Meet the Characters

So I realize I said I would email everyone weekly but I thought I would just post this blog and then post weekly and you all can check in at your convience in addition to seeing my pictures! I figure there are some major players in what I will be writing about now and possibly over the next 6 months. Right now I would like to introduce my current major players:

Dr. Buba Misawa, a Nigerian native, from the Fula tribe which is traditionally nomadic, who is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Washington and Jefferson. Currently he is traveling with us to the Gambia and will be living there for the entire semester we are (in his own house). He will be teaching two courses at the University of the Gambia (UtG) of which we will be required to be in one so that he will see us daily and know we are alive.

Malang (pronounced Muhlong), is our tour guide hired by the KSAC Consortium (the collaboration of schools which supposedly send students to the Gambia, so far it is only JC and W&J). He is Senegalese from the Mandinka tribe (and a self pronounced Mandinka Warrior from a line of Kings) near Casamance. Casamance is in Southern Sengal which is underneath the Gambia.

Mohammad, is the Local director of the KSAC Consortium (which is the partnership of schools that brought us to the Gambia). He is also the landlord of the house we rent and an excellent cook. He looks after us, gets us situated in Serrekunda (the city we live in) and is our go to person if we need anything (like him making sure wireless was set up asap). He is as of yet unphotographed.

Emily, is a '06 Juniata PACs (peace and conflict studies) grad. She is our assistant director for the semester. She helps around the Gambia as well as how we are to adjust and if she can help us if we need anything. Emily speaks Mandinka fluently. This isn't particularly easy. Mandinka or Mandingo is an oral language so everything is spelled phonetically depending on the person. Often other Mandinkas will approach her with the saying "ewon(?) mandinka?" or "you are Mandinka?". Rather than actually identifying her as Mandinka it is more of identifying that she can speak the local tongue...anyways.

Reta, one of the two girls from JC who is doing the semester study abroad with me. She will be one of my housemates. Brenda, is the other of the two girls who is doing the semester abroad with me. She will be one of my housemates.The are both playing cards.

Nell, one of the two girls from W&J who is a housemate. Amanda, the other girl from W& J who is a housemate. Kevin, the male housemate from W&J. (Also unphotographed at this point)