It's a typical conversation in these typical times.

Conversations with Senegalese:

I thought it'd be fun to give you guys some insight into what my life is REALLY like here and why I have days that are quite challenging and some that are quite ammusing. These are all very typical and very common conversations. You will see why, as Senegal Peace Corps volunteers, we have to adjust to monotony and repetition and pointing out the obvious. You will see why it's hard (generally) to reason with Senegalese and why it's hard to get things done and why everything takes sooooo frikin lonnggg!!

Background: I'm riding my bike with my 5 gallon water jug strapped to my bike... going to the well pump to get water (obvious to villagers). I pass by people on the way.

Senegalese woman: Did you lie in peace?

Me: Peace Only. Did you lie in peace?

Senegalese woman: Yes. Was there no evil when you laid down?

Me: Peace only. Was there no evil when you laid down?

Senegalese woman: Peace only. Did you sleep?

Me: Yes. A little. Did you sleep?

Senegalese woman: Yes. Did you wake up?

Me: Yes. Did you wake up?

Senegalese woman: Yes. Did your mom wake up?

Me: Yes. Did your husband wake up?

Senegalese woman: Yes.

Me: Did your kids wake up?

Senegalese woman: Yes. And your Nioko**?

Me: Peace only.

Senegalese woman: Did she eat poridge?

Me: Yes she ate.

Senegalese woman: Are you going to get water at the forage?

Me: Yes. I am going to get water at the forage.

Senegalese woman: Take your mom!***

** Nioko is my dog's name

*** Take [name of person, village, etc]! is an expression that people say, almost like, “take my greetings to [said person]”

Background: I am at the market... or anywhere with a Senegalese friend of mine and a Senegalese person who doesn't know me.

Me: (To the new person) Is there peace in your afternoon?

New person: *laughs* (to Senegalese friend) She speaks Pular.

Senegalese friend: Yes.

New person: (to friend still) What is her name? She speaks Pular.

Senegalese friend: Yes. She speaks Pular. Her name is Kadjatu.

New person: Where is she from?

Me: I speak Pular. You are able to ask me.

New person: *Laughs*(...again). (Finally to me...) Is there no evil in your afternoon?

Me: Yes.

New Person: Your mom?

Me: She is in peace. I am going now. Thank you.

Background: I am sitting in my host mom's compound cracking Juujuube seed shells between rocks so I can plant them for a living fence. (Juujuube has a hard exterior shell and the seeds are embedded inside... and the kids LOVE eating them and these tree-ey-shrubs have nice thorny branches for keeping cows and other annoying animals out of my gardens... potentially)

Family member 1: Kadjatu, what are you doing?

Me: I am cracking Juujuube to obtain the seeds. (He continues to stand around watching me crack seeds)

Family member 2: (shows up 30 seconds later) What are you doing? (She stays around watching)

Me: I'm cracking juujuube to obtain the seeds.

Family member 3: (shows up) What are you doing? (She stays around watching)

Me: I'm cracking juujuube seeds.

Kid 1: (shows up... asks the 3 adults standing around watching me) What is she doing.

Family member 2: She's obtaining juujuube seeds.

Kid 1: (tries to help but keeps breaking seeds in the process)
Family member 2: (to me) That is not what you do! You just plant it. It will grow.
Me: This is what I learned.
Family member 2: You don't have to crack the shells. It will germinate.
Me: Have you ever planted Juujuube?
Family member 2: No.
Me: Finished**

**To say "finished" at the end of a conversation is polite and just puts a final point at the end of the conversation... like, "case in point"

Background: I show up to the mortar and pestle where my host mom and host brother's older wife are pounding corn. I want to help pound corn. There is an out of town visitor who doesn't know me.

Me: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Host mom: Yes. Is there peace in your afternoon?

Me: Is there no evil there?

Host mom: Yes.

Me: Yes. Are you pounding corn?

Host sister in-law: Yes.

