I want you all to make your best Ninja noise!

We had a Pizza/Game night with our two Pre-Intermediate Level English classes.  This started because I learned that one of my students from Chad has never eaten pizza in his life.  I seriously could not believe it so I couldn't in good conscience end classes this session without them having had pizza. 

The pizza was good but what was even better were the games that we played... 
Honey- if you love me, you'll smile and Ninja were the best two of the evening. 

Enjoy these video clips to give you an idea of how fun our evening was.  We really do love these students and most of them are returning in the second session with us starting up in April!

This game was a serious hit!  I wish I could upload all of the videos because they are hilarious!  Brings you back to your youth group days, eh?

I have high hopes that this game will take Africa by storm!

Please continue to lift up our students and ask for opportunities to share more than English and games!  :)

Highlights of my job :)

So it has taken quite a bit longer to get to this point than I initially thought it would but I can honestly say that I'm enjoying (most aspects) of life here.  I mean, I think that I'll miss people from back home and the convenience of a Chick-fil-a until the day I return but there are lots of little things that make life here, as Amanda would say, fantastic :) 

Here are a couple highlights:

This is teaching English at its best folks! What I lack in training to do this, He has certianly made up for with passion :)  By the time I leave class every day, I'm seriously covered in chalk!

The students want to learn English and I have so much fun with them!  This particular day we were going over body parts and I decided to draw a person so they could practice.  That person, I told them, was Amanda.  We labeled her.  It's truly amazing how far they have come in so little time.  I really was scared out of my mind the first day of class but now things are pretty smooth!  Also, we're making our way through (in English, French and Wolof) the best story ever told in class! It's truly a blessing to teach these guys! 

We had a game night for the University English students that we teach.  We played charades, scrabble, and Never Have I Ever.  The games were a hit and it was so much fun to see the students out of their serious element- just to cut back and let loose with them. 

Peeping Toubabs

Amanda and I can look out our bedroom window and the apartment complex adjacent to us is unfinished.  However, there is a family that has taken up residence on the second floor.  Amanda was the first to become infatuated with watching this family.  There is a little girl who would walk out on the ledge (this would NOT be okay in America) and play with the rocks, throw the rocks off the ledge into neighbor's houses, brush her teeth, put a bucket on her head and yell out fish names (like the fish sellers in the streets), etc.  We were stricken with this little girl.

So sometimes the mom would come out.  Amanda noticed that she was pregnant.  This made us really happy to know that a second child who would be as cute as the first was on it's way.  So we've been watching this family for a while now.  We've been careful not to be seen.  Hence the name - Peeping Toubabs (foreigners). 

One day, as we are driving along, Amanda (being the CIA agent that she is) sees this family selling peanuts not too far from our house.  So then, anonymously, we start buying their peanuts because we love them.  We give the girl candy.  The first time we gave it to her, she smiled a huge smile and said, "Ca va? Merci" (How are you?  Thank you).  So we continued to go.  But after that, something changed and instead of being happy to see us, she would immediately start wailing.  We were so upset because we love this child... haha!  We just continued to give her candy each time.. Pavlov's classical conditioning at it's finest!

Another time, I decided to call her name from our window.  It was hilarious because each time I did it - she went into a room looking for her mom because I imitated her mom's voice pretty good :)

Soon afterwards, we heard a newborn baby's cry.  We were so excited!  So we decided to meet this family formally and the way to do it was to bring the baby a gift :)  I consulted our language teacher on exactly what to say to make us seem less the creepers that we are.  I had an entire speech ready.  "Hello, how are you?  We are your neighbors.  My name is Mariama.  This is Aminata.  We would like to get to know you.  We brought a gift for the baby."  So we knock on the door concrete wall that serves as the entrance to their house and the little girl comes down the stairs.  Luckily, she didn't start crying but just announced to her mom still above that it was the toubabs.  So the mom leans over the balcony and tells us she doesn't understand Wolof.  We were devastated!  There was no way to communicate because they are from another country in West Africa.  We gave her the baby gift and I was able to say in French "gift for baby" but we left disappointed we couldn't get to know them.

