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| Couscous and milk. Susanna and I can't get enough. |
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| Going for a new look today. |
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| Nice figure for three kids. |
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| Two 'brothers' |
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| The pattern on my boubou |
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| Maguette |
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| Taking long to decide on an outfit the like a true girl |
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| Mountaga our host brother |
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| with the guys |
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| What we earned for the night - biscuits, rice, couscous and some money. |
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| Maguette looking like a girl again |
"Are you excited for Tamkharit?" I ask, receiving a shrug and and a mumble. I'm immediately sad. Tamkharit is meant to be the Senegalese equivalent of Halloween, but everyone is so calm in the morning with little mention of the night that I begin to think it may just be like any other day. Well, I was wrong. I was very wrong.
Arriving at the house for dinner, I'm given my favourite Senegalese dish, couscous and milk. Although we have it often, every bite is like the first, the day I fell in love with this simple yet scrumptious meal.
My friend Maguette arrives with her sister. I almost don't recognize her in her Tamakharit costume, which is to dress up as the opposite sex. Everyone screams and shouts. When I finally look away, Master P is leaving his room in a floral dress that looks almost too good on him. The screaming and shouting gets louder. Now it's my turn.
I run away looking through the amazing selection of men's boubou's in Mountaga's bedroom. Fatou Ba hands me a blue boubou and immediately regrets it when she realises how beautiful it is. I put it on anyway.
When all the girls in the house are ready, we walk out. Fatou Ba gets an idea, pulls us to the side and slaps us with grey powder used for cooking. Looking like 'true Senegalese men', we walk out, presenting our masculine selves to the family and friends. I'm gifted with "c'est tres jolie", "It's nice" and 'rafet nga' before been whisked into the night, out into the street, to collect our treats of rice, biscuits, couscous and money.
It looks like you had a great time
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