Me: Yes. (to my host sister in-law) Can I help?

Guest: She speaks Pular.

Me: Yes.

Host mom: (to me) You can't.

Me: You think I can't pound corn? I have strength.

Guest: *laughs*

Host sister in-law: *gives me her stick for pounding corn*

Me: *I start pounding corn*

Host mom: (after a minute or two) *takes me stick from me* Rest. You are tired.

Guest: She can pound corn.

Me: Yes, I am able to (to host mom). I am not tired. I will continue.

Host mom: Rest. You are tired.

Background: I pass a senegales man in Senegal... anywhere, any time.

Senegalese man: Psss psss**

Me: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Senegalese man: Yes. Where do you come from.

Me: Matakosi.

Senegalese man: Where is your husband?

Me: I don't have one.

Senegalese man: Really? Why not?

Me: Because I don't want one.

Senegalese man: You don't want one? You mean you don't want one YET.

Me: No, I don't want one.

Senegalese man: When you go home, will a man take you (alternatively they will say, will a man marry you?)?

Me: I don't know. I don't want a husband.

Senegalese man: Why not?

Me: Nothing***

Senegalese man: Do you like me?

Me: No

Senegalese man: Why not?

Me: because you are ugly.

Senegalese man: *laughs* You won't take me to America? I want a white wife.

Me: No.

Senegalese man: Why not?

Me: *get irritated and walk away*

(alternative ending 1)

Me: I can't

Senegalese man: Yes you can. You can take me.

Me: *get irritated and walk away*

(alternative ending 2)

Me: I don't have money.

Senegalese man: You have money, you can take me if you marry me.

Me: You can't be my husband. In America, when a woman has a husband, the woman works outside the home and the man has to cook and clean and sweep the floor and get water from the well and do laundry and pound corn and feed the baby. You can't do that.

Senegalese man: I can cook.

Me: When did you learn to cook?

Senegalese man: A while ago.

Me: What can you cook?

Senegalese man: rice.

Me: You hear?**** I want American food. I don't like rice.

Senegalese man: I can learn!

Me: Your food is bad. I have to go now.

Senegalese man: *laughs and walks away*

**People hiss at you to get your attention whether they know your name or not. No matter how much I tell people that this offends me because in the U.S. we only do that to cats, they don't listen and continue to hiss at me (and every other person) even when they know our names...

***They use the word for nothing as we use the phrase *just because*.

**** You hear? Is an expression that people use all the time.

Background: I am at a funeral in a nearby village greeting the family of the person who died.

Me: Is there no evil there?

Senegalese: Peace only. Did you lie in peace?

Me: yes.

Senegalese: Your mom?

Me: Peace only.

Senegalese: Your father?

Me: yes.

Senegalese: Did your brother come back from Tamba?

Me: yes. He and his wives came back from Tamba.

Senegalese: Are they in Peace?

Me: yes. Your father?

Senegalese: Peace only.

Me: Your mother?

Senegalese: yes.

Me: Are you patient?**

Senegalese: Yes. I will have patience.

** this is what you say to friends and family of people who died. Even when a family member has you are expected to be in “Peace only” and everyone in everyone's family is in “peace only”.

Background: We had just finished dinner and were sitting outside. It had rained so the Senegalese are typically cold when it gets below 85. My elderly host mom is sitting next to me with a shawl around her shoulders.

Host mom: Kadjatu, it is cold.

Me: It is not cold.

Host mom: How do you say 'I am cold' in English.

Me: 'I'

Host mom: 'I'

Me: 'am'

Host mom: 'am'

Me: 'cold'

Host mom: (in a crackely E.T. Sounding voice) 'cold- I ooolllddd

Me: *unable to control my laughing hysterically* Neene, say, 'I am kkkooolllddd'

Host mom: 'oolllddd- I oollddd'

Me: 'kkkoolld'

Host mom: 'koolld'

Me: Yes! Say it.

