W.A.I.S.T.

I spent this past weekend in Dakar with almost every other Peace Corps Senegal volunteer and a considerable number from The Gambia, Niger and Mali, for the West African International Softball Tournament. Three full days of softball and three full nights of dancing (until dawn) later and most of us are ready to head back to the village and get back to work. The tournament is divided into a competitive league with teams of high schoolers, embassy officials, and ex-pats, and a social league which is mostly made up of teams from various peace corps regions and countries.

It can be debated that the team "uniforms" in the social league are taken even more seriously than the game itself. This years Kaolack's theme was ballerinas, and although everyone put their own spin on their costume we were all united under one common banner: tutus. The vast array of outfits was a real tribute to both the creativity of Peace Corps volunteers and the ingenuity of Senegalese tailors. Other regions were Cops & Robbers, The Jersey Shore, and Lederhosen. Despite a pretty respectable showing (can YOU field a pop fly wearing nothing but a tutu and boxers with a beer in one hand?) we didn't win any games, but Kaolack was definitely first place for continuity and team spirit. I think our pirouettes could give the Russian ballet a run for its money!

The part of WAIST that Peace Corps volunteers look forward to the most isn't the softball, but the chance to eat something other than rice and millet, and dance to music that doesn't involve drumming on buckets or old ladies wailing. Dakar has a great selection of insanely expensive (on a village salary) but insanely delicious restaurants, and parties are hosted by the Marines, Peace Corps, and the American Club. Since my bedtime in village is no later than 8pm I was worried I wouldn't get to enjoy much of the Dakar nightlife, but I rallied and managed to keep dancing until last call at 5am! I think I was more sore from the dancing than from the softball. It was great to spend a weekend forgetting that I still live in a mud hut and eat birdseed for two meals a day, but I am starting to miss my family and its time for me to get started on the school garden, so its back to the village in a few hours!

Dakars finest: Police officer, banana, Hamburgler