I'm in Saint-Louis!
And I adore it. The university is gorgeous (in a Senegalese way)- it's in the savanna, bordering on desert (we're right next to the Sahel). It's really really sandy, which is hard on my contacts but lovely on my feet, and there are animals everywhere- goats, sheep, donkeys, cows, hedgehogs, cats. I'll take some pics and post them soon.
I'm living in a single room, with my own shower, but have to share the turkish toilets with my floor. I've mostly been hanging out with the Penn and UWisconsin students, but I did make one Senegalese friend, I think: Astou, she's really sweet. And, good news, no marriage proposals yet, which is a welcome change from Dakar.
The city is also really beautiful, and there seems to be a lot to do- also some really great beaches (with really cold water... so really great beaches for sitting and basking). I'm going to pick my courses tomorrow, and hopefully start W African dance asap.
So I don't have much to say, just wanted to let everyone know I made it to phase 2 of my trip alright... but before I go, a quick story:
Monday night was Tamxarit, the Islamic New Year. Our Wolof prof invited us to his home to feast on couscous all night, as is the custom, and so we went with 2 UW girls. The food was alright (I've stopped judging things like food... especially at the university, you really have to eat to survive, not eat to enjoy), but the holiday was hilarious. In the Muslim\Senegalese version of trickortreating, bands of preteen boys run around the city all night dressed as women, banging on empty plastic gasoline containers and singing. A couple times they actually danced right on into the house we were staying at, and danced and drummed and screamed for about 10 minutes, pretending to flash everyone and being absolutely hilarious. Then they asked for candy. It was such a great night. I wonder what Halloween would be like if trick or treaters walked into peoples houses and started dancing...
K more later!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
damay dem saint louis suba ci suba!
... I'm going to Saint-Louis tomorrow morning!
... to study at the university! No more Dakar. I'm really going to miss it here, a lot... my host family, my friends (housemates and other Baobab people), and the city in general. It is so energetic, so fascinating. But I'm also excited to go to StLouis- another unknown, something to explore. It'll be great to experience college life in Senegal too.
Warning: another long post. Skip to the bottom if you just want short anecdotes.
Today's blog is centered around: A day in the life. To give you an idea of what it's like day to day here, here is exactly what I have done so far today:
I woke up early this morning- really early. At 4:30am. It was the rat. I suppose most of you haven't heard about the rat yet, so I'll explain a little. I have a rat. In my room. It seems to live under my bed, but likes to play LOUDLY in my armoire in the wee hours. Now, I consider this to be pretty gross in any circumstance- I can take the flies, and the roaches, and the mosquitoes, the sheep poo outside, the shower gunk, the dust. Rats, however, are a new low. And what makes it ten times worse is that my room here is big enough to fit exactly 2 single beds and one armoire. My bed is only 1 foot off the ground, and is 0 feet from the armoire. So when I say there's a rat in my room, I mean we are sharing very close quarters. Worse still is that my bed is a small mattress on a wooden box- so when my friend leaves the armoire (which it does when I turn on my flashlight after it inevitably wakes me up with its munching), it goes under my bed and scratches the wood- so now rather than hearing it, I can actually feel it. But, "on se débrouille"- we do what we can to get by. A phrase commonly used in African studies to describe the economic situation in Sub-Saharan Africa. For me, it means blasting Postal Service or U2 in my headphones in the hopes that I'll sleep through it. That has failed the past 3 nights. Hence, this morning, I woke up at 4:30 and basically got no sleep thereafter.
I got out of bed at 8:00, when there was enough light outside to bother walking around. I went to go outside through the back gate, which was still locked (we lock the gate at night, and my room has its own lock), but I found that the 3 sheep had somehow left their pen and were walking around the backyard. Rather than unlocking the gate and letting them in the house, I went through the house to exit by the front door. I went outside to the little stall where a nice man named Samba gives me bread every morning (the "boulangerie"), came back and ate it with my tea (incredibly delicious Senegalese tea that I have every morning). I usually put Arab butter or French peanutbutterchocolate on it (neither of which need to be refrigerated), but I've been sick so I just ate it plain. To backtrack, yes I finally got sick- the doctor said it "looked like either a virus or a bacteria." Wow thanks for your help. I'm taking medicine now though, and am totally functioning, although feeling fatigued and uncomfortable now and then. So, I ate breakfast, then my amazing housemate Becky came down and we walked to the Mobil On The Run (yes, Mobil On The Run) to catch a kaar rapit (car rapide, or fast bus: they're the mini busses that are really cheap and covered in colorful paintings and Muslim slogans, you might have seen pictures somewhere) to go to a dance class together. Kaar rapits are insane, by the way... in ours, the front window was totally shattered, there were pictures of Murid marabouts all over (leaders of Senegal's biggest Muslim fraternity), the bus shook like crazy, and I had about half a seat to sit on.
