Newton's First law of Senegal

The other night, I was sitting comfortably and reading a book after dinner time. It was a bit breezy and all of a sudden, a round green object the size of a softball hit my skull.

My first reaction was to yell at the nearest sibling who threw a mango at me, then I realized it was merely Newton's 1st law at work.

If Newton were an African, I'm pretty sure he would've been as startled, confused, and injured as I was that night. By the way, a mango is larger, heavier, and therefore much more painful than an apple...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Hosting an Exchange Student

For the past week, I hosted another American named Will, who is studying abroad in Senegal for a semester.

Will was a trooper and walked through the brush, got dirty and dehydrated, and made a decent PCV for a week. Throughout the week, we also studied a bit of French, Wolof, and I gave him my insight into Senegalese culture and society.

Will, thanks for visiting, it was a pleasure and my family (but mainly me) really enjoyed the chicken you bought us for lunch :)

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

"Au Revoir, Madame Dewing"

Last week, a bunch of us business PCVs gathered to send off our program director, Nicole. She'll be leaving Peace Corps Senegal, but due to her passion and resilience for this country, will most likely be back soon in some other form of work and genius.

We had a lovely dinner and a great mini-reunion in Dakar. Nicole, here's to your continuing success in whatever continent you may find yourself *(Insert wishful cup of wine here)

PCVs also took this opportunity to say goodbye to 3 other fun and awesome PCVs, Oliver, Ankith, and Chris P. After some delicious Chinese food and a small party, they got on a plane heading straight for Las Vegas.

Careful guys, your Readjustment Allowance is just that - to readjust to life back in the US. However, if one gambles it all away, you will be broke, jobless, hungover, and still needing to - well, readjust...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Master Farmer Program

The Facts: 80% of Senegal's population engages in agriculture as its main source of income. However, only 45% of total consumption is produced by these millions of farmers. Problem.

Peace Corps has teamed up with USAID (the former being the field workers, the latter being the sugar daddy) to train various farmers in select zones of the country. My village has just introduced a new farmer into this program, which is a 4 year contract. The strategy is to train trainers; we train these farmers who are then responsible for teaching the rest of their communities.

So I'll be working hard to help get Mr. Samba Ly set up in hopes and faith that the next set of PCVs to follow can really help him continue his work. So wish us all luck. Its a big project, with lots of potential rewards, but lots of potential pitfalls as well.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

The 5 Senses of Senegal - Sight

Time for another installment of the 5 Senses of Senegal. Its been written for awhile, just needed the right time and place for sharing and recording it.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Photos online!

After a much needed update,

My picasa was just uploaded with all new exciting photos and entertainment. Hopefully, you all enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed these moments.

www.picasaweb.google.com/TheByronYee

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

The (not-so) cultural moment of the day

Nothing makes you feel more integrated and accepted that chilling with two grown males, sipping tea, and watching a great TV show known as:

Teen Titans!

Although this was a cartoon I watched back in middle/high school, it was in French, which makes this a more "cultural and educational" experience.

Regardless, the show was appreciated and enjoyed by all, which I guess counteracts any silliness of 3 adults watching an American children's cartoon dubbed into foreign languages...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

WAIST 2011

Time once again for the annual West Africa Intramural Softball Tournament.

Has it already been a year since the last one? This purely American weekend consisted of lots of softball, costumes (my region was ballerina themed), and a strict diet of beers and hotdogs. Doritos were rewarded for closely following this diet.

After 4 intense days of games and serious partying and even more serious dancing, my body is a bit angry at me. But I've taken the "work hard play hard" concept to it's most extremes. Once I phase out of "recovery mode," its time to work hard again...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

New Poetry Online

It's been awhile, but I just got another installment of slam poetry recently performed online. This starts a series called "The 5 Senses of Senegal." So, more to come later...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op_O3k9GG4g

Thanks to Peace Corps Senegal and surrounding countries for being just a great and responsive audience.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A Long and Painful absence

I apologize to any hardcore faithful blog fans of mine for the absence. Yes, it was long, and yes it was a bit painful.

Shortly after my last blog entry, I was ill. How bad? Facebook quoted me as "liquids coming out of both ends. That can't be good..." That and some intense fevers made life a bit uncomfortable and difficult for a good 3 days.

But fortunately, I'm well and eating again. Don't feel too bad, all PCVs have the occassional GI issues, its all part of the job...

Yep, I'm still ok, mom ;)



--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009