Assalamalekum!

Hello all. Things are going well here in Senegal. I have been with my family for about 2.5 weeks now and am settling into the way of life here. It is such a strange mix of tradition and poverty but also of the American cluture and technology. The house I live in by itself is not very nice compared to American standards. The walls are old and falling apart, the paint is cracked, there are single light bulbs to light a whole room, etc. But at the same time, there are 3 tvs in the house, everyone and there mom has a cell phone, they always watch mtv, a lot of people try to dress like people on mtv, and they know way more about American musicians and actors than I do. To me, it is so sad to see what a negative impact America has had on this culture. It seems to have made them focus so much on the things that they don't have. A lot of people here, at least in the city, believe that life in the states is how it looks on tv and in movies.

Monday I leave for a village and I hope to find life different than in Dakar. The village we are going to has no electricity and they only speak Wolof. Should be interesting. My communications skills in wolof are very limited.

Despite my family being influenced by tv, they still do cling to old traditions and ways of life. Every night we gather around a communal plate and eat on the floor with our hands. When they hear the call to prayer from the Mosque a block away, they get out their mats and pray, the women covering their heads. Each time someone comes into a room, they greet everyone by shaking their hand and saying hello. They also spend a great deal of time together just talking and having fun. The families spend hours together every day, which is hard to find in the US. There are so many more things, but it would take forever to write about them all.

The other night my family was asking me if I had a fiancé. I said no and they seriously wouldn't believe me. They kept telling me that I had to have one since I was 20. When I finally convinced them that I didn't, they insisted that I had a boyfriend. I repeatedly told them no. Eventually they gave up and believed me. They then asked me why and asked if it was because I didn't want one or that I just hadn't found one. Then they said that I shouldn't be picky and that it was bad that I had so many choices in the US. They said the ideal man does not exist and that if I wait for him, I will never get married. It was an amusing conversation.

Well, off to class again. I love to hear how people are doing so make comments or email me...or send me mail!!!!! It would be really cool to get mail here. My address is on an old post. Ciao!