My mission today: buy fabric.

I was going to go to Banjul to scour the fabric stalls there, but all the bush taxis to Banjul were full and Julie and I got sick of waiting. We walked instead to the Serekunda market. I had just been there on Tuesday with Liam, but the market is big and Liam and I didn't visit much of it. Boy oh boy, did I buy fabric. Yards and yards of it. I wheedled and flirted my way to some pretty good prices; I'm quite pleased with myself.

We walked back, drank water, and ate lunch. I was given time to digest my meal, and then Anita, Stephanie, and I went to the market in Bakau. I bought another batik and two shirts. The batik was a good price right off the bat--I went back to the reasonable man and he remembered me. The shirts took a lot more work, but I eventually got the prices down to acceptable levels.

My pants came back, did I tell you? They're pretty fantastic. I am very pleased with my decision to get pants instead of a dress from this fabric.

After showering, I donned my fancy new pants and one of my new shirts and headed downstairs for our going-away party. It felt like one of my parents' happy hours: I showed my face, ate the food, smiled at the guests, and then I got out. I retreated to the comfort of the upstairs hall and my book until Megan fetched me. Bill was acknowledging each of us students and presenting us with gifts. I got a pretty sweet little batik. He also had an announcement: he and Debbie O'Donnell are getting married in August, and the reason she didn't accompany us on the study tour is that she is pregnant with their child. Huh.

Now, my peers are drinking in preparation for going to Senegambia tonight. I am neither drinking nor accompanying them. I am very tired after walking and shopping as much as I did, and I think I'm going to be lame and go to bed early on a Saturday night.