My first task when I moved in was scrubbing every inch of the place with soap and water. I worked for five days straight cleaning until every room sparkled. But I am learning the challenges of living in the desert. After one day, the wind came and brought with it mountains of sand that covered every surface. So I am back to square one. It is like the movie, Woman in the Dunes. At least I have finally unlocked the mystery of the reasoning behind putting only one tiny window in every room. Windows are portals to the desert surrounding us. To keep a tidy home, most Mauritanians keep all windows closed and ALL expats install air-conditioning. I love the fresh air (and I am too cheap to pay for aircon) so for now I am committing myself to sweeping and mopping all of my floors every day. If this gets old, I will join the masses with their closed windows. Did I mention that my windows are tinted grey? Strange but true.
Decorating the apartment has filled many hours of my days and it has become a great project in itself. At the market, I bargained hard to find the perfect sheer mulafa fabric for the perfect price. From the spoils of one outing I was able to make eleven curtains (for $30)! They are so gorgeous and I have a lot of fabric to spare. After I finished bargaining for the fabric, an older moor woman wearing tons of dark eyeliner called me into her little shop. She seated me on the floor and brought me many things, her eyes lighting up each time. “Ancient,” she kept saying over and over (maybe the only French word she knew) as she displayed another treasure. It was heaven. Strands of red clay beads, carved wooden bowls, tiny hand-tied woven mats, stunning fabrics, and painted incense burners. I was entranced. When she tried to sell me an ordinary shell for 1,000 Ouguiya ($4) I snapped out of her spell and had to draw the line! But then she wrapped it in my fingers, winked, and gave it to me for free.
As for the rest of my furnishings, I had a carpenter make some essentials, but with mixed results. First, they made the desk VERY tall. I had to go back to get two extra-tall chairs made! It was ridiculous. Then I had a bookshelf, armoire, and kitchen shelf made. The carpenter couldn’t resist the temptation to add little carved designs (think country) at the top, which was very generous but I specifically asked for no details: Straight lines, simple design. I suppose I can live with a little country in my life.
The other big news here, besides my fabulous apartment, is that I started teaching! The colleges are finally opening their doors and so I opened mine too. I teach 26 second-year pre-service teachers and I see them four hours a week for speaking and writing classes. I will add 30 more first-year students in a few weeks for the same classes. I will fill up the rest of my time with a hodge-podge of activities, from teaching at the University, to coordinating teachers association meetings and leading in-service teacher trainings.
Above and beyond all of this, the absolutely best thing that has happened to me since my arrival is becoming part of the extended community here. My Mauritanian friends in New York have all sent me to visit their families. They have told their families so many kind words about me that I am welcomed in every home with sincere warmth and genuine hospitality. It is truly incredible to visit a country where I have never been, meet people I have never seen before, and be taken in immediately as family. It is beautiful to live among people whose family ties are strong enough to withstand extended years and uncountable miles of separation. I am exceptionally grateful to everyone in New York and Nouakchott for ensuring that I feel welcome and taken care of here.
Your apartment looks great. I'm trying to picture was an extra tall chair looks like! If you do become like the Woman in the Dunes, can you take a photo of that? :)
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of food do you eat on a regular basis? Is it difficult to find lot of vegetarian choices there or is the Mauritanian culture veg-friendly?