Because it’s about time for some more Dear ____, posts. Because it’s been six weeks since the last one. Because maybe you’ve missed it. Or maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t, don’t tell me. If you have… tell me!

Tile store… we just spent what felt like an eternity looking and looking and looking at something as boring as floor tiles (okay, it was actually kind of fun), ordering them, paying for them, loading them into the truck (okay, you guys did the loading part), and now… all this time later… you tell us that you don’t have enough of the kind we picked in stock? *sigh* Welcome to the frustrations of doing projects in Africa. Okay, we’ll pick that one I guess. *points to the next best thing, hoping that it will at least be in stock.*

 Ongoing Skype or iMessage chats… you’re the best. It’s fun to know what family and friends are having for dinner, doing during the day, and to pick up where we left off in the most recent conversation. Also, I love when I get messages from kids that look something like this: aklshjraklsjdhf kjaslkdgjha dslkufhhjjjjjjjjahdlkkkkkkkkkllksdl;”. So sweet and thoughtful, wouldn’t you say?

 That time (Monday afternoon, 4pm) when we drove past the ice cream shop and I said, “Shawn! Let’s stop and get some ice cream!”… that wasn’t just a pretty sentence with a suggestion in it!

Person coming at me holding their wrist out… I know now that you’re wanting me to shake your hand, a sign of respect, but since your hand is either dirty or wet, I’m supposed to then simply shake your wrist. Yes, shake your wrist. (File that under “things I probably didn’t know my first week in Africa”.)

Black cherries, blueberries, and raspberries… I am dreaming of you. I mean I am literally thinking of you throughout the day… closing my eyes and imagining you on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream. (Of course ice cream comes into the mix. Why? Are you surprised?) 2 months and counting. Until then, my sweet berries, XOXO.

Random flat of eggs sitting outside the guesthouse entrance… ummmm, who do you belong to???

 Keepin’ you coming back for more,

s&j

Watching Shawn try to catch a bird (who was loose on our porch) by throwing a sheet over it… can’t.stop.laughing.

Local phone company… please wait until AFTER 6 am to send us texts, telling us of your various promotional offers. *tries to fall back asleep*

Teaching ballet to 4-year-olds… ”free dance” time is the best. Those last 10 minutes at the end where I put on whatever-kind-of-fun-music I want and we all let loose, dancing however we want. Also, that gives me an excuse to dance to the Shrek soundtrack, which, I happen to own. #winwin

Cultural themes we’ve observed throughout West Africa… in Guinea, in Dakar, and in the Casamance, we’ve seen that these are a few of the themes that are woven through the culture:

- Money and family matters are a big deal.

Even if someone really doesn’t have any money, if their parent or family member is in need, they are under a lot of pressure to come up with some.

- Make fun of someone to make a point, or help them learn.

I saw this first-hand when I was a student in a local sewing school. I, for one, did not thrive under the “how stupid can you be?!” mentality. However, the other day in one of our workers’ meetings I used some of this style of communicating to show that someone forgot to do one of their daily tasks. Before, I was too vague and it just wasn’t “clicking” in the minds of the maids. Once I went with how they do things (SO not our style), the ladies caught on, laughed and totally agreed. I said to one of them, ”Hey! You’re the one who forgot their brain yesterday. You didn’t remember to do this!” From then on, they haven’t forgotten to do that task.

- Age = respect.

This is obvious in many different areas. “Age” can even mean older siblings. If big brother says to do something, or to give him something, you better do it. If an older man gets on the bus (and you’re a middle-aged pregnant woman), you give him your seat. Imagine the dynamics for us, managing older-than-us workers. It creates an interesting scenario for all of us!

People who can cut grass with a machete but can’t start a lawnmower… you might be a missionary or an MK. Here are 32 more signs.

A bus with “IBS” painted on the side… apparently you are an “International Bilingual School”. If you’re that bilingual, you should know what else IBS stands for!

Yes, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again…

NEVER a dull moment!

s&j

Baobab trees… you are just SO interesting to look at!

Dear _____ , … you’ve been around for over an entire year now! My oh my.

Senegal… newsflash! Christmas ended two months ago! You can take down your Christmas trees, Santa garland, and lights now.

Happy dance around the living room… that’s pretty much what happened, or what I wanted to have happen, when Shawn’s cousin showed up with a small suitcase full of food! Hello, Velveeta cheese, dip mixes, Hamburger Helper, gum, and Snickers bars!

