#pc training

[daydreaming-in-dakar]

More CBT

So during CBT, we're supposed to be focusing on integration, but we also have other things to do. One of them is language class with our LCF, Babacar. He's great, he's very patient with us and has answers for all our cultural questions! One of the other things we have to do is work on our demonstration gardens, which is where we practice the techniques we were taught at the center. For this round, we had to dig three garden beds. The garden beds all had to be double-dug, which is basically just removing the topsoil, softening and amending the subsoil, and putting the topsoil back. And then amending that. The amendments are more or less what you can get ahold of: wood ash (doomutal in Wolof), charcoal, manure, etc. This wouldn't have been so bad if our garden area hadn't been a trash dump in its previous life. Instead of just amending and replacing the soil, we had to sift through ALL of our soil to remove the trash. It still wasn't too bad though, it could have been worse! Our area has a good solid wall around it (other groups had issues with goats trampling their newly-aerated beds), it wasn't on a hill (one group had to try to terrace sand... good luck), and it has its own water spigot. And we had a lot of local kids running up to help! All in all, it was a lot of work, but it wasn't too bad!

[daydreaming-in-dakar]

Community Based Training

So here in PC Senegal, we do this thing called community based training (CBT). Basically what this means is that I spent my first week in-country at the training center, and then I went to a small village with two other trainees and our Language and Cultural Facilitator (LCF), Babacar, for six days. This is an absolutely overwhelming experience, especially given that we don't know very much Wolof when we start CBT (nor when this first CBT stay ended... Or when the next one begins.). We got off the bus in our village, Ndombor, and there were people waiting for us. Mostly, our families, who gave us our Senegalese names. My name is Awa Diop; Abby is Mamati Djang; Emily is Xari Sek (an "x" sounds like an "h" in Wolof). Our host families led us to our separate homes, where we spent most of the rest of the day. Lunches (and dinners, for that matter) are communal, so my entire family of about 10 ate at one bowl. We had done this at the center, but that was hardly preparation for the number of people we had at my family's house! Speaking of, family dynamics are a very interesting matter. I have one father (Kène), a mother (Fatime), and a second mother (my father's second wife). I don't see my father very often; maybe twice in the six days I was there. I also don't interact with my second mother very much. There are eight children in my family. My oldest sister is older than I am, but I'm not sure by how much. Everyone else is younger. I would say that maybe two of them are about 14-16, and the rest are under 11. I also have a cousin that lives with us, and he speaks English. I think he's about my age. Keeping all of them straight is enough all by itself, let alone trying to learn a language and working on our demonstration garden!

[daydreaming-in-dakar]

This is the Disco Hut! This is where we sometimes hang out at night (especially when there are cards or wifi involved), and also where we occasionally meet for short class sessions.

[daydreaming-in-dakar]

We got our language assignments today! I was assigned to Wolof, which is not what I was expecting, but still very exciting! All I know as yet is how to say hello, which is "Asalaam allekum," if you're first, or reversed if you're not. A note: I said I may be able to post daily, but that is not accurate. The Internet is spotty even here at the training center, and some days I don't have much to say even if I've done a lot. So... Yeah! Less than daily, definitely.

[taylorprose-blog]

Today is my 400th day in Indonesia!

I am exactly half way into my Peace Corps service. 

Here is a video slideshow of the first 10 weeks. 

[chromeandlightning]