Red, White and GOU!

I never would have thought that the most epic Fourth of July party I will probably ever attend would take place in West Africa.  Peace Corps is full of surprises, and this was one of them.   Every year, Kedougou volunteers host an Independence Day extravaganza for the rest of the volunteers in Senegal.  Altogether there were about 170 Americans in Kedougou.  It was a bit overwhelming, but a lot of fun.  Everyone went all out with costumes (Senegalese and American-made), food, and even fireworks brought in special from Dakar.  My job was to make sure that we had ice to keep drinks cold, which entailed doing a tour of the neighborhood and asking everyone with freezers to put water in plastic bags and freeze so that we could buy it off of them on the fourth.  At one point, a woman said, “I’m going to come to your party and eat your fish and drink your tea.”  Although it might be hard for the Senegalese to comprehend this, for us, for one day only, fish and tea were the last thing on the agenda…

Pat getting festive with an American Flag haircut.  Imagine trying to explain that you want your hair to be shaved into an American flag to your Malinke host brother who also happens to be deaf.  Well that's what happened, which may explain the lack of stars.

Getting manly digging the pig-roasting hole...yep, that's right, a pig roast in Senegal.  For this purpose, it is fortunate that there is a small non-muslim population in this area of the country.

Butchering the pigs (5 of them!)

Not tea and fish...macaroni salad, cole slaw, and potato salad plus yummy dips!

Almost our entire training group reunited!  Here we are along the Gambia River

July 3: Heating things up for the slow roast

A sampling of costumes

Marie Christine, the housekeeper at the regional house, even got into the spirit!

When you request an American Flag outfit from a Senegalese tailor, beware, you might get stars of David

To appreciate this picture, you must understand the fukkijai.  These are clothing vendors that have received the unwanted clothes from American thrift stores.  It's amazing what cast off tshirts you will see very hip Senegalese wearing.  Chip was presented with this lovely festive get-up, with "Chipie" embroidered on it, straight from a fukkijai in Tambacounda.  Many costumes came from fukkijais or from the plethora of Obama gear that can be sold anywhere.  You name it, there is something sold in Senegal with Obama's picture on it.

Rainstorm dance party!

So glad that I can have access to a bicycle built for two in Senegal...especially a patriotic one!  (The Kedougou house now has a unicycle as well, built for the Fourth.)

Happy Fourth of July from the Gou Crew!  If we can throw this shindig here, imagine what can be done in actual America!