The Radio Star

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

Christmas in Kaolack

I spent Christmas this year in Kaolack along with 15 other volunteers. Another volunteer headed up the festivities for Christmas eve: many desserts, spiced cider, and a white elephant exchange. There were around 7 or 8 of us who decided to go to the Catholic vigil. So after the gift exchange, we headed out to the one church in town. In true Senegalese style, it started late with the traditional manger skit, along with some kind of skit about a rainbow. I'm not really sure--it was all in french. At the end when Jesus was born, they let loose a live white dove. That was pretty cool.
Friday morning, we made pancakes, bacon, and hot cocoa. Yummy! For lunch a couple of other volunteers made some tomato soup and grilled cheese, from scratch.
And then dinner. I made a five pound honey glazed baked ham, along with sweet corn, sauteed green beans, mashed potatos, and millet (corn) bread. Everyone said it was good-especially since we had pork twice in a day. Much smaller than Thanksgiving, too (and thus much easier to make the food).
I uploaded a few more pictures (from a long time ago) so click below and check them out. Also byron has many good pictures, so look at his too!

PST

chugging along

i'm still here! last week I went into Kaolack to do a radio show. Well really just introduce myself along with two others from my stage on air. Somehow we promised that in January we'd do the show ourselves, since the two who normally do it wouldn't be availiable (i.e. vacationing in the us). Bonne chances to us I suppose.
I haven't been doing much as of lately. Just learning some language, reading some books, and making attaaya (senegalese tea). There are about 10 or 12 high school guys who come over every afternoon now and for around two hours, talk and make tea in their customary elaborate ceremony.
Next week, I'm going to Kaolack againg for Christmas. Should be fun. We're making desserts and having a white elephant exchange Christmas eve. Then for the 25th making a gigantic dinner. yum.

More Pics

More pictur, slowly coming...

PST - training

a few pictures for now.

It's apparently incredibly difficult to put up pictures in this country, but here are a few. The turkey is one of the two we ate for thanksgiving. there is one from swear-in at the ambassador's house in dakar, then some from tabaski.

senegal

whats happening, qu'est-qui s'est passe?

if it's getting any colder in the usa (and all sources tell me it's true), I really can't tell here. The rains have stopped. I can tell that the baobab trees in my backyard are starting to lose their leaves. People are talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it seems like mid-August. I'll have to get used to this I guess.
To my suprise, I received two big boxes of food from my dad; then another from my sister today. Made my day--no strike that, week. Everyone keeps asking what's ok to send so I'll address that. What makes a good care package? Anything really. Just don't send anything valuable, the postal service has been known in the past to check, (fortunately my boxes weren't opened this time). It costs similarly for me to send back to the us, but keep in mind that a dollar is worth a heck of a lot more here (I give about the equalivent to 2 bucks a day to my family for food). A stamp for a letter is 550 FCFA, you can look up the current exchange rate at xe.com, but it's about 500 per dollar. So what can you send? Anything that will last and not spoil for 2-3 weeks in transit. I suppose that reduces your options. Things like dried fruits, rasins, oatmeal/granola and cereals, nuts of all types (they have cashews and peanuts here, but they arent the same), along those lines PeanutButter (the stuff here is horrible, and I love some creamy PeterPan), any *hard* candy (it's hot here, things melt) (oh, and christmas is coming...candy canes!), dried meat such as jerky or canned tuna, drink mixes, and pens and paper. The last one may come as a suprise, but the paper here is weird and the pens rarely write well. Be sure to tape up any packages well, they are coming a long distance!
Today is my 100th day in country. Seems like a long time yet I'm only 1/8 done.
The wolof is coming along, tutti rekk.
Happy thanksgiving to everyone! We're going to try and fix thanksgiving dinner at the regional house in Kaolack. Then, maybe, I'll go the week after to the north to Ndioun for a Christmas party; Not sure yet.

starting 2 years in Guinguinéo

hello. i know that it's been a while. forgive me! it's difficult to get to a computer, but should be easier now that i live next to a cyber café in Guinguinéo.
it's cooling down a bit here, not sure the temp but it's cooler nonetheless. weather.com says it's 86 right now...ok that made me feel worse.
i realized that i forgot my cable for my camera, so hopefully i can find one in kaolack the next time i go there. i have some pictures of mboro and thies, and the beach south of dakar...but no way of getting them up right now. c'est la vie! speaking of français, my french is getting better. thats good i guess. i've been trying to learn wolof--by myself. that's proved to be difficult! little by little. mangiy jang wolof. (i'm learning wolof) that's pretty much what i've been doing alllll day. and reading a bit. there are two cousin boys living with us and sometimes we xiim attayah (make tea). every morning i eat my french style breakfast--bread-- and some warm sweet milk. that gives me an opportunity to talk to my host-dad, Pape DIOP. he's actually been to university and lived around the country, so that is awesome. he speaks english fairly well, so if i don't understand something in either french or wolof he'll try and tell me in english.
I'll be here until the end of February, at which time I'll go back to Thiès for IST (in service training).
All is well here. Take care everyone.