"Damn you fromage!" - Harry Gloldenblatt (SATC)

I will get to the title in a bit.
This weekend was Independence Day - April 4th, 04 and they were celebrating 44 years! 4-4-4-44. All the big festivities were held in Thies this year, so naturally, our city was a frenzy of action. Youssou Ndour played a free concert, which is not so good for us Americans who are used to our space and people driving with regard for human life. The music was great though. I learned that my white arse REALLY can't dance! My host family laughs at me when I try to dance like them. But at least I try. They encourage me to dance anyway.
The president of Senegal is a little wacky. He was democratically elected, but probably won't maintain these principals. He doesn't think Senegal needs to have elections the next cycle because there is a liberal parliament and he is conservative. He also had thousands of t-shirts printed up for independence day with his face on them. Someone could have a touch of megalomania.
I would also like to mention the tea ritual they practice here. It's wonderful. 2-3 times a day, they slurp three tinyglasses of tea really fast. the first one is strong with sugar. the second one has more sugar and mint added. the third glass has tons of sugar, a little tea and no mint. usually a boy in the family makes the tea. if a boy isn't available, the father makes it. and i guess if there are no men, no one has tea! it is quite elaborate and takes about an hour to have all three glasses. they pour it in a way that makes froth. that's about the only thing men do here. the women do housework all day everyday. anyway...

i had a crazy larium dream the other night - i dreamt that bill maher was having a political forum with wives of polygamists. but the wives all looked like sorority girls and they were debating israel and palestine.
hmm...speaking of, i felt like an israeli soldier the other day. on my way home from school, three kids followed me and threw rocks at me!!! the little freaks! so i ran home and told my host brothers and they ran outside after them to throw rocks back.

oh yeah, back to the damning of the fromage (cheese in french). so i went to a Toubab (white person) restaurant last wednesday. i ordered this amazing lasagna. it tasted great, but in the middle of it i started feeling not so hot, so i couldn't finish. later that night i was violently ill, and i mean violent for about 7 hours. i thought it was the fromage, and i was damning the fromage. but then i thought back to a nasty piece of meat i took a bite of the night before....
training is still abismal. 8-6 monday through friday and 8-12 on saturday. half of it is language training and the other half is worthless crap. that's my assesment.
i bought a cell phone! if you have the urge to call senegal with a calling card, e-mail me and i'll send you the digits.
KT Sparks - I received your card and photos in only 7 days! you Rock my world!
That's all for now....still getting used to senegalese culture. at least the food is better - my host mom is the best cook.

www.au-senegal.com
www.u2.com
www.csmonitor.com
www.megwood.com