A week in the rabbithole

It's weird to think that we have been here for a week already. In some ways it feels like it was only yesterday that we followed mr. Rabbit into his hole. Usually when travelling somewhere, you kind of get a grasp of stuff after having stayed there for a week. Here in this wonderland however, I just keep running into completely new things, situations and different ways of understanding the world.

Just last Sunday evening I went with our hostfather to the shop. It was quite dark out, so I'm not sure if I was asked for the company's sake, or because of my headtorch. In any case, we walked along in the dark between the mudbrick houses and large tents, and had one of those conversations you have when you barely know a word of the other's language. Quite awkward really. At some point, I pointed to his toe (he sprained it some time ago(I think)) and asked "Läbääs?" - Good? The answer sounded: "Läbääs, läbääs" - Good, good. 'Nuf said.

On account of his toe (at least I think that was why), we got a ride by his friend back home. Not in a car, but on the back of a lorry. Quite exhilarating really. It was me, Bishiri (hostdad) and a few other local boys clinging to the loading deck of this lorry, zigzagging on hardly-visible roads, littered with rocks and sand. In pitch black darkness. Must admit I was a bit scared of falling off a couple of times, especially when we made sharp turns - me not knowing the driver and all. For all I knew, he could have had horrible vision. Could have been real short-sighted or something. I've heard they don't really get glasses down here...
Luckily, faith was on our side that night, and we all made it back in one piece - just in time for tea! Not that that actually says much. You see, in Western Sahara, just like in Wonderland, tea time - is all the time. These tea crazed refugees make even the most homegrown Brit seem like an amateur. And just like Alice at the hatmaker's table in Wonderland, I'm still working on making sense of not only the tea habbits, but most of the stuff happening around here.