Village Profile

Ill never forget the first time I met my brother Babacar and my best friend Mamadou. I had only been in the country for less than 2 months. During training, PC invited 2 members of everyones villages to participate in a conference at our HQ. Of course we had only just found out where we were going a few days before.

 

The first day of the conference had come and everyones villagers were showing up and welcoming them to Africa. It was a very heartwarming event for everyone, except for me. My villagers werent there yet. Lunchtime came and still no sign of them. Everyone esle were off eating lunch and talking/getting to know their future hosts. I on the other hand was eating hostless while I waited. (permission to feel sad for me: GRANTED)

 

Sometime after lunch they finally showed up. I showed them to their room where we sat down and talked, or at least tried to talk. Neither one of them speak any English and at that time, Sereer still sounded like mean African gibberish. Babacar didnt talk much. He was born with a stutter, which came in handy for me because his speech slowed down everything for me to understand. Mamadou did most of the talking, except when he was busy puffing on a cigarette (which consumes most of his daily activities). Hes a 3-pack-a-day, 1-match kind of guy. After our talk, I gave them a tour around the center with specific infomation on the Do's and Dont's. The conference was onto a good start now.

 

The following morning I met the two of them for breakfast. After we ate I went into the bathroom to shave (that was back in the day when I still shaved everyday). They followed. Our mens room at the center consists of sinks, showers with curtains and only one sit down toilet. It you want to go either number 1 or 2, you have to go outside on the outside of the building. The normal system of bathroom use here in Senegal is what scientists like to call a "hole-in-the-ground". While I was lathering up for my shave, Babacar and Mamadou came in with a mutual mission, they had to pee.

 

The two of them walked into the showers, pulled the curtains close and did their business. I didnt have the heart to tell them that its only acceptable to piss in the shower if, and only if, you happen to be taking said shower. A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do. Later I found out that one of my friends host made the same mistake, only he left a bigger, more obvious surprise.