I found ‘Waldo’ in Ngoundian…

For the past month we have been herded around Senegal like a bunch of sheep. Every few days we go to a different site. From Thies, to CBT (our language villages), back to Thies, to volunteer visits, back to Thies, etc etc…it’s quite the merry-go-round we got going on. Except there are no clowns, so I guess that’s a good thing.

So quick update. While in Senegal my main language will be Seereer, so that’s what I’ve been studying for the past month. My CBT village is Ngoundian and although extremely hot, it’s a lovely town. I live with the Ngom family here and my name is Fatou Ngom. I have one father, 2 mothers, and at least 15 siblings (although I keep meeting new ones coming back from vacation every day so who really knows). In three weeks, after swearing in (that’s assuming I’ve passed all tests satisfactorily), I’ll be going to my permanent village: Darou Salaam, Tambacounda. FYI, not only am I the first volunteer in my village, I’m the first Seereer volunteer to be placed outside of the Kaolack/Fatick region. That’s a little bit of a shock let me tell you. It’s really quite funny though. Whenever I tell people that I’m going to Tambacounda they all say two things: 1) I didn’t even know there were Seereers in Tamba? And 2) Wow Tamba, it’s reaaaalllllyyy hot there! Yay for me!

My family henna'd my hand. 'F' for Fatou (even though it looks like the hebrew 'hei' which means life)

A great many things have happened in the past month as well. I’ve been to soccer matches (my team has won both times of course), been pooped on by a bat, learned how to wash clothes with my hands better than any washing machine, swam in the mangroves, eaten unrecognizable parts of a mystery animal, gained control of my face when people tell me I should get a Senegalese husband, and perfected the art of falling asleep while fanning myself. I’m getting pretty well-rounded here if I do say so myself.

Oh, as to how I found ‘waldo’ seeing as he’s such an elusive fellow. In Senegal greetings are beyond important (you get chewed out in public by the people you forget to greet) and so it makes sense that there are a billion different greetings that take place at different times during the day. In the morning you say ‘Waldo’. So yep, mystery solved. He’s been in Senegal the whole time.

I’ve missed two very important weddings in the past few weeks. First, my older brother, congratulations!! And second, Leslie. Again congratulations!! You guys have no idea how much I wish I could have been there.

This is my baby sister Jaxat. She's adorable!

Me with a couple of my sisters. From left to right: Absa, me, Ramatou, NdeyFatou

And finally, a picture of my mothers. Ya-Magat is sitting and she is the first wife/my main mother. Yatep-Jole is my second mother.

Alright I’ve rambled enough for now. So I’ll say boo ndiiki, inshallah.