I had awonderful weekend filled with interesting and educational adventures. On Saturday I got up nice and early and got to school ready to go to Goree Island. It was about a 20 minute bus ride and then a 20 minute ferry ride over to Goree, so it is very close to Dakar. It is a very tiny island that is well known historically because it is where a lot of slaves passed through during the slave trade years. Now it is a popular tourist stop as well as a place for people to go and learn more about the slave trade.
We visited two museums on the island, one about the women of senegal and how their tribes differ in customs (ex: how they tie their babies on in little papooses). We also saw the maison d'esclaves, which didnt actually have many slaves pass through it, only a few hundred, but serves as an example and museum of what the trade houses were like. We listened to a speech given at the Maison about the slave trade and looked around a bit. It was interesting to hear how the slave trade was done, and what constituted a good slave. Being at the place which was the last time any of the slaves would be in Africa was very sad, and very interesting. Unfortunately it was a very busy place and it was hard to soak up the importance of the place without being distracted by all of the people milling around.
After that we visited another museum-esque place with wonderful views of both the island and of Dakar itself. Looking at downtown Dakar from a distance it definetly has the look of a big city, with tall buildings. For lunch we went to a locals house and alllll of us were served ceebu jen, which is the traditional rice and fish dish with veggies. Hooray for eating with our hands!
We spent the afternoon wandering around Goree which is covered in art, made there. Its a small but colorful place. There is plenty of bargaining to be done too, and the locals count on tourists who will accept their high prices. All I bought was something to use for lying on the beach, and managed to bargain my way down to the right price- sucess!
After a little bit of wandering some of us headed towards the beach, which was nice and sandy, but horribly crowded. As soon as you sit down vendors surround you and often sit down with you to try to get you to buy things. They are very pushy about it and it gets very annoying, especially when you have no interest in buying. Regardless we had some nice quality time on the beach, but I avoided the water because of the insane amount of pollution there.
Soon after we took the crowded ferry home to Dakar and then bussed back to Dakar. I got home and managed to take a short nap prior to dinner. This can always manage to happen considering just how late dinner takes place. After that me and my friends met up at the 'bar' we have all claimed and called sketch-bar (I say 'bar' because its more along the lines of a liquor store with a patio). But it works and that's what counts. Afterwards we all headed out to the
'tennis club' where there was supposed to be live reggae. Oh Africa, how you fool me constantly. We got into the cab, and the driver assured us he knew what the 'tennis club' was, or at least its location. Along the way we stopped about three times to ask for directions, which was no fun. At last we arrived, ridiculously early (12.30am), and it was, quite literally, some tennis courts. With a dj playing some reggae. And a projection machine showing old Bob Marley videos. Oh Africa . . .
Sunday proved to be another fun day, which allowed me a) to sleep in and b) to go to Marche HLM and buy some fabric! I took a cab with three other friends over the the Marche, which was relatively quiet because it was a Sunday (key word- relatively). HLM is mainly a fabric and shoe market, so you won't find much by way of tupperware, clothes hangers or powers strips being sold on the street. We ventured around, found some gorgeous fabrics and waxhaled (bargained) our way into the right price. Here you come in, make some small talk, look at the fabrics and eventually pick what you want. Once you have picked what you want you start talking about the price. They'll start out way higher than what the real price is, and you start low. With fabric we knew what the price was supposed to be (1,000 cfa per meter, which is about $2 a yard), so we knew what to hold out for.
If you find something that you like, you hold out for the price, and if they dont give you what you want you can walk away in hopes that they will give you the price you want. If not, chances are good that the fabric (or tissu as it is in french) will be available elsewhere. We each ended up getting two types, and I can't wait to figure out what kind of dress I'll have made!!! I'll make sure to send pictures when they're done. Also, I'll post more pictures ASAP- and this time around there are captions for all of the pictures.
