Well, for those of you I have not yet informed, I have decided to come home this week. I have told the admin staff of my decision and was transported today from Thies to Dakar to hang out for a few days before my flight back to Colorado. By hang out, I mean sign paperwork, get meds to make sure I don't come down with Malaria ever, and meet some other cool people (other currently serving volunteers) if they happen to be having medical issues and need the services of the PC Office.
I know many people will be surprised by this... a few weeks instead of to years is a HUGE difference, but I have given this a lot of thought and talked with a lot of people and have concluded that this is not right for me. It's hard to know what it will be like before you come, imagination can only do so much. I have met AMAZING people here (check out the other peacecorpsjournals.com pages... Alexis has people linked to her AtoZ page) and truely hope we stay in touch. How great will it be to have a group of 30 friends magically appear in 2 years? (Jared, don't forget about meeting me for a Broadway show!)
Seriously though, the people here are incredible and they are going to do some fabulous work. I started to name them all and record their wonderful qualities, but it was getting long and I don't have a list and certainly do not want to leave anyone out. And now I don't know how to end this so... just remember to always have a "Plan B" because no matter how much you plan, life will throw you a curve at a time when you least expect :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Sick away from home
Oh my gosh! You guys rock my socks! Sorry, I've been wanting to say that and this kind of fits. I'm writing now because we have un fete (a break) from training tomorrow for Senegal's Independence Day and I'm not sure what will be open/available this weekend, but going to keep ot short so others can use this fantastic American keyboard.
Thank you SO much for your words again, they mean a lot to me. Maggie, glad to hear you're alive and no longer sick, I'll look forward to that bowl of my own though perhaps I'll teach you to eat with your hands, making balls of food? ;) Brian, you're right, must be genetic so thanks for reminding me that we aren't the fastest at getting languages... though to be honest, it's hard to think in any single language at the moment. French, Wolof, Seerer, Puular, and English... a lot to filter. I did receive the letter, thank you! Please tell Uncle Mike for me And mom & dad, the singing card was fabulous! One of my friends knew the song and sang along, it was great.
So, I haven't had a chance to tell my parents yet (sorry, I wanted to make sure I was better first) but I got sick away from home for the first time pretty much ever. Being sick in another country isn't fun anyway but w/o your mom to take care of you, it really brings you down. Plus, having body aches and a 102 fever doesn't help... However, if you do happen to get sick away from whoever usually takes care of you, do it around awesome people who let you cry about missing home (Daniel) and will be so kind as to bring you juice to help recover (Daniel and Nathaniel) and who are there to make sure there is water in sick bay for the night (K) and everyone else who was fabulous. (I turn into a baby when I'm sick, some of you know this well) however I'm very glad to have gotten the first bout out of the way and I'm feeling better about the whole deal.
I'm still slowly learning Wolof and will hopefully pass the first evaluation on Tuesday. Ok, time is up, but to quickly clarify, internet isn't expensive, it's just hard to find time to go and the computers have funky keyboards. Also, some things I thought of for care packages are Propel drink mix packages and aloe lotion (yup, already burnt). I hope you all are doing well and be sure to give out hugs for/from me!!!
p.s. sitting in a cafe where we just had pizza for the first time in a month... not the same as in the states but it was FABULOUS!!! :)
Thank you SO much for your words again, they mean a lot to me. Maggie, glad to hear you're alive and no longer sick, I'll look forward to that bowl of my own though perhaps I'll teach you to eat with your hands, making balls of food? ;) Brian, you're right, must be genetic so thanks for reminding me that we aren't the fastest at getting languages... though to be honest, it's hard to think in any single language at the moment. French, Wolof, Seerer, Puular, and English... a lot to filter. I did receive the letter, thank you! Please tell Uncle Mike for me And mom & dad, the singing card was fabulous! One of my friends knew the song and sang along, it was great.
