1 month at site!

     Hey everybody! I've been at site for one month now and its been smooth sailing.
     As my last post said I was going to get my ears pierced. Well I did it! I didn't do it without a fight though. I probably almost broke this girls hand because I was squeezing it so hard as they punched the earring into my ear. They believe if they spray perfume over the spot where they are going to pierce, it won't hurt. This I can say is a fallacy. This woman (one of the chief's wives actually) got my earring and said what is probably one of 10 English words she knows, "Rrrrready?" To which I replied ".... .... Okay...." Then she leaned in and I leaned away. Far far away. This went on for probably too long when I finally finally worked up the courage to just sit there. It took a lot of laughing from the other wives (they probably thought it was ridiculous how much I struggled to not get them pierced), but I did it.
     I can now carry a bucket that is half the size of what the other women here are carrying. I can only do it once before I need to switch back to my little one, but still it's progress! Woohoo.
     Drama in the village: Yesterday I was washing my clothes by the pond/lake thing. After I finally finished (and had clean nails again) I started walking home. All of a sudden I see a huge flurry of movement. All the young men in the village are running and yelling and pointing. I'm standing there with this wash basin of clothes on my head just watching it all. Nobody can explain to me what is happening in English and it's super hot out so I decide to just go home.
     It takes a while but eventually I'm able to get the story from Abass (a man who speaks good English who lives in my compound). A Fulani (a tribe of people who herd cattle) had cut the water line to a mango field my community watches after. Somebody confronted the Fulani about what he had done and said that he needed to give him one of his cows. The Fulani refused. The situation escalates until two of his cattle are shot.
      Whoa right? The whole issue gets brought the the chief of my village and I believe the resolution is that the meat will be sold and the money from the meat will be used to repair the water line. I'll let you know if anything else happens about this.

      So here is proof that I got my ears pierced. I guess 22 isn't too old.

     I'll post pictures of my site and house sometime. I haven't taken any pictures of site yet because I'm afraid of the children and how they will undoubtedly swarm me, especially if they see me taking pictures. Plus I have 2 years right?
     Lastly I didn't know i could reply to comments on my blog! Haha but I do now so expect responses from here on out.
     Byebye everybody!