Thies (sounds like 'chess')

hi everyone! i am aware that i have done a very bad job this past week keeping people updated, BUT in the interim i have been learning wolof for about 6 hours a day with a peace corps tutor and i'm done and am finally conversing in wolof now and barely use french at all! in just the few days this has been possible, it's been an amazing milestone for me and has changed my interactions with people here immensely and has opened up doors for me that wouldn't be possible in french. i have made friends with people at the disability center here in thies, (i left dakar last week) and am starting to get more of a handle of the way things work here. i even sat in on a class for deaf children yesterday! it was really cool. and however ironic this is, the teacher who can hear but also signs, learned sign language from an american, so the kids in the class were using a variety of american sign language. i studied a little sign here and there, so i actually was able to talk a little with the kids. not much more than spelling my name and i studied signing, but it was still fun. the disability center is cool too, i'm really enjoying getting to know the people there, and i'm collecting some information to share with ame back in dakar so he can put it on his website about disability initiatives in senegal. i think i'll be on the move again soon though, to check out another town (on the beach!) where i've heard there's more stuff going on with disabilities. i really want to get involved with kids here too. i think i may try to find some more steady work in a school or something. but honestly, i have no idea! but things are moving in a good direction and i'm really happy to be using wolof. tomorrow i'm heading to a town called rufisque to watch wheelchair basketball so i'm excited. i'll try to update with pictures soon!