2006-01-01 - 8:50 p.m.

To all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
I'm in a small fishing town on the coast of Senegal south of Dakar...

It was a wonderful New Year's Day in quaint little Joal-Fadiouth, after spending a heart-wrenching night with the loud beat of African drums and the hypnotizing chanting of a group of women singing as background to a traditional wrestling match setup for the pleasure and entertainment of about three hundred people, mostly men, and definitely locals (Aaron and I were two of the total five "toubabs" present in the arena!)

It was an amazing experience, we stumbled upon by chance while we were taking a walk along the beach enjoying the sun setting on the fishermen's boats... we started hearing live drums being played in the distance and decided to follow the beat, next thing we know we're waiting for a four-hour wrestling match to unfold with indigenous rituals, loud commotion and lots of testosterone!

We smartly decided to get out before the end to avoid the crowds and the various fights that were starting to spring up as a result of simple winning/losing dynamics... why are men so dumb sometimes???

ANYWAYS!!!

After a lazy start with a nice breakfast of Nutella (generously shipped to me for XMas by my family!) with bananas and stale bread (Nutella makes stale bread taste like heaven!) we headed off for the main attraction of this area (after getting lost on a dirt road stretching out through mangroves): Fadiouth, the island made entirely of shells.

Fadiouth is connected to Joal by a long wooden bridge crossing a windy clear-water bay. Its inhabitants are mostly Christians and we arrived just in time to catch the last few moments of a very touching Sunday Mass at the large church towering at the center of the island.

It was the first time I had ever been in a church filled with brightly dressed African men, women, and children singing hymns to the beat of drums... I had always heard stories, growing up, of missionaries setting up parishes in Africa... I was now standing in one, right there and then... no missionaries running the "show" but only locals deeply involved in the powerful spirituality of their gathering. It was very moving and a good chance for me to take a few moments to be somewhat spiritual myself... a good feeling on New Year's Day.

Mass was over and Aaron and I wandered off through the tiny winding shell alleys stealing scenes of daily life from families' courtyards and houses, working our way to yet another wooden bridge headed to the mixed Christian and Muslim shell-covered cemetery.

The sun was still shining and the wind was still blowing strong when we decided to take a break under a thatched roofed gazebo by the water,part of a little touristy restaurant back in Joal.

The day continued with delicious food, chilled beers, lazy naps, book-reading, and yet more exploring excursions around town...

The first day of 2006 is almost gone already, my wish is for the rest of the year to be filled with loving friends and family (far and close), time and desire to enjoy the simple things in life, making the conscious effort every once in a while to slow down and re-center...

My best wishes to you all!!!!!

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Last time I wrote was two weeks into the Girls Mentoring Center... we're already at week 7!!! Lots has happened since then in Magta Lahjar and Aaron's visit is almost coming to an end unfortunately.

It was really great having him over, not only for me (that much was obvious!!) but also for the people in Magta Lahjar. He was a great sport, picking up the local language, helping with the Girls Mentoring Center, making friends at the market and the various stores, fixing things at Limnaye's house, pulling well water for the neighbors, enchanting little kids with games and tricks, eating goat head (even covering his tongue with goat tongue!!!!) and shady sandy mystery meals without any resistance whatsoever... I am confident that Hadrami (Aaron's Mauritanian name)will not be forgotten by the local Magta Lahjar people for a long time to come and that I will continue to hear their explicit wishes for Allah to give Hadrami and Aziza lots of children Inshallah! :-)

Much love,

Jordy

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