Host mom: 'I OOLLDD'

Me: *I laugh and give up*

Background: I am walking my dog... the only trained dog any Senegalese from my village has ever seen.

Senegalese: Mother of Nioko!! (they call from a short distance)

Me: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Senegalese: Yes. Are you walking your dog?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: Is she in peace?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: Come here.

Me: *I head over and shake her hand*

Senegalese: Make her greet.

Me: 'Nioko, sit!' *she sits* 'Nioko, greet!' *she puts her paw out to shake*

Senegalese: *laughs hysterically* Will you bring her to America?

Me: If Allah agrees.

Senegalese: *laughs* You are going to take your dog?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: Can you take my baby to America?

Me: No. I can't.

Senegalese: Yes you can.

Me: No I can't.

Senegalese: So you can take a dog but not a person?

Me: Yes. Of course! I can't put a baby in my baggage!

Senegalese: True, you can't put a baby in baggage. You put your dog in baggage? And it doesn't die?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: But you could carry the baby on your back.

Me: No. You need papers and a lot of money.

Senegalese: You have money.

Me: I am a volunteer. You know I don't have money. *I walk away*

Background: My family got back really late one night from a funeral. I ate with an extended family member and got ready for bed. When they come back they talk through my door.

Host sister in-law: Kadjatu! Kadjatu!

Me: what?

Host sister in-law: Come eat!

Me: I already ate. I'm full.

Host sister in-law: Increase the amount. Come eat.

Me: REALLY REALLY, I'm full!

Host sister in-law: Where did you eat?

Me: I ate with Neenejo.

Host sister in-law: You are still hungry. Come eat.

Me: Really really, I'm full. I'm very tired.

*she goes away* A minute later my host mom comes to my door.

Host mom: Kadjatu, come eat. You did not eat. We were at the funeral.

Me: Yes, I ate with Neenejo. I'm full. I am tired.

Host mom: Increase your eating. Come eat.

Me: Really, Neene**, I'm very full.

Host mom: I don't think so. No you are not. You are angry.

Me: Really! I am not angry. I am just tired. I took away my clothes and I am lying down. Really, really I am happy. REALLY! Thank you!

Host mom: Really, really?

Me: Really, really. I hope you lie in peace.

Host mom: I hope you lie in peace.

**Neene is the word for mother.

Background: I packed my bag the night before to bike out to Kedougou early the next morning. I was very clear with my host mom that evening that I would NOT be eating breakfast in village and I would have breakfast in Kedougou. I have a meeting at 11:00 that day so I MUST get to Kedougou on time. I'm ready to go now and I just need to say my goodbyes.

Me: Neene, I have to go now.

Host mom: Kadjatu, wait until you eat breakfast.

Me: Neene, I told you I will eat in Kedougou.

Host mom: You will be hungry.

Me: I have to go. I have a meeting and I will be in a hurry.

Host mom: You can wait a little. Eat!

Me: Neene, If I wait I will be late and I will arrive in the sun.**

Host mom: Ok. Go slowly.

Me: Thank you. Until tomorrow!!

Host mom: If Allah agrees!

Me: If Allah agrees!

*I repeat this conversation several more times with 4 or 5 more people to whom I MUST say goodbye. FINALLY 20-30 minutes after schedule, I leave.*

**I find this to be the easiest argument for people to understand because keeping appointments is not something that people really understand. The concept of inconveniencing people in general is not in their mindset especially not with being late for a meeting or waking people up at midnight or 6 in the morning to ask for matches or powdered milk or a bag to pack some clothes in for a 3 month trip. BUT... Senegalese have a strong fear of sitting, working, eating, playing, or doing ANYTHING in the Sun because it is hot.

Background: Sitting around a dinner bowl with 6-14 people.

Host sister in-law: (to me) Are you courageous of the chili powder?

Me: Yes. I like it.

Host sister in-law: *passes me the chili powder*

Background: A child misbehaves.

Senegalese mother of child: Selu! I am going to make you piss!** Take the battery out of your mouth!

