I woke up and wrote in my journal at 6 AM. I finished up my journal entry from last night because it was so late. I finally got ready at 7:40ish and was dressed by 8:15... unlocked my door and breakfast was delivered to me. I ate a little and W comes knocking at my door telling me he was at my house since 7! I felt so bad since yesterday, he told me he would show up at 9. Either way, he looked cold (it was cold by Gambian standards I'm sure) with a fleece sweater and mittens on and I felt bad. I was just lying in my bed with music on, writing away, which is probably why I didn't hear him. It was probably a good thing he didn't get me for my sake anyways because HM calls me right in time to tell us the district chief we were suppose to donkey kart to wasn't there. SO we didn't need to haul ass. Nice, because I could tell the day was going to be hot as hell already. We changed plans and W took me to HM's place instead.
HM wasn't feeling well when I got there and it turns out he was tested POSITIVE FOR MALARIA???? W gave him a shot but wtf! I asked him what happened and he kept on saying "Malaria is bad" in Serehule and well yeah I know it's bad but shit I didn't know he had it! I keep on freaking out but adults have a resistence to Malaria but still you can't let your guard down that shit killsssss. HM thinks he got bit in Jenoi which I totally believe since it's mosquito city there. So now I know why HM isn't taking me places, he's such a nice guy and very concerned but it's because he's been feeling like crap with Malaria ughhh. W gave him a shot. HM seems like he's holding up okay but clearly it must suck. Ceedee, one of HMs friend's, was at HM's house with his mom, the coolest woman so far who led the singing group that inducted me into the village upon my entry. Both of them are just a friendly presence but SHE is a woman to reckon with and you know when that lady is in the room. We touched base and figured out the rest of the day and C and W walked me back. Along the way, we stopped by some people's homes and even this one compound was cooking food for tonights big event. Everyone seemed mobilized for this huge event. M was no where to be found because he's probably running around getting everything ready. C is also on the committee since he's the point person for TOSTON. When they dropped me off, C said he'd come by at 2 to pick me up to have lunch.
I stayed in my house for a bit to journal and then some random guys came by. First, Ali, one of my host brother's friends, comes by right after prayers and just says hi. Then bikes away, but I bet he wanted me to come out to talk. I just wasn't feeling it and opted to stay inside, out of the window's view, and went right back to writing. I'm period tired, still. Anyways, then it was Mohammed, this really tall guy who kind of reminds me of the evil guy in the Princess and the Frog, comes by. He actually came into my house the first night with his mom I think it was, then yesterday and kept on telling me how bad Gambia was, then today. He just kept on standing in front of my door - which I had the screen shut but the outside door was open - and was just talking to me even though I said I was writing. Just then, a little girl comes over to peek into my house but then one of my moms appear out of no where, reaches across Mohammad and shuts the door to end that conversation lmao. He's like, "I'll come by later." I'm not sure if my mom was protecting me from him or the girl but I love how she just ended that little meeting. Thank God, I nothing that guy anyways and don't want men I don't know anywhere around my house.
I was left alone for a bit to muse and went back outside at around 12:30 PM to chat/study. I had fun this time since the kids all huddled around me and were less shy... but a lot more loud. Not sure if I like the trade off now that I think about it. I sat with my mom and sisters and found out that one of my moms don't feel well!!! The elder mom went to fetch her medicine. So now, I'm confused. I THOUGHT my mom who was in pain wanted to lie down so I followed her inside the house (my first time in) and she did lie down. I got her water to drink...but as soon as she get up to get a sip she's like "Okay, now I have to make lunch." Even though she was in pain! I think it's from overworking since it's in her right arm and back. To make matters worse I get served lunch by her -_- My elder mom came back with medicine - hopefully it's even the right one - and if not I hope it's something that won't make new problems - but the lunch was delicious. Fried rice, pumpkin, and fish. I went inside to eat and they all called me out a bit later. Ali was there, but that wasn't why they called me out. They pointed for me to go inside the house. I stepped in and ... my dad bought a really big juicy watermelon! It was fucking lovely. It was delicious but I suck at eating the fruit without making a mess. My family were nice enough to see my distress and gave me a pan and even a small pot to wash my hands with.
