What time is it here?  Well, if you take Eastern Standard Time and add five, that makes it about sexy o’clock here.  That’s right.  It’s sexy time!  And I’ve come dressed to impress.  

Being that Mali is a predominately Muslim country, I’ve been dressing very conservatively…long loose pants, skirts, pleated front khakis that everyone e-mails me to make fun of, etc.  But due to a laundry situation that has gotten a little out of control (working at the orphanage is making me go through clothes double time…I don’t even want to be in the same room as the clothes I’ve worn there, let alone wear them again), I’ve been sporting these shorts a bunch in the last two days.  They’re specially treated to be SPF 30, have a belt that I think clicks into the clips on my backpack (although I’m not sure why I’d ever want to do that), and are generally heinous incarnate.  Even though they show part of my knee cap, I thought they were unattractive enough to pass.  When I modeled these shorts for my mother before leaving for this trip, she gave me a once over and said “Jules, those shorts make me think I’m never going to have grandchildren.”  Exactly the look I was going for!  

Anyway, my mom and I were both wrong.  When I wear these shorts, I get a lot of downward stares from men (and I’m pretty sure they’re not interested in my Chacos) and slitty eyed looks from women that I interpret to mean “What’s that ho think she’s doing dressing like that near my dried fish stand?”  So, these shorts are going to have to go to the bottom of my backpack and I guess I’m doing laundry today.  

Say goodbye to my kneecaps.  This could be the last time you see them for a while.