the beaten path.



But while beating that path you may encounter bugs of incredibly large size.



One of the nights I stopped off at a friend's house and watched her wash her little baby in a bucket. It was too cute.



I went off in search of a far off waterfall called Thiokoye but never got there. The hike was great but it was disappointing never to have found the fall.





In a few weeks I am going to go out and find even more waterfalls. For now I am getting ready to head off to Fongolimbi to distribute mosquito bed nets. The volunteers in the Kedougou region are going to extend bed nets to 16 villages. It is going to be a lot of bike riding but will be very rewarding. Who has the coolest job on earth? I do, that's who.

And for some final images, here is the dinner that I have had almost every night for the last two years, lachiri hakko. It is corn couscous with leave sauce and is not my favorite meal. After I leave Senegal I will never EVER eat this again. EVER.



For me this is laundry. I crave the day I can throw it into a machine and walk away.



And for the image that I want to carry you thru the weekend, a shot one of my favorite down hill runs. Imagine the wind whipping thru your hair as you point your trusty velo down the hill and let 'er rip. Classic Kedougou fun.

My life

moves at a snail's pace

For the birds

I have mentioned that I am an avid bird watcher. It seems more and more of my days slip away holding the gaze of a feather specimen. I have taken to drawing the birds I see, but have not proven to be very skilled at this.



My field guide book has been leafed thru extensively and I have not found all of the birds I have seen. My favorite bird for a long time was the Abyssinian Roller, pictured below in the center. I didn't know it's name for a long time so I called it the Alexa bird, after myself. Humble, I know.

To the Bat Cave!!!

I have been seeing bats around my lair lately. Recently I looked down and saw what I thought was bat poop. Instead it was a baby bat covered in red fleas. It's face looks a lot like a little puppy dog.



It was only as big as the end of my pinkie.

Visual Representations of my Life

Here is a monkey tied up to a tree. It is the popular new trend to keep wild monkeys around the house. Can you say a plague on your house?



Here I am doing my laundry. I can’t wait for the day I have a machine to do it for me.



Here is a cleaned water filter candle next to a dirty one. Can you see what I am dealing with here?



Here is one of the coolest flowers I have seen in country. Long trendily petals sway in the breeze.



Here is a Spotted Eagle Owl that was watching me do my laundry. It is considered a sorcerer in Senegal and is usually killed on the spot. I let it live and watched all the smaller birds attack it in unison to drive it out off their turf. Like I said, I am an avid bird watcher and proud of it.

Courage

As a Peace Corps Volunteer I was sent here to inspire change in the lives of the people with whom I interact. More often than not it is the people who inspire me. Today I had the great pleasure of interviewing 4 teenage girls who are candidates for a scholarship SeneGAD, our volunteer organized Gender and Development group, awards annually. Some of the girls are married, some are the only French speaker in their home, some come from strict religious backgrounds, some girls come from abject poverty, but the thing all of these girls have in common is courage. They have the courage to succeed when all the odds are against them. Sexual harassment is rife throughout the school system. The value of women’s education is not a priority in many households. But these young girls, armed with a pen and paper study by candle light late into the night with the courage to improve their lives. I am inspired by the alchemy of their success. Coupled with that I feel great guilt and shame for not taking better advantage of the opportunities I have had in my life. No one ever told me I couldn’t do it. That is not the American way. We are told we can, should, and in some cases must succeed. I dedicate this to the girls who ride the breaking wave of the feminist revolution in Senegal. You have given me more than I could ever give you.
If you are interested in SeneGAD or donating to the scholarship fund, please visit www.senegad.org. $60 funds one girl’s education for the school year.

Mafé with Fanta

I had a great afternoon yesterday with my best friend in the village Fanta. She was over earlier in the morning looking at my Economist magazine in the shade of my backyard and had so many questions about the pictures that I agreed to come over for lunch with some more magazines.

Around 1pm I went over to her hut to see that she was preparing mafé (pronounced ma-fay). It is a wonderful peanut butter sauce stew with cabbage, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and lots or garlic and onions, served over white rice. It is hands down my favorite Senegalese dish when prepared correctly.



Thick smoke gathers in the small cooking hut from the open wood fire she uses to heat the pot.





As promised we looked thru a few magazines that I brought over. One of them was Cosmo. As we turned the pages Fanta wanted to know about the make-up advertised and the nationality of the models.



When we got to a weight loss ad I asked her to point and the most beautiful woman on the page. It was the ‘Before’ model. In Senegalese culture a meaty woman is considered very beautiful. Since I have returned from America with an extra 10 lbs I often hear "You have gotten fat, how pretty!" or "I like how fat your butt has gotten." Women of America, hear this message, Big is beautiful!!



As for the boys, well Cosmo was the closest thing to porn they have ever possessed. I didn’t realize how many thighs there are in that magazine, but after seeing the guys’ faces I knew the what was going on in their minds.