Tonight is Tamkharit, which is the Muslim New Year (party like it's 1385!!!), so it's couscous for dinner! It should be tasty!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
What my days are like
Now that I have had all of my classes at least once, I feel like I can give a pretty good sense as to what my schedule is here. Starting on Monday mornings, I get up around 8am, get ready and my host mom brings my breakfast into my room. It consists of a pot of tea, some sugar cubes, a mini baguette and a tub of butter and a tub of chocolate spread (like nutella, only not). I get ready in my room, and then meet up with my friend Alec at 8.40ish and we walk to school together. On Monday and Wednesday's my schedule is the same, so at 9am I have Wolof class, until 10.45. The class only has four people in it, which is really great because it allows us to work on our Wolof in an intimate setting and really do our best to get things down. Our professor is a Senegalese in his 20's who is very energetic and also answers a lot of our cultural questions. In Wolof we are working on getting down the different conversation tools we need to have, and we will eventually get more into the grammar. Wolof is very interesting because it only started to be written down in the 1980's, so it is very new in their education system, so we as students/foreigners will probably end up knowing the grammar better than the native Senegalese.
At 11am I have my Histoire D'Islam class, which is taught in French. In this class there is five students, so another nice and small setting. The course will start by focusing on Islam in general, but we will eventually work our way into looking at Islam in Senegal. Studying a religion in a country where it is so prevalant and surrounds me everywhere (especially since I live behind a Mosque and hear the calls to prayer 5 times a day) it will really enrich my experience here to better understand the religion that is so important to so many people (including my Muslim homestay family). The professor for this class gave us a long list of his various credentials and is clearly knowledgable about Islam, and he tends to lecture past the time of class ending, so we'll have to learn to give him warnings about it being over. But it is always great to have such an energetic professor. I then have from 12.45 until 2.30 free, and I usually stay on campus for lunch. They typically don't eat lunch here until about 2pm, so it is easier for me to stay here and eat a sandwich or go to the cafeteria (both very cheap options), than to do the 15 minute walk home, wait for lunch to be ready, scarf it down and then rush back to school.
At 2.30 I have my French Class, and I was placed into Advanced 2, where there are 9 students and one professor who speaks very quickly. For the most part I can understand what is being said. The course seems like it will be a mixture of grammar review and then topic discussions. At some point I have to read a book (preferably by a French African writer) and give a presentation, so hopefully I will manage to pick out a good one. It will be good for me to have the grammar review, but it doesn't seem like that will be the sole focus of the course, which is a relief for me. Also, on Wednesday's, instead of having two hours of french, we have one our of French followed by one hour of phoenetics. It seems like it will be an amusing course, and just getting down the pronunciations and the different nuances. The best thing about this professor is that he has got a laugh just like James Earl Jones- I nearly fell out of my chair laughing (with him, not at) at one point.
At the end of the day I usually hang out around campus, and maybe go watch a footbal (soccer) game that students play in- maybe some day I'll even join in for a game myself! I will probably vary what I end up doing with my afternoons, and since dinner usually happens at 8.45 or 9pm, I have plenty of time in the afternoon to do things. The only thing that I have to be aware of is how quickly it gets dark out and to make sure that I dont end up walking home alone. The neighborhood that I live in, Mermoz, is a relatively safe one, but it is typically a better idea to walk home in pairs or more. If I am in my area (at the telecentre calling home for example) it is perfectly fine for me to walk the two blocks home on my own.
In the evening I hang out with my family or read a little bit in my room. My little brothers get very excited whenever I come home, and love to play around with me and show me different things. It's good fun to come home to people who are so excited to see you, but sometimes peace and quiet would be nice. I can usually manage to get into my room alone for a little bit, but one of the kids is bound to eventually come to my room to seek out some playtime. When I hang out with the family we spend time in the living room, where the TV is always on, without fail. They watch a lot of music videos, dubbed over spanish soap operas and a few local programs. At night there is always an American movie (not always of the best quality) that is played. Being around the TV is more of a social thing, and everyone sits around and chats, but it simply astounds me (yes, me, TV lover) how often the TV is on! After dinner, depending on my plans, I either hang out at home and then go to bed around 10.30, or I go out with my friends for a drink and stay out until about 12. It's only been a week in our homestays, but I'm sure that the schedule will differ from this, but for now it seems to work quite well.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have the same morning schedule, and walk to school with Alec (I have all my classes with him), and I have Anthropoligie Sociale des Cultures Africaines (taught in French) from 9-10.45, and this class has 7 people, so another nice and small environment. Another interesting course, that I am very curious to see where it leads to. All of my courses tie in together very well, and have overlaps that I feel will help me to get a better overall understanding of Senegal and Africa. I then have a break from 10.45 until 4.30 (typically I blog after the first class) and since the break is so long, I go home for lunch. Lunch is the most important meal of the day as well as the biggest, so it is important that I make the effort to be around for lunch, and Tues/Thurs definetly make the most sense for me to head home for lunch. From 4.30-6.15 I have Senegalese Culture and Society (taught in English) with everyone from my program (35 people) taught by the director of our program and full of guest lecturers. It might get a little bit redundant with my other courses, but I think that it will be a nice break to have a course in English.
