i survived a scorpion... what else you got?

This experience has tried my comfort zone and made me do things I have never done before. I will share some of my experiences here. In the last month I have fasted with locals, had in depth conversations in another language, eaten mayo on bread, worn silver nail polish, got bit by a scorpion, made mosquito repellent for a community, bought a baby goat, and started building myself a home.

I know the silver nail polish part of it seems random right? But I found some sparkly silver nail polish that I would never wear under normal circumstances. But these are nowhere near normal circumstances. I put some on and it made me feel like a girl again! haha. It reminds me a little of star trek or something. Maybe that is also because I have been couped up in Rosso watching endless marathons of "Battle Star Galactica" for a few days. It is the first thing I hear in the morning, and now these boys have the video game too so it is non stop! I have to admit that it was entertaining but I have missed a lot of episodes and now I don't know what the "frack" (as they would say) is going on. haha, I cannot believe I just said that. The girls in Trarza region have to get our hands on the sex and the city series, or something equally as obnoxiously girly to regain control of the living room.

On a more serious note, Ramadan has been interesting but it is finally almost over. We have 3 more days until Eid, which is the big party that finalizes Ramadan and restores order to people's lives. I say 3 days but it could be more or less depending on when we see the moon again- because that actually signifies the commencement of the festivities. People are really on edge and extra crabby, which I can totally understand because Megan and I decided to fast for a total of 3 long, hot days and it was difficile. It did make breaking fast at dusk more enjoyable though, I never felt like I really earned a glass of juice before but I definatly deserved it after a long day of not eating or drinking. We mostly did it just because we do not have a market in town and since no one makes lunch (because they are fasting) we couldn't even mooch off of others lunches; but it was still fun to really feel the pain with our community. The hardest part is at 6:30 pm when there is only about 30 minutes left and you can smell what people are making. Then when you can eat, the food tastes so much better. We also got up at 4:30 in the morning to eat bread and mayonnaise before the sun rose to try to hold us over until dusk. I don't know if it helped but it was fun eating in a sleepy daze. Megan cheated once during the day and had 4 skittles. She was so funny about it, but I told her that allah would probably forgive her because she is new. Our community loved that we were fasting and said that we were true bilaniya (locals).

I am learning French from listening to Megan speak. I can understand it pretty well but cannot form sentences, especially when Hassaniya is trying to seep out of my mouth. It is funny though because Megan says things in French that she would say in English and just directly translates it. I don't know if the translation always works with the English humor because sometimes people just stare at her, but I get what she is trying to say and I laugh. It is as though she is only speaking to me sometimes and we are in our own little toubab world. We are able to have some good conversations with some of our new friends. I never thought I would be able to have conversations about African history, the refugee tents in our town, why not all Americans are like Bush, and even dispelling rumors that Christopher Columbus was the first person to discover America with locals in a small African town in their own language! And all this in only 3 months, I cannot wait to see what progress I have left in the next 2 years. That's right, a week ago we celebrated our 3 month mark! It has gone by so fast, hasn't it? I bet you didn't even realize I was gone yet!

My mom asked me if I have done any work yet and I laughed. During Ramadan people don't like to work much. But I did make my first batch of neem cream, the mosquito repellent. Our new Wolof friend, Bobacar, helped us find a neem tree and collect leaves. Then we boiled a liter of leaves with a liter of water. While the water was heating we cut up the local peanut soap into shreads in a bucket. Then we added the hot water and some oil and whipped it up until it was creamy. We did it in front of Bobacar's house and all the people living around him came to see what the crazy toubabs were doing and I told them how mosquito's didn't like the smell of neem cream and that although it doesn't kill mosquitos it does decrease the amount of bites. They went wild for it and everyone ran back to get little jars or baggies or socks to fill up on their personal stash. The kids loved it and were digging their hands in and having cream wars with each other. Bobacar said that that night everyone put it on. He also said some people were confused because they still got bites. I will have to explain again that it just reduces the amount of bites because it really works and I want people to use it because these kids are so cute and I don't want anyone getting malaria while I am here. I did not have my camera, sadly, but plan to do it again when I return.

