Hangry, Lion King, and Malaria

Ramadan has ended, all 30 days of it were a roller coaster of emotions, frustrations, and discoveries. I drank water the whole time but fasted 24 days out of 30. I learned some and appreciated food at the end of the day much more. Now that its over and we are back to the rice bowls, I miss the break fast meals very much. I also have never been that excited to see a moon before, as the fasting ends with the sight of the moon on the 30th or 29th day. The two days following the sighting of the moon are days of great celebration, called Korite, where we eat and drink all day long. Boys and girls receive presents from their parents such as shoes or new clothing. Women braid their hair in special ways and henna their feet. Men put on their best kaftans and head to the mosques for a special day of prayer. Everyone walks around village in their best clothes and shoes, greeting neighbors and celebrating the end to Ramadan. All in all, it was here only, and now that its over, I'm glad there won't be another Ramadan till next year. (People, including myself, get a little (h)angry, but hey who doesn't when they are hungry.)

Gambia has gone green. Its like the place exploded. That scene in the 'Lion King' where the rains come and turn the land from depressing dryness and death to a place of happiness where all the lions are roaring and prancing around in playfulness. Well, that's pretty accurate as to what has happened. Rains have come, heavily, the fields are growing tall and the paths are being encroached by weeds. Animals that once roamed around wild in search of any food they could find are now being staked and left to eat the weeds that they can reach. The people have become much more active, going out into the fields to weed or playing with their children more. Bugs...are more frequent. Also, infections are highly likely as there are pools of water sitting around everywhere. I wash my feet with anti-bacterial soap every chance I get. Mosquitoes have taken up residence in the pools of water and after twilight its like a battle field, human v. mosquitoes. 

Which brings me to the topic of Malaria. We, PCVs, have malaria prophylaxis that we are given by the US government, although there is some contention behind the different drugs. If you care to know about this argument, send me a message. We also have on hand anti-malaria drugs and malaria rapid test that if taken during the onset of symptoms can greatly reduce the disease. We have mosquito nets and I sleep under mine nightly, tucked in tight to prevent both malaria and those stupid cockroaches living in my backyard from joining me in my bed. We also have DEET bug spray and although I use 100% DEET concentration I still get bitten. These little suckers don't mess around. The malaria mosquitoes come out during dusk and hang around till dawn, so I've taken to going into my room earlier in the evening. Part of a PCV work is to bring attention to the methods of prevention, such as bed nets which are given to each mother when she brings her child to the clinic for their check-ups. Progress takes awhile, however, and bed-nets are commonly used as screens over garden nurseries to protect against bugs or sold. 

Update on my neighbor, the boy who wasn't doing well, was after a spike in his fever, taken by horse cart at 4am to the nearest health center, 6K away and I've been told that he is coming home today. His father has been walking the 12k round trip every morning and evening to see his son and wife. 

These are my cucumber plants in my backyard. They are doing extremely well and have grown over the fence in such a short amount of time. Compared to the cucumbers we had at Brown Farm, these are incredible. I didn't know if I could grow vegetables in Africa, but you can! 

Uncensored 1st Birthday in Africa

Last week, I had a birthday and decided to record step by step my day because, it was something to pass the time, it was entertaining, and it might be fun for everyone else to see what a basically typical day here consists of, enjoy.

Woke up around 6:30am, managed to sleep through the mosque call to 5am prayer, but not the wolof neighbors pounding maize or the chickens crowing. Thought: whelp, lets’ make this a good day. Here to turning a year older!

Used pit latrine, the cement wasn’t burning my bare-feet as the sun wasn’t yet high enough to crest over my fence.

Extra bonus, a bit of diarrhea, completely the norm, have to resign myself to the fact that diarrhea is going to be a common state, but fear not in honor of my special day I saved myself a bit of toilet paper as a present to myself! This really is going to be a great day, and i'm being completely serious.

