Journal Post 12/19

Today was interesting. Woke up and just about ready when... I get a call from Sheriff the Driver who told me I had some packages they were delivering for me!!! HOOORAAYY!!! I just finished my breakfast (which I swear doesn't taste at all good unless I add 5 tablespoons of sugar) when they arrived. I got a letter from Mike and a package from Melanie. I've never been more excited in my life and I felt like a kid again awaiting my presents. Modou the Driver/past awesome carpenter was with Sheriff and actually was the first one to greet me at my door in English so I thought it was some random guy trying to lure me into an English conversation but clearly that wasn't the case. He was such a sweet heart and helped me clean up my roof which meant sticking a broom all up in my thatched wood above me and sweeping away anything that looks like it's going to collapse on me. Which also meant everything that fell down - which there was a lot of - coated all of my stuff. Modou, again being an angel, proceeded to SWEEP everything for me but I knew... the fire has been ignited. It was henceforth renamed "Ultimate Cleaning Day" and thank god my mom sent me those Clorox wipes because they were my SAVIORS. There was an unfathomable amount of dust on top of my bed and it was nasty.
I made covers for my chests using fabric I bought and scraps of that fabric for covering the chest handles so I don't break my fingers lifting them ever again. I ate lunch, finally washed my clothes which involved my grandma taking pity on me, doing most of it and my younger 20 year old sister (who already has a 2 year old baby) helping me hang it dry. I'm definitely going to pay them to do my laundry...

Anywho, I got to wash the rest of the mold off my stuff, unopened my package/read my letter/laughed alone in my hut, swept like 8 times, finished organizing my stuff, EXERCISED and hot damn I'm so out of shape, took all my clothes down and folded them, washed my feet (which feels like a true victory when you can see the bottom of it), showered, and in all honesty I checked off everything I put on my to-do list. It took me 3.5 days but I'm finally what I called "settled" (or as settled as I can get without furniture). I still need to talk to the carpenter to make me two small roll-y tables and one bigger table with wheels... but I was able to ask the prices for some items from my family and that's a mission for next week when I have money. Right now, I still am operating under less than 50D (which is little bit more than a dollar) and only have enough money to get to Basse, the regional "large town" with shops, internet cafes, and the bank. It takes 35 D to get there... let's hope for the best.
I drafted up another plan for tomorrow, dinnered, and went outside. After sitting a little and telling my moms that I was ready for tomorrow, they decided to take me on a late night adventure to the mosque for what seems like story telling time. A number of people were sitting outside/inside just listening to the loud speaker. They were translating the Koran into Serehule and reading it in Arabic. Good thing I had a lot on my mind because I sat there for 1.5 hours not understanding anything! My butt hurt. We finally arrived back but it was good exercise for tomorrow when I go into town with my grandma. I have one mom who can understand me best, then the older mom who I like a lot too, she can understand me somewhat and is definitely the more fierce of the two women. My grandma is such a nice figure who takes me under her wing. I expressed that I had no idea what I was saying but I just liked sitting with them and I also got to meet other women. Definitely in my element. A group of boys started shouting "toubab" and "Chinese" at me but I told them not to do that and to call me Mariama which I hope they understand but honestly they were just kind of annoying. I'll warm up to them slowly. I also had an awkward encounter with a guy who kept on calling me after site visit and I just ignored him because I just didn't appreciate calls at random times in the day! I told my moms that I didn't like giving out my number to men and I think they understood. I told them I wanted to make more lady friends so the folks of Kulari don't think I'm a hussy. It's such a relief that they understand. I have to juggle how I'm presented - but like I said, tomorrow really begins *my* three month challenge - getting Kulari to know me like in Jalanbereh, I plan on starting a map to the pump first, sitting in at least 5 compounds a day for 20-30 minutes, and walking around freestyle greeting people. 3000 people in Kulari (so says my paper PC gave me)... great. I'm starting my regular routine tomorrow which will consist of a mix of getting ready, greeting people/sitting in compounds, fetching water, snack, reading/studying outside, lunching inside, free time to do whatever, snack, exercise, shower, snack, free time, dinner, and sit outside with family. Every time I eat I've been getting a stomach ache and I feel like it's because my stomach's still adjusting. I think I've been eating a lot lately - including coos - and I can't gauge whether it's Aunt Flo that's changing me or my taste buds are really adjusting. Either way, working out needs to happen. I have a couple of things I need to do for my house otherwise I'm ready to make some friends and hopefully find a female English/Serehule teacher! Eeek.