Meet Tigi!

I have finally fulfilled my years long dream (college roommates, you can attest to this) of getting my very own puppy. When I first applied for this Peace Corps gig I was very much on the fence about whether or not I wanted to give up my friends, family and first world comforts for two years. I am almost embarrassed to say that my feelings changed dramatically after my PC recruiter told me he’d had two dogs during his service in Panama and had even brought one back with him to DC. If I could get a dog, then how hard could this really be? Well, I’ve gotten the dog and the jury is still out how hard these adventures – single (dog) mother hood and village living – are going to be.

I thought it would take some time to find the right pup, but as it turned out the maxim of “ask and you shall receive” turned out to be 100% true this time. On my first day in village I told everyone I met that I a) did not have a husband b) did not want a husband c) wanted a dog. By the end of the morning a nice guy had already found me a litter of puppies and I’d made myself known throughout town as the crazy dog girl. Now it’s five weeks later, and while I’m sure I jumped the gun on the weaning process I couldn’t wait a day longer – Senegalese puppies are not treated with the same care as their pampered American cousins. So here she is:

Full Name: Tigi Tigi Diamanka aka “Tigi”

Nicknames: T, Tigadegy (peanut butter in Pulaar), Tito, Munchkin

Breed: Purebred Senegalese Village Mutt

Birthday: 1^st week of May, 2011

Favorite Food: Canned spam and chicken liver

Likes: napping, chewing on toes, powdered milk, rice in powdered milk, peeing on the bed, peeing on the floor, peeing on laps, pooping right in front of the door, whining, American dog treats sent from Grandma (more please!), fighting chickens, fighting herself in the mirror

Dislikes: being alone, big trucks, Senegalese children, sleeping through the night, mosquito nets, wearing a collar, walking on a leash, baths