Well, my spring break is just now winding down and it has been an interesting voyage.
To pick up from where I left off, I made it to Kaolack with Sean. We took a sept-place (7-seat bus taxi). It was basically a station wagon with an extra seat in the back. Took us about 4 hours to get to Kaolack which wasn't too terrible. Once in Kaolack, we met up with our hosts and got settled. We were staying with a cousin of Rama, the assistant to our program director. His name is Serigne Modou Gueye and he is a local religious leader or Imam. It was very interesting to talk to him, he spoke very good French, and we discussed everything from religious topics to current events (like health care passing!)
Saturday Sean and I wandered around Kaolack, population of about 180,000 people, so similar to Boise's size but not quite as spread out. In case I didn't explain why we went to Kaolack, it was part of our Continuity and Change class. We were supposed to stay in a small village and research rural organizations like women's groups and ecotourism. Sean and I chose Tostan, which is an international NGO focused on sustainable development. So, while we did spend one day in a village seeing Tostan in action, we were focused in Kaolack (not technically a village) to do research at one of the organization's regional offices.
Both Saturday and Sunday were very relaxed, lazy days because the Tostan office wasn't open on the weekend. We checked out the local market and an artisan market in Kaolack and we watched a lot of European futbol (soccer) and French news TV. We also got to eat a lot of shrimp, something we don't get much of in Dakar.
Monday we began our research by interviewing Tostan's regional coordinator, Abdoul Aziz Sy. It was an interesting afternoon and we met some of the other administrative staff as well.
Tuesday was our day in the village. We spent some time with two regional facilitators who oversee several village projects each and then we went to a Tostan village in the evening. The Tostan model is focused around non-formal education with classes of around 40 people. They use local staff and local languages with creative teaching methods like using music, dance, theater and lots of visual aids. Most rural people have never had formal schooling, so this model has proven very effective in promoting rural development. Tostan teaches a comprehensive curriculum of human rights, democracy, and community health. In particular Tostan has been noticed for having a very non-confrontational approach. Tostan does not come into a village and tell them to change their practices, they simply educate the population so that a true dialogue can begin. It has been remarkably successful in eradicating the practice of femal genital cutting (FGC) in rural Senegal and the model has recently been applied elsewhere in Africa. Sean and I attended an adult class (there are also adolescent classes) and then visited the town's newly created community garden. It was a great experience.
Wednesday we interviewed an American volunteer working at the Tostan office. It was very interesting to see the structure of the organization and learn that 95% of its staff is African. Since all the teaching is done in local languages, there is not much of a role for westerns except as support staff and volunteers. Anyway, we decided to take a bus back to Dakar and it was almost as fast as taking the bus taxi plus we got to experience a new form of transportation.
Thursday was my day to rest finally! This week is our spring break but we lost about half of it to the village research project. I caught up with the other students who all went to different villages (in pairs of two) and learned about a lot of cool stuff. I started my big history of Islam essay but wasn't too motivated yet. It was nice to have a little breather.
Friday I got productive again. I went to the Ghanan Embassy to work on getting my visa for this summer. Turns out it only takes about 5 days to process the request so I didn't need to worry about getting it 2 months in advance. Sometimes things here are a lot simpler than I expect. More homework on Friday and a calm night out with friends.
Saturday I did some major essay writing. I got my whole essay written and it is 10 pages long, in French. It was a little big exhausting and I did need to take a two-hour nap afterward, but it isn't due until Thursday, so I have time to edit. I wrote about the use of protective amulets (called gris-gris) here in Senegal. This is a very interesting practice that shows how Islam has fused with some of the local animist beliefs.
Today is Sunday and next week classes come roaring back 110% so I am getting my blog out today. I sent my essay off to my academic director to edit it and I am studying my wolof today. We have our final Wolof classes and evaluation next week. Tonight, I am going to a Senegalese wedding reception and I am very excited to wear my new bou-bou! Another student (Leia) has a host sister who is getting married today and she invited all the toubabs.
Hope everyone has a great week.
P.S. Christine, thanks so much for that link. That collage is sooo cool. Way awesome to see the words in picture form, and it really captures the sense of my adventure. Thanks again!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Half way through
Hey guys,
I am posting a little early this week as it is atypical all around. Like the title suggests, I am about halfway through my stay in Senegal. Monday marked my two month anniversary of arriving in Dakar and it looks like I will be leaving around the second week in May.
Anyway, my parents got in Monday morning bright and early at 5:30 am, and quite on time, I might add. We rested and got them settled in at home and after breakfast, jumped right into life in Dakar. We went to Castor market with Bea, our housekeeper to buy vegetables for the week. My mom is a vegetarian (for those that don't know) and so we got lots of veggies for her. It was a big, bustling market and we got a lot of attention as toubabs. I walked my parents around the neighborhood so they could get their bearings a little bit and we had an excellent ceebujen for lunch. I wasn't able to bring them to any classes as all classes were cancelled Monday. One of the Wolof professors at ACI died over the weekend so they had the funeral on Monday. So, we walked to the post office, which had decided to close an hour early and then along the coast. Monday night we had salad, pork and french fries at home.
