Life After Ramadan

Apologies dear readers for my lack of posting (you've likely heard this apology at least once before and will probably hear it many more times in the future) but I've been busy sitting around doing nothing. Well, just kidding...kind of.

The month of Ramadan has just passed and this year I chose to fast with my family. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. They use this time of year to purify themselves by refraining from gossiping, thinking unclean thoughts (heehee), etc and devoting more time to thinking about Allah. Very nice. As you all know, I'm not Muslim but I decided to fast this year to show respect and solidarity. Also, people think you're way more badass if you're a fasting white girl. What they did not know was that most days I snuck water and food in my room. Yes, that's right. I'm admitting this online because it was hot and frankly I think it's dumb to give myself headaches and low blood sugar just so that people think I'm tough. But still it was a gigantic pain in the neck and it's not like I had full meals or anything.

My daily schedule went something like this: wake up at 5:30 eat last night's leftovers, go back to sleep for as long as possible, get up late (less hours awake means less hours hungry, duh), wander about the compound, play with children, sneak some water, go to the hospital/market to greet people and buy food for dinner, go home, nap, play with children, chat with my sisters while helping make dinner. around this time it's about 5:30 or 6 and everyone (especially me) is starting to get really crabby and hungry. at 6:30 everyone, seriously, everyone starts to ask me what time it is. This is because they want it to be 7:30 already and I'm one that has a watch or cellphone or clock. This is the only time anyone ever cares what time it is.

Also, no matter what time of year, I've noticed that they demand the EXACT time. If I say it's 5:30 they say REALLY? 5:30 exactly? and then they crane their necks to look at my watch. Then if its actually 5:28 they correct me and look at me like I'm either dumb or a liar. I mean, this is coming from people who seriously don't ever care about getting any place at anyone exact time. If I arrange to meet someone to do work or attend an event it always occurs and hour and a half late. EVERY. TIME. So the exact minute thing escapes me.

So anyway, at 7:30 or when the mosque says we break the fast. This is the best part of Ramadan. The whole family gets together on the patio or mat and has bread with butter, a delicious tea called kinkeliba and dates. The whole thing only last 15 minutes but it's nice to just sit and chat and the first drink and bite of food after a day of not eating is so satisfying. The bread is SO fresh during Ramadan since all the families buy loaves and loaves of it everyday. Then everyone disappears for a while until 8:15 until dinner. Let me tell you, dinner during Ramadan is the best. We had chicken 2 or 3 times during this month and meat twice! The bowl has tons of vegetables with all of my favorite garnishes. They really go all out.

So now you know all about Ramadan. It's over now but that doesn't mean I'm not still hungry. Send food! I love you all!

i need your help/some photos

All that food right before bed during Ramadan has prompted my dormant insomnia to come raging back full force. Fortunately, as a result of all that extra time laying around in bed I've come up with a pretty cool (i think) project. What's cool about it is that it involves you guys, my dear readers- my most beloved friends and family-and everyone else in America that reads this. I know you guys are all so proud of me and so impressed and blah blah blah so here is a cheap and fun way to help me out plus you get something in return:

You send me a postcard from wherever you live in the good ole US of A and (on the same day i recieve it!) I will send you one from Senegal.

The whole point of this is to promote the second and third goals of the Peace Corps which involve cultural exchange. I plan on getting all the postcards together and showing them to the school kids in my neighboorhood while matching up the locations on a map. Cool right? You get a postcard from Africa and my young friends here get to see America. As my work here progesses I can use the postcards as a learning tool in classrooms once school starts again, in girl's and boy's clubs, in the english club at the high school, etc. I'm really excited about this and I hope you are able to help me out! Postcards cost $0.98 to send and they usually cost about a dollar at most. The kids here don't usually get to see images of America except through TV maybe. Schoolbooks here are scarce and so are magazines and other reading material. Part of the reason I'm here is to teach people about America and how great it is there so I'm hoping you'll give me the oppurtunity to do exactly that! Thanks!

