Africa - The First 2 months

Since I didn't bring my camera cable, you will have to wait for pictures. Sorry.

First...someone corrected my greeting in the previous post. Every person who has read it has a different way of saying it. Here, it is originaly Arabic, but has been Gambianized. So, we don't say it like the Saudi's do or the...whoever. It is interesting how language changes. Or dialects. Like, I ahve been learning Mandinka, but I just got back from my site, Diabugu, and the Mandinka they speak there is completley different that what I know. Not that it matters much. They are Sara hule, so I will be learning a completley different language.

Anyway, I am back in Kombo for 10 days I think. Finish up training and shop. My house, which isn't completed yet, is empty. So I need a bed, furniture, everything.
My flashlights got demagnatized so I also have to buy a new one. Sigh.
Really, I could give a long list of things that have gone wrong, but in the end, I love it here. Yes, there are days when I want to throw in the towel, when I want to cry and scream and go home. But I really like it here. The peopel are great, I am (going to be) doing good work. So even if you get a letter that says "I have been sick and want to come home" don't be surprised if the next one is "I had the best day today".

In training village (we go to a village that is in our language group, and live with a family, and learn there to help up culturize and get better with language), we got Gambian names. I was named Manifa Jammeh. Named after my younger "sister". She's awsome. A total firecracker. Reminds me a lot of my neice, Domonique. My host fater had 2 wives, with a total of 16 kids. Big family.

I am going to be out in the bush in a place called Diabugu. It is in URD. The villafe is Sara hule, so I have to learn a new language. But it is ok. The family is really nice, and HUGE. The compuound is huge. The village has 160 compounds, a hospital. It's great. And my "brother" who is a nurse speaks English, which is even better.