Ko Mutaaru Mbalo mbiete-mi (My name is Mutaaru Mbalo). Ko Galle Bocar Mbalo Kod-mi (I am staying that the home of Bocar Mbalo).

Where do I even start with my homestay description? I spent the last week with a Senegalese Pulaar family that speaks a language I started learning when I arrived at their house. I was literally dropped off by the Peace Corps bus and greeted in a language I barely understood any words of. I was immediately whole-heartedly welcomed and told to take a seat in front of the family compound next to the man of the house. I pulled out my family photos, and we went from there. Being an infant again was a frustrating but very rewarding experience. We used a lot of pointing and hand motions to communicate initially until I learned a few words and tried to remember them as I heard them a few more times. However I have been spending a great deal of time during homestay in language classes.

My typical day during homestay has consisted of:

7:30AM Wake up and take a bucket bath (Bucket of water + soap)

Breakfast of French bread and hot chocolate is brought to me in room by my sister (Muslims don't eat from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, so I keep to myself)

9:00AM Fulukunda class at my LCF (Language & Cultural Facilitator), Samba Kande's, Homestay

12:30PM My Senegalese mother makes us a lunch of white rice and leaf sauce (she hasn't been fasting on account of a recent illness)

4:00PM Either another language session at Samba's house or work in the garden we are setting up near the local school

7:00PM Time for another bucket bath after a long day in the Senegal heat

7:30PM Break fast with French bread, hot chocolate, tea, and juice at sundown with my Senegalese family while we watch TV including Indian Soap Operas dubbed in French, Wolof sitcoms, and American TV shows (like Law & Order) dubbed in French

9:15PM Have dinner by lamplight out of bowls distributed between the men, the boys, and the women respectively - Dinner always consists of rice and palm oil sauce with a few vegetables and fish - it's actually pretty tasty

11:00PM Sleep

My in between time is filled with a lot of hanging around with the family, especially my Senegalese father, and playing with my Senegalese siblings and kids from the neighborhood. I have 6 brothers - 2 are about my age or a bit older, 4 are definitely younger than me, and one that is much younger than me. I have two sisters - one is 10 and the other is 5.

It is amazing how patient everyone is. Here is a family I'm thrust into that, for the most part, I can't understand at all (some of them speak French, but they have only used it once or twice) and they continually are trying to teach me things, but their only hope is to use nonverbal communication. The integration I was worried might take some time has come quite easily.

One thing I might not ever get accustomed to is getting stared at and called "Toubab" (european) while walking down the street. Senegalese children treat a foreigner like you might expect an American child would treat a clown walking down the street. They yell out "Toubab" and call all of their friends to come see the "Touabab," and then each and every one of them wants to shake your hand - I have to leave 15 minutes early to get to class on time. On an encouraging note, however, there have been a few children from the area that, in only a week, have learned my Senegalese name (Mutaaru Mbalo) and call me that instead of Toubab.

Today is my second day back at the Thies training center, and tomorrow I head back to my homestay site. I'm not supposed to blog about exactly where I am, so if you are really interested in what city I'm located in, go ahead and e-mail me, and I can tell you real quick. Also, a few tips for contacting me: a normal American stamp won't work for sending letters, USPS flat-rate boxes are great for sending packages, and skype is great for cell phone calls.

I keep having to remind myself that I've only been here a couple of weeks and in my homestay one week, because it feels like months. I spend the next two weeks straight at my homestay site before coming back to the training center for more tech training. I might be able to get to an internet cafe, but this will likely be my last blog for a bit. Miss everyone. Hope you're doing well back in the states.

The view and opinions expressed on this site are my own and do not reflect the goals or intents of the US government, The Senegalese government or The Peace Corps. I alone am responsible for the content of this blog.

Friday we did a Cultural Fair for most of the day. We broke up into groups and went to stations to learn about different aspects of Senegalese culture. At one station where we discussed traditional clothing and greetings I learned that some men, out of respect for their wife, will not shake hands with any other woman. Also, during a greeting, a younger person is not supposed to look an older person in the eyes. The traditional garb is very colorful and loose-fitting. I'm actually looking forward to having my own grand boubou made.

Saturday my group, Agroforestry, learned how to double-dig and start a garden bed with materials found easily around the area. We were also fitted for the bikes we will be using during our service. I received one of the better equipped bikes, which likely means that I will be stationed somewhere far from a city...only speculation though.

