Chicken, Fries, and Salad and Salad

This week has been a very exciting food week mostly because I've had plenty of reasons to be out and therefore not eating ceebu jenn every day. Today was no exception. Since the entire "Thies Region" aka all of the people who can easily day trip Thies (who are all girls except Brian and now Kerry!) hadn't gotten together since before we all left for America/ ever since the new stage installed, we decided to get together under the guise of having a camp meeting. We actually did discuss how my stage can help the stage a year behind us plan a camp for next year, some best practices, and maybe even moving the camp to Thies which would make logistics much, much easier.

I'm always a little worried when people ask me to organize a Chicken Dibi event. Not because it's a high class establishment or anything, but because I never know if I've actually organized anything. Usually Chicken Dibi doesn't open until 6:30 or 7, but they will open up for us when we call in advance since Peace Corps is such a good customer. Mohammad, the main guy at Chicken Dibi, and I bonded early in my service because he speaks Arabic and ever since I've been the de-facto Chicken Dibi coordinator - this also probably has something to do with the fact that I live in Thies. Anyway, I called Mohammad on Wednesday and told him and myself and a group of PCVs would love it if he would open early on Friday. I asked if he could open at 3. He was outraged at how early it was and said he couldn't possibly do that, but 3:30pm was OK. I told him how many people and that I would call him the next day. I called Mohammad back yesterday and he was completely bewildered at the fact that we were coming the next day even though we had spoken the previous day. Again I gave him all the details and we agreed that incha'allah me and my friends would be eating chicken today. We ate chicken today so all is well in the world. Kerry proclaimed that it lived up to my hype and everyone left feeling grossly full and totally content.

Katherine and I left Chicken Dibi for Dioss' to pick up some fabulous Valentine's day cards. Dioss wasn't there, but the boy posse made sure that I was well taken care of and Katherine thoroughly enjoyed the scene which was accompanied by loud rap music. Katherine jumped in a taxi headed for the garage and I got in a taxi for my house...with all the artisanal products other PCVs brought for the mini Expo next week. My family was thoroughly amused when I came in with giant bags of baskets and cloth goods. They think I'm crazy.

Even though my family didn't eat dinner until 9:30 I wasn't hungry because I had stuffed myself with dibi. Usually I would be really happy that I was too full for dinner, but tonight we had chicken which was kind of heartbreaking. I told my family I was full and they were horrified because it's my favorite meal and refused to take "I'm full" as an answer. I hid in my room and awaited the inevitable bowl of food that they would bring me because they knew I was hiding and trying to avoid dinner. After Chicken Dibi which consists of chicken, fries, and salad, I didn't really want the same dinner even though it's delicious. When Jeenaba came to my door with the dreaded bowl of food it was only salad! In Senegal one should always drink tea as it's a sign of friendship, I can't stand the sugar so in a highly culturally insensitive move I almost always politely refuse. Salad is a different story. There is no way I will allow my family to think that I wont eat vegetables and that I don't want more. So, I promptly walked back into the house and devoured the salad in front on my mom.

That's the news from Senegal. I'm now going to try and roll myself into bed because I'm so full.

Almost forgot... SHOUT OUTS!!!!

Shout out to Shirley! I got FOUR letters from you today. Ah Senegal and the way the postal system works! Thank you for the birthday wishes and all of the other cards!

Shout out to the Kogelschatz family!!! Thank you so much for the birthday card. I wish it came with some of the wine featured in the card!