Leaving my homestay

So its been about a week since my last post and a TON has happened. According to my family, now Ko mi Pule (I am a pulaar). I left my training homestay for good this morning and they have spent the last few days creating me into a pulaar women. They gave me traditional pulaar earrings (red and gold yarn hoops with nails to go through your ear) and gave me fabric to make a boubou from (look at the picture with the green and black fabric to see both the fabric and the earrings). In the picture though im wearing it like a mulafa (what the arabs wear in this country) because I am going to have to take the fabric to a tailor once I get to Boghe. The picture was taken in my little one room house with my host mom. Grandma, uncle, two little brothers, and host cousin (my favorite- little 11 year old Fatimata). Little Fatimata also gave me traditional pulaar beaded bracelets that you can see in a lot of the pictures. Unlike what you would think, they are not stretchy at all and took about 5 minutes to squeeze each bracelet on (two were broke along the way). They also don’t have clasps so I guess im wearing these for awhile!

on our last night at site we threw all of our host families a little fete to thank them for being so generous and welcoming over the past two months. The day started off with killing the sheep we got for the party (picture is of the sheep, while still alive hahaha). I made sure to slip away during the actual killing. I taught Fatimata how to take pictures with my camera so we finally got a good picture with all four of the American PCV trainees at my site. Me and Julie made sure to wear our “yoodi no feewi” (very very beautiful) Mauritanian clothes.

As night fell and our little fete started, the kids were off the wall dancing and going crazy so we thought it would be a good idea to make some super sugary Mauritanian fruit drink bissap. god you would have thought we spiked the juice with everclear the way these kids got with that much sugar in them. one of our favorites in a tiny little girl, Maimouna, who kept us entertained for a good part of the night... here is a pic of her and us around the bissap.

And as an end to the night and as a last step of me becoming a pulaar, they decided to give me henna (or poudi in pulaar). Turns out Mauritanian henna is not near as delicate or intricate as the Indian henna that were used to seeing in the states. They did both my feet and only my left hand, wrapped them both in plastic bags, and then to my surprise told me that I couldn’t take them off until morning. Its kind of difficult to pack up your room, get ready for bed, and go to the bathroom with both feet and one hand tried up in plastic bags. And I think I might be allergic because now, almost 12 hours later, my hands and the bottoms of my feet are still tingly and kind of burning… pain really is beauty here…

Also, here is a picture of some of my family on a normal afternoon. It was hard to describe in pulaar that I wanted a candid photo (bc they loovveee posing for pictures) but I think this is a pretty good representation of them. Naked little baby, a kid haphazardly sitting in the prickly tree, and everyone sitting around the lesso (mat) under the tree to escape the sun and enjoy the breeze.

Over all, it was a great last week to my Peace Corps training experience. Im still going to be at the center for the next few days in Rosso with some wrap up sessions and language test (wish me luck!) If all goes well I will swear in on Thursday, August 28th and finally make the big move to Boghe on August 30th.