November 26th- A little piece of the homeland comes to Mbam

Yesterday (November 25^th), we brought a little piece of America to Senegal by holding a grand celebration at my house for Thanksgiving. This has become a tradition at Binta's house, where they are accustomed to hosting exchange students. The shopping list alone suggests the magnitude of what the feast would be: four ducks, ten kilos of potatoes, five kilos of onions, two very large squashes, one kilo of butter, and a flurry of garlic, spices, sugar, and other condiments. We were going all out for sure.

I was happy to have another student from MSID, Emma, who is in the region come to join the party! It was nice to have another toubab hostess around to help explain the festival and to celebrate and savor the delicious Thanksgiving foods.

We started preparing the night before, as we did for Tabaski. The neighbor ladies all came over and the kids ran all over town (and to neighboring towns) to find enough of everything. We sat chopping and peeling all night, getting ready for what would be an early morning as well.

The work continued from six o'clock the next day when we started boiling the potatoes in the grand marmite. There were a ton of potatoes, and we were cooking over a woodfire, so this was a process that was going to take some time. Both the squash and the potatoes were boiled thoroughly and then pounded using the huge mortar and pestle we have. It was way easier than mashing the normal way! I think I need to find a mortar and pestle for sale in the US. But a giant one like the ladies here use for pounding millet. I was so excited to be making American classics! The potatoes got a savory seasoning of garlic, black pepper, chili pepper, butter, milk, and a little bit of Maggi (the ever prominent Senegalese bouillon mixture) and the squash ended up with nutmeg and sugar. Talk about bringing America en mini to the middle of Mbam! I also brought wild rice from home that we boiled and seasoned and added on the side of the plate for everyone to try. We ate the duck with a Senegalese style onion sauce and white rice with vegetables. The entire meal was absolutely delicious. I ate my fill and we followed lunch with ice cold juice made from hibiscus and baobab fruits.

The best part was the number of people who came to join the feast. There were something like fifteen random kids from the neighborhood, seven teachers from the school I work at, and countless other neighbors, not to mention everyone who lives chez Binta. We demolished all of the food throughout the afternoon. It was quite impressive really.

I was just happy to have a little time to relax and feel at home. It was nice (although a bit strange) to be able to speak English with Emma and to feel a little in control as a hostess/the person who knew what the holiday was about. Everyone ate so well and the American dishes (especially the squash!) made it seem like real Thanksgiving. It was also a nice way to begin the end of my internship. It's hard to believe, but I only have a week left here! I have started counting the days, looking forward to internet connections and moving on to the next stage, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be happy to leave! I have really come to love the people around here. I'm picking up a bit of Serer and I finally don't feel overwhelmed by the masses of ladies who pepper me with questions when I run errands. The community is so open and welcoming, especially the people living with Binta. I have been shown the greatest hospitality in being here and I was happy to get to celebrate one last time with everyone before I begin writing my final paper and preparing to take my leave of Mbam.