The Il Hamdulilah/Gasar Amar-ak List

November has definitely arrived in Mauritania. The weather is slowly creeping southward on the thermometer, and, though lacking the turkeys, tinsel, and general hustle and bustle of the holiday season in the States, I have found comfort in a different kind of plenty and excess here. For the first time since my arrival, vegetables and fruit are abundant and cheap thanks to a plentiful harvest during the cold season. This may seem negligible to many of you; however, the added benefits of these nutrients are of paramount importance to my malnourished body and those of Mauritanians. Rule of thumb: a hearty, nutritious meal means a happier Colleen. Now if I could only find a glass of wine to accompany my delicious repasts…: p

Moreover, the hospitality of my Mauritanian friends is more forthcoming now that I have made salient strides with Hassiniya and further integrated into the community. I no longer squirm with impatience as I sit hour after hour, drinking kasse after kasse of tea and discussing religion, marriage, gender relations, and a host of other topics, important and unimportant alike. Even work is beginning to pick up! This past weekend, I ventured en brousse with three other volunteers. Together, with the aid of several women’s cooperatives, we planted 150 trees aimed at delaying desertification and distributed vegetable seeds to 7 cooperatives. My interest has also been piqued by several health and community issues, and more and more projects appear on the horizon every day. Specifically, I hope to begin a Health Club at the local lycée (high school) and, subsequently, hand-washing and dental hygiene campaigns in the primary schools. Of course, this is all assuming I receive approval and first finish my wall mural. Big “if’s.”

In any case, given the good fortune I have experienced of late and the impending Thanksgiving holiday, I thought it appropriate and in good tradition to share a list of those things for which I thank God each day (Il Hambulilah). They are big and small and might otherwise be inconsequential was I not in Mauritania. However, they have made me smile on days when all seemed hopeless and have seen me through the rough patches I have encountered thus far. In the spirit of good humor and all things ying-and-yang, I am also including a companion Gasar Amar-ak List. In Hassiniya, Gasar Amar-ak translates as “May God shorten your life,” and, as harsh as this may seem, it is a phrase used without reservation by many a frustrated Mauritanian and Peace Corps volunteer. In this list, you will find those things which have dampened my spirit at times and might just give me a few wrinkles before I leave. So, without further ado, I present my first annual Thanksgiving Il Hambulilah / Gasar Amar-ak list. Enjoy!

Il Hamdulilah:

- Kiddy –It’s our version of Nutela and is thus equivalent of crack for us, chocolate-starved volunteers.
- Prayer call – Good for laughs when garbled and can also be incredibly beautiful at times
- Tea time! – Always laden with sugar and served up with a good dose of culture, the Mauritanian ritual definitely rivals its counterpart in the UK. It’s going to be a hard habit to break back in the States.
- My Northface sleeping bag
- Iste, the cold season
- BBC radio
- Early morning runs, watching the desert sun rise over the dunes
- Motivated, intelligent, hospitable, and open Mauritanians
- A sense of humor – Not only has it helped me to put many an experience in perspective, but it has also been a wonderful tool, effectively deflecting any unsavory offer whether be it tea with the local construction workers or slaying a goat for an upcoming festival.
- Well-stocked Peace Corps libraries – I will never want for books to read.
- Emails, calls, letters, and photos from home
- Care packages – Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Haha.
- President-elect Barack Obama
- My Mauritanian friends and counterparts, Tagant site mates, PCV friends, and the RIM Peace Corps Staff
- Family, Friends, and Relatives Stateside - I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I couldn’t do
this without your support!

Gasar Amar-ak:

- Ants, Scorpions, Blister Beetles…really, anything that wakes me up or hurts me
- Goats
- Mulafas
- Sand, sand everywhere
- Demands of “Cadeau, Madame” from ½ a mile away
- Marriage proposals – See November 13th Blog Entry
- Taxi Brousse rides – See October 15th Blog Entry
- Prayer call at 4, 5, and 6 am, respectively. Make up your minds people!
- Intestinal parasites
- The economic crisis
- Coup d’Etats