Pictures

Sorry everybody- the pictures ended up in reverse order:

This is a monkey at a hotel we stayed at on our environmental sector field trip.  These monkeys would even come up to you and steal food off you plate if you turned you back on it for a second.

This is part of my family from training village on Tobaski (a Muslim holiday).

These are the trainees in my training village (Kaiaf). Our families dressed us up for our naming ceremonies.  I got my name Sally Barrow that day, but my name has since changed to Salli Sanneh.

This is my bathroom from Kaiaf.  Where it is wet is where you bathe and the toilet is on the right.

This is the day we moved in to Kaiaf.  In the very front of the line of people is a donkey cart with all of our stuff on it.

This is right before we moved out to our training villages.  The cars are getting loaded up while all of us trainees get nervous.

The beach in Komboo.  The Gambia is Beautiful!

Holidays

So I just looked at my last couple of posts and i feel like I have come a long way since then.  For starters- the last language lesson: "until later" is actually Fo nyatto.  I am a lot better at the language now.  Not to say that I am good, but I can respond to some questions and overall feel pretty good about how I am doing in Mandinka so far.  I am starting on my second language now.  As soon as I get back to my site I am going to start learning Jolla.
The last few weeks have been good. I figure I'll do an update on the holidays.  On Christmas Eve, our group of trainees went on a hike.  It was called the Death March up until this year when it was decided to call it a nicer name like Marathon March. It was supposed to be a 26 kilometer walk to the river and back to our hotel.  Our guide got a bit lost and it ended up being an 11 hour trek through the bush.  We didn't ever get to the river, but we did eventually get back to our hotel.  The hike ended up much closer to being a marathon than planned. No one knows how far we walked but it can only be assumed that in 10.5 hours of solid walking we probably did walk 20-something miles.  It was a long day but it was a great team-building activity and a lot of excersise.
On Christmas, we got the day off.  I went on a boat ride on the river in the morning.  We got to see the sun rise on the river.  Afterwards, I went to a mission church for their Christmas service.  It was in part Mandinka and part English.  It was cool doing church in a different language.
Betweeen Christmas and New Years I went to visit my permanent site, which I'll post about in anothger post on another day.
For New Years eve, we traveled in to the city (Kombo) on our own as practice for using public transportation.  I had to take a 2-3 hour gelly (modified old van with benches in it that fit as many people as possible in) ride.  Then I transferred to another gelly for a maybe 30 minute ride where I transferred to a car for a few minute ride to the house where we're staying in.  It was really not all that difficult and I met a few Gambians along the way that helped me out getting where I needed to go.  Without their help I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to get here, but I'm sure I would have been a lot more stressed when I got here.  After getting to Kombo, I walked to the house, sat my stuff down and headed out for lunch.  I had a hamburger and french fries.  It was DELICIOUS!  It is amazing how much my pickiness with food has cleared up in the last couple of months.  I have eaten so many things with katsup on them in the last few days no one would believe it and I eat onions now.  Not raw ones but I hardly even pick around cooked ones anymore!  Like that delicious hamburger I mentioned earlier came with onions and katsup on it.  You don't really special order things here so you take what you get and I must say I was more than happy with what came to me. 
For New Years night we trainees were not allowed to leave our house, so we had a party here complete with a ball drop.  Some of our group wrapped a soccer ball in tinsel and carryout containers and lowered it from the balcony for our countdown.  It was really festive!
We had New Years day off to do whatever we wanted.  I lazed around the house for a while and went to the beach in the afternoon. 
Since then we've been having training classes.  I had my last Mandinka language evaluation today.  My score will determine whether I can become a volunteer or whether I have to take a few more classes before I get sworn in.  I think I did ok.  We'll see in a few days after they review our test tapes, but I'm thinking I'll be a volunteer by the end of next week!

