(Crazy Hair guy on Left)I just got back from a lovely weekend in Dakar, Senegal. It was time for the WAIST softball tournament again and this time we had a team organized and ready to go and yes, we even practiced. Last year we were put into the Competative League and had a negative run differencial of -89 runs. (Don't remind me). But this year, we went into the Social league and only lost 2 of our 5 games, and those 2 teams we lost to were the Champions of this year, the Mauitania Peace Corps Pirates (lost by one run), and the Champions of last year, Sengal 3 (teenage Senegalese, who are natural born athletes, we lost by only three runs). So really, I think this made us the third best team in the social league. And definately most improved. We had +29 run differencial this year. YEAH! The loss to Senegal 3 was a hard one. It was the quarter final playoffs. We were up by 7 runs at one point and then they hammered us with a couple grand slams and then they kept rushing the field to celebrate and time slipped away and the umps called the game and we were down by 3 and I slumped to the ground and wanted to cry. We spent a lot of time and effort putting this team together, especially Doug Tyson, Ryan Smith and Tyler Ward and myself and everyone else who came and played for Gambia. We really represented our country well and earned a lot of respect from the local expats and Peace Corps countries, so to lose to one of the best and hardest teams was acceptable, but it didn't help the sting of defeat. However, life goes on and I heard that the RPCV's in DC get together and have their own RPCV WAIST every March. So watch out DC, March 2010, I'm coming to town. I have softball fever and it won't go away! besides that, Dakar was nice, I was so busy with organizing our team that I didnt get much downtime to sight see. We went to Goree Island and dined at a Cape Verdian place downtown that was AWESOME and found a gelato ice cream that was DOUBLY AWESOME. They had Obama cookies as one of their flavors. Obama is like a brand name here in West Africa. "Video" stores and Salons and what not have renamed themselves after Barack Obama. I dont know how his popularity is going over in the states, but here, he's HUGE. Work has slowed for me as I am slowly transferring sites. Nothing is set in stone and I dont know when the switch will be permanent. So, I'm going back and forth and looking for some vacation ideas. Morrocco, South Africa, Tanzania...if only...
