The People Unlike the previous living situation in Thiafaithe the people here were less prepped to my arrival. I have the feeling many learned of my presence for the first time when they saw me this week walking through the village. This is a little surprising as most decisions made here, like inviting a foreigner, are usually made communally. My assumption is that some of the village autonomy was circumnavigated by government officials charged with administrating the area. Either way the first awkward interactions between the villagers and myself are starting to reside and now we can move [View Full Entry]

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Since I’ve last written many things have changed. The eight weeks language classes, cultural adaption lectures, security briefings and of time with my home-stay family in Thiafaitche have all come to an end. As I write I’ve been in the village of Diakhanor, my site for the next two years, for a little over a week. Diakhanor is one of the four villages that make up the Palmarin region, a 17km long peninsula caught between the Atlantic and Sine-Soloum Delta. To my west approximately 300yds are the last stretches of the Petit Cote beaches, a unique place where palms and boa [View Full Entry]

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I am only a few hours out of Thiafaithe and I already miss the place. A small Catholic Serere village of only 32 families, what I lacked in size it made up in character. It had been our home on and off for the last six weeks as we grew accustomed to culture and struggled with the language. I could not think of a better place for my first real exposure to Senegalese hospitality. There, you will never go hungry and there will always be a seat waiting come afternoon tea. Thiafaithe has is magic, not just from the fortune tellers [View Full Entry]

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Today marks the 22nd day in country. To say a lot has happened so far would be a significant understatement. I've come a long way from the initial shock experienced when walking out of the Dakar Airport. To understand, why I'll describe the scene. We arrived around 5:00am locale time and were greeted by dozens of locals from small tattered children to grown men approaching us wanting to carry our bags, beg for change or if nothing else barre our way of our entering the transport. All the while carrying on in conversations of which which we no idea the context. [View Full Entry]

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I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and words of encouragement so carefully crafted on the back of many a t-shirt. I hadn't realize how many wonderful people I've been so fortunate enough to call friends and family until I was compelled to take stock over the last few weeks. Thank you so much. I know we will lose no level of closness despite our change in proximity. I hope to you enjoy reading this blog. I will try to update it frequently with the experiences afforded by my new environment. Until then... Much Love, Chris [View Full Entry]

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