November 23 2003
Hello world! Wow it�s been an awfully long time hasn�t it!? I�ve been incredibly here at the training center. We�ve had about 57 different reports and papers and proposals to write, of course all due the same day. And then they shipped us off to our sites for 5 days to meet people and check it out and make sure everything was built and all that fun stuff. I basically sat there most of the time. In the middle of the afternoon, noone leaves the house because it�s just too hot. Plus what with it being Ramadan and all, noone�s eaten and so everyone just sleeps. Normally however I live in a bustling little town.
Would you like to know a little more about this town? It�s called Tivaouane - Tea-va-won. I think I�ve mentioned that it is the headquarter city of a Muslim Brotherhood, which means they have this big grand marabout guy. And he�s supposed to be taking care of his city and making sure everyone�s fed and happy and clean. But that doesn�t happen. He just keeps all this money he gets to himself and buys limos and houses and satellite tv. Which is no good. But what can ya do? Not much.
It seems like a nice little town. I met the family I�ll be living with for 2 years. They�re very nice! And are well-off compared to others in this country. My mom is a school teacher and my dad works in Dakar during the week. Which means I pretty have the place to myself during the day. I will also have a little brother, aged 6-ish. And he is a raging terror! Apparently the youngest must spoiled beyond all belief here, and he is. Also living in the house are my two uncles, one is 30 and he�s my dad�s brother. The other is 14 and he�s my mom�s brother. Everyone is very nice and not overbearing like some people are. They�re accustomed to Western culture a bit. When I was there they pretty much just let me do my own thing. Which is very nice. I have two fairly large rooms which will be mine all mine! And now I�m in the process of figuring out how to decorate them. So I need to get online and get some ideas. That will be fun and take up a good chunk of my first three months at site. See, they tell us we�re not supposed to leave our �work area� for the first 3 months. Well luckily for me my work area includes Thies (which has a huge market) and Dakar (which is well, Dakar). There are about 6 other volunteers in my region and I will be sharing a mailbox with 3 of them. Speaking of which, packages, starting from now, can be mailed to my new address which is:
PCV Paige Redlinger; B.P. 360; Thies, Senegal; West Africa
If you guys start sending letters, cards or mail to the new address now, I�ll have mail waiting for me!
Quick update on my physical and emotional states: Physically the other night I was horribly ill, in the bathroom for quite awhile. But I realize that could have been the result of a couple of beers and greasy chicken at The Beer Compound, aka Chex Louise. Other then that all is in good working order. Emotionally things are amazing! Whatever was bugging me before has dissipated and I am back to my old self. The happy, witty, sarcastic, energetic you all know and love! I�m going to try really hard to hold on to that my first three months at site as I readjust. Just when I get all comfy and cozy here in Thies they uproot us and send us somewhere new! But at least this time I�ll know what to expect.
Hey when I did I become a blatant mooch asking for stuff all over the place? If you�re Sherry Grunder, then I want Peanut butter balls! Or Cathy Petersen, then I want rum cookies! ;) I�m planning on coming home in August for Alana�s wedding (wow) on August 14th. So people keep the end of August open for visits! I wanted to try and come home in June for Seth�s wedding, but our Inservice Training is then.
I think I�m rambling now. My brain is slower on the rambling filter right now. I will bid you ado for now. And the next you will hear from me I will have been installed at my site! I miss you all very much! Along with pizza and ketchup and Dr. Pepper.
Much Love,
Paige
P.S. I�m going to start doing bi-weekly updates after this, so this is your chance! If you would like to be removed from the bi-weekly updates, just let me know J It�s not a problem!
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Journal #6
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