So, I know that my last blog entry was kinda crazy... and negative... and I'm over it for the most part... because I love my job.

I went back on Tuesday and things went much more smoothly, mostly because I was only working with Bouna on typing up a huge report that they needed to get out right away to their financiers in Spain. I learned a lot more about the organization itself. There are different base groups that meet in all the periphery "suburbs" of the city, teaching kids basic French and other professional skills (like sewing). The target children are kids that work to support the family and can't go to school otherwise.

Yesterday was an incredible day. I got there around 9h30, and I got to meet Anna, a great, young fresh woman who's been with the organization for about a year, and she wants to be an English teacher. Went out and sat talking with Boubacar, the younger guy, for quite awhile. He's devout Muslim and would take two wives if he could afford it, but he can hardly afford one... and as women are just financial burdens and problems, he doesn't want to get into it. It's enjoyable to talk with him except when he makes gross generalizations like that, showing just how ignorant he really is. Then a few kids came in. One was a kid they'd never seen before. He'd apparently come from a different daara about 1.5 hours away (by car)... he'd fled his marabout or his situation or something. Another main part of the organization is minor health care of the diseases that these kids have. This particular little boy has what they call "Gale", chronic scabs and bumps all over his hands that will probably eventually spread to body and can potentially be fatal. He hardly said anything, and he really looked extremely downtrodden. Heartbreaking. The other kids reminded me a lot of the boys that I work with in the States. As much as their experiences are completely different, I really do think there are some things that are universal to childhood and adolescence.

Something, though, that isn't universal is the way in which you can interact with kids here. Bouba(car) definitely nearly body slammed one of the boys today... they were wrestling on the ground in the middle of the floor. The other day, Arouna, one of the regular boys, was slamming around one of the doors and he broke one of the windows. Bouba just laughed and told him to go get a broom. (In America, this is grounds for expulsion from the program or a letter of apology to the site, etc, etc, etc.) It's so interesting to see the differences between the systems. The boys, though, are great. And my Wolof is coming along. I already feel like I've improved by 10% since earlier this week.

That afternoon, Bouba and I were going to make a field visit so I had lunch with him and his family. Really nice people. That African spirit of hospitality, when it's actually present, is almost disarming. I was totally embraced as part of the family even though it was just a one time thing. "Make yourself at home," they always say, and I totally was at home. It's amazing how quickly you can become part of the family here. We went out into the fishermen's village to round up some kids for a soccer tournament, but they'd already had one organized for today, so that was scratched.

I learned so much yesterday. I'm really going to love working here. I'm already really excited for work tomorrow. :D The boys are amazing. I'm already getting attached.

There might be some more traveling on the horizon. Campal has invited us to Dakar for a long weekend around the first of the month (of MAY! WHAT?) and then I might head back to Louga with Rita to check out her job at an orphanage. She also might be making another trip to Mali that I might join her on. So many exciting things.

Yes, I haven't been saying much about class because I haven't had much class. I've decided to take 3 courses and Wolof... and I'm not exactly sure how that's even going to go.. because we're so late into the semester and I have to leave in less than 2 months. I'm just trying not to think about it... and I'm really excited that I now have something to look forward to every day. And some traveling, too.

So, long story short, after a brief freak-out session, I'm back to loving my life.