As for Friday's, well those are a day to do what I want (gotta love a 3-day weekend!), so if I ever go out of town to other parts of Senegal I will be able to go for a bit longer, or it will be a useful homework day. I'm not positive what I'll do with that time, but it sure will be nice!
That's about it, yet another long post!
At 11am I have my Histoire D'Islam class, which is taught in French. In this class there is five students, so another nice and small setting. The course will start by focusing on Islam in general, but we will eventually work our way into looking at Islam in Senegal. Studying a religion in a country where it is so prevalant and surrounds me everywhere (especially since I live behind a Mosque and hear the calls to prayer 5 times a day) it will really enrich my experience here to better understand the religion that is so important to so many people (including my Muslim homestay family). The professor for this class gave us a long list of his various credentials and is clearly knowledgable about Islam, and he tends to lecture past the time of class ending, so we'll have to learn to give him warnings about it being over. But it is always great to have such an energetic professor. I then have from 12.45 until 2.30 free, and I usually stay on campus for lunch. They typically don't eat lunch here until about 2pm, so it is easier for me to stay here and eat a sandwich or go to the cafeteria (both very cheap options), than to do the 15 minute walk home, wait for lunch to be ready, scarf it down and then rush back to school.
At 2.30 I have my French Class, and I was placed into Advanced 2, where there are 9 students and one professor who speaks very quickly. For the most part I can understand what is being said. The course seems like it will be a mixture of grammar review and then topic discussions. At some point I have to read a book (preferably by a French African writer) and give a presentation, so hopefully I will manage to pick out a good one. It will be good for me to have the grammar review, but it doesn't seem like that will be the sole focus of the course, which is a relief for me. Also, on Wednesday's, instead of having two hours of french, we have one our of French followed by one hour of phoenetics. It seems like it will be an amusing course, and just getting down the pronunciations and the different nuances. The best thing about this professor is that he has got a laugh just like James Earl Jones- I nearly fell out of my chair laughing (with him, not at) at one point.
At the end of the day I usually hang out around campus, and maybe go watch a footbal (soccer) game that students play in- maybe some day I'll even join in for a game myself! I will probably vary what I end up doing with my afternoons, and since dinner usually happens at 8.45 or 9pm, I have plenty of time in the afternoon to do things. The only thing that I have to be aware of is how quickly it gets dark out and to make sure that I dont end up walking home alone. The neighborhood that I live in, Mermoz, is a relatively safe one, but it is typically a better idea to walk home in pairs or more. If I am in my area (at the telecentre calling home for example) it is perfectly fine for me to walk the two blocks home on my own.
