Journal Post 10/25

TODAY I woke up and am slowly, slowly getting my morning routine down, which goes a little something like this...

1) Wake up
2) Dash-roll out of my first mosquito net so no bugs get in, zip that up with God speed, and tuck in my second mosquito net. Awkward tumbling ensues because I usually bring my cellphone, iTouch, and water bottle in bed which I will need out of bed.
3) Relieve myself from those aforementioned things on the chair next to my bed that serves as my night stand.
4) Gather materials to wash face/pee/brush teeth/wash yesterday's panties and bras. Laundry for undergarments CAN'T be given to your host family and must be done by yourself. I try to do my laundry during the day so I can see what the hell I'm doing and keep an active eye out for bugs.
5) Open front and back door and latch my screen doors for ventilation.
6) Prepare/treat water for the morning and afternoon (fill my Nalgene up with water, 1 drop of bleach, shake it, 2/3 scoops of Gatorade powder for extra hydration, shake it, wait 15 minutes).
7) BURST outside because I'm dying to pee at this point with my bucket and toiletries.
8) After all that is done, return all the materials back inside, get my shirt/pants for the day, go back outside (backyard) to spray my clothes down with bug spray
9) Go back inside to hang laundry up to dry.
10) Change into the day's clothes, put PJs away
11) Brush my hair, put on deodorant, put on suntan lotion. Baby powder any creases like my elbow junction and neck to avoid dat heat rash.
12) Take my PRENATAL MULTIVITAMINS which work wonders
13) Sweep, sweep my backyard too, lock backdoor.
14) Gather books/water bottle/rope bag/hat and do a quick scan of my vocab list so I know what I"m saying... then I'm out the door. Usually my breakfast is delivered at this time.

So yeah all of this is done in an hour. You can see my persistence in this routine because it makes me feel like I'm in control of SOMETHING while everything else is so out of control here. I'm totally okay with doing whatever outside of the house but as long as I have some routine down in the morning, I'm happy and it keeps me sane. It's also a lot easier when I'm not on my period - JUST SAYIN.

I greet my compound, greet the women at the water pump, greet all the compounds people who rush out to see me on my way to Ida's (teacher), and arrive. By the way on the way to Ida's = dirt path full of obstacles like manure of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Kind of like everyone's dream obstacle course to get the day going. After I get there, I greet Ida's host family, sit, start class.

On this particular day, I was the first on there. Ida asked me about my past life and I don't know why but I started crying. It wasn't that long ago that I was living a completely different life and not hopscotching over animal poop in the morning. I told her a bit about myself and got it together. We learned a lot today and I stayed after class to re-copy notes. I had an excellent lunch today (coos with veggies, vinegar and cucumbers, and french fries. I ate so much - but the thing is I don't know HOW much because I'm using my hands and it's a huge communal bowl, not individual plates. A bit later, Ida's hunk of a husband arrived - tall, dark, handsome, and SMART. He studied abroad twice for his degrees and is a Public Health official traveling all over the world and The Gambia. Currently he's doing polio vaccinations or overseeing it in our area. They are so power couple. I told Ida she has to come visit me in NY for Christmas and watch Lion King on Broadway.

Later, all of us went to the bitik (shop) where I was swarmed by kids with a couple of adults at the fringe of the pile, and an elderly woman told me they were going to find me a Serehule husband. Swarmed by kids on the daily is a regular thing here. I didn't buy anything and went back home. Next, I put away clothes...exercised... had kids follow me and chanting numbers in English while I exercised. The women were like 'what the hell is this girl doing' and I Told them my husband liked a nice butt, which is why I'm exercising, which is a pretty good excuse I think.

Took a shower after that and stupidly left my screen door closed but NOT my actual door closed so I had an awkward moment of being naked, getting into my house, seeing someone approach my door to deliver my dinner, flying back outside to my backyard so they wouldn't see me naked, and yeah. Normal night. My sister eventually delivered dinner to me when I was clothed and I ate dinner inside (as I will do every night) because I. Do. Not. Like. Bugs. In. My. Food. And they're persistent! It's a little bit better inside albeit I am forever alone, in the dark, with my lamp, eating. Dinner was coos again (millet) but with beans in a peanut sauce this time and I had a little bit more than I thought I would.

When I was done, I gathered my books, 4 page Serehule translated health spiel about Public Health, my dinner, and went out. I played pictionary for a little bit again and went over vocabulary and shit, I was just crazy enough to start talking about Public Health stuff. It was mostly kids who were my audience but they listened. AND THEY UNDERSTOOD. And they thanked and clapped for me. I was going to go inside but one of the uncles told me it was too hot and to stay outside so the children fanned me. I sang/taught in English, spoke in Chinese, and met a 10 year old bilingual genius in Spanish and Serehule so I spoke in Spanish and sang the one Spanish song I learned from 6th grade. It was tough... I haven't spoke in Spanish since HIGH SCHOOL. Anyways, then they sang a Serehule song for me and I called it a night. English, Spanish, Mandinka, Chinese, Serehule all in one night. Exhausted.