Its election day in Africa....

So I think I tried to do another post before but the power cut out and I lost everything.  However something that was important was my apology for the horrible grammar and sentence structure in my blog posts.  I promise I passed high school english but I just have so much to say and very little time and electricity to use (if any.)  I'm going to try harder to proof read but no promises.

So today is election day!! AHHH

I'm so excited for this day I almost wish I was back to experience this (minus the advertisements, and blatant but amusing hoaxes) in the US.  We are watching the election via CNN satellite at a local hotel but I'm not sure if I will make it to 4AM which is when the US election will end in America.   Everyone knows who I want to win and thats all I am going to say except I never thought that I would be watching one of the most important elections in the history of the US from Africa.  

We swear in on Friday and if I passed my language exams I will go to Kolda on saturday.  We are paying the extra money to cross the border and we WILL have passports this time (by force if necessary.) If I don't pass then I will stay at the training center for another week and then leave.  I feel like I made some serious progress in my language skills especially since I was able to give some good ole American sass back to some of the men in my community.  

We were talking about wives and since my time in homestay has been coming to a close, the number of marriage proposals has increased.  One night the guys were over and they just didn't understand why I didn't have or want a husband.  I finally just said "In America I have ten husbands and they cook and clean for me."  

Said it in pulaar which made me feel really great. 

They got a huge kick out of it but the next question was to determine that I was Christian and thus only really believed in one spouse per spouse.  I couldn't pass as a catholic (forgot the name of the Pope, woops) so now they may think I am a lasped christian but whatever.   They talked about how in Senegal a man can have 4 wives and they do  all the house work because it is women's work.  I felt great telling them that women in the US are doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, and work outside the house all the time.   

I should say that there are muslims families here though that do not practice polgamy and the are families that do who are still full of great people who I have grown to cherish as valuable friends and family members. 

Of course then one of them just kept telling me he was hungry and that I needed to make him something.  

Me:  "you have hunger?"

Him: "Yes"

Me : "You want to eat?"

Him: "Yes"

Me:  "Then you go prepare something to eat!" 

I said it in what I believe was good pulaar because he laughed and stopped harassing me about it.  

My sister/aunt taught me how to make tea here which is what Senegal is known for.  They do not drink real coffee here but seriously sugared, strong tea.  To cool it they do this pouring process from shot glasses which I suck at it.  I poured almost all of the tea on myself but I told her that before I return to America I will be a real pullo-debbo and will be able to pour tea (and coffee and any other hot liquid) without spilling.  She smiled.

I felt like I got really close to my family and it was so hard to say good bye to them.  My sisters and I stayed up late the day before I left doing homework, dancing, making ataya, be sassying toward men, and catching mosquitoes.

By the way I killed two mosquitoes with one hand clap-it was like killing two birds with one stone. 

But it was sad because my sisters started crying that night and when I gave my thank you speech my sister/aunt had to leave to room because she didn't want me to see her cry.  When I hugged my host mom I could feel her shaking and I am not going to lie I cried a little too.   We cried at every house. 

The families here have been so welcoming and they truly made us feel like we were part of the family.  This was the first time they had volunteers so we will always be each others first.  When people come to visit me (if they can) we are making a stop at galle-am to meet my first Senegalese family.   

I really hope that I passed my exam so I can go to Kolda this saturday.  Allah-okki-kam arsika (God give me luck.) 

I will post my new address soon and I will once again tried to post pictures.  The internet connection is really slow.  The site they will be at is www.tboneinsenegal.shutterfly.com.

We saw our country director on television and when he started speaking pulaar I kind of understood him (because I definately didn't understand the french.) 

Wish me luck in the following months because they will be what determines the success of the rest of my service. 

Love always!

Remember-Yes We Can!