REALLY quick update.  I'm doing well.  I'm trying very hard on Mandinka.  One day I'll be able to understand what is going on.  I can't wait for that day.  The Gambia is good.  Today I am in Soma- a bigger town going to the market and got to stop in an internet cafe.  Merry Christmas to everyone!

setting out

In the morning, we set out for training villages!!  A training village is a village that has pretty much been trained to host a few of us learning PCTs at a time.  We get dropped in our  villages tomorrow afternoon.  There will be 4-6 PCTs in each village and we each get a host family.  In this village we have language classes for several hours a day and homework language and culture activities every day.  I'm pretty much going to be immersed in Mandinka, so I feel like I will learn fast.  Today, we had out first practical application activity.  We went to the market and got a chance to try out language we'd learned and get some stuff.  I got some fabric.  Enough for 2 skirts and some curtains.  I practiced my Mandinka with a guy from a fabric shop.  He said that I was "good for only being here one week."
I can't believe that tomorrow I move into a village!  That means that my internet communication ability is going to go way down.  It is very likely that I won't get back to a computer until the new year.  My cell should still work though.
As far as things happening between now and the new year: we are having a big Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving.  And there will absolutely be mashed potatoes.  And on Christmas our whole training class will be together so it won't be depressing.  Christmas eve we have a 26K hike through a national park.  By new years I should be a mid-intermediate Mandinka speaker!
I know that moving to a village will be stressful, but I am very excited.
Language lesson of the day:  (phonetically spelled for you)
N toe moo Lindsay la tea.-   My name is Lindsay.
Everything is going great.  I'm feeling good and having a good time.
So.... "fo nyata" (till later)!

Language lesson for you

Ok, people.  One day, I promise I will actually think about what to write about before I get in front of a computer.  That isn't today- sorry.  I'm not very focused.  We've been having classes a lot lately.  Your first phrase to learn is "Salaam alakum."  That's how you greet everyone in TG no matter what language they speak.  Then it gets much tricker depending on what language the other person speaks.  I find out waht language I am learning soon.  Maybe tomorrow!  I can't wait to find out what I can concentrate on from now on.  I had my interview today to get a better idea on what my placement will be.  That decides my language (which is why I find out tomorrow).  
Random things for people to know.  I probably don't need as many book as I thought.  The library is really good so I am not as desperate as I expected.  To send packages a padded envelope might be the best thing or a flat rate international box.
Everything is going really well.  I'm doing great and am excited to be here.

Made It!!!

I made it into Banjul yesterday.  We spent a long time on the way- it took 28 hours from the time we got to the airport in Newark till the time we got off of the plane in Banjul.  It is so exciting to be here!  Last night we all went from the airport to the house we're staying in and had some pizza.  So I know you can definately get pizza in The Gambia.  It was really good and I got a good night of sleep.  Today we had our first classes.  We had a trip to the nurse where I got 2 shots and had a medical interview. The nurse was really nice.    We toured the office here, opened bank accounts, and got cell phones.  To the parents, I think I have devised the best system for us to call eachother, but my phone isn't activated quite yet.  Maybe before you read this I will send you a message with my number, but I won't do that until my phone is active so it will be between now and a couple of days from now.  It turns out that the phone was free and the minutes between all of us PC people are taken care of in some deal, so we are going to be able to keep track of eachother pretty easily. 
So far it has been hot but not unbearably so.  We got to have out language class outside today.  That was nice.  It is going to be difficult to learn a new language but I am really excited about it.  At the beginning of next week we interview for our positions and it looks like I am going to know my position earlier than I thought.  Can't wait :)  The city isn't too busy.  There are always people walking around and there have been goats roaming along the side of the road, so it's a bit different from 'ol Jackson, TN.
I know this post is a little scattered, but I am safe, I am well and I am having a good time.
Oh, and thanks for the comment(s) on the last post.  I love to see them.

Halfway there

I'm in Philadelphia at my staging event now.  The trip to Philly went well.  I even got a little sleep on the plane.  I went to lunch in the city with a girl from our group, then we started in on business.  I've gotten to meet a lot of fellow volunteers. There are 35 of us heading out together to The Gambia.  We had several hours of seminars covering things we'll need to know and what to expect in the next couple of days.  I got to have a good dinner at a Cuban restaurant a group of us walked to, plus some good hang-out time with other new PCTs.  I think we've got a good group of people and I'm excited for us all to get started on training!  I don't know when I'll get to update next, but I'll get something on here as soon as I can letting you know how it's going.  Love, one of the world's newest Peace Corps Trainees, Lindsay.