Here are pictures from Tabaski. Basically it's a holiday where you get to kill, prep and eat lots and lots of meat. God what I wouldn't have given for some bar-b-que sauce. I got to celebrate the first day (slaughter day) twice because it started in a different day on the second village I went to. So yay for me. Since I'm unfortunately an infidel I couldn't actually slaughter any sheep myself but I was able to help skin them and butcher them which was pretty great. Pretty sure I could dress a carcass on my own now. Maybe I'll take up hunting when I get back to the states... although I've only shot one animal in my life and it was with a BB Gun.. and it was a rat... and it was a mother and I cried a little bit and almost threw up because of what I did... I was like tweleve. But I don't feel so bad if I know I'm actually going to be processing and eating the meat myself. Better than what they do to them at the farms right? Anyways... I guess just enjoy the photo's!... oh yeah, I also got renamed again and now I actually have a family that I can communicate with and no sisters trying to molest me! My new name is Alioune Niang and I am a Walla Walla Wolof. Pretty sweet right?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Malcolm
My BFF/Hetero-lifepartner/Manpanion had his baby! Now let's all pray for the little guy that he'll be happy healthy and not look anything like his goofy looking father!
Another Quick Blog
Here's a great article I found about the new youth political party here in Mauritania. Good stuff.
Also, I just got another package recently. Thanks to all my aunts and uncles and cousins and parents (okay really just my mom! cause you still need to send me a package dad!) and thank you Damion, Colton, Nikayla, Isaac, Little Chris, and Aunt Pam for the letters. I promise I'll write back soon!
But for now... enjoy this article.
Youth political party in Mauritania calls for tolerance and fighting extremism
2008-11-10
The president of a new political party for young people in Mauritania speaks to Magharebia about his group's stance on critical issues facing his country.
Interview by Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 10/11/08
[Mohamed Wedoud] Union of Democratic Youth President Jeddou Ould Ahmad says his new party will stand against terrorism, violence and ignorance.
The Union of Democratic Youth is the latest addition to Mauritania's political life. According to the union's leader, the new political party will stand against terrorism, violence and ignorance. Party president Jeddou Ould Ahmad spoke to Magharebia about his goals for the new organisation.
Magharebia: When did you first think of setting up a political party for youth?
Jeddou Ould Ahmad: The idea came two years ago, but the field activities began nearly a year ago. We managed to attract a good number well-educated youth; including doctors, teachers, engineers, students and other marginalised youth. There is no space for that segment of society, which constitutes society's backbone. Young people make up 70% of Mauritania’s population.
Magharebia: The party is a first in the country. What is the agenda of the youth party?
Ould Ahmad: Reinforcing values of democracy, respecting human rights, fighting violence, extremism, terrorism, racism, tribal and national fanaticism. We will empower patriotism and moderate Islamic values, and will work to ensure equal opportunities among men and women, particularly in fields of science, work and family life. We should not forget to encourage the use of foreign languages alongside Arabic – especially English, as it is the most widely spoken language worldwide.
Magharebia: Among the party objectives, you mentioned fighting extremism among youth. What is your strategy to achieve that end?
Ould Ahmad: True, the party seeks to fight all forms of extremism, based on the fact that extremism always encourages violence. We have relied on a number of means which include; organising seminars, distributing handouts, encouraging dialogue to end crises, and adopting consultancy to take all key decisions, while working to develop our manner in that regard using all possible means.
Magharebia: Do you plan on co-ordinating with Maghreb youth to exchange visions and experiences?
Ould Ahmad: Naturally, we welcome all efforts that seek to develop youth, especially efforts triggered by brotherly Maghreb states, with which we share religious, cultural, historic, geographic and political links. In the meantime, we also extend a hand of friendship to global youth who strive to spread the culture of peace and tolerance regardless of colour, ethnicity or belief.
Magharebia: What is your stance toward the national political arena after the toppling of former President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi by the military?
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Ould Ahmad: We are against coups and military intervention in political affairs to begin with. Nonetheless, we did support this latest intervention to create a chance to amend some articles in our constitution, especially those related to the powers of the head of state, at the expense of other authorities (legislative and executive).
On the other hand, I believe that General Mohamed Ould Abdul Aziz managed in a short period of time to reach significant achievements to improve citizens’ living conditions. We are equally against foreign intervention in our domestic affairs, because those who stand to suffer the most are the Mauritanian people. At the same time, we are demanding the release of former President Abdellahi.
Magharebia: What is your message to Maghreb youth in general?
