single digits

Now, let's say I were to be coming home in ver y little time... what would I do?


FREAK OUT!

That's all. I'm freaking out.

see you in 9 days... (technically in full 24 hour periods, or I'm still just at 10)


klb

The long awaited pictures... if the internet is fast enough to upload them!

Well, I'm trying to upload pictures of our trip to Casamance, but the internet is not being too helpful for the moment.

I hope they will work, but I can't promise. Its the thought that counts, right?

<3 Kate

16 days. 4*4 or 8*2... anyway, not much time left!

And Update everyone means Juan carlos and Christina. The others are still leaving after me.


WELL \LOOKS LIKE THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK, SO I'LL DESCRIBE THE PICTURES TO YOU..

1. JUAN CARLOS IS NEAR A TREE, CROUCHED DOWN AND RUNNING. HE IS TRYING TO CATCH A BABY CHICKEN. HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT THE OTHER GUY CAUGHT ONE AND GAVE IT TO HIM.

2. THIS IS AN OLD SEWING MACHINE. ITS THE FLIP KIND THAT WE HAVE IN MY LIVING ROOM, BUT DON'T USE. THEY USE THIS.

3. THIS IS LUCIEN, THE CUTEST BOY ON THE PLANET. HIS SMILE LOOKS LIKE THAT OF AN EVIL GENIUS. I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE IN CARTOONS, BUT CAN'T PIN WHICH ONE IT IS. HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO LEAVE. I WANT TO TAKE HIM HOME.

4.THESE ARE SOME FLOWERS FROM OUTSIDE MY HOTEL ROOM. ORANGE PURPLE, GREEN AND BLUES... BEAUTIFUL. I STAYED HERE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO COLD AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE BY PEOPLE. GREAT NIGHT.

5.THIS IS A PICTURE OF JUAN CARLOS, CLOVIS AND I. CLOVIS IS A SELLER WHO RIPPED US OFF, BUT WE STILL LOVED HIM. WE SAT AND TALKED TO HIM UNTIL 2 IN THE MORNING ONE NIGHT. EXTREMELY PHILOSOPHICAL. WE ARE ALL IN HIS SHOP CALLED THE GOLFER. HE MAKES STATUES OF... YOU GUESSED IT... golfers!


WELL, I hope you enjoyed the pictures, I'll see you all soon... 16 dayssssss...
kate

..........

Well, I know I told you I would probably put up some pictures... but I'm not this time. :/ sorry.

Anyway, jazz festival just started in town yesterday. :) Pretty cool. We didn't hear too much, but we're heading back down there tomorrow after my exams.

So tomorrow is a big day. Comparative lit and french lit exam. THen to the tailor to get EVERYTHING. Enchallah.

Tuesday, another exam.

Thursday, presentation + paper due.

Friday, FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Anyway, not much left to do. I decided not to do my research project because the "easy" stuff that I have left is not easy, its simply impossible with out the help of the professor that keeps dodging me... so SORRY WISCONSIN, I"m not doing it. :/ Don't hate too much.

OUr first person leaves Wednesday, then Friday, then me on the 28th... and before Andrew gets home I should have
-been to Wisconsin
-worked 3 days
-been to NJ
-Been to NY
-Seen a parade
-eaten all the delicious things I have ever wanted.

:) ha.

Any way, if anyone wants to hang out when I get home, send me a text on the 28th. My number is the same. IF you don't have it, ask on fb. :)

TAKE CARE>

18 days.

pce.

TO DO: revised.

Well then... here it is.


My professor scratched a lot off of the list by not remembering what he told us to do. Bad for him, I guess, good for me.

Emile--read. Now I just have to write a 3 page paper on part of it. EAsy PEAsy!

Paper on student strikes + presentation.

Comparative Lit Exam

French Lit Exam.

African Lit Exam.

Get final grades from professors.