Africans… his name is “Shawn” S-h-a-w-n. Not “Jean” (said with a French accent), not “John”, not “Charles”, and certainly not “Shenn”.

Business man wearing a suit… when you sat down, I had to chuckle when I saw your red and green Christmas socks. Ps- if the decorations can come down, you have the greenlight to wear non-festive socks as well. Also, did I happen to hear / see some jingle bells on those socks of yours?

Laugh it forward… you’re Shawn’s new phrase for “courtesy laugh”. Example: sometimes you just have to make their day and laugh it forward.

Days / experiences like this… you make me want to move to a country where the customer is {almost} always right, white doesn’t equal money, and honesty is valued. *Let’s just say that last Tuesday was a rough one.*

Following targetdoesitagain [translation: Target does it again] on Instagram… you’re both a good idea and a bad idea. Good, because they post new household items, sale items, new seasonal trends… all found within the walls of your nearest Target. It’s so much fun to see what’s out, in style, and available these days. Bad, because I’m 4,000 some miles away from the nearest Target!

Guy trying to sell Shawn a pastel-colored, rainbow bathrobe… save yourself some time and just keep walking.

Giving you little insights into our world, with one Dear _____ , at a time,

s&j

The most perfect, round, red tomato on earth… you are the first of many products to come from Shawn’s “tabletop, rooftop” garden. He grew you with love his own compost, lots of water, and sunshine. We’re looking forward to lettuce, green peppers, STRAWBERRIES [can you tell I'm especially excited about that one?] and even jalapeños, something else we’re never been able to find here.

All the single ladies, all the single ladies, all the single ladies… {why yes, I did just bust out and sing a little Beyoncé right there} here are 4 tips for surviving singleness and Valentine’s Day. Enjoy! And remember, you.are.loved.

Guesthouse… sometimes I feel like you’re huge [10 rooms], but this week I’m wishing we had about 20 more rooms to help house all the people who have recently evacuated from neighboring West African countries.

Trees in our courtyard… you’re looking a little bare and naked these days *blushes*. But, you were overgrown and unhealthy [I have no idea what I'm talking about, Shawn's the tree guy around here], and in no time you’ll be full and healthy, and providing shade for those that love and admire you.

His + her alarms going off at the same time… holy cow! Sound and lyric and musical overload!! Piano keys + guitar strums = this is NOT how one should awake.

Person who left a brown jacket in their guest room who-knows-how-many-months-ago… you just made our day guard / gardener a VERY, very, VERY happy man. He shook my hand, looked at it, tried it on, thanked me again, smiled, held it up, looked it over and thanked me some more. These 65 degree evenings are frigid for the average Senegalese person, and a decent jacket, scarf, or winter hat is like gold around these parts.

Speaking of leaving things in your guest room… you better do a double-check before leaving. Things you leave behind could be incriminating… or just plain embarrassing! *laughs*

Person trying to learn English… I know, I know. It’s not an easy language to learn, and no, the grammar doesn’t always make sense either.

 Come back every Wednesday for more Dear Blank,
s&j

“You can’t listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving” nazis… who says I can’t listen to Christmas music AND be thankful at the same time?! *Quickly turns on the Mariah Carey Christmas channel on Pandora*

Skipping dinner and going out for ice cream with two friends who are in Dakar for a few days… yes, please! Two scoops of strawberry cheesecake for me.

Sending my Dad an iMessage at 11 AM… ooops! I guess that would make it 4 AM his time! Sorry, Dad! Just go back to sleep. No one died. There’s no emergency. Talk to you in a few hours…

Finding a 2010 Good Housekeeping magazine at the guesthouse… well, even though you were two years old, you just-so-happened to be a November/Thanksgiving issue! It was fun to see pictures of big n’ juicy turkeys, all the fixins, fall clothes, and the beautiful Kelly Ripa on the cover.

Chocolate covered almond clusters… Your whole life people have teased you, and you’ve always been a “behind the scenes” kind of dessert. You’ve shown up as late Mother’s Day gifts and in “I’m sorry for your loss” gift baskets. No one gives you credit for your chocolate-salty self. That’s why… this year… you’re invited to be one of the desserts {although pumpkin pie still takes center stage} at our Thanksgiving feast!

African friends… we love feeding you American food like grilled hamburgers and french fries, and we love that you love it too!

Decorating with maps… you’re the coolest! I hope to incorporate you into the guesthouse décor, somewhere, somehow. I’ve also always liked when people put a pin in their country of origin, too.

