Bad At Blogging

Hi all I know its been a while since I've posted I figured I'd update you all on what has been happening with me in the last several weeks. I've started teaching classes at the CFPP, things are going pretty slowly. I spent the first week going over computer parts and Microsoft Word vocabulary in french. This week I'll start actually using the computer. I wore a mulaffa to class on Thursday and the girls (all my students are girls save one boy) totally loved it.

I also moved into my new house this week, just as the Director of the Girls Empowerment Programs came into town and dropped off 5 big boxes for me! Thanks everyone for the spice mixes, fruit and nuts!!! I'm so happy for them!! So I moved into my new house, I'll send pictures later I forgot my camera cord. Lets just start with saying my house is awesome and huge, but needs alot of work. All the money I spend towards fixing the roof, and bathrooms, etc will be taken as rent payments. Its not a bad system, it just requires alot of patience. I also have room for a garden, I hope to have one by this time next year. The house also has a staircase onto the roof so I can sleep under the stars whenever I want. I plan on getting a tea set so I can entertain Mauritanians- (their favorite pastime is hanging out with friends, drinking mint tea and looking at photos). This is the first time I've ever really lived on my own without a roommate. Needless to say the first night I hardly slept at all, it was incredibly windy and all the doors and windows were banging around. So all night I kept leaving my bedroom to close stuff and place rocks against doors that have no handles or locks. And then ants got into my sleeping bag and decided to take large chunks out of my torso. Soooo Painful!!! It was quite a night but I survived!

Things have been sort of strange around town for the last two weeks, there have been large protests in Nouakchott against the president and prices of consumer goods. Last week this meant that lots of middle school and high school boys got psyched up to a fever pitch and rioted in the market, throwing rocks and breaking car windows. They tried to storm the high school as well but failed. Its kind of hard to understand exactly whats going on and why students would care about the price of bread and soda (they dont have money, dont work or pay for anything). Both Edna, my sitemate and I had gotten back from the market about 10 minutes before it happened. No one was hurt, or targeted and we ended up fine. I'm still trying to figure out why they got children so psyched up about market prices. But anyway, dont worry, all of us are fine. The day of the big protests our neighbors the three sisters were very protective of us and stood out on their stoop yelling at anyone that came near. They then fed us lunch and dinner!
I promise to write more emails, topics to come include - how I avoid the countless marriage offers I recieve daily, why nema rocks, and many many others!!


LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!!