At this point, everything is winding down. Suitcases are slowly becoming packed, money is dwindling... to the point that I have a 375cfa a day budget... (82 cents) which means no spending money besides breakfast (75 cfa - 16 cents) lunch and dinner (150 each- 33 cents each). This is getting pretty pathetic. I have more money, but with the clothing essentials I'll have to buy upon my return, I need all of it!

Anyway.

There are some pictures up on facebook of daara j family. You should check them out.
youtube bayi yoon. GREAT song.

well, dinner time is calling.

kate.

To Do:

My list of things to do in the next fifteen days:

Read Emile (100 pgs left)
Another reading by J.J. Rousseau
Read Kant
Read 2 books by Voltaire
Read Montesque (I don't remember how to write his name)
Write a 4 page paper on the 18th century literature in France
Read a short story novel (?) for Af. Lit class
Presentation for Translation on student strikes
Paper to go along with the presentation
Exam for French Lit.
Exam for Af. Lit
Exam for Comparative Lit.

And then let's start talking about my project/ research!

Oh well. Point is... lots to do. I'll update with pictures when I get the chance.

And if you hear about a tailor who got beaten up by one of his toubaab clients... it wasn't me... I'm just saying that he has stuff still from three months ago. I might beat him up. And he wasn't open today......... GR.

Anyway. 5 weeks until I see your gorgeous faces!

Bisous!

Kate

R.I.P.

This past Tuesday, a great man passed away. Mr. Cabakulu, our professor of African litterature died in Paris. Super sad, but he was suffering. Bless his soul.

May he rest in peace.

Nothing new has happened.

I GOT a package from Kari filled with Easter goodies.

I missed an exam because no one in my class was smart enough to read the schedule and told me incorrectly when the exam was! :( I have to do the exam now as homework and then take another exam!

One month left of classes... and to do my thesis project. I guess its time to start asking people to fill out questionnaires...! I'm not so sure how this is going to go, but oh well... not too worried!

That's all.

REALLY INTERESTING, huh?

Kari, have a good time moving to Chicago.

Emily, same to you with Colorado...

and to anyone else who might be moving that I don't know about. It seems to be the time to start moving. I want to join the trend!

klb

Likes/ Dislikes

THINGS I WILL NOT NOT NOT NOT MISS UPON ARRIVAL TO america

-pee on my feet
-pee splatter redirecting to my face... All due to turkish toilets
-Senegalese women (except a few... emphasis on FEW)
-Non-flush toilets
-Central Medicale... the med center... which sucks.
-the resto and it's bad food.
-crazy seller men.
-cooking on a hot plate
-hand shaking... hugs? kiss greetings? That's all I ask for!
-The dirty market to get into town...
-bad conversations lasting forever but never talking about anything substantial.
-people not sitting with me at the resto because thye think i'm diseased.
-being called red ears (kind of a slur... depends on how they say it)
-people thinking i'm rich
-kittens... that are dying constantly.
-soccer video games
-mean baayfalls
-saturday classes
-friday classes
-not knowing how to clean
-TUMBLE WEAVE. I will not go on a rant on how much I hate weave.

THINGS I WILL MISS UPON RETURN TO AMERICA ThE BEAUTIFUL..

-Friends (MODOU FALL, STEVENS LESCOUFLAIR)
-singing circles (their praise song time) as long as they aren't outside my window.
-seeing Joleen, Hannah and Andrew everyday.
-Yangi noos and A qui de droit (the two guys who work at the resto)
-a good ceebu-jeen bu xonq (fish and rice... red style)
-THakri (a yogurt item)
-Mangoes.
-ceebu yapp (meat and rice)
-not having to pretend i have Jbiebs...
-cheikh my tailor... if he gets my stuff done by tomorrow
-Pont Faidherbe (saint louis'big bridge)
-eating out of the same bowl.
-going into town on a hot day.
-new boutique and ISA the guy who runs it.
-Naman naa la!
-baby Ibrahima
-Baydallaye Kane (he's amazing!)
-breakfast costing 20cents
-senegalese accent in french, so much better than the parisian one.
-being albbe to get amazing pastries for 1.20
-the crazies: I WANT MONEY. I WANT WIFE. No? how about you?!
-The talibes (beggar children) on campus... super cute.
-funny baay falls who don't think i'm rich!
-bissap (tea, juice, however!)_
-SUN!