So, I haven't had a chance to tell my parents yet (sorry, I wanted to make sure I was better first) but I got sick away from home for the first time pretty much ever. Being sick in another country isn't fun anyway but w/o your mom to take care of you, it really brings you down. Plus, having body aches and a 102 fever doesn't help... However, if you do happen to get sick away from whoever usually takes care of you, do it around awesome people who let you cry about missing home (Daniel) and will be so kind as to bring you juice to help recover (Daniel and Nathaniel) and who are there to make sure there is water in sick bay for the night (K) and everyone else who was fabulous. (I turn into a baby when I'm sick, some of you know this well) however I'm very glad to have gotten the first bout out of the way and I'm feeling better about the whole deal.
I'm still slowly learning Wolof and will hopefully pass the first evaluation on Tuesday. Ok, time is up, but to quickly clarify, internet isn't expensive, it's just hard to find time to go and the computers have funky keyboards. Also, some things I thought of for care packages are Propel drink mix packages and aloe lotion (yup, already burnt). I hope you all are doing well and be sure to give out hugs for/from me!!!
p.s. sitting in a cafe where we just had pizza for the first time in a month... not the same as in the states but it was FABULOUS!!! :)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Quick Update
Wow, so… what to say? I’ve been here a few weeks, I’m living with a host family now, and I’ve had more ups and downs than I can count. Seriously every day is like a roller coaster. Language class is constant and I’m apparently slow at learning languages (compared to a lot of people here anyway). Sorry if this seems a bit discombobulated or anything, I’m typing on someone else’s computer (because I know where the keys are) and there’s kind of a time limit on here as well.
My family is nice, very well intentioned but they haven’t hosted a volunteer before so that presents some frustration for all of us, but I suppose it will be worth it in the end. They gave me a table last weekend for my room so all my stuff doesn’t have to stay on the floor, though most of it is anyway. Oh well. It was super nice of them to give that to me and they are being so patient with me, though I’m guessing their patience is running a bit low since I’m a slow learner.
One major plus is I bike to and from training every day, which is great for my body because I eat rice, couscous, carbs carbs carbs and sit in class a lot. It feels amazing, though with the wind blowing in my face the whole way, it’s a definite work out. Luckily for everyone here as well as myself, I can shower at the center in the morning. J This is all I have time for today, but let me know what questions you have and I’ll try to answer them next week. P.S. people here have started talking about American food and I’m starting to miss it… just letting you know in case you had a betting pool going as to how long that might take.
Oh, and I'm learning to eat with my hands... especially with my right as it is not culturally acceptable to feed yourself with your left. A challenge for a lefty like me but I'm learning :) We all eat out of a community bowl on the floor, washing our hands off before and after. Just a bit of info to give you a glimpse of daily life since I'm not sure what else to include. And to restate what my mom has already said, your words of support and just knowing you care have been very helpful on my hard days and I have those frequently... You guys rock!
One more thing; I know a lot of you have been asking what you can send, what I need, etc. so just to respond to that, pictures are awesome! I cannot print them here so e;mailing them is nice but sending them is better :) and letters, and drink mixes so I do not have to drink water that tqstes like a pool... um... i can get bug spray here but Deet is nice. And just anything I can keep with me to remember you by!
*hugs*
My family is nice, very well intentioned but they haven’t hosted a volunteer before so that presents some frustration for all of us, but I suppose it will be worth it in the end. They gave me a table last weekend for my room so all my stuff doesn’t have to stay on the floor, though most of it is anyway. Oh well. It was super nice of them to give that to me and they are being so patient with me, though I’m guessing their patience is running a bit low since I’m a slow learner.
One major plus is I bike to and from training every day, which is great for my body because I eat rice, couscous, carbs carbs carbs and sit in class a lot. It feels amazing, though with the wind blowing in my face the whole way, it’s a definite work out. Luckily for everyone here as well as myself, I can shower at the center in the morning. J This is all I have time for today, but let me know what questions you have and I’ll try to answer them next week. P.S. people here have started talking about American food and I’m starting to miss it… just letting you know in case you had a betting pool going as to how long that might take.
