Suba damay dem ca all ba, InchAllah

Well, off I go again, back to the bush, God willing, of course. My first 10 days here in Dakar have passed very quickly as I knew they would. I have nothing much to report. I am alive, well and happy.

Though today I am completely exhausted from a long walk in the sun (and a subsequent sunburn) and bargaining at a market. Though my friend's mom went with me, and boy! you should see a Senegalese woman bargain. It is amazing to watch. I can only dream of being so good. Although today I got a vendor down from 4,500CFA to 1,500CFA, so I think that's not too shabby, a difference of more than $6.

I went to the fabric market on Thursday. I'm like a kid in a candy shop there. It's my guilty pleasure, buying fabric and sketching out designs to bring to the tailor. It's a frustrating process though because my French and Wolof are just not good enough to describe exactly how I want the clothing to turn out. Heck, I don't even know the terms in English, so we'll see how this round goes. Keep your fingers crossed.

I'm anxious about the gift giving that necessarily accompanies all visits in Senegal. I hope my family and friends in the village are please with what I've brought. You never know. And when you give gifts, it's just not the same as in the US.

For example, our 14-year-old maid (just working to earn money during her summer break) demanded that I buy her earrings when I went to the fabric market. I was annoyed as I'm still not used to demanded gifts, but I figured it was the least I could do. I bought a pair for appoximately $1.60, so it wasn't exactly putting me out too much, though here that is a decent amount of money. When I came home, her first words to me were, "Where are my earrings?" When I gave them to her, she muttered "merci" and tossed them aside. What is this culture around gifts!? Was it because she didn't want the family members to know she'd asked for them and that I'd given them? Was she not pleased? She hasn't said a word about it since. Ugh. I doubt I'll ever understand.

It's frustrating being a symbol of money all the time. Yesterday, my friend's aunt was shocked to learn that not all white people are rich. She couldn't believe when I told her there are homeless people in the United States, people who can't go to the doctor, people who are poor.

Ah yes, the USofA isn't quite the dream everyone here thinks it to be, but it's hard to explain that.

Okay, time for dinner and to pack my bags. Then hopefully a good night out with friends before I take off for a week.

Jamm ak jamm!