With under 50 days to go, i want to embrace the time I have left while looking forward to my return... so that's what I'm going to dO!!!!!!!!!

love you

kate

School.

Exams are going on. Nothing too interesting. Just 2 weeks of exams...! I have one more to go!

Today, I realized that I am an addict. I am completely addicted to fabric. I broke down and bought more fabric. I was going strong on two weeks of not buying fabric, but I saw one my mom wanted and I bought it. Thanks mom, continuing the addict in me. I also bought another baayfall blanket (patchwork) which is really cool. I got an okay price on it and it's really pretty.

Power outages are becoming ridiculous. They are consistent, every day from the morning (not sure what time, I get up around 8 and its already gone) until 3 or 4... and then sometimes at night. This is really cramping my style. I can't cook oatmeal for lunch. I just want to eat my cinnamon banana oatmeal.

Anyway, dad, here you go. It's a post. Kind of like a phone conversation. Random!

Dad, I have a question for you, but I can't remember. Oh and don't forget to call the dentist!

LOVE YOU ALL!

less than 2 months until my GLORIOUS return!

kate

True Life: I'm in a tourism class in Senegal

These are a list of "facts" compiled from my tourism class over the period of four days. There are several more things that have been said, but were not documented.

ENJOY.

*The Panama Canal is located in Mexico.

*The French can come to Senegal without passports or visas. They only need a card with their picture on it.

*People who wash dogs in the US make more money than professors.

*Clinton is more handsome than Kennedy. And Kennedy was not better than Nixon.

*Obama is ugly and wasn't elected based on race, beauty or the fact that his vice president wasn't Sarah Palin.

*You should be able to take a tour guide out of his country, put him in another country and if he is a "professional" he'll be able to take you to the tourist sights and tell you all about them.

*One year = 364 days.

*If someone sees a picture of two separate things, but they are photoshopped for stylistic reasons (i.e. advertising) They will NEVER know it. Everything in tourism advertising is a lie (and no one knows it)

*I can't read French that is typed out. He pulled this from no where... because I can't read his handwriting.

*I have no idea why the financial crisis happened. The bankers knew it was happening and maliciously forced the crisis...

*To take a cruise... you MUST be a millionaire.

*Those who take cruises have their money in banks, for that reason in 2007 (crisis), there weren't many people taking cruises because they lost their money in the bank (as if they just couldn't find it)

*The U.S. was formed by the gold rush. ONLY reason the immigrants crossed the Atlantic. Forget about that religious persecution!

*To speak French, you have to speak latin. Balanaire in Latin... "bitch... you know bitch...?" After a second, I realized he was saying beach.

*You can be arrested for wearing a t-shirt with words... KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN!

*If you go to Gandiol (an area near St Louis) at certain hours, you will never find your way back... it is ENCHANTED!

*If you offer a German water, he'll never come back to your house. You MUST give him beer. Americans...? Ask them, but have EVERYTHING available... or just receive them where you have nothing to offer. I.e. the desert.

*Blood is pink.

*If you walk on the beach by the Presidential Palace at night, don't look at the palace or you'll instantly have a bullet in your head.

*Hotels. 5 stars. 5 star luxury. Palace. There is a Palace hotel in Dakar.... ? yea right..........

* The US knows where I am at ALL times. 24/7/365. There are spies in my classes, but at home, no one is surveilled... ONLY IN AFRICA!

*In the North, if you offer a child somethign for good work in school, you MUST give them it... unlike here where children just work hard. (WHICH IS BS!)

