Tamale (Market & Concert)

I told Mary I wanted to help with chores this morning (really, though, I was just hoping I would have a chance to do my laundry), so I asked her what time I should awake. Turns out that was a big mistake, as she suggested I get up at 6:30 (and since she was up at 5, I still looked like I was sleeping in). The first THREE HOURS of the day was then spent washing clothes, during which Mary asked me all kinds of questions about technologies like washers and dryers.

The plan was then to go to the market to pick out fabric for skirts; however, Mary had some errands to take care of before we went to town, so we played with her daughter, Melissa, and two of the neighbor girls, Wendy and Mina, for the next three hours. Mina, six, is my favorite. She wanted to try on my sunglasses, use my camera, braid my hair, and generally hang all over me. Definitely the sweetest child I've ever met, though.

When Mary finally returned, we went into town to find fabric. Four-and-a-half hours later, we finally returned, each of us having found exactly what we had wanted. (At $2.50 per yard plus tailoring fees of $5 per garment, I indulged and bought two skirts :))

After coming home sweaty and exhausted, the girls convinced me to venture back out to go to a hip hop concert at the stadium, which was definitely an experience. Ironically, most of our group dressed in African-inspired sundresses and head wraps, and nearly the entire crowd dressed in Western clothing (and one plastic red vest).