Tuesday I took my folks on another big walking adventure. We stopped by Village SOS to see the students I help out with. We swung by ACI Baobab to meet some of the lovely people that work there, and we also went to Ramadan's tent to get some cafe touba! I also took my folks to HLM, a big fabric market to show them a different type of Dakar market scene. For lunch we had my all time favorite: Mafe. We went downtown in the afternoon to IFAN, a big museum right in front of the National Assembly building. This was part of my seminar class and I translated as we walked around. After that some of the other students and I took my folks to the French Institute for drinks and Ali Baba's for a low key meal of good Senegalese fast food.
Wednesday was a day of rest. I forget that Dakar can be overwhelming at first. Between the heat, time change, temperature change and all the walking we've been doing, my folks needed to slow down a little. So I went to school on Wednesday and my folks hung out at home.
Thursday we went back to the post office, now open, and had lunch in Point E, not far from ACI. Unfortunately, just as my parents started to get used to the dirt, noise, people and uneven roads of Dakar, they were just about to leave. So, I took my dad to a big market in Grand Dakar and we got him a Senegal t-shirt, and then we all got ready for a Rotary meeting. I had made connections with a club here called Dakar Almadies so that my folks could go to a meeting while they were here. It was quite different from in the States. The meeting was mostly just business stuff, not a meal, and the club was a lot smaller. Afterwards, the president of the club invited us next door to his restaurant and we had a wonderful evening there with him.
So, my folks had a good chance to get a glimpse of my new city. I think that they are no longer 'big city folks' like I now am, but I hope that they enjoyed it for a few days. They left early this morning in a 4 am cab to catch a 6:30 flight to Johnannesburg. I think the next leg of their trip will be much more luxurious than their time in Dakar. They stayed with my host family, and I think they enjoyed themselves. I spent the day recovering from translating all the time. I slept in and then started research for my big History of Islam final paper which is due after our Spring Break.
Tomorrow I head to Kaolack with Sean to do research for another big paper that I will be writing in the future. For our Continuity and Change class, we have a 10 page final paper (in French) based around organizations that we have chosen to research. Sean and I are going to work with Tostan, an organization that works on sustainable development that we are both very interested in. We leave early tomorrow morning, this time getting ourselves to the site by tpical Senegalese bus taxis. I will be back next Wednesday, so I will try to blog then otherwise I will talk to y'all again next Monday. As always, have a great week!
I am posting a little early this week as it is atypical all around. Like the title suggests, I am about halfway through my stay in Senegal. Monday marked my two month anniversary of arriving in Dakar and it looks like I will be leaving around the second week in May.
Anyway, my parents got in Monday morning bright and early at 5:30 am, and quite on time, I might add. We rested and got them settled in at home and after breakfast, jumped right into life in Dakar. We went to Castor market with Bea, our housekeeper to buy vegetables for the week. My mom is a vegetarian (for those that don't know) and so we got lots of veggies for her. It was a big, bustling market and we got a lot of attention as toubabs. I walked my parents around the neighborhood so they could get their bearings a little bit and we had an excellent ceebujen for lunch. I wasn't able to bring them to any classes as all classes were cancelled Monday. One of the Wolof professors at ACI died over the weekend so they had the funeral on Monday. So, we walked to the post office, which had decided to close an hour early and then along the coast. Monday night we had salad, pork and french fries at home.
Tuesday I took my folks on another big walking adventure. We stopped by Village SOS to see the students I help out with. We swung by ACI Baobab to meet some of the lovely people that work there, and we also went to Ramadan's tent to get some cafe touba! I also took my folks to HLM, a big fabric market to show them a different type of Dakar market scene. For lunch we had my all time favorite: Mafe. We went downtown in the afternoon to IFAN, a big museum right in front of the National Assembly building. This was part of my seminar class and I translated as we walked around. After that some of the other students and I took my folks to the French Institute for drinks and Ali Baba's for a low key meal of good Senegalese fast food.
Wednesday was a day of rest. I forget that Dakar can be overwhelming at first. Between the heat, time change, temperature change and all the walking we've been doing, my folks needed to slow down a little. So I went to school on Wednesday and my folks hung out at home.
Thursday we went back to the post office, now open, and had lunch in Point E, not far from ACI. Unfortunately, just as my parents started to get used to the dirt, noise, people and uneven roads of Dakar, they were just about to leave. So, I took my dad to a big market in Grand Dakar and we got him a Senegal t-shirt, and then we all got ready for a Rotary meeting. I had made connections with a club here called Dakar Almadies so that my folks could go to a meeting while they were here. It was quite different from in the States. The meeting was mostly just business stuff, not a meal, and the club was a lot smaller. Afterwards, the president of the club invited us next door to his restaurant and we had a wonderful evening there with him.
