What's with the poop situation? Details.

i have giardia. it's gross. i have diarrhea and it's painful. i have a douche. it's a square cement structure with a porcelain hole.i squat. so to flush it, i pour water down the hole. i don't use toilet paper anymore but i do wash my hands very thoroughly with soap. as the for giardia, i'm super sick but i think i'll get better in the next couple of days. feel free to feel sorry for me and leave comments on my blog and/or write me a letter.

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MOVING TOMORROW

Hi guys. Moving into my new village tomorrow. Won't have internet for a few weeks but you can continue to send emails, comments, letters, packages and love my way.

Jessica Goza
c/o Stephanie Shumsky
BP 325
Kaolack, Senegal
West Africa

also my phone number is on facebook. i can text and you can call through skype or google voice. love ya'll.

it looks like an outdoor kitchen. Do you cook on the ground?

yes the kitchen is outdoors. people generally cook in a pot on top of three rocks. they use wood for the fire. everything is on the ground. i have never seen a table in a senegalese home though maybe they exist in urban areas. in the villages we eat on the ground, on a mat, sitting around one of those giant bowls. we all share. some people use spoons and some use hands.

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why your name is Mari Bop? They do not like your name?

my name is mari b/c it's easier for the people here to remember and say my name if i have a senegalese one. it also helps me to integrate into the community and show that i am a part of a family here.

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so I got a package to send you. should I wait until you get that new place or send it now?

you should send it now! i am moving tomorrow and packages take about four weeks to get here. its best to send things in flat rate boxes b/c it's cheaper and also when i pay the tax on my end it's cheaper.

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I'M A REAL VOLUNTEER

i haven't done anything yet but today, my and my new friends swore in as official peace corps volunteers. we took an oath and everything. here's how it went:

I, Jessica Goza, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

So here I am supporting and defending the Constitution and stuff like that. Don't forget about me out here. I'm moving to my new home on Tuesday. I'm excited and scared for my new job, my new family, speaking my new language and hopefully, eventually making new friends. I was 16 when I decided I was going to be a Peace Corps volunteer one day and 8 years later, after blood (literally), sweat (in my eyes) and tears (probably more often than necessary), I exist as a real live volunteer! it's time to get some work done!

you can bet your ass i'm going to be posting some photos of my awesome senegalese swear in outfit as soon as i get five minutes and a comfortable chair. love you guys!

ALSO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST BOYFRIEND I COULD EVER ASK FOR. I LOVE YOU!

Hi dollface! I miss you!

Hi! I miss you too!

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