Latent vs Active

Alright so I'll admit it. I wasn't too active during the hot season. (Maybe you could call me latent - we'll get to that in a bit) It's not the easiest when it's over 100 and sitting still is exhausting. So I am taking advantage of the cool evenings - yes that's right - cool. Wonderful running weather. Every once in a while, I have moments here in Senegal that I call "blog-worthy". I hope you appreciate this:

Originally, getting out of the house was exhausting, not to mention crossing the gender-line by not cooking, cleaning and raising babies, like all the other women my age. So running like all the men was difficult the first time. But if today were my first, I probably would have quit completely!

I left the house just before sunset. I walk out of my neighborhood and start for a paved road (with plenty of pot holes attracting my constant attention). Once on this paved road that leads out the city to a village, I start running. There is a woman selling fruit that usually greets me as I pass, but today, she started running with me. Keep in mind, she was dressed in her Tabaski-best and fancy shoes. It created quite a show. When she stopped I made a big deal about how she shouldn't give up, "It's only 3k to the village, atcha, nu dem dow!" She said tomorrow, inshallah. I'm really sure.

After this, a few middle school girls started imitating my form, while they were walking. They get a free pass, make fun of me all you want. You are a teenage girl and we all know those are tough years. I was a jerk too!

A bit further up on the road, I passed 4 women packing up bunches of fire wood, and after greeting them, and inviting them along on my run, but they also said, "Another time, inshallah".

Then I greeted and passed 2 young girls, greeted and I thought that was rather uneventful. Until about a minute later I heard "Eh! Eh! Taxawal yo!". I turned around and noticed these girls were now running after to, asking me to wait for them. I slowed down, let them catch up. The whole time we ran, they were asking me questions, in greeting. They were very polite and are not in school, but work as maids in Bambey. They were on their way back to the village they live, beyond the village we were running to. Who knows if they do this 4 or 5k walk daily. I sure hope not, and that they have great families where they stay, but get to go home for the weekend. I had to actually stop running since one of the girls couldn't keep up. When I said it was time for me to turn around, they asked if I was going to take a car back. Haha, no, I'm actually running for fun. "How bizarre". Yea, I'm a toubab.

On the way home, I noticed that the 4 women were finished bundling the firewood. The youngest was waiting for someone to help her lift the bundle onto her head. The looked at me and the blank, unpopulated road, nearly gave up, but then were pleasently surprised when I said "Ma yem la". Of course there is a verb in Wolof for "to raise whatever you have that's heavy onto your head". I just learned that a few weeks ago. So I helped raise a bundle of wood onto this scrawny 10 year old's head. Keep in mind this bundle off wood is too big around for me to hug it. Can't believe what these women are expected to do at such young ages.

I guess that was the run. More eventful than I would have ever guessed. So now it's time for me to be latent, right? Ok, I'll explain.

I told you about my mid-service, and waiting for TB results... Well, results were positive, as in, I have tested positive for latent TB. Bummer. Let me just get this out in the open - this is NOT a big deal. I am not contageous, and I don't have any symptoms. I have just been exposed to someone who had active TB, thanks for nothing dude! So Peace Corps policy says that I need to go on anti-biotics for 9 months, of rather intensive meds that are hard on my liver. My biggest concern in all this is that I won't be able to drink alcohol during those 9 months. As if this is practice for something else, but I don't wanna practice that! Geez. So I'll let you know when I start these lovely meds, but just to re-emphasize, this is not a big deal. Just sucks, you know?

Anyways, I'll be actively-latent for the next 9 months.

Today is Kristofer's Birthday - Happy 25th Tof! And Happy 27th Anniversary Mom and Dad - I am so proud of you guys! And Happy Birthday Grandpa! What a happy day!