Top 5 August 2015: It's The Little Things

Since coming back from Morocco, I've been trying my best to soak up the last bits of these precious summer months before the schools here open their doors again September 28th.  Between spending quality time in village with the fam and even squeezing in a bit of work here and there, it's been a blissfully uneventful August, but, as always, there were those little moments that will stay with me forever, and here they are....

5) Return to Reality

Deanna's sitting!

After a vacation, it's always a bit difficult to settle back into the daily grind.  I missed my family here, but wasn't looking forward to public transportation and all the other joys of upcountry living after being spoiled with air-conditioned vehicles devoid of live animals and endless fresh produce. However, upon walking into the compound, I was thrilled to be back.  The babies had grown so much, as had the lush grasses surrounding the bush, and we were all happy to see one other. As it had been storming constantly while I was away, Kadijatou and Ramatoulie, my pre-teen besties, helped me to sweep my house, which had been overtaken by ants, lizards and earwigs, and the three of us proceeded to tag-team my backyard which had been blown to shambles by the winds.  We weeded the grass, washed all my clothes, put my things back in order, and then had a small dance party to celebrate being done.

That night, I passed around pictures on my tablet, describing the different things I saw in Morocco. They marveled at the size and number of mosques, the hugeness of the mountains, and were in complete awe and disbelief that Moroccan fare lacks the white rice serving as bed and base for all Gambian meals.  I passed around small gifts for everyone, then slept the deepest sleep I'd had in weeks, under the silent skies of Sare Ngai.

4) Kombo Combo

Although I'd only been back in village for two weeks, the newest batch of Peace Corps trainees was ready to be sworn in as volunteers, so most of us headed to Kombo to welcome them with a couple of parties and attach some faces to names we'd been hearing about for months. Fun aside, I also got some work done while I had access to technology. I, along with two friends, finished curriculum planning an upcoming trek we're leading this fall.  Knowing that we wanted to enjoy beach and city life, we pushed hard to complete our work and it felt fantastic to accomplish so much in a short period of time--something frustratingly uncommon in a country where even the smallest of tasks tends to take months to see through.

 Also up my sleeve was a plan for a project in my own village that I'd been planning for a couple of months, but was just now realizing.  I am, due to my jinx-phobic nature, keeping it a secret for now, but rest assured I'll disclose every detail as soon as things pass the point of jinxation.   Peace Corps staff helped me gather materials, hire construction workers and arrange deliveries, and I am pleased to report all have proved successful so far. I can't wait to share more!

3) Batchi Gets a Laptop

Other than the two little bundles of joy, the Kandehs have another new addition to the family--a DVD player.  Soon after my return from Morocco, my host father came home with a new toy; he proudly proclaimed to the entire compound that he'd purchased a laptop, that it was wonderful, and could I please come and help him use it.  What? He couldn't have just bought a laptop on a whim...and where did you buy this? Have I missed the opening of an electronics store the next village over? Curious and slightly confused, I went in to investigate.  There, on his table, resting between the two car batteries and tangles of cords charging the cell phones (another side-biz of my savvy host fam) sat a giant gold video karaoke machine.  I couldn't help but laugh out loud as the thing looked straight out of an episode of a Different World, but then it was down to business.

