Email: Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah, New Years, MLK day, valentines, I unfortunately will miss them all being up country, yes, that's right, I am headed out for my 3 month challenge at my new site up country. We all swore in today as volunteers and are about to start our two year service. Yep, 2 years starts now! Not two months ago, sorry.

I will not be near email or internet because there's isn't a lot of electricity in this country, let alone computers. Apparently, it's the 8th poorest country in the world. Seriously, someone could have told me that three months ago. but no fear, still email me if you can, I don't have much time when I get to a computer (even now I am skipping out on a party for us new inductees just so I can write this) and even though I can't write you all back, I still love seeing a bunch of new emails and reading what you guys have to say, it is encouraging and I thank you. You can write to me long hand as well, my address is on my blog, you've all been to my blog right? jondick.blogspot.com, it's pretty much the best thing on the internet.

but know that I am no longer a PCT, (trainee) I am now a PCV (volunteer)

also, I have a phone now, I don't know how int'l calling works, but I do know that it's free for me to get calls, but not to send calls, or call calls I guess. my number is (220) 746-1127, how that really works, again, I don't know, but give it a whirl if you can, I won't have the phone on me at all times like in the states, and I won't check VM because Gambians don't do that for some reason, but send a text or something saying when you want to call and I will keep my phone around, there'll be plenty of time to figure this all out, I'm sure.

I love you all but I have to go. Life is calling...or so Peace Corps says. My mom and sis are hard at work transcribing my journals and loading my pics and video, thank God for them.

bismillah in the gambia,

Email: Dysentery

10-31-2007
Anyone curious about my last week in the Gambia?

began training, they loaded us with binders two inches thick, manual after manual on beekeeping, solar panel technology, fruit trees, fodder plants, composting, you name it and we have to study it. Classes go from 7am to 8.30pm, with meals, of course, but this is not American food, this is Gamibian food. Salted and MSG'd. Oily and sometimes delicious. I hit my first milestone. I ate a piece of fish. It was fried lady fish and I had to mash it up with the rest of my rice and veggies, but I did it.

Some say it's the heat that gets ya, others the humidity, I think it's both. They team up and sit on you like it's a big fat joke and just for fun they see what new places they can make you sweat, like, your forearms. I've never sweated out of my forearms before.

But all is good. We have classes sometimes under a mango tree and the wind blows through and I feel like I'm in Hawaii. Everyone is great here and our group is bonding well. I am learning Pulaar, that will be my language for two years. So Hono mbuda?

Jam tan.

Here's the bad news. As you can tell from the subject heading, I already got dysentery. I didn't think I'd get it until way down the line, but nope, I swear to God the fish did it. Just as I was being nice...

They call it Kunte Kinteh's Revenge and I know why. Not only did I get massive diarrhea, but a horrible bout of the chills, where I literally thought that I was going to convulse into a seizure. A lot of you know me for telling stories and exaggerating a bit, but I am not exaggerating! I woke up with them Sunday night, cold in Africa. Cold! in Africa!, I had to turn the fan off and pull out my sleeping bag for warmth, it's the middle of the hot season!! I was winded, I couldn't catch my breath, the only thing that put me back to sleep was the most beautiful and amazing thunder storm I have ever seen. Tropical torrential downpour, loud crackling thunder and sharp lightning, amazing. I couldn't help but see the coincidence between what was going on outside my window, and inside, bundled up shivering beneath my blankets. (Do I control the weather? Who know's, maybe in Africa I do.)

The next morning I went to the medical office still feeling lousy but good enough to walk. The Nurse took pity on me and gave me the private room to sleep. I had another attack of the chills, she had to wrap me with three blankets and rub me down for warmth like a gentle mother bear, it was very sweet. I got some Tylenol for the fever and eventually it broke, though it made it to 105! I was out of commission for two days and now we are leaving to our training villages and I'm little behind on studying. But everyone has been great. One other kid got the dysentery, and, as of now, all 24 of us have had diarrhea. The Nurse is pissed cause she thinks it's the way our hostel is having us clean the dishes. And I agree. It's filthy. Granted we have running water (sometimes) and electricity (sometimes), but we can't use either when cleaning the communal dish and flat wear. It's one sink for dirty, one for clean and one sponge for all. Nothing gets clean and I have stopped using any of it.

But that's literally the worst of it. I was the first to fall and I fell the hardest, but I got back up and everyone was so supportive. Tomorrow morning we're broken up into small groups, I'll be with five others learning Pulaar in a Fula village and I will have a host family and my own little hut for the next 9 weeks before I move to my final site where I'll be for 2 years. There may or may not be emails coming for a while so enjoy this one. Know that I am safe. I am sending three pictures, that's all I have time to load, but I think they are the best and sum up what Africa looks like, what African's look like, and what I look like.

love you all, thanks for all your replys, I do read them all.

dick

Email: African Address

So, I made it to the Gambia, safe and sound. It's been only a few hours, the trip began wednesday morning and somehow it's now friday morning but nothing happened but sleeping and not sleeping on planes. Watched almost all of the third season of Curb Your Enthusiasm on my ipod. Brussels air was pretty cool, and touching down in Africa was a TRIP!!! It looks so beautiful, the dirt is red and there's green grass, long grass and vegetation everywhere. It's hot for sure and humid, everybody has a layer of sweat, so that's nice. We got in last night, had a brief briefing and then collapsed in our rooms. Were staying in a little compound, hostel type thing, bathrooms down the hall, showers IN the room, ceiling fans and cots, it's great. Saw a spider the size of a playing card, white, black and yellow, but chilling outside, not in our rooms, better to keep it that way. Saw a lizard chilling in the sun, it was the biggest I've ever seen outside of Chris Barry's collection. What else, big orientation today, the next ten weeks look intimidating, but everyone should be pretty supportive. Thanks for all of your replys, I'm rushing through this email right now, so I'll try to get back with more, AND pictures!

In the meantime, eveyone who wanted an address for letters and packages, the following should work out. PCT is Peace corps trainee, in December, I should be a PCV, for Volunteer. Let's all hope I get through the next ten weeks.

Jonthan Dick

PCT

U.S. Peace Corps

P.O. Box 582

Banjul, The Gambia

West Africa

PS. we got a fun little game today where we got rubber bands and another PCT's name, and we have to secretly snap, or "kill" them without any witnesses, so you have to get them alone, and then you get the name they were holding onto and keep "killing" people. It's a fun little get to know everyone game, but also teaches us not to be alone but to stay in groups. Well guess who the first victim was? That's right, me. My roommate had my name, how am I supposed to stay away from my roommate?!

Email: Getting out while the gettin's good

hey all, so this will be my last email in the states. We get shots tomorrow and then a bus ride to JFK, then we're off, should arrive in the Gambia Thursday evening. Morning for all of you. I want to thank everyone and say that Philadelphia rocks and orientation has been good and informative. I ran down to Ben Franklin street and up the Rocky stairs. It was great, better than the movie. But again, thank you everyone for being kind to me this summer as I felt like I was in limbo, neither here nor there. Caldera was definitely the highlight of the year, and participating with the kids and staff I think really put my head int he right place. You are all wonderful people, I couldn't ask for better friends and family. Look forward to getting more emails and maybe if I get off my ass I'll get a blog going too.
Until then, love you all dearly, jonathan dick