If your ceebu jen doesn't taste good

Your husband will leave you.

(Ceebu jen dee ko roof, Mbaa sa jekker fase la)

That's what I learned in class today.

But first I'll start with Sunday. It was the day of a big "lutte" match, (lamb - wolof, wrestling - english). Most of the Senegalese were either at the match or watching on the TV, which is probably the only time the streets have ever been relatively quiet. But before the match started, I went to l'ile de Ngor with some other students and their families. We took this boat to the island (for 500 cfa - $1), and enjoyed some warm, cloudy weather.

On Tuesday one of the other students had her raging 21st birthday party - so many vegetables we were all so excited! Most of us have been eating a lot of rice and bread and fish and bread, and bread, (which I have been enjoying!) it just makes seeing a tomato or carrot really exciting. Apparently Natalie's - the birthday girl - family asked her what she'd like to eat and she said she knows we all like vegetables (and have been missing them), so these two enormous platters of cauliflowers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, celery, peppers, onions, and beets were brought out after an appetizer of fried dough with mustard sauce and bissap juice, and before the platter of chicken and french fries and bread. An incredible feast, emphasizing the teranga here - the culture of generous hospitality and sharing (the national soccer team is called the Lions of the Teranga).


Then on Wednesday I went apartment shopping for the first time ever. The most painless shopping I have ever done. We saw one apartment yesterday, and put a down-payment on it today. So I have a home for ISP! with three other students - Abby from Wheaton, Jarvis from George Washington, and Devin from Berkley. (At least it's not just me rushing into this purchase, so you can't blame me if it doesn't all work out...dad).

Takes off a lot of stress (I guess if one were to feel that feeling here...) because we leave tomorrow for another week of village homestay-ing and St. Louis for cultural exploration. The week after we get back is the last week before the ISP...so it's getting pretty close.

(But ALSO on Wednesday we went to Bouna's business class that he teaches in Sacre Coeur to meet his English speaking students, which was incredible! Apparently they go out a lot to "les boits" in Les Almadies, which we've never been too, so they're going to help us out with our Dakar education.)


The rest of today we made ceebu jen. That was class today - "a Ceebu Jen Workshop." I am currently recovering from all the lessons I learned and ate, hoping to digest in time to walk home before it gets too dark.

Mam Binta (in the foreground, my French teacher) and Fatou are making holes in the fish (thiof) for others to stuff with spices. I stuck to the vegetable peeling station. I could handle the manioc and squash.

We also made juices - tamarin, bissap and buoy - with some plant leaves, hot water, and a lot of sugar. (ALWAYS a lot of sugar. I had some tea last night at home, but it was more sugar than tea, which clearly was still enjoyable. Sugar is just well enjoyed here.)



This was all made outside in the back of our classroom, also where we had our Batik workshop, and djembe workshop.


I think there were five of these platters. And I don't have a picture of the final product which is stupid because it was incredible. Anyway, there were five platters, with about 30 people eating from them, and bowls full of leftovers. Fortunately, a lot of the juice was left as well, which we are currently storing in the freezer to help us through our journey to the village tomorrow. I mean, we're taking an air-conditioned van on nicely paved roads, so...it's not like we're back packing or anything.

I don't think I'll be hungry until Easter (also the 50th Anniversary of Independence).