10/21

so today we spent at the training center doing our LPI's and some cross cultural things in the afternoon. I was going to wake up early and study for my LPI but ended up just getting up at around 7, which was still early really as my test wasnt till 920. So i get my usual breakfast of baguette and chocolate spread/butter and jam. I usually end up eating about a whole baguette of the mix. Not everyone else is up yet, but a good number are up doing the same thing. everyone wants to hit intermediate low to get it out of the way. One girl had already hit it on her first LPI, must have just clicked for her or something. Im thinking that mine will result in me getting novice high more for pity's/my confidences sake. It went ok i was able to describe activities i did in the past ok and the ones i was going to do in the future. I didnt know one of hte questions she asked and still cant ask questions. I just blank cause im staring a language teacher and cant think of what to ask them in these silly little scenarios they give you to prompt you. Ah well ive got one more shot after this to hit intermediate low, and if i dont then i get 'held back' so to speak till i do. If i dont get it in two weeks though, im doneski. So there is definitely incentive to make sure you get there.
After the LPI;s we have break with more baguette and coffee/tea, during which my roommates and I chill in our room listening to music. very nice. We have a session on the counter part workshop that we have this week where demba goes over the logistics of the week. Sounds like itll be interesting, theres close to 80 counterparts coming, 2 for every trainee. No wonder were staying in Pout during the CPW. After this we break up into our different sectors to go over the specifics that each group has to do to get ready. Basically every trainee has to introduce a session in the language that they are learning. should be interesting to see anyway. We also get assignments for different committees for different activities that are going on during. For me im on the welcoming committee from 3-5 tomorrow. I have to show the counterparts to their room and where the essentials are. If they dont speak french or Pullar, im thinking its going to be pretty difficult. I wanted to be on the tea committee as they just had to deliver charcoal and the little grill-esq things that they use to boil the water every day to the counterparts. But since no one was volunteering for the welcoming committee and it was getting to the point where someone was going to be volunteered regardless, i decided to take the fall for the team.
After this is lunch break and before lunch starts, as weve about 1/2 an hour, i decide to get my translation of the intro to my session out of the way. Its rather long, but its done now and lamine, my lang prof, looked it over and made the changes needed to make it make sense. We had a decent lunch today as well. some old rice and veggies, but the meat was a little curry-ie which was a nice change. We are informed about the ideas that are on the table for our stages tee-shirt, i guess every stage gets one. The ideas are ok, im not sure what one i like really. ones a picture of toilet paper with a big crossed out circle around it, with ive converted on the front. The second is PC senegal with the start of our stage on it and on the back is africa fun with three heads on it. the heads would have been demba, chris hendrick and someone else. The last idea was kinda vague, but would incorporate a phrase from each language that we thought was funny.
After lunch, Oliver, Jess, and I go into town to get money. Unfortunately all the banks are closed so i cant go to western Union and pick up the money id been sent. Oliver and Jess were just going to the ATM so it wasnt a problem for them. We end up hoofing it around town eventually ending up at the post office which is also on lunch break till 230 when our next class session started, and then promptly gave up. I make the decision to come back during the next culture session and get it taken care of as we had the staff trainee soccer game right after class in the afternoon. so basically i get back to the center just in time to turn right back round and head off back to the post office. I make it there in about 20min and theres about 4 other people in line ahead of me. Here in Senegal there isnt really line etiquette so to speak, people just bust a move to the front and try to get their business taken care of first. very hard to get used to for americans used to order and the like. SO i get shafted by 2 folk before i get pushy and get to the cashier. It was mildly confusing at first, but once i figured out what the numer-o was she was asking for, everything went smoothly... and it was all in french!! I was so proud of myself for that as im ubber paranoid about how bad my french is. I guess i can get by with the basic interactions at different basic shops/locations.
So i get back to the center in time to hear the end of the lecture on islam in daily life at the disco hut. THe guy talking was definitely english educated, very interesting to hear as most of the trainers are very clearly american trained. We have a break after that and the next session was on senegad or something. It was about Senegalese gender and development. The volunteer from Pout who is good friends with my family. She was told to keep the session short as we had the game directly after it. Thats really what i was looking forward too.
So we all troop over to the stade for the game. Well most everyone does, a few people who weren't interested in playing went into town for the internet. We had to play on the demi-all weather pitch i wrote about earlier which kinda sucked but the game was really fun. I think we got everyone who wanted to play involved in the game. that was the important part in my book really, and i think all the trainers and trainees all had a great time. The game ended up in a 3-3 draw which was totally unexpected as we figured the trainers would steam roll us. It looked like that was on the cards for the first 2/3rds of the game as it wa s2-1 going in to the half and 3-1 afterwards. We got our game together and caught them with the offsides trap a few times and strung some good passes together and got back in it with a fortunate goal and then with some great footwork chris leveled it with 10 min left! This kinda kicked the trainers up the back side a bit and they poured forward. IT kinda reminded me of the england argentina game a few world cup games age when Becks scored a penalty and then they sat on the goal and withstood the storm that rained down on them in the last 20 min. We had some outstanding performances though. In the first half our goalie totally kept us in the game, Tate was a badass and didn't take shit from anyone. The two goals weren't really his fault one was a absolute cracker of a goal upper ninety in the top left from about 20 yards out. Meg Thompson was also kinda a surprise, she played like a pro and totally took the trainers by surprise. So basically it was a great time and i think everyone would be totally down to play again like the trainers were saying after the game.
We all head back to the center in a good mood and have dinner which was great. Fries, salad, and fish. Everyone is kinda itching to go out and head up to pamandas(bar uptown) for drinks. I decide to head up to big faim for a beer and some interneting. Shelia and i go and chill for a bit, get my interneting done and have a beer. We end up chatting for a little bit. We head back to the center and some of the folk who didnt go up to pamandas were watching life aquatic on the projector the SEDers use for their tech training. great movie and i watch it for a bit before heading back to pack up all my stuff so some counterpart can use my armoire and room. Big pain in the ass but what ever.