Preparedness(Thanks Mom!)/L'Ecole de la Rue

(Children at L'Ecole de la Rue)

Hi All!

Just hanging out before class and I figure I'd give you an update on how I've been doing lately.

For the past two days I have had a massive cold that turned into a fever of 101.4˚F this morning. Cue: 12 hour pseudoephed, dayquil, nyquil, and theraflu ( conveniently apple cinnamon flavored- it's about as close as I'll get to apple cider for now.) My mom helped me pack my suitcase full of every medicine I'd ever need, and that certainly came in handy- Thanks Mom. The fever has come down and I'm back to normal! Too bad I haven't been able to enjoy life to the fullest these past two days since I felt like the walking dead.

Life has been laid back as usual. Yesterday, Joleen, Andrew, and I headed to Ngor beach (where Akon lives.) It was beautiful and we passed the massive statue on the way. [ See: Statue ] It certainly is astounding, but: " Wade announced that he, as "intellectual creator," would be taking 35 percent of all tourist revenue the state monument earns.

Supporters say the giant statue will draw tourists but critics charge the colossus — estimated to cost $27 million and built by North Koreans — highlights how disconnected Wade, 83, has become from the daily struggles of Senegalese citizens."

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I also took a tour of a street school last week in one of the poor districts in Dakar. We had a lesson on the Senegalese school system before we went but it didn't really prepare us for what we were going to see. We took taxis from the Baobab Center over to one of the poor, working districts near downtown. We had to walk the rest of the way because there were no roads where we were going.

Wooden shacks lined with newspapers- so crowded next to each other. Tin roofs and dirt walkways winding through a maze of dark allies between houses. A river of dark, sewage filled water wove its way in and out of front yards and garbage pilled up in amazing quantities, haphazardly strewn and left to rot. It was really a lot to take in.

We wove our way through the many shacks falling on top of one another, and came to an opening where we were met by 30 screaming children and their teacher. It was the first day of school so everyone was rowdy, and on top of that we probably one of the few tubaabs (white people) they had ever seen. This school was run by one man who donated his time to help teach children who couldn't go to school because they had no way of getting there. The parents of these children were part of the poor, working class. The teacher would lead one class during the mornings for children, and one at night (power-outages permitting) for adults who wanted to learn to speak and write French.

Public schools in Senegal leave a lot to be desired. Classrooms that are built for 50 usually hold 300 or more with just one teacher. All classes are taught in French, which is a challenge for those who come from poorer regions and only know Wolof or Pulaar. No real teaching or learning is accomplished due to the sheer inadequacy of the system. If a family is wealthy enough, they will send their children to private catholic schools where enrollment is limited and the teachers are more effective. Even muslim families send their children to catholic schools if they have the means. My host family is fortunate enough to have that opportunity, so all of my brothers, sister, and cousins attend catholic school.

It was an intense experience to say the least. It really made me appreciate my schooling that I had back in the US and take a moment to realize just how fortunate I really am.

Die Another Day, Inshallah.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Let me tell you about a creepy thing that happened to me two nights ago. I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CURSED BY AN EVIL DEMM (aka sorcerer who causes harm and chaos.)

Theresa, Joleen, and I were all sitting in the open courtyard of Joleen and Theresa's house. It is good to preface this story with the fact that Mama Astu Diop sells fataya (a delicious fried pastry filled with meat) so many people come in and out of the courtyard on a daily basis.

A woman entered and greeted Joleen, Theresa, and I. At the time we did not notice that she only greeted us and not the rest of the family. That is a very bad sign since it is incredibly rude to only greet a few and ignore many. She began helping us put elastics in Theresa's hair, since we were trying to finish up her tresses.

Creepy and eerie are two understatements when attempting to describe this woman. Dressed in all black, with a black head scarf, and a tattoo of three lines under her right eye, she spoke no French. We haven't learned enough wolof to have a conversation yet, so the only word she uttered that we actually understood was "tomorrow."

Joleen started to notice something was strange about this woman and her host brother Talisto was trying to motion to her that this woman was not to be interacted with. The woman left abruptly and this is when we really started to understand just how creepy she was.

She only touched us. She only greeted us. She ignored the rest of the family. She had very bad vibes about her. Heebie jeebies to the max.

