A Ceremonious Affair

So today was our first day at the hospital. I started in the outpatient clinic which is really similar to the ER in the states.  So needless to say, it was full of activity.  I learned how to take a blood sample and determine if a patient has malaria and I got to do that twice today! I also learned that this is NOT a disease I ever want to get.  It looks miserable! One of the kids was seizuring from it and the other could barely open her eyes or stand up. I will be bathing in bug spray for sure.
Our day ended shortly because we were asked to attend a traditional naming ceremony for a friend of ours that just had a baby.  It is tradition for the baby to not be given a name for one week after birth.  The naming ceremony is a very elaborate affair where the baby properly receives his/her name.  We were astonished at how big of an event it was and were honored to be invited.  It is as big as a wedding reception in some ways.  To start, they shave the baby's head as part of a cleansing procedure.  Then all of the men go to slaughter a goat as a symbol of the Muslim faith.  Of course I opted out of this part.  Next, the leader of the ceremonies leads prayer and worship which we obviously couldn't understand but it was a spectacle all in itself.  The most annoying part is the griots.  UH. They are old women who are legally allowed to beg for money.  They basically push you over for coins.  It was driving me crazy and I was definitely rude but whatever.  The ceremony ends after all the men skin and cut all of the meat off the goat.  And I mean EVERYTHING.  They eat the stomach, lips, heart, and even the colon. After finding this out, we decided to get our own lunch! Overall it was a great cultural event to be a part of and I learned so much about the Gambian culture!

Love you and miss you all!!