"Yes, Yes" "Good, So you understand?"...."No"

Ahh well once again my family's limited English and my more limited French has caused for another inevitable miscommunication.  Though I am not Muslim, I have expressed my desire to participate in the much anticipated Ramadan.  I was actually sure that I would be able to handle it last week, when for some reason in the adjustment period, I lost my appetite.  I was never hungry and when I forced myself to eat, a couple of bites was all I needed to feel stuffed to capacity.  With that pattern of eating becoming the norm I was sure I could handle the fasting period until..BOOM! Appetite back in full force.  I now eat, quite literally, a loaf of bed for breakfast and am still hungry by 12...this could be bad.  I usually am starving by lunch, if it comes towards the end of the hours allotted to lunch time (12-3, to be addressed in my future post "Senegalese Time").  So basically, my American stomach is always ready to be fed and this desire to take on Ramadan will pose to be a much bigger challenge than I originally anticipate. Regardless, as I read about the purpose of the month, I think it is important for me to try my best.  At the very least, it will be a rewarding spiritual journey and an effective weight loss program :)

So on to the miscommunication...My Senegalese family was excited to hear about my willingness to fast.  I hope they are happy because of my desire to authentically become a part of their culture though I'm sure it will help in their fasting process to not have to prepare and watch me eat 3 meals a day as normal.  So I wouldn't oversleep, I asked several times if Ramadan would start today (Wednesday)  meaning I would have to wake up at 6 am to eat instead of my usual 7:30.  "Yes, Yes" all I kept hearing was yes.  Even before I went to bed I said one more time "Okay so tomorrow we eat at 6?"...."yes."  Now anyone who knows me at all knows I am NOT a morning person.  Me getting up at 7:30 everyday is a miracle in itself.  But I was determined, and set my alarm for the dreaded 6 am.  It startled me out of my sleep, far too early and I looked around for atleast a minute as I sometimes forget I am here and wake up wondering what this mysterious net is surrounding my bed...oh right I'm in Senegal and I must get up to eat before the sun rises.  But curiously I don't hear any other commotion.  Complete silence...I walk to where we normally eat..no one.  I go to the kitchen..no one.  Hmm, confused as usual.  In my stooper it doesn't take me long to decide to just go back to sleep.  An hour and a half later, I start to hear the family rise as normal.  Bread and hot chocolate greet me as I stumble to the table, irritated by my interrupted sleep.  I butter my bread and ask "Ramadan?" to which he responds..."Tomorrow" 

 Uggh! Somebody PLEASE send me a French dictionary!

Atleast the food I won't be eating over the next month isn't my moms!