He wanted to know how to use it, and I was supposed to teach him. With the assistance of my brothers and a couple of the more tech-savvy villagers, we were able to rig it up to the solar panel-charged car batteries to give it a constant flow of power.  I was so thankful for the boys' help, as oftentimes I experience a sense of mild panic when prompted with questions about technology;  the stereotype of 'I come from America, therefore I know how to configure phones, rebuild mother-boards, and rig up complex wiring systems' beats hard in my compound, and just once, I wanted to muster up some degree of tech-know-how.
 I may not have worked out the wiring, but I was able to insert a USB and show them some pictures from home, and then tried to introduce them to Ray Charles, but the music was immediately vetoed by all.  Finally, taking the reigns, my brother put in a disk ---a Kung Fu movie, which drew in about 50 viewers from around the village, and thus a new tradition was born.  Every night, children, teens, and older family friends would gather and watch one horrible B movie (that's being kind) after another.  Jean Claude Van Dam was often involved, and I was in hell.  Why can't we go back to gazing at the stars? I felt like Africa had up and left--how was I stuck in a perpetual Ground Hog's Day of poorly dubbed, albeit pleasantly shirtless, violence?  So, in an attempt to regain some peace, when I went to Kombo, I sought out to find some new films.  They sell these black-market DVDs containing several films per disc--I just had to find the right one--one I could handle listening to on a nightly basis without loosing my mind.  I settled on a disc containing the following: The Gods Must be Crazy, Sister Act I and II, The Pacifier, and all of the Big Mamas. Obviously I hoped Sister Act would be the family favorite, but unfortunately, due to Whoopie's apparent lack of vocal skills and her "ugly face" (harsh!), Batchi nixed that and Martin Lawrence slid into first place. Crowded together on floors, chairs, stools, and mats, people shuffled into the small hut of my host father and proceeded to obsessively binge-watch Big Mama's House.  Their reactions were priceless as no one believed that it was really a man in disguise. Fatoumata, but no, you can see that fat one is a woman. Cannot be a man, Fatoumata. No.  One scene towards the end showed a big reveal where the wig and mask are ripped off to expose a very masculine, very mustachioed Martin Lawrence; everyone gasped in utter disbelief.  They rewound it, and again had the same reaction. The entire room buzzed with chatter...How could it be!?  It was truly hilarious to watch.  Now, each time I head to the city, I plan to seek out more DVDs, not for my own entertainment, but for the simple amusement of watching the village react to them.

2) Fatoumata Sprouts a Green Thumb

Because I cook for myself and because Gambian markets tend to be a bit....sparse in their vegetable selection, I have wanted to start a garden of my own for some time. The obstacles in my way were as follows: I had no seeds, I didn't know the first thing about gardening, dry season was hot and rain-less, and also I'm lazy.  Now, my parents sent me seeds, there are two agriculture volunteers nearby, and it's rainy season. I felt my excuses were running out and so decided to finally do it.  Dividing my seeds packets into categories like "worth a try", "don't know what it is", "share with family" and "hoard for myself", I, under the tutelage of a friend, finally started my garden.  He gets most of the credit for the heavy lifting and sifting, but I'm proud of my own consistency in daily watering and general upkeep.

So far, the cucumbers and tomatoes are coming up nicely, a few zucchini plants have sprouted, and my basil has a promising future.  Other things I'm waiting on are lettuce, broccoli and cilantro, which while I would love, have heard the chances of success are slim to none.  Additionally, some of the bigger fruits like pumpkin and watermelon we planted in my family's yard, and with some luck, I'm hoping to make jack-o-lanterns for Halloween and maybe even introduce them to an oven-less version of pumpkin pie, although that too may be moved to the "hoard" section of the program depending on the results of the recipe....

1) It's a Girl! Let's Kill Goats and Eat Porridge

Kadijatou and Deanna 

As I wrote about when Hawa had baby Deanna, Gambians hold a ceremony seven days after the birth of a child in order to give them a name and introduce them to the village.  Because Jainaba, my second mother, delivered during Ramadan, a time for fasting and religious devotion, it was not acceptable timing for a party, and it was decided that we'd wait until the end of August to have the program. I invited friends of my own, too.  Jess traveled from her far away village to stay the weekend, and another couple of friends came for the ceremony.  We hennaed our feet, held all the babies, and ate popcorn by candlelight.  The day of the party was nice; a hundred or so people came to hear the naming, view the slaughtering and eat monie, the traditional cous porridge topped with sour milk.  All was well until late night, around 1 am, when the teens had finally managed to land a DJ and, setting up approximately five yards from my hut window, proceeded to squeal and dance to the repetitive bass-heavy beats of Nigerian pop music well into the next morning.  For this reason alone, I'm glad my remaining time in Gambia is not long enough to see the production of more offspring in my compound which would give cause to make this DJ ever return.

J. Boi and new baby Fatima

All in all, August was a good month.  The new school year is fast approaching and with it, a new set of goals for my last year in country.  I couldn't do it without the help and support from people back home, so thank you for all you've done to show me a little love! Extra special thanks to Jeff Gilespie, Elyce Wozniak, Barb Ebinger, Joanne Youngblood, Rhona Costa, Chris Saviolis, Judy Klecan, Richard Prinze, Joanie Conkle, Lynn Beesley, Aunt Susan and The Smith Family, and of course, my amazing parents: From beef jerky to ballpoint pens, you keep me stocked, proteined, and able to give a little extra to my people here.  It's appreciated more than you know.