friday afternoon: take 2

mmm good! the couscous is ready and is served! it is quite funny cause it got a little warm that afternoon, so the ladies insisted that we all strip down to our tank tops to eat this oh so delicious lunch. i started out eating with a spoon cause they gave one to me, but they were all eating with their hands. i decided that i wanted to join in on the fun and...
...i learned how to roll the couscous in a ball just like they do! my couscous balls weren't as large as theirs, but is was a great start. they were very happy to teach me and see me get the technique down. i was so stoked!
it was seriously delicious and they insisted that i keep eating and eating and eating--even after they were finished and left the table!
i was oh so full to say the least.
well, then everyone started getting all cleaned up and dolled up. i wasn't really sure what was happening next, but figured out that we were going somewhere else. i thought maybe we were going to a friend's house for coffee, but realized that when we arrived to the other house, it was the mama's sister's house and all of her family. and it was just after the call to prayer, so they were about to dig in on couscous! so, i had another round--they insisted that i eat, eat, and eat some more! it was fun to practice my arabic for sure. they were a really neat family.
the ladies let me help prepare the batter for what i like to call north african pancakes. it was so cool! i felt so welcome and this family loved to laugh and enjoy one another. it was an honor.
it was interesting because in some families the men will not be in the same room with the ladies, but this family wasn't like that. these brothers wanted me to drink some tea with them after couscous. the one on the left was enjoying his tobacco pipe while enjoying his afternoon tea. then the pancakes were served with apricot jelly. mmm delicious! i was so full by this point though.

i am just so thankful to be here and learn about this place, the people, the food, and the language. what a joy!