So, my folks had a good chance to get a glimpse of my new city. I think that they are no longer 'big city folks' like I now am, but I hope that they enjoyed it for a few days. They left early this morning in a 4 am cab to catch a 6:30 flight to Johnannesburg. I think the next leg of their trip will be much more luxurious than their time in Dakar. They stayed with my host family, and I think they enjoyed themselves. I spent the day recovering from translating all the time. I slept in and then started research for my big History of Islam final paper which is due after our Spring Break.
Tomorrow I head to Kaolack with Sean to do research for another big paper that I will be writing in the future. For our Continuity and Change class, we have a 10 page final paper (in French) based around organizations that we have chosen to research. Sean and I are going to work with Tostan, an organization that works on sustainable development that we are both very interested in. We leave early tomorrow morning, this time getting ourselves to the site by tpical Senegalese bus taxis. I will be back next Wednesday, so I will try to blog then otherwise I will talk to y'all again next Monday. As always, have a great week!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saint Louis
Naka suba si! (Good morning in Wolof). Hope everyone is doing well wherever you all are. I am trying to squeeze in a blog but I have zero free time to sit around and update you all because….drum roll…my parents are coming!!! (They got in at 5:30 this morning so they are napping right now before lunch.) I am sooo stoked to see them and have them in Dakar with me for 5 days! I am very very excited for them to see my new city. Dakar is a big, vibrant, exciting, confusing and fun place. I am happy that they will be able to understand my experience here a little bit better.
So, this week was a typical, packed, fun week. I feel like I am learning a lot and absorbing so much, which is great because I love learning. Maybe I have finally adapted to the pace of life here. Of course as soon as I say that, things are going to change. Dakar is pretty good at throwing me curve balls and I love her for that.
Monday we had three hours of French. I spoke for about a third of that time, in French, and did a presentation on microfinance and women’s empowerment groups in Senegal and Western Africa. After a brief lunch, we had two hours of Wolof. Wolof is getting really fun because we are starting to be able to construct sentences and vaguely express ourselves. Then we headed out to Ouakam for our Senegalese music class. We played our djembes and sang some songs. Then Gaby invited us to stay for a big, communal meal. We made a big, epic salad and Gaby threw some fish and kebabs on the grill. It was fun.
Tuesday was another morning volunteering at Village SOS D’enfants. It was certainly a little easier because the kids were better behaved. Maybe they are getting used to having us toubabs around but they were calmer, at least my kids were. They still cause trouble when the real teacher leaves but my Wolof is coming along and I now know several basic commands like sit down (toogal!). Tuesday afternoon was spent in a seminar discussion class and then History of Islam.
Wednesday morning brought two hours of Senegalese Literature. The series of stories we have been reading are super interesting. Plus after our Spring Break we are going to be taught/have discussion classes primarily with the author. Wednesday afternoon I had a jolly adventure into a neighboring district called Grand Dakar. I went with one of ACI’s night guards to meet a marabout (religious leader here in Senegal.) After he told me my future, I had him make me two protective amulets (each one is called a gris-gris). This was super interesting and part of my research for my Islam final paper. The use of a gris-gris here in Senegal is a fascinating mix of Islam and the local animist religion present before Islam showed up. Wednesday afternoon was two hours of History of Islam where I relayed, in great detail, my adventure in Grand Dakar.
Thursday morning we were supposed to have an HIV/AIDS session with the founder of ACI, Gary, but there was a scheduling conflict. We really never know what to expect so we had two hours of Wolof instead. The afternoon schedule got messed up, too because our professor was gone on a research trip and he didn’t really leave instructions on what to do with us. Nevertheless, we passed a lazy afternoon before having another two hours of History of Islam.
Friday morning we left bright and early once more, as has become our habit. 7:30 am sharp (which means leaving around 8:15) we headed off to Saint Louis which is about 5 hours north of Dakar. Saint Louis was an old trading center during the French colonization and the old capital of all of French West Africa. The ten of us headed out with our History of Islam professor, Babacar Ba on another one of our great program-related weekends away. After an uneventful van ride, we rolled into Saint Louis, had lunch and settled into the hotel. We rode around the city in horse carts for the afternoon and stopped at several sights to learn the history of the town. We saw the colonial part of the city and the local areas. We also learned a lot about the complex problems facing Saint Louis (like over population, crowding, loss of land to the sea, water salinity and overfishing.) Friday night we ate a big meal, chilled at the hotel and played cards.
Saturday we were up bright and early to head off to a big nature reserve about 2 hours north of Saint Louis. It was so awesome. We took this long bumpy dirt path but it was so worth it. About 30 minutes inland on a pirogue (small fishing boat) and we saw literally hundreds of pelicans. They were so pretty, they just floated along by us and then flew around in big flocks. Major “Planet Earth” moment! We also saw a medium sized crocodile with a baby crocodile, some gila monsters and many other species of bird. On the drive we saw some red-footed monkeys plus lots of wild boors. We had a picnic lunch of sandwiches and fruit on the reserve and then headed back into town. After a relaxing afternoon and a big dinner, we had a culture evening of dance and music. The dancer made us all get up and dance with him which was pretty fun. I had another relaxed evening with the toubabs.
