Hello from Thies, Senegal!

Hello everyone! This in now my fourth day in country! I am living on the PC Senegal Training Center in Thies (pronounced Chess) which is about a 1-2 hour drive inland from Dakar. I will be here for nine weeks, traveling back and forth between my Community Based Training (CBT) village where I will be focusing on learning language and culture. Right now I am in Pre-Service Training (PST). So far, there have been a lot of information sessions about what we are actually going to do here. And of course there has been a TON of paperwork; PC is still a government agency after all. Nothing major is going on as of yet so I'll just list some things I've been doing/ interesting tidbits.

• The Disco Hut is in fact a hut with a disco ball in the center. It's open on all sides and is a general meeting/hang out place. I spend a lot of time there. 
• There is a tree over the Disco Hut with EXPLODING PODS! How cool is that? 
• I have about 20 mosquito bites on my arms and legs, but no worries! I'm taking my malarian meds. 
• There are about four flea-infested cats that roam around that try to eat all the food during meal. I have a strong desire to pick them up and cuddle but so far I've had enough self control. 
• I've started learning Wolof and have some basic phrases down like greetings and travel words. Naka wa ker ga? (How is the family over there?) 
• Yes, it is super hot and humid. It's the wet season, so there are frequent storms with strong winds and lightening. 
• Most meals (and all the lunches at the center) are eaten in communal bowls with about four or five people around them. Shout out to Stacey-- the spoon is used exclusively (in village you usually eat with your hands). 
• Meals at the center are typically rice with a sauce and some sort of meat (beef/chicken/fish). There is always salad at dinner. It is always delicious. 
• So far I have played one game of basketball and three games of volleyball. During the last game today, one of the poor cats was hit dead-on with a ball spiked from the neat. It didn't even flinch. 
• We had a meeting today about what types of things we will do as Urban Ag volunteers, and I am very excited to get started!

I miss you all, and please write me e-mails or letters!