Welcome to Senegal

Assalamalekoum.  I am now writing y'all from Africa.

On Saturday, September 20th, I gathered with 57 other people to stage in New York, and then ,we all loaded onto a direct flight from New York to Dakar, Senegal.  We flew all night to reach a hot and humid airport in Dakar complete with many foreign sights, sounds, and smells, but we were welcomed with open arms by our country director and two buses to take us from the airport to the training center in Thies, Senegal where I am now. 

The past week has been full of class room sessions, vaccinations, interviews about our desires and fears, intermittent down time with volunteers in hammocks, Attaya (tea), fiddle playing, guitar listening and back country bocce ball competitions.  Although the sessions have been full of power points and workbooks, the excitement and necessity of the information has kept me on the edge of my seat.  Most of the information up to today has been on general Senegal, but today we were given a small window into the future we will experience in the next 27 months; we received our language designations.  I will be learning a dialect of Pular called Pular du Nord.  My limited knowledge of the expanse of the Pular language and the people I have met here who are Pulars adds to the excitement of the clarification of my role here.  My small group of two other trainees worked with our Language instructor, Oumar, to learn and practice some basic Pular du Norde in the short time we had to meet today, and I believe that our team will be motivated and assist one another in this almost daunting task. 

I apologize to all as for the delay in my notification of safe arrival here in Senegal, but internet has been slow if present at all since I arrived here and our schedules have been very full.  I believe that this is a good indication of things to come in the future of this blog as I am now in one of the largest cities in Senegal and I have poor service.  I also will not be dedicating too much time to spending on a computer on the internet as I want to be present here. 

That being said.  I am wonderful here in Africa.  The other trainees, the staff, and the current volunteers are all wonderful people that have very different backgrounds, motivations, and personalities.  I have been overjoyed by the glimpses of current volunteer's experiences and photos which help for the excitement level to overshadow the enormous amount of work that will need to be done in the next three weeks to prepare me to be effective as a volunteer.  My love to all of you.

Haa janngo jamma

Justin Feeman

Pre Departure Note

Well all the planning, the confusion, the needles, the money, the research, and the emotions I have put into my trip are about to come to a head.  I will be departing for staging in New York City on Friday morning, staging with all of the people in my training on Saturday, and flying to Senegal as a group on Saturday evening.  I have tried to stock up on all of the everyday luxuries that I will go without for the next two years and now my stomach aches from an excess of Krispy Kreme Donuts, Buddys BBQ, Hardee's Biscuits, ribs, pork chops, french fries, and lots of cheese .  Along with food I have also tried to spend as much time as I could with friends and family, but no there is never enough time to prepare one for greater than two years apart.  Although, I plan to develop many more relationships on this new journey and create a family of Senegalese and Peace Corps volunteers, I will miss all of my friends and family state side greatly.  Know that much of the strength and character I have was fostered from such great companionship.

Many of you have expressed fears about the various dangers I might encounter on my trip.  I appreciate your concern for me, but I have faith that the Peace Corps, the Lord, and occasionally my common sense will lead me through safely.  Currently, I am much more fearful of crocodiles than I am of the ebola virus. 

I know a little bit more information now than my last post as to my schedule.  All of my training, for the most part, will be done in Senegal.  I am unsure as to my post location right now.  There are different languages spoken in different regions in Senegal.  Within the first week of my training I will be designated a host family that will speak the language I will speak for the next two years and indicate the region I will be in.  During the next month I will go through a series of interviews as to my comfort with different aspects of life and understanding of the material in order to find a suitable location/town for me to reside in during my service.  As a result, I will not know a mailing address for my entire stay in Senegal for sometime.  I will have an address in Thies, Senegal that I will be able to post when I am certain the address is accurate for all of you to send me goodies, mainly Krispy Kreme donuts.  Once a Krispy Kreme is built in Senegal I will no longer need care packages. 

I am sure that there is much that I do not know right now and I will try to keep all of my blog fans in the loop as I can. 

Now I must thank everyone for your support.  I am excited to walk through the door I am about to enter and blessed that I am able to make the journey. 

Justin