Some days can be downright frustrating!

     Today is one of those days.  Luckily it has been punctuated by nice things.  I originally wasn’t going to blog about stuff that is annoying to me, but I was encouraged to do so by a friend.  So here goes…

This morning, I went to the community development office that I will be helping out at in the future to hang out and see if someone would take me to the Senelec Office (electricity office) to help me set up the electricity for my room.  

     One of the people who runs the community development office offered to take me.  He is becoming my friend, I realize.  What a wonderful thing.

     So, this is the second time, but not final time, I’ve gone to Senelec to get my electricity turned on. 

The first time I went, my contact there asked me many questions (my host dad had to “translate” by speaking French more slowly than the contact).  Of course, one of the questions was “Mademoiselle or Madame?”  Really? Enough with this crap!  Why does it matter if I am married to set up a stinking account?  Then after he thoroughly examined my Peace Corps ID, my Residency Permit and my California Driver License, he handed them back to me and said that I need to make a photo copy of the Residency Permit, take it to the Police Station and get it verified that it is legal.  Was he not just holding 3 legal documents of id with my photo on each one in his hand?  I guess it’s not good enough.

     So, I went to the police station.

     So now, today with my verified document, I went in to get the account set up.  And what do you know?  I have to go back again to pay a deposit.  I offered to pay the deposit right then and they said no, I have to come back.  So, this means I get to wait in the waiting room again (today there were about 50 people in there) and wait, at least it is air conditioned.  I have an appointment to meet with my contact at 4pm on Thursday.  After the “appointment” was made he said “Inchallah” God willing.  So, maybe he’ll be there and maybe he won’t.  I’ll be there!  “Inchallah….”  Ha ha?

     While filling out the application today…well, I actually didn’t do anything but sign the darn thing, I had to list what I needed electricity for.  Well, I need my room to have electricity.  Not good enough, apparently.  I had to list, the light on the wall, the mini-fridge, my fan and my computer.  Was there anything else he kept asking, a radio, a tv, perhaps?  I still need to find out why he needed that info.  Do they dole out different strengths of electricity depending on what needs juice? 

     One good thing about that Senelec office visit is that I met a nice gal and we exchanged email addresses.  She is studying at the University in Thies.  Maybe I’ll have a new friend!

     And now: flashback to the community development office where this morning something entirely different and still annoying went down.  There are so many cultural rules here and I really try my best to remember.  But I guess I let my guard down and didn’t properly greet the secretary and she got upset and let everyone know.  So, I apologized profusely and greeted her again.  She still wasn’t happy because I forgot to curtsy.  As a female, I must curtsy to men and to my elders.  So, I greeted her again with a curtsy.  She still seemed upset, but what else can I do.  Then she proceeded to complain that I don’t know enough Wolof and that I should be learning Wolof and not French.  (She knows I’m looking for a French tutor currently.)  The truth is I do need to learn Wolof.  At this point, I need and want to learn French.  That way, in a couple of months, I can focus on Wolof.  French is the official language and in the sector that I work, it’s very valuable to be able to communicate in French. 

     Then someone else joined the conversation and spoke to me in French so quickly I had to keep asking her to slow down.  She was basically saying that I need to be able to speak Wolof so I can explain to people how to make anti-malaria lotion.  (I need to be able to understand French so I don’t have to keep asking people to repeat themselves.)  The whole time she is pointing at a poster that has the directions written in both French and Wolof.  Yes, I get it.  I have been in this town for 3 weeks.  My head is mush from trying to communicate in 2 different languages.  Can't a girl get a break?  I wish they knew what it was like to be in my shoes.  But they don’t know; many Senegalese have never left the country and some have never left their village.  This is something I try to understand daily.

     I realize how lucky I am to be an American.  I have so many amazing opportunities.  Like this Peace Corps gig I am experiencing right now.  I chose to do this crazy “adventure”.

     Tomorrow is another day.  I am going into Thies to meet another volunteer for lunch at a restaurant with free wifi.  We will talk story and drink coffee and Bailey’s.  Inchallah….