*Students here who are intelligent are Serrer (an ethnicity) because they eat humans.

*In the Congo, yuo take a live monkey, tie it up, cut its head off and eat its brains... LIVE. And the monkey doesn't scream... or the prof doesn't remember if it screamed while he was eating.

*Cars that will come out in 30 years are already made and locked up in a vault... or it could just be that cars here are 25 years old and no younger...!


Anyway. Hope you enjoyed.

Less than 70 days...

Kate

LIFE again.

well...

I'm sorry these posts aren't as interesting as they could be. I do apologize.

BUT NEW UPDATE. I will be coming home the 28th of JUNE. I will be arriving in ORD at 1pm approximately. Which forces my wonderful parents to drive to Chicago to come pick me... on their anniversary. :) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!


Classes started this week. But I did not. We were in the Casamance on vacation. We left Friday (2 weeks ago) and arrived Saturday at 8pm. We took a bus to get there... and had to drive around the Gambia due to a misunderstanding in French AND English.(something I am still very bitter about). So that trip took us 24 hours of driving time. :( So depressing. Therefore after being squished together for ONE WHOLE DAY, the three of us decided that the bus was simply not an option for our return. So we went to the boat station (port as known in English) to buy tickets on the boat. It was full the Thursday after, the Sunday after and so we had to return the Thursday (3 days ago or 2...) and the boat left Ziguinchor at 3pm and arrived in Dakar around 8am. I ran some errands in Dakar and came back to St Louis arriving at 7pmish Friday. Therefore I missed every class of second semester... but graul (not grave) quoi (what, just used as an interjectory phrase)

I am happy to be sleeping in a fantastic bed... which I never thought I'd say about my University bed. Since its horrible! Oh! That's what I'll do. Here's some pics of school. I don't think I put them up yet!

Vacation

Hey team.

Life here is back to normal. Classes have resumed until Wednesday because we will be going on vacation for 2 weeks! After tonight, I will have officially finished 2 classes for first semester. Which includes my tourism class where my professor is completely insane. For your enjoyment, I will be posting a list of true statements made by said professor. That might be tomorrow or after vacation. The other class I have finished, I still have no grade, due to the fact that the professor is extremely sick and might be taken to France for treatment.

Anyway, first semester classes should finish the week after vacation and then second semester should be done in June. According to Baydallaye, everything will be finished on or before the 15th. Therefore my mother was trying to get me to come home earlier. I still haven't decided what I am going to do. I should probably decide this week when I go back to Dakar because I would have to go to the airport to change the flight.
I'm grappling with the issue because I would love to come home earlier, but at the same time another week would give me a week dedicated to working on my research project. I will be starting more seriously on that after vacation (and during) as well. Since I'm traveling to a rather touristy area, there will be plenty of guides and people to talk to about my project.

Well, I have nothing much to talk about, but I thought I'd update for you all.

Miss you all.

See you again soon.

STRIKEEEEEEE

Ding dong the strike is dead the wicked strike is dead!

The student strike is over. teachers are striking monday. We'll see how long.

pardon my typing... i'm using a mini computer which is horrible.


That's all I have to update right now. :)

Take care!

Pictures........!

Quick update plus pictures.

I have a new computer, alxamdulilay. Thus the update and pictures.

We are still on strike. Chalk up tally for week number 11. Oh well. I'll go back to St. Louis tomorrow, cause dadda's leaving tonight. :( But not a big deal, I"m going to get to work for real on my project this time. :)