My address:
Jessica Goza
BP 325
Kaolack, Senegal
West Africa

And here are some photos b/c a blog without photos sucks:




They got me to wear orange. This was at a TB event. All the volunteer health workers (relais) wore matching fabric. I look silly.


well i guess one photo since i haven't figured out picasa yet.

gratitude

before i write another post about what's going on over here i'd like to take some time/space to very publicly thank all the lovely people in america that have sent me things through the mail. i appreciate each and everything thing so incredibly much in ways that i don't think my dear readers can comprehend. i love coming into town and picking up a little piece of america, a reminder that people still care about me and that i haven't been forgotten. that sounds melodramatic, i know, but it's true. so THANK YOU SO MUCH. getting mail, email, phone calls brings me more joy and comfort than anything else.

MOM and DAD- thank you so much for the THREE packages i've received so far. i know they cost a fortune but i was so happy to opem them up! the banana costume has been a huge hit and of course, there are always so many things i NEED packed in there. you two know what i like and you send it over and i don't even have to ask. you're the best.

SISSY- TWO PACKAGES from my broke ass new college grad sister. full of food! materials to make spam masubi!, things to put on my wall, and sweet notes. i love you so much! and i got your postcard too!

ARMAND- you know how much i loved that enormous 20 pound monstrosity! i've been wearing the watch everyday, carry the water bottle with me everywhere and i'm slowly working through the drink packets and granola bars. the gumballs were a huge hit with the kids and the candy was a huge hit with me.

KAMMIE- you send the classiest package of all. i've never seen so much expensive candy all in one box. i'm breaking out the ferraro rochers for a special occasion. everything else i've ravaged in middle of the night hunger attacks. and like i've told you, i read that damn US weekly you sent about 6 times and had it memorized before another volunteer asked me for it!

RAINA- you really outdid yourself this last time. not only was that box filled to the bring with delicious snacks that i didn't even know that i wanted, you threw in a great selection of magazines, a santa cruz weekly, and best of ALL LETTERS AND NOTES FROM YOU AND FAMILY MEMBERS!!!! i will be rereading them over and over again during the rest of my service. very encouraging!

MICHAEL FARLEY- i LOVE the raiders banner. seriously. i'm going to miss the games this season and all the highs and lows of being a raider's fan. i also love things i can put on my wall to decorate my room. this is great!

BRIAN R. and ELAINE S.- got your post cards and they are beautiful. i'm putting them up in a special place for postcards and things from around the world. thank you for thinking of me and while you're on your own adventures!


So here is a small picture of me with one of my favorite children. she is a perfect angel and i'd bring her with me everywhere i went if i could. see how nicely she fits on my back?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

i really love you guys and wish i could send you gifts of equal value in return but this what you're getting for now. i swear there has to be a special place in heaven for those who send things to peace corps volunteers. i know it's expensive and it's a pain in the ass to put everything together and get the the post office but it is appreciated and it makes me feel loved. thanks, again.

Pictures

i've been at IST for the past two weeks so i've been in thies gaining back all the weight i lost in village. food is delicious and abundant here. i've been eating: salads, pasta, ramen, lots of chicken, paninis, and other various items. We were all so happy to see each other again yet unaccustomed to spending so much time with other american people so we all started to go a little bit crazy. this coming week i will be working at an embassy sponsored english camp. i'm looking forward to teaching english and working with motivated young people.

here are some pictures from july fourth in beautiful kedegou:

this is a really cute animal we made friends with at the campement we stayed at

look at how beautiful kedegou is:

this is the room we stayed in! cute hut + air conditioning

mika in all of his america gear

they put these goats in bags and then tied them to the roof of our car

i owe you guys a post

this was the goat that mysteriously appeared in my backyard. that's when i found out there was a wedding the next day.

i don't know why the rest of this is a link and i lost interest in finding out about five minutes ago.

a lot has happened since the last time i posted. i wish i had written a blog on each event.
here is a list:

1. vaccinated two hundred children door to door.

2. scrubbed the hospital sitting area alone while a group of three men looked on and commented. i asked one of them what he did for work and he said he played football and trained twice a day. that was his "job".

3. made a pepinere alone. while children harassed me. went door to door asking for people's manure.

4. traveled to tamba and kedegou where i spent the fourth of july in an air conditioned hotel room on a river. i had roasted pig! pork for the first time since march.

5. suffered a tonsil infection from the stupid fishbone incident hampering my partying ability. my tonsils were covered in white gunk and touching each other.

