Long Week

What a rotten week! They're rare, but it's times like these that make me want to come home.

I got a skin infection on my left cheek. It either came form spider bite or from when I last shaved. I tried sleeping outside for a few nights because it's so hot, so that may explain the spider. Either way, my cheek is swollen and it looks like I put on 50lbs. I'm on an antibiotic, but like all antibiotics, there are side effects - unpleasant side effects.

I've tried to minimize leaving the house to avoid the embarrassment, but wouldn't you know my boss passed through town yesterday and I had to walk to the center of the city to greet him.

If it's not showing signs of improvement in a day or two I'll have to go to Dakar for treatment.

In other news, my chicken died. A few days ago the neighbor's chicken spent the night in our chicken coup and passed along its sickness. My host brother's chickens got sick first and then my chicken caught it. Yesterday morning the kids woke up to find 3 out of 4 of my host brother's chickens dead and then later on in the afternoon my chicken finally succumbed to it. Funny thing though, she left behind unhatched eggs and the one surviving god-chicken decided to nest on those eggs. I foresee Senegalese Family Court in my Future.

I didn't know what to do with the body and I didn't feel like touching it. So I called over the 10 year old Go-fer and told him to get rid of it. I later asked out of curiosity what he did with it and he said he threw it on top of the communal garbage heap in the street. Remember there is no trash collection. Thank God it's burned every few days.

It's Easter time and so in the spirit of "Teranga" or "hospitality" Christians and Muslims are exchanging tokens of friendship. Teranga is extremely important here and is more of a way of life than a concept. There is a Wolof proverb that says: "A visitor or stranger is a king and should be treated as such." So far, they've been exchanging an runny peanut butter mix and I have accumulated about a gallon. I really don't want it, but I have to accept it. I'll just give it to the kids.