So. An update on what we did whilst my father was here. We drove to Lac Rose, a lake that is supposed to be pink due to the high levels of salt. But alas, it was not. The rainy season was too much, so it was a slight brown color. I decided to leave the pictures out of the post. From there we continued to the Deserts of Lampoul, where we... mounted camels and took a trip. Just around the dunes, but SUPER cool. :) And yes, my father rode a camel. Can you say you've ridden camels with your father in Africa? I can!
After a night in the deserts (an extremely cold one at that), we drove up to school, where i unloaded the mother-load of food from his suitcase. I re-loaded with everyone's presents. Which I think are all bought!
Anyway, we went to a camp in between the Senegal river and the ocean. We stayed in a cabin on the river. Literally ON the river. On stilts. Our toilet and shower flushed to the river...sadly enough. Shower, not too sad... toilet. SAD.
We stayed the next night in town and went to the tailor and nothing was done. The power cuts have been so bad lately that even the university has had power cuts, which is unusual. But we've been without power rather frequently, thus why the tailor had not finished... no power, no sewing machine!
The next morning we went back to the tailor to pick up what was supposed to go home with my dad, which wasn't done yet. He finished and continued to stall... because he made my dad the cutest shirt ever as a gift! :) Ask him to see it when he gets home.
Well, we came back to Dakar in the scariest 7-place ride of my life. but we survived, only to be fought over for a taxi... literally 15-20 men yelling at each other trying to get us in their taxi. After, we had the most peaceful dinner ever.
The next afternoon, we headed to Toubab Dialao, a small village that has a nice hotel. We visited Bandia reserve, a glorified zoo, but WAYYYY better than san diego... and saw animals. Then we did a batik class the next day. Super fun. I would probably do that for relaxing time.
Anyway, we're back in Dakar, walked a lot today and yesterday. He leaves later tonight and I'll be in Saint-Louis by nightfall... incha'allah.

Wellll, here are the pictures. I hope you enjoy.


Beggue... Kate

No captions, sorry. Most creative caption wins a prize upon my return.

DAD!

Dad is here.
We're having fun.
Traveling lots.
No computer.
Except for today.
Bought lots of gifts.
Ate yummy food.
Breakfast should be good.
Back to Dakar today.
Then to Toubab Dialao.
Seeing animals.
And hanging out.

SUPER!

Miss you all...

Kari. I just got your Valentine's day package!

XOXO

Kate

life again....

Strike still...

72 more hours.

Last general assembly was not really an assembly. They just sang the National Anthem and then decided to go block the national highway. And then they started burning plants and the army came out... then they decided to continue the strike. SUPER.

Let's see. We went to the South. Pictures will go up when i have a computer. Which is officially dead... with a paper certificate. Manufacturer defect. but hopefully the insurance company will take care of it.

Anyway.

The first semester is going to be wiped out... (not officially, but unofficially. We'll find out tomorrow)

Okay. Well, I miss you all. My dad is coming on Thursday! I'll see you in two weeks probably!


bisous...

KATE

Life.

Well. I'll give you one guess what's happening on campus...

GREVE! For those of you non-francophones... that means the students here are completely null and are on strike again. Okay, completely might be a bit harsh. But anyway... one more week of this and the first semester is completely canceled.
Done.
Over.
ZERO.
LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED.
4 months of my life... down the drain.

Okay, well, that's me being melodramatic. I think that's the word anyway.

I think we'll be okay. I'm almost done with one class, and what I have to do is nowhere near what the other students are doing for the class. Enchallah, we'll get credits for this semester. :)

Other than that. I'm still sick. The infection has removed itself from my lungs and installed itself (oh so nicely) into my sinus. The left lower one to be exact. My teeth hurt. But thanks to some general anti-biotics, I'm feeling a bit better.

Well, next week, whether or not the semester continues or is canceled, us Toubabs be heading to the South! Oh yes, you heard me right... down to the land of fried chicken and collard greens. Or villages and safaris. I'm not sure what all is in store for us, but I hear that this should be a good trip. And something a lot of Senegalese haven't even seen (probably because it's too touristy)

Speaking of touristy... my research is coming along slowly and not too surely. I just finished my questionnaires to hand out and ask people. I have to figure out who I have to get those to in order to have them answered. :(

Anyway, I'm going to go work on that paper that I have to write... for a class that might not count... in a semester that might not even exist.