Oh, and I'm learning to eat with my hands... especially with my right as it is not culturally acceptable to feed yourself with your left. A challenge for a lefty like me but I'm learning :) We all eat out of a community bowl on the floor, washing our hands off before and after. Just a bit of info to give you a glimpse of daily life since I'm not sure what else to include. And to restate what my mom has already said, your words of support and just knowing you care have been very helpful on my hard days and I have those frequently... You guys rock!
One more thing; I know a lot of you have been asking what you can send, what I need, etc. so just to respond to that, pictures are awesome! I cannot print them here so e;mailing them is nice but sending them is better :) and letters, and drink mixes so I do not have to drink water that tqstes like a pool... um... i can get bug spray here but Deet is nice. And just anything I can keep with me to remember you by!
*hugs*
Sunday, March 16, 2008
It Begins...
Hello! Assalah Naalekum! (na lay kume) Which is the greeting we’ve learned in our “Survival Wolof” class so we can talk with our families a bit when we move in with them for training. So far we’re at the training centre for the most part, though we did go to the market today, which was SO overwhelming. I’ll tell you about that in a bit, but let’s start from the beginning:
Our day of travel on Wednesday was incredibly long, especially since I didn’t sleep on the plane from NY to Brussels, but at least I slept some from Brussels to Dakar. By the way, my phone doesn’t work here and didn’t in Brussels either so I won’t be able to get calls until I get a Senegalese phone from one of their companies. I was going to change my voice mail to say I am out of the country, but that won’t happen since I can’t even get service now. Oh well.
Anyway, we got in around midnight to Dakar. It was pretty crowded, and the way to the training center was interesting, though I slept through most of that as well. We had a welcome committee waiting for us with some “spaghetti” which I use loosely only due to the sauce. It was sort of like chili, but good nonetheless especially after over 24 hrs of traveling. All of the food has been very tasty, though I’ve heard it can vary a lot once we leave the center. We slept in until about nine the next morning and Friday was… interesting. I was incredibly overwhelmed, but right before dinner they did a “tam tam” which meant we had drummers come to the centre drums played music. A boy was teaching us how to dance and teaching us songs to sing. It was an amazing feeling being involved (they wouldn’t let us just stand there) and I felt SO much better after that. I think everyone did. Everything’s been pretty positive since then and I know there will be more difficult times, but it’s nice to know that won’t last forever.
One of the things that had me all frazzeled Friday was my French interview to see what my skills are. I was nervous, she busted out a tape recorder and I couldn’t think! My vocabulary and sentence structure was incredibly juvenile but at least I’ll show improvement later. It’s actually hard to think when people speak to you here, getting used to the language, people, culture, etc all at the same time. I also had my placement interview with Malik, who is the director of the medical program and we discussed me possibly working with other volunteers who are working in other projects like agriculture. I’m stoked about this because growing a garden would be a great way to combat malnutrition! But I don't have much of a green thumb...
As I type this I’m sitting in the “disco hut” with a bunch of other volunteers, hanging out in the wonderful fresh air and will be saving this on my zip drive because I can type faster on this computer and I know where the keys are. This whole experience is pretty great and I seriously can’t wait to get started and know the language for real. We went to the market today and it was overwhelming, but our trainers and safety officer warned us about pickpockets and things to watch for. People look at us skeptically until we greet them, then they smile. Apparantly that is the best way to make friends and ensure safety, it’s as simple as saying hello to as many people as possible. I ate lunch with my right hand today… my left hand is getting a break from life for a bit as far as interacting with others. It’s hard to remember though.
I’m not sure what else to include, so if you have questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them. I wish my journal had carbon copy pages… I’ve been writing in it every night so far and there’s too much to put down so I’m sure I’ve left out something interesting. I miss you, but trying not to think of home too much! We have Sundays off so I will do my best to check in each week or so. I can’t believe I’ve only been here 3 days…
Our day of travel on Wednesday was incredibly long, especially since I didn’t sleep on the plane from NY to Brussels, but at least I slept some from Brussels to Dakar. By the way, my phone doesn’t work here and didn’t in Brussels either so I won’t be able to get calls until I get a Senegalese phone from one of their companies. I was going to change my voice mail to say I am out of the country, but that won’t happen since I can’t even get service now. Oh well.