In the evening I hang out with my family or read a little bit in my room. My little brothers get very excited whenever I come home, and love to play around with me and show me different things. It's good fun to come home to people who are so excited to see you, but sometimes peace and quiet would be nice. I can usually manage to get into my room alone for a little bit, but one of the kids is bound to eventually come to my room to seek out some playtime. When I hang out with the family we spend time in the living room, where the TV is always on, without fail. They watch a lot of music videos, dubbed over spanish soap operas and a few local programs. At night there is always an American movie (not always of the best quality) that is played. Being around the TV is more of a social thing, and everyone sits around and chats, but it simply astounds me (yes, me, TV lover) how often the TV is on! After dinner, depending on my plans, I either hang out at home and then go to bed around 10.30, or I go out with my friends for a drink and stay out until about 12. It's only been a week in our homestays, but I'm sure that the schedule will differ from this, but for now it seems to work quite well.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have the same morning schedule, and walk to school with Alec (I have all my classes with him), and I have Anthropoligie Sociale des Cultures Africaines (taught in French) from 9-10.45, and this class has 7 people, so another nice and small environment. Another interesting course, that I am very curious to see where it leads to. All of my courses tie in together very well, and have overlaps that I feel will help me to get a better overall understanding of Senegal and Africa. I then have a break from 10.45 until 4.30 (typically I blog after the first class) and since the break is so long, I go home for lunch. Lunch is the most important meal of the day as well as the biggest, so it is important that I make the effort to be around for lunch, and Tues/Thurs definetly make the most sense for me to head home for lunch. From 4.30-6.15 I have Senegalese Culture and Society (taught in English) with everyone from my program (35 people) taught by the director of our program and full of guest lecturers. It might get a little bit redundant with my other courses, but I think that it will be a nice break to have a course in English.
As for Friday's, well those are a day to do what I want (gotta love a 3-day weekend!), so if I ever go out of town to other parts of Senegal I will be able to go for a bit longer, or it will be a useful homework day. I'm not positive what I'll do with that time, but it sure will be nice!
That's about it, yet another long post!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Getting around Dakar
I keep trying to think of different things to share about what it is like here. Ashton asked me the other day what transportation is like here. In one word, it is crazy. Just walking around you have to be aware of the traffic because there aren't always sidewalks here, and if there are, it's possible that they are even with the road and that a driver won't really mind the road and drive on portions of the sidewalk. You always have to be concious of the cars in order to avoid being clipped, and there aren't designated cross-walks, so you have to take whatever opportunity you can to cross the road. Pedestrians do not have the right of way here (unlike in the states) so its a constant thing to have to watch out for yourself.
One major form of transportation here is the car rapide. They are blue and yellow mini-buses that are everywhere (and that certainly don't care about getting in the way of pedestrians). The way that a car rapide works is that you wait at a stop (I'm not very clear where these stops are, but the locals seem to know) and wait for a car to go by you that you can get onto. The cars aren't marked as to their destination, so you have to listen for them to call out their destination. Depending on if there is room on the car they stop the bus. There are two people who work on a car rapide- the driver and the guy who hangs out the back. The driver does his best to focus on the road and the guy off the back keeps his eye out for people who need to get one. He literally hangs off the back of the bus (one of the back doors is open) and bangs on the side of the bus when it needs to stop. Once you have hopped in (through the back- unless the front seat is open in which case you can get in the front) he bangs on the bus again for it to get moving. You don't pay when you first get on, you wait for the guy to get your attention and ask your destination, at which point you pass him your money (usually 150cfa's). This system requires trust because you can give him 500cfa's to pay, in which case you pass the money back and wait for the person behind you to pass the change back up. The guy keeps track of who has paid (in his head) and asks at different intervals for people to pay. In order to get off you stand up and bang on the roof of the bus to get the guy's attention, and then you work your way out. This can be particularly difficult, however, because there are five rows of seats with two seats on each side. When the bus fills up people don't stand- instead they fold down seats which block the aisles. So in order to get out you need to weave your way through people. Everyone is pretty good about moving out of the way, and no one seems disgruntled, which is a good thing to say the least. I haven't taken many car rapides here, but I see them all the time. In addition there are 'regular' buses to take, with destinations marked, as well as another form of a car rapide. They differ in price and destination, so it will be something that I have to learn a little more about.
I think that's enough entertainment for now- I'm going to try to post some pictures to share!