Ould Ahmad: Our message to Maghreb youth stresses the need for joint action to achieve progress towards a union of Maghreb states; and collaborating in order to reinforce values of democracy and respecting human rights in the larger Maghreb region in an atmosphere that knows no violence, terrorism, or extremism. In addition, establishing a youth forum to bring closer the views of Arab Muslim youth and all nations of the world to spread the spirit of peace, tolerance, and respecting others, which will lead to achieving progress and prosperity in serving humanity.
Also, I just got another package recently. Thanks to all my aunts and uncles and cousins and parents (okay really just my mom! cause you still need to send me a package dad!) and thank you Damion, Colton, Nikayla, Isaac, Little Chris, and Aunt Pam for the letters. I promise I'll write back soon!
But for now... enjoy this article.
Youth political party in Mauritania calls for tolerance and fighting extremism
2008-11-10
The president of a new political party for young people in Mauritania speaks to Magharebia about his group's stance on critical issues facing his country.
Interview by Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 10/11/08
[Mohamed Wedoud] Union of Democratic Youth President Jeddou Ould Ahmad says his new party will stand against terrorism, violence and ignorance.
The Union of Democratic Youth is the latest addition to Mauritania's political life. According to the union's leader, the new political party will stand against terrorism, violence and ignorance. Party president Jeddou Ould Ahmad spoke to Magharebia about his goals for the new organisation.
Magharebia: When did you first think of setting up a political party for youth?
Jeddou Ould Ahmad: The idea came two years ago, but the field activities began nearly a year ago. We managed to attract a good number well-educated youth; including doctors, teachers, engineers, students and other marginalised youth. There is no space for that segment of society, which constitutes society's backbone. Young people make up 70% of Mauritania’s population.
Magharebia: The party is a first in the country. What is the agenda of the youth party?
Ould Ahmad: Reinforcing values of democracy, respecting human rights, fighting violence, extremism, terrorism, racism, tribal and national fanaticism. We will empower patriotism and moderate Islamic values, and will work to ensure equal opportunities among men and women, particularly in fields of science, work and family life. We should not forget to encourage the use of foreign languages alongside Arabic – especially English, as it is the most widely spoken language worldwide.
Magharebia: Among the party objectives, you mentioned fighting extremism among youth. What is your strategy to achieve that end?
Ould Ahmad: True, the party seeks to fight all forms of extremism, based on the fact that extremism always encourages violence. We have relied on a number of means which include; organising seminars, distributing handouts, encouraging dialogue to end crises, and adopting consultancy to take all key decisions, while working to develop our manner in that regard using all possible means.
Magharebia: Do you plan on co-ordinating with Maghreb youth to exchange visions and experiences?
Ould Ahmad: Naturally, we welcome all efforts that seek to develop youth, especially efforts triggered by brotherly Maghreb states, with which we share religious, cultural, historic, geographic and political links. In the meantime, we also extend a hand of friendship to global youth who strive to spread the culture of peace and tolerance regardless of colour, ethnicity or belief.
Magharebia: What is your stance toward the national political arena after the toppling of former President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi by the military?
Related Articles
Mauritania: return to military rule
2008-08-06
Morocco's Lemerre announces final squad for Mauritania qualifier
2008-09-30
Moroccan Hicham Hamdouchi Shares Lead at African Individual Chess Championship
2005-06-28
Mauritania's Ely Ould Mohamed Vall vows to fight terrorism, maintain relations with Israel
2005-10-10
Exiles from Mauritania return home under amnesty plan
2005-09-13
Ould Ahmad: We are against coups and military intervention in political affairs to begin with. Nonetheless, we did support this latest intervention to create a chance to amend some articles in our constitution, especially those related to the powers of the head of state, at the expense of other authorities (legislative and executive).
On the other hand, I believe that General Mohamed Ould Abdul Aziz managed in a short period of time to reach significant achievements to improve citizens’ living conditions. We are equally against foreign intervention in our domestic affairs, because those who stand to suffer the most are the Mauritanian people. At the same time, we are demanding the release of former President Abdellahi.
Magharebia: What is your message to Maghreb youth in general?
Ould Ahmad: Our message to Maghreb youth stresses the need for joint action to achieve progress towards a union of Maghreb states; and collaborating in order to reinforce values of democracy and respecting human rights in the larger Maghreb region in an atmosphere that knows no violence, terrorism, or extremism. In addition, establishing a youth forum to bring closer the views of Arab Muslim youth and all nations of the world to spread the spirit of peace, tolerance, and respecting others, which will lead to achieving progress and prosperity in serving humanity.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Quick Blog About Obama...
