One month down, only 23 to go!!!

Okay, so now I have completed a little over one month. The time has gone by really fast, but it seems like it has also gone by really slow. The days are really LONG, but the weeks go by really fast. I find it helpful to make plans for a certain day, and then count down each day until that particular day comes.

So today I'm back in Farjara. I've actually been here since Thursday. So much for "three-month challenge." Oh well. Jenni had to drop one of her host sibling off in a village near mine, so her and Shayla came by on Wednesday and spent the night. Steven also came over because he did not want to travel over the next day alone. I told him that I would not wait for him in the morning because he always takes a really long time to get to my house. Rather it's a bike flat tire, or getting bitten by a dog, he always has some sort of mini drama that makes me wait an extra two hours to go anywhere. So anyway, the four of us came here Thurs morning, and then Amanda and Eugene came later that night. We've just been hanging out the past couple of days.

On Thursday, Jenni, Shayla, Steven, and I went to Serekunda to go to the market. We spent the entire time looking for "fabric street" which is really just one little alley way that sells fabric for the least amount of money. While we were looking for the street, I totally got hit by a car. Now it's always been my dream to be hit by a car in America. It's a great way to make some money. So I was standing pretty close to the side of the road, but I couldn't get all the way over because there was a very large group of old women blocking the way. Now I didn't want to just shove them all out of the way, so I was patiently waiting for them to keep walking when I got hit from behind. The car was going pretty slow, so it just knocked me off my feet, and I sort of just sat down on the hood. I was a little shaken, and all the old women came to my aid. They crowded me, and hit the taxi. Some old men came up running saying "sorry." The taxi driver drove off, and I just kept walking. Now if this had happened in America, I would have rolled off the hood and maybe faked a neck injury, but those things don't really work in a third world country. Oh well, I can now add being hit by a car to list of things that have happened to me.

Also, I am instantly the most popular female in my village. I've had numerous men propose their love to me, and one guy even sat me down and had a lot to say. I always get away, and then go home and call someone and just laugh. I also have the head of immigration for the entire district trying to court me. I live on the paved part of the road, so there are a lot of truckers that sleep on the side of the road at night right next to my house. When I am out in the mornings they like to say things to me. The other day I was walking back from the bitik, and one of them told me that he was going to "kiss me." I told him to come over and try and also had a few more choice words for him, and then I turned around and politely greeted a village elder. I find it's nice to yell at the truckers because you can get a lot of anger out. They really have no idea what you are saying, and apparently no one in this country knows what the finger means. One man who touched my neck and then made a kissy face got the finger, but he just waved and smiled.

I have a lot more that I want to say, but I need to go eat lunch and then head to Banjul for the Roots Festival. (Think Alex Haley) I plan on coming back here tomorrow, so look for a lot more stories soon!!! Also, I'll reveal what happened to the cats....