What a say say

Yes I have discovered the name for joker in Wolof (say say), the funny thing is its a common expression here. So of course I use it on a daily basis!
I am back at the training center after my first week at our homestay sites. My village is called Bayakh, it's relatively small, one main road with little stands and shops lining the sides. I am living with a Senegalese family and they are awesome! I feel so lucky to have been placed with them. I have a mother, father and nine siblings. My two older sisters no longer live at home, they are married with their own families. I have three older brothers around my age and then two sisters and a brother ranging from around twelve to sixteen. The youngest is a boy who is about five and so adorable even if he is a little bit naughty. The family was very welcoming when I arrived last Monday. I have my own room with a bed and desk. I even feel spoiled because we have electricity most of the time and running water, plus a shower head! No bucket baths for me (yet)! The "toilet" is a bit interesting to get used to, but so far it has been fine.
I have five other girls living in my village. We spend most of the day in class learning language, cultural customs, and working on our garden at the primary school. In Senegal people speak a number of local languages including Wolof, and those that go to school are taught only in French. Some people know a little bit of english, but it is usually just a few phrases or what they have heard through American music. The funniest thing is how much TV everyone watches, whether it be Indian soap operas, futbol, or Senegalese wrestling matches!
The biggest challenge by far is communication. I have retained little french and have barely began Wolof, so it is very interesting trying to talk to my family and convey what I need. Overall though, the experience has been positive. I learn more everyday and say a few phrases and words in Wolof to my family's delight. A lot of time I just hang out and listen to their conversations and try to pick up a word here or there. They laugh a lot and encourage me to learn more words. My main form of communication is a lot of thumbs up, nodding, smiling, laughing or shrugging my shoulders. It is hard, but definitely not unbearable. Our next trip back to the village on Wednesday will be the real test as we will spend 12 nights there before we come back to the Training Center. It will be a lot of back and forth from the center to village over the next 8 weeks.
Overall everything is going well and I will be happy to really learn the language and be able to communicate more effectively.