Slurps Up

(If you can't tell, I'm actually behind in these, so if there are three days in one, that's why. Also, thanks so much for the emails! I will respond, I promise! Just trying to get some posting done first... And don't forget you can send me packages if you weren't awesome like heather/ sarah/ kate and stuck them in my luggage to MAKE MY AFRICAN DAY. The rest of you can still make up for it though.)

Jour Trois

-Baby Ami still wailed at the site of my blinding white skin, but was eventually coerced into touching my hand. She had the grace to wait a few seconds before running away, screaming

-Mamadou and I had more hand-slapping and dancing fun. He also seems to dislike spoons but was likely told to use one in front of me. He compensated by squishing the rice into balls (as one does with hands). I think my 40-year old sister told on me for pushing all my food into her section (daaninkinaade)-- even though it's actually polite to do so and she MOPPED THAT UP. So then Mamadou made about 5 rice balls to pile in my part and began continuously poking me and pointing to them. But he is germy so I said A JAARAMA and pushed them back. Also they were full of something dead.

-As soon as I stoppped sweating, they all brought out the sweaters and blankets, rubbing their arms. This turned into discussions on language differences, namely regarding "booby." This means "cold" in Pulaar and is now a joke we make every day. No booby?

-had some raison-tasting mini-apple/tomato/nut-looking mystery fruits with spit pits inside. They were moy^y^i!

-Pollo futa class is exploding my head. It hasn't even been a week but I'm pretty sure I never concentrated so much at Hamilton. I think I get subjects, objects, and possessives now, though I strongly resent the exclusive and inclusive forms of "we" because they don't exist in english, and also because they sound kind of mean

-ma famille appreciated when I said "pas moy^y^i" when Bush came on tv. They seem to be Obama fans. By the way, I'm going through slight primary-news and npr withdrawl.

-There is a mystery sound scratching and running around on my roof every night that sounds heavy. I think it's a lion. (This is mostly a joke...) The other night when I heard it I woke up SURE something was in my room. My headlight was near under the bed and outside the mosquito net, so I pressed the pathetic light button on my target watch over and over and aimed it around before I determined the mystery beast was still on the roof. Will now sleep with headlamp.

-had Senegalese tea with the fam! They are expert pourers. Sluuurrrpp! (It is polite to slurp it very fast... weird to get used to)