We call our language teacher (aka person to call for anything and everything) and tell her the situation.  So we decide that someone in the family must know Wolof.  We set a day and time for her to go with us to where they sell peanuts and find out who speaks Wolof.  Luckily, the mom's brother and husband both speak Wolof so we were able to sit down with them for a while and talk.  The little girl is still scared of us but we learned alot about her - the funniest is that she would brag to her parents that "she had toubabs that give her candy" and that she likes to be called "toubab" because her skin is light.  We had a great time with them!  I got to hold the newborn baby and we learned his name and I invited us to the naming ceremony.. haha!  There are advantages to living in such a forward country- I can invite us to things :) 

Today, we were walking to go catch a taxi and we passed by them and just said hello and waved.  Next thing we know, the little girl is running after us with her uncle.  So we give her candy!  The uncle says to us, "She was upset because the toubabs passed by without giving her candy.."  haha!  I looked at Amanda and said, "You know we're going to have to keep this up for the next 1.5 years!"  We don't mind.  We're just happy that the little girl loves us too.  They say that money can't buy love... well, we've discovered that candy can! :)

Sometimes I wonder...

... when exactly my quota of "maximum number of awesome people allowed in one's life" will be hit.. 


If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely LOVE reminiscing.  I always have and probably always will.  So naturally, with a lot of down time on my hands recently (thank you, elections), instead of doing something productive like study language, I look at pictures.  [I'll study soon... promise!]  While this probably does not help in any way, shape or form the fact that I miss these people like crazy, it is just a reminder, once again, of the fact that I am blessed to have so many truly amazing people in my life.


So here's a fun trip down memory lane - some of my all time favorite pictures!  From 2009 onward (because if I went any further back this would be even  more ridiculous.. plus these past three years have been my favorite!)   :)

I've been blessed with a great group of girls both from P-lak and Tally!  Caro's wedding was definitely one of the funnest!

And next up:  Audranator's wedding! Look at those lovely, store-bought flowers ;)

Who can forget P.R?  Team Marty won the Frappe race! :)

V for Victory!  This goes down in the books as all-time, best-planned, best-executed prank!

And just more pranking...  Martin's yard got it good that night!

"I saw the train, which looked like a train.. which was strange.."

Orlando, 2009

One of my favorite pictures..  

"Don't Stop Believing"

This week forever changed my life.  I'm so grateful that He used this time to open my eyes to what a great, big world we live in.  Haiti 2009

 

When I came out of the lovely "funk period" as my friends called it, we decided to hike part of the AT.  I have no idea what in the world I was thinking.  That was pure torture.  Exercise in it's most evil form.

One of my favorite pics.  Four of my favorite people.  <3 you Satchers!

 

And this started the first annual Friend Christmas Card pictures! 



And then there was that one time that Chachi got paid to just hit the ball.. I almost got kicked out because they thought I wasn't old enough to play...  Ashley got to run down Pi woman... and Brittany.. well, let's just say you're the best athlete TRBC has ever seen!

Doing what we do best!  Being absolutely stupid.  And man, I wish I had brought my footie PJ's over ;)

 

Indo..  Loved this place.  Loved these people.  Part of my heart is still there.

I had the best welcome home crew!

 

Love Game Day with the gals!

Chachi's wedding!  Acting a fool! 

Three of my four nieces!  To the rest of my family - you all need to start letting me take your pictures!

And the 2nd Annual Friend Christmas Card pic!  I'm upset that you all didn't do one this year and crop me in..

The ABSOLUTE love of my life!  Holy cow I miss my Soph Soph!



Some wonderful buddies from training :)

The MONSTER has purchased her plane ticket to come see me!  I'm beyond stoked and counting down the days...

Well, if you've survived this little trip down memory lane, congratulations!  Thanks for letting me indulge in remembering of some great times..  I'm making a lot of new memories here and now - brand new faces, scenery, smells, you name it..  It's all different.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything :)  See you all in 1.5 years!  I'm just a Skype call away!

It looks like there was an earthquake!

Once again, I've waited too long to post so this will be completely all over the place.


Sherrill's daughter and friend came to visit her so Amanda and I went with them to Goree Island the first day they were here.  This was the first time that we have gotten to see reactions from brand new people within hours of them being here.  It was really fun to laugh and re-live through them our shock upon first entering. It is amazing how quickly you adjust and get used to your surroundings.  I've forgotten how crazy this place seems upon first arrival.  Case in point, Sherrill's daughter says (referring to a section of town that is crowded, insane, sewage in the streets, just all over filth):  "It looks like there was an earthquake."  We also had fun in town with them right before the left.  What do you do when you have 5 people who need to go somewhere?  Do it African style.  Squeeze into the taxi. 

