While my ipod charges..

So ISP has officially started. As a part of this, we can take optional French and Wolof courses at school which I have opted to do to continue improving my language skills further and to give this month of freedom a bit of structure and to keep me connected with everyone (I'm a bit of a loner off in Ouakam by myself). Becca and I were the only ones present in our Wolof course this morning and learned lots such as how to pose questions and how to make these questions emphasize different things (subject, object, etc). My French class following was a hoot. The four of us in class, along with our professor Keba created a story including Beyonce, Wally Seck, a magic mutton, Saint Peter, Dumbo, and Amadou (the guard at our school). Gotta love when class is actually fun and entertaining.

I did a lot of walking yesterday. Printed my ISP proposal, HSR form, and two other student's paperwork at WARC, our new favorite place to print because its only 100 CFA a page (around 20 cents). This is what I pay for my transportation to Ouakam at the end of every day. I also had lunch here at this resource center of couscous and onion sauce, and of course tea and coca cola. After I eventually finished printing 35 pages here and emailing my dad while struggling with a french keyboard, I walked to SIT, stopping at the post office to mail a postcard on the way and was reminded of how lines do not work here. At SIT I met up with Alisa and we hiked on down the road to the media center of Dakar, with no success of who we wanted to find there. So then we went to a bookstore. I of course found several wonderful photography books which were unfortunately too expensive for my budget currently. But who knows, they may find their way home with me. :) Leaving the bookstore, we parted ways as Alisa returned home and I started my 40 minute plus hike in my pink heeled barbie shoes to Emilia's apartment. I walked down the large divided road where the median serves many purposes - the usual being a place to wash your taxi! After coming to the end of this road FINALLY I turned right until I got to a roundabout and then turned left and walked up a big hill as blisters were starting to form on my sandy and sweaty feet. Eventually coming down this road I saw the school that we visited two weeks ago where one of our profs teaches English at and Emilia (another Minnesotan) on the sidewalk of the other side of the road! We continued the hike and eventually after taking several rights made it to her apartment, which looks over GREEN GRASS FIELDS. We chatted on the balcony, searched for summer internships and jobs (she has internet), made supper of scrambled eggs and spaghetti and then a few of our other friends showed up. Us girls had some good chatting and bonding time into the night. As much as I love my host family, it was nice to have some down chill time away from children. A little after midnight, we decided it was getting late, Jess and I headed off on foot. And didn't want to take a taxi since that costs money and we are all limited by our ISP budget. After wandering and then asking for directions, we made it to the VDN, pretty much like a highway equivalent. We walked and walked and walked and made it to Jess's then I somehow caught the last car rapide to Ouakam for the evening. At home, I journaled then fell asleep in my CLEAN bed. Got up and went to class this morning.

Yay Senengal.

Heading to a graffiti expo soon in downtown with my friend from the village after I finish my chocolate crepe.

Oh, I think my ipod is charged now.