One major form of transportation here is the car rapide. They are blue and yellow mini-buses that are everywhere (and that certainly don't care about getting in the way of pedestrians). The way that a car rapide works is that you wait at a stop (I'm not very clear where these stops are, but the locals seem to know) and wait for a car to go by you that you can get onto. The cars aren't marked as to their destination, so you have to listen for them to call out their destination. Depending on if there is room on the car they stop the bus. There are two people who work on a car rapide- the driver and the guy who hangs out the back. The driver does his best to focus on the road and the guy off the back keeps his eye out for people who need to get one. He literally hangs off the back of the bus (one of the back doors is open) and bangs on the side of the bus when it needs to stop. Once you have hopped in (through the back- unless the front seat is open in which case you can get in the front) he bangs on the bus again for it to get moving. You don't pay when you first get on, you wait for the guy to get your attention and ask your destination, at which point you pass him your money (usually 150cfa's). This system requires trust because you can give him 500cfa's to pay, in which case you pass the money back and wait for the person behind you to pass the change back up. The guy keeps track of who has paid (in his head) and asks at different intervals for people to pay. In order to get off you stand up and bang on the roof of the bus to get the guy's attention, and then you work your way out. This can be particularly difficult, however, because there are five rows of seats with two seats on each side. When the bus fills up people don't stand- instead they fold down seats which block the aisles. So in order to get out you need to weave your way through people. Everyone is pretty good about moving out of the way, and no one seems disgruntled, which is a good thing to say the least. I haven't taken many car rapides here, but I see them all the time. In addition there are 'regular' buses to take, with destinations marked, as well as another form of a car rapide. They differ in price and destination, so it will be something that I have to learn a little more about.
I think that's enough entertainment for now- I'm going to try to post some pictures to share!
Monday, January 22, 2007
What it's like here
Ok, I'm going to do my best to sum up what it is like here in Senegal. For starters I am now in my homestay, which is a very busy and often confusing environment. They mainly speak Wolof in the home, and some people only speak Wolof and no french. The transition has been rough, but they have hosted students before so I am hoping that it all turns out well. It's an interesting lifestyle here, and one that requires adjustments. For example they don't use toilet paper here (its complicated and I dont get how they do it, but it involves your left hand and a bucket of water). This means that you have to carry toilet paper with you everywhere and you pray that things flush and that they have a toilet seat. It is a very big deal here that all transactions occur with the right hand because your left hand is supposed to be reserved for use only in the bathroom. It also has ties with Islam (as I learned in my class today), since you have a good angel on your right shoulder and a bad angel on your left. Everyone shakes hands here with their right hand and greetings take a very long time. It is a long process done mainly in Wolof, and is very script-like. One person welcomes and another responds, using what translates roughly to, may God be with you. The conversation continues as people ask if you have peace with you and you respond with 'peace only'. Here even if you are not in the best of spirits you respond with Jamm Rekk, in the hopes that peace will come your way. People also ask if you spent the night in peace, of if your day was full of peace, and how your family is doing. Its not as casual and without form as we do in the US. I often find myself very flustered as I forget what to say. People appreciate the effort though and applaud you when you've found the correct words.
I started Wolof class today and they teach us (in my small class of four people) important Wolof things, like how to take a taxi and how to bargain for items (more on that later). We will eventually get deeper into the grammer, but it is interesting because the language is the most spoken one in Senegal, but it only began to be written down in the 1980's. It is a very new language, full of different spellings. I think that it is wonderful that they are writing in Wolof because it allows them to ensure that their language will endure and continue on through generations. French is still the main language of instruction, but Wolof is also being taught.
As for the bargaining, anything can be bargained for here, and it is expected that you should do so. It is seen as a good thing because you are talking with the vendor. No transaction takes a short amount of time, and people will bargain on just about anything. You have to bargain to take a taxi even, and decide on a price before you get in (for example you tell them where you are going, and they start at 3,000 CFA's and you offer 500, eventually ending up at 800 CFA's). Its an easy way that people get taken advantage of here, but it is part of the culture that those who are from here know very well. When I went to get my cell phone my host sister helped me and we bargained the price of the phone down. Very little here isn't bargained for, so it makes for an interesting situation, particularly as an American. As soon as they see white skin their price goes up drastically and it is hard to know how low to start your price. For example I bought a bag for 8,000 CFA's (take an number, remove the last 3 digits and then double it, so 8,000 is $16). My host sister helped me to bargain for it and their starting price was 10,000, but if I had gone on my own they would have started at 20,000. It will take some effort to figure it out, but I'm hopeful.
