When I was growing up in San Diego, we rarely walked to a good restaurant. I lived in a suburban area; there were none nearby. Instead, we sat in our cars, drove fifteen miles, and searched for parking. The five-minute … Continue reading →
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Volunteer life bursts with cultural faux pas, fruitless projects and second guesses. For two years, I felt like the joke was on me. Even on my best days in Senegal, the sudden scream of “toubab,” a taunting word for foreigners, … Continue reading →
Out of the window of my Royal Air Maroc flight into New York last week, one of the most exotic things I saw below was red-colored leaves. We seemed to be flying over a suburban area of Long Island. Little … Continue reading →
Notice how gorgeous the trees are amid this obviously tense and messed up situation as police barricade Occupy Wall Street protesters from the park this morning Continue reading →
Erin and Helen on our hike in Dogon Country, Mali. All the transit chaos was worth it.
Why overspend on a spa-quality sauna when you can have a 6-12hr, frequently treacherous mobile sweatroom as the parched scenery of Western Mali flickers past the sealed windows? Join us in our moving saunas, where we do our best to … Continue reading →
Many Europeans come to Senegal for sex. They do it because West Africa is poor, anonymous and convenient. Fancy resorts, with their attendant communities of tourists, are few and far between here. The country’s grittiness keeps away the judgmental gaze … Continue reading →
Last month, I celebrated two years in Senegal with the Peace Corps. That’s two years since I’ve tasted fresh strawberries, two years since I’ve been chilly enough to wear anything made of wool, two years since I’ve worn high heels. … Continue reading →
The Volunteer Plimsoll. For the low, low price of $78. This report by Bruce Pask, from the New York Times Style Section: Steven Tiller, a co-founder of the retro SoCal sneaker brand SeaVees, was driving to work recently when he … Continue reading →
I got caught in a rainstorm yesterday and hung out with the others taking refuge under the awning of the Credit Agricole Bank. We commiserated about the lack of cell phone service. The internet and electricity had been out most … Continue reading →
Two years ago, I stashed my belongings wherever I could—the basement of an ex-boyfriend’s mom, my dad’s garage, my mom’s storage unit—and moved to Senegal with little more than a hiking backpack and a tube of Chapstick. I have almost … Continue reading →
I came home to Kolda the other day to find everyone in the thick of Ramadan. I had been gone for a work meeting in another part of Senegal. Breakfast stands had vanished, candied dates were being sold everywhere, and … Continue reading →
My daily romp around the city where I live in Senegal affords me a view of urban fashion trends. I’ve lived here for two years and speak the local Pulaar in addition to French, but no matter how “integrated” I’ve … Continue reading →
After nearly two years in West Africa, I finally left for a vacation. I hadn’t wandered from the Senegal/Gambia/Sierra Leone/Guinea-Bissau zone because I clung to a silly idea that doing so would mess up some sort of living-in-Africa equilibrium I … Continue reading →
Check out my new collaborative style blog I started with my sitemate Marcie Todd. We think Senegalese people have swagger, whether they’re wearing detachable hoods from puffy winter coats, or sparkly sunglasses while riding motos. We thought we’d show you … Continue reading →
Pangs of homesickness, those dangerous and nettling feelings, have started to emerge. They poison daydreams and warp one’s relationship to what could normally be an open-ended calendar. In my stubborn and moneyless situtation, I have not yet left West Africa … Continue reading →
Right now is the hot, dry season. My garden is anemic. It hasn’t rained in at least 6 months. Heat rash is common. So is taking repeated bucket baths and staring mindlessly into the distance while waiting for evening to … Continue reading →
It was a saying in college that whenever you had several important events occurring within seven days or so, it was a “hell week.” This included finals week, and often in my case, any week leading up to a major … Continue reading →
In the midst of a whirlwind effort to put on a large agricultural fair, my colleagues and I have been holding meetings with many government officials, heads of organizations, bank representatives, and community leaders. Our focus is giving voice to … Continue reading →
Boubacar is about ten years old. He has scraped legs and wears oversize shirts that hang on him like dresses. He visits my house almost every evening, like a nightly trick-or-treater, calling at the door, “sakur almudo,” (which I gather … Continue reading →
You’re in America. You’ve got piles of t-shirts that you want to give away. They are all basically junk to you, bearing insignia from your company’s annual picnic, a walk-a-thon, a phone-a-thon, or any number of other mildly important events … Continue reading →
Urban agriculture has achieved buzzword status, from the rooftops of Sydney to the tire gardens of Senegal. Every so often I am e-mailed an article on green roof technology or urban community gardens and the ever-expanding innovations people in developed … Continue reading →
There is no sexier allure, when you are in the midst of procrastination, than reading an article on procrastination itself. Even I, the relaxed volunteer leading a freewheeling life in Africa, have tasks that need to be accomplished, and therefore, … Continue reading →
“Palm wine flows like the nectar of the gods,” read the ridiculous text that appeared on our cell phone. Clearly the authors of this SMS, our friends who had already been traveling in Sierra Leone, must have become hooked, wherever they were. Our ghost-like travel companions, Grant and Lindsay, were connected to us through text [...]
It took me months to admit to myself that I needed a vacation. I observed the travels of fellow volunteers–to Europe, South Africa, the United States–with detached amusement. Paris sounds nice, I had thought, but I’m just barely starting to understand Senegal. Besides, taking a vacation implies a deserved break from work, and the workaholic [...]
