Week in Review

Today marks my fourth Sunday in Senegal, and the first without a mandatory CIEE excursion. Things have begun to settle into a routine, alxamdulilaa (thanks be to God!). I've met a dizzying array of people this week - Thursday was the one year anniversary of my host mother's husband's death. Thus, I came home for lunch to find the courtyard full of people. My host mother just handed me a platter to eat in my room, which minimized the awkwardness. I didn't get home until 7:30 due to a discussion about Goree Island (it really helped to hear other people voice their opinions and to some extent their emotions) and dinner was crazy. I exhausted my Wolof chatting with my mother's friends and my ever-growing circle of cousins. Another big change is the amount of alcohol in the house. Previously, my mom split a beer with one of her friends over lunch, but once she figured out that I did like a drink every now and then, I've had a small glass of wine with every lunch and dinner. Perhaps it was left over from the massive get-together or is a more permanent change - will report back. Ramadan began this week and all Muslims are supposed to fast from food and water from sunrise to sunset. I feel guilty even carrying a water bottle to the gym! Speaking of religion, I went to Mass with my mother today at 7:30 am. At school, I usually jog in the morning and attend 5:00 pm Mass but I *gasp* had homework this weekend, so I needed to be productive. I'm on an illness cycle of about 5 days, but things are starting to look up, and none too soon. My classmates have been out for days at a time with fevers, fainting, and other issues. The worst thing I've had to sit out is the CIEE vs. Suffolk soccer game - girls won, guys lost despite a valiant effort. Currently, my biggest challenge is to figure out a fall break plan in case my charm doesn't allow me to piggyback on someone else's trip. Note to self: pick up more toothpaste/mouthwash...