Learning Learning Learning

Here is a list of things I’ve learned (more or less) to do here in Senegal:

Cook – ceebu jen (rice and fish) with veggies over an open fire

Wash clothes – can’t make the squishing noise women make here, so they don’t really think I’m washing my clothes, but I am, I swear! :)

Draw water from the well and carry it on my head – yeah, that’s hard, really hard, especially when you do it for an hour straight (which I didn’t do but my sisters do every day)

Speak Wolof - Duh

Dance – ummm….yeah, working on that one the most…mainly because I want to be able to dance in my Senegalese outfit for Korite (more on that in a bit) in a week

Make tea – I’ve “learned” how to make tea, but can’t do the whole pouring tea from one glass to another thing; my bro is a pro at it and he tried to teach me, but it really takes practice to get the right flip of the wrist so you don’t spill lots of tea…that’s something I’m going to put on the back burner right now but would love to be able to go back to my family in a year or 2 and make tea for them; I think that would really blow my brother’s socks off (if he were to ever wear socks) :)

Make Neem water – best organic way of repelling pests here in Senegal and it’s so easy: just leave a bunch of Neem leaves in a watering can over night and water your crops the next day!

Fall asleep under a mango tree – yeah, that isn’t really something one has to learn, more so just do, but it sure is amazing