Okay, where was I? Oh yes, starting over from the end of dance on Saturday. Since I actually wrote all this yesterday really nicely and can't bring myself to do it over and am extraordinarily frustrated and pressed for time and want to just catch up already, I'm going to make this a list, using past-tense verbs and boring language. Forgive this outburst of bitterness.
Dance: disappointing. We left after about an hour and decided to go to to the Phare (lighthouse). We followed our djembe teacher friend who told us to ask for Sise and mention Moussa if we wanted to get up top. We walked half an hour there, half an hour up the big windy hill, stopped at some lookouts, saw a beautiful view of Dakar, tagged along with a German lady and her son who were getting a tour in very poor French, but which involved an amazing GIANT lightbulb from the "olden days" (aka the nineties) and the mirrored dome of the new tiny light installed in the tower which rotates using an ancient motor or by hand. So cool. Later the woman wanted us to pay the guide even though he insisted we shouldnt but we gave her something to pay him anyways and made him slightly uncomfortable. We walked the hour back and went to a restaurant where we waited a good hour or so for a meal and talked for about three. Some friends came by who were passing and just spent a couple hours, thats the kind of thing we've just got time for here. Which is good and bad: nothing gets done, but people are tons more relaxed. Saturday night I read and talked to Jaco who is pretty crazy but he has given me some good advice about engaging the family, for all his sketchyness. More on that later.
Sunday morning I got up to read, got walked to church by Jaco when I forgot how to get there, arrived for the end of the first service and immediately embarrassed myself by remaining standing, not knowing that I was standing to recieve communion, and had to decline and sit down. Oops. I found Marlene and her fiance and was embarrassed again when we were asked to move to a row that was not for families with children. Oops. It was a pretty good service with the usual gospelly choir, and there were also some Americans visiting who didn't speak any french and I went and introduced myself and they gave me all kinds of Christian organization contacts and were amazed that I'm actually living here. As nice as everyone was, I felt a little lonely later in the day...that's another more personal story but man, sometimes I could go for a minyan and some matzah in this city where Muslim prayer is blasted from loudspeakers up to six times a day and anyone who's accepted Jesu as their lord and savior displays it proudly on their clothing and in their conversation. Later in the day I met up with Jeremy to work on a presentation and go to a cyber cafe and then more hanging out at home and bed.
Tuesday two exciting things happened: the beginning of my internship at the hospital and getting my hair done. I'll keep it short: we walked around town, Reine and Fifi and I, looking for rubber bands, found them after two hours and then the two of them plus Mamie set to doing my braids which took them two hours before and after dinner. Now I'm Senegalese! It's lasted a good ten days and is getting kind of icky but I'm hoping to leave it another week or so.
Tuesday morning I went to the hospital to start my "intership" which consisted that day of being introduced to every single person who works at the hospital for three hours. There was no sense of privacy and we just friggin walked in on people having small surgeries, and getting teeth pulled, and screaming babies being stuck with needles, and pregnant women waiting in lines, and doctors prescribing all kinds of shit, and old dudes half-naked on exam tables. It was unreal.
Okay that is far less detail than I would have liked but I just wanted to catch up a little before I leave for Saint Louis tomorrow and ten days of spring break! I'll talk about Gambia when I can. Jamm ak jamm.
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