Ramadan
It starts today or tomorrow, depending on whether or not you saw the moon last night. My family did so they began fasting. No eating, drinking or sexual activity allowed from sunup to sundown. They get up at 5:30 and eat breakfast and then eat dinner at 7. I am kinda excited for that because usually we eat dinner between 8:30 and 10. So late for me, but I am almost used to it. I think it would be cool to try to do Ramadan with them but I know my body doesn't do well with out eating. Probably wouldn't be good if I passed out on the street in Senegal. Maybe I will half do it and just drink water and juice. Right now I am unvoluntarily fasting cause my stomach doesn't like me and won't let me eat anything with out causing a lot of pain. No fun. Hope that stops soon.
I should have listened to what my mom always told me, DON'T LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES ON THE FLOOR. Yeah, I learned that the hard way this morning when I found a ton of maggots crawling all over my floor in my pile of clothes and everywhere in my mosquito net that I put on the floor cause I am not using it anymore. So gross. There were so many of them that I just started laughing. I tried stomping on all of them but they wouldn't die so I called Maam Adama in my room and she got a broom and swept them all out. Maam is so great. She keeps telling me that I have Jaay Fondé. Brownie points to anyone who say what that is. I DON'T have it though. At least I hope you don't think so.
posted by Jamie Paxton @ 8:48 AM
5 Comments:
The old maggots in the clothes problem. Yesssss. I can see that could be worrisome. Maybe we will try that in J2's room to see if she will pick up her clothes. "Jaay Fonde" of course means roughly "Selling Porridge" if I use my standard Bellinghamese/Wolof dictionary. I don't know what that means but it sounds mostly interesting. Maybe something to do with your intestinal situation?
Stomping Maggots only makes them mad by the way. They are probably all migrating into your sock drawer right now for revenge! Does the sheep like to eat them?
Hope you have a fun weekend. Sorry we missed your call but got the message OK. Also, some more people are sending you "things" in the mail. :) Look for them in your mostly empty mail box soon....
Hi Jamie! I hope you didn't hurt the maggots... I found out what the phrase means, though I probably wouldn't use it a lot!
I think you would think this webpage is funny: http://www.notesfromabroad.org/archives/000016.html
It has some good advice for you, I think.
Joel, that was really fun to read. I totally have experienced everything she talked about. Hearing "Toubab" shouted across the street at me happens a lot and I seriously get marriage proposals a couple times a week. I'll have to use some of her responses. Oh, and most commonly the term "jaay fondé" means "big butt". To Americans, this is pretty much an insult, but to some (not all) of the Senegalese, it is a compliment. My family keeps telling me if I eat more bread I will get jaay fondé. They are funny.
OK,I'm tossing out my Wolof dictionary. Butt, you can remember the fine Shrek end medley : "I like big butts" or the other famous American musical classic "Baby's got back?" Was that the same song?
I am sure it is a major compliment to have people think you have about 40 lbs of bread product following you around Dakar!
Probably means they think you been cheatin at Ramadan. "Huh!Fasting, my ***!"
Remember, wear rubber thongs while doing the light switch thingy. Or, Jump in the air, hit the switch, and then land. Don't make a complete circuit to the puddle!
Jamie, don't the maggots bring you back to the good old days of UCU ?? I know you miss having small creatures surprise you in the morning.... good luck with everything. Your adventures are extremely wicked awesome.
Solid!
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