Dakar, here i come

I left the village late yeaterday evening. I was planning to stay until today but started to feel the oncomings of yet another illness so i decided to get out before I got reall sick. Sickness seems to hit me HARD in waves so i decided i needed to be proactive. Im currently in Kaolack at the regional house. My counterpart recently had a baby and another volunteer and I are going to the baptism later today. Relgious ceremonies here are never too fun but they are a big deal so i think its definately important for me to make an apparance. I was sick last night and my family knew it so I a hoping i can milk it for whats its worth and sneak out a little early today ;)

Things in the village have been good the last week. My english club started out successfuly. We had about 35 people show up to the first class and about the same to the second. The club is currently just learning the English alphabet and number 1 through 25. I have tried to squeeze in some fun trivia also. Im trying to make the classes fun so people will continue to want to come. if anyone has any ideas about fun games or project for English clubs, let me know. We tried to play telephone at the last club meeting. We made it through 3 people and then they completely forgot what i had originally said. We tried again and then someone stopped us and said "Huh, why are we doing this?" They didnt understand at all... I need something simpler.

I worked out in the fields some this week. I helped plant millet and i also helped till the land in a sorghum field. They definately do not have machines for this. There were about 6 women including me bent over with a small little han-held hoe digging up a 2 acre field. I stuck with them for about 3 hrs. Its two days later and the back of my tighs are still quite sore. I dont know where the women get the energy to do this type of work. I am definately in better shape than any of the women working in the field that day, but they kicked my butt in the work dept. In general, people wont let me work in their fields because thay say i will get sick. I forgot to mention that one of the women working out in the field is about 7 months pregnant. I saw how hard she was working and told them that if she could do it, i could too... Really it sucked but i was trying to prove to them that i am not as fragile as they think... The next day, i got sick so maybe i am more fragile than i think lol...

I passed out all of the trees that I have been growing. I donated a few hundred trees to a local cemetary. A man is planning to transplant the trees and create a better fence around the cemetary. I also gave away hundreds of other trees for random fencing in other family compounds. I also gave out many Nebadie trees. This is just a fsat growing tree that has very nutritious leaves. Many people use the leave to make a sauce to eat with millet. People were very interested in getting the trees and i think next dry season, i will plant even more. I am in the process of talking to the director of PC about trying to be replaced in the village by an Agroforestry volunteer after i finish my service. I think my village would definately prosper from having a agfo volunteer instead of just ag.

I am on my way to Dakar tomorrow. I am DYING to get there. Dakar is like a little America and I havent been there for almost 2 months. My family was joking around yesterday saying i was sick because i missed the city...they have no idea...hahaha.. I am going to Dakar to work with the US Embssy teaching English camps. I will be working with high schoolers and have been placed with my friend Thomas. We have about 45 students I think the wee should be a good one. Also, I am excited to get to the city with my friends, eat some good food, and hang by the pool...