ups and downs

So being a white toubab can for sure have its perks as I will get to in just a minute. But first I want to tell you a shitty part of it as well. We have come back to Thies for training. We are back with our same families and it sure is fun to be able to tell Oumar to get out of my room with ease… he just doesn’t really listen. I like him though. Anyways. I was with 2 friends the other day after training about to get a taxi to go to a restaurant. We were let out the same time as the school kids were. In order to get our attention since we weren’t paying attention to their hissing and yelling toubab, one kid threw a rock and it hit my friend! We could hardly believe what happened! She reacted in the perfect way when I was completely unsure how to act. We all turned around and asked, in all wolof mind you, who threw it. The coward went running as all his friends ratted him out. At the same time all of this way happening a teacher was walking home as well. He knew the kid and called him back. Mandi explained to the kid that we live here, work here and speak their language. The teacher let us know that he knows the kid and he will get punished tomorrow at school. Excellent, good thing we didn’t have to witness the kid getting hit/educated, it’s the same word in Wolof.

The story gets better/worse. Just 2 days later, I was walking home, already in my neighborhood, able to see my house. There were plenty of kids, aka talibe, playing in the street, doing nothing but throwing rocks for entertainment. They were told to stop as I walked through and I greeted everyone. To explain the life of these kids is an entirely different thing. They are talibe: which means they are given by their families to the Marabou to learn Arabic from the Koran. They don’t have anything and walk around cities everywhere asking for alms. Muslims give alms daily, as it is part of their responsibility, so they usually make an extra plate of lunch and the talibe will come pick it up. These kids practically wander the streets all day looking for food and money and are dirty and it is easy to feel bad for them, except when they pinch my arms to get my attention or throw rocks at me! Twice in 2 days! A few months ago I was pinched and couldn’t believe how rude the child was but the other day a rock was thrown and it hit my neck! I tried to get the kid to come over to me but everyone around simply laughed and he was too afraid to come over to me… since obviously I was ready to smack him! I just walked away embarrassed. Well I told my family and I went over to the Marabou’s house tonight and although he wasn’t there, I got the neighborhood talking and the kid will get punished.

So life can be tough, but I’m making it. After training on Saturday, we got out at noon and 30 of us went to the beach. A different beach from last time, but still just as fun! We stayed in a very touristy place and the most beautiful hotel. You don’t want to know how affordable… when we pulled in I seriously said out loud that we must be lost because our budgets don’t allow for that! But they did! And I have bright tan lines to prove it! Enjoy the few pics I took, but they just may not do it justice!