August 13th post

So a lot of times in the news youll hear people talking about Africa's problem being a lack of transparency in their financial affairs. If this is true on the ministerial level, it sure as heck is true on the village level. For example, the vet came buy to give de-worming shots two my two little kitties, and we had a really nice conversation in Seereer, and he was so pleased with me, that he refused to take any sort of payment. But of course, he didn't refuse to sort of make eyes at me and hold my hand very long in a departure handshake. So I rushed to give him candy and stickers for his kids so that he didn't feel like he could come back later and claim another "payment". This is all very subtle, and I could be totally wrong, but you know how feelings go. Example number two, less disturbing. My host sister does my laundry for me, but would be embarrassed if I paid her in money. And the fact that I pay a higher monthly contribution than most other volunteers has made me not want to give other money. So I give her clothes and lotion and treats. And regular gifts are an expectation of every Senegalese family. I am often on the receiving ends of these gifts, beignets, cookies, and soapdishes (:, so that is nice too.


More fun cultural stuff… do y'all know what djinns are? They are explained in the Koran, and are apparently spirits, not really good or bad, but definitely clever. And people are afraid of them, because they can make you sick or steal your baby. And apparently they like to roam around at 7 pm, the most beautiful time of the day, which unfortunately coincides with my roaming time. But there is this one sneaky djinn, who if she comes up to you in the form of a normal person and asks to have her hair braided, you will be blinded afterwards for the rest of your life. But all hairdressers know that rubbing charchoal on your fingers protects you from the djinns' blinding powers.

And it's really taboo to joke about seeing djinns. But I can't help doing it. Like the other day when we went to gather firewood my sister said she was scared because she didn't know this part of the countryside. I jokingly told her that maybe there are djinns around and she turned deadpanned and told me not to say that. They are so scared to walk around in the fields and the countryside here, they always think that some giant lion is going to pounce on them or something, and they think I'm crazy for going out alone.

Although I did have that encounter with the cobra....which was pretty dang scary, and I was alone. I stepped on it's tail cuz I didn't see it, it rustled the grass and rose up and I heard it before I saw it and bolted. Luckily, its back was facing me when I stepped on it or I don't know what would have happened. It was this beautiful black and marron colored thing. I sat there on a mound about 20 feet away as it turned it's head slowly from side to side like a submarine telescope on the lookout and then slid back down to the ground.


So in general life is good and very interesting here. I feel so much better about everything now that i've gotten more into the rhythm of how people talk and adapted their easy-going attitude to an extent. I was told the other night that my conversation was "afela", which broadly means "pleasing". I was all a'smiles afterwards.