Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Random Notes

Well so the Colts did it, didn't they. They went off and decided to play in the Superbowl the year that i have been only able to watch 3 games. That's right. I will watch the Superbowl, oh yes, that i can promise you. But come on... Come on... really? Make the Superbowl? See i bet few of you actually would have called them going to the Superbowl this year. That's right. I'm calling out you ney-sayers. I for one had a sneaking suspicion all along that they would do it. Don't doubt me here. Its true. Ask my father. Many a times during the last 3 or 4 months Ive mentioned to him that this year they would make a run for it all. Is it because they were not the favorite and the pressure was off a bit? Maybe. Was it because Peyton Manning rocks and the stars just needed to align themselves correctly? Probably that had something to do with it. But I know the real reason and it overrides all the previous statements and makes them insignificant details to the one obvious conclusion. I'm not in the States. They couldn't deal with my pressure i psychologically threw to them from half way across the country in Colorado. Nor could they overcome the football gods smiting them because of all the trash i talked to every fan of every other team in the NFL for the last 5 years. And i had a good time doing it too, and i still hate the Broncos. But... I leave the country and here is what happens. They just needed alittle distance from me. Well Colts fans, you're welcome. And if not... Ha!
Well so life in the village is what it is. I had a visit from my boss, coordinator of agriculture volunteers in Senegal, and he seems to think I'm doing well. My family said good things about me, embellished alittle, and said that my Pulaar is coming along well. They also told Massaly, my boss, that they often say words to me that they know i don't understand just to see if i will ask what it is or if i pretend to understand. Yea, they have fun at my expense. Which i already knew they did but now it has been confirmed. Which is fine, because now i know that they know i will often just act like i understand to get out of an awkward conversation.
But i guess life in the village is normal for the most part. Many of the men and boys have left the village to go back to school or to work in a city. In fact most of my friends, the boys around my age, have up and left for a few months to go work on the fishing boats along the Atlantic shore or to work construction in one of the many tourist cities that stretch along the western seaboard. The men and boys will return just before the rainy season with pockets full of cash for the families, new clothes, and the latest American hip-hop cassettes. Maybe the can get the new Game tape? Or possibly some good ol 50cent. They love 50cent. Work doesn't exactly pay American wages. For construction, it is roughly 5 American dollars per day. Hrm... nothing too exciting. I don't know how much they make on the fishing boats. But that is the way of the village. They basically our subsistence farmers with little cash coming from selling small amounts of vegetables or staple crops, the rest coming from family members working outside the village. Either in the cities or in Europe. Spain and France being the popular destinations of work. In fact most of the boys talk about trying to get to Spain. Work for 5-10 years and than come back to the village to live as wealthy patrons. Its the Senegalese dream. The only problem is that most of them will not be able to do it legally, so they will risk their lives in boats filled well past their capacity that set sail for the Canary Islands hoping to be granted asylum or whatever. Every month you hear about a boat full of people from Western Africa dying trying to reach Europe. Sometimes 300-400 people in a month will die. Its awful. But it pays well if it works out. There is no denying that the money they can make in Europe can more than pay for their families here. Sounds similar to a relationship that we have in North America, huh?

No comments: