First 3 weeks in Africa

Before I begin let me tell you that these are my opinions only and not the views of Peace Corps, The United States of America, or The Gambia. Also, I only have 5 minutes left in this internet cafe so let me hurry this up... Week One: After an entire day living at different airports we arrive in the Gambia! It is hot a muggy inside of the airport and I wait in the only formed line in the entire country for our security check. They look and see its another Toubob (foreigner) and just wave me through. We grab all of our bags and cram into a van. We meet all of the reps for the Peace Corps and some active volunteers. We go to the transit house in Kombo to glorious Air Conditioning (a rare sight in this country) and unpack and walk to the beach. We see some bumsters telling all of the new volunteers that they love them and want to come to America with them. (A bumster is a male prostitute that hangs around the cities trying to hitch a ride to some older white ladies tryin' to get their grooves back!) We come back to the house and take showers (they really are spoiling us with this indoor plumbing). Afterwards we have a lovely feast of fried chicken and rice. For the next few days we are herded like sheep to and fro all around Kombo. We are given a ton of vaccinations, drugs and medicines to not die in The Gambia. (There really are a Million Ways to Die in The Gambia!) We are given tons lectures, sign tons of documents (I am now a legal alien of The Gambia. I've never been an alien. I still don't enjoy probing.), interviews and learn some greetings in the local languages. The Gambians are HUGE on greetings. After 5 days of our little African vacation, the real work begins! Week Two: All 19 new volunteer trainees (after a week of bonding time) are split up into small language groups (I am learning Mandinka) and dropped off into different villages to different families to really learn what life in The Gambia is really all about. The van drops me and 3 other trainees into the village of Kaiaf! We are greeted by at least 100 of the cutest, most filthy Mandinka children. The roads are all sandy with animal feces and mango seeds scattered about. The houses are made of sticks and concrete with metal sheet roofs stuck together and surrounded by a gate of big sticks and metal sheets. Each family lives inside of one of these compounds (or kundas). Our language teacher also lives in the village and shows us each to our family compounds. Time is up. I'll finish this next time I find electricity!!