En Vouge

So I have had a good weekend and today is shaping up to be spectacular aussi. Lets keep our fingers crossed because i know how quick my day/mood can change here. Here are the events of my weekend, a mini testimony to why it't been a good weekend.
Friday, my group got to stretch our legs and venture to Mboro for a tech training (ie business class) with the group living there. They are learning wolof, which does make me wish i had done a study abroad in college, so I could have started straight into a local language but c'est la vie. Mboro is on the coast and after class our LCF (language prof) got us a sept place (taxi for 7 people) to the beach. It was a dreary day, and rained on and off, whichwas perfect because that means it is not hot. The beach really reminded me of the oregon coast, probably just because it was dreary. It was wonderful, we all ate a sandwich with bananas and chocopan, which is silly since we always betch about the carbs and sugar we are fored to eat in mass proportions. HOwever, this lunch tasted wonderful in all it's sugary glory because we had chosen it. Oh how nice freedom is..
Then on sat, after an amusing class, i picked up my copmlet for korite. ****Side note*** my class is usually pretty funny because my group is fun and one voluneer,Phil, has a wonderful deadpan sense of humor. Honestly, he makes a gerat straight man...such a crack-up. Anyway...so my complet. I just figured it would be a good special occasin outfit because it is blue with load (and i mean loads) of gold decoration. It is definitely very gaudy, but it turned out prettier than i expected. I mean it is still really gaudy but i do like the skirt on it't own. Who knows though, I already had pretty poor style so maybe I'm just picking up the senegalise style and I will be a lost cause when i get back.
Now that i own a blue an gold complet my sister said i need shoes, bc i am obviously made of money. We did find a pair that was quite nice (again guady senegalise standards) but unfortunately they didn't have shoes small enough for me. I'm just a size too small for the normal size...it is nice to see somethings donn't change. However, at this point the vender is invested in getting my to buy some shoes, but all that is left in gold are ugly ones i wouldn't even want here. This turned very funny very quick because all the senegalise women got involved and thought my refusal of shoes because they were ugly was hilarious.. this one has a bow...nope too many diamonds.. that is not even gold.. They fully appriciated how seriouse i was about my shoes, because shoes are serious business to them too. I love how the silliest things transend culture.
On the topic of culture, i tries making tea last night. It is a big production here because you need lots of foam, so there is a proces to making is. Needless to say, I wa not so great and my family was very amused. However, I think a few ,ore times of practice and I've got it.
To follow with the doing Senegalise things, I woke up at 5:10 to have breakfast with my fam, which i usually don't do, and I am fasting all day like them. I am however, cheating and drinking water...that jut would have been too much. Also, since i don't have class today I am gnig to learn to make a meal. Lets hope it is one of dishes that is more exciting than fish and rice. After Ramadan, my family wants me to make an american meal. I'd love suggestions. keep in mind everyone eats our of the same big bowl, with a big spoon.
Ok i am off, I will leave you with this...last night at 11 R Kelly music videos stared playing, this must be thier late night tv. I was embarrassed to be american...he is just vulgar and a poor lyricist.