This boy begged me to let him keep the magazine, or at least give it to him when I leave. Fanta was so sick of hearing him beg that she ended up telling him to shut up. I couldn’t blame the kid for trying. Adolescence sucks. Although I don't want the only images the boys have of European or American women to be pornographic, since I have been trying to humanize the American image since my arrival. I don't think I will be passing out Cosmo again any time soon.




Mafé has the bizarre side effect of causing extreme drowsiness within twenty minutes of finishing the meal. Fanta invited me to lay down on her bed with her and her son. We all slept for about 30 mins until the heat roused us from bed. We drank ice water (ice block was biked down from Kedougou) and sweet strong tea. Only in Africa will you sleep with your friends and their families without ever feeling out of place.

Senegalitis

Just thought I would share a few images that embody Senegal for me.

First of all is the high expectation people have from their tooth paste.



Second is the willingness of the local drivers to help eachother out. No matter if it defies logic and safety advisories.



Yes that is a stick and rope meant to tow a broken down vehicle.



And then there is swamp ass. It is caused by sitting during extreme heat. Sitting, standing, walking, running, and existing are best done outside of the hot season.



And then there is the cool yellow headed lizard that turns super purple when it is threatened. Seeing this dude day in and day out has made me obsessed with dinosaurs.



Although to be honest bird watching is my true passion. More pics of that the next time.

I'm the Tax Man

Every year it surprises me how many of my peers have never filed their own taxes or applied for their own financial aid. True to form, I stepped in and helped a few people fill out their forms.



And the numbers didn't look too bad...




I think I may have a future in this.

Dak'art 2008

Dakar has been hosting pretty wicked art displays all over the city. I had the pleasure of viewing a few of the installations.



This piece calls for the end of clandestine immigration by siting the high fatality rates of the dangerous voyage into Europe from Dakar. The painting is made from part of a boat that crashed and over 200 people died.



And who doesn't like a good diarama?



I enjoyed the sleek nature of this piece.



Saw the Baobob Orchestra at the French Cultural Center in Dakar. Kinda too World Music for me. All the older expats seem to love them. Tho, the sax player was such a character.

Sunflowers

Some people who have stared into my eyes for long enough have told me that my irises look like sunflowers. My first memory of being told this is in 8th grade when my best friends Sarah and Julie stared into my eyes with an Everyready flashlight. Sarah's looked like bottomless wells.



For someone with flowers in her eyes I still find it hard to smile when the sun beats down on me so hard

Feelin' HOT HOT HOT

So I finally made it all the way back down to Kedougou. It only took me 17 days from the time I arrived in Dakar. I took my time coming down as I hope not to go back to the capital until August when I leave. The road is a nightmare that I would rather not face again.

Like it says in the title, it is really freakin hot right now. Not to complain but it is over 105 everyday, or over 40 for you celsius peeps, and there is a total water crisis in Kedougou. What does that mean? No water flows from the faucets. A truck comes around once a day and people line up to fill up buckets. So when you really just want to wash the sweat and dirt off you look at your bucket and have to decide whether to drink or bathe. Which did I choose... let's just say I am really thirsty but smell great.

Here is a pic of the bucket of water I am talking about. It doesn't smell but it doesn't make you want to touch it either.

This week I must interview a bunch of girls for the annual scholarship SeneGAD gives out. I also have to pass out a bunch of seeds to my villagers and make arrangements for a Girl's Leadership camp I am putting on. Busy little bee for my last few months.

So here are some great pics from my dad's wedding. I had a great time being all sorts of pretty for the day. The wedding was a beautiful and intimate affair. The house looked amazing and the garden was spectacular. Class the whole way.

Me and my dad



The Five Kids




The Four Girls



The Beautiful Bride and my bro



Well that is all the update I can muster for the moment. I wish you all a good whatever.

The Home Stretch

Since my return to Senegal, many things have dawned on me. One is that Senegalese people are amazing and have made my experience here worthwhile. Second is the movie that I have been working on for the last 9 months rocks and is going to change the course of my life as much as the people of Senegal have. I played many roles in the production of the film, including editing it for the past week, and after today it is starting to look like a real bonafide movie. It's called Elle Travaille, Elle Vit!! (She Works, She Lives) and follows the lives and careers of five Senegalese women as they talk about the importance of girl's education. The footage is stunning and the inspirational words of Senegalese women for Senegalese girls is more powerful than I could have ever imagined. I hope that the film provides a catalyst for the much needed feminist revolution in Senegal.

In other crazy things that have happened to me lately... I hung out backstage all night at the Alpha Blondy concert on Bob Marley's Birthday. Basically I just walked backstage, greeted all the guards and musicians and was welcomed as if I belonged there. After awhile I had Dread Maxim on one side of me howling with laughter at my Pulaar abilities and Dimshel fetching me beers. It is bizarre what a big smile and a handshake can get you around here.

Going to Tamba tomorrow. I need to get to Kedougou so I can interview the girls who are up for this year's scholarship and I need to get my materials together for the Leadership Camp I have coming up. I am a busy little bee for these last few months as I prepare to go on to the next big phase in my life... New York City.

