I have work to do!!! I've never been so excited to have something to do! I feel like I have purpose now. Geez, I wish I would have found this weeks ago. I'll try to give you the short. An agriculture volunteer, Mike, has a Master Farmer site, which means you help a local start and maintain a hectare sized garden in order to teach them all you know in the hopes they will continue after you leave. Mike just started this site and had only measured out the beds when I heard about it and jumped on board. The garden is in a town called Manda, which is about 50k south of my village. Hilary is doing the Master Farmer project with me too, so we biked there Friday morning to meet up with Mike. Oh, Hilary and I don't know ANYTHING about this agriculture stuff so poor Mike will have to hold our hand for a bit. But we'll catch on quick, hopefully before he gets too annoyed with us. So the plan was to get there at 8:30, dig for an hour or so and then head to the regional house. In true Senegalese form, Mike had trouble catching a ride up from his town so Hilary and I sat around with the Master Farmer, Mamadian, until 11am when Mike finally got there. (*If you're reading this Mike, I know, it wasn't your fault. AGGH!) Mamadian is probably the coolest person I've met since I installed. And since he speaks French, Pulaar and a little English, he's super helpful in my quest to learn Pulaar. Once Mike got there we attempted to dig the first hole, realizing all too quickly that the ground is rock solid and we should wait for the first rain to come...any day now. It was also scorching by this time so it didn't take too much to convince us to pack up and head to Tamba. We then, of course, sat around waiting for the mini-bus to leave until 3pm. (I can't call them "mini-bus" anymore. That's a description of what they are, not what we call them. They're "Alhams" to us. Mentally jot that down.) So once it rains, we'll go back to Manda and actually dig holes. Eventually they will put a tool shed out there and a water source and then we can camp out there so we can start work super early in the mornings. I've just got to bite the bullet and bike a 50k so that I know I can do it. I did the 35k the Hil's village last week and it wasn't all that bad. I left at 7am so the weather was nice. I'm loving all the biking. I prefer it to any other mode of transportation. Well, except air-conditioned Peace Corps rides, but that never happens.
Random things: For lunch yesterday I had steamed carrots, sliced tomato and a hard boiled egg. No salt. No seasoning. Just plain vegetables. I think its the 3rd best thing I've had since I've been here.
I'm losing the battle of trying to keep sunscreen on me and that sucks! My arms are so tan and feel an undercooked pound cake. "Just put on more sunscreen and more often" is simply not possible, but I can hear you thinking that.
All my clothes are falling apart. I need clothes.
I've bought material to make my 4th of July outfit. I'm making "America shorts." You can expect pictures... if internet allows such an upload. And yes, I'll wear a shirt too.
I have a package from Donnie waiting on me at the training center in Thies and I won't be able to get it until the middle of July! I want to go get it SO bad! I know its full of goodies and I want them! Its too far and I have other travel/work stuff between now and then.
Ok I don't have anymore random thoughts right now. Need to start writing things down again. Tomorrow Hilary and I are biking back to our villages. Its 30k to Gouloumbou, where there's a hotel with a pool that we fully intend to swim in, with hopes that its impossibly cold. Afterwards I will decide if I have it in me to bike the 25k to my village or wait around for the Alham that comes through at 6. Hopefully I can bike it. I'm so excited to go swimming!!! And tomorrow is Gouloumbou's market day so I'm going to buy a giant bag of veggies for my family! Yeah!
Hope everyone is doing great. xoxo
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