6. the wedding that happened seems so long ago. i didn't get any good pictures. weddings here are not like in america. there is not formal ceremony that is visible to the public. that all happens a the mosque. here there is just dancing and eating. i wish i had gotten a picture of the bride with her amazing make up and outfit.

7. funeral today. yesterday my grandma here died. she didn't live with us so i didn't know her too well. but its been somber around the house since its my mom's mom. yesterday we went to the house to sit. today i went again to sit. all the women sit at the house all day. the men gathered outside, took the body (at that point women started crying and making noises), went to the cemetery to bury her. only men are allowed at cemeteries here, i don't know why. then the imam talked for one seemed like a hours but only b/c i was crammed on a mat with 40 other women and my legs fell asleep. then people came by and threw money on a mat and i left. later i realized they had borrowed my shovels to dig the grave when they were returned covered in mud. spent the rest of day the in my hammock since my family was out of the house. very nice indeed.

8. giardia naming contest winner: wingiardiam leviplopsa. i think this is all kinds of awesome. i love harry potter, duh. will "anonymous" please come forward to claim your prize.





this is my compound. my room is to the right through that door.

FISHBONES ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT

WARNING: FISHBONES CAN BE DANGEROUS

fishbones stuck in your throat is a common fear of PC volunteers here in senegal b/c that's really all we eat. we are treated like babies and so we rely on family members to pick the bones out for us. i've become a very trusting fish eater. besides, my biggest fears were pooping my pants and having something stolen from me. i never gave much thought to the danger of fishbones.

well today, that has changed. they are evil little throat daggers than can cause hours or maybe even days of pain. this afternoon, i awoke from my afternoon repose feeling more than peckish. fortunately, the fataya lady had just rounded the corner and i had CFA to spend. i bought four fatayas. two to share and two for myself. fatayas are delicious fried snacks, dough with seasoned ground meat or fish stuffed in the middle. sometimes they are crisp like fried wontons and sometimes they are doughy like indian fry bread.

i was eating one with out looking as i was rushing to get ready to go to the market and, in my haste, i swallowed a fish bone. well it remains lodged there till this moment. i told my family at about 10 PM and they immediately told me to go to my father.

i went to him and he massaged my throat while whispering a prayer or incantation and made spitting noises and breathed on my throat. then i drank water. then i tried to examine with a toothbrush. then i threw up all over my floor. then i threw up outside. then my dad massaged my throat again. then i really couldn't stop throwing up. then i tried gargling. then i brushed my teeth. then i threw up some more (macaroni for dinner). finally i stopped throwing up and i asked my mom how to clean it up and she cleaned it up for me. then i decided i had had enough torture and went in my room to blog about it. i smell like bulimia.

now a storm is coming in. it sounds like someone is rolling around on my roof. today i went in my backyard and there was a goat tied up next to the wall. i went back to the front and said "hey did you know there is a goat in the backyard?" my sister said, "yes, there is going to be a wedding on friday. your brother is getting married. you are going the market today to get fabric for a new outfit. tomorrow you're going to the thiam's house to get henna."

no body tells me anything around here!!!! a wedding at my house and i'm the last to know. of course! today there was an important meeting and no one called, texted, or came to visit my house to tell me about it. the only reason i knew was b/c the daughter of one of the people that is supposed to help me came to fetch me in the market and took me to the meeting where her mom (the person who was supposed to give me the details) asked me if i forgot about the meeting! i don't think i can blame this one on language issues, either.

so much stuff happens in one day. i will let you guys know if i ever go that fishbone out. doesn't that fataya up there look delicious?

it's something to celebrate

i have internet in my village! it finally works. this is very exciting news. i like to use gchat and skype.
my google address is: jessica.goza@gmail.com
skype: saynotobananas
email address: jessica_goza@yahoo.com

let me know what's going on in your lives and i'll try to do the same.

