All for 1 and a pineapple!

Hey all, so the past couple of days in the village have proved to be quit hard as i have become very homesick and missing all my friends and family back in the U.S. so wednesday, two days ago, i woke up in a fairly bad mood. i had tried to go meet with my official counterpart, only to find after i had rode the 9 k to Fongolimbi that he had gone to Kedougou for the day. so i ate this weird tuna sandwich and chatted with the lady who made it for awhile. turns out those tuna sandwiches don't agree with me very well. i spent wednesday reading and hanging out with my family. my mood had lifted some by the evening and as i lay in bed that night i heard a familiar song coming from my families house. it was 'unbreak my heart' by i think toni braxton. then i heard celine dion's 'my heart will go on' and i couldn't help but laugh some. i couldn't believe it, the titanic theme song in my little village in senegal. so i jumped up and got out my radio and found the station. it was the kedougou station and i couldn't help but get in a better mood because of the trashy american music being played. followed up by mariah carey and then michael bolton. then out of no where, All for 1's ' I swear' started playing. it took me straight back to 5th grade, cuz i had that tape and played it all the time. i started belting out the words to song as i lay under my mosquito net and couldn't get the stupid grin off my face from then on. i listened for awhile to more funny songs, really old and really bad. it was a little taste of america that i needed very much. the next day, thursday, was my weekly market. so i made the 9 k ride back to fongolimbi. i had two really good bean sandwiches and saw a new friend i had made the monday before when i had come in hopes of seeing my counterpart. we chatted for a bit and i chatted with some people i knew. i waited around hoping my friend robin, another pcv in the area would show up. by 10:30 a.m. i was ready to get of there, robin had made no appearance yet and i really wasn't in the mood for pulaar social scene that is the weekly market. as i was leaving i passed by the booth of a little old woman, who had pineapples. i was so very excited, because the following even i had dreamed about pineapples. so i bought 3, two for my family and one for me to eat in my hut. i rode home and the first thing i did was go inside and and eat this pineapple. it was so good, sweet and very juciy. i laid there, full of pineapple and extermely happy and took a nap. it was perfect. it's funny how it's the small things, like an old song and pineapple that make me very happy in this harsh enviroment. it's been very hot and humid lately, we have lots of rain which is good, because it's bring cools winds and cools the village down. i have been sleeping in my hut everynight and even had to cover up a few nights it's been so chilly. today i got to kedougou, i'm helping another volunteer prepare for a seminar he's holding and i will eat lots of good food. i'm very happy right now, althought i just went to the market here in hopes of more pineapple but with no luck. oh well. i hope all is well with everyone else, nothing new or exciting to report. my pulaar is improving which is good and i'm enjoying my family in the village more and more. they are very fun and we have fun laughing and joking with each other. i hope everyone has a great 4th of july. write me letters, i love showing up from the village and finding mail. take care.

james