Hono mbad-daa;
It has been another 2 weeks since the
last time we came into the 'big city'. Here
are a couple of the things that have been
going on.
*****BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR*****
Here in Senegal polygamy is legal and pretty
much practiced. In my village of 300 people about
50% of the marriages/relationships are polygamists.
Of the 50% only one guy has more than 2 wives.
Of course everything looks good on paper but
when it actually is going on it could be not quite
as good as one thought it could be.
One day my next door neighbor with 3 wives
whose name is Amadou Balde comes home after
a hard days work thinking that he can kick his feet
up and just chill out. It didn't work out that way as
what he came home to was more of a hornet's nest.
His number 2 wife Salimata (who is really a nice person)
is really pretty mad with a lady from the other side
of the village. There was a little incident between their
2 daughters at the community well.
So Salimata has been yelling at the other lady
(who actually hadn't been there for 2 hours) while
ole Amadou strolls up to his hut with his cow in tow.
So he walks into this hornets's nest as number 2
wife has riled up number 1 and 3 wife. He starts
by listening to number 2 then number one starts
about another subject that leads number 3 to
start on yet another subject. Ole Amadou is arguing
3 arguments at the same time. I was in my hut
with a few guys (some not yet married) so I asked
the guys how many wives do they want? They all
said "none" ... also my counterpart in the village was
there and I said I heard that Demba wanted to get
another wife (he has one) ... he said " no way".
It was funny as we were sitting there chilling out
with our coffees while ole Amadou was swatting
away the hornets. I doubt Amadou had that in
mind when he was thinking of 3 wives. Also, 3
wives and a lot of kids ... like 14 ... 4 with
number 1, 8 with number 2 (she's not yet 30)
and 2 with number 3.
*****NEW PICKUP LINE*****
There is another Peace Corps volunteer in the
village over (Saare Kheutayel) and every 2 weeks
we ride our bicycles 40 kms to a small city called
Velingara to check mail or buy seeds ... etc.
The last time in Pat (volunteer's name) buys this
soccer ball and ties it to the rack on the back of her
bicycle and off we go to head back to our villages.
Well evey 2 minutes you hear these guys yelling
"hey come here I want to look at your ball". It
was amazing the attention she got. It makes me
wonder how some people buy cars for 50 to 100
thousand to get attention and hit on and Pat got
more attention with a 6 dollar and 50 cent soccer
ball.
*****FAMOUS IN AFRICA*****
Here in Senegal politically correct hasn't quite
arrived yet as trying to survive malaria and droughts
and poverty seem to have priority.
Here we are called 'toubob' which I think that
in one of the dialects here means 'white person'
or something like that. Of course if you don't like
being called 'toubob' you are going to be pretty
unhappy most of the time. Also being a 'toubob'
gets you the opportunity to pay more for things
as they think that all 'toubobs' are rich and actually
start off at charging a 'toubob' double. But after
being here a while they charge us the same as
everyone else.
Those are a few of the lousy things about
being a 'toubob' in Senegal ... but ... there is
also a good side ...
As I mentioned in the story above me and Pat
ride to Velingara every 2 weeks on our bicycles.
As we ride down the road with our bike helmets
on we always hear these little voices from 100
meters away yelling "toubob ... toubob". This
starts at about another 100 meters before
their huts or village. It is like we are being
announced ... but the best part of them all
is when 20 kids from about 2 yrs old to
10 come running up to the road just to
shake our hands as we ride by ... it is like we
are some 'Tour De France' guys or something.
I have never felt so famous in all my life.
*****THE REGAL BANNERS OF GOUNDAGA*****
This year has been a good year as far as
rain goes as last year was pretty much a drought
year. One of the crops that the people plant are
sorghum. The stalks are tall and full and after
the nights rains they are heavy and actually
bend over the road and leave like a canopy under
which we walk or ride our bikes. Early in the morning
it is a sight to see as the birds are singing and
the sorghum is creating the canopy of plenty.
It is something to live where you subsist by what
you have planted. That's why when I see the
full and heavy sorghum I know that we will
eat well for another year. So to me the bending
sorghum covered roads of Goundaga are as regal
as any path that Buckingham palace can claim.
