Okay. I have a couple stories from Mboro before I get totally re-absorbed into life at the Training Center.
First: Revenge u genaar!
The livestock here largely just roam the streets. Like, all of them. Chickens, goats, donkeys, even very large cows with large horns. Even here in Thies, a relative metropolis. A couple days ago, the four of us in Mboro stopped to greet one trainees family, who were sitting outside their compound to sell peanuts. There were some chickens doing their thing behind us, which I didn’t really notice until my friends host mom chucked a foam flip-flop at one. A rooster. And she pegged it. So it did a little squack-and-flap, we laughed, and then kept talking. A minute later, out of nowhere, this rooster flew up between us straight for her face!! No harm was done, but it was absolutely hilarious. Score one for chickens. Oh, by the way, the wolof word for chicken is genaar
The livestock here largely just roam the streets. Like, all of them. Chickens, goats, donkeys, even very large cows with large horns. Even here in Thies, a relative metropolis. A couple days ago, the four of us in Mboro stopped to greet one trainees family, who were sitting outside their compound to sell peanuts. There were some chickens doing their thing behind us, which I didn’t really notice until my friends host mom chucked a foam flip-flop at one. A rooster. And she pegged it. So it did a little squack-and-flap, we laughed, and then kept talking. A minute later, out of nowhere, this rooster flew up between us straight for her face!! No harm was done, but it was absolutely hilarious. Score one for chickens. Oh, by the way, the wolof word for chicken is genaar
Second: My amazing host mom
Part of our host-family responsibility is doing our laundry. Which is amazing, because frankly, I don’t like it, nor do I really have the time. However, when I got to site this time, I was already out of clean clothes. Completely. But I had to wait a couple days before my family had time. So, the day came and I brought out all my clothes. I put on a piece of cloth I bought in Saint Louis, which had yet to have ties added. Senegalese women don’t need ties on their pagnes (wrap skirts), so I figured I could do what they do. So I came out wearing a tee-shirt and this piece of cloth. I couldn’t get it to stay on, so I asked my family’s maid for help (Ngone, she’s great. Like a part of the family). She tried, but also couldn’t get it to stay. At this point my mom came out and so did my sister. Giving up, I tried to grab a pair of pants from the dirty pile to put on. My mom wasn’t having that. So, she went to her room, and came back with a full outfit! Pagne, boubou (long tunic top), and head scarf. She just gave it to me! So, I went to my room, tried to put it on, and the thing is see-through. So I put on my pajama top under it (white and black flowers… not a good look together.) Of course at this point the whole family wants to see. I went in my mom’s room to show her, and she gave me a tank top to wear instead of my pajamas. She looked at me and motioned for me to change. My brother and two sisters were in the room, and she just wanted me to strip down right there. Fortunately, she saw my embarrassment and shooed the kids out of the room. … yeah, that’s really the end of the story. She’s super nice and awesome, and now I have a beautiful, cool, Senegalese outfit! Pictures to come…
Part of our host-family responsibility is doing our laundry. Which is amazing, because frankly, I don’t like it, nor do I really have the time. However, when I got to site this time, I was already out of clean clothes. Completely. But I had to wait a couple days before my family had time. So, the day came and I brought out all my clothes. I put on a piece of cloth I bought in Saint Louis, which had yet to have ties added. Senegalese women don’t need ties on their pagnes (wrap skirts), so I figured I could do what they do. So I came out wearing a tee-shirt and this piece of cloth. I couldn’t get it to stay on, so I asked my family’s maid for help (Ngone, she’s great. Like a part of the family). She tried, but also couldn’t get it to stay. At this point my mom came out and so did my sister. Giving up, I tried to grab a pair of pants from the dirty pile to put on. My mom wasn’t having that. So, she went to her room, and came back with a full outfit! Pagne, boubou (long tunic top), and head scarf. She just gave it to me! So, I went to my room, tried to put it on, and the thing is see-through. So I put on my pajama top under it (white and black flowers… not a good look together.) Of course at this point the whole family wants to see. I went in my mom’s room to show her, and she gave me a tank top to wear instead of my pajamas. She looked at me and motioned for me to change. My brother and two sisters were in the room, and she just wanted me to strip down right there. Fortunately, she saw my embarrassment and shooed the kids out of the room. … yeah, that’s really the end of the story. She’s super nice and awesome, and now I have a beautiful, cool, Senegalese outfit! Pictures to come…
Third: KIDS!!
I got a wave of crazy homesickness the other day early in the morning. Out of nowhere. Because I miss my baby rat Huxley so crazy much. Which made me miss everything!! But I had to pull it together and go take a language test at my LCF (teacher)’s house. Where, by the way, an Adorable two year old named Adama lives. As soon as I walked in the door he saw me, smiled Huge and raaaan to me with his arms open. So I scooped him up and just got to hold him for awhile. Spent a big part of the morning hanging with my 21 and 6 year old brothers. Just like it sounds. Hanging with family. Later, had to stop by my friends house, where there are a two and three year old who both wanted to be held. Ahhh such soothing medicine for home-sickness.
I got a wave of crazy homesickness the other day early in the morning. Out of nowhere. Because I miss my baby rat Huxley so crazy much. Which made me miss everything!! But I had to pull it together and go take a language test at my LCF (teacher)’s house. Where, by the way, an Adorable two year old named Adama lives. As soon as I walked in the door he saw me, smiled Huge and raaaan to me with his arms open. So I scooped him up and just got to hold him for awhile. Spent a big part of the morning hanging with my 21 and 6 year old brothers. Just like it sounds. Hanging with family. Later, had to stop by my friends house, where there are a two and three year old who both wanted to be held. Ahhh such soothing medicine for home-sickness.
Okay. My battery’s about to die, so that’s it for now.
Thanks for the stories sweetie! Really helps us with our daughter-sickness!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy these stories so much! We're all thinking about you and hoping you have a wonderful experience. It's nice that you have such a great family away from home, too!
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