Kori tanate jee

Greetings from The Gambia! I've been in the country 6 days now (although it feels like 6 months since I was in Philly last). Our training group is staying in a compound near Banjul, with dormitory style housing (with sporadic electricity and running water!!). I'm adjusting to the myriad differences between the US and Gambia pretty well, and the heat is getting slightly more tolerable. Although I'm already dreaming about the Alta snow. The training has been incredibly hectic and we have very little free time, so this post will be shorter than I would like. We have visited a suprising variety of spots in Western Gambia, considering the short amount of time we've been here. Sunday was our first day out of the compound, and we spent all morning and afternoon at the beach! It was fantastic...I think it took all of us about 10.5 seconds to rip off our clothes and sprint into the water. The ocean breeze kept the temperature and humidity at bay. We've also ventured into some of the city markets, attempting to use our very basic language skills to bargain for basic items. Speaking of language, I am learning Mandinka, which is the dominant language (and ethnic group) spoken in Gambia. On Friday, our group leaves to go to our training villages, where we will spend the next couple months, living with our host families, and learning the language and cultural traditions. Apparently, Gambians also eat with their hands out of a community food bowl that is shared by a family. We all had a good time spilling food all over ourselves while practicing this new technique. Miss you all, take care. Fo waati doo.

Life is Good.