off the grid for a while...

alright, lots to say, but litte mental capacity with which to say it. first off, like i said in the previous entry, we are off for our training village in the morning. it will be about a 5 hour ride along the south bank road. this also means that i will not have access to, nor see a computer for the next two months until we return to the banjul area for swearing in as authenticated peace corps volunteers. however, us trainees will still be receiving mail at our sites, so feel free to send a letter, even if it just to say, "Hey Ben, guess what? I just ate at Pazzo's on pint night... and it was good. By-the-way, how is the rice in Africa?" You know, something nice like that.

Well, what is the breaking news from The Gambia? Well, personally, tomorrow I get to change my malaria medication. I'm switching from Lariam because of the heightened psycho-activity it has induced. Sounds freaky, but basically, all I mean is that my mind is racing while sleeping and I am having some crazily intenese dreams about reality. So much, in fact, that I am confused when I wake up and think that I should be wherever the setting of my last dream was. I have some examples, but none too imaginative. So, yay, no more Lariam! In other medical news, we receive some our last immunizations tomorrow, too! We have been receiving two shots every other day since we arrived a week ago, more or less.

Hmmm... we are all ready to get out of the Kombo area, as this capital region is called. We are ready to begin actual training. In preparation for our host village stay we discussed what the realities will be once we arrive there. Some stuff was fairly elementary, like how to take a bucket bath. Yet, other topics were more cultural, like how to alert someone (who comes knocking on your door) that you are indisposed at your latrine so they know to come back in a bit. You just make some low guttural noises without actually speaking. Also, we went to the market a few days ago to buy kola nuts to present to the village authorities upon arrival. The nuts taste like a dense, crisp (but not juicy) raw potato and have loads of caffeine in them. They are bitter and evidently, an acquired taste. However, they are culturally integrated into many aspects of Gambian society - though not my cup of tea.

Speaking of which, attaya (uh-tie-yuh) is a cultural tradition that I am excited about. It is super strong green tea that is brewed with lots of sugar and sipped all the day long in the shade of a baobab or mango or whatever type of shade tree that the village has. And, part of the Peace Corps mission is cross-cultural exchange. What does that mean? Well, technically, part of my reponsibilities will be to sip tea beneath a tree in some African village talking Mandinka with the locals. I jest a bit, but in all seriousness, cultural integration is absolutely necessary here in order for us volunteers to accomplish anything at all.

This is the foremost lesson I have learned from this past week. Collectivism is at the heart of West African society. Everyone is supported by their families and communities and within those abstractions of structure is the function of their society. American individualism is at a bright contrast here. This is what we have all learned in the past week; and what the Peace Corps staff has been trying to demonstrate to us. It is difficult grasping the extent to which collectivism is adhered to here, but this is also why I told the PC recruiter almost a year ago that I wanted to come to Africa - because of the cultural differences. An example of the difference are the lengthy greetings one initiates upon passing another person. It is a series of simple questions and answer that translate foreignly (obviously) in English. (i.e. Person A: How is the morning? Person B: Peace Only. Person A: Hope you slept well? Person B: yes, slept in peace only. Person A: Where are the home people? Person B: They are there.) It is my responsibility to adapt and be flexible so that when I actually get to initiate some work, I will be accepted as part of the community; instead of aligning myself with the popular development mantras of paternalism. My scope is rather limited and my impressions are still naive, so I issue that disclaimer if I in the future change my interpretations of this culture, but so far, it is beautiful.
[Insert time lapse.] OK, it is now an hour later from when I typed the word 'beautiful'. The power went out here at the office and then there were some technical problems with the computer. So, I have waited quasi-patiently in the computer room awaiting the return of technology to the office. I have lost my thought tracks and thus, am unable and a bit unwilling to write anymore. With that being said, I am now late for dinner. Catch ya'll in December…… oh, write letters!