**Parents threaten to beat their kids by saying “I am going to make you piss”. USUALLY it is only an empty threat. Parents do on rare occasion beat their kids but usually only for more serious infractions.

__________________________________________________________________________________ 

Background: I go to the weekly market and go to a vendor I don't know yet to buy some bitter tomato (a vegetable that I have grown to LOVE).

Me: Hello.

Vendor: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Me: Yes, peace only. Is there no evil in your afternoon?

Vendor: Peace only.

Me: Did you wake up?

Vendor: Peace only.

Me: Did your husband wake up?

Vendor: Yes.

Me: Did your kids wake up?

Vendor: Yes. Did you come to the market?

Me: Yes.

Vendor: Did you arrive in peace?

Me: Yes.

Vendor: What do you want?

Me: I want 20cfas** worth of bitter tomato. *I take my pile of bitter tomatoes and pay her 100cfas* Thank you!

Vendor: What is your last name?

Me: Diallo

Vendor: Ahh! That is bad! The last name Ba is good. Diallos steal***.

Me: You made a mistake. Diallo is good. Diallos never steal. Bas steal and they eat a lot.

Vendor: No no. Ba is good. Diallo is bad.

(this goes on back and forth as long as I let it) *We both laugh*

Vendor: What is your name?

Me: Kadjatu.

Vendor: OH!! You and my daughter have the same name!

Me: That is good! She has the same name as I do! Thank you, Neene is waiting!

** When buying things, the market prices are all divided by 5 so when you ask for 20 cfas worth of veggies, you really want 100cfas worth.
*** or eat beans or eat a lot or they simply say, Diallo is bad.

Scorpions, african cave piders, and giant bird nests, OH MY!!

I know it's been a while since I've blogged but things have been feeling so much more normal to the extent that I have to remind myself that my stories may be new to all of you. Trying to piece together the last few weeks is going to be fun. As many of you know, early-mid April, I took a trip to a different region for Passover and then continued on to a different region for a summit for all the sustainable agriculture volunteers. The journey to the Kolda region was a beautiful but long and cramped setplace (seven seater car) ride. While the cars are meant for 7 passengers, they usually squeeze in an extra two. I had brought my cat with me so it felt even more crowded and hot with her cat carrier sitting on my lap. Overall, I loved meeting so many new volunteers and I was getting excited about Passover. There were only 5 or 6 Jewish volunteers but we opened it up to the rest of our volunteer family and we ended up with about 20 people. Before leaving Kedougou, I had planned ahead to get costumes made to act out the Passover Rap and to print out several scripts for people. We each brought our own elements to the seder and altered what ever necessary dietary elements we needed to to fit the food availability here. We all agreed that we would adopt the Sephardic tradition so that we could make rice dishes. I was in charge of making the three matzas (which I haven't done since kindergarden), and as per my own tradition back in the States, I made about 30 deviled eggs (which were a big hit). One of the other volunteers led the seder using a basic haggada. Since there were so many people who were not Jewish and who were quite unfamiliar with the holiday, we tried to stick with the basics. We passed the haggada around and in turn read the transliterated hebrew and their English meanings. I was so excited when we finally got to the Maggid (the retelling of the story of Exodous) because this was MY part. I had everyone follow me outside and seven volunteers chose from among the different characters from the Passover Rap; they were provided with costumes accordingly. Everyone was so enthusiastic and EVERYONE LOVED IT!! We acted out the story and the non-Jews gave particularly wonderful reviews saying that it really helped them to understand the meaning behind this holiday. Mission accomplished.

