7 month index

Just over 7 months and counting.
That means that depending on when I COS (April or May of 2009) I have roughly 18 months left.
Because I got such a positive response from it, I thought that it would be fun to make another list, like the one I wrote after month 3.

# of times I’ve found teeth in my dinner: 1

# of scorpions I have killed in my room: 10
largest # of toads and frogs I’ve had living in my douche at any one time: 7

# of times per week I wake up to various bugs, beetles, worms, crickets, or toads in my bed : about 3 (yes, I do sleep with a mosquito net and am a compulsive “tucker.” Somehow they manage to get in anyway).

# of degrees at which I feel cold enough to need a sheet at night: 84 F

To date, the lowest temperature I’ve seen on my thermometer: 76.5 F

# of times I’ve eaten goat head: 1

# of times I’ve had to watch an animal be slaughtered: 5

liters of water I drink in a day: 5 (it used to be about 10)

# of packages I’ve received in country: 15 (hooray!)

largest number of mosquito/bug bites I’ve endured at any one time: 130+

# of people in my compound it takes for me to think there are a lot of people around: 30

# of people it takes for me to think that my compound is empty: 8

# of times per week I wash my hair: 2

# of times I’ve seriously considered leaving Senegal: 3

# of text messages I’ve sent since purchasing my cell phone: 1226

#of text messages I’ve received since purchasing my cell phone: 803

# of times I’ve had to have my cell phone fixed: 1

# of times I’ve been sick with stomach yuckiness: 2

# of times per day I wash my hands: about 10

# of times I wake up in the middle of the night: 2-7 (still no progress in that department unfortunately. Gotta love the side effects of Mefaquin. Beats the alternative though).

# of times per week I talk to my parents: 1-2

# of times per month I used to talk to them in college: 1-2

# of degrees in my room right now: 101.5 F (p.s. I’m not even sweating. It’s amazing what your body adapts to)

# of marriage proposals I receive per day now that I’ve henna’d my feet and hands: ~5

# of times per day I fantasize about how much better the cool season is going to be: ~7

# of times I’ve been told by people that I’m a lot prettier in the states than I am here (they’ve seen pictures) : 4

# of times I’ve ridden my PC issued bike: 0

# of PCVs in our stage that have ET’d: 6

# of PCVs left in our stage: 37

# of PCVs in my stage that have become smokers since arriving in country: 6

# of words in the Pulaar language for “thorn”: 7

# of times per day I smell something that makes me gag: at least 1

# of other volunteers sites I’ve visited up North: 4

# of times I’ve been able to sleep inside because it was cool enough: 6

# of times per day I’m peed on by a child: usually about 2 (babies don’t really wear diapers)

# of times per week I go to the market: 2

# of times I check my mailbox at the post office: 2

# of Ipods that have died on me in country: 1

# of times my computer has died and been revived: 1

# of times per car ride when I think the bus or minicar or station wagon is going to topple over:
at least 1

# of times per day I fantasize about fresh produce, whole grains, and ice cream: 3 (aka. every meal)

maximum # of hours I’ve spent at the internet in one sitting: 7

# of bottles of vitamins I’ve gone through: 3

# of hours I spend per day holding and playing with babies and toddlers: 3-4

# of times per day when I laugh heartily: at least 3

# of times during the last week when I’ve felt totally content and at peace with my work, my
placement, my life, my family, my role in this town and culture: 6 (p.s. that’s a big deal! There really is life after Ramadan!)

Hope you got a good chuckle out of these. I had fun compiling them for you.

Next time you bite into a delicious salad, or freak out because you see a spider, or complain about the temperature, think of me…and smile.