CONTEST!!! VERY EXCITING!!!!

so yesterday i woke up and had a minor freak about the length of my bangs. it had been three months and 5 days since i'd had them trimmed. unacceptable. they had gone passed the point of "sullen teenager" all the way down to "unmanageable mess" so something had to be done. of course, i couldn't cut them inside my room because there's no light so i brought a mirror and my scissors outside. i frantically starting trimming but my glasses were getting in the way of the scissors. i finally reached a point where i just said "good enough for africa" and took a shower. well, this morning i woke up again (obviously) and saw myself in the mirror and thought "what the hell did i do to myself" so i freaked out again (you know how i am about my bangs) and before i even had a chance to take the mirror outside i just started cutting again in the dark of my room. then, in the midst of it all i cut a gash in my finger with the scissors, which i didn't think was a big deal but now hurts very badly. the whole ordeal was a minor but disTRESSing (get it? haha) situation.

well, now my bangs are out of my eyes and face and i can see again. they don't look very good. but they are still there covering my bad eyebrow (seriously i think at some point last year i did serious damage with the tweezers) and making it look like my hair has some semblance of style.

on to the contest:
so my poop sample tested positive for amoebas. are giardia parasites amoebas? i don't know. actually, no they consist of two half cells. but my poop smelled like i had giardia. and even though i was treated for it with all kinds of things that were awful, my poop still smells like i have it. plus my stomach hurts. all i know is that there are some unwanted pests that have made themselves a new home.

i'll get to the point: who ever can come up with the best name for my new internal friends wins a prize. i will mail you something from senegal. it might not be anything cool but it will be handpicked by me and you will at least pretend to like it. all you need to do is leave a comment with your name in it (not in that little "ask me anything" box). i will announce the winner later. maybe, a week or two. bisimilah.

What's with the poop situation? Details.

i have giardia. it's gross. i have diarrhea and it's painful. i have a douche. it's a square cement structure with a porcelain hole.i squat. so to flush it, i pour water down the hole. i don't use toilet paper anymore but i do wash my hands very thoroughly with soap. as the for giardia, i'm super sick but i think i'll get better in the next couple of days. feel free to feel sorry for me and leave comments on my blog and/or write me a letter.

Ask me anything

MOVING TOMORROW

Hi guys. Moving into my new village tomorrow. Won't have internet for a few weeks but you can continue to send emails, comments, letters, packages and love my way.

Jessica Goza
c/o Stephanie Shumsky
BP 325
Kaolack, Senegal
West Africa

also my phone number is on facebook. i can text and you can call through skype or google voice. love ya'll.

it looks like an outdoor kitchen. Do you cook on the ground?

yes the kitchen is outdoors. people generally cook in a pot on top of three rocks. they use wood for the fire. everything is on the ground. i have never seen a table in a senegalese home though maybe they exist in urban areas. in the villages we eat on the ground, on a mat, sitting around one of those giant bowls. we all share. some people use spoons and some use hands.

Ask me anything

why your name is Mari Bop? They do not like your name?

my name is mari b/c it's easier for the people here to remember and say my name if i have a senegalese one. it also helps me to integrate into the community and show that i am a part of a family here.

Ask me anything

so I got a package to send you. should I wait until you get that new place or send it now?

you should send it now! i am moving tomorrow and packages take about four weeks to get here. its best to send things in flat rate boxes b/c it's cheaper and also when i pay the tax on my end it's cheaper.

Ask me anything

I'M A REAL VOLUNTEER

i haven't done anything yet but today, my and my new friends swore in as official peace corps volunteers. we took an oath and everything. here's how it went:

I, Jessica Goza, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

So here I am supporting and defending the Constitution and stuff like that. Don't forget about me out here. I'm moving to my new home on Tuesday. I'm excited and scared for my new job, my new family, speaking my new language and hopefully, eventually making new friends. I was 16 when I decided I was going to be a Peace Corps volunteer one day and 8 years later, after blood (literally), sweat (in my eyes) and tears (probably more often than necessary), I exist as a real live volunteer! it's time to get some work done!

you can bet your ass i'm going to be posting some photos of my awesome senegalese swear in outfit as soon as i get five minutes and a comfortable chair. love you guys!

ALSO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST BOYFRIEND I COULD EVER ASK FOR. I LOVE YOU!

Hi dollface! I miss you!

Hi! I miss you too!

Ask me anything

What does "Mari Bop" mean?

It was my name in Ker Sadaro, my training village. Mari was my first name. Bop was my last name. When I moved next week I'm getting a new last name and maybe a new first name too.

