A road less traveled

So I made it! I biked to Ndem from Bambey and it was much easier than I thought it would be and damn! Did it ever feel good to get a bit of exercise. I’ve come to realize a few things that I am missing. Whenever I was stressed out in school I could go out for a run or rollerblade to the river. Here, I don’t exactly have that same choice. Greetings are super important here and if I ignore people they think that I am a rude toubab or even worse that I don’t understand them; and I do! So I haven’t gotten outside much to do anything besides walk and it frustrates me. Even that isn’t relaxing since people always want to talk and it doesn’t exactly clear my head. But I did it – went for a 45 minute bike ride on a bumpy gravel road 13k to Ndem. Now I’m just missing my ipod because of all songs to have stuck in my head, it was “Let it Snow”. Honestly.

When I got there I think somehow I became famous. Everyone was asking where I came from and how much strength I must have. Haha, if only they knew I used to rollerblade to and from work at the Neenah Pool every chance I got even though it was about 7 miles! I am sure trying to get everyone’s names down because they have no trouble with mine! I know the office well now and a few artisans are very friendly. I am still trying to make myself have a familiar face rather than just another toubab visiting. There are always so many people coming and going and I have yet to go to Ndem and not see someone there for the day checking the place out. Which I know is a great thing for Ndem, but not for me trying to get established with a reputation of actually knowing Wolof and wanting to get work done. I’ve got time right?

So I work with Abdou there and he showed me a few things that he’s done since I was last there and I showed him some of the research that I found online. If you don’t know what www.ifat.org is you should look it up. I am going to try my hardest to get Ndem’s organization non-gouvernemental certified as a fair trade ONG. They deserve the certification and I just have to research to make sure the kids there are doing “light work” rather than child labor and the environment isn’t being abused by how they care for the toxic waste from the dyes, for example. I don’t really know if I am the best one for this job but like I said, I’m sure going to try.

I hit kind of an emotional roadblock yesterday. I was extremely excited since as of this week, Ndem set up dial-up internet in the office! Hurray! It is much faster than I remember dial being when we first got the internet when I was kid and I was so happy for them to be able to check their email more often. That is there only way right now of receiving orders and they have a brand new client who sent in an order just this week and we hope to send their product out before the end of the month, Inshallah! The emotional roadblock was more because I was researching the option of having PayPal on their website. We’ll come to find out, Ndem isn’t exactly ready for that. The internet is a vast place and it may get out of hand too quickly. I have been thinking having internet is the first step to a great future of expanding the business but as my boss said in training: “Americans, get off the jumbo jet and take the train”. Yes sir. I am American and crave instant results but that’s just not how it works here. Soon enough; little victories: we have internet!
So 2 nights of village life and I was ready to come home. I prefer my mattress and my own bathroom with a shower. You can call me spoiled but even though my bucket bath outside under the trees and bright blue sky was wonderful, it loses is glory when the wind blows! And I got to eat with a spoon for lunch today rather than burning my hand on hot food. Although I have to say thank goodness my taste buds are changing quickly. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that vending machines and pantries don’t exist and by 3pm and 9pm I’ll eat anything! But I eat Senegalese couscous (aka millet) that, in the beginning had the consistency of sand, and yes, I eat beans. The day had to come right? I still refuse to eat them when I come home!

No real big plans besides going to visit a friend 22k away since its her bday and she left me for the last 3 weeks to spend the holidays in America. Otherwise I’ll be sticking around Bambey until our next softball game in Dakar! Send a card in the mail for me! I’d love to hang it on my wall!