Sparklers in Africa

During the holidays, we PCVs try our best to bring American traditions to Africa. It doesn't always work but I think the 4th was just about as close as we could get. Last year I went down to Kedougou and celebrated with about 50 others where we had a pig roast and ate cole slaw and potato salad. This year it was just 4 of us, but we didn't have to take public transport 12 hours! We ate hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and home made chili. We even had sparklers - they smell like the 4th of July back home! So it was no riverside, no finales, but that will only make next year that much more fun!

So I have gotten over my fever and have been left only with a cough and runny nose. I didn't leave my room much when I was sick and tried my best to call work partners, everyone of them who said, "Ouria - you sound horrible, you need to rest". Which is exactly what I did. My friend's parents came to visit her and they just happen to have a time share in Saly, Senegal. I got the invite to hang out at a 5 star resort for 3 nights and loved every minute of it. We had a 2 story hut with a kitchen and air conditioning. The pool was beautiful with wifi access. I read Harry Potter (now on number 6 and loving it!) and bought pretty necklaces on the beach.

So now that I am back, and feeling good, I have begun the work that I have been dreading. My compost project, as you know, kind of, well, failed. Eh, I hate to admit it. Shoulda, woulda, coulda... and it might have been a success. So today I wandered around to my houses who all have garbage cans to talk to them. I now have more than one source that tells me my donkey cart driver, Djebaye doesn't do his job. If there is no one to collect daily, families are forced to dump their trash else where. It is no longer separated, organic and non-organic, and just thrown out in the clearings. I have called the people at the mayor's office but they are too busy actually doing things for the town. Yes, this is a great thing: they are clearing out canals and making Bambey more live-able since it suffers from extreme flooding. So the assistant mayor said after they are done dealing with the rain, they will get to my project. Or, I should say, my replacement's project since I will be State-side when there is no more flooding! I still have to deal with my families who wanted this project and Djebaye, who is going to be very unwilling to give me back the supplies that I rented. He has "lost" a brand new wheelbarrow making me look real bad since I'm the one who has to go back and apologize.

Besides that, I have plans to get to Ndem in the next few days and show them my progress on selecting a Winter and Summer Collection. I would really like to find them some good contacts in America but still, have been unlucky. I have put together documents using Microsoft Publisher and will email them off to a few possible clients. Let's hope this new approach works!

Hope you all enjoyed your 4th, lit sparklers and enjoyed the finale! It's great knowing that I am running out of traditional American holidays to celebrate with a Senegalese twist. I'll be home for the best ones: Thanksgiving, Cookie Bake (yes, thats a holiday in my world) and Christmas!