The dance class was phenomenal. The best 2 hours of my time here so far. It was a wicked work out, complete with running and muscle work, and the dance was insane. So energetic, and actually really hard because it's not easy to follow the drum counts- it's very different from traditional 1234 1234 in the states. But it was amazing. Everyone just got totally absorbed in the rhythm, and I lost myself for an hour. Then they showed us how to use the drums- I have pretty bad rhythm, so that was sort of a mess at first. But I really can't wait to sign up for dance at UGB (Universite Gaston-Berger, where I'm studying this semester).
I came home with Becky on the kaarrapit, walked through a little park I'd never seen before (it's funny, there's no grass here...), and came home to shower. Cold showers remain as cold as ever. It's not so bad once you're in though.
Then we had lunch with the family, which is usually fine but today didn't work out so well for me. They had a nut sauce that they used on the side, but the problem is we eat out of a communal bowl- each person gets a slice of the bowl, and although you eat your rice from your own slice, everyone shares the fish and veggies in the middle. So, the nut sauce wasn't really staying put, and I said sorry I have a stomach ache I'm gonna go to the bank instead of finishing. I didn't want to offend the family by pointing out the nut error more than I had- they thought they were doing well by keeping the nut sauce out of my slice. Plus one meal left so why make a fuss.
I did leave and go to the bank, took out 100 000 CFA (200 dollars), and went to AfricaPark- a little amusement park across from the bank. There were a couple bday parties going on there, it was cute. The park looks like one of those small town traveling fairs. I bought myself a crepe- mmmmm. Delish.
Then I came here! To the internet cafe. Voila my day so far. Tonight, I may go to an outdoor music fest slash dance fete with some tuubaabs (white people, as they call us). I'm looking forward to UGB where I hope there will be more options as far as going out at night goes, rather than hanging out with big groups of Americans.
Alright; there is way too much to say for one blog entry, so I'll quickly summarise some other events and reations:
- IT RAINED DUST: Last Saturday I woke up and my arms were covered in a thin later of dust (sand dust, that is). As were my sheets. As was everything else I have here- to the extent that when I picked up a book from my suitcase, I could clearly see the outline of where it had been. I got out of bed and discovered that even my shorts and legs, which had been under my sheet, were uniformly brown from dust. A total mystery to me.
-ILE DE GOREE: Ile de Goree is a famous historic monument in Senegal- it's an old slave trading island, which has a museum and some well-preserved old buildings and barracks. It was chilling, but not as moving as I had hoped. The fact is, nobody knows how important the island actually was, because the slave numbers were never documented. So the history was underwhelming. However, because so many tourists come, the island is VERY well maintained, and is breathtakingly gorgeous.
-DIVING FOR PENNIES: aka, begging at Goree. There were several young boys who waited at the dock, begging toursists to throw coins at them, which they'd swim as far as 15 feet down to retrieve. It was awful- I found it very dehumanizing. It was like these boys were animals at a petting zoo, fighting over the animal pellets that little kids throw into the pens.
-SOCCER!!!: on Sunday, Saliou, a Senegalese friend of mine who tutors Papi (my host brother), took Becky and me to a soccer game. It was AWESOME. There were 2 matches that afternoon, and we stayed for both. The first game was awful, just not very good soccer- despite the fact that the two teams were former Senegalese champions. The next game, however, was great- the two teams were the ones who recently represented Senegal in the African Cup. I had such a great time, and had some nice convos with Saliou. Sadly, the power went out literally in the last 30 seconds of the 2nd game, leaving us all in complete darkness. The team I liked better lost, unless they managed to score without lights in the last 30 seconds. I doubt it.
-I RUN IN THE MORNINGS!!!: sometimes. I know, who am I?
-ORCHESTRE BAOBAB: last weekend I also went to see my wolof prof play with his world-famous jazz band. They were great, and I got to dance a little. Our prof, Rudy, was really excited to see us, and had the photographer take pics. Keep an eye out for US concerts!
-TYPHOID?: one of my friends here was in the hospital for a few days. The doctor said it was typhoid. Every rational person in Senegal says it was food poisoning.