Fired up the gas burner, a serious luxury!!, made a cup of tea with ….HONEY! and some milk powder for extra protein.  On the breakfast menu for today, a packet of maple and brown sugar oatmeal, threw in some raisins, almonds, and more milk powder.  Great breakfast! Thank you care package senders!!

Turned on the IPOD, which was charged via solar panel the day before, and had myself a little Jack Johnson dance party- nothing better than starting the day off on the right foot.

Had a birthday gift, even wrapped in this beautiful birthday bag and tissue paper that smelled like America, yes, I smelled the tissue paper. You would too, it smelled so good. Presents were incredible, thank you.

Opened door at 7:30am

Greeted the family, literally, “good morning, did you sleep in peace, is peace here,” and my personal favorite, “I hope that you slept like a baby!”

Walked to neighboring compound to see a 5 year old who has what my family says is malaria, he still has a fever.

Walk to bitik, where I buy 50D worth of things for birthday celebrations with the family. 50D is equivalent to approximately $2 USD. The people in the bitik were making such a huge deal about me spending 50D. I understand that this is more than their daily or perhaps even weekly wage but it always makes me uncomfortable to even spend 5D that I hardly purchase anything in village, always choosing instead to buy in a neighboring village or town, but word always spreads back to my family how much I’ve spent.  Feel: ready to see some people corps people.

Bring sick child a ORS (oral rehydration solution) to help with dehydration (this is a mixture of salt and sugar that helps the body better absorb liquids.) He drinks it without protest because I’ve added a bitik juice packet which is about 90% sugar.

Help mom with breakfast rice porridge and sour milk. Literally, the milk has gone bad, no refrigeration in the hometown. Eat 2 spoonfuls as a result; hope I don’t get more diarrhea.

Bring out IPOD and dance party with younger siblings.

Explain American traditions of birthday parties (birthdays are not celebrated here and no one knows their actual age, except when I make a big deal of birthdays, the sisters and brothers have brought me their nurse cards and asked me when their birthdays are and how old they are.) Today is also Bamusa’s birthday and tomorrow is Farfala’s. We’re going to have some great times these next 2 days.

Learn some Mandinka words with family, go over words from yesterday. Oh mandinka!

Brother Pabi, threatens 2.5 year old Ba with a good sound beating. Crying ensues, I in turn threaten the 16 year old (I can only do this inside compound, to family members), Pabi runs away to the village.

11am, africell tower turns on, receive texts, wooohooo PC friends!!

Talk to PC friend, very happy! Discuss plans for upcoming swear in party at ocean. Feel like I’m in college 

again, thank gosh!

12am, go to pump to get and carry water back to the hut for my daily water needs. Horse in path, have to walk through corn field, find horse owner…ask him to move horse.

Visit a neighbor’s garden, her peppers are almost ready. Very excited to know I will be eating peppers soon!

Sweep room with a stick broom that works surprisingly very well.

Wash TOMS (cheers Meg) shoes with bleach and water, leather is molding, wet season gets to everything.

Hang out bedding, wouldn’t want a moldy bed.

Child with fever is brought to my compound, take fever…its very high, feel helpless and unsure of what to do. Father has gone on a vacation and not left his family any money. Mother is not going to make the decision to bring him to the hospital without the head of the household there. Feel frustrated with culture and my own lack of power, in a world that is so difficult.

Talk to PC friend, laugh a lot. Phone battery dies, and its about to rain which means that at the earliest I can charge my phone is tomorrow because the only source of power in village is one compound which has solar, and well without any sun the solar doesn't work. Goodbye world. 

Counterpart shows up, discuss birthdays in America, American culture (fraternities and sororities because he’s wearing a fraternity T-Shirt), language training, figure out a proverb that family wants me to remember. Learn  “towelo de dindin santo,” meaning ‘the clouds are hanging up.’ This cracks me up and I have a little laughing fit, mandinka is hilarious.