Sunday we did most of our academic stuff for the weekend. It was a trip for our History of Islam class, after all. We packed up the bus and stopped at a Koranic (Khuranique/Coranic depending on spelling) school in a city called Pall. We toured the different classes and had a chance to sit down with the director of the school as well as some community leaders. It was very interesting but unfortunately all 9 of us had to wear long skirts that went to our ankles and head scarves. Next we stopped at Pire where there used to be a famous Islamic University that the French burned down, along with a mosque and the library, during the colonial period. The French saw Islam as a potential threat and deemed the town subversive. All three structures are slowly being rebuilt. The mosque has been completed and the daara (or Koranic school) has been functioning for about five years. It is a boarding school, unlike the daara at Pall, and so it only accepts male students until it can furnish lodging for girls. Islam gets pretty tricky because you have to keep the sexes almost completely separated. After an uneventful van ride back into Dakar (we missed most of the big traffic jams) I had a moment to unpack and unwind.
It was a great weekend, we got to visit a new region of the country and learn more about the religious education of Senegal. Most children go to public (French style) school during the week and spend nights and weekends at the daara for many years. Some daaras, like the one in Pire, function like a boarding school for 10 ½ months of constant Islamic education and the children get 1 ½ months of break to spend at home. My parents showed up at 5:30 am, shockingly prompt by Senegalese standards and they are safely installed in my house. This week will be quite the adventure! See y’all next week.
So, this week was a typical, packed, fun week. I feel like I am learning a lot and absorbing so much, which is great because I love learning. Maybe I have finally adapted to the pace of life here. Of course as soon as I say that, things are going to change. Dakar is pretty good at throwing me curve balls and I love her for that.
Monday we had three hours of French. I spoke for about a third of that time, in French, and did a presentation on microfinance and women’s empowerment groups in Senegal and Western Africa. After a brief lunch, we had two hours of Wolof. Wolof is getting really fun because we are starting to be able to construct sentences and vaguely express ourselves. Then we headed out to Ouakam for our Senegalese music class. We played our djembes and sang some songs. Then Gaby invited us to stay for a big, communal meal. We made a big, epic salad and Gaby threw some fish and kebabs on the grill. It was fun.
Tuesday was another morning volunteering at Village SOS D’enfants. It was certainly a little easier because the kids were better behaved. Maybe they are getting used to having us toubabs around but they were calmer, at least my kids were. They still cause trouble when the real teacher leaves but my Wolof is coming along and I now know several basic commands like sit down (toogal!). Tuesday afternoon was spent in a seminar discussion class and then History of Islam.
Wednesday morning brought two hours of Senegalese Literature. The series of stories we have been reading are super interesting. Plus after our Spring Break we are going to be taught/have discussion classes primarily with the author. Wednesday afternoon I had a jolly adventure into a neighboring district called Grand Dakar. I went with one of ACI’s night guards to meet a marabout (religious leader here in Senegal.) After he told me my future, I had him make me two protective amulets (each one is called a gris-gris). This was super interesting and part of my research for my Islam final paper. The use of a gris-gris here in Senegal is a fascinating mix of Islam and the local animist religion present before Islam showed up. Wednesday afternoon was two hours of History of Islam where I relayed, in great detail, my adventure in Grand Dakar.
Thursday morning we were supposed to have an HIV/AIDS session with the founder of ACI, Gary, but there was a scheduling conflict. We really never know what to expect so we had two hours of Wolof instead. The afternoon schedule got messed up, too because our professor was gone on a research trip and he didn’t really leave instructions on what to do with us. Nevertheless, we passed a lazy afternoon before having another two hours of History of Islam.
Friday morning we left bright and early once more, as has become our habit. 7:30 am sharp (which means leaving around 8:15) we headed off to Saint Louis which is about 5 hours north of Dakar. Saint Louis was an old trading center during the French colonization and the old capital of all of French West Africa. The ten of us headed out with our History of Islam professor, Babacar Ba on another one of our great program-related weekends away. After an uneventful van ride, we rolled into Saint Louis, had lunch and settled into the hotel. We rode around the city in horse carts for the afternoon and stopped at several sights to learn the history of the town. We saw the colonial part of the city and the local areas. We also learned a lot about the complex problems facing Saint Louis (like over population, crowding, loss of land to the sea, water salinity and overfishing.) Friday night we ate a big meal, chilled at the hotel and played cards.
Saturday we were up bright and early to head off to a big nature reserve about 2 hours north of Saint Louis. It was so awesome. We took this long bumpy dirt path but it was so worth it. About 30 minutes inland on a pirogue (small fishing boat) and we saw literally hundreds of pelicans. They were so pretty, they just floated along by us and then flew around in big flocks. Major “Planet Earth” moment! We also saw a medium sized crocodile with a baby crocodile, some gila monsters and many other species of bird. On the drive we saw some red-footed monkeys plus lots of wild boors. We had a picnic lunch of sandwiches and fruit on the reserve and then headed back into town. After a relaxing afternoon and a big dinner, we had a culture evening of dance and music. The dancer made us all get up and dance with him which was pretty fun. I had another relaxed evening with the toubabs.
