Host Family

The Peace Corps have a host family training program here in Senegal. The idea of the program is to help us trainees transition into the Senegalese culture by living with a family here in Thies. From 8 am to 630 pm we got to class at eh PC training center. After class is over, we go home to our host families. I cant speak for the other Volunteers here, but the host family program rocks my world. My family is simply amazing; They dont treat me as a stranger here because Im now an actual member of their family. Sorry American Mom and Dad. My Senegalese family lives in a very nice compound with a Mangoe tree orchard, electricity, running water, television, and cold freaking showers (which you learn to appreciate here in Africa). Baba Ngom is a botanist. Hes not only my father? hes the man of the compound. He has many brothers and kin running around the compound, but hes totqlly the man in charge. Hes super Muslim nice. Khady NDiaye is my mother. She cooks, cleans and watches over
the kids. Shes the sweetest lady in the world. Saliou Ngom is my closest brother. He speaks English very well and thinks Tu Pac is still alive. Though he does keep coming out with more albums. Hes always making me laugh. Moussa is my older brother. Hes 26. He also speaks really good English and he loves America. Moussa is a web designer and we like to talk politics. Hes not a big fan of George Bush. He wants to work in the US or France some day and I hope he gets there somehow. I have two other brothers I have yet to meet. Birane is at the Univerisity of Dakar and Pape is in Dallas Texas. As you can see, my family is loaded here for Senegalese standards. They named me after Pape and Im honored. My new name in Thies is Pape Ngom. My Tamba name is Pate Sy. I can tell Im going to have many names by the time i come home. And last but not least, I have a sister, NDeye Fatou Ngom. we call her Fatou. shes only 15 but shes smart, beautiful and byfar the sweetest 15 year old Ive eve
r met. IT will tame some time to remember everyone elses name in the compound.

Its really nice to just hang out with the family to watch tv and drink tea. I hang out with Saliou and Moussa and their friends. The Ngom family treat me like im one of their own. So theres no need for anyone to worry because im in good hands here.