-RETURN FROM MECCA: On Tuesday night, I went to a neighborhood fete honoring a woman who just returned from Mecca. The fete itself was pretty cool, although I had already been to one. What was more interesting about this particular fete was the conversation I had with Saliou. Now, Saliou is probably the most intelligent person I've met here, and he is also incredibly devout and strict in his Muridism. So I opened up a real can of worms when I started discussing religion. I asked if Murids were cremated or buried- buried, of course!- and then started talking about how actually I think cremation can be a really beautiful thing. I'll spare the details, but I think I put up a really good argument. After a lengthy description, Saliou turned to me and said, "ah, ca c'est beau... regarde, tu m'as étudié." ... ah, that is beautiful... see, you taught me something. That was the single most rewarding thing that has happened to me here- to be able to really connect with someone and share our beliefs, actually teaching each other about one another's culture. Not only learning about another culture, which I am constantly doing, but also helping people to understand my culture. That's what it's all about- a 2 way street.
After that, the conversation got uglier. Apparently through all this Saliou didn't realize that I'm agnostic. Saliou is an excellent example of Senegalese tolerance: they are incredibly tolerant of Jews and Christians, and astonishingly intolerant of agnostics and atheists. I tried to defend my beliefs, but for him it is his duty to support God and help me see the light. In the end, I just suggested we go home- it was too uncomfortable for me. However, I think he respects me for standing up for myself, and putting together a good argument. It was nice- I'm learning a lot about myself too, talking so much about these things.
-EMBASSY MEETING: I went to a town hall meeting at the U.S. Ambassador's house on Thursday. It was interesting, but off the record- no blogging allowed. I will say though that her house is seems to be the only place in Dakar with real grass.
-A MAN FELL THROUGH THE ROOF!: Really. A man fell through the roof. He was working on building a 3rd floor on the upper roof, when he tried to hop onto the lower roof... instead, he crashed through the lower roof, crashed through the 1st floor ceiling, and landed on the couch in the living room. Yes, he landed on the couch. And is totally fine. However, there is now a hole in the ceiling that is covered by a thin board, and otherwise opens up to the sky. How ridiculous.
It's pretty hard to write down reactions, because things are becoming less extraordinary every day. I'm not noticing differences as much anymore- it's just life here. Life, but approached from a completely different perspective.
Okay I've written way too much. Bottom line is, I'm having a wonderful time, and I miss you all so much. Feel free to email me- I should have more access at UGB.
All my love,
Morgan (or Awa, as you prefer)
... to study at the university! No more Dakar. I'm really going to miss it here, a lot... my host family, my friends (housemates and other Baobab people), and the city in general. It is so energetic, so fascinating. But I'm also excited to go to StLouis- another unknown, something to explore. It'll be great to experience college life in Senegal too.
Warning: another long post. Skip to the bottom if you just want short anecdotes.
Today's blog is centered around: A day in the life. To give you an idea of what it's like day to day here, here is exactly what I have done so far today:
I woke up early this morning- really early. At 4:30am. It was the rat. I suppose most of you haven't heard about the rat yet, so I'll explain a little. I have a rat. In my room. It seems to live under my bed, but likes to play LOUDLY in my armoire in the wee hours. Now, I consider this to be pretty gross in any circumstance- I can take the flies, and the roaches, and the mosquitoes, the sheep poo outside, the shower gunk, the dust. Rats, however, are a new low. And what makes it ten times worse is that my room here is big enough to fit exactly 2 single beds and one armoire. My bed is only 1 foot off the ground, and is 0 feet from the armoire. So when I say there's a rat in my room, I mean we are sharing very close quarters. Worse still is that my bed is a small mattress on a wooden box- so when my friend leaves the armoire (which it does when I turn on my flashlight after it inevitably wakes me up with its munching), it goes under my bed and scratches the wood- so now rather than hearing it, I can actually feel it. But, "on se débrouille"- we do what we can to get by. A phrase commonly used in African studies to describe the economic situation in Sub-Saharan Africa. For me, it means blasting Postal Service or U2 in my headphones in the hopes that I'll sleep through it. That has failed the past 3 nights. Hence, this morning, I woke up at 4:30 and basically got no sleep thereafter.