Apparently, Senegalese street food pales in comparison with what is available in other West African countries. But we have to make do with what we have. Here, a random sampling of things I encounter on the streets in Kolda.
This is cute. I don’t even know this guy, but I liked his vid. Burkina Faso looks a lot like Senegal.
The Peace Corps slogan, “The toughest job you’ll ever love,” is sometimes played upon by cynical volunteers, re-purposed as, “The toughest job you’ll never do.” This is because a lot of our work is simply trying to find sustainable work, often in vain. That's why I'm happy about the Health Garden. At least for now.
Most Peace Corps volunteers seem to take it for granted that we are "not hurting anyone" by being here and that we are "fully integrated with our communities," thereby erasing any traces of touristic or anthropological exploitation. But to what extent are we like "Eat, Pray, Love" self-discovery junkies, doing "development work" and writing about our experiences in unknowingly colonialist ways?
Once upon a time, I conducted a Permagarden training at the Kolda demonstration garden. With much care, revision, and help from the rainy season, it has blossomed (see below). Things I learned from the experience: Don’t be disappointed if locals do not replicate exactly what was learned at the training. It’s more important that they [...]
Whenever I hear about the death of a fellow Peace Corps volunteer, despite the fact that I did not know them, or that they may have served very far from me, something in my volunteer heart feels an instant sense of loss. Thomas Maresco, 24, died from a gunshot wound in Lesotho, a small country [...]
Check this out! I’m so excited about this I’m doing one of those little brain-spurt posts. My friend Susan, a volunteer working in the Kaolack region, has been using this Coleman Camp Oven (only $40!) to make coffee cake, banana bread, apple cake, quiche, and more… at her site. All you need is a simple [...]
The blog Jezebel semi-recently ran a piece, “When Your Breast Shape Goes Out of Style,” in response to Playboy’s article, “Evolution of the Boob,” in which the sexually explicit magazine memorialized the past few decades and the breast styles that defined them (note: the Playboy article is NSFW). Playboy, in its exact words, purports to [...]
Ramadan started last week. As you probably already know, Ramadan is a time of fasting and contemplation, a time when denying yourself your physical needs brings you to a higher level of spirituality and compassion for those who do not have enough to eat. Indulgence of any type is discouraged, which is probably why my [...]
Yesterday: helped a women’s group plant beans in their field. Seed saving is key! They saved some beans from last year, which we planted. I hope they are successful. Afterward, I got caught in a torrential rainstorm. Rain biking is so much fun until your phone gets all messed up. The rain was probably great [...]
After a few days of 4th of July festivities, I finally did what I came to Kedougou to do (other than drink tequila sunrises, eat potato salad, speak American, and generally have a good time). I set out to explore part of the hyped-up Kedougou region, and decided to bike out to Ingli, a isolated [...]
As often happens when I return from a trip away from my site, I return exhausted, dirty, and with a backpack full of filthy clothing. Last weekend was no different: I arrived home from Kedougou on a Thursday. Once I biked home from the garage, I promptly unloaded homecoming gifts upon my host family (tea, [...]
I have a digital thermometer that beeps efficiently when it is finished calculating the temperature under my tongue. Along with the rape whistle and a ready supply of Tamiflu it is one of my favorite novelties inside my Peace Corps-issued medical kit. My health handbook, titled, “Staying Healthy in Senegal,” is another treat filled with [...]
Here are 7 photos. One week’s worth of lunches. Depending on your point of view, this may look varied, or monotonous. My host mother is an excellent cook.
Over the past weekend, I helped lead a few events targeted at young people on the topics of preventing unwanted pregnancy and early marriage. The focus was also on self-esteem building, staying in school, and how to assert oneself as a woman. My site-mate Nathalie and I organized the events, which took place at a [...]
Recently I hosted my first training, in Permagardening. Permagardening, a derivative of Permaculture, is a technique designed for individual household gardens that integrates water-saving methods, companion planting, and organic soil fertility practices to mimic a a self-sustaining ecosystem within one’s yard. Permagardening is important because many of today’s farmers, even in compact urban settings, practice [...]
The New York Times asked all its readers to take a picture at 15:00 UTC on Sunday, May 2, 2010 as part of its “A Moment in Time” project. I really wanted to take a nap, but begrudgingly ventured out of my house in search of action. 3:00pm is still siesta time in Senegal, so [...]
There are days here when I’m glad I have sunglasses to hide the tears. It’s been a while since the days of being ganged up on at school, or being humiliated by a bunch of little kids, but being in Africa has a way of bringing me full-circle. Here I am again, getting upset over [...]
My dad recently e-mailed around a New York Times Op-Ed by David Elkind who writes about the disappearance of children’s playtime among Western children. Building on our friend Richard Louv’s idea of “nature deficit disorder” —the increasing reliance on artificial entertainment rather than enjoyment of the outdoors—Elkind warns that even school recesses in the United [...]
During the month of February, I was in what felt like a constant state of travel, shuttling between Dakar and Thiès for equal parts work and fun. In Thiès, I attended my In-Service Training (IST), where I learned about permagardening, microgardening, organic pest control, ornamentals, drip irrigation, and the Jesus-like miracle tree Moringa. [...]
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