July 22

I love them. Such good hearted people, self-control, unending openness and good humor. The hand in the water parts again and I am back here. I walk in and for the first time feel terrified - who am I to saunter into their house unannounced, brand new sac in hand, but they are always happy to see me, they hold me up - and my friends - with smiles and warm wishes.

I come back to a wet world, my matla's wet and pillow moldy -my skin - the grass is wet and there's pools of water and mud everywhere. The sounds are different - night living with frogs and bugs. Tonight we killed a snake. By Abdoulaye's boutique door. The air is pregnant with life. Life brought by water.

So the seven sins. 1. Gluttony 2.Pride 3. Lust 4. Laziness (Sloth) 5. Jealousy 6. Greed 7.

Its true. If you trace anything down to its roots these cardinal sins lie beneath. We are all given a vice to fight against our whole lives. It may come from our parents. Some - are they lucky enough - do not have it at all.

Dakar and lots of sitting - and I feel the dull pulling - like a bunch of hairs (a dread!) on tender scalp - the pull of missing Nguekokh - and how it will feel when I can't go back. Can someone know how I love this place? Just the language.

Know this. I hate taxi drivers. Xaalis, greed has ruined these people. And pride. There is not that much gluttony in Senegal, thats an American thing. We have muzzled affairs of the spirit - them affairs of the body.