Sunday we did most of our academic stuff for the weekend. It was a trip for our History of Islam class, after all. We packed up the bus and stopped at a Koranic (Khuranique/Coranic depending on spelling) school in a city called Pall. We toured the different classes and had a chance to sit down with the director of the school as well as some community leaders. It was very interesting but unfortunately all 9 of us had to wear long skirts that went to our ankles and head scarves. Next we stopped at Pire where there used to be a famous Islamic University that the French burned down, along with a mosque and the library, during the colonial period. The French saw Islam as a potential threat and deemed the town subversive. All three structures are slowly being rebuilt. The mosque has been completed and the daara (or Koranic school) has been functioning for about five years. It is a boarding school, unlike the daara at Pall, and so it only accepts male students until it can furnish lodging for girls. Islam gets pretty tricky because you have to keep the sexes almost completely separated. After an uneventful van ride back into Dakar (we missed most of the big traffic jams) I had a moment to unpack and unwind.
It was a great weekend, we got to visit a new region of the country and learn more about the religious education of Senegal. Most children go to public (French style) school during the week and spend nights and weekends at the daara for many years. Some daaras, like the one in Pire, function like a boarding school for 10 ½ months of constant Islamic education and the children get 1 ½ months of break to spend at home. My parents showed up at 5:30 am, shockingly prompt by Senegalese standards and they are safely installed in my house. This week will be quite the adventure! See y’all next week.
Monday, March 8, 2010
In the Sine Saloum Delta
Good Monday everyone, hope the week went well.
Once again, I am recovering from a long but fruitful voyage this weekend. This time we went south to a very pretty, green delta called Sine Saloum.
Sorry if my blogs seem like a list of activities, it has kind of become that way since our schedule has been jam packed! I don't have a lot of time to reflect on the things we have done, but at least I can give you an idea of all the amazing things that I get to do with my time abroad.
Good news everyone, my leave of absence request from LC got approved this week so I am officially authorized to take next fall off and do my volunteer work in Ghana!
Anyway, Monday we had 3 hours of French followed by a quick lunch, 2 hours of Wolof and a pretty fun 3 hour music class. We have moved on to some new instruments like the Balaphone (like a wooden xylaphone with gourds underneath) and the Calabasse (which is a huge hollow gourd that is used mostly for percussion accompaniment.) We are working on songs that we will perform at the end of the semester for all of the ACI staff and our host families.
Tuesday was another morning at the SOS Village where I volunteered with 30 cute but rowdy 4 year olds. Then I had Mafe (pronounced mah-fay) at this cute little restaurant by school. It is my favorite Senegalese dish by far and it is so wonderful, I can hardly explain it! It has a thick, creamy sauce with tomato paste and peanut butter and it is poured over sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, beef and rice. So epic. Seminar discussion class in the afternoon and 2 hours of History of Islam. We visited a small school where they teach kids the Koran and also a big mosque right on the ocean. We weren't allowed to go in but we took pictures from outside.
Wednesday we had two hours of Senegalese literature, it is an interesting class and we are still reading stories by C.C. Sow. In the coming weeks, the author himself will be coming to class to discuss his work with us which is so awesome! Two more hours of History of Islam.
Thursday was exhausting by any standards. We had 8 hours of class. That is more than I sleep most nights. We had two hours of Wolof and then a visit to an Art Colony that was set up by the Senegalese gouvernment a long time ago that now functions more or less independently. Artists from all over Senegal and Africa (and sometimes elsewhere) come to live there and work. We saw painting, ceramics, photography and other art forms. It was cool. We had about 45 minutes to scrounge up lunch, very hard in Senegal. After that we had two hours of our Continuity and Change class which is super interesting and then two hours of History of Islam. Whew. Home to pack and crash!
Friday we left Dakar at 7 am to head south and a little bit inland, to the Sine Saloum Delta. We stopped in Kaolack on the way to get breakfast and learn about an organization called 10,000 girls that works for girls' education, especially in rural areas. The whole point of the trip is to learn about organizations that are active in Senegal, particularly poorer, rural villages. We will all choose a certain interest and then go back to a small village on our own in two weeks. Part of the goal is research for a final paper and the other part is so that we get to see firsthand the difficulties of travelling in Senegal. It is easy to get around with a private, air-conditioned bus and a hired driver but we will really get to live like the Senegalese do when we try to take bush taxis inland in two weeks. We got off the bus in Toubacouta and took a pirogue (a long skinny boat used for fishing) across the river toward another part of the delta. Then there was a 30 minute walk to Keur Bamboung which is a small eco-village. We spent the night there, got to swim in the river and, after a wonderful meal, a local group performed traditional Senegalese music, dance, drumming and fire eating. It was pretty cool.
