So I had to go back to Guede this past week, and although I dreaded it last time, I have to say it was great to have gone. It is something that we forget to do so often, and it is so important, you gotta say goodbye, you have to honor everything that ends. closure. i got to say goodbye to so many people that meant so much to me there.. theres my dad, and all the families and people that treated me with such teranga (hospitality). indeed i will miss guede and indeed guede has meant a lot to me. i hope i get to come back one day.
actually. people who don't have closure have lung problems... do you every get that... when you don't have closure you fee like you can't breathe...? or maybe if you can't breathe you should examine your life to see if you need some closure on something.
anyway. I have one more week in this country. and im going to just take the time to see all my friends and hang out with my family. go the market. go to the beach. just chill and also say goodbye.
in other news... there was a student strike at Gaston Berger, the smaller and best university in Senegal over rising fees and the government brought out the tear gas on the streets of Saint Louis, the second largest city in Senegal. Wow. no news on that, not even on local television.
08 August 2009
01 August 2009
Lets Call it Something... Soporific
Ok... so its been mad long, for the past month, I have spent most of my time in the village of Guédé Chantier, finishing up my role in the projects. I basically brought some money, and gave all the projects a kick in the ass. Trees to the gardens, books to the library, a grant to the women's group for their business in food processing, and some money to the health center for drugs and transport costs.
Thats my job, but i have to say personally, I need to get back to my country for a bit. Something about being in the village and being the only american, or the only sane one is a little stressfull. i was talking to a friend, and I think I am in the "abyss", thats a place where you can either grow a lot or get into really bad drug habits and the like. I think im safe, even if i wanted to get into that kinda stuff it would be hard with the people i know here. so thats good. It is jsut a state of being completely uncomfortable with everything and questioning everything. Its just a little stressfull, and i find myself smoking and chillin.
hanging out with the other american interns has been hard too... they are all going through crazy culture shock, and im just as glad as they are that they are leaving. Not that i don't like them, they are very cool people, all of them, its just im seeing the worst, and its bad... anything from getting angry at taxi's and other people when they get ripped off 1000 CFA, about a dollar US. i mean, yeah, that sucks, but its a dollar, and of course they are going to tryto get some more money from you. People that live in my district, which is moslty middle class, sometimes can't afford to buy food to cook dinner, and sometimes they cant feed their kids, and i think thats a damn good reason to charge a foreigner who you know has money an extra 1000 cfa.
anyway.
whats with the fact that people who have the most money get the most pissed off when they get ripped off? Why do poor people give the most? so many paradoxes and they all make so much sense.
anyway, so im in senegal for two more weeks, and i have nothing to do since the reason i was staying was to do a job that was given to another person here at the NGO.
So here I am, culture shocked, home sick, and yet i dont want to leave, but i got to.
Whats really good?
Thats my job, but i have to say personally, I need to get back to my country for a bit. Something about being in the village and being the only american, or the only sane one is a little stressfull. i was talking to a friend, and I think I am in the "abyss", thats a place where you can either grow a lot or get into really bad drug habits and the like. I think im safe, even if i wanted to get into that kinda stuff it would be hard with the people i know here. so thats good. It is jsut a state of being completely uncomfortable with everything and questioning everything. Its just a little stressfull, and i find myself smoking and chillin.
hanging out with the other american interns has been hard too... they are all going through crazy culture shock, and im just as glad as they are that they are leaving. Not that i don't like them, they are very cool people, all of them, its just im seeing the worst, and its bad... anything from getting angry at taxi's and other people when they get ripped off 1000 CFA, about a dollar US. i mean, yeah, that sucks, but its a dollar, and of course they are going to tryto get some more money from you. People that live in my district, which is moslty middle class, sometimes can't afford to buy food to cook dinner, and sometimes they cant feed their kids, and i think thats a damn good reason to charge a foreigner who you know has money an extra 1000 cfa.
anyway.
whats with the fact that people who have the most money get the most pissed off when they get ripped off? Why do poor people give the most? so many paradoxes and they all make so much sense.
anyway, so im in senegal for two more weeks, and i have nothing to do since the reason i was staying was to do a job that was given to another person here at the NGO.
So here I am, culture shocked, home sick, and yet i dont want to leave, but i got to.
Whats really good?
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