Today was one of the most African days ever. Ever. Woke up around 11, had breakfast, chatted it up and learned some Wolof with the host fam, had lunch, and then left to go into town.

When I left, I told some of my family members that I was going to look at a room in town (even though I'd already rented it, I didn't want to make it seem like I was doing this all behind their back...). My parents were cool with it and understood, but M doesn't seem to get it and thinks that I'm leaving her forever or something like that. She would hardly talk to me before I left and said she would send me a message, but I'm sure she didn't have any credit. Oh well. It happens.

I got into town, stopped by the Ndiaye household, but no one was there so I went to see Anna. She was just finishing up tea (which takes her 6.5 hours to make [yes, an exaggeration]), so I had to wait for that, but I got to play with her little neices and nephew. They're adorable. We were chatting it up, and then we went to get a mattress. This was a bit of an excursion. We travelled across the bridge and to a small shop where Alpha didn't want to give us the price we wanted. All in all, after spending 20 minutes there discussing a price, Anna asking him what he'd eaten for lunch because obviously he was sick if he was quoting us this price, and Alpha laughing and complaining about how this economic crisis has screwed everyone over, I paid 20,000FCFA ($45) for a foam pad to use in a room I'm renting for two months for 24,000FCFA. Haha. Anyway, we get back to my room, sweep it out a bit and then I head out. I spent all afternoon with Anna, and it was really nice, but sometimes I just don't like how long everything takes. It takes so long. There's so much I want to do, and I can't do it all!

It was about 19h00 now, the time when everyone goes to pray (haha, I almost wrote prey), and I went over to give Yakham some computer lessons. It was fun to talk to him. It was getting really late, and I was getting worried about being home on time to my family (which of course I never am), and they absolutely insisted that I stay for dinner. They were having a party that I just had to attend. And then Goudiaby was about to leave! So I made him stay because it wouldn't have been fair. We ate very well and had good juice and fruit salad, and then I finally made my getaway. At 10h45.

Goudiaby helped me get a cheap taxi... but I had to go with the taxi driver to pick someone else up. We were talking on the way over to pick up this friend of his, and he asked me if I had any husbands. I said no, and when we went to pick up his friend, he rolled down the window and shouted to everyone else, "Hey! There's a toubab in here with no husband! Come look!" There were a couple guys that came over, and one actually shined a flashlight to look...

In any case, I have sheets, a mattress, and keys to my place. I'm so excited to move there. It really is basically a POS, but that's okay... because it's mine. And I don't have any family to respond to or any restraints. It's /right/ around the corner from Claire-Enfance, and it's right near everyone I love and care about. So yeah. What could be better?

[sigh] I really wish you could all meet each other!!!!

I'll try to get some pictures pretty soon.

I'm picking up my African habits again… finally. I can just enter someone's house without knocking or anything to see if they're there… and if they aren't, I can just sit and watch TV and either wait or just leave. And that's nice… because that's what they do here. I'm getting better, but there are still times that I just want to retreat into solitude and sit without talking to anyone, something that never happens here. Most people that I've talked to have even said that if they're alone for simply an hour, they have to walk around and find someone to talk to. Different strokes, I guess. My African noises are coming back, too. Every language has different noises that go along with it, and mine are definitely coming back and they're even stronger. It's been really good. I'm taking more chances with my language, too. Putting myself out there a bit more… and comprehending loads. There were a lot of conversations that I followed today, too. More than ever before. And I really like that I can say that every day, because that means I'm learning every day. Alhamdoulilahi!

I'm excited to bring my guitar into town tomorrow to share some music with the people I love. They're excited, too, which makes it even better. Hope I won't disappoint them!

I leave you with a funny Wolof story. Funny and really embarrassing. In the taxi on one of the first days that I arrived, the taxi driver was talking to me, and he asked me what my favorite Senegalese meals were. I said that I like yassa. He asked, "Yassa ginar (chicken in Wolof)?" And I said, in beautiful Wolof, "No, I like yassa poulet (chicken in French) better." Hahaha. I almost died when I realized what had just come out of my mouth.