A larger sense of humor

1/21/08
It is our lunch break. I try to load up on veggies during meals here, because in the village it's all r.i.c.e. Coming up to the center is getting more and more fun as I make some friends. During breaks we play pingpong, volleyball, and soccer in the sand and wind. (The Harmattan winds don't mess around! They've been blowing for days.) There is a group of 5 of us who live close together in the village, and all of us seem to have a larger sense of humor. I've been laughing a lot, which is a great cure for homesickness (and it appears to be a preventative!) Popular topics include: Nigerien latrines (holes in the ground), social faux pas, the multiple varieties and versions of rice, corn and millet that we eat, and just all of the day-to-day hilarities and embarrassments. For example, yesterday I came to my language teacher to ask about the word "umandaji" which had come up in a conversation with my family. Turns out we had had a whole conversation about giraffes, and I had no idea! I don't even remember what I thought we were talking about!