Woke up late. Of course, on a big day like my own friggin NAMING CEREMONY, c'mon Jess. My alarm didn't go off but regardless I did my daily/morning routine and even had to add a couple of things in since I have a new garden now... but it has just got to happen. It's almost like a ritual. Damn I am so weird.
Anyways my dad/pabaa came by at 8:50 AM to say my naming ceremony was at 9. Awesome. I walked toward Ida's direction and met her on the road where she walked me back and told my family to dress me up in Gambian garb.
My first outfit fit me well - orange and blue. BUT since they didn't have a head wrap for me, they gave me another outfit to wear which was MUCH stiffer and long sleeved and of royal purple/gold. Bleh. Not a fan of purple. However, it was more grown up but the skirt tied around me like a corset... not to mention I WAS IN LONG SLEEVES IN GAMBIA. BAH. They put make up on me - eyeshadow - and drew and awkward eyebrow on me that looked like I was questioning things or just perpetually scared. They also put a shawl on me, bracelets, necklace, and a pair of high heels to show me off.
I was finally off with the family and was the last to arrive. I took some pictures and watched as about 100 people came pouring into the naming ceremony area. All the important figures - alkaloo, imam, men from different families - were seated on the ground in front of us under a ginormous mango tree, we were sitting in chairs next to Ida, and the more prominent women sat behind us in chairs (the more prominent women) while the rest of the women and children encompassed us in a circle. Maybe the turnout was due to it being the first naming ceremony in the village Jalanbereh hosted for toubabs (foreigners). IT was so sweet, they told us we were family there, don't be afraid, we are their new members and they welcome us whole heartedly. They told their kids not to call us toubabs because our new names were Gambian ones that our family's gave us! They told all the women and men to teach their kids our names. My name is... Mariama Dukare (Doo-kar/car-ay)!!! I'm named after the first wife to my father. The Alkaloo said they will make mistakes just as we will make mistakes but hope that both parties will understand that no one is perfect but will regard each other as our own. They wanted to make us feel safe, prayed for us, and off we danced/ate. Then that was it! The whole naming ceremony ordeal. Ida said it was the biggest ceremony she has ever attended (and shes been working for 6 years!). Everyone was talking about it, a parade of people herded me back home, I changed out of my clothes, went to IDa's for lunch, and came back to my compound to change back to the orange/blue outfit, said NO to the lipgloss and eyeliner and waited with my entiiiire half of the family for the Peace Corps bus to arrive to bring us to the cultural show in Jenoi (my initial training village). After waiting for awhile, I hobbled in my friggin high heels in sand to Elizabeth's to get her, went to Ida's the bus finally came after an hour, and we all got on. We each got to bring 1-2 members of our family. The bus was full of drummers, the volunteers/our family, driver. We sang the whooooole way there and Elizabeth's powerhouse mother led the group.
When we arrived, I rolled out of the bus and jump/hugged the first volunteer I saw. It was marvelous to see everyone again. Some kids in Jenoi even remembered my name (Jess) but I Told them I had a new name now in the few Mandinka phrases I still remembered. People were so nice and the volunteers+their families sat in a huge circle with the community members standing behind us. The Serehule group went first to perform led by Elizabeth's mom. We opened the cultural show and a huge mosh pit/dance circle going on. Everyone got up to dance and the male lead dancer really liked me and kept on getting me up to dance. I like to believe that I was a fantastic dancer. I went hard. I may have even gotten my own solo. Ida had to pull me away hahahaha. Then the Pulaar group went and the biggest group was last - the Mandinkas. We danced some more then the Serehules had to leave since we lived so far away and we sang the whole way back. We went to Ida's house first to party some more and then I finally went home to shower. After showering, I started my homework of a family tree and found but that my grandparents had 10 kids and my mom here has 8 kids... not to mention that my dad has 4 wives altogether and now I have to figure out what the eff is going on. It's gonna look more like a family cobweb than a family tree by the time I'm done.
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