Saturday morning after breakfast (bright and early!) we went for a walk through the mangroves to learn more about the ecosystem in the delta. We had to do it early because around 11, the tide starts coming in and it gets harder to walk around. It was very interesting, we saw monkeys (at a distance) plus lots of cool birds, including huge pelicans. We also saw hyena and jackal tracks. After the tide came in a little we kayaked around the other side of the delta. It was fun to go through the mangroves and we got some good experience working as a team since each kayak had 3 or 4 people (except Sean because he is a lone wolf.) We walked back to the village, took a pirogue back to Toubacouta and left our baggage at Africa Strike, our hotel for the night. Then we had another cool pirogue outing the other direction in the delta where we saw a huge island made entirely of sea-shells! The local people deposited their seashells there between the 8th and the 15th centuries and it built up gradually into an island of several hectares that is 12 meters high at its highest point (39 feet). So cool. We also visited this mystical stand of mangroves where all the birds in the area come to rest every night. There were tons of birds and I counted at least 5 or 6 different species. No one knows why, out of all the mangroves, they chose this one little area, but seeing them all fly in to roost at sunset was pretty impressive. Dinner and we swam in the hotel's pool, which was fun.
Sunday was another adventure, what else, right? We took our van inland, away from the green of the delta, to a small village called Passy. There is a women's organization there that makes pottery to export all over, especially to Europe. So, we spent the afternoon with the women, we visited the site where they collect their clay, we helped them dig a little and carry it. We were a little spoiled though, we went in the van and didn't have to carry it back by hand (which is what the women usually do several times a week.) Then we saw how they mixed the clay and molded it and formed it into pottery. We also got a small demonstration of them firing the pots. It was all done traditionally and the women's group has brought a lot of money into the community. All the women spoke Wolof to us, which is hard because our Wolof is still very remedial. But a fun day. It took us about 6 hours to drive back to Dakar because of the epic traffic jams that plague the one small highway that serves as the only artery between Dakar and the rest of Senegal.
Whew, so that was my week. Today has started off with a bang and this week will be much the same thing. Next weekend we are off to Saint Louis! I hope everyone has an enjoyable week. Thank you all for your posts (especially you, Pat, I am glad that you are enjoying my blog.) It is nice to know that I am not sending my thoughts off into cyberspace for nothing.
Peace!
Once again, I am recovering from a long but fruitful voyage this weekend. This time we went south to a very pretty, green delta called Sine Saloum.
Sorry if my blogs seem like a list of activities, it has kind of become that way since our schedule has been jam packed! I don't have a lot of time to reflect on the things we have done, but at least I can give you an idea of all the amazing things that I get to do with my time abroad.
Good news everyone, my leave of absence request from LC got approved this week so I am officially authorized to take next fall off and do my volunteer work in Ghana!
Anyway, Monday we had 3 hours of French followed by a quick lunch, 2 hours of Wolof and a pretty fun 3 hour music class. We have moved on to some new instruments like the Balaphone (like a wooden xylaphone with gourds underneath) and the Calabasse (which is a huge hollow gourd that is used mostly for percussion accompaniment.) We are working on songs that we will perform at the end of the semester for all of the ACI staff and our host families.
Tuesday was another morning at the SOS Village where I volunteered with 30 cute but rowdy 4 year olds. Then I had Mafe (pronounced mah-fay) at this cute little restaurant by school. It is my favorite Senegalese dish by far and it is so wonderful, I can hardly explain it! It has a thick, creamy sauce with tomato paste and peanut butter and it is poured over sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, beef and rice. So epic. Seminar discussion class in the afternoon and 2 hours of History of Islam. We visited a small school where they teach kids the Koran and also a big mosque right on the ocean. We weren't allowed to go in but we took pictures from outside.
Wednesday we had two hours of Senegalese literature, it is an interesting class and we are still reading stories by C.C. Sow. In the coming weeks, the author himself will be coming to class to discuss his work with us which is so awesome! Two more hours of History of Islam.
Thursday was exhausting by any standards. We had 8 hours of class. That is more than I sleep most nights. We had two hours of Wolof and then a visit to an Art Colony that was set up by the Senegalese gouvernment a long time ago that now functions more or less independently. Artists from all over Senegal and Africa (and sometimes elsewhere) come to live there and work. We saw painting, ceramics, photography and other art forms. It was cool. We had about 45 minutes to scrounge up lunch, very hard in Senegal. After that we had two hours of our Continuity and Change class which is super interesting and then two hours of History of Islam. Whew. Home to pack and crash!
Friday we left Dakar at 7 am to head south and a little bit inland, to the Sine Saloum Delta. We stopped in Kaolack on the way to get breakfast and learn about an organization called 10,000 girls that works for girls' education, especially in rural areas. The whole point of the trip is to learn about organizations that are active in Senegal, particularly poorer, rural villages. We will all choose a certain interest and then go back to a small village on our own in two weeks. Part of the goal is research for a final paper and the other part is so that we get to see firsthand the difficulties of travelling in Senegal. It is easy to get around with a private, air-conditioned bus and a hired driver but we will really get to live like the Senegalese do when we try to take bush taxis inland in two weeks. We got off the bus in Toubacouta and took a pirogue (a long skinny boat used for fishing) across the river toward another part of the delta. Then there was a 30 minute walk to Keur Bamboung which is a small eco-village. We spent the night there, got to swim in the river and, after a wonderful meal, a local group performed traditional Senegalese music, dance, drumming and fire eating. It was pretty cool.
