On the wings of wind

Last week the winds came. The compound grounds are windswept, and everything has begun to build up its layer of fine dust from the dry season. With the wind came an unexpected treat. Baby kittens hiding in the shed with their mother. In the morning we got up and were moving about in the kitchen, and I noticed that the shed door (its really an outdoor cooking area in the back of the house) was ajar. Thinking the wind had blown it open, Andy went to go close it, and discovered three kittens. I didnt see them at that moment, but when I came home from class and saw the door was once again open, I took the opportunity to peek in. And there they were. They were huddled in the corner on a tiny scrap of rag that happened to be there, between two old kerosine lamps. I got the camera and snapped a few pictures. Then I took a rag that was outside the shed and tossed it to the floor, the kittens instantly hissed at the disturbance. And though they are completely adorable with big round blue eyes, I cant feed them. That would mean that they would probably learn to trust people, and that would not be a good thing for them around here!
Last friday we had a great dinner with some area PCVś. I had been saving my two pesto packets I had brought from American for when we could share it. So we had pesto pasta with tomatoes, I toasted some bread and we had garlic bread, and I even made sweet iced tea! It was delicious, but now, there is no more pesto :(
Just wanted to give a shout out to Cheryl and Tim! Yeah your married! Hope it was everything and more, and you are enjoying Jamaica mon!
Michael asked me about a fire in a market here, but I haven´t heard anything, but then again there areńt a lot of sources where you would get that information except for word of mouth probably.
Next weekend is Thanksgiving ( I realyl can believe that, because it just doesnt have the same kind of leading up to it all around you as you do in America), we are having an all volunteer meeting and a dinner in Fajara. I am looking forward to it, because it will be a much needed break from work. Not that I don like it, ( I really like having such purposeful work )its just been so busy. sometimes I dont know how I am going to get all that I want to do at the nursery school done in even two years!
Dharma (a nearby PCV) and I went the other day to have dresses made at the tailors for the meeting and dinner next week. I always have such a mixture of excitement and nervousness of how the thing will turn out that I am getting made. I always feel like I have this new exciting thing, even when I just drop off the cloth. I hope it works out well, because I used some cloth that I really liked and would hate for the dress to not be good.
A recent phenomenon I have discovered is that in the market there is a corner of the roadside that has just piles upon piles of second hand clothing for sale. Now the clothing is sometimes clearly from places like Goodwill, because it has tags still on it from there. Sometimes you can get great finds, that are totally ill fitted to the Gambia, like, a bright yellow fantastic lambs wool turtleneck sweater for 3 dalasi! Too bad I was sweating like crazy, or I could have imagined myself buying this sweater! I got a super comfy New Kids on the Block European Tour shirt, that is great to wear to bed because it is at that stage where it is perfectly soft. It makes me curious to see all these clothing items here in the Gambia, because I think of what journey it has probably made. From the manufacturer in asia somewhere no doubt, shipped to America, in the store, then someone buys it where it for one season, gives it to goodwill, someone buys it there, wears it for a while, then gives it to somewhere and it gets shipped, most likely to europe, and then down to the Gambia, to sit on the ground right next to the charcoal area of the market, and be sold for sometimes would be equivalent to 10 cents.
So, I have started my jump roping regiments. And of course it is such a interesting thing to the fam. Some of the younger girls, especially Jaleka like to join me, and are endlessly frustrated when they cant speed rope like I can, at first try. The first night I did it, she ran to the house to get into some spandex type capris. It was great. I wish I would have brought more than one of these ropes to share, because it is great with the weights, and the rubber rope has good weight to it, and will last a while. Anything I can do to build up female confidence! Well, I think thats about it for now, keep in touch. And if anyone has talked to my long lost sister, tell her to write me! Later.