A good week

2/10/08
It's been a good week. I say this because [1] I am healthy. [2] My friends are hilarious and interesting. [3] I love learning Hausa and my teachers are talented. [4] My host family and I are in a place where we can joke around with each other. For example: this morning, Aissa was with me in my hut as I studied, and she started trying on my hats, which look ridiculously large on her tiny frame! I laughed; she laughed; then I said we should take a photo. This is a BIG deal; I've only brought my camera out once, and it caused such a fuss that I put it away. So, Aissa was pumped about the photo idea, but: "Samsiye*, you can't be in the photo until you put your shirt on right." Because, lo and behold, my shirt was on inside out. AND, best thing about it, her entire dress was on inside out, so we had a gigglefest about that, too.
A better example of the fun times here: after dinner tonight, I explained to Haoua that my friend had found a kitten, and that Jennifer and I were going to go over and do a "check-up." Well, Haoua staunchly refused to let me go! Which has never happened, and I was taken aback, but also wanted to respect her "rules." So, I asked her why I couldn't go, and a huge neighborhood-wide discussion of all of the reasons ensued! Seriously, people were shouting over the concession walls things like "No, you can't go out because it's dark," or "because you have to study," or "because you always go out and Haoua is lonely," etc, etc. Well, it turns out they were all pulling my leg, and then they told Jennifer she couldn't go out either. Fun times! Finally they let us go, but only after we promised we'd only speak Hausa. When I got back Haoua cracked up: "Na yi wasa da Samsiye!" (I fooled you!)

* Samsiye is Jessica's Nigerien name