I got out of bed at 8:00, when there was enough light outside to bother walking around. I went to go outside through the back gate, which was still locked (we lock the gate at night, and my room has its own lock), but I found that the 3 sheep had somehow left their pen and were walking around the backyard. Rather than unlocking the gate and letting them in the house, I went through the house to exit by the front door. I went outside to the little stall where a nice man named Samba gives me bread every morning (the "boulangerie"), came back and ate it with my tea (incredibly delicious Senegalese tea that I have every morning). I usually put Arab butter or French peanutbutterchocolate on it (neither of which need to be refrigerated), but I've been sick so I just ate it plain. To backtrack, yes I finally got sick- the doctor said it "looked like either a virus or a bacteria." Wow thanks for your help. I'm taking medicine now though, and am totally functioning, although feeling fatigued and uncomfortable now and then. So, I ate breakfast, then my amazing housemate Becky came down and we walked to the Mobil On The Run (yes, Mobil On The Run) to catch a kaar rapit (car rapide, or fast bus: they're the mini busses that are really cheap and covered in colorful paintings and Muslim slogans, you might have seen pictures somewhere) to go to a dance class together. Kaar rapits are insane, by the way... in ours, the front window was totally shattered, there were pictures of Murid marabouts all over (leaders of Senegal's biggest Muslim fraternity), the bus shook like crazy, and I had about half a seat to sit on.
The dance class was phenomenal. The best 2 hours of my time here so far. It was a wicked work out, complete with running and muscle work, and the dance was insane. So energetic, and actually really hard because it's not easy to follow the drum counts- it's very different from traditional 1234 1234 in the states. But it was amazing. Everyone just got totally absorbed in the rhythm, and I lost myself for an hour. Then they showed us how to use the drums- I have pretty bad rhythm, so that was sort of a mess at first. But I really can't wait to sign up for dance at UGB (Universite Gaston-Berger, where I'm studying this semester).
I came home with Becky on the kaarrapit, walked through a little park I'd never seen before (it's funny, there's no grass here...), and came home to shower. Cold showers remain as cold as ever. It's not so bad once you're in though.
Then we had lunch with the family, which is usually fine but today didn't work out so well for me. They had a nut sauce that they used on the side, but the problem is we eat out of a communal bowl- each person gets a slice of the bowl, and although you eat your rice from your own slice, everyone shares the fish and veggies in the middle. So, the nut sauce wasn't really staying put, and I said sorry I have a stomach ache I'm gonna go to the bank instead of finishing. I didn't want to offend the family by pointing out the nut error more than I had- they thought they were doing well by keeping the nut sauce out of my slice. Plus one meal left so why make a fuss.
I did leave and go to the bank, took out 100 000 CFA (200 dollars), and went to AfricaPark- a little amusement park across from the bank. There were a couple bday parties going on there, it was cute. The park looks like one of those small town traveling fairs. I bought myself a crepe- mmmmm. Delish.
Then I came here! To the internet cafe. Voila my day so far. Tonight, I may go to an outdoor music fest slash dance fete with some tuubaabs (white people, as they call us). I'm looking forward to UGB where I hope there will be more options as far as going out at night goes, rather than hanging out with big groups of Americans.
Alright; there is way too much to say for one blog entry, so I'll quickly summarise some other events and reations:
- IT RAINED DUST: Last Saturday I woke up and my arms were covered in a thin later of dust (sand dust, that is). As were my sheets. As was everything else I have here- to the extent that when I picked up a book from my suitcase, I could clearly see the outline of where it had been. I got out of bed and discovered that even my shorts and legs, which had been under my sheet, were uniformly brown from dust. A total mystery to me.
-ILE DE GOREE: Ile de Goree is a famous historic monument in Senegal- it's an old slave trading island, which has a museum and some well-preserved old buildings and barracks. It was chilling, but not as moving as I had hoped. The fact is, nobody knows how important the island actually was, because the slave numbers were never documented. So the history was underwhelming. However, because so many tourists come, the island is VERY well maintained, and is breathtakingly gorgeous.
-DIVING FOR PENNIES: aka, begging at Goree. There were several young boys who waited at the dock, begging toursists to throw coins at them, which they'd swim as far as 15 feet down to retrieve. It was awful- I found it very dehumanizing. It was like these boys were animals at a petting zoo, fighting over the animal pellets that little kids throw into the pens.
-SOCCER!!!: on Sunday, Saliou, a Senegalese friend of mine who tutors Papi (my host brother), took Becky and me to a soccer game. It was AWESOME. There were 2 matches that afternoon, and we stayed for both. The first game was awful, just not very good soccer- despite the fact that the two teams were former Senegalese champions. The next game, however, was great- the two teams were the ones who recently represented Senegal in the African Cup. I had such a great time, and had some nice convos with Saliou. Sadly, the power went out literally in the last 30 seconds of the 2nd game, leaving us all in complete darkness. The team I liked better lost, unless they managed to score without lights in the last 30 seconds. I doubt it.