Just read this article first ARTICLE
Anyways... I feel like America has finally come full circle since 9-11. On 9-11 and 9-12 all the newspapers around the world proudly declared, "We Are All Americans". Since that time which seems so long ago our current administration has done nothing but mismanage our country domestically and internationally squandering all of the support and solidarity the rest of the world had for us. Not since then, and before then probably not since the end of World War II has the world been so solidly consolidated and happily backing the United States. I can't explain to you the unique pleasure of being in Africa and walking around on the streets with every person I encountering me lighting up and shouting congratulations to me just because I'm an American right now. Thank God Obama one.
on a less positive note...
Thank God that idiot Palin isn't our Vice President Elect. What a F'n Joke.
Anyways... I feel like America has finally come full circle since 9-11. On 9-11 and 9-12 all the newspapers around the world proudly declared, "We Are All Americans". Since that time which seems so long ago our current administration has done nothing but mismanage our country domestically and internationally squandering all of the support and solidarity the rest of the world had for us. Not since then, and before then probably not since the end of World War II has the world been so solidly consolidated and happily backing the United States. I can't explain to you the unique pleasure of being in Africa and walking around on the streets with every person I encountering me lighting up and shouting congratulations to me just because I'm an American right now. Thank God Obama one.
on a less positive note...
Thank God that idiot Palin isn't our Vice President Elect. What a F'n Joke.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Three Things!
First of all I want to thank my mom and all of my aunts and uncles and cousins and grandmothers who have been sending me packages.
Second I wanted to share and article that illustrates just why it's so appreciated and important for people to send me food!
Mauritania deports 139 illegal Gambian migrants
APA - Nouakchott (Mauritania) Mauritania on Friday deported 139 Gambians who were attempting to travel illegally to the Canary Islands, official sources said here.
The illegal migrants were intercepted Friday morning by a coastguard vessel of the gendarmerie off the Mauritanian coast after leaving Banjul six days ago.
All the returnees left Nouakchott, except one 24-year-old young man suffering from acute diarrhoea.
For the past few years, Mauritania has been the first target of thousands of sub-Saharan as they attempt to reach Spain or other countries in Europe.\
http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=77486
Yes, Even the African's in Mauritania get Diarrhea so badly that they can't be deported!
Third, last night was the first night where it actually got cold enough that I could wear my Chief's pajama pants, put a sheet over me and by 5 in the morning I even needed to put my University of Puget Sound hoodie to be warm and comfy. We are finally approaching the 'cold' season. Although cold is relative seeing as we were all shivering yesterday morning when we checked and found out the temperature was a freezing 77 degrees at 7 in the AM.
Second I wanted to share and article that illustrates just why it's so appreciated and important for people to send me food!
Mauritania deports 139 illegal Gambian migrants
APA - Nouakchott (Mauritania) Mauritania on Friday deported 139 Gambians who were attempting to travel illegally to the Canary Islands, official sources said here.
The illegal migrants were intercepted Friday morning by a coastguard vessel of the gendarmerie off the Mauritanian coast after leaving Banjul six days ago.
All the returnees left Nouakchott, except one 24-year-old young man suffering from acute diarrhoea.
For the past few years, Mauritania has been the first target of thousands of sub-Saharan as they attempt to reach Spain or other countries in Europe.\
http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=77486
Yes, Even the African's in Mauritania get Diarrhea so badly that they can't be deported!
Third, last night was the first night where it actually got cold enough that I could wear my Chief's pajama pants, put a sheet over me and by 5 in the morning I even needed to put my University of Puget Sound hoodie to be warm and comfy. We are finally approaching the 'cold' season. Although cold is relative seeing as we were all shivering yesterday morning when we checked and found out the temperature was a freezing 77 degrees at 7 in the AM.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Oh.. how'd I forget these!
Forgot to post our swear in day pics. Here they are. PS-thanks for the package Vicki!
Time Out in the Village...
Here's something I wrote under a tree in Ganni.
Sitting alone on a woven mat under the tree and reading some random book I was quietly approached by two children, an older sister and a younger brother. No older than 7 and 5.
