Senegalese hospitality

My first month of village has passed surprisingly quick. I'm slowly adapting to life here, and more importantly becoming increasingly comfortable with my family and community. I'm still at a loss as to what my "job" here is at times, I've definitely felt rather ill equipped with my limited communication skills as of late (especially at the middle school where I'm organizing a scholarship, and most teachers speak French) which don't exactly let me show any type of other skills I may be able to offer. But I think that's the point, I have 2 years here for a reason. First I meet and learn, then I do some good work. So I've focused on meeting people in my village and the villages around me. Senegalese are very hospitable and the extent of it is downright amusing; I've already taken a mid-day nap at a women's house the very day I met her.
Foundational knowledge: when you visit a Senegalese person, you spend the day (if not many) with them.
Backstory to my napping experience: I head to the village over from mine (about 2 km away) to buy some phone credit. I go to their market to greet (always great extra language practice), and one woman says I have to go meet someone named Sohna. She mentions something about a garden, so I figure this has potential work involved and follow. She takes me to, who turns out to be, the president of the women's group in the village. After chatting for a bit, we head to see the women's garden (where she gives me fist-fulls of mint that is currently growing there). We go back to her place and after chatting for a bit I tell her I'll head home. She looks appalled and says no way, it's too hot. I have to stay, eat lunch, rest and then head home. I agreed, it was mid-day, around 110 degrees, and even the short 2km seemed like an unpleasant idea. After lunch (fish and rice, the usual), and a delicious iced sour milk and sugar refreshment, it was still rather warm out, so she told me to lay down and rest (hence naptime!). After a few rounds of tea, presents of fabric and hand-spun cotton, it was late afternoon and could finally make the journey back to my village (though not straight back.. we stopped at another house for a round of orange soda). This is an example of typical hospitality here, especially when in a slightly wealthier village like the one near mine.


My set up in village is pretty sweet- I've got my own free standing room in a family compound.

My room. Note the proximity to the mosque. 5:30am call to prayer is so much fun!

The bed I sleep on at night (outside) is the home of many activities during the day.. yeah, where that girl is washing dishes is where I sleep.

The view from my room. Cows are a common sight.

My host dad, the village chief. He spends most of his days sleeping.