After a delicious lunch at the American club, we headed over to the softball field which sits right on the Atlantic ocean for our first game. The first team we played was a Senegalese team chock full of guys who can hit the ball like it's their job. But even though they had several amazing hits, our team was on fire and we beat them by 15 runs. The second team was a team of US Embassy staff and while they played really well, we beat them too. 2 for 2! Alyssa was an all star as usual, and I somehow miraculously had 6 runs for the day. I think someone spiked my water.
All in all, it was a great time and since I won't be back to play softball until January due to random Peace Corps events and my holiday trip to the States, I'm really glad I made it. I will say though, the highlight of the day was definitely on the road trip home. Alyssa and I made it to the Dakar garage and after sitting in a sweaty hot box of a station wagon for an hour, our car was on its way. Of course, only after securely attaching a sheep to the roof of the car. Sheep fever has struck Senegal once again and everyone is transporting their hand picked Tabaski sheep all over the place. This includes sheep in rice sacks attached to the roofs of cars, sheep in the trunks of taxis, and my favorite - sheep tied to the back of motorcycles. That one always looks ridiculously dangerous and impossible.
So I'm sitting in the middle seat of the middle row of the car, with Alyssa next to me by the window. Somewhere about halfway home I'm in a complete daze, half asleep when I hear Alyssa shriek and lunge towards my seat to get away from the window. I look up to see liquid coming in through the open window and ending up all over Alyssa. "What is that? Is it raining?" I ask stupidly.
"The sheep is peeing on me!"
I could not stop laughing for the next 15 minutes. The Senegalese people in the back row of the station wagon were also cracking up, partially at Alyssa, and I'm sure partially at her jerk of a friend who found the situation to be incredibly amusing. The guy right behind Alyssa continued to laugh until the pee switched directions and ended up all over him and his briefcase. Then it was not so funny. The Senegalese guy sitting next to me just kept reassuring Alyssa that "It's a gift for you! ... You are so lucky!" Alyssa did not look amused. I'm still not sure if he was joking or is there is, in fact, some weird cultural belief that Lady Luck is on your side when a sheep pees on you. Regardless, it was hilarious.
About 20 minutes later, Alyssa is still crouched at the very edge of her seat to avoid a pee soaked seat cushion, and I'm still giggling. Then, all of a sudden, the sheep takes another potty break and because Alyssa is no longer in the direct line of fire, the pee streams directly onto me. Karma is indeed a bitch.
Needless to say, when I told my Senegalese Dad about it after arriving home, he thought it was the funniest thing in the world. I had to laugh with him...and then take a serious shower.
Oh, P.S. My family has named our Tabaski sheep Barack Obama. I'll just take that as a sign of respect.
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