How many of you who are going to be doctors are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how any of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world? On your willingness to do that, not merely to serve one year or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life o this country, I think will depend the answer whether a free society can complete. I think it can! And I think Americans are willing to contribute. But the effort must be far greater than we have ever made in the past.

-John F. Kennedy

Friday, February 28, 2014

Why Getting WAISTED was Awesome

Every year the American Embassy in Dakar and Peace Corps Senegal hosts the West African International Softball Tournament in Dakar, hypothetically drawing participants from all over the region but in reality mostly ex-pats and volunteers from Senegal.  I was fortunate enough to be able to participate this year.

We take our softball very seriously.
The highlight of the weekend, without a doubt, was our homestay.  Courtney, Anna, and I were placed with the wonderful, generous, cuisine-inclined Ogg family for the weekend.  Not only did we get to stuff our faces until our pants were too tight, but we got to hear all about their lives globe trotting around the world with the State Department.  Eight different countries in twenty years is really amazing, and to have such a smart, down to Earth family was super cool.  We had some great, stimulating conversations over grilled meats, salads, and Senegal's finest imported wines.

Kolda!



But Kim, you must be saying. What about softball? Wasn't that fun?  Well, dear friends, the reason softball was so fun is because Peace Corps doesn't actually participate in the softball part of WAIST.  We are really there just to have a good time and meet some cool ex-pats.  So yes, we still technically play softball, but we're in our own league.

The best part about the softball, actually, are the themes.  Each region picks a theme, dresses to the nines, buys a beer or ten, and goes to the field to mingle with old friends and make new ones.  This year Kolda was Where's Waldo? Can you find him?

Aside from softball we had a BBQ and talent show (of course featuring a choreographed Kolda region dance to KPop), a masquerade ball hosted by the Marines, and, just to make it all the more American, bowling.

So, in summary, my Pulaar has degressed, my English has improved, and my pants don't fit anymore, but it's ok because who wears those in village anyway? Can't wait for WAIST 2015!


1 comment:

  1. Yay, a new post! And it sounds like a wonderful time and great memories.

    ReplyDelete