2004-10-05 - 7:10 p.m.

Excerpt from journal entry dated Sept 21st, 2004:

Half of my posessions is now in my "new" home, while the other half is still at my host family's.

It felt good today to spend some time in my new home alone... there's not much in it - Mauritanians in this part of the countrydon't believe in furniture, so as I was sitting on the floor in the center of the room, the place with the most "cross-ventilation", I finally felt "rooted"... and a smile came to my face as a feeling of peace overwhelmed me.

Not long after that moment came my 8-yr old sister MArieme and my nephew Aziz. MAuritanians also don't seem to believe in "time spent alone"... it just doesn't seem conceivable that someone would want to or enjoy not having company.

I can seem to manage to "tune out" the kids easily... but when it's adults popping in to visit m I just switch on my "cross-cultural" bulb and anjoy the time spent socializing with them!

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