People who love to overuse the word “Inshallah” [God willing]… it is not a backup plan. It is not an excuse to get out of doing what needs to be done. It is not a safety net for if you fail, forget, or feel like sleeping in.
Example #1 (from every day this week): Me, talking to a guesthouse maid: “Ok, see you tomorrow!”
Her: “Inshallah!”
Example #2: After already having ordered fries with the meal, we ask/remind the server, “fries are coming too, right?”
Server: “Inshallah!”

Happy Wednesday and happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for YOU.
s&j

MK [missionary kid]… I know, I can’t relate to what it’s like to grow up either having more than one home, or maybe not having any idea where home is. Either way, just for the sake of social interaction, when someone says, “So, where are you from?”, just pick a place. When you’re standing up in front of a crowd introducing yourself, it’s not the best time for the, “Well, that’s a really tough question / long story…” routine. Just pick a place, and with time, people will learn more about you, your life, and the many exciting places you’ve lived and loved.

Next Monday night [9pm our time] … we can’t wait! We’ll head to the airport to pick up our first-ever Ohio visitors / women’s retreat hair volunteers / friends!

People who write sweet and insightful messages and emails in response to a post… your thoughtfulness is a welcome gesture!

Forgetting someone’s name and having to ask one too many times… yes, you’re one of those awkward moments. “Hi. I know we’ve been at this same function, every _____ (fill in day of the week) for the past _____ (fill in how many weeks / months), but I just can’t remember your name. Again.

Mango mandarin bodywash… I want to eat you up!

Dalmatian [Shawn's former sheep]… I guess when we sold you we thought that that would be it. The end. No more. Never again would we see you. Boy were we wrong. The day after Tabaski, you had the nerve to show up on our doorstep. In a green plastic bowl. Covered with sauce and sitting on a bed of couscous.

People making reservations to stay at the guesthouse… Ummmmmm, I’m going to need to know what month of the year you’d like to stay here, please. That’s great that you have three sets of twins, a husband, a seven-year-old, and that you’ll be staying for three weeks… but I kind of need to know WHEN you want to stay.

Newborn baby Afro… there really are no words! Other than: YOU ARE SO CUTE, soft, sweet and adorable beyond belief. Yes, those words will do.

“Win a free visa to the US” booth sitting in front of the university… no wonder the lines are so long.

Agreeing to be the MC at the women’s retreat this year.. what did I get myself into?!?!?  #spinsincircles

 Thanks for spending a few minutes (or hours, depending on how slow you read) with us,

s&j

Because there's always something to write about.

October 1st in Greeley, Colorado… according to my Dad, you’re a crisp 45 degrees [I would be a frozen pumpkin popsicle]. I’m sure people are eating caramel apples while wearing leather boots, colorful scarves and riding on hay rides. Yes, I do believe I have a slightly romanticized view of fall. Or do I?

October 1st in Dakar, Senegal… Fans are on high, sleeves are rolled up [or all together cut off], and the freezer is stocked with ice as we embrace the hottest month of the year. Good thing we have this game plan to help us make it through!

Roxy… poop on the porch one more time, and you WILL be released into the wild. And by “wild” we mean that you will be pushed out the front gate, left on your own to roam the big city, dodge horse carts, sort through piles of trash for food, annnnd… okay, fine, we’ll keep you. But please stop!

Glass window breaking over Shawn’s head… I guess you proved, for once and for all… that he IS hardheaded! (Yes, I’m glad he didn’t get hurt!)

Setting my alarm to wake up to the sound of crickets… you actually have the opposite effect on me. *falls back asleep to the rhythms of the swamp*

 Alarm clock inventors… now THAT’S what I’m talking about. Waking up to the smell of bacon cooking? Yes, pleeeeeeeeease.

1 lb. bag of Mountain Trail Mix… so here’s what happened: you arrived in a package, we were so excited about you (peanuts, M&Ms, raisins, almonds), that we put you in an unusual cupboard so that we wouldn’t see you and eat you up on the first day (one of us tends to do that…) and then! we really did forget about you. Until last night when Shawn discovered you, next to the spices in the cupboard. Then we all (well, one of us) danced for joy. The End. *eats a handful of M&Ms* Because, really, who doesn’t gold dig the M&Ms out of the trail mix??

Guy wearing the funny t-shirt… you don’t look a day over 39!

What a shirt!

 Until next time,

s&j