-I RUN IN THE MORNINGS!!!: sometimes. I know, who am I?
-ORCHESTRE BAOBAB: last weekend I also went to see my wolof prof play with his world-famous jazz band. They were great, and I got to dance a little. Our prof, Rudy, was really excited to see us, and had the photographer take pics. Keep an eye out for US concerts!
-TYPHOID?: one of my friends here was in the hospital for a few days. The doctor said it was typhoid. Every rational person in Senegal says it was food poisoning.
-RETURN FROM MECCA: On Tuesday night, I went to a neighborhood fete honoring a woman who just returned from Mecca. The fete itself was pretty cool, although I had already been to one. What was more interesting about this particular fete was the conversation I had with Saliou. Now, Saliou is probably the most intelligent person I've met here, and he is also incredibly devout and strict in his Muridism. So I opened up a real can of worms when I started discussing religion. I asked if Murids were cremated or buried- buried, of course!- and then started talking about how actually I think cremation can be a really beautiful thing. I'll spare the details, but I think I put up a really good argument. After a lengthy description, Saliou turned to me and said, "ah, ca c'est beau... regarde, tu m'as étudié." ... ah, that is beautiful... see, you taught me something. That was the single most rewarding thing that has happened to me here- to be able to really connect with someone and share our beliefs, actually teaching each other about one another's culture. Not only learning about another culture, which I am constantly doing, but also helping people to understand my culture. That's what it's all about- a 2 way street.
After that, the conversation got uglier. Apparently through all this Saliou didn't realize that I'm agnostic. Saliou is an excellent example of Senegalese tolerance: they are incredibly tolerant of Jews and Christians, and astonishingly intolerant of agnostics and atheists. I tried to defend my beliefs, but for him it is his duty to support God and help me see the light. In the end, I just suggested we go home- it was too uncomfortable for me. However, I think he respects me for standing up for myself, and putting together a good argument. It was nice- I'm learning a lot about myself too, talking so much about these things.
-EMBASSY MEETING: I went to a town hall meeting at the U.S. Ambassador's house on Thursday. It was interesting, but off the record- no blogging allowed. I will say though that her house is seems to be the only place in Dakar with real grass.
-A MAN FELL THROUGH THE ROOF!: Really. A man fell through the roof. He was working on building a 3rd floor on the upper roof, when he tried to hop onto the lower roof... instead, he crashed through the lower roof, crashed through the 1st floor ceiling, and landed on the couch in the living room. Yes, he landed on the couch. And is totally fine. However, there is now a hole in the ceiling that is covered by a thin board, and otherwise opens up to the sky. How ridiculous.
It's pretty hard to write down reactions, because things are becoming less extraordinary every day. I'm not noticing differences as much anymore- it's just life here. Life, but approached from a completely different perspective.
Okay I've written way too much. Bottom line is, I'm having a wonderful time, and I miss you all so much. Feel free to email me- I should have more access at UGB.
All my love,
Morgan (or Awa, as you prefer)
Monday, January 15, 2007
Laalaay! Deggnaa wolof tuuti!
...Holy smokes! I speak a little bit of wolof!
And that is a very rewarding development!
I start with this because I just came from my second wolof class of the day, and because after being greeted by a bunch of young men in the street- ay, tubaab!- I was actually able to hold half a conversation and explain that I dont really understand anything theyre saying to me, but have a nice day. Normally we would switch to French after that, but I wanted to get to this internet cafe in time to write my blog and get home to help with dinner, if theyll let me (which usually they dont, out of hospitality).
Now, before I really begin, I'd like to preface this with a disclaimer- the keyboard here is different from ours in the states, so forgive any typos. Add that to the fact that since I'm beginning to think in French from time to time, and yet am supposed to try to throw in wolof wherever I can, a lot of what I write may come out as if it's been translated twice already... this may be no great word of literature. But hopefully I'll be able to get the point across.
Alors... Senegal is fabulous. The first few days were difficult, adjusting to the heat and the culture and generally being in a totally foreign place without any real familiar faces. It's still not the easiest thing in the world, but I'm becoming more and more comfortable evrey day, and everything that's hard is just another incredible learning experience. I'm trying to adapt as creatively as possible. For example... I am terrified of roaches to an irrational extent (any past roommates can probably confirm). But, last week we had a seminar on superstition and faith in Senegal, and learned about what's called a "rab"- a totem animal that protects a family/village/etc, and in turn must be respected. Thus, I've decided my rab will be... the cockroach. During my morning shower, I say a quick "asalaa maalekum" to Herbie (shower rab) and go on my way. Secretly praying he'll leave. Voila, adapting.
