February 11

Today is our one-month anniversary since leaving the US-quite the milestone if you ask any of us still left standing.  It is also a Friday which means that it is acceptable for everyone, even toubabs, to dress up in their finest traditional Senegalese gear and parade around like we actually belong here.  In my outfit's maiden voyage, I keep getting comments from random Senegalese people saying that I look like Shree, the star of a popular Indian soap opera here.  Which I'm cool with because at least being mistaken for being Indian isn't being recognized immediately as an American.
To celebrate, a few of us are going to the Institut Francais to see a movie (Ramata-it's about some middle aged woman in Dakar who turns cougar and starts dating a 25 year old.  Needless to say, it was the only movie playing tonight) and have non-Senegalese food for dinner.  And maybe even have some alcohol...as long as our uber religious families don't find out.  And just an FYI, movies cost like 2 USD here.  It's sick.
Beyond that, nothing too crazy is on the immediate agenda...I just wanted to let you all know that after today, I will likely not have any internet access for close to a week because, assuming I go to Tivaouane with my family on their pilgrimage for Gamou (Muhammed's birthday) I will be in transit for a while.  However I made Tabara promise not to lose me there so we should be all good-and being rather identifiable as a toubab I can't imagine I'd be hard to find in the event that I somehow get seperated (which I won't, Mom, I promise to hold onto someone's hand at all times).  Anyways I plan on taking lots of photos and can't wait to let you all know how it goes!  Ba ci kanam