Ask me anything

photos from the village

So the first picture is of my training village at sunset. the whole thing is just along that road. it was so tiny! the next picture is of the lunch i helped to cook! senegal's favorite dish: ceebujen. after that is a photo the chicken coated in buffalo wing sauce that i cooked over beach weekend. the adorable little girl in red is my favorite little friend, ndiayejoop. she's the best. when i first met her she wouldn't talk and by the time i left she was so chatty. her laugh sounds like angels from heaven. the next photo was taken at a baptism. in the morning we had millet couscous with a thin yogurt. this dish "lah" is served at every baptism. after that there are prayers from the imam and the baby naming ceremony. immediately following a goat is killed. i have a video of that if anyone's interested. haha. then we eat the goat for lunch with rice. in the afternoon when it cools down, people start to dance. the baptism was a huge affair complete with enormous speakers and a DJ! the dancing here is hilarious!

so i hope you enjoyed the photos! i can only had five at a time but i'll try to make this as regular as possible! leave comments so i know you love me! :)

Last Week Before Swear In

Hello Fans!

Today, I said goodbye to my training host family that I have been staying with on and off for the past two months. It was hard to leave such a loving, welcoming and warm family and I definitely cried. All the kids just surrounded me as I loaded my things into the Peace Corps car and my two sisters that take care of me were just standing there. People here don't cry and they aren't very affectionate so I'm sure the children were all alarmed. Ha Ha. I tried to load my favorite kid, Matar, into the car but he wasn't having any of it and he started crying too. I told him I was taking him with me so I don't know what he was so upset about. :)

Now I'm back at the training center for five days, I have to pass a language exam, then I'll be sworn in at the capitol as an official Peace Corps Volunteer! Finally! Training has been draining. Learning this crazy new language has been intense and the pressure to perform is so high. In addition, I'm missing my family, Armand and all of my friends at home. In general, I'm just missing my life. Things are so different here, obviously. The pace of life, the gender roles, the way I wash my hands and get ready for bed, the way I eat, even my name. Oh by the way, my name here is Mari Bop. Next week, when I go to my new village, I might get a new first name but I'm hoping to just keep the one I have. I'll also get a new last name to match the family I'll be living with. I also got some new Senegalese clothes that I will have to find some pictures of. They are ridiculous by American standards and I can't wait for you guys too see them!

As for things back at home, I'm disappointed that I had to miss Mother's Day and that I will be missing Jennifer's graduation and 22nd birthday! I will also be missing Armand's and my dad's birthday. This causes me enormous heartbreak which is a phrase I would never have ever thought of using in America. But hey, things are different here. I want to be around for my friends and especially, my family but I realize I can't be the same daughter, friend, sister, girlfriend etc. they way I used to be and it really really really upsets me. I hope that the work I do here is meaningful and fulfilling enough to make up for the fact that I'm really lacking in the relationships department.

Overall, I'm glad that I'm here and I'm happy to only have a mild case of diarrhea. I earned my first gold star in country just yesterday! what a disaster that was. there's no way i'm explaining what that is here so if you don't know, use google.

Thanks for reading this far! More later!

If you won a $1,000 shopping spree for any store, which store would you pick?

sephora, obviously. if any body wants to send me catalogs or actual makeup that would be awesome. seriously, catalogs of any place would be great.

Ask me anything

will you go to prom with me? circle one: yes/no

i went to prom once and it was okay. if i go to prom again i'm wearing senegalese clothes so if ya'll are cool with that i'm down too.

Ask me anything

What is the goats name, does it have milk, have you made goat cheese? Is ketchup available. You handle the bottle like an old pro.

The animals here do not have names! even the horses that go to the fields and do work all day! every time i get looked at like i'm crazy and they just say (in wolof) "girl horse" or "goat" or "baby chicken"

no goat cheese. and yes ketchup is available though today at dinner it was not available despite the dry potatoes and strange meat.

