Runnin' Down A Dream

Jealousy has ever really been something that I fall prey to, I cannot say that at this moment. I am jealous of PC Senegal, they have amazing facilities and the large cities are places I would pay to go to as a tourist. They will just have to face retribution during WAIST next year.

We are in Theis, Senegal and we feel as if we are really in Africa right now. This place is tropical and lush. This unfortunately means I itch a lot right now, there is a healthy population of mosquitoes because I am feeding every second that I am here. I have not been taking pictures because of training sessions that have occupied much of my time, but there will be time, yes there shall.

Projects and things are on hold right now because we aren't there to do them, so work isn't actually happening right now. I think there will be some opportunities to help out here, and maybe some international collaboration.

I have the unfortunate duty to remind you that we are safe. Safe. Safe. Safe. I say this and say this often. Our community in Mauritania really likes us, and they do what they can to ensure this. We are currently away from our country while someone who has never experienced our home looks into it to ensure we are safe. This is compounded by people going around Kristy and I when we state in plain English we are safe. We are fricken' old too, 30+ even, and will continue to make our own decisions as is the right of old farts like us. We know our home and our community. I worry about you, there is a written record of violent crimes that goes to every door in America (newspapers - they are filled with bad news), and more bad guys in your small towns then in whole of our country. If you are worried CALL ME, please, or call to say hi, I'd like that more. Calling Peace Corps first compounds our difficulties and gets me a visit to the hot seat.

Quicksand

Just a quick update.

Aziz was the leader of Mauritania before, during, and after the election, big surprise! No election craziness here, as always the political climate in Kaedi is boring and apathetic.

My picassa album was updated. The newest addition is dubbed Camel Trek. Feel free to ooh and aaah at your leisure.

Blowin' In The Wind

Today is election day and Kristy and I are laying low, Peace Corps has an apolitical stance and that is much easier on a day like today inside watching the dvd's that our loved ones have recently mailed to us :) This time gives me the opportunity to think and therefore a desire to vent, if you do not wish to read my rant stop now.

Recently, one of our friends from the Gorgol region of Mauritania COS'd (Close Of Service) and when she returned home her local newspaper wrote and article (this article) about her accomplishments and published it on the interweb. The things that she was able to accomplish were phenomenal, she lived in a small village that had a school where only two of the rooms were usable. She raised money and turned that 2 room school into a 6 room school, and this was merely a highlight of her 2 years of service.

There, of course, was a comments section as there are in many online forms of media, just like there is here. I was appalled to read some of the things that were written there. The comments were written by isolationists who saw that she helped Africans, not Americans, and those were the nice ones. In order to not pick fights on the interweb (because, oh my how I loathe that) I shall address one of the little examined benefits of Americans being in the Peace Corps. Other than the obvious: volunteers habitually volunteer for the rest of their lives regardless of where they live. We are all people and helping people regardless of lines on a map, skin color, and religion is a good thing.

I know that the idea of terrorism is something that makes grandmothers shake in their boots and young adults who know everything roll their eyes. However, if there ever was a place that people could be swayed from a pro America point of view to an Islamic extremist point of view, it is here. On a regular basis I see people with Osama on their t-shirts, no joke. Here, as one of the few faces of America that people will ever see, we are America, unless you would leave that to Jack Bower. In Mauritania, when Kristy plants trees, Matt teaches computer lessons, Alex helps the community build a school, Justin builds a fence to protect crops, and the hundreds of PCV's who have come here, it is America helping, not some bleeding heart liberal. When an extremist asks if a village will support them or a young man will become a soldier for them they will remember that we are not their enemy and that we are people the same as them. I know that there is no way that we can achieve peace and understanding for everyone but PCV's are fighting for America the same as any soldier, with a different strategy.

This Is How I Disappear

It has been a hectic couple of weeks and I have a lot to say I am going to try to put this posting into a few categories; Kristy's Awesome Peace Corps Project, St. Louis, Interrupted Service, Chinguitti/Camel Trek, and Break-In. I know this is going to be a long post but a lot has happened, and it's my birthday and I'll do what I want :oP


Kristy's Awesome Peace Corps Project

Is funded! Wow, that was fast, we really would like to thank everyone who dug deep and gave what they could. We would like to put a special thanks to a charity named Water Charity who sought us out and donated a majority of the funds, if you still wanted to help give to the project you can help them, so they can give again. She has yet to tell the community because we haven't been home for long, but that guy is going to bubble over with joy.

St. Louis

Every year, there is a Jazz Festival in Senegal and PCRIM makes a showing, they hock the wares and crafts of the communities they live in, listen to some music and bask in the awesomeness of St. Louis. This year Kristy and I were busy working, if you can believe that, but when we got the chance to go, we did. We stayed in a little bungalow on the beach, for like $12 a day. The experience was amazing, we had good food and drinks, good company, and the majesty of the Atlantic right outside our room.

Interrupted Service

Do you remember one of my previous posts, had a link to an article where some idiot thought it would be a good idea to come here and push Christianity on the Islamic Republic of Mauritania? Well, after 6 years of angering his community and performing unwanted actions, they killed him. This freaked a LOT of people out, especially when we didn't have all the information, and then after 4 days Al Qaida said they did it (this is debatable). A lot of over protective parents, and PCV's expressed concerns to Peace Corps and their reaction was to allow us to interrupt our service (IS). Kristy and I have not taken this option because we are safe. The option stirred a lot of emotions in us and I will only say that in all things we must go where our heart leads us. Our wonderfully large class has lot approx. 20 PCV's due to the IS option and it saddens us, that projects are unfinished and communities are without PCV's.

Chinguitti/Camel Trek

One of the things to do in the RIM is visit the city of Chinguitti. The city is full of history and ruins, there are parts that are still used that are about 900 years old and the desert has eaten parts that are older. Chinguitti is in the Sahara, no doubt about it, it's on a elevated rock plain and surrounded by dunes and date palms. There is a volunteer, Oumar, who lives there set up a camel trek for us. He knew the guide, arranged the destination, an oasis, and took as around getting all of our materials, and played tour guide. He was an amazing host.

The guides showed up in the morning with 4 camels, John, Emily, Kristy, and I all rode, they led us out a bit, we hopped on, and were led through the Sahara. The desert is nothing small. It had dunes as far as I could see, an absolute difference from the Atlantic just a few days before. We were led to a tiny oasis and spent the day there among the date palms. In the late afternoon we went sand boarding. It was a lot of fun. Stayed the night just outside the oasis and headed back in the wee hours of the morning. Walking in sand is no joke, camels are amazing creatures. On our way back a lone man on a camel caught up to us and joined our caravan, he had been in the desert for days, solo, and was merely passing through to another city, that was impressive.

Break-In

Our house was broken into, on the night of the 3rd. They used a rock and beat through our wall. It had to have been kids, the whole is small. I know that is unsettling, but we were gone for almost 2 weeks and everyone knows everyone's business here. We lost some money, some small material things, and a bit of our peace of mind. There are things in works to improve house security, but they will move at the speed of Africa, until then we will be vigilant and guard what little we have. We could have gone home with the IS and didn't because we are fine. Peace Corps is helping by funding our security improvements.

I want to thank those of you who sent warm wishes to me for my b-day. It's already better than it was last year :D