I made it!

I've been here for a month now and absolutely LOVE Mauritania! The people are so welcoming, loving, and giving: I now have family in Africa!

Ok, some weird things that I've gotten so used to that they're no longer weird:
peeing, etc. into a hole (aim well!)
speaking Pulaar
feeling naked/somethings wrong if I don't have a head scarf on
my mosquito net comforts me at night/in the morning when I'm not sure where I am
hissing to get someone's attention
my new name is: Jenaba So
snapping and pointing to show something I want/you should pass to me
sweating PROFUSELY
eating with my hand only
wiping with the left hand; greeting, opening, pointing, grabbing, accepting, giving, and eating with the right hand
a polite host throwing choice pieces of meat in to your eating space, so you don't have to pick out the bones
people trying to rip me off
its ok to burp!
men hold hands in the street
no chairs for sitting on, lounging on the ground on a straw mat only
tea three times a day, three rounds each time
not touching people of the opposite sex
dancing is the BEST pass time
sex beads! (kind of like a necklace for your waist/ hips)
friends (of the same sex) casually touching your boobs
no one works/walks/does anything from 11-3pm because its just too hot!
being excited when you pass a solid bowel
getting 10 marriage proposals each day
little kids whispering and/or shouting "toubab!" (white person) as we walk down the street

a typical day for me in my little tiny village for the 3 months training is getting up at 6:30, having my 3 rounds of tea with some bread with my host family: the woman who birthed about half the village, her name is Choya; my host mother, my namesake Jenaba, and wait, she's only 2 years older than me; her 1/2 sister that is 7 years old, named Binta; my uncle Yerba who's very old and eats with a spoon--totally weird!
then language lessons from 8-12, lunch, tea, nap, language from 3-6, work in the garden, greet people just about the most important thing you could do here!, drink more tea, go home, study, greet more people, and dinner around 9 or 9:30. Then I greet more people. our village is very VERY small and i can greet everyone in less than a day.

In September I'll be done with training and move to my permanent site in the region known as the Gorgol, just along the Senegalese River! So plants, trees, good food, and happy people.

If you are bored and want to send stuff, I will absolutely LOVE it! It takes about 1 month to get here, so keep that in mind. Some ideas:
meat
cheese
magazines
cereal
tea--the Celestial ones are goooood
oat meal
granola bars
power bars
DRIED FRUITS!!
fun letters

Its a general address for the Peace Corps and they'll get letters and stuff to me:
Michelle Hernandez, PCV
BP 222
Nouakchott, Mauritanie
West Africa
If you're interested in seeing photos of our training site look at my friend Zach's site:
zachinrim.blogspot.com