MIA

Dioss is MIA. I called him this morning and he told me that he has been very busy and was currently on his way back from Mbour and that I could come over this afternoon. I called him back this afternoon and he was still on his way back from Mbour. Mbour is less than an hour away! I know that I haven't been around in a while because of the girls' camp and then being in Dakar for mid-service, but it's really annoying me that he's not around because we need to talk about the artisan expo and leather bookmarks for Leslie. Hopefully tomorrow.

I did get to see Dioss' mom and dad who are quickly becoming my favorite people in the entire world. Dioss' dad, Samba, is a great painter and can talk about nothing. We'll be talking and all of a sudden I'll realize that I have no idea what he's talking about and that I've totally zoned out for the last hour. He's an incredibly nice man though and I like how he gives me a tour of his work studio every single time I come over. Samba always speaks to me in French which is a little weird and extremely confusing since his wife/ Dioss' mom Madame Ly only speaks to me in Wolof and it's really hard to go back and forth. Madame Ly is also extremely nice, but really knows her stuff and is a great sales woman. She wanted to tell me all about a terrible expo she was just at and how much better the one I'm planning will be. I hope that wasn't a thinly veiled threat...

Madame Ly is still doing a really good job with her accounting. She started writing down totals, like bracelets 5000CFA, instead of how many bracelets and how much they each cost, but I believe we've rectified the problem. And since she actually presents me with a notebook that she has already written her sales down in (instead of Dioss who writes things down from memory while I'm there to appease me), she's way ahead of the game. She's also writing the cutest biography for herself for the artisan expo. I love it, but it's also taking her weeks and weeks. Go figure.

I saw Madame Ly in the afternoon and ran errands in the morning since Dioss is no where to be found. Other than that I wrote "Senegal" in bubble letters 12 times so that Ahmed could color the letters in and give one to each member of our family/ everyone who was at the house at that moment in time. I also read an entire Foreign Policy and New Yorker magazine.

Additionally, today marks the 50th anniversary of then Senator Kennedy speaking on the steps of the Michigan Union about service to the US. His speech served as the foundation/ inspiration for the Peace Corps. Go Blue!

Check it out: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=about.fiftieth

PS. Hail! to the victors valiant
Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes
Hail! Hail! to Michigan
The leaders and best!
Hail! to the victors valiant
Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes
Hail! Hail! to Michigan,
The champions of the West!

PPS. MSU Sucks