The neem cream day was a lot of fun until that night. After we broke fast with Bobacar's family we were just lounging around in the dark, waiting for our second dinner and stumbling through a conversation in French when I jumped up and started screaming. I had a sharp bite on my right knee and when I reached into my skirt to flick the bugger away it fell on my left leg and got me again before I was able to grab it and throw it away. It was a scorpion. I felt it in my hand and my knee instantly went numb. By the time we found a flashlight it was gone so I did not get to have my revenge. They assured me that scorpions here are not deadly and that I should live until morning. I stayed for the second dinner and then went home where I just took some benedryl and retired to my tent. I was excited to get back to reading "Twilight," a vampire romance novel which I was surprisingly enthralled in considering it was my first vampire or romance novel. The benedryl made me really tired but I wanted to finish my last chapter because the main character had just gotten bit by a vampire and things were getting intense. She was describing the venom pulsing through her blood as my own scorpion venom was pulsing up and down my now completely numb leg. I was drifting in and out of my own vampire drama in my head under a benedryl daze when a bat who made a home in the front entryway flew over my head squeeking in an alarming way. I freaked out and almost ran to seek shelter in Megan's tent. Needless to say, I survived the night and my Wolof friends made fun of me the next day for being so worried about the scorpion. I don't care what they say, I still think its a major feat. The next night I was very jumpy to everything around me. I made somewhat of a scene when a giant spider crawled on my arm and our friend, Mohammed, said "you study biology, you should not be afraid of haphabas" I don't care what I studied, feeling a creepy crawly on my arm sends shivers down my spine.

We have also made some productive steps in making a garden! We have to put a fence up first because the goats would have a hay day with our plants if we did not protect it. To make a fence we first had to gather big sticks to bury in the ground for our posts. Megan and I just wandered off trying to find sticks when we realized we may need some tools or some sort of directional help in the matter. We asked our neighbor and she volunteered her young son and his friend who had come over to play to help us. They both shot her a "maaaam" sort of look and begrudgingly grabbed a very dull "axe" and led us off towards our trees. After a few hours of cutting down limbs off trees and taking off all the leaves and twigs we had our posts for our garden and paid the kids in smartees and warheads for their help. They were very appreciative for the bon bons but were a little confused about the sourness of the warheads. The looks on their faces were priceless.

We also learned how to make maafe, which is meat, rice, and potatoes with a peanuty sauce. It is so good and we have been obsessed over it since my host family made it a few months ago. We asked my counterpart, Dado to teach us. We bought all the supplies and went over to her house to dig in. It was delicious! I ate until I couldn't even move anymore. Her daughter, Fatimatou, is the cutest baby I have ever seen and she tried helping a bit too. She new better than I did about some things. I am excited to get to watch her grow up.

My mom filled me in a little about goings on on the home front and it made me miss you all like crazy! Here are a few shout outs:
-Grandma: I got your package! Thanks! One of the drink packets exploded and my hands are now died red, which is amusing. Everyone appreciates the magazines so we can keep up on our hollywood gossip. I can't believe Bernie Mac died!
-Grandpa: You would love it here. Everyone likes to talk a lot and share their life stories, I have used almost a whole roll of duck tape and twisty ties putting my room together, and they love their second hand baseball caps here. I found some really funny ones in the market with laundry detergent on it and stuff.
-Anna: Have fun at homecoming! I wish I was there to do your hair, even if you, like me, would never fully admit to liking what was done with your hair. Either way, I am sure you will look beautiful. Make sure mom takes at least a few pictures where she does not chop the top of your head off. I heard you are a stud in athletic training class. Mike would be so proud! haha. I am as well; but not surprised, I knew you would be!
-Tarah: I heard you swam varsity on the relay! That's my girl! How did it go? I wish I was back in highschool for just one more swim meet, I miss swimming so hard you can't even pull yourself out of the pool. I am truly jealous you are just starting your high school journey, love every second and don't take yourself too seriously cause this time is so much fun! Take care of my sister for me. I know you two have each other's backs.
-Sam: I loved getting to talk to you last night. You and Ryan should get on your applications right away so I can come visit you. There is a cruise that goes from capetown south africa to Rio. If you end up in South America maybe I can do that and then swing by you. Are you having a heart attack yet mom?
-Kev: Get your visa and think seriously of coming to visit. You won't regret it. Enough said.

In general I hear that America is in a bind right now and I hope that everyone is staying happy and healthy. If Obama is not elected president I may not return home and I suggest everyone moves here instead, we can build a little compound in the country and live happily ever after.