Saturday morning after breakfast (bright and early!) we went for a walk through the mangroves to learn more about the ecosystem in the delta. We had to do it early because around 11, the tide starts coming in and it gets harder to walk around. It was very interesting, we saw monkeys (at a distance) plus lots of cool birds, including huge pelicans. We also saw hyena and jackal tracks. After the tide came in a little we kayaked around the other side of the delta. It was fun to go through the mangroves and we got some good experience working as a team since each kayak had 3 or 4 people (except Sean because he is a lone wolf.) We walked back to the village, took a pirogue back to Toubacouta and left our baggage at Africa Strike, our hotel for the night. Then we had another cool pirogue outing the other direction in the delta where we saw a huge island made entirely of sea-shells! The local people deposited their seashells there between the 8th and the 15th centuries and it built up gradually into an island of several hectares that is 12 meters high at its highest point (39 feet). So cool. We also visited this mystical stand of mangroves where all the birds in the area come to rest every night. There were tons of birds and I counted at least 5 or 6 different species. No one knows why, out of all the mangroves, they chose this one little area, but seeing them all fly in to roost at sunset was pretty impressive. Dinner and we swam in the hotel's pool, which was fun.
Sunday was another adventure, what else, right? We took our van inland, away from the green of the delta, to a small village called Passy. There is a women's organization there that makes pottery to export all over, especially to Europe. So, we spent the afternoon with the women, we visited the site where they collect their clay, we helped them dig a little and carry it. We were a little spoiled though, we went in the van and didn't have to carry it back by hand (which is what the women usually do several times a week.) Then we saw how they mixed the clay and molded it and formed it into pottery. We also got a small demonstration of them firing the pots. It was all done traditionally and the women's group has brought a lot of money into the community. All the women spoke Wolof to us, which is hard because our Wolof is still very remedial. But a fun day. It took us about 6 hours to drive back to Dakar because of the epic traffic jams that plague the one small highway that serves as the only artery between Dakar and the rest of Senegal.
Whew, so that was my week. Today has started off with a bang and this week will be much the same thing. Next weekend we are off to Saint Louis! I hope everyone has an enjoyable week. Thank you all for your posts (especially you, Pat, I am glad that you are enjoying my blog.) It is nice to know that I am not sending my thoughts off into cyberspace for nothing.
Peace!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Gamou
Hey all, what a week it has been. Much more free time but that just means that we find more stuff to fill our days with.
Monday was my exhausting return from Mboumba, sick and overworked but super stoked with the trip.
Tuesday and Wednesday were both very useful to catch up on sleep and get healthy. We had a normal schedule of classes. I volunteered Tuesday morning, had a seminar discussion class and then History of Islam. Wednesday we had Senegalese literature and History of Islam. Nothing out of the ordinary, just classes, homework and naps scattered about whenever I could find time.
This week was Gamou, I think I mentioned that last time. It is the celebration of Mohammed's birth which is a big deal in a country that is 95% Muslim. So, naturally we had 2 days off of school.
Thursday we went to a very big supermarket in Dakar to buy ingredients to make a big American brunch. Our study abroad director here calls the program the "Homesick Breakfast." We had a grand old time, and finding supplies was a bit of an adventure. I helped out with the cooking, we made pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and a big egg scramble. Plus fruit salad and real coffee. Thursday afternoon I tried to be responsible and get ahead on my homework. I made some progress and then ended up spending about an hour washing my underwear, which is done by hand. Thank goodness our housekeeper washes all the rest of my clothing, towels and sheets. It is exhuasting! Thursday night I went out to Myshop, ever the epicenter of exciting Senegalese nightlife.
Friday I went to Iles de Madeleines with some of the other students. It is located just off the coast of Dakar, towards the south-west from where I live and it is a natural reserve composed of 2 smal volcanic islands. The rock formations were incredible and there are a lot of birds that nest on the island. There would be turtles if it was the right season but it is not. There is not a lot of vegetation, just low brush and miniture baobabs. The mini-baobab trees were pretty awesome though! They don't get very big due to the rough soil, salt water and wind. Many Senegalese are superstitious of the island because they say the mini-baobabs are unnatural. It was a nice day and we were even able to swim a little. There are no beaches on the island, just inhospitable rock but there is one large basin/tide pool that we were able to swim in. Friday night was the big celebration of Gamou. I wanted to see how it is celebrated so I went out with some Senegalese friends and there was this huge party in Mermoz, not far from my house. There was a big religious leader (called a marabout) and he set up a huge tent for all of his followers. There were thousands of people in the streets and the main event is basically just praying all night and chanting religious songs. It was a sight to see. I got a lot of double-takes as one of the few toubabs in the crowd. That was the main event in Dakar and a lot of religious people travelled out of Dakar to celebrate.
