She's Back...

She's back!!! On Sunday, the infamous Mami Gaye returned and I haven't remembered to mention that's she's back which is fairly ridiculous since she dominates the house when she's home. You will probably remember Mami as my host sister who has the Jolly Green Giant outfit and who is the basketball player. What amazes me about Mami is her incredible resolve to do absolutely nothing while she's home. In the past few days I've become highly knowledge about Whitney Houston and Tina Turner music videos from the 80s and 90s, watched Curious George cartoons in French, and marveled at Mami's badassiness as she lays on the floor of our living room topless with her bottom half wrapped in a towel sporting her new lip piercing. Mami also changes the whole dynamic of the house because she's fairly antagonistic toward everyone, she really knows how to get under both Ahmeds' skin, and she refuses to do anything, but will watch all of the other girls do house chores. She's probably my Senegalese female hero as she's 26, unmarried, and is pursuing her passion (basketball)... I also enjoy all of the drama she causes.

Random Events:

- I walk back into our compound after doing to Dioss' dripping with sweat and Khady tells me that I shouldn't walk as much as I do because it's bad for my health. She cites my recent cold as evidence that walking is bad for me. She failed to see the potential cause and effect situation of my entire family being sick the week before I was sick and then me getting sick because we all eat out of a communal bowl. Regardless, she made me promise that I would take taxis everywhere I go so that I wont get sick again. I think the weekend I was sick drove her insane because no one was playing with Ahmed.

- There is a "commuter" train that runs between Thies and Dakar every morning and afternoon. Trains are usually a pretty big deal at home with lots of warning signs that people usually respect... that's not the case here. As I stand on the side of the road waiting for the train, which is maybe 10 cars, to pass a massive truck decides that it's a good idea to gun it up the small incline and over the tracks so it doesn't have to wait for the train. The truck obviously stalled on the tracks and the train had to stop for it. Priceless.

- One of the construction workers busted a hole through the tile floor of my compound today, much to my mom's anger, and I learned that the tile is literally floating over the sand. The hole is getting progressively larger as Ahmed refuses to stop jumping around the hole's perimeter.

- Shout outs to Shirley and Sarah for both sending me letters! Thank you!