Just rented a room on the island! It's basically the size of a... walk-in closet, but it'll do. In any case, it's only for another 7 weeks, but I'll get to that.

Yesterday morning, I was heading to Claire-Enfance, and as I was walking, I saw one of my talibés... he wasn't one that I was really close with, but after a second, he had a huge smile on his face. And I think that's been the coolest thing about being back. The smiles in general, but also the smiles from the talibés. They're so used to toubabs coming and going, but I came back, and I think that that actually means a lot.

So, yesterday I got to catch up with a bunch of people from work, which was really nice. I still haven't given them presents or anything, but I've still got some time. Friday is the biggest day of prayer. Almost everyone is dressed in their Muslim "best" and the men go to the mosque to pray at 2pm. Today, the talibés were asking me if I was going to go pray. "I don't pray. I'm not Muslim." Why? "Why are you Muslim?" Ignoring this, they asked, "You're not Muslim, so you're Catholic?" No. "You're not? What are you?" I'm nothing. "Are you even a person?" Ummm... what? Yes, I'm a person. "Well, who made you?" I don't know. "Who made your eyes and your nose and your legs? That didn't just happen." Why are you Muslim? "God." It's an interesting conversation to have with boys who learn only the Qur'an and nothing else. In the end, they asked me again if I wanted to go pray with them, and when I said no, they were shocked. They thought they had convinced me... but alas. No such luck. It's really nice to be back working with them. And now that my Wolof levels are getting better (and I'm less timid about it), I'm able to talk with them a bit more. So that's been a lot of fun.

It's been really nice to be in touch with the entire Ndiaye family. They just make me so happy. Whenever I walk around the island, I know I will always run into one of them. I see Issa, Kalidou, and Mayoro all the time. They always yell from two roads down "Eh-Stephanie" (because that's how my name is pronounced here) and come running toward me. Three of the cutest kids ever. I'd take them all home with me if I could. I speak a lot of Wolof with them. It's so much easier to speak with kids because they don't judge. They don't really care if you understand or not, so that takes the pressure off. It's great.

I haven't seen much of Bouba because we just haven't run into each other that much, and I haven't seen much of Lala yet, mainly because she's so flighty and is never around... but Lamine has been a lot of fun. He took me around to meet his other "mothers". Haha. Which involves going around and showcasing the bit of Wolof that I do know to people who are (kind of, sometimes) happy to see me. I'm going to teach him how to play the guitar and we're going to cut a CD and be famous. Obviously.

Yakham is the middle brother who is freakin' insane. He's one of the most intelligent and most stubborn people I know. He'll argue to the death something that he doesn't really believe in or even care about... just to get a rise out of people. It's hilarious, but it's stressful sometimes, too. He takes it to the line, crosses the line, and then really packs a punch once he's over it. The other problem is that rarely can I tell when he's just joking or if he's actually saying what he really thinks. The other day, he was asking how many husbands I had in America... and then saying that I could only have one according to Islam. I said that I would only want one, but also that it's not fair that women can't have more than one husband when men can have up to 4 wives. He said that women can't handle that, and that men can. I completely disagree with that... I respect cultural differences, but this is one that I don't agree with. He called it "discrimination positive", which is the French version of affirmative action... All I know is that he's full of crap. He thinks that I only think that because I'm afraid of being the last wife. Haha. Right. Putain. In any case, it's been really good to find that family again.

And Anna! I've found her and her family again, too. They're having lots of (financial) problems in their family right now, but they care so much and are so generous... She helped me find a room because she knows how hard it is. And I'm glad to have someone like her here. I spent nearly all day with her and her family today.

AND I followed multiple Wolof conversations. :D Something that I've had to re-realize is that sometimes the conversations switch completely ... and things come completely randomly with no context, making it hard to follow, mostly because I doubt myself and my comprehension. People have really idealized my Wolof abilities, nearly everyday telling me that I've lost so much of my language skills when really, I didn't have that many in the first place. I feel like it's gotten a lot better, a lot more fluid. And it's been fun surprising people. The other night, I was in a taxi and I said a few things to the driver, and when he turned around, he was surprised to see a toubab. Haha. Not becuase I speak fluently, but because the few concepts that I can discuss are conversations that I've really mastered. Yay.

In any case, I'm loving it here. I'm excited to have my own room in town. I'll share a (very disgusting by American standards) bathroom with another family, but I don't really plan on spending all that much time there anyway (in the room, that is... well, I hope not the bathroom either...). All I have to do is buy a matress, sheets, a pillow, and some sort of table/dresser/something. I'll load pictures when I have a chance. Hopefully I'll be all "moved in" by Monday-ish.

Yay!

I really wish that all the people I love could meet each other. I think that might be my greatest dream. I think you'd all get a big kick out of each other. [sigh] Someday.