Anyway, we got in around midnight to Dakar. It was pretty crowded, and the way to the training center was interesting, though I slept through most of that as well. We had a welcome committee waiting for us with some “spaghetti” which I use loosely only due to the sauce. It was sort of like chili, but good nonetheless especially after over 24 hrs of traveling. All of the food has been very tasty, though I’ve heard it can vary a lot once we leave the center. We slept in until about nine the next morning and Friday was… interesting. I was incredibly overwhelmed, but right before dinner they did a “tam tam” which meant we had drummers come to the centre drums played music. A boy was teaching us how to dance and teaching us songs to sing. It was an amazing feeling being involved (they wouldn’t let us just stand there) and I felt SO much better after that. I think everyone did. Everything’s been pretty positive since then and I know there will be more difficult times, but it’s nice to know that won’t last forever.
One of the things that had me all frazzeled Friday was my French interview to see what my skills are. I was nervous, she busted out a tape recorder and I couldn’t think! My vocabulary and sentence structure was incredibly juvenile but at least I’ll show improvement later. It’s actually hard to think when people speak to you here, getting used to the language, people, culture, etc all at the same time. I also had my placement interview with Malik, who is the director of the medical program and we discussed me possibly working with other volunteers who are working in other projects like agriculture. I’m stoked about this because growing a garden would be a great way to combat malnutrition! But I don't have much of a green thumb...
As I type this I’m sitting in the “disco hut” with a bunch of other volunteers, hanging out in the wonderful fresh air and will be saving this on my zip drive because I can type faster on this computer and I know where the keys are. This whole experience is pretty great and I seriously can’t wait to get started and know the language for real. We went to the market today and it was overwhelming, but our trainers and safety officer warned us about pickpockets and things to watch for. People look at us skeptically until we greet them, then they smile. Apparantly that is the best way to make friends and ensure safety, it’s as simple as saying hello to as many people as possible. I ate lunch with my right hand today… my left hand is getting a break from life for a bit as far as interacting with others. It’s hard to remember though.
I’m not sure what else to include, so if you have questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them. I wish my journal had carbon copy pages… I’ve been writing in it every night so far and there’s too much to put down so I’m sure I’ve left out something interesting. I miss you, but trying not to think of home too much! We have Sundays off so I will do my best to check in each week or so. I can’t believe I’ve only been here 3 days…
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Getting pretty excited!
Oh my Goodness! I leave in a week and a half...
I feel obligated, after my post from last week and sounding less than enthusiastic, to share my growing excitement with whoever is reading this! Two weeks from now, I will be on a plane over the Atlantic, about 2 hrs away from the airport in Dakar. Soon after that, I will be almost taking a step back in time. Ironing clothes with an iron that you load with hot coals, bathing with 2 liters of non-running water, using a bike to get around (as long as the large thorns aren't too difficult)... granted, I will take advantage of some modern day marvels, such as a headlamp to help me see at night and the internet that may be available, but how incredible to simplify life to needs rather than the want that has become America's "need."
I'm also looking forward to making a difference on a level that will be somewhat new, yet somewhat familiar. Working as a mental health case manager for the past year and a half has likely prepped me well for the challanges I will face, though from my experience, the little steps in progress are some of the most amazing and worthwhile experiences! Especially those you don't see coming...
Don't get me wrong, I will absolutely get home-sick, I will cry many tears, and at some point I will likely wish for the life I currently know. But how many people can say they've slept under the stars on a regular basis, or bathed without a roof over their head with only 2 liters of water, or been woken up by the sound of millet being pounded for the days meal, or learned to balance heavy objects on their head? Ok, so maybe a lot of people, but not many Americans.