It was in America I might call a 'quiet' spring afternoon. Anything but noiseless, with no less than seven species of birds chirping their hearts out in the tree above me. Goats were of course loudly crying out to each other as annoyingly as possible just to hear each their own voices. I think they might actually be so stupid as to think they are dead if they can't hear their own bleating. Like a spring afternoon in America, their was nothing of silence but the simple surprising harmony of the cumulative sounds and the tranquility of the surroundings. It was reminiscent of sitting next to my dad's pond with a line out in the water. The sum of the noise creating a sort of enchanting or perhaps endearing quiet.
Anyways, I'm rambling... it was a nice day! So the brother and sister came up silently behind me while I was reading. When I realized they were there I turned and saw their hands already timidly outstretched to me. There was no fear of this stranger only a kind of wonder as they stared hesitantly at my white face and quizzically at my tattoo. I took both of their hands and greeted them first, as is customary, in Arabic then in Wolof, their mother tongue. I let go of their hands and asked them how they were doing in French. They just continued to stare at me silently.
The sister wore a bright white and yellow dress made of light cotton that danced in the breeze. A breeze which in America might seem more akin to a warm furnace blast, but here we call it a cool breeze. The wind made the loose ends of the dress dance in a playful manner that starkly contrasted the unmoving resolve and serious manner on the sister's face. It was the resolve of a seven year old girl to go over to complete stranger dragging her brother along to shake his hand... As silently as they came to me they turned and left, I said peace only in Wolof, a customary good-bye, to them and the little boy turned around. Throughout the whole encounter he had seemed totally unsure about me and the whole situation that his older sister had dragged him into. As I said good-bye he turned to me and smiled at me. He continued on for a little bit, then turned and waved and smiled again several times; each time running to catch back up with this sister who didn't wait for him to stop until they turned down the path.
Even though the exchange transversed three languages, more was said and passed on in the strong resolve on the face of the girl who led her brother hesitantly to greet a toubab and the final relaxed accepting smile and wave of the young boy. Sitting here under the tree contemplating this meeting, I realized while I have no idea what I'm supposed to be accomplishing, this is what I'm supposed to be doing here. In this little encounter I accomplished two of the three goals of the Peace Corps and I can say if this was all I was ever able to accomplish each day or even once each week I would consider my service successful.
Sitting alone on a woven mat under the tree and reading some random book I was quietly approached by two children, an older sister and a younger brother. No older than 7 and 5.
It was in America I might call a 'quiet' spring afternoon. Anything but noiseless, with no less than seven species of birds chirping their hearts out in the tree above me. Goats were of course loudly crying out to each other as annoyingly as possible just to hear each their own voices. I think they might actually be so stupid as to think they are dead if they can't hear their own bleating. Like a spring afternoon in America, their was nothing of silence but the simple surprising harmony of the cumulative sounds and the tranquility of the surroundings. It was reminiscent of sitting next to my dad's pond with a line out in the water. The sum of the noise creating a sort of enchanting or perhaps endearing quiet.
Anyways, I'm rambling... it was a nice day! So the brother and sister came up silently behind me while I was reading. When I realized they were there I turned and saw their hands already timidly outstretched to me. There was no fear of this stranger only a kind of wonder as they stared hesitantly at my white face and quizzically at my tattoo. I took both of their hands and greeted them first, as is customary, in Arabic then in Wolof, their mother tongue. I let go of their hands and asked them how they were doing in French. They just continued to stare at me silently.
The sister wore a bright white and yellow dress made of light cotton that danced in the breeze. A breeze which in America might seem more akin to a warm furnace blast, but here we call it a cool breeze. The wind made the loose ends of the dress dance in a playful manner that starkly contrasted the unmoving resolve and serious manner on the sister's face. It was the resolve of a seven year old girl to go over to complete stranger dragging her brother along to shake his hand... As silently as they came to me they turned and left, I said peace only in Wolof, a customary good-bye, to them and the little boy turned around. Throughout the whole encounter he had seemed totally unsure about me and the whole situation that his older sister had dragged him into. As I said good-bye he turned to me and smiled at me. He continued on for a little bit, then turned and waved and smiled again several times; each time running to catch back up with this sister who didn't wait for him to stop until they turned down the path.
Even though the exchange transversed three languages, more was said and passed on in the strong resolve on the face of the girl who led her brother hesitantly to greet a toubab and the final relaxed accepting smile and wave of the young boy. Sitting here under the tree contemplating this meeting, I realized while I have no idea what I'm supposed to be accomplishing, this is what I'm supposed to be doing here. In this little encounter I accomplished two of the three goals of the Peace Corps and I can say if this was all I was ever able to accomplish each day or even once each week I would consider my service successful.
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