I like meat once it's cooked

...but I definitely don't enjoy the seeing-it-whole-and-warm process. I didn't have to kill it or anything. But I did pluck the chicken, then saw Fatou rip it's already half-cut-off head off. I stopped helping once she started emptying the chicken ("Il a bien mange") and I think Fatou understood.






Here she is getting really into it, after I took a break for some fresh air. I was much better at washing the lettuce.






The proud chefs - Aida (first wife of Assane), Fatou (wife of Assane's brother Chere, who is working in Italy) and Adja (third wife of Assane, married this past January).












Bintou - Fatou's five-year-old daughter, with here peanut earrings that Aida gave her. It didn't take much time for her to become my wolof teacher (Lii lan la? - what is this? - she would quiz me on body parts, food and clothing).


The day after the chicken cooking day Fatou took me around to see all the schools - the primary, secondary and Koranic schools (daara). Everywhere she went she described the lack of supplies, classrooms, desks, and shade for the students. I definitely appreciated the explanations, but it was also pretty evident to see. Mouit is currently waiting for money from US AID to build the secondary school - right now they share offices and classrooms.

Fatou is on the right in her blue dress, showing me one of the primary school classrooms.


My mothers/sisters during one of our many photo shoots.