Monday, September 8, 2008

Pictures From Training Village.











August

So I will be living in one of the big cities in Gambia. I will be in Soma which is ok since it has markets that are daily and not only weekly.

Ok After finding out where I was going to be living it was back to the training village. I cant believe how much my life style has changed. I have been placed on a vegetarian diet. Who consumes mostly all rice with some type of sauce on top it, 3 times a day. I don’t see much meat unless it is bought by the Peace corps because it cost to much for my family to afford it. But am still alive so the adjustment is not to hard. I just don’t eat much breakfast because I don’t like rice porridge which is something like oatmeal and grits but made from rice. I eat a big portion of lunch which is the only meal I get that has vegetables in it everyday. And I try my best to eat at least half my dinner bowl because it the last meal of the day and because I know I wont eat breakfast.

My language has made a big improvement in the last month. I am now at NH which is very good for me thus far. I have to be at IM by the 12th of Sept. so am going to continue to work on t and hope for the best. If worst come to worst I will be keep back to have more language training or sent home. So lets hope for the best.

In training village for the majority of this month none of the men have been at home. They have all went to travel to either work or religion. So at home it has just been the women and kids and its still just been great fun.

Am Still Alive July

Am now in my training village and my family is very much happy to have me here. The life style here from GPI or Home is very different. So far what can been seen from the outside is the lack of amenities such as: running water, electricity, paved roads or walk ways, trash pick up or cleaning up and good clothes. But after living here for a week I have seen much more that has me concerned and surprised all in one. I have learned to live without running water or power. Its not that hard to fetch water and getting things done before the sun goes down or by flash light or candle is not that difficult either. The lack of good cloths is mostly on children because they either don’t have the money or because the kids get them so dirty so fast. My family does take care of themselves very well. With constant baths, cleanings of the house or family open area and food. Out of the 3 of us in this village I think and have been said to have the best family.

I personal have come accustomed to not have power or the running water. I enjoy the very cool water for bucket bathing 3 times a days with the heat. I enjoy the food that’s cooked even though I don’t eat a lot cause am not use to all the rice yet. I have come pretty close to my host family and talk with them as much as I can with my limited language skills. In my family I currently have: 1 father, 3 mothers, 2 wives, 4 brothers, 2 sisters, and 4 or 5 kids. Yes that’s the way my family is made with me. And I did get my new name from my family and am named after one of my kids. Kadii Dimba.

Within the next two months I will continue my language studies to improve myself to better work with the people and communicate in the local language. Along with language classes I will get more training on my actual job here which is computer. I will not be permanently station in a village such as this because of the need for power to do my type of work. Which is not good or bad at this point. Those who live in the city say its expensive and those who live in the villages say its hard. So am looking forward to the next challenge.

So I have now been in training village for about 2 weeks now. I don’t dislike it but there are a few things that I don’t care for and some things that I just love.

First off dislikes:

Food:

Dried Fish

Green Sauce

Rice porridge

Not having veggies

The pit latrine (are toilet)

Bugs ( in the bed, when showering, etc. )

Language:

Not being able to communicate

Having to learn things and not feeling like am making effort

Second likes:

Food;

Eating lunch (veggies, meat, good sauces)

People:

Family (very friendly and welcoming)

Keen to making me talk

The good is all mixed in with the bad. I do like being here with the intentions of teaching computer technology. I don’t know if am going to be any good at it but am going to try the best I can. I am more of just a tech person and not a teacher. So am looking forward to it but I have my debts.