New Baby

I can't tell you her name just yet, but my aunt had a baby girl last weekend. They wait a wek before naming babies, and apparently the dad gets to name them. This is a stupid rule in this case because the mother is a second wife and her husband is hardly around. They actually live in two different towns usually. I get to go to St. Louis (in Senegal, the second largest city) for the second baptism. I am super super excited. Last night I got to hold her for probably 30 minutes... highlight of my life. She'll probably be named Aminata, like the majority of the women in the family, after Grandma. The good thing is that it can be shortened in several ways: Ami, Amina, Adja (somehow) but I haven't heard Nata. Probably for reason.

This weekend I have the vague assignment of checking out the tourism industry in a rural ecovillage. This basically means that I am going on a long weekend, and it's paid for! I'm going with one other girl from the group. The downside is that I am missing my host mom's coming home party, which is apparently even bigger than the going away party for the pilgrimage. I can't imagine her caring too much, as she'll be seeing everyone and their mother over the next few days and I myself don't REALLY mind avoiding the huge group and endless eating. I'll get to do that next weekend, which is enough for moi.

Other than that, things are going along. This week I had ALL 3 classes I was supposed to have, which is always a good but unforunately not usual thing. I started a project at a local clinic/public health organization, which is interesting, but it seems like all of my work is going to be jammed into the last 2 months. So if I don't write, that's why. Ask any questions burning in your mind. Jamm out. (jamm=peace)