Dancing with Scissors, Running with Pencils

Training was fairly interesting again today. The woman who imports the baskets to the US presented most of the day on how to tell if a good is export quality and what it takes. I'm definitely interested in what it takes to be export quality and I think it's a really good opportunity for some products that can be massed produced quickly, but the more I learn about the process and all the restrictions the more I'm coming to realize that exportation really shouldn't be Dioss' goal. I think Dioss needs to hook up with the art museum in Thies and try to get some small paintings and his greeting cards in nice hotel gift shops in Dakar. I'm going to see him on Thursday as training ends tomorrow so we'll see where he's at and if he's come up with any brilliant new ideas since I last saw him a few weeks ago.

Everyone is trying to live it up in the metropolis that is Thies before going back to their sites so I went out for dinner again tonight. We went to Massa Massa, which is the nicest restaurant in Thies, and had a feast. Salad, lasgna, and ice cream for dessert. I need to start exercising again!

I came home and Ahmed was pretty excited. No one else really spends time with him and really plays with him. I also have all his crayons and colored pencils locked in my room which may have something to do with his desire to push into my room with me as I open the door. I had cute some paper into shapes for him to color and then went to the bathroom... big mistake. I came back and he was dancing around in my room with the scissors. Oops, I guess you really can't leave a four year old alone. The dancing actually didn't stop with the scissors even though I yelled at him and told him he could cut himself. He promptly grabbed a sharpened color pencil in each hand and ran out of my room. Hey, I tried.

Tomorrow is the last day of training. I'm really looking forward to having some freedom back again and to actually start working on projects, but it's probably the last time our stage and all the SED kids will be together. And on we go...