Hey faithful followers whom I have left hanging for so long. I’ve been writing writing writing all day everyday for this 38pg paper in French. Yes mom it’s true, I actually buckled down and sat in the German Institute’s library for hours. Maybe it’s cause I’ve been blatantly told my French writing skills are subpar so I feel some sort of motivation to prove them wrong.

I’ll catch you up with a series a photos, as I tend to prefer since I can’t craft a sentence short enough to keep your full attention as you’re waiting for me to get to the dang point around my need to be witty and express myself in full accordance with the mood of the story being told. GASP.

1st we had our own potluck thanksgiving on the roof of SIT building.

Then Lala, Alexa and I did a lot of souvenir shopping at a market put on by the Peace Corps and went to Gorée Island again.

Somewhere along the way it was a goodbye party at TSX for the other volunteers and I.

And Alexa’s Bday.

After a full day of typing (literally 9am-8pm) we stayed at the Goethe (German) Institute for a café concert by Mellow Mark. An evening outside on the top floor meant we got to wear sweaters!

Then there was a “Christmas market” full of really cool and well made things but very expensive and not exactly Senegalese. Lots of European designers enhancing Senegalese themed items. But really cool associations selling things in support of women’s and handicapped associations.

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Followed by dinner at the French Institute, a bad choir concert, and then an AWESOME Youssou Ndour concert (naturally beginning at 2am).

Then end of the Semester party at school with all our families, great fun, food, dancing, live music, displaying our artwork etc (We just won’t talk about how my iPod was stolen out of my bag during this joyous celebration with people we are supposed to trust)

A few of us walked up to the lighthouse last night, found a path onto a cliff and watched the sunset while sipping wine out of plastic cups. AWESOME. See here the token Laurens of the group. 

Then Megan and I cooked for our lovely friends in the apartment where I have been mostly living this past month to avoid loneliness since my host family is rarely home and far from where everyone else lives. (finally used my jar of Skippy peanut butter for some incredible no-bake peanutbutter cookies=great life choice).

So at the start of this Advent season I was like “crap, I wish I was home where Christmas lights are everywhere and the music on every station gets annoying and Starbucks cups are red and you know it’s snowing and cold in other states!” But then, I had this revelation that I am in fact in a much more geographically accurate location to engage in Advent. Hello, Bethlehem is just a hop skip and a jump away. Awaiting the birth did not include spiced lattés, scarves and snowmen, it was sandy, dry and camel filled. Now, I’m into it. So I finally got out the uke and we sang Christmas songs and it didn’t make me sad, I was totally into it, while wearing my Senegalese outfit and breaking a sweat from sitting. Happy Christmas time in Sénégal :) Here’s that new outfit, a gift from my hostmom!

Not to mislead you, I’m still totally ready for all those ridiculous American traditions, but not going to complain about our next 4 days on the beach of Mbour in mid December either.

Much love to you all!