2004-09-03 - 7:07 p.m.

Most of my Kaedi family has officially left bit by bit for their annual vacation "en brousse"... leaving me with my younger sister Marieme and two older brothers Godi and Mohammed (who are basically just waiting for me to leave for the training center so that they can leave too...)

La brousse is a very cherished and close-to-the-heart place for many Mauritanian Moors who relish in the "country-side" during the rainy season enjoying the "desert come to life". The sand is suddenly transformed into green blankets of grass, the goats and cows are busy grazing all day long, while the Moors relax lazily under their tents drinking fresh milk, eating cous cous and freshly-killed meat, sleeping, listening to local traditional music, and shooting birds... how could I forget... drinking tea and chatting! A nostalgic way to go back to their much cherished nomadic roots...

The women enjoy going "en brousse" because that is when they become "plump and fat" which is still considered a sign of beauty amongst the Moor population (despite the government's efforts to sensibilize the population on the health risks associated with obesity)... "fattening farms" apparently still exist in the nothern part of the country.

I had to say goodbye to Dhabu - the sweetest little girl, sister of the sweetest little boy Dha ( who left about a month ago for the fields)... the two "work" for the family, yet they are barely maybe 6 or 8 yrs old (no one really knows...) Slavery was abolished twice in this country in recent history... and although I wouldn't quite call Dhabu and Dha slaves in the traditional sense of the word... it definitely is difficult to find a better word to define them. Domestic help just doesn't quite fit the bill... They do get shelter and food, and apparently an education during the school year...probably a better chance at life than they would otherwise have. Who knows...I think it's too much of a sensitive topic for me to get into right now right here, so I will stop writing about it.

I must admit I was a little sad to say goobye to them as they all piled up in the back of a pick-up truck, on top of all the bags and trunks... knowing that I won't be seeing them on a daily basis anymore and grateful to them for their warm welcoming embrace into their family life. Inshallah, after the "first three months of service" ban from travelling outside my region, I will be able to come back down to KAedi for a weekend visit!

There is no formal mailing system here... as Nouakchott just got an address system only two years ago. So if I wanted to have a letter or note delivered to someone in KAedi, I would have to have it hand-delivered by someone I knew was travelling to KAedi... and simply state the name of the family to which the letter should be delivered. And of course there is the whole language/literacy issue to be overcome... Many educated people had to choose between Arabic and French while in school. Many women don't know either one. Hassiniya is only an oral language - so that option is also out!

But nearly all of them have cellphones -Al-Hamdullilah! So the problem I guess is solved... :-)

Send you all my love... reminding you I need your snail mail addresses... and making an appeal for books to be sent my way!

Hugs,

Jordy

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