Mido Wawi Dance

You always hear the first night at site sucks. One girl cried before the infamous PC van pulled away. But, against the grain once again, mine was the best night ever! Lots of people, awkwardness, sucking at language-- absolutely. But I already love it. After the men had their snoozer of a welcome, the women descended upon my hut and began the clapping dance I'd witnessed at other installs. Unfortunately, most of my ladies were a bit shy and mostly just kept telling me to dance. So, dance I did! And laugh, they did. But I actually kind of rocked and now people keep saying, "You can dance!" when they greet me. They're probably mocking me, but it's cool.

Later, I was coerced into helping cook. And by coerced I mean I took the nearest available escape route when one of my three mothers (who is 24...) wouldn't stop unpacking my stuff for me and putting it where I didn't want it. She giggled for a while at my bras, but it made sense since her topless boobs were swinging around my bags the whole time. So I helped stir, mash, and sieve corn millet to such a point of silt that I wondered if she was joking when she pointed to the seive again. Hours of pounding away in a tiny boiling hut next to an open fire on an already scorching day? C'est la vie for women here. Luckily since she's one of three wives, she only has to do this every 3 days. Our slaved-over meal ended up being probably the worst one I've had in country. I literally attempted to hypnotize myself into thinking it was cake-- just so I could swallow. I may have to live on carepackage food... HINT HINT. :o) I'm sure I'll just get used to it too...?

My siblings are so much fun and really thoughtful. I think they are abnormally so because my dad is the Imam and they take that stuff seriously. And my hut is SWEET. Sweetest of all the huts I've seen. Huge, good fence around, shade structure, hammock, stick table thing for which I still have to pay, flowers, bamboo shelves... And my village is the shire.