The following evening, I stayed for the Easter celebration whose theme was “Bollywood Easter”. We dressed up in shimmery Bollywood-esque costumes, cooked indian food, and we just watched a marathon of Bollywood films. I can't imagine this event being more fun! The following day I missed the Easter Egg hunt. The eggs were filled with silly instructions such as, “trade shirts with the first person you see”. I would have loved to have witnessed this event. Sadly, it was time to begin my journey up to Kaolak. I planned to stop in Tamba for two nights before the summit so that I could get my cat fixed on the way. I brought my cat to the vet and unfortunately, the vet gave her too much anesthetic and she never woke up. It was so so sad. I continued on to Kaolak for summit. Between watching my second cat die and a poorly organized (not to mention boring and uninvolved) it was mostly awful. We had 30 volunteers crowded into what is inarguably the worst regional house of Senegal in the grossest city of Senegal and to make matters worse, the water was out for 3 days. I, along with a dozen other volunteers had our tents set up on the roof to sleep at night but some people wanted to party until 'god-knows-what-hour-of-the-morning' so sleep was limited and respect was not there. The two silver linings were A) the hedgehog that I found running (or rather - rolling) around the roof of the Kaolak house and B) my deeper appreciation of how truly lucky I am to live in Kedougou (the most beautiful part of Senegal). Besides that I was grateful to have heard stories from the other volunteers about their successes and failures but I was more grateful to finally get back to Kedougou, even without my cat.

Meanwhile, those of you who have been on facebook have probably seen pictures of a very, very cute puppy. There's a story.

The story of the puppy:

Finally back at site, I had discovered a new development. My host half-brother's dog finally had her puppies and my garden was still mostly alive by the river!! I knew I was lucky with my garden being in tact... maybe a little too lucky. The other womens' gardens were demolished by cows and/or dried up. The cows were getting in my garden but it seemed that they didn't like what I had in my garden because they left it untouched. I added some more thorny branches in some of the weaker spots of the fence where they may have been getting in. The women were all tired of watering a garden a mile away twice a day and the river was almost completely dry. I had to use a tomato paste can to fill my watering can but I was determined to try to harvest at least something from it.

Back at the ranch, I got to play with the 6 beautiful 2 week old puppies and I learned that they were planning to abandon them all in the woods in the next few days. I texted all the kedougou volunteers to ask if they wanted puppies who my family would let nurse until 8 months and then I would bring them to the volunteers. I had one interested taker. I explained to my family that I would be giving the puppy to another volunteer as soon as it is weaned from its mom. They said that would be fine. They took all 6 of the puppies off to the woods. I was so mad! Luckily, the boy who brought them out there was just on his way back from taking them. I made him go back and get one little girl for the volunteer in Kedougou. I noted that she had a distinctly small amount of white compared to most of the other Senegalese dogs. I found it strikingly unique. Things were going well... so I thought. I went to Kedougou for a few days and the 3 week old puppy was too small to bring with me so I left her to nurse in village. When I got back, the puppy was gone. They told me that “the boy dog had killed the puppy.” The boy dog is the older brother of this puppy and while I felt that was strange, I had seen aggression in other dogs in the village and perhaps the older brother was having some kind of power trip with his little sister puppy. I tried to justify it

Please note that the dog she is cuddling with is the dog they had earlier claimed killed her... yeaa rrriigghhtt

I called the volunteer who was supposed to be taking her and explained what happened and she said that she would just ask the guards at the regional house to find her one (because apparently the guards know these things). The following morning, I went to my garden (which keep in mind is about a mile away in the woods) to water. I was just about to finish watering when I heard what I initially thought was a strange bird, but it also sounded very familiar. I soon recognized it as the distinct yelping of the 3 week old puppy. I followed the sound and I found the very puppy that they told me a dog had killed. Needless to say, I was very angry that my family lied to me and my trust had diminished greatly. I walked back to my house with this puppy and immediately brought her to the Mama dog. Mama dog took her back right away. After an angry exchange with my host brother and everyone laughing at me for being angry, I discovered that the strap for my bike rack not only was tied differently than I usually tie it but they had tied the strap through the wheel. So, my family steals the puppy which I hadn't been planning to keep even and then uses my bike without asking. My level of trust only diminished even more. I started locking my bike and I brought the puppy in my room.

