Thursday, October 2, 2008

For the next two years...

I will be living in a city/village called Maleme Niani. It is in a region of senegal called Tambacounda in the southwest. It is actually a new site but from what i have heard I am actually going to have running water and electricity, a rarity for most agricultural volunteers! I am located on a major road that goes through senegal, and is paved! So it doesnt look like i will be roughing it like some volunteers do but each site has its challenges and i wont really know until i get there!

I am back in Thies for one day! I celebrated Korite with my family yesterday and ate a lot! My dad in Senegal was the chief of my neighborhood and is older and distinguished so families continued to bring in dishes! I am pretty sure he ate from 5-6 bowls! I did too and am still feeling the effects today! haha! But it was good to have some quality protein in my diet and to eat something other than rice for a meal!! We had chicken, beef, in a dish that had an onion sauce with fried potatoes and spices, very very tasty!!

Tomorrow the mandinka speakers head out to a town in tambacounda to visit a current peace corps volunteer! We will be there for about 10 days or so getting some technical training and also practicing our language on our own!

I am doing well so far! I love getting letters from you so please keep sending those if you have an extra dollar around for postage! I am doing well and its good to be back in Thies for a while! Have gone through a bout or so of homesickness but its getting better as i am getting used to the culture of the Senegalese! I have also had quite the adventures with my family in Senegal from lots of nakedness (not me)to a mouse who lives in my room, to watching the slaughtering of animals, to overnight trips to the squatter! I wont post those here but if you shoot me a message i can fill you in!

Thanks for staying posted! I would lvoe to be updated even just a little on your own lives so let me know how you are and what you are up to!

pictures will come as soon as i figure out the best way to post them!

lots of love!
jessica

ps packages are also always always welcome!! :)

2 comments:

Tom Scates said...

Jessica,
I have been busy trying to pin down the location of Maleme Niani. I finally found it. It is on highway N1 (I think) that runs between Mbour and Tambacounda (the capital of Tambacounda province). I think it is at latitude 13.9333 and Longitude 14.3. The closest town I found, on the map I was using, to the west was Koumpenntoum and to the east was Koussanar. We are anxious to hear more from you.
Love ya.
Dad

Tom Scates said...

Jessica,
A good site to locate Maleme Niani is http://www.fallingrain.com/world/SG/5/Malem_Niani.html.
There are various spellings for this village (Maléme-Niani,Maleme-Niani,Malèm Niani,Malème Nyani,Maleme Nyani). We are anxious to hear more.
Love ya.
Dad