The Color Orange

That phrase, "M'Bagne nedjo" means I am from M'Bagne in Pulaar. I won't be in M'Bagne much longer, about a month, but I was so lucky to be there even for a short time. It's one of those places where people are, by and large, happy, or content. There are no major health crises, little evidence of malnutrition, and people stay active and employed. It ain't perfect, but it's much better than many of the other sites I've seen. There is sadness, though. A young mother I know recently lost her weeks-old baby. A high infant mortality rate is simply a fact of life, here. Aissata, the mother, is back at her usual chores and work. She grieves, but you can only tell if you look in her eyes.

Honestly, I sometimes fear returning to the US. (this is actually a normal reaction for a PCV) I will miss Mauritania and the entire experience. Looking at brochures for grad school, I was disturbed by the number of 'white' people! How boring! I'm leaning toward American U versus George Washington based solely on the ethnic makeup in their brochure photos. Is that reverse discrimination? (or possibly insanity?)

The neem trees are blooming right now. They bloom twice a year, I think, but there were never any trees in my other sites. Sometimes, when the wind blows, you get a whiff of scent, rather like lilacs or wisteria. It makes me think of my maternal grandmother. The photo is me with my host family in M'Bagne, the Thiams (pronounced chyam). I'm pretty lucky to have them.