An uneventful week?

I haven't posted lately because I haven't felt like I had anything to post about, but that's kind of crazy.  So here's some of what's been happening in my life:

Last Friday we officially finished classes for the "quarter", then we got all dressed up and went back to Diamond to meet up with our new celebrity friends.  There were way too many people there, everyone was smoking, the music was (of course) too loud to understand anyone who was talking to me, and I didn't actually have any desire to dance.

Y.Dee, the emcee we met Tuesday, had been texting me all week and making it clear that he wanted to go out with me.  Friday night he said he wanted to be in a serious relationship with me and wants me to meet his family. I can't help but think that's hilarious, given that I don't know him at all, or vice versa.  Not to mention, I'm not over my last serious relationship.  Apparently a friend of his told Meredith, "I want to get serious with you like Y.Dee is with Erica."  So I guess I'll have to put an end to that soon.  Senegalese boys are just crazy.

Saturday I had circus at 9 in the morning, so I didn't get much sleep.  I did have a great time, though.  Every time I hang out with the circus gang, I love them even more.  This morning, I got a standing ovation from all the boys for figuring out how to re-assemble our puzzle-style interlocking tumbling mat.  I was the one who decided to figure out how many pieces there were (140) and thus what its dimensions should be (10 x 14), after we had tried to haphazardly put it together incorrectly without knowing the dimensions.

On the way home from circus today, Modou told me that he's proud of me for coming in, training with them, doing good work on the fabric, helping out without being asked, and generally fitting in well with the group.  It kind of made my day.

I don't remember much of what I did for the rest of my Saturday, but I went to bed early, slept in late, and then napped a lot on Sunday.  Sunday night we all saw Sarah off to the airport.  I cried less than I expected to, but it was still really sad.  I can't believe that she won't be here for the rest of our time here.  Also, Friday night I had to say goodbye to several people from another study abroad program who I'd gotten close to.  I already miss them too.

On a brighter note, my family is coming in a week!  In fact, a little less than a week!  I can't wait to see them.  Miraculously, my circus performance was postponed until the 26th, so they'll be here to see it.  I think we're going to have a little Christmas dessert party in the apartment on the 25th.

I should also mention that things with Caleb are resolved to exactly where I wanted them to be in the first place.  It makes my mind a happier place not to have that be an issue anymore.

This evening I'm going to the market with Rachel and some others, and then hopefully picking up clothes from the tailor.

Oh, and I've been meaning to do this for a while.  Here's a list of books I've read since I came to Senegal:
The Last Song
Dear John
The Truth About My Fathers
Pride and Prejudice
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl Who Played With Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
What is the What
The Village of Waiting

Okay, general conclusion to this post (since it so completely lacks one so far).  I'm enjoying my time here, and thinking about ever leaving is surreal.  I'm definitely not ready to go yet, but I am recognizing some things that I miss from home (like blenders and pillows that aren't lumpy).  At the same time, I've adjusted to the point where the hardness of my mattress and frequency of power outages isn't noticeable any more.  It's just part of an ordinary day of an ordinary life (no, Dad, I don't think my life is ordinary).  I've heard about the three-month point in study abroad being a turning point, and I can definitely feel that I've been significantly more comfortable lately than I had been since arriving.