Senegal Days

Allow me to share a bit about this country I am calling home for the next year.

Please don't be disillusioned when I constantly remark on how hot it is or how many mosquitos there are or how there are power shortages. This country is tres beautiful!

The Kanes live in Almadies which is a part of Dakar just as any city has it's various sections or bouroughs and such...across the street there is a beach and it is a religious beach which is currently a place of worship for the sect of Islam that go there. This beach is not very large and it is rocky, but it is lovely to sit on a rock and watch the tide come in and the children play. Going to the beach is a favorite pastime of the people here, as Dakar is right on the coast of Africa.

One day Masake, her younger sister Rugi, Camille and I all went to a larger beach after a day at the school and had a GREAT time. We went into the water and jumped the waves, watched when the children swimming next to us crying, "Madame look at me" (in French) and simply enjoyed the day. The water is not cold at all when you first jump in, it is not to warm either, it is just right.

Another pasttime here is soccer, they love to play soccer here although it is not my favorite sport (I don't actually have one) if you come here don't be surprised to find people playing soccer or running.
When we walk down the streets in Dakar, we often see boys and men jogging, training for some track competition.

Senegal is a very sandy city and no matter where you go you will most likely get sand between your toes or all over the bottoms of your shoes.

People here are very nice. When you meet them they will extend their right hand and say, "Ca Va?" It is not so much a handshake as a brief touching of the hands. Most people are very nice and will do their best to help you even if your French is subpar and are glad to teach you a few words in Wolof.

Everywhere you look you will see bright colors from the garments here. Senegelese are very tall and long and dark and traditional clothing includents long garments that cover the body. You will see bold greens, oranges, and bright blues, any color you can imagine. Some people do wear Western style clothes, but to me what's great about the traditional clothes is that they are made for you. There are boutiques all over Dakar where one can pick out fabrics and have a dress or a skirt made. Most women do not have their hair natural and out in an afro as I do. Women wear their hair in braids or relaxed mainly, or they will cover their hair with a bright colorful scarf. There is also a lot of weave. The best part about hair braiding is that it can cost what is equivalent to about $10 in American dollars. I have not yet seen what is called in America "Senegalese Twists" so perhaps that was just a commercial name given to charge someone $200 for braids.

(haven't seen this yet!)

It is customary that a family have a maid and you will find them in most households. Even the maids have maids sometimes. This has already spoiled me tremendously. The Kane's maid, Ami is great and a wonderful cook. If you are fortunate to have a large home in an enclosure, you will also most likely have a doorman who will open and close the gate for you.

At any given time you can see someone roll out a prayer rug and bow down to pray to Allah. I thought initally that it would be at certain times when everyone prays but I have seen the mat rolled out and heads bowed at varying times. Old men often sit caressing a necklace of prayer beads. Fridays are the Sundays in Senegal. On this day you can see hundreds of people walking to a mosque for prayer. Women's heads most be covered to enter the mosque and most people are wearing traditonal clothes. When the mosque is full you can still see people take out their mats and prayer on the streets next to the mosque. And when it is over everyone picks up their mats and get back in their cars and back to their lives.

Just as in any big city there are people on the streets and there are those who beg. Never have I in any city I've come across yet seen children beg and it shocked me at first and still does. Begging is taught in certain families and at some religious schools the boys are sent out to beg to teach them humility.

Cars are generally not as flashy and large as I see in the States. In truth I don't think they should be, the streets are narrow and I have yet to see a stop light. There are streets that I believe should be deemed "one-way" yet cars going in both directions have gone down them. It seems to work. Horse drawn carts also trot down the roads, they are smaller horses and are driven by boys carrying supplies but never people.

There is still much I need to see of Senegal. School has not started and I am not situated with my host family yet. I am living with the Kanes until they are ready for me. In addition it is Ramadan, and people are on their best behaviors. I look forward to seeing the differences in Senegal after the month is over.