Senegalese PARADISE

Hello all!

I'm here! I made it! Our first two days were at the Georgetown Holiday Inn, sleeping in exceptionally comfortable beds and taking ridiculously hot showers. Many of you will be pleased to hear I have already continued my string of awkward first impressions with my Peace Corps group here. One of our ice breakers included a skit about rules and regulations, and my theatrical contribution involved me being the "PEACE CORPS EXPECTATIONS FAIRY." And obviously, that was my voluntary addition to the skit. So I think that's who I am to most people here now. But that's okay. I'm sure each of you have your own special stories about the first time you met me also. And we're still friends. Right? Right? Anyway.


After a sleepless flight where I had the opportunity to watch both "Burlesque" starring Christina Aguilera and Cher and "Kate and Wills: A Royal Love Story," I finally arrived in this paradise land. And it is a paradise, at least at the moment! We boarded onto Peace Corps buses upon exiting the airport and wound our way through Dakar and the surrounding cities. Everything reminded me of Uganda, except signs were written in French, so everything just seems more EXOTIC and EXCITING! And I couldn't help but be overcome with African memories when I smelled that distinct scent of burning trash in the air. I'm BACK!

But seriously, perhaps it was my sleep deprived delirium or an effect of the (DELICIOUS WAY TO GO SOUTH AFRICAN AIR) airline food, but as we drove beneath the sunrise, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was in exactly the right place doing exactly what I need to be doing. Not in an overarching destiny sense really, but definitely in the sense that this is exactly what I want to do right now.

I fully acknowledge that these feelings may change at any moment.

BUT the feelings of goodness and happiness and love were supplanted today at the Peace Corps Training Center in Thies, aka SENEGALESE PARADISE! We spent the morning lounging in the perfect combination of gentle heat and a light breeze in a giant gazebo, occasionally taking breaks to do things like play beach volleyball or have an hour long drum and dance session with all of our teachers and local children or eat delicious food that contains no threat of dangerous parasites. SENEGALESE. PARADISE.

I mean, I am very aware that I am experiencing a "honeymoon phase" and these feelings may change at any moment to something boring and routine, like the second year of marriage, or 7th grade. But in the words of the noble Michael Kaiser, I AM GOING TO MAKE MY HONEYMOON LAST AS LONG AS I CAN. In Senegalese Paradise.

So basically, I made it to Senegal. I made weight on my bags and made it on the plane and didn't miss the bus and even received vaccinations with a smile this morning. Everyone here with me seems really fun and cool, and hey, they have not ostracized me after my first impression being "I'm the Peace Corps Core Expectations Fairy!", so I mean, good people. The next few days look to be filled with gentle adjustment, lots of downtime, and starting to learn things in a classroom like setting.

So I'm going to get back to sitting in my giant gazebo. Did I mention that this gazebo, the centerpiece of our compound, is legitimately named "The Disco Hut?" Yes. More validation that fate brought me to the correct country.

Love you all! Here is my address for things... send me yours! And I'm also posting these on my blog, there are some older (irrelevent because I wasn't in Senegal) entries there. Its address is lisadidwhat.blogspot.com



Address for first 8 weeks of training (aprox. 3-9-11 through 5-9-11)
Lisa Floran

Corps de la Paix

B.P. 299

Thies, Senegal

West Africa



I would end this note with a typical Senegalese greeting but I'm trying not to become a Senegalese culture tool... yet. So instead, I'll just say SENEGALESE PARADISE!

love,
Lisa