Then that Malick guy from yesterday who was nice came by and was talking to men when W appeared to take me out again. Both M and W walked me to HMs where the agricultural extension worker was. He isn't in Kulari but traveled all the way here to see me since he was HM's friend and HM asked for a favor. It really makes me smile that even though he's sick with Malaria he's still on it with his task. The Extension Worker didn't know Serehule and lives a couple of towns away but was nice nonetheless. I then called my PCVL to get the OK on skipping out on the district chief since I didn't go today and I'll be heading to Basse tomorrow morning ... and the only car that goes to Basse from Kulari that's reliable leaves at 6:15 AM. Malick just followed us and he isn't even W or HM's friend so I don't even know what happened.
Anyways, W walks me to the last person I needed to meet and that was the school management committee head. When we got there, I Found that he knew English pretty well - why am I always surprised. I guess I'm surprised by them and they're surprised by me. I got a bit closer with W today, we joked around more and he was less ambiguously condescending I think. I told W how expensive and cold America was and the differences in health care for the UK and the US. They're both his favorite places. Of course they're probably everyone's favorite place in the Gambia. It would do everyone wonders if they would set their sights on making their country just as "good" as the UK/US in their eyes, I think. There's definitely some things I think Gambia can imitate from the US and some things they should never, ever imitate. More on that in later posts. Anyways, I hope I debunked his theory that I had money because I definitely don't and I did out the math to show him how expensive college was in America.
After the meeting with the School Management Committee Chair, I thought we were walking home. Mind you, Kulari is a spider web of streets and everything looks the same so I have no idea where I'm going without someone's lead. Next thing I Know, I take a right turn, and I see a HUGE, ginormous, astronomical gathering of people. It was a gigantic circle which probably explained why the streets seemed so empty. IT was the TOSTAN event that everyone was talking about. I met up with Ceedee and Musa and they told me this meeting was talking about the importance of clean water and polio/meningitis vaccinations. Ceedee's running around doing a bunch of things, talking to a bunch of people, moving stacks of chairs left and right so as many people can sit, and beckons me over. He then looks me in the eye and says, "We want to introduce you. Can you speak to the crowd? In Serehule?"
So I mean, I suppose so, but I told him it would be much better if he practiced first. He took me aside and helped me craft a paragraph where literally minutes later I was speaking with a microphone in front of 300 Gambians. I guess the stars really aligned for me because like I said, TOSTAN was once a year and it just happened to fall on the day I was here for site visit. So this is what I said... in a completely different language from English:
Hello. I want to extended my greetings to the Imam and the VDC Chairman. Good evening. I am not a toubab/foreigner. I am a black, Serehule man. My name is Mariama Touray and I am from America but next month, I'll start my stay here for two years. I am a volunteer because I like to help people and educate them about health. Thank you, bless you, and good night.
SO CLEARLY Ceedee quipped in his own notes (I am not a black Serehule man, I was lying to 300 people in front of their faces -_-) but I did all of that by myself! I was recorded and pictures were taken and everyone was talking about it that night, said HM when he called me. I left early because I was really tired and so that I can finally take a shower in peace without bugs colliding into me and it was glorious. I got fed boiled peanuts through the window RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FRONT DOOR which can look into my entire house but whatever, they fed me free food and I'm down with that. I spent a good amount of time phoning my friend to get her ready for her own site visit while snacking on said peanuts and it was a fine time. Dinner was served by one of my moms and they're always so sweet when they enter my house, they always take off their shoes. She even saw all the empty peanut shells and collected them for me ugh I was really treated with grade A hospitality. The moms respected my need for alone time and that means a lot in this culture when no one does anything by themself.
Dinner is something I'm skipping from now on since it was plain coos with this watery/oily sauce which gets old really quick. I'll probably do lunch for sure and maybe breakfast with the family and contribute half a bag of rice and beans to my rent every month. I snacked on a breakfast bar (which I thank myself every day for packing) and took out the rest of my lunch. I spent an entire hour with my family talking by the fire about having kids (and why I'm scared to do so which blows their mind since women really set their sights on marrying and having kids in Serehule communities and that's their biggest thing for the majority of them), telling them that I was leaving tomorrow until next month, discovering that one of the ladies were leaving to get married and promising to visit her by donkey cart, they tested me in some vocab and I impressed them thoroughly, thanked my mom for saving me earlier in the morning from strange men and told her I didn't like men around my house and the moms IMMEDIATELY shouted over to my host brother who was sitting away from us to not let any more of his friends near my little hut hahaha. They are on their shit. When you ask them to do something, they will do it. I'm just surprised they actually understood!
I really like the nights around the fire especially since I hate being inside my house at night with all the bugs... bleugh. Except if I'm tucked away in my bed. Yes I know I'm in Africa, don't judge me. Okay sleep time.
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