One "successful" radio show down in January.
After writing a script all day, then having to translate it into French (Most likely the *worst* grammar of all time); Mollie, Elizabeth, and I hailed a cab and took off for the radio station. We somehow found the worst and rudest driver of all times, which when you think of all the cab drivers you've ever met says a lot, n'est-ce pas? With two other passengers and us (a normalality or saftey hazard, depending on how you look at it) the driver set off with Mollie still stepping into the car. There are two types of cabs here. One is a "direct" cab that you can tell to go anywhere. The other is a "route" taxi that follows a path picking up and lettting off people as they need. Route taxis are much cheaper and easier. Usually. We opted for the route taxi. There currently is a major road construction project enveloping downtown Kaolack, so there is a usual detour route that about 98% of the cabbies make, which is great because that route goes a block away from the radio station. Well of course this guy would take another route, weaving around the road blocks. So we found ourselves just telling the guy to let us out and we'd walk. We know the way, right? Well, sort of. We start treking off in the general direction, thinking it's perhaps only a few blocks. Normally I'm pretty good at directions, but this is the worst layed out city ever. In the US roads go North and South. Africa failed to look at a compass. Or perhaps the French helped. Enough said.
Mollie, who's site is Kaolack and therefore knows the most amongst us, said it was near a blue mosque. Look for a blue mosque. We saw the spiring tower of one, and it was blue. We walked a few blocks over to it, alas, not the right one. We walked some more and started thinking we'd never find it. Another blue mosque! That's the right one. And just down the road I saw I radio tower peering over the top of a building.
Once inside, we sat down at the studio table laying out our stuff in preparation. Laptop with the script. Check. Ipod with music to play between talking. Check. We just needed a cord (which they have) to plug it in to the sound board. Elizabeth explained in her superior french and it seemed the lady had no idea what we were talking about. She then took the ipod and left. Through the glass wall of the studio we saw her walk over to the open window and dangle the ipod out, yelling something down to the guys below in Wolof.
Finally, another man came up who spoke french and knew what was going on. Elizabeth explained the situation, which was finally properly communicated, and we were on our way. He stayed for the first few minutes to man the equipment.
Well we made our introdutions (you're listening to radio such and such, this is so and so) then explained the topic for this weeks's radio show. Then nothing happened. We meant to be playing some music for a break. The iPod was playing, just nothing was being broadcast. After about 8 or 10 seconds of silence until the DJ guy realized he needed to turn on the channel for the music. Apparently he didn't completely understand as we had thought.
Ok, blip number 1.
The next two parts were just between Elizabeth and I. She was playing the part in a 'skit' of the business expert while I was the emcee. It went--fairly well.
Then the next part. Mollie, bless her southern heart. She started well, but then came the nervous laughs. Then more and more laughing. Uncontrolably.
So that we'll call blip number 2.
A few other random funny mistakes here and there. That and all, save two, of the songs we played were that of the soundtrack from the tv show Glee (the choice of Elizabeth), in addition to an Abba and Michael Jackson's Thriller (the complete version).
Other than this event, I've been actually starting to get some work done here and there at site. The first volunteers (2 previous before me) started working with a couple who make "Baye Fall" quilts and other items. I've been working with them, helping to export to the US, and just generally getting to know Babacar Iba and Kine. They are really overly nice. Babacar will sing some classic wholesome american rock songs, saying how much the local senegalese music is just terrible. What can I say, we bond over that.
Also, I just reciently worked in cooperation with an NGO (10,000 Girls) in Kaolack to bring a Reading Room (Salle de Lecture) to Guinguineo. It's like a library, but encourages talking and discussion, to encourage literacy and promote students to stay in school. I'm going to be bringing about 250 books back with me in various languages to site. Hopefully, it will play out nicely.
IST (In-Service Training) starts here the 7th of February. I'll be headed back to Thies for a few days, then to Dakar for All Volunteer Conference and WAIST, then back to Thies until the 4th of March. WAIST is a giant softball tournament in Dakar for all of the PCVs and expats in western africa. It ought to prove to be an enjoyable vacation.
Things in general are just going really well! Thanks for all your messages, letter, cards, and packages!
-Kenny