Today we learned what local language we were to learn and what village we will live in the next 9 weeks in during our homestay period. I will be going to a village on the Atlantic where I will live with a Pulaar (Fulakunda)-speaking family. We also had two 1.5 hour language class sessions during which I learned the alphabet and some survival phrases. Everything was going pretty well until we got to phrases with words that my mouth just doesn't pronounce - seriously look it up. Fortunately I was able push through and end up pretty well. This evening we finally went into Thies and walked around. We stopped at a couple of stands to pick up a few things only to finally ended up at a bar in the heart of Thies. Walking around we clearly stood out to the locals as the only foreigners on the block. Many vendors called us over or stopped us to try to sell us something at a premium rate. Nobody really gave us any trouble, so all in all it was a good experience.

Tomorrow we head to our homestay village in the afternoon and spend the next week in an intensive language study and immersion experience. I'm excited, but nervous to be with a group of people I don't know and can't understand....wish me luck!

Last Meal in the U.S., Drum Circle, First Sunset in Senegal

Mailing Address (for a couple of months) and Cell Phone Number

Cell number (remember time difference): +221 776 730 093

Mailing Address (takes a while to arrive, so send soon):

Curtis J McCoy
BP299
Thies, Senegal

Je suis au Senegal!!

The view and opinions expressed on this site are my own and do not reflect the goals or intents of the US government, The Senegalese government or The Peace Corps. I alone am responsible for the content of this blog.

Yesterday we arrived in Dakar, Senegal at approximately 5am local time. Despite being unable to sleep at all during the entire flight across the Atlantic, I wasn't tired at all. I also wanted to keep my wits about me while being thrust into such a new environment - I could feel the tension in my neck as I filled out the customs form. We moved through the airport, and my stress was loosened a bit as I chuckled to find a stray cat cautiously creeping its way toward the exit while 60 Americans covered in luggage made their way out.

The sun started to rise as we piled into the officially-marked Peace Corps vans and buses to make our way to the Thies Training Center. During the ride my eyes were glued to the windows as I studied every person and building we passed. It was a marked contrast to America to find so many people walking alongside a highway often only a few feet from cars moving at 60-70mph.

Many buildings in Dakar seemed unfinished or abandoned while within a few hundred meters there were 3 others being built. As we moved closer to Thies the landscape became more and more rural with much more lush vegetation and fruit stands replacing the abandoned buildings, rubble, and sand. I was amazed at the size and prevalence of the baobab trees that first seemed to dot and eventually cover the landscape.

We pulled into the training center to a grand applause cheers from the staff who quickly broke out into a drum circle. We had a quick breakfast of French bread, fresh peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and Ovaltine - "More Ovaltine please." Afterward we were given time to sleep, but despite having 8 hours sleep in 3 nights I felt wired and went for an exploration of the compound with a couple other Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). Hawks also circle the skies while you can hear a multitude of birds in the many trees surrounding the compound.

After break time we settled down to a lunch of rice and beef with peanut oil--It was amazing. The people here are so friendly; you can feel the strength of community. Rarely will I pass a Senegalese without him/her saying hi and asking me how I'm doing. I finally have a use for the twelve years I spent studying French. The food is distributed in big metal bowls and we break off into groups of 4 or 5 to share - Senegalese Training Center workers joining us to make conversation learning about where they are from while practicing our French.

Other than eating great food we've been going through different interviews to assess our proficiency in French, our placement preferences, and our medical history. It looks like I will likely be placed in a Pulaar region as the government officials will likely be French-speaking. I also might even be directly working with another PCV since trees are more affectively grown and cultivated when multiple people can keep track of them.

For the first few days all new PCVs stay together at the training center where the bare bones lessons and skill are learned. Next week we head to our training homestays. I am so excited to see what else this beautiful country and its friendly people have to offer this great experience.

P.s. We did receive cell phones, but it will likely be very expensive to call unless Skype is used. Feel free to call, but please remember the 5 hour time difference. I will most likely be available to talk after 9pm.

Orientation Schedule

August 9th
9am-12pm O'hare to Washington-Dulles
12pm Registration
2pm-7pm Meetings

August 10th
10am Clinic Appointment
5:40pm Depart For Senegal

August 11th
5:50am (Senegal local time/Greenwich Mean Time) Arrive in Dakar

Yes, when I arrive in Senegal it will be 6am local time, but my body will feel like it is 1am

Jet lag, bring it on...