Saturday I had a little bit of time to relax. I ended up cooking about 120 cookies with Sean because we were making an American meal for our good friend Ramadan on Sunday. I took an epic 2 hour nap and went to the Saturday night service at my family's Catholic church. Saturday night I went back to Myshop with some friends.
Sunday, a group of students and I went to Ramadan's house to cook an American lunch. I brought about 70 cookies (they didn't all survive the night) and some of the other girls made cake. We were paying him back for teaching us how to cook cheebujen, a main Senegalese dish. We ended up making breaded fried chicken strips and mashed potatoes. Plus lots of orange juice concentrate (kind of tasted like Tang) and all of our lovely desserts. It was a fun afternoon. We also went to our first lutte! Lutte is like Senegal's national sport. It is wrestling but has elements of boxing in it. The version we saw was with boxing elements at least, the more traditional form is practiced without punching as I understand it. Anyway, we had a lot of fun yelling for different lutters. It is often over pretty quickly, as soon as someone goes down in the sand but the main event went about 45 minutes and ended in a tie. Most of the emphasis is placed on the ceremony of dancing, chanting and preparing oneself for lutte. It was a great experience.
So, this week is going to be another roller coaster ride. We have school "field trips" for the next 3 weekends in a row so life will be hectic. But life is more fun that way anyway. Have a great week.
Peace!!
Monday was my exhausting return from Mboumba, sick and overworked but super stoked with the trip.
Tuesday and Wednesday were both very useful to catch up on sleep and get healthy. We had a normal schedule of classes. I volunteered Tuesday morning, had a seminar discussion class and then History of Islam. Wednesday we had Senegalese literature and History of Islam. Nothing out of the ordinary, just classes, homework and naps scattered about whenever I could find time.
This week was Gamou, I think I mentioned that last time. It is the celebration of Mohammed's birth which is a big deal in a country that is 95% Muslim. So, naturally we had 2 days off of school.
Thursday we went to a very big supermarket in Dakar to buy ingredients to make a big American brunch. Our study abroad director here calls the program the "Homesick Breakfast." We had a grand old time, and finding supplies was a bit of an adventure. I helped out with the cooking, we made pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and a big egg scramble. Plus fruit salad and real coffee. Thursday afternoon I tried to be responsible and get ahead on my homework. I made some progress and then ended up spending about an hour washing my underwear, which is done by hand. Thank goodness our housekeeper washes all the rest of my clothing, towels and sheets. It is exhuasting! Thursday night I went out to Myshop, ever the epicenter of exciting Senegalese nightlife.
Friday I went to Iles de Madeleines with some of the other students. It is located just off the coast of Dakar, towards the south-west from where I live and it is a natural reserve composed of 2 smal volcanic islands. The rock formations were incredible and there are a lot of birds that nest on the island. There would be turtles if it was the right season but it is not. There is not a lot of vegetation, just low brush and miniture baobabs. The mini-baobab trees were pretty awesome though! They don't get very big due to the rough soil, salt water and wind. Many Senegalese are superstitious of the island because they say the mini-baobabs are unnatural. It was a nice day and we were even able to swim a little. There are no beaches on the island, just inhospitable rock but there is one large basin/tide pool that we were able to swim in. Friday night was the big celebration of Gamou. I wanted to see how it is celebrated so I went out with some Senegalese friends and there was this huge party in Mermoz, not far from my house. There was a big religious leader (called a marabout) and he set up a huge tent for all of his followers. There were thousands of people in the streets and the main event is basically just praying all night and chanting religious songs. It was a sight to see. I got a lot of double-takes as one of the few toubabs in the crowd. That was the main event in Dakar and a lot of religious people travelled out of Dakar to celebrate.
Saturday I had a little bit of time to relax. I ended up cooking about 120 cookies with Sean because we were making an American meal for our good friend Ramadan on Sunday. I took an epic 2 hour nap and went to the Saturday night service at my family's Catholic church. Saturday night I went back to Myshop with some friends.
Sunday, a group of students and I went to Ramadan's house to cook an American lunch. I brought about 70 cookies (they didn't all survive the night) and some of the other girls made cake. We were paying him back for teaching us how to cook cheebujen, a main Senegalese dish. We ended up making breaded fried chicken strips and mashed potatoes. Plus lots of orange juice concentrate (kind of tasted like Tang) and all of our lovely desserts. It was a fun afternoon. We also went to our first lutte! Lutte is like Senegal's national sport. It is wrestling but has elements of boxing in it. The version we saw was with boxing elements at least, the more traditional form is practiced without punching as I understand it. Anyway, we had a lot of fun yelling for different lutters. It is often over pretty quickly, as soon as someone goes down in the sand but the main event went about 45 minutes and ended in a tie. Most of the emphasis is placed on the ceremony of dancing, chanting and preparing oneself for lutte. It was a great experience.
So, this week is going to be another roller coaster ride. We have school "field trips" for the next 3 weekends in a row so life will be hectic. But life is more fun that way anyway. Have a great week.
Peace!!
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