We spend too much time in our little bubble...
I feel obligated, after my post from last week and sounding less than enthusiastic, to share my growing excitement with whoever is reading this! Two weeks from now, I will be on a plane over the Atlantic, about 2 hrs away from the airport in Dakar. Soon after that, I will be almost taking a step back in time. Ironing clothes with an iron that you load with hot coals, bathing with 2 liters of non-running water, using a bike to get around (as long as the large thorns aren't too difficult)... granted, I will take advantage of some modern day marvels, such as a headlamp to help me see at night and the internet that may be available, but how incredible to simplify life to needs rather than the want that has become America's "need."
I'm also looking forward to making a difference on a level that will be somewhat new, yet somewhat familiar. Working as a mental health case manager for the past year and a half has likely prepped me well for the challanges I will face, though from my experience, the little steps in progress are some of the most amazing and worthwhile experiences! Especially those you don't see coming...
Don't get me wrong, I will absolutely get home-sick, I will cry many tears, and at some point I will likely wish for the life I currently know. But how many people can say they've slept under the stars on a regular basis, or bathed without a roof over their head with only 2 liters of water, or been woken up by the sound of millet being pounded for the days meal, or learned to balance heavy objects on their head? Ok, so maybe a lot of people, but not many Americans.
We spend too much time in our little bubble...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Mailing Address for March - May '08
This is for those of you who were asking for a mailing address while I'm overseas... though this is only for the training period and I will have a new address when I move to my village
PCT Brittany Barnes
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thiès, Senegal
West Africa
...I can't believe I leave in less than 3 weeks...
So, I posted the address earlier today, but tonight I was trying to decide what to pack for storage, what to pack to donate if I make it 6 months (kind of a safety net, but I don't think I'll need it) and I came across some pictures and random stuff I had thought 3 months ago that I would want and need with me. Turns out, that stuff's not so important... this had me thinking about what kind of person I am, where I came from, and who I will be when I return from this journey. Hopefully I like whoever I am while I'm volunteering and when I return... and hopfully my friends and family do, too.
I've also been on this roller coaster thought pattern about whether I think I'll be able to handle it or not (leaving home for so long, whatever assignment I take on, all the bugs, the culture shock, learning the language, etc, etc). Last night a good friend told me "no one's going to call you a quitter if you come home early." In a strange way, I needed to hear that though I know I would not respond well if I didn't carry out my whole commitment. It's just nice to know that other people won't be as hard on you and you're your own worst critic and blah blah blah... someone else mentioned how self-conscious they are about having a blog... me too. This is kind of awkward...
PCT Brittany Barnes
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thiès, Senegal
West Africa
...I can't believe I leave in less than 3 weeks...
So, I posted the address earlier today, but tonight I was trying to decide what to pack for storage, what to pack to donate if I make it 6 months (kind of a safety net, but I don't think I'll need it) and I came across some pictures and random stuff I had thought 3 months ago that I would want and need with me. Turns out, that stuff's not so important... this had me thinking about what kind of person I am, where I came from, and who I will be when I return from this journey. Hopefully I like whoever I am while I'm volunteering and when I return... and hopfully my friends and family do, too.
I've also been on this roller coaster thought pattern about whether I think I'll be able to handle it or not (leaving home for so long, whatever assignment I take on, all the bugs, the culture shock, learning the language, etc, etc). Last night a good friend told me "no one's going to call you a quitter if you come home early." In a strange way, I needed to hear that though I know I would not respond well if I didn't carry out my whole commitment. It's just nice to know that other people won't be as hard on you and you're your own worst critic and blah blah blah... someone else mentioned how self-conscious they are about having a blog... me too. This is kind of awkward...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
ETD 6 weeks
So I'm not entirely sure how to start this out... here goes...