Gotta love Africa!

Nothing new... some pics

Not too much going on here... several tests and papers due in the next few weeks. Took one test that I didn't have to! The professor scolded me today for taking it... I just misunderstood and thought he was telling me random things.

Anyway. I also just found out an hour ago that I have a test tomorrow morning at 8am. SUCK.

Oh well. I just got my package slip from the lovely Carol Wilson (I'm not actually sure it's from you, but I"m assuming it is, unless someone else sent me one). So I'll be heading in to town this afternoon. :)

Here's some pictures thanks to Ms. Karolina Something. Her last name is too complicated, yet it's Kopacz. Itwas on the top of my screen.


The Mosque in Touba. Top ten most beautiful things I've seen in my life.


A picture of the whole gang, including our advisor from Wisconsin. I'd say we're pretty good looking, wouldn't you?
Joleen Hannah and me in our milfeus... to enter the mosque or anywhere near the mosque, you have to be fully covered (or at least your hair)
This picture is slightly more graphic that the one on facebook, but this is naked baby, the kid who would SCREAM when his clothes were going to be put on. So, he generally hung out naked. This was him watching us eat... naked. Not us, him.
This is the line to see the tomb of Cheikh Amadou Bamba... around the whole mosque. We decided not to wait. Men and women also have to be separated. CRAZY.

TOUBA... BU BAAX

Well, I have now successfully experienced my first pilgrimmage. Although I am not actually sure if it is technically called a pilgrimmage, I am dubbing it as such, because I travelled to Touba for a religious reason. Thus a pilgrimmage, n'est pas?

The trip started late. 11pm. I walked out the door, to the gate of the University to sit and wait at least an hour to get into a car. Car obtained a little after 12am. We were taxied over to the gare routiere, where all 7 places leave from. 7 place is a station wagon-like car with 8 seats, so there are 7 places to fill and the driver. The men were mean and were trying to charge us 2000cfa more than usual, which no one wanted to pay. After trying to barter and bargain for 45 minutes, we decided that it wasn't going to work. And then we found out that he was doing that for everyone, including Senegalese. We paid, and were off... around 2am.
Arrival to Touba around 5am. We set our stuff inside, covered our hairs and went to the mosque. Now, if I had a computer, I would put my pictures up righhhhhhhht now, but I don't. I'll steal some from google, or give you a link at the end.

The mosque is quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've seen. ever. It was constructed by a marabout (the religious leaders of Islam), and looks way better than anything built by an architect.

Anyway, after that, we hopped back on our horse cart and went to Modou Fall's aunt's house to sleep. The girls spent the next two days peeling potatos, cutting onions and doing general "woman things" while the boys were treated like kings. RIDICULOUS. :)

It was a lot of fun although there have been some intestinal issues that have followed (not for me, alxamdulilah!) but those will clear up, inch'allah (happy Justin?) soon.

http://www.google.sn/images?hl=fr&q=Touba&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=490

There are the search results. I think, personally, that my pictures are better. :)

Good day!

Kate

Send me mail. :D

electronics assassin. 'nuff said.

Life after the most stupid strike ever.

let's start off by saying I have a ton of work for the next two weeks. Two, possibly three papers, a presentation and work on my research project. Now, compared to the US, I guess not bad, but due to the fact that they are all on books in French that I have barely read or haven't started or didn't understand, this is much more difficult than b-s ing a paper at home. So at the time where I need most my precious computer, what does it decide to do?

COMMIT SUICIDE and jumped off my bed, figuratively speaking, of course... but it is no longer working.