I guess I'll go through my journal and pull out a few interesting stories, and put them down as bullet points... I've done so much already, and don't want to bore you all to tears or make your eyes hurt, so if you have any questions, please please email me! I miss you all. Donc:
-For a brief summary, I got here last MOnday and slept most of the day, stayed in nice apartments with the Penn girls and about 10 people from Beloit and Georgetown, then started our seminars and moved into the homestay. I'm living with 2 other Americans, which is a little disappointing because it means I have people to show me around and such... a little like cheating... and because the family is already used to Americans; so they let me get away with a lot of mistakes without explaining things. But, the girls are really nice, and it's been great to have basically constant conversations going on between Americans and the family, so I can plug in even when I have nothing to say. The mother is divorced (very rare here), and we live with her, her 21 yr old daughter, her 8 yr old nephew (who is hilarious, and plays soccer and cards with me), and the grandmother. There are also a lot of boarders upstairs; many are uncles and their families. One of the uncles is going to take me to see a soccer game next Sunday, which is amazing. Side note: as a general rule of thumb, the Senegalese are incredibly friendly and kind, and very tolerant. Of course, not everyone loves the tubaabs; but it hasn't been a problem.
-What I noticed first about Senegal, from the moment I stepped off the plane, was the smell in the air. It's a lot sweeter somehow. And softer. It's beautiful. And reminds me quite a bit of Sri Lanka... although Senegal smells better.
-The showers here are really different from American ones. There's not actually a separate shower- just a shower head in the bathroom with a drain underneath. The whole room is ceramic, so you just lock the bathroom door and start showering. No curtain even. Also... there is no hot water. Zero. Zilch. After a few minutes it's quite tolerable though, especially during the day when it's hot.
-Many of you may know me as anti-eating-fish. Well, no longer! We eat fish about twice a day here, often with bones and eyeballs and big ol smiles. It's delicious. Shrimp will have to wait tho- baby steps. Speaking of food by the way, it's all delicious here. Lots of mutton and spicy-ish sauces, and rice. The national dish is cen-bu-jen: rice and fish. I wont go much into food preparation, alhtough that also is a big change from what I'm used to- let it suffice to say that OSHA and the FDA would disapprove.
-One of the biggest challenges here is tyring to fit in, and understand the culture from the inside, and genuinely get to know people, when we stand out so much. It's totally imossible. It's especially hard to befriend the women- partly because their men pay so much attention to us (marriage proposals are not uncommon, and are joking- but also serious. A green card, or even a travel visa, is near impossible to get, even if they've saved enough money). It's also hard to befriend women because, quite frankly, we often can relate better to the men- we share a sense of self-empowerment that the women here often don't have. However, I have begun making friends (I think) with my host sister, NdeMarie, who is really fierce and also really funny. I have a lot of thoughts on gender here, but I think I'll save my reactions until later, when they're more fully formed. I have a lot left to learn before I'm going to be comfortable saying that I have stong opinions about a lot of things.
-The streets are filled with vendors and talibe- young children who were sent from villages to Dakar to study with marabouts (Islamic religious leaders). They are beggar children, who will hold onto your arm and follow you around asking for money or food. So far, I'm under the impression that the original system was really a beautiful manifestation of the importance of giving and sharing: in villages, children would go to study with local marabouts, and at lunch time, they would be sent out to ask local families (who they all were close to) for food. Then they'd come back and share it all together for lunch. This also allows people to fulfill their duty as Muslims to give charity. However, as my host mother Ouli has told me, the city corrupts and the system has become one of child exploitation. The children now ask for money instead of food, and they rarely reap the benefits- the marabouts often keep it for themselves. However, it is extremely controversial, and the talibe remain valued by some because they "harden" children for life in the real world, and much more because they allow people to fill their duty to give charity. In fact, I heard that the beggars are so important in this way that they have even gone on strike before.
-They don't eat many nuts here, Alxamdulilay (Dieu merci/thank God)- except kola nuts, which are given as a sign of friendship. Luckily, I haven't made any friends yet. Just kidding... I haven't made any kola'nut bearing friends though. I think it's more prevalent in villages.
-There are 2 sheep in the backyard, which wake mpe up every night with their yakking and eating. They're there for religious sacrifice. I'll try not to get too attached.