Something that I am really looking forward to here is getting dresses made. There is a great market here to get fabrics. You go and pick out a fabric and then take it to a tailor where you pick a style, get measured and have it made to fit you exactly. If you get a good, proper price, it can end up costing about $15. The dresses here are beautiful and look so comfortable. I really can't wait to get a few made, and often they are made as seperate pieces, so you can mix them with western clothes if you want to. Another fun thing here is the fruit stands. They are everywhere so it is easy to pick up a tasty orange for just 200CFAs to eat on your walk to school. I've never been much of a fruit-lover, but I think that I will get to be here, in order to supplement my diet!
Speaking of my diet, the food here is very interesting. I ended up in a relatively traditional homestay, so I do what is called 'eating around the bowl'. Everyone shares from one large bowl and eats with their (right) hand. You have what is considered your territory and you stick to the food that is there. If you are eating and there is a large carrot in your territory, you take a bit off and then put it in the middle for others to pick off of. For the meat, the host will split it up and put pieces in front of you to eat, sort of portioning things out for everyone. They try to provide well for the guests and will give good pieces to them. This means that I get a lot of food sent my way. Depending on what kind of food it is you either use bread with it, or if it is rice you roll it into a ball. This requires some strong wrists and allows for a good sense of accomplishment for when you manage to make a ball that does not fall apart. Thus far the food that I have had in my homestay has been very good, and I haven't had any bad reactions to anything. I fear the day that I do (see above about bathrooms) and am hoping for an iron stomach. I'll just cross my fingers! Another note about meals is how LATE they happen! I have breakfast rather early because of my classes, but lunch typically doesnt take place until 2.30 or 3 (sometimes later) and I've had dinner around 9pm regularly. I dont know how or why they manage that, but it's just sort of how things are done here.
That's about all that I can think of to write for right now. The people in my program are great, and we all really have a sense of what each other is going through so we are all supportive of one another. No one feels like they're floundering or alone, so far as I can tell, and the school is a nice haven to come to. Oddly enough we were all excited to start classes today (I'll write about them next time once I've had all of them) because we all need something to do, especially since we're not totally comfortable in our homes and need a reason to sit alone and do some work (myself included). I'll post more later, and hope that you're all doing well!
-Flannery- (or Mamsay- my Senegalese name, everyone gets them, people give them out randomly on the street. Its a friendly place here and everyone stops to chat with everyone, including the fruit vendor on the corner, the guys at the gas station etc).
I started Wolof class today and they teach us (in my small class of four people) important Wolof things, like how to take a taxi and how to bargain for items (more on that later). We will eventually get deeper into the grammer, but it is interesting because the language is the most spoken one in Senegal, but it only began to be written down in the 1980's. It is a very new language, full of different spellings. I think that it is wonderful that they are writing in Wolof because it allows them to ensure that their language will endure and continue on through generations. French is still the main language of instruction, but Wolof is also being taught.
As for the bargaining, anything can be bargained for here, and it is expected that you should do so. It is seen as a good thing because you are talking with the vendor. No transaction takes a short amount of time, and people will bargain on just about anything. You have to bargain to take a taxi even, and decide on a price before you get in (for example you tell them where you are going, and they start at 3,000 CFA's and you offer 500, eventually ending up at 800 CFA's). Its an easy way that people get taken advantage of here, but it is part of the culture that those who are from here know very well. When I went to get my cell phone my host sister helped me and we bargained the price of the phone down. Very little here isn't bargained for, so it makes for an interesting situation, particularly as an American. As soon as they see white skin their price goes up drastically and it is hard to know how low to start your price. For example I bought a bag for 8,000 CFA's (take an number, remove the last 3 digits and then double it, so 8,000 is $16). My host sister helped me to bargain for it and their starting price was 10,000, but if I had gone on my own they would have started at 20,000. It will take some effort to figure it out, but I'm hopeful.