Eat lunch, rice and peanut sauce! Before lunch Nymandin had asked me what my mother in America would cook for me if I was home, I told her probably BBQ and a cake which won’t happen here but I know that she’s trying to make me happy and just that makes me happy. Side note: we haven’t had peanut sauce in 4 weeks, so I really appreciate the gesture.

Give Baboo a can of condensed milk and 2 packages of biskits, that I bought earlier at the bitik.

Race neighbor’s daughter back and forth along the foot path, bare-footed and laughing, for no reason other than its fun.

The Rains have come, headed to the hut for some reading. Current book, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, highly recommended!

Boiled some water, luxury again, made tea with sugar and milk powder. Sidenote: used underwear as pot holders, not because I don’t have the money to buy potholders in Kombo, it’s just that underwear works fine so why buy pot holders…

The temperature has dropped 5 degrees, ah! I love the rain!

4pm, yell out my door to Aramita, and begin playing with her, Baboo worried that ran was coming through my thatched roof, he comes out of his room and asks ‘if the rain is touching me,’ I reply that ‘it wasn’t touching me. That Aramita and I are only playing.’ He laughs.

5:30pm, rain stops and I head to the common room to chill with the family. They brew the condensed milk over charcoal, adding sugar. Oh, how Gambian’s love their sugar. We each get a 2oz glass of the milk with the vanilla biskits to dunk into it. It’s really good! They teach me the language, sometimes it’s frustrating, I’m a perfectionist but I’m also lazy so them always correcting me is hard to handle but something that I need to learn how to endure.  Welcome all the personal growth that happens in the PC.

Drink more milk sugary goodness, father of the sick child has finally come home, thanks me for helping. I thank him for coming home. Tell him that he should take his child to the clinic, I really hope this kid doesn’t have malaria, he feels cooler and his parents are giving him cool baths and putting on cold compresses.

Lay around with my family until 8ish when its dinner time, leftover lunch is on the menu. Make a bowl of popcorn as a birthday celebration to share with the entire family. They love popcorn as it’s a celebration food in Kombo and not many people in the ‘bush’ have eaten it but they have heard about it.

9pm, family begins a dance party and everyone including Ba dances. Lots of laughter and lots of love.

10pm, head to the hut and close the door. Reflect on the day and how wonderful it’s been, all the ups and the downs, all the love and all the fear.

Watch 2 episodes of Entourage because I got to a place via bicycle to charge my computer as a birthday present to myself. Pass out

Although this day was about as opposite as one can get from all of my previous, post-21st birthday's, I had a wonderful day and felt really comfortable with myself and my family. Even though, I would have given anything to be home for the day celebrating in the big bad woo or manch with friends, I wouldn't have traded the simple and direct affection that I felt from people this side of the ocean, I will, however, take you all up on your offers of good times saved for when I get back. Miss you all. 

 p.s. Isatou has really enjoyed the boxes that have come from America. They store her clothes and are a perfect sized seat for her to strengthen those tummy muscles! 

Bush Days

A fellow volunteer paid a visit to my site the past two days. We adventured into the bush (to put it lightly). This adventure deserves to be shared in its most perfect description, but right now I am simply too exhausted and and still processing all of the moments to compose it in the proper way. Also, as Mom and several others have mentioned, my English skilled are beginning to become dreadful, not only the spelling (thanks for the spell check mom), which has always been terrible but I'm beginning to become fluent in Gambian English, which is hilarious but not necessarily a good thing. So I will take the time to perfect the story, and in the meantime...

"Teach your Children"

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good-bye
Teach your children well
Their father's hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

And you, of tender years
Can't know the fears
That your elders grew by
And so please help them with your youth
They seek the truth
Before they can die.

(Can you hear and do you care
And can't you see we must be free
To teach our children what you believe in
Make a world that we can believe in.)

Teach your parents well
Their children's hell
Will slowly go by
and feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you. -- Nash