Time after time

Mango season is rolling in in Senegal! This will soon mean that we have more fruit on the trees than we're going to be able to eat. Ive heard that some families get creative with different mango concoctions, so I guess I will soon see (or rather taste). I have had about four mangoes, ranging in ripeness, one of which I accepted from the sticky little fingers of a child. sigh. What can I say, I have "slowly slowly/seeda seeda" broken my PC shoes in.
Speaking of tasting, I just engulfed an entire papaya. Granted it wasnt the whopping kilo that the fruit lady was trying to persuade me to buy, but my tummy it still uncomfortable satisfied. Yes, I am quite capable of saying what I want, haggling a little, and standing my ground (in PULAAR). Now that I think of it I may be a more abrasive person in this language, but that is only in response to the need. Im mean with purpose.

This is a photo of two of the toddlers in my compound playing mommy, or "Neene." The women strap children to their back piggy-back style and secure them there with material the size of a towel. This allows them to keep the baby under wraps (heh) while continuing with their kilometer-long work list. I dont know where the women find the strength to get through all of the physical labor that they squeeze into one day because

it cant be in the white rice. These two cuties have tied a stick and bowl to their backs.

WORK! Regardless of the steadily increasing heat, accompanying sleeplessness, and ongoing party drumming at night, Ive been on a penciled in work schedule. We have started a tree nursery and just had our first demonstration!
My village decided that we should have a demo a few days after I received my tree sacks. We biked to the surrounding villages, chatted with the chief, and invited them to our training. Tijane, my counterpart, called me out, "Homa would you like to talk?" at every village. My initial response was nervous laughter, but really all they wanted to hear was that I was happy and thought their village was nice. These little traditions are sometimes an annoyance, but definitely not the hardest thing to deal with.

Village Maintenance!
I woke up to my compound rethatching the womens' hut, where both of my moms and sister stay.

They also molded some mud bricks to rebuild the Kitchen Hut that will surely be the death of a few people. I will not help them cook because I cannot stand the smoke build up. Once again, I dont know how the women do it.