Where the love-light gleams

OK, first of all, I take back what I said about the cold season. Even with a hoodie, I was shivering waiting for a car to Boghé yesterday! And I laughed because I'm sure it couldn't have been much below 68 degrees. What would I do in Boston these days, I wonder? But we PCVs all keep complaining, "I was freezing last night!" Guess we're fully "integrated" and are already wusses about our tolerance of cold.

Thanksgiving was a great time spent with friends here. There aren't exactly any turkeys in Mauritania, but we did find a duck! (Bought live, of course, but I did not take part in the subsequent slaughtering.) We had quite the spread, including some helpful goodies sent from America. Our menu comprised: duck, chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing (Stove Top & homemade), cranberry sauce, cornbread, squash, beef & veggie kebabs, ranch dip, okra casserole, macaroni salad, "pumpkin" pie (actually a squash), carrot cake, and banana cream pie. Not bad for Africa!


Teresa and I were really excited to have our own little "Black Friday" shopping, as we browsed the market for fabric to make new outfits. With all the ceaseless bargaining and crowds of people, it felt almost as stressful as in the U.S.!


My mom sent me a little cardboard "Christmas tree-in-a-box," so I happily set that up in my room this week. I even indulged a bit and used some of my precious laptop battery power to listen to holiday tunes. It seemed appropriate to start with "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." I find it so hard to really comprehend that it's the Christmas season in America. Time kind of stands still here. The next song on my playlist was "There Is No Christmas Like a Home Christmas" -- and I couldn't help it, I got a little misty-eyed. But then Bing Crosby reassured me that "Christmas Eve will find me / where the love-light gleams / I'll be home for Christmas / if only in my dreams..."


And I have good times to look forward to here. This Monday is Tabaski, the biggest Muslim holiday of the year! Everyone gets a fancy new outfit made, and relatives travel long distances to be together. My family has been eating rather cheap dinners the last few nights, and I know it's because they're saving up for the big FEAST next week. I am told there will be endless portions of goat (the traditional celebration meal). And of course, we're off from school for a few days!

So, I'm having hybrid holidays. The best of both worlds, perhaps?