-Blackouts are very prevalent here. So far, I've experienced 3... but there may have been more at times when I happened to be not using any electricity (which is often).
-As in most developing countries, they don't use toilet paper here. I bought some.
-I've been spending a good deal of time with my host family, talking about Senegal or the states or our days or whatever. It's really fascinating, and they are the nicest people. I hang out with the little boy, Papi, a lot. Also, they gave me a wolof name- Awa!
-We often eat around the communal bowl here, which is nice. Once, at the Baobab Ctr, we ate with our hands, which was awesome.
-Yesterday was an absolutley fabulous day. I went with a friend from Georgetown, Molly, to an island called Ile de la Madeleine, which is a 15 minute pirogue (small fishing boat with a motor) ride from mainland Dakar. We had a great conversation with an old man on the beach while we were waiting for the boat. The island is increible- very small, but like nothign I-ve ever seen. The rocks are the weirdest pattern, from volcanic activity, and the tidepools are fantastic for swimming. There are rare species of birds, and a gorgeous view of the sunset. I'll post pics when I get to the university and have more computer access.
OK Now I'm out of internet time... I hope this wasnt too long, I have a ton more to say. Next time!!
Babeneen,
Awa
And that is a very rewarding development!
I start with this because I just came from my second wolof class of the day, and because after being greeted by a bunch of young men in the street- ay, tubaab!- I was actually able to hold half a conversation and explain that I dont really understand anything theyre saying to me, but have a nice day. Normally we would switch to French after that, but I wanted to get to this internet cafe in time to write my blog and get home to help with dinner, if theyll let me (which usually they dont, out of hospitality).
Now, before I really begin, I'd like to preface this with a disclaimer- the keyboard here is different from ours in the states, so forgive any typos. Add that to the fact that since I'm beginning to think in French from time to time, and yet am supposed to try to throw in wolof wherever I can, a lot of what I write may come out as if it's been translated twice already... this may be no great word of literature. But hopefully I'll be able to get the point across.
Alors... Senegal is fabulous. The first few days were difficult, adjusting to the heat and the culture and generally being in a totally foreign place without any real familiar faces. It's still not the easiest thing in the world, but I'm becoming more and more comfortable evrey day, and everything that's hard is just another incredible learning experience. I'm trying to adapt as creatively as possible. For example... I am terrified of roaches to an irrational extent (any past roommates can probably confirm). But, last week we had a seminar on superstition and faith in Senegal, and learned about what's called a "rab"- a totem animal that protects a family/village/etc, and in turn must be respected. Thus, I've decided my rab will be... the cockroach. During my morning shower, I say a quick "asalaa maalekum" to Herbie (shower rab) and go on my way. Secretly praying he'll leave. Voila, adapting.
I guess I'll go through my journal and pull out a few interesting stories, and put them down as bullet points... I've done so much already, and don't want to bore you all to tears or make your eyes hurt, so if you have any questions, please please email me! I miss you all. Donc:
-For a brief summary, I got here last MOnday and slept most of the day, stayed in nice apartments with the Penn girls and about 10 people from Beloit and Georgetown, then started our seminars and moved into the homestay. I'm living with 2 other Americans, which is a little disappointing because it means I have people to show me around and such... a little like cheating... and because the family is already used to Americans; so they let me get away with a lot of mistakes without explaining things. But, the girls are really nice, and it's been great to have basically constant conversations going on between Americans and the family, so I can plug in even when I have nothing to say. The mother is divorced (very rare here), and we live with her, her 21 yr old daughter, her 8 yr old nephew (who is hilarious, and plays soccer and cards with me), and the grandmother. There are also a lot of boarders upstairs; many are uncles and their families. One of the uncles is going to take me to see a soccer game next Sunday, which is amazing. Side note: as a general rule of thumb, the Senegalese are incredibly friendly and kind, and very tolerant. Of course, not everyone loves the tubaabs; but it hasn't been a problem.
-What I noticed first about Senegal, from the moment I stepped off the plane, was the smell in the air. It's a lot sweeter somehow. And softer. It's beautiful. And reminds me quite a bit of Sri Lanka... although Senegal smells better.
-The showers here are really different from American ones. There's not actually a separate shower- just a shower head in the bathroom with a drain underneath. The whole room is ceramic, so you just lock the bathroom door and start showering. No curtain even. Also... there is no hot water. Zero. Zilch. After a few minutes it's quite tolerable though, especially during the day when it's hot.
