Kicking it in Kaolack

I traveled to Senegal to see some of my old friends from NYC who are now living in Kaolack. My friends have a spacious house with a six bedrooms. There are two wives and seven children living there, with a husband far away in the U.S. During my visit my friend took the week off from her job selling dishes in the market. 

There were nine people in the house determined that I would have a comfortable visit. If I moved my feet, someone brought me my flip flops. If I yawned, someone came running with a pillow. If I touched my throat I was brought an assortment of juices and sodas to choose from. My friends cooked special meals for me every day and watched closely as I took the first bite to see if it was to my satisfaction. In the mornings I was treated to "Delia" chocolate spread on fresh french bread with "Cafe Touba," their name for coffee that is not instant. This was the royal treatment! 

The rest of my days were spent playing with the adorable rascals all day and learning new games. We watched Senegalese music videos and had dance parties. 





A group of neighborhood women came over every afternoon to drink tea together and work on embroidery projects. 

My friends showed me hospitality like I have never seen before! If any of my friends ever come to visit me here, I will have to take a page out of their book!