Sand Between My Toes

Friday, October10

This town—like all of Senegal that I have seen so far--is sand. There’s no grass or lawn in Bayagh and hardly any trees. My family’s house is on a sand alley. There is a big empty sand lot behind the house, not sure if it’s my family’s property or not. That’s where the kids gather to play soccer and lots of chickens hang out. And that’s where my “dad” parks his truck. (Yes, he has a 4-wheel drive pickup!) The lot, like all lots and roads and alley’s in town and covered with trash: plastic, rags, paper, etc.… so I’ve decided that my secondary project will be designed around cleanup and recycling. I already have an idea for a marketing plan. I’m going to write a children’s story in Wolof called “Muus ci Mbuus” that translates to—not the Cat in the Hat, but-- the Cat in the Plastic Bag. You can only imagine what kind of adventures he will have.

So the house sits in the midst of the sand and the trash. It’s stucco and tile. It's one story though there’s a stairway inside that seems to lead to a roof deck around an unfinished second story. There’s a walled in foyer at the front door with a big wooden door. Inside the house, the floors are all tile, though the living room floor is covered with rugs. There’s a big comfy red leather chair with tall red leather benches on both sides.

The content of this blog does not reflect the thoughts, philosophy or beliefs of the U.S. Peace Corps. The opinions are those of the author alone.