So the next day we have to be @ PC HQ at 9. So everyone has to be up and at em by 730ish. Im feeling ok at this point as its a new day and i dont feel that awful. There were definetly people who were feeling the chinese booze so i though i was doing ok. We head out by 830 and make it to the HQ by 9, good for us as the rest of the trainees weren't going to get there till 930 as they were coming from Thies. So we get to hang out in the HQ til they get there. I guess the building is pretty brand spanking new as it just opened in january. The doors to get into the building could probably withstand some minor artillery fire which was interesting to see and heavy as all hell to open. So the rest of the group gets there and we meet a woman from the embassy who gave us some paperwork to fill out. She also took anybodies absentee ballot to send back in the states as a plane was heading back state side this evening. So my ballot is in transit as we speak which is good as itll get there with plenty of time. (hopefully)
We have to sit through a couple speakers from members of the HQ's staff. Kinda boring but important none the less. Its about this point that i really start to feel like shit. Not like sick as i was the previous day, but just headache and body ache. SO i sit through this and then have to wander around the HQ getting different members of the staffs signatures in a demi scavenger hunt. At this point im just lookin forward to getting out of there and getting my police report filed so as to get my money reimbursed and back to Thies to sleep and recoup. So once this little hunt for signatures is over, during which i find out that some of the SEDers in our group are using the info everyone gave them to make a list of everyones name number and location to sell to everybody. How nice right, makes me hate capitalism some times, everyone trying to make a buck. had i know that thats what they were using the info for, and had told me i wouldnt have given them it. Really pissed my off as i was already in a shitty mood. I mean come on selling us our own info back wtf? Whatever im not buying it.
Anyway we finish up the hunt and are getting ready to leave when i find out that no ones really that interested in going to file a police report to get our money reimbursed from PC. So im broke, sick, and pissed off for a 'fun' day out in Dakar. Great. The group i end up with ends up getting Indian food for lunch which sucks as thats the last thing im putting into my system to mess things up even further. It did look good for what it was worth, Jenn and Jared are good at finding good things to do. We head to the downtown area after that for the rest of the afternoon. the first stop was n-ice cream ice cream store. Again no money so no ice cream, i think thats the most upset ive been in country, toping even my language frustration. So we wonder round downtown and visit the french cultural center after that and the agricultural store that is one of the best in the country. Thats right across the street from the large toubab super market which was next on the list of things to do. It was really weird to go into as it was like a supermarket youd find in a european country. We mozy round that in awa at the contrast to what weve been seeing in our villages and the like. People end up buying a few things and the other groups end up visiting it as well, kinda funny really.
ONce everyone had had their fill of normalcy, we headed back up the street to the place de independence to wait for the cars to come and get us. Now in downtown Dakar, 40+ toubabs is a beacon to ever peddler and sales hawk to come running and try to get us to buy stupid shit. we were all sitting around the edge of this fountain that was drained, and theyd just walk around the edge of of it trying to get everyone to buy their stuff. Im pretty sure no one did. I suppose youve got to work right, i just dont think i could deal with that rejection really. The cars eventually get there and we all pile in adn head off back to Thies. I crash on the way back and wake up as were leaving Dakar, thats about an hour into the ride! After that i read for the rest of the ride, Flashman, great series.
So yeah were back now, dinner was good and Kevin and I are at Big Faim interneting it up before we study for our Language Proficiency Interview LPI tomorrow morning. I feel like my lang has come along even if it would prob be better if i could practice it more regularly then just in class. We do have alot of class mind you. Ah well i suppose i should study some and im out of beer so back to the center i go.
oh yeah so this week was supposed to be back in thies, but the counterpart workshop is this week. We get to meet the people we will be working with at our sites, which is cool, but because our homestay is close by we get to be bused into thies everyday and bused back every night. I was really looking forward to getting away from Pout for a little, kinda rubbing me the wrong way this past week really. whatever ill just be bitter i guess, anyhoo study study study
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