Something that I am really looking forward to here is getting dresses made. There is a great market here to get fabrics. You go and pick out a fabric and then take it to a tailor where you pick a style, get measured and have it made to fit you exactly. If you get a good, proper price, it can end up costing about $15. The dresses here are beautiful and look so comfortable. I really can't wait to get a few made, and often they are made as seperate pieces, so you can mix them with western clothes if you want to. Another fun thing here is the fruit stands. They are everywhere so it is easy to pick up a tasty orange for just 200CFAs to eat on your walk to school. I've never been much of a fruit-lover, but I think that I will get to be here, in order to supplement my diet!
Speaking of my diet, the food here is very interesting. I ended up in a relatively traditional homestay, so I do what is called 'eating around the bowl'. Everyone shares from one large bowl and eats with their (right) hand. You have what is considered your territory and you stick to the food that is there. If you are eating and there is a large carrot in your territory, you take a bit off and then put it in the middle for others to pick off of. For the meat, the host will split it up and put pieces in front of you to eat, sort of portioning things out for everyone. They try to provide well for the guests and will give good pieces to them. This means that I get a lot of food sent my way. Depending on what kind of food it is you either use bread with it, or if it is rice you roll it into a ball. This requires some strong wrists and allows for a good sense of accomplishment for when you manage to make a ball that does not fall apart. Thus far the food that I have had in my homestay has been very good, and I haven't had any bad reactions to anything. I fear the day that I do (see above about bathrooms) and am hoping for an iron stomach. I'll just cross my fingers! Another note about meals is how LATE they happen! I have breakfast rather early because of my classes, but lunch typically doesnt take place until 2.30 or 3 (sometimes later) and I've had dinner around 9pm regularly. I dont know how or why they manage that, but it's just sort of how things are done here.
That's about all that I can think of to write for right now. The people in my program are great, and we all really have a sense of what each other is going through so we are all supportive of one another. No one feels like they're floundering or alone, so far as I can tell, and the school is a nice haven to come to. Oddly enough we were all excited to start classes today (I'll write about them next time once I've had all of them) because we all need something to do, especially since we're not totally comfortable in our homes and need a reason to sit alone and do some work (myself included). I'll post more later, and hope that you're all doing well!
-Flannery- (or Mamsay- my Senegalese name, everyone gets them, people give them out randomly on the street. Its a friendly place here and everyone stops to chat with everyone, including the fruit vendor on the corner, the guys at the gas station etc).
Thursday, January 18, 2007
my classes!
So I finally registered for my classes today! I was one of the quickest, which was good considering how behind we were. Some people were disappointed because they did not place into the French level that they had hoped to, so they were unable to take the classes they had planned on. Thankfully I ended up just where I wanted to be! I am in the Advanced French II (grammer, here I come, eek!), beginner Wolof (just like everyone else), contemporary Senegalese Culture and Society (everyone takes this one together, and its taught in English), Histoire d'Islam (taught in French) and Anthropologie du Societe Sengalese (taught in French). We'll have to see how they go, but for now I'm excited. This means I have class mon-thurs starting at 9am, and the latest I end is at 5.30 (plenty of time to walk home in daylight for dinner).
This evening we have an orientation about the family homestays, and maybe, just maybe, I'll find out about my family! I'm still very eager to learn more. As for the rest of the day, just some chilling out!
Yesterday we drove around to visit some of the other education institutions in Dakar, and it was crazy driving around! The town is so bustling, with people everywhere, and I have yet to even go into downtown (that happens on Saturday). We also went to Universite Chiek Anta Diop, which is the major university here, and it was insane to see it. There are 40,000 students and the school is meant for about 20,000, and it is incredibly underfunded and understaffed, yet the students are very dedicated and do the very best with what they can. However, the opportunities are limited, and its so unfortunate to see how people want and education so badly, and its available in theory, but it just doesnt manage to provide what it should. A very educational experience. Ok, well thats all for now. Lunchtime for me!
This evening we have an orientation about the family homestays, and maybe, just maybe, I'll find out about my family! I'm still very eager to learn more. As for the rest of the day, just some chilling out!
