February 21

Nanga def
So sadly our salsa dancing plans fell through-everyone was all set to go and as we were walking doan the sketchy alleyway towards where we thought the club, New Africa, was located, the power across Dakar went out.  Makign it impossible for us to find the place (which likely didn't have power anyway)...and leaving us stranded in a dark alleyway.  But, alhamdulilahi, ther was one building in all of Sacre Coeur III (the quartier we were in) with a power generator, and it was...a french patisserie!  so, instead of dancing the night away, we ate our weight in chocolate pastries.  Actually the night was far better than we anticipated.
Not a very eventful weekend...did laundry, started learning how to cook (much more to follow as I do more hands-on things), hung out with the family...the usual.
One exciting event of the weekend was when Colé, the perpetually energetic 3 year old girl, decided to pour her Ananas (popular pineapple soda drink) into the burning incense pot...and set it on fire.  While I panicked (and where I assume any American parent would immediately call 911 and then send the child to a minimum of 5 years of therapy), the family responded by laughing and slapping the pot with a damp towel, subduing the flames.  And, after this, they dangled Colé over the flames while she shrieked with laughter, pretending to cook her.  And then she left the fire alone.  It was a weird and mildly disturbing example of effective Senegalese parenting.
And speaking of children, today I started my internship with a local middle school by the name of Abdoulaye Mathurieu Diop...I'll be working in classrooms teaching English, French, History, and whatever else they need me for, doign whatever the teacher needs.  Each classroom has about 85 students to one teacher, which is an absolutely insane ratio, so I'm happy to help however I can.  Maryem, the teacher I work with on Mondays and Tuesdays, has been incredibly welcoming and helpful, and has been giving me all sorts of background information, on the schools, the students, the educational system, and more.  I'll keep you posetd as I start to do more there!
That's all about I have for now, but I'll post again in the next few days.  Mangiy dem, ba ci kanam.