And, on the same day, my phone decided not to work (which is now working again)

BUT then I also had a nightmare that one of my friends was a serial killer who I found burning someone alive (but don't worry, the girl was just skin and bones, literally, so I don't think she felt it). Naturally, in my dreamland, I ran. Quickly, which was when I knew it was a dream, right? I dropped my backpack and went in some house which appeared to be from the seventies, just like the people who were there with George Clooney moustaches and ugly old clothes. So, they also must have been high because they came up with the idea that if we (somehow Joleen was there with me) changed clothes, we wouldn't be found. So they brought us to the basement where all the clothes were size XS and wouldn't fit. But Joleen was sassy and told me in length how the fit her. Upsetting, right? well, for some reason, I had my camera, and as Joleen was getting up in my face, I dropped it. The lens went all the way into the camera and when I finally turned the camera on, the lens was curvy. I was devastated, but then thought... "OH BOY! I have my other lens in my backpack! But it is outside by the serial killer..." then I woke up.

Depressing, right? That's what I thought.

Well, that's my life. Please don't send me your electronics, unless you want me to kil them, then please do. I am now officially an electronics assassin.


How many of you can put that on your resume?

(which thankfully I retrieved from my hard drive and is now safely stored on my external!!!)

Have a great afternoon!

Chicken chandwiches and peanut butter

Hello friends, family, loved ones, and beloved followers.

Life is still the same. Nothing too much going on. I have effectively changed rooms, due to an increasing uncomfortability in my previous room. My new roommate, so far lovely after 2 days, is Fatoukine.

My last roommate decided to make it obvious that I was not wanted in the room through various techniques. My favorite and most hated one was back-handedly telling me I was sleeping with someone and was whoring myself out. Not true, but well used to make me feel extremely uncomfortable. Instead of trying to deal with it and iron things out, I decided to leave. Having six months left made the decision much easier. And seeing as after a while, I completely avoided my room and at the end successfully spent a mere 20 minutes there in 5 days, I thought it was a pretty necessary move.

Yesterday, we decided to find a tailor that someone in an important person's office (if anyone knows what a rector is, please tell me) told us about. After going to another tailor the day before and having a woman who was completely unreasonable and a rather large snoB, we decided to go with solidarity and not leave any of our clothing there. So, we headed into town and found the tailor... rather he found us. His locale is in the middle of a market filled with tailors, so we needed to be found to find it. After 2 hours of describing and drawing and having someone translate for us, we finally left. I left 2 skirts, 2 dresses, 1 pair of pants and a tunic (which is going to be amazing). They are supposed to be done by next Saturday, enchallah (which is correctly spelled in the wolof tradition, thank you though brother). I'll let you know how they turn out.

I'll take some pictures of school and try and get them up here for you all, since you've been begging. It's just that, honestly, NOTHING is really happening. This is the middle of the semester.... no parties, no fun. :( Just kidding, we always have fuN!

Except when I'm trying to figure out the new site for GV and plan classes for next year! No fun. But otherwise... delicious chicken chandwiches and nems (egg rolls, kind of)... and peanut butter.
Not together.

And dad... bring lots of peanut butter.


LOVE YOU ALL

naman naa leen.
bisous.
embrasses (which is used as hug here... Carol and Nick)

KATE

LIFE

Not dead. I promise. I just don't want to bore you with my life. Presently there is nothing going on besides some small drama issues, which will be posted about once taken care of. Unless an assassin is involved, then the unknown would be for your own good. Trust me, the less you know, the better.
Anyway. Our professor from Madison was here this past weekend, which was fun. We talked about a lot of things, ate and figured out my research project which I need to go do and finish before leaving this country, enchallah.

Other than that, classes have successfully started, although some professors feel no need to teach because students won't be there anyway. That happened to two of my classes last week. But all-in-all, I'm pleased with today. I figured out what I will have to do for my literature class. Read a whole novel and give a presentation by the 29th. Therefore it's time to get serious and start working. And the novel, as of right now, is pretty confusing. YIPPEE! Oh well, last time I was complaining there was nothing to do... and now I'm innundated. I'm glad. I should be. I just wish we didn't have to mush an entire semester into four weeks!!!

Off to lunch and then to class...

This school thing is a little too much for me! ;)

Kate