Yesterday we drove around to visit some of the other education institutions in Dakar, and it was crazy driving around! The town is so bustling, with people everywhere, and I have yet to even go into downtown (that happens on Saturday). We also went to Universite Chiek Anta Diop, which is the major university here, and it was insane to see it. There are 40,000 students and the school is meant for about 20,000, and it is incredibly underfunded and understaffed, yet the students are very dedicated and do the very best with what they can. However, the opportunities are limited, and its so unfortunate to see how people want and education so badly, and its available in theory, but it just doesnt manage to provide what it should. A very educational experience. Ok, well thats all for now. Lunchtime for me!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Bonjour! So I thought that maybe I would try out blogging (since everyone around me is doing it) as a sort of way of keeping track of what I do around here and how I'm feeling about living in Dakar. It's crazy that today is only the second day here, but as they explained to us, we're in the 'honeymoon' phase right now. All of the students are still living together, but that will change on Friday when we move into our host families. I am very apprehensive about doing it, but its part of the experience, so I guess I just have to be ready for anything. Today we learned some Wolof, which is only the tip of the iceberg of what we will be learning. Apparently a lot of the kids catch onto it really well, so I am excited by that prospect, of learning a totally new language. We also had some security briefings. Moral of the story- dont walk alone, dont stay out too late, dont show any of your money, and if someone tries to steal your purse- let go!!! I feel pretty comfortable about it all, but it is very interesting being such a target here, and there is no getting around how much you totally stand out. The people in the area (we are on the outskirts of Dakar, not in the middle of downtown) know that the students come here, so its not as though they are shocked by our presence, but they are very aware of it. There are other students here, West African students who are learning English and hopefully going on to University in the states. Its a very big deal for them, and we are going to hang out with them and speak English and French with them. It promises to be a very cool experience. We also had our french placement test today, which was easy, plus an oral with one of the professors. He seemed very impressed with my french and asked if my writing was as good. I didnt lie and say yes, but nonetheless I think that I did well.
In general the school here is nice, and I like the setting. We are only a short walk from the ocean, where we went today, and sat in the sand and listened to the ocean and watched locals play footbal (gotta say it here, its not soccer!). There are some very friendly boys here! Also interesting is that there were no girls on the beach. It wasnt awkward for us to be there, it is just clear that the men and women stay pretty seperate from one another.
The food at the school is really good, and a well rounded meal. Also the fruits and veggies they provide us with here (and at our homestays) are bleached and safe for us to eat, which is good because I was concerned about having to turn away food. It is some tasty food!!!
Probably the best part about being here is just how much french I've gotten to speak so far. So much around me, and so many of the other American students are so excited about speaking french. Definetly a difference from when I was in Cannes and we spoke mostly English amongst ourselves. There is definetly a sense of camraderie amongst all of us because we are in such a unique situation and need to bond and be there for one another in every sense. All of these experioences are new for all of us, so we have at least one thing in common. I've already made some good friends, and I'm sure that more are on the way.
It's time for dinner now, but I'll write more soon!
In general the school here is nice, and I like the setting. We are only a short walk from the ocean, where we went today, and sat in the sand and listened to the ocean and watched locals play footbal (gotta say it here, its not soccer!). There are some very friendly boys here! Also interesting is that there were no girls on the beach. It wasnt awkward for us to be there, it is just clear that the men and women stay pretty seperate from one another.
The food at the school is really good, and a well rounded meal. Also the fruits and veggies they provide us with here (and at our homestays) are bleached and safe for us to eat, which is good because I was concerned about having to turn away food. It is some tasty food!!!
Probably the best part about being here is just how much french I've gotten to speak so far. So much around me, and so many of the other American students are so excited about speaking french. Definetly a difference from when I was in Cannes and we spoke mostly English amongst ourselves. There is definetly a sense of camraderie amongst all of us because we are in such a unique situation and need to bond and be there for one another in every sense. All of these experioences are new for all of us, so we have at least one thing in common. I've already made some good friends, and I'm sure that more are on the way.
It's time for dinner now, but I'll write more soon!
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