-Many of you may know me as anti-eating-fish. Well, no longer! We eat fish about twice a day here, often with bones and eyeballs and big ol smiles. It's delicious. Shrimp will have to wait tho- baby steps. Speaking of food by the way, it's all delicious here. Lots of mutton and spicy-ish sauces, and rice. The national dish is cen-bu-jen: rice and fish. I wont go much into food preparation, alhtough that also is a big change from what I'm used to- let it suffice to say that OSHA and the FDA would disapprove.
-One of the biggest challenges here is tyring to fit in, and understand the culture from the inside, and genuinely get to know people, when we stand out so much. It's totally imossible. It's especially hard to befriend the women- partly because their men pay so much attention to us (marriage proposals are not uncommon, and are joking- but also serious. A green card, or even a travel visa, is near impossible to get, even if they've saved enough money). It's also hard to befriend women because, quite frankly, we often can relate better to the men- we share a sense of self-empowerment that the women here often don't have. However, I have begun making friends (I think) with my host sister, NdeMarie, who is really fierce and also really funny. I have a lot of thoughts on gender here, but I think I'll save my reactions until later, when they're more fully formed. I have a lot left to learn before I'm going to be comfortable saying that I have stong opinions about a lot of things.
-The streets are filled with vendors and talibe- young children who were sent from villages to Dakar to study with marabouts (Islamic religious leaders). They are beggar children, who will hold onto your arm and follow you around asking for money or food. So far, I'm under the impression that the original system was really a beautiful manifestation of the importance of giving and sharing: in villages, children would go to study with local marabouts, and at lunch time, they would be sent out to ask local families (who they all were close to) for food. Then they'd come back and share it all together for lunch. This also allows people to fulfill their duty as Muslims to give charity. However, as my host mother Ouli has told me, the city corrupts and the system has become one of child exploitation. The children now ask for money instead of food, and they rarely reap the benefits- the marabouts often keep it for themselves. However, it is extremely controversial, and the talibe remain valued by some because they "harden" children for life in the real world, and much more because they allow people to fill their duty to give charity. In fact, I heard that the beggars are so important in this way that they have even gone on strike before.
-They don't eat many nuts here, Alxamdulilay (Dieu merci/thank God)- except kola nuts, which are given as a sign of friendship. Luckily, I haven't made any friends yet. Just kidding... I haven't made any kola'nut bearing friends though. I think it's more prevalent in villages.
-There are 2 sheep in the backyard, which wake mpe up every night with their yakking and eating. They're there for religious sacrifice. I'll try not to get too attached.
-Blackouts are very prevalent here. So far, I've experienced 3... but there may have been more at times when I happened to be not using any electricity (which is often).
-As in most developing countries, they don't use toilet paper here. I bought some.
-I've been spending a good deal of time with my host family, talking about Senegal or the states or our days or whatever. It's really fascinating, and they are the nicest people. I hang out with the little boy, Papi, a lot. Also, they gave me a wolof name- Awa!
-We often eat around the communal bowl here, which is nice. Once, at the Baobab Ctr, we ate with our hands, which was awesome.
-Yesterday was an absolutley fabulous day. I went with a friend from Georgetown, Molly, to an island called Ile de la Madeleine, which is a 15 minute pirogue (small fishing boat with a motor) ride from mainland Dakar. We had a great conversation with an old man on the beach while we were waiting for the boat. The island is increible- very small, but like nothign I-ve ever seen. The rocks are the weirdest pattern, from volcanic activity, and the tidepools are fantastic for swimming. There are rare species of birds, and a gorgeous view of the sunset. I'll post pics when I get to the university and have more computer access.
OK Now I'm out of internet time... I hope this wasnt too long, I have a ton more to say. Next time!!
Babeneen,
Awa
Saturday, January 13, 2007
ahh les internet cafes....
I know I've been saying that I will update this blog by the end of the week (that being today...), but unfortunately I signed on today and didn't have time to write anything after checking my email. I will, however, try to come back tomorrow and buy some more time, and get this thing updated!!
By the way, Senegal is incredible. Certainly not an easy adjustment, but totally fascinating. Stories to come!
Babeneen (Until next time),
Morgan
By the way, Senegal is incredible. Certainly not an easy adjustment, but totally fascinating. Stories to come!
Babeneen (Until next time),
Morgan
Monday, January 1, 2007
T minus 6 days
A week from today, I'll be in Dakar. Hot damn.
Nothing to post yet, just trying out the blog. Happy new year!
Nothing to post yet, just trying out the blog. Happy new year!
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