Maybe the last one . . .

First, let me start out by saying that power outages suck. We have very frequent ‘coupures’ here in Dakar in all different neighborhoods, and we have been having quite a few more than normal- as in multiple times a day sometimes for hours. It sucks. So I’m writing this blog on Friday but not sure when it will actually be posted. Just an FYI.

Ok, moving on from that- this has been a really good final week here. I had my last final on Tuesday and handed in my last paper on Thursday (not the best thing I’ve ever written, but I learned a lot about tontines, which are women’s saving groups).

This past weekend we had a group dinner with all of our professors at a nice restaurant, and Orchestra Baobaob performed! A world famous awesome group, so it was really cool to have them just for us. Then on Saturday a huge majority of us went to the island of Ngor where we had a house rented and proceeded to cook up a storm (for about 40) and have a really good time. Considering how wrong something like that could have gone, I’d say it was a rousing success. I spent Sunday on the beach, pretty much sleeping/resting to gain energy back from the night before.

On Monday we had a ‘re-entry session’ with the entire group, just as a beginning opportunity to start thinking about readjusting. It is weird to think about how it all has gone. Returning to America has very high expectations in terms of what it will be like. Although not an eternity, 4.5 months is long enough to forget what things can be like. For one I’m sure it’ll be a huge sensory overload. Right now I understand so little of what goes on around me, or at least in comparison to how much talking, music, advertisements etc I’m going to be able to comprehend at home.

I’m not quite sure how much or in what ways I’ll miss Dakar. It has been pretty insane living here and at times have these ‘woah, I’m living in West Africa’ kind of moments (and for the record, don’t ask me how Africa was, ask me how Senegal was- I’ve only been to a teeny-tiny portion of this vast continent). Those moments are usually pretty cool, and I’m pleased with how I have adjusted for them to be able to happen. Earlier on in this semester I was struggling with the feeling that my independence was gone and that there wasn’t much I could do here alone as a white female. But today I went downtown without a problem (granted, I took a cab, but that is because I wanted to be back in time for lunch) and wandered around and did my different gift-shopping errands on my own. I didn’t even think twice about it, which was really cool and a great feeling.

It’s hard to say whether or not I’ll miss all of the insane driving, the horrible pollution, the beggars and other negative things, but they all really add to what it is like to be here. The vibrancy and the life of this city and country are at times sad, but there is so much here that adds to the adventure of everyday life. I think that I’ll miss that, the random occurrences or the odd sightings or the vendors trying to sell you a set of plates through your cab window. And I’ll never get over the livestock (particularly the large cows/bulls) lazily crossing the street.

Other things have been going well this past week(s). I feel like I’ve really grown to like my family and feel much more comfortable there overall. I especially really love my little brothers. They are just SO much fun to get to come home to every day and they are always really excited to see me, which is a wonderful feeling. I think that they’re quite sad about me going- one of them has taken to asking me every time I leave where I am going and when I will be coming back. We have a fete planned at a nearby house (2 goats were slaughtered- big deal) for program people to invite their family members too, so I’m excited to bring my brothers along. Overall I am really lucky for the host family that I got. I didn’t end up becoming extremely close with anyone, but I think that it was a really important and great cultural experience, and without it there is no way that my semester would have been the same. For a goodbye gift for my family, since I couldn’t think of anything great, I’ve decided to help cook/fund our lunch on Monday. As I believe I’ve mentioned before I LOVE Yassa Poulet (Ginaar/Chicken) so on Sunday I’m going to go and buy three chickens. I’m not sure if they’ll be alive or what, but I’ll let you know. Then on Monday I’m going to ‘help’ Yande cook our lunch, which will be my last meal at the house. Quite fitting I do believe. Plus my brothers are excited for the special meal and keep asking me when I’m going to go and buy the Ginaars. Should be fun!

It’s been odd saying goodbye to people this week, just because it has been happening so sporadically. Some people have left on trips to other parts of West Africa (some people are actually crazy enough to go to Mali this time of year- it’s going to be insanely hot) so there have been a few random goodbyes. I’m also one of the last people to leave, so as eager as I am to pack up (which I have started to do) I still have a good amount of time left. Funny to think that three days constitutes a ‘good amount of time’. Plus there are so many people that I will be seeing back in the US- so many of us go to school in DC and I have good friends out at St. Olaf in Minnesota, so I’m sure that I’ll be seeing people. My time abroad last time was SO much harder- I think that this time I am just far more confident that I’ll be seeing these people. I don’t know if I’ll be seeing Senegal again. People always ask if you’re going to return, and the response is always ‘in’challah’ but it’s hard to know. There are so many other places in the world that I’d love to see, so it is hard to know if I’ll be making it back here any time soon. Some of the people on this program fully intend upon returning in the near future because they’ve found a connection here. However, I do know that I really want to see more of Africa, and I think that Senegal was a great introduction for me of what it is like to go somewhere so filled with culture.

Touba

Long time, no post! I've been busy with wrapping things up and I keep meaning to write but keep putting it off. Anyways, I went to Touba on Tuesday with my Islam class, a city that is about 3-4 hours away from Dakar. It is the capital of the Mouride brotherhood in Senegal, so it is a very very big deal city, and one that is rapidly growing as well. Mouridisime was founded by Chieck Ahmadou Bamba, a Senegalese, so there is a great deal of national pride in the brotherhood.
The city is owned by the Khalif, the head of the brotherhood, and it is he who distributes the land to people- they don't buy it. Hence, the city is rapidly growing. People come to Touba for Magal, which celebrates a week after the prophets birth, his baptism. For that it is a mini pilgrimage for Mourides, and everyone heads out here. My family here is Mouride, so they were very excited about me getting the chance to go to Touba (and were shocked that I wasn't staying the night).
When we actually went, we drove out there, stopped at the house of a friend of our professor to use the restroom, and chilled out on some mats to 'recover from our journey'. Very welcoming. Following this we drove up to the grande mosque- and boy is it grand! At this time we ladies also had to put on our headscarves (already dressed in long skirts and tops that covered part of our arms). It was HOT out! We had a guide to show us around the mosque and show us different parts (and keep us out of where we weren't supposed to go). It was a gorgeous place and quite large with multiple rooms for praying- I can only imagine how full it is during Friday prayer, let alone during Magal. The mosque was done in a very morracan style (I suggest googling images of it- there are some great ones, better than what I could get).
Following touring the mosque we went to go and see an old source where people go to drink the water because it is holy. Mostly felt annoyed because some kid decided to take pictures of us on his camera phone. Aggravating because I don't do it to other people (always ask before you take a picture) but I know a bunch of tourists do it anyways.
By this point it was lunch time so we went to another friends house to have some tasty Chieb. Our host was an important (female) leader in the brotherhood and in the group that my professor is a part of (he himself is quite important). She is the wife of the now deceased marabout, which is a big deal in itself. It was a wonderful lunch- and I ate with my hands! Sometimes it is just SO much easier to do things that way.
That was pretty much the end of our field trip- it might seem like we didn't do much, but it was important for us to go and see Touba, a city completely run by the Mourides, and it really is like a mini-Mecca. And it was important for me to get to go because it is an important place for my family (I picked up some prayer beads for my host mom). It was very too the point too, which is always nice, as opposed to lingering in the sun.
I came home that evening, exhausted, but went over to my friend Jessie's house for some yummy yassa poulet- and ate with my hands again!!!
Other than that, this week has just been some tests (nothing too hard) and working up the energy to write my anthropology paper- which will have to be postponed while I go to the beach this weekend- a bunch of us have rented a house for sat/sun, to cook and generally hang out. Really looking forward to that!!!