California Love

Back in Cali and it is awesome.  Have spent a weekend in SF, a weekend in LA, a weekend in San Diego, and now only two more weekends to go.  California is just as I left it, but the people's lives have progressed by a year and seven months.  It is hard to face the fact that life goes on without you.  All that adventure and change in Africa kinda took over my brain.

So this weekend is Greek Orthodox Easter at my mom's house.  Lots of food, drink, and merriment to the point of excess.  The great thing about Greek Easter is that it is all about the party.  No redemption or altar calls, this is the rager of the year.  

Then next weekend is my dad's wedding and two days after that I am out.  Which is kinda crazy to think about.  Senegal and California have not entertained my mind at the same time for three weeks, and that is a vacation.  At this point I am looking forward to going back to Senegal.  I miss my friends there and I feel like I have a lot of work to do before I finish. 

Gonna go get in some trouble down at the beach.  Me and my best friend Anne Halsey are gonna go skateboard the boardwalk in our bikinis before hitting up some live music tonight.  I am a California Girl in her element and I wouldn't ask for it any other way.

Later Skater!!!

Going back to Cali... TONIGHT!!

In Dakar getting the last of my things in order to go to the mothership. I am very freakin excited as I haven't been home in over a year and a half, and before that I was gone for a couple of years on and off. So after all this globe trotting, I need a little break.

I just found out today that I got into the Grad school that I applied to. The only hang up is I was really looking forward to being a ski bum in Colorado for the first six months after Peace Corps, then move on to something suitably adult. Now I must go decide real decision, a painful task indeed.

See you all in Amerique!!!

My Eyes

And my mouth

Get me into a lot of trouble.

Hades, as in 'Hotter than...'

Kedougou, Senegal

Average High for past 7 days: 110°F
Average Low for past 7 days: 78°F

It is 2:30pm and I raise my head to check the thermometer as the immortal words of Janis Joplin drift from my iPod, I'm gonna try just a little bit harder. The mercury is bubbling under 106°F and I drop back into my sprawled pose. Words like these come to mind as the heat passes over my body and reduces me to a puddle. Hot winds from the Sahara blow through town, whipping up dust devils so hot it feels like standing down wind from an inferno. Days are spent like collapsing dominoes, sweating in the shade, soaking my clothes with water only to evaporate within minutes, drifting in and out of sleep. The water shortage has begun again. Water dries up after 8 am, not available again until night. Each day, a half of a bucket to wash, a half of a bucket to drink. I have been finding solace floating down the Gambia River in a life vest. Sure there are crocodiles and schistosomiasis, but it seems like a reasonable risk to take for a moment of relief. Children gather on the shoreline to watch us swim as women beat laundry on the soap splattered rocks. I have abandoned and boycotted the pool in town at the French resort. Too much colonialist snobbery, I prefer the river and the locals. Laying on my flotation device calling Pulaar greetings to those on the river banks sends laughter to echo as the sun turns my skin a sweet caramel brown.

What it's like to be famous

Last night I had the most bizarre experience. I felt what it is like to be famous for no good reason. One of Senegal's most well-known singers, Baba Maal, played the National Theatre last night to a packed crowd, including many dignitaries. I had met the MC earlier in the day when I went to buy my ticket. We chatted a little in the local language Pulaar and he told me to come back early to get a good seat. I was one of the first people to arrive and grabbed a seat right behind the VIPs.

Mind you I thought this was a normal concert so I looked like this



Yet as the crowd filled in, the women were showing up dressed like this





Needless to say I was a little underdressed. I would have been cool with being the one person in jeans and a tshirt, if I hadn't been included in the program at the last minute. There must have been technical difficulties and the MC panicked so all the sudden I see him walk over to me and call out "Hey sister, come up here and speak some Pulaar for the people!" Can I reiterate that the National Theatre is full of very important people covered in very expensive fabric, the tv cameras are rolling, and I looked like a a scruffy Peace Corps Volunteer. I felt 2000 eyes bore into the back of my head and rose to my feet, convinced I that could and must say something to save face for the MC and myself. I took the mic from the MC and faced the audience, when all the sudden my radio personality took over. I have had a weekly radio station in the local language for the past year and a half, so all the sudden my schpeel came flowing out of my mouth. "On Jarama Dakar Nabbe, min ko Dienaba Sow, volunterjo e Kedougou. Mi salmini on fow! " Literally translated as "Good evening people of Dakar, my name is Dienaba Sow, I am a volunteer in Kedougou and I greet you all" The crowd collectively gasped and broke into applause. I felt ten feet tall and bullet-proof. After the show people came up to talk to me in Pulaar and I felt such a sense of belonging to my Pulaar people that I must have exuded nothing but love. Last night was amazing and I will never forget it.

WAIST Pics

Here are some pics of the softball tournament

On the sidelines


Watching the game, that's me in on the end in the overalls


Peace Corps attracts America's finest college grads, can you believe it?