I leave 6 weeks from tomorrow to start my Peace Corps adventure, which starts with 3 days of Staging in Atlanta. After that, our group flies out to Thies, Senegal for 2 months of training. We learn the language, the culture, and what region of the country will be our home for the next 2 years. I can say wholeheartedly that I am very excited. I am also a mixture of scared, anxious, and over all emotional. It's strange going about my current life normally (going to work, taking care of day-to-day things, seeing people I currently see on a regular basis) and knowing that is all going to drastically change in just a few short weeks. It's quite stressful in a strange, looming way. I know the stress will increase, as will the excitement, as March 10 approaches, and I have my mother to thank for the anxiety aspect (I swear it's genetic).
I have to say thank you to all my family and friends (you guys are amazing), who have been very supportive. My mom, my dad, and my brother have been truely amazing and I really don't think i could be embarking on this adventure without them backing me. ok, this is sounding too much like an Academy Award speech... so let's move on.
6 weeks left in the states, 5 weeks left of work (with approximately 1 week to be spent in Vegas). I have to finish packing, which is interesting because I have a hard enough time packing for a weekend trip let alone 2 years in a country I've never visited. So far I have:
1 daily planner
1 large hiking backpack
1 regular sized day pack
1 large sudoku book
1 compass
2 can openers (1 for me and 1 as a gift to my host family)
1 waterproof watch
1 game of UNO
1 rain jacket
1 large roll of duct tape
2 skirts that hit below my knee (knees are scandalous)
2 long sleeved shirts
1 lock for a trunk
1 heavy duty lock for my hut door
2 toothbrushes to start me off
1 pair Teva sandals
1 pair tennis shoes
1 battery operated alarm clock
1 head lamp
about 10 tank tops
And I still have a few items to get (toothpaste, sunscreen, bandanas, my glasses so I can see, granola bars, a pillow, a photo album, journal, pens, pencils, zip drive, etc) so, I guess I'm well on my way to being as prepaired as I can be for this adventure. I'll be sure to post my contact info on here when I know it, as well as any answers to questions you may have, so feel free to ask!
I leave 6 weeks from tomorrow to start my Peace Corps adventure, which starts with 3 days of Staging in Atlanta. After that, our group flies out to Thies, Senegal for 2 months of training. We learn the language, the culture, and what region of the country will be our home for the next 2 years. I can say wholeheartedly that I am very excited. I am also a mixture of scared, anxious, and over all emotional. It's strange going about my current life normally (going to work, taking care of day-to-day things, seeing people I currently see on a regular basis) and knowing that is all going to drastically change in just a few short weeks. It's quite stressful in a strange, looming way. I know the stress will increase, as will the excitement, as March 10 approaches, and I have my mother to thank for the anxiety aspect (I swear it's genetic).
I have to say thank you to all my family and friends (you guys are amazing), who have been very supportive. My mom, my dad, and my brother have been truely amazing and I really don't think i could be embarking on this adventure without them backing me. ok, this is sounding too much like an Academy Award speech... so let's move on.
6 weeks left in the states, 5 weeks left of work (with approximately 1 week to be spent in Vegas). I have to finish packing, which is interesting because I have a hard enough time packing for a weekend trip let alone 2 years in a country I've never visited. So far I have:
1 daily planner
1 large hiking backpack
1 regular sized day pack
1 large sudoku book
1 compass
2 can openers (1 for me and 1 as a gift to my host family)
1 waterproof watch
1 game of UNO
1 rain jacket
1 large roll of duct tape
2 skirts that hit below my knee (knees are scandalous)
2 long sleeved shirts
1 lock for a trunk
1 heavy duty lock for my hut door
2 toothbrushes to start me off
1 pair Teva sandals
1 pair tennis shoes
1 battery operated alarm clock
1 head lamp
about 10 tank tops
And I still have a few items to get (toothpaste, sunscreen, bandanas, my glasses so I can see, granola bars, a pillow, a photo album, journal, pens, pencils, zip drive, etc) so, I guess I'm well on my way to being as prepaired as I can be for this adventure. I'll be sure to post my contact info on here when I know it, as well as any answers to questions you may have, so feel free to ask!
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