After calling the volunteer, she told me that the guard had already brought her a puppy but there was another volunteer who was interested. PHEW!! I told her that I would try again to keep this puppy until she was old enough, assuming my family didn't steal her again. Soon, I discovered that Mama dog could get into my yard to nurse when she needed to so keeping the puppy in my room turned out to be no problem at all. A few days later, this other volunteer told me, that as much as she wants a puppy, her host family doesn't want her to have a dog... so... um... it seems that now I have a puppy. I did some research and it turns out that all I need to bring a dog to the U.S. is to get her her shots (which I plan to do anyway), a dog carrier, a micro chip, and a forgiving and understanding mom and stepmom and dad and stepmom who are willing to let me house it in their homes until I find my own place.

The day after I found the puppy, I went again to water my now megre garden with the now megre water availability in the river. All the other women had stopped but I was determined to harvest at least ONE thing from my garden. Unfortunately, again, it seemed the cows (and Allah) did not agree. I went a little earlier than usual that morning and it seems I caught the cow culprit red handed. The largest cow I had seen in Kedougou (for some reason the cows here are smaller than in the rest of the country) was standing in the middle of my garden. I was hoping to jump in and save at the very least my sunflower heads to give as a gift to my counterpart. As I started climbing into the garden, the cow glared at me and started stomping her foot angrily. I decided that I liked my life better than the sunflowers and grudgingly left and let the literally starving cow continue grazing on my beautiful sunflowers and cantaloupe. It was another sad morning, but I had a puppy to go home to and fields to think about preparing!

Zai holes

Since then, my puppy has been wonderful and is learning so fast! She was already potty trained before she was 5 weeks old and is learning commands like a champ and is just barely 2 months old. I am teaching her Pular commands and she has grown on my host family and the rest of my village (especially when I tell her to greet- shake hands -because greeting is such an important part of the culture). This is also the only trained dog that these people have ever seen in their lives. When I go on journeys, I simply bring her with me in my cushioned puppy carrier and she barely complains on the often bumpy bike rides. She also likes to come with me when I go to my new field where I've been repairing the destroyed chain link fence at the school and digging zai holes to plant corn and amend the soil. When we were working one day, we found a giant black scorpion in my compost pile and I made a teacher kill it for me. You should also look up African cave spiders because although they are harmless, they are the sole reason I am afraid to use my toilet hole at night. I seem to have one that lives literally inside my toilet hole and comes for visits at night.

It seems that Mama dog and big brother dog have both adopted me as their running buddies. These two seem to be my biggest fans which is a major turn around from when I first moved to village. Those dogs were terrified of me. Now I'm the only one who provides them with a safe haven from other aggressive dogs (and people who like to throw rocks at them and beat them). On one of our runs we found the biggest bird nest I have ever seen. I could fit inside of it. Another volunteer and I speculate that it is a hammerkop nest. Next to the nest is my favorite baobab tree I've seen in country so far. It is so beautiful and one of few baobabs where the bark hasn't been stripped off of the tree for rope.

I could probably fit inside this thing!

After watching this wonderful family of dogs playing with each other, I quickly learned that instead of being aggressive towards my puppy, they are all in fact best friends and play ALL THE TIME! It's a wonderful life.

I have been really busy lately, filling tree sacks to plant a live fence, planting a moringa garden, and starting a vegetable nursery at the school. I've been trying to get people to work with me and they express a lot of interest but then they don't show up. I found out that some of the kids are going to be planting peanuts in half of the field so I am going to work with the kids and teach them about planting beans with the peanuts and the kids in turn will help me with my corn and rice fields so they can learn about improved spacing and soil amendments. I feel like I've been racing the clock to get my fields ready because we had our first big storm and by big I mean MASSIVE!!

On facebook I posted a video I took of the lightning before the rain started. The wind was so crazy that I worried at one point that my mango tree would fall on my hut. Luckily, no trees fell.