My First 100 Days

A few weeks ago I was listening to a podcast about a lady who wrote a book about Obama's mom, and it occurred to me that I was about to complete my first one hundred days in Senegal. Here are a few of the my early in-country achievements:

My language has advanced to the point where I can say "Hello Mother! I am going to with lunch Taki's friend here. There. There. I am going to lunch. Is not here, me, lunching. Lunch? To eat. With Taki from Etiolo. Friend of Taki house here. Ok? Thank you! Thank you much much much! At afternoon ok!"

All of the little kids in my neighborhood have stopped calling me "Toubab!" and started calling me "Adama!"

I built a little barrier at the base of my hut's back door so that the rat who has been digging a hole in my wall can't scamper in while I'm trying to enjoy my morning coffee.

I have established myself as the Resident Facepainter at the Regional House.

Diabou, the ten-month-old who was initially extremely suspicious about me as a person, has finally warmed up to me and now calls me "Ada!" and waves and gives me brisk little handshakes.

I new have a faint Chacos foot-tan and approximately two dozen new freckles, most of them on my ankles. 

Little Misc Senegal

 Here are a few photos from the last few weeks, in no particular order:

Emily M.'s birthday dinner at Massa Massa, the fanciest restaurant in Thiès. (Emily M. is on the far right, them my roomie Emma, me, Rachel L., Hailey, Meredith, and Claire) 

Marie (Salimatu), Hilary (Mama Awa), and LaRocha (Adama) cooking dinner for my host family in Darou

Marie and Hilary in our school garden in Darou; I'm behind the camera

Beach Day in Mboro, near Darou. This was just before we noticed how many fish heads and chunks of offal were swirling around in the surf...

A photo of a street in my friend Marielle's training village. Many, many streets look just like this.

(Many thanks to Marie, Chelsea and Marielle for remembering their cameras.)