Ask me anything

i don't really know how to format these pictures so i will just leave them like this. i feel lucky to just have them up here. so the top one is a picture of the goat that takes his afternoon nap in my room. here he is eating my carpet. below is a sideways picture of me with water on my head. i swear it's full. during my village visit where i stayed with someone near my future site, we had to carry water from the well to her house. it wasn't too far and i only hurt my self once pulling water. the photo next to that is of my two closest friends here. mikael and eric. we are enjoying beverages after a long day of training. the photo below are some of the children that live in my training village family. this is about half of them. i didn't realize how blurry the photo was before i uploaded it so too bad.

anyway, i hope i get better at this photo thing. i should be getting internet at my site and maybe if i don't collapse into bed at night i'll be able to blog. more pictures soon i hope, in exchange, i'm crossing my fingers for some comments. they are really uplifting and mean so much more to me here than they ever would in america. i miss home a lot and of course, speaking in english, santa cruz, mexican food, hugging my mom, and not being covered in scabby mosquito bites at all times.

love, jessica

NEWSIES

HI GUYS! I AM BACK FROM MY VOLUNTEER VISIT. i saw my village! it's not the most beautiful place in the world but i know the work is going to be good and i'm going to have electricity and a robinet just outside my door! so lucky, right? my family seems really laid back and i'm looking forward to moving there in the middle of may.

HERE IS MY NEW ADDRESS:
Jessica Goza
c/o Stephanie Shumsky
BP 325
Kaolack, Senegal
West Africa

the c/o stephanie shumsky only applies until may 15 when i can officially get my name on the box! so of course, feel free to start sending mail over there!

Today we visited dakar and we saw the new huge statue and all the cool expat spots that i one day hope to frequent. we had chinese food for lunch and gelato for dessert! crazy! haha. anyway, it was a nice change from the usual and even though we were basically a gigantic toubab tour bus, it wasn't so bad.

i'm trying really hard to upload photos and once i do that i will feel less guilty about my future blog entry in which i ask for lots of things and give specific instructions on how to mail me stuff. well, i love all my fans. thanks for the comments! they are really quite encouraging and i love the pop culture updates. i wish you could see the stupid smile that appears on my face as i read them. actually, i'm glad you can't. it would be embarrassing.

site annoucements

hello!

i don't have internet, a post office, or barely even cell phone reception where i live. yesterday, i found out where i am going to live for the next two years! it was a very exciting and emotional experience for all of us. first we were blindfolded then we were led to a spot on a map on the ground where we are going to live. i can't say exactly where i live for safety reasons but it is near the top border of the gambia. more news when i find out more! haha

BACK FROM THE VILLAGE

i just got back from five days in the village. not gonna lie, it was totally scary and definitely challenging. my family has about thirty people in it and we spend most of our time hanging out in the center of the compound. i have my own room and electricity. actually, that's a lie. i share a room with a giant spider. his name is sir legsalot and he eats other bugs.

in the morning i get up at about 7:30 but roosters start crowing at about 5:30. i take a bucket bath and my host sister makes me half a baguette with butter and really really milky coffee. then i go to language class for about four hours. i go home for lunch at 1 and we usually eat at 2. for lunch i eat around a giant bowl with my family. most days they make me eat twice at the different bowls around the compound. everyday we have rice with fish and vegetables. it's called ceebujen. after lunch i take a nap, wake up sweating and head back to class at four. in the afternoon my language group (2 other people) and my teacher work on our garden. two days ago, i was going from house to house collecting manure and sifting out the chunks with an onion sack. at seven we have some tea and i usually sit around with my family until dinner. i have dinner with my family and its usually cous cous or rice with a thin fishy sauce. they also make me a special dinner because i'm a guest. i'm always stuffed and super full.

okay, i'm tired of blogging now so i'll try to do more later. no pictures yet b/c i didn't bring my camera to the village. i'll be there for nine days next time and there is no internet so i'll ttyl. love you guys.

HI GUYS

day three:
hi you guys. i'm having lots of fun here in africa. i only have three mosquito bites. we're all holed up in a peace corps training center and it feels like camp! we sleep dorm style in converted barracks, have three meals a day, meet underneath an open hut thingy and break off into training sessions! it's great. today, we learned a tiny bit of wolof and i learned how to make a garden bed using double digging. we also learned how to make a moringa seed bed. moringa is a very nutritious plant. that's all i really know about it so far. yesterday i tried traditional tea, kola nut, all kinds of juices, and tooth sticks. for lunch we sit on the floor and eat around a gigantic bowl. very exciting. leave me some comments! bye!