Dead Bug

Quatre

-It's kind of funny I'm a health sector volunteer as my health standards are drastically decreasing every day. The grossest squished black banana is in my room right now because I kept forgetting to find some way to throw it out. But now I think I'll probably eat it. What was this bucket used for before it contained my bath water? Who cares? Bugs inside it? Ce n'est pas grave, they're probably dead anyway. The baby picked her nose and other orifices and rolled around in trash and dirt before touching everything in the food bowl? Hey, ya gotta eat something!

-I knew Mamadou was my favorite as soon as I met him that first day and immediately remembered his name. He's 5 and has big eyes full of expression. These expressions usually involve mischief. We have conversations without words, with our eyebrows and puffed out cheeks and fish-lips. Both of us seem suprised when the other actually speaks to someone else. So as I got off my Peace Corps bus the other day (bussing until we know our way by bikes), I was happy to see a game of soccer in our front yard. (By the way, yard= patch of dirt in this country.) The little boys were so cute and I had an image of my perfect peace corps self jumping into the game and making friends with all of them. But as I got closer, this clearly wasn't going to happen. They stared and backed away as if I were a dementor. None of them returned my greetings. I felt a little low. But then... MAMADOU TO THE RESCUE! He ran over to me, grinning and pulling on my limbs, and all good feelings rushed back. Too bad I can't actually communicate with him...

-After my family helped with my homework (aren't we so third world 7th heaven?), I went out to watch the little boys play soccer. They still were really cute but I realized they were literally playing in trash with a flat little non-ball. Also they were in dust and had one goal leading to the busy road. What would neene an e amerik say?

-My days start pre-dawn with roosters and moonlight. The bus to the centre takes me through the sunrise and waking bustle of Thies. Quelle parfait way to wake up!