Don't worry.  I made sure to lock the [not-so] trustworthy doors incase it decided it wanted to open mid-ride.

Next up.  Our classes have begun and are now into the third week.  We teach at two different places.  I have a very beginning class at the B center.  I completely underestimated what it takes to prepare for a class where you can't speak either of their languages fluently.  Please try to imagine explaining "Go ahead" (especially to a culture where there is no concept of letting someone else go in front of you...)  So my theatre skills are coming in handy.  I either act out or draw pictures to get the point across and if that fails, the French dictionary comes out.  So my #1 favorite thing- Internet; #2- A fan and #3- French Dictionary.  Just so you understand how high up on the list it is.  At the other center, I teach a Pre-Intermediate class so they have a good English base which is really nice.  I'm also REALLY excited because hopefully the next round of classes at the B Center, we will get to do a kid's club which is my absolute favorite!!!  It is really nice to be "finished" with formal language study and actually feel like we're being "useful" here now.  Here are some fun pictures:

Gary - working hard :)  Please notice the circa 1873 computer! haha

A few of our students and the guard for the center :)

Class picture at the B Center our company owns! :)  [Missing a couple people]

And here is the Pre-Intermediate class that I teach!  I'm missing a couple girls.  These guys are a blast to teach!

Teaching English is hard but it's worth it!  My students make me laugh every single day and I think I entertain them thoroughly with my terrible pronounciation of French and my toddler-ish Wolof.  Getting laughed at is just part of the package deal but it's all good.. I just laugh at myself with them.

We tried to visit with our "family" here but most of them were out of town in the village so we just talked to the dad outside for a bit and petted his sheep.  He takes the best care of the sheep and they are really sweet!  It is really refreshing to find someone who cares for their animals and doesn't drag them by the feet/horns/etc.  This one, Beatty, gives you "kisses."  We are heading back over Friday to spend the day with them and hopefully share some stories about a great Shepherd :)

Cooking with Chef Mariama Ndiaye

Here is what we have discovered in our months of cooking:

1.  Planning a single meal takes a ton of preparation.
2.  Planning dinner starts that morning.  There is literally no "whipping anything up."
3.  We go on a daily scavenger hunt to collect items for this said dinner.
4.  Remember to unthaw any frozen items necessary for meal, be that bread, meat, cheese or something else. No unthaw = no meal.  Learned this the hard way several times (ie peanut butter for Amanda and fruit rollups for me as dinner). 
5.  Now you must wash and cut everything and then you can cook!  It seems like it ends up becoming an all-day affair.

We cooked fajitas tonight.  I laughed as I thought about the fact that the only time in my life I have ever cooked fajitas is if the stuff already comes frozen in a bag and you just dump that mess onto a skillet and voila!  Literally, unless eating out, everything I ever cooked before was pre-packaged in a bag, box, or can. Now we have to go around this city to find items, prepare them and cook.  As much more prep time goes into a meal here, there are definite advantages.  I have found, that contrary to my previous belief, fresh is better.  This was first discovered in the area of green beans.  I do not think I had ever eaten green beans not out of a can.  I had certainly never snapped green beans in my life.  The best thing, by far, about cooking is when it's all said and done, you sit down to eat and it actually tastes good.  It's just an instant reward for all the time and effort put into it. 

There are several wonderful ladies here that have given us a lot of pointers on how to cook.  I am forever grateful that we've moved past the days of baguettes, cereal and other random assorted items for meals. 

In case you were wondering, we've mastered:  tacos, chicken pot pie, potato soup, fajitas, homemade pizza, as well as breakfast items and desserts.  Obviously, we've got a long way to go still but we've made a great start. 

Also, an apron is now part of my wardrobe. Who am I?

Enjoy :)

It's been a week since the candidates were announced for the upcoming election.  We've had to be cautious at times and so last weekend I had a lot of time on my hands.  I decided to spend some time making my first video :)  I hope this gives you a glimpse into what life looks like here!