Till next time
Paul
It has been another 2 weeks since the
last time we came into the 'big city'. Here
are a couple of the things that have been
going on.
*****BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR*****
Here in Senegal polygamy is legal and pretty
much practiced. In my village of 300 people about
50% of the marriages/relationships are polygamists.
Of the 50% only one guy has more than 2 wives.
Of course everything looks good on paper but
when it actually is going on it could be not quite
as good as one thought it could be.
One day my next door neighbor with 3 wives
whose name is Amadou Balde comes home after
a hard days work thinking that he can kick his feet
up and just chill out. It didn't work out that way as
what he came home to was more of a hornet's nest.
His number 2 wife Salimata (who is really a nice person)
is really pretty mad with a lady from the other side
of the village. There was a little incident between their
2 daughters at the community well.
So Salimata has been yelling at the other lady
(who actually hadn't been there for 2 hours) while
ole Amadou strolls up to his hut with his cow in tow.
So he walks into this hornets's nest as number 2
wife has riled up number 1 and 3 wife. He starts
by listening to number 2 then number one starts
about another subject that leads number 3 to
start on yet another subject. Ole Amadou is arguing
3 arguments at the same time. I was in my hut
with a few guys (some not yet married) so I asked
the guys how many wives do they want? They all
said "none" ... also my counterpart in the village was
there and I said I heard that Demba wanted to get
another wife (he has one) ... he said " no way".
It was funny as we were sitting there chilling out
with our coffees while ole Amadou was swatting
away the hornets. I doubt Amadou had that in
mind when he was thinking of 3 wives. Also, 3
wives and a lot of kids ... like 14 ... 4 with
number 1, 8 with number 2 (she's not yet 30)
and 2 with number 3.
*****NEW PICKUP LINE*****
There is another Peace Corps volunteer in the
village over (Saare Kheutayel) and every 2 weeks
we ride our bicycles 40 kms to a small city called
Velingara to check mail or buy seeds ... etc.
The last time in Pat (volunteer's name) buys this
soccer ball and ties it to the rack on the back of her
bicycle and off we go to head back to our villages.
Well evey 2 minutes you hear these guys yelling
"hey come here I want to look at your ball". It
was amazing the attention she got. It makes me
wonder how some people buy cars for 50 to 100
thousand to get attention and hit on and Pat got
more attention with a 6 dollar and 50 cent soccer
ball.
*****FAMOUS IN AFRICA*****
Here in Senegal politically correct hasn't quite
arrived yet as trying to survive malaria and droughts
and poverty seem to have priority.
Here we are called 'toubob' which I think that
in one of the dialects here means 'white person'
or something like that. Of course if you don't like
being called 'toubob' you are going to be pretty
unhappy most of the time. Also being a 'toubob'
gets you the opportunity to pay more for things
as they think that all 'toubobs' are rich and actually
start off at charging a 'toubob' double. But after
being here a while they charge us the same as
everyone else.
Those are a few of the lousy things about
being a 'toubob' in Senegal ... but ... there is
also a good side ...
As I mentioned in the story above me and Pat
ride to Velingara every 2 weeks on our bicycles.
As we ride down the road with our bike helmets
on we always hear these little voices from 100
meters away yelling "toubob ... toubob". This
starts at about another 100 meters before
their huts or village. It is like we are being
announced ... but the best part of them all
is when 20 kids from about 2 yrs old to
10 come running up to the road just to
shake our hands as we ride by ... it is like we
are some 'Tour De France' guys or something.
I have never felt so famous in all my life.
*****THE REGAL BANNERS OF GOUNDAGA*****
This year has been a good year as far as
rain goes as last year was pretty much a drought
year. One of the crops that the people plant are
sorghum. The stalks are tall and full and after
the nights rains they are heavy and actually
bend over the road and leave like a canopy under
which we walk or ride our bikes. Early in the morning
it is a sight to see as the birds are singing and
the sorghum is creating the canopy of plenty.
It is something to live where you subsist by what
you have planted. That's why when I see the
full and heavy sorghum I know that we will
eat well for another year. So to me the bending
sorghum covered roads of Goundaga are as regal
as any path that Buckingham palace can claim.
Till next time
Paul
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