Bienvenue

This post is titled "bienvenue" because I have been in Senegal for 2 weeks, but everytime I meet someone new, they say "bienvenue" and welcome to Senegal. It is really a very open and welcoming culture.
Wow, it has been a very intense week and every day I feel brings something new. The two major things that I have learned in the last week are:

1. You never know what the day will bring.
2. Everything here will take about twice as long as you expect it to.

Needless to say I am working on my patience. I am also getting better at going with the flow of things and being flexible. I try to always say "yes" when I am asked to go along on some new adventure. My advice is to say yes, grab your camera and be prepared to feel a great big mix of emotions. Mostly I have no idea what is going on around me (since everyone speaks Wolof amongst themselves) I feel awkward and awestruck and out of place, but it is worth it to experience something completely knew and different.

Anyway, let me talk about my week:
Monday we had two cross-cultural values sessions. We learned a lot about Senegalese culture and customs, more than I could ever share with you. You really have to be here to see it and understand it.

Tuesday was one of our last cross-cultural learning sessions as we continue to wrap up our orientation. We had the afternoon off so I went to the beach and explored the city a little bit more.

Wednesday we went around the neighborhood and got introduced to some of our academic resources in the area. We visited Dakar University: University Cheikh Anta Diop or UCAD. It has 70,000 students! We also stopped by some bookstores and research centers.

Thursday was our last cross-cultural communication class. We started History of Islam class in the afternoon. We will be learning about Islam in Senegal from the 10th century to the 21st century.

Friday we had our French placement test to separate the 10 of us into two classes for French instruction. We will find out today where we are placed. Friday afternoon we had an emotional session on HIV/AIDS with the Boabab founder and director Gary. Friday after class I learned how to make Senegalese tea, it is quite the complex process! I watched “Law Abiding Citizen” dubbed in French and then hung out with some friends at the MyShop, which is the place to go. It is also ironically attached to a gas station.

Saturday began with a group trip to the HLM market which sells a lot of fabric. I bargained down 6 yards of fabric From 6,500 F to 4,500 F (like 9 dollars). I am hoping to find a tailor and get a Senegalese outfit made. I went with Kelly, Katherine and Katie and we had a good time. Saturday afternoon I had a great nap before getting dressed to attend a Muslim wedding ceremony. That was quite an experience! Everyone was so elegantly dressed and we had good food and danced. I also got a picture with the bride! Saturday night I went out with my host cousin Marie-Suzanne. We went to a Reggae concert and hung out with some of her friends.

Sunday I finally got to sleep in which was awesome. I spent the day wandering around Dakar with Marie-Suzanna visiting various family members and friends. We had lunch at another cousin’s house (Marie-Simone) and we watched the final of the African Cup of Nations. My money was on Ghana but Egypt scored in the last 10 minutes. Damn.

Being a toubab here is a hard thing to describe. It is not like being a minority, it is more like being an oddity, an exception and THE token white person. You can’t hide and you don’t fit in. People aren't malicious about it, you just get a lot of attention. For example at the wedding of over 100 people, I was the only toubab. I was probably the only toubab in the entire neighborhood. Small children come up to me in the street and shake my hand just because it is rare to see a toubab. Anyway, it is hard to describe without actually living here but that gives you a small idea of what it’s like.

Alright, have a great week everyone! I will try to put up some more pictures. Until next time.
Peace.