Back in Thies

It's odd to be in Thies again, after almost three months away. What struck me first was how beautiful it is! Especially in comparison to Kaolack, by no means the prettiest city, nor the most sanitary. Clouds of ever-blooming bougainvillea in shocking colors: red, orange, purple, and fuscia. Fresh paint on new buildings. No open sewers. It was a bit of a shock to come back to all that. When I arrived two days ago I went straight to the Croissant Magique, where I was wide-eyed as a country bumpkin (to the hearty amusement of the wait staff), pressing my face against the glass display case full of pastries. I'm sitting at a table there as I write this, in fact, using their free wi-fi Internet, and having just consumed a very tasty mille feuille. Almost as good as in Paris, though without quite the same ambiance. I'm back to being Fatou Diallo again, though this is confusing, as I've gotten so used to being Abbi Gueye. It's only for a month, though, and it's funny how much I've gotten used to village life. When I described to my family in Thies how I go to the well every day, how there's no electricity in my town, and folks eat "cere" twice a day, they gaped. Yup, I live in the boonies! For the first time since pre-service training, I've gotten to see the Volunteers who went to different regions. It was great to reconnect with friends, but a little strange also; now, our experiences are all different, whereas when we were last in Thies they were more or less the same. Some people have put on weight, some have lost weight. Several guys came back with impressive facial hair, and lots of us girls haven't shaved for months. I was in that group until yesterday's shower, when finally I shaved again - and it was great! Much more comfortable, though I'm glad I did the experiment.