i'd bless the heck out of some rain...

hey all,

this is going to be quick because I don';t have much time.

Greetings from The Gambia! Its Sunday night and I am at the Peace Corps office near Banjul. We have been here for 4 days, and have been kept busy busy the whole time. Upon arrival, we were whisked to a compound where we were given dinner, and then we all crashed in bed.
the next day, we began language classes. here, greetings are lengthy and very important, so we are learning the greetings in each of the three main languages, Mandinka, Wolof, and Pulaar. this was hard because they each translate to about the same thing in english, but the languages are completely separate, and each phrase has a response, and you can't mix them up, which i often did. so, greetings all began with wishing each other peace, then one person asks the other how they are doing, how their family is, how their work is, how the morning is, how they slept, etc. the other person just answers, and the answers are all pretty much translate to "fine." then, you switch, and the person who was answering asks all the questions. you must do this with everyone you meet, even if all you want is to buy a tomato or ask a question. so it takes awhile.

the next day, we learned which language we would be learning more fully for when we are at our site. I will be learning Mandinka, which is the largest ethnic group. Other than hours of language cramming we have been getting shots, discussing conceptions and misconceptions, and getting breifed about what to expect next. we haven't left the compound much other than to go on a big white person expedition to the grocery store. i'm anxious to be more independant!!

things feel similar to east africa, and the smells are the same.

outtie. love you all.