After she left the family asked if we knew her at all and we said we definitely did not. We thought she was there to buy fataya or that someone in the family knew her. In our culture lesson we learned about demms (evil sorcerers) and this woman seemed to fit the description to a tee. Joleen, Theresa, and I were thoroughly freaked out. We were 100% ready to go and buy gris-gris. (Gris-gris are charms that have had spells cast upon them for protection. You can get them for a range of different situations.)

Talisto, Joleen and Theresa's host brother, didn't help at all because he convinced us that the strange woman in black was a demm and that she had cursed us to death and we were all going to die tomorrow. He was kind enough to inform us after about an hour of sheer panic that he was kidding, but we were still scared senseless.

I waited to post this until today to make sure I was still alive, considering the fact I was pretty sure that some freak accident was going to happen yesterday and I was going to die. I survived, thank heavens.

Joleen and I asked one of our Wolof professors today about what was up with the lady in black. He said that she was most likely from Mali and a demm. Tubaab (white person) hair is highly sought after for use in potions and amulets. The hair that she probably took from Theresa would be used in spell, but that it could not be used to hurt her, just to make the spell more powerful. Funny thing is the woman in black probably just got part of Theresa's weave since she has fake hair woven into her tresses. HA! Take that evil lady.

So, to wrap up this long post: I'm alive to fight another day, inshallah (God willing.)

The Five Senses of Dakar: Part II Sounds (Music)

Just giving you a taste of three songs that echo Dakar right now:

1. My Jam- Electric Feel (Justice Remix)- MGMT. Just rocking out to this right now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdDKtKw9B8
2. My Life- Real Life- Tanlines. Thanks to my friend Joleen for giving me this song. Digging it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtijpfnJzMo
3. Africa- Waka Waka- Shakira. This song is incredibly popular and everyone knows it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0
4. Bonus Track- Oh Africa- Akon. Joleen pulled this and it seemed relevant because Akon is from Senegal. He actually lives in Ngor which is only a short jaunt from my house in Mermoz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4sDx6SGwA

Enjoy!

Transportation

Transportation here is awesome. Taxis cost $3.00 max to go anywhere in the city. Even cheaper are the buses and car rapides. Busses run on no apparent timetable and have no indicated stops and/or maps with routes. Apparently they come every half hour-ish and you are just supposed to know where they go. But, at only 150 cfa ~ 30 cents, it’s hella cheap. Just take a Senegalese friend who knows what’s up. Same goes for the car rapides, which I prefer because they are way more baller. It’s this old van/ bus looking thing decked out in bright colors with streamers hanging off the back and jam packed with people. A boy called the apprenti hangs quite literally from the back of the bus and shouts the general direction where the car rapide is headed. You hop on and pay your 100cfa ~20cents and if you’re lucky you can sit down, otherwise you get to stand squished between lots of other gross bodies. To get off at a stop you take a coin and rap the metal ceiling to let the driver or apprenti know you’re getting off. The apprenti then smacks the side of the bus a few times for good measure to make sure the driver knows what’s up. You hop off and bam! you’re at your destination (generally.) No windows or seatbelts required.

There are no stop signs, traffic lights, speed limits, or any discernible traffic laws. Lanes are marked (sometimes) but one-lane roads are often turned into two lanes when taxis and cars just pass each other as they please. It’s like the whole entire country is playing chicken with their vehicles. Aggressive driving to say the least. On my walk to the Baobab Center in the morning I get to cross the VDN which is 6 lanes traffic, both directions. It’s exactly like playing frogger. Cars rule the road here and people don’t believe in crosswalks (since there aren’t any anways.) That, and the government apparently didn’t believe in building sidewalks when they created this road system. Walking is a multitasking feat. You can either look at all your surroundings and trip every two feet, or you can look at your feet and stay level but not get to check anything out. Sidewalks don’t exist and the side of the road that kind of resembles a sidewalk half of the time is covered in rubble, a puddle, garbage, or sheep. People don’t believe in garbage cans here so if you have trash you just throw it on the ground where you are. I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to embrace that habit during my stay here.

Threes

Top Three Things I Love About Senegal:

1. Bissap, Ditak, and all the other delicious juices they have here.
2. Hanging out on the beautiful beaches
3. Relaxing practically 24/7

Top Three Things I Dislike About Senegal:

1. Power-outs
2. Heat rash
3. Sweating all the time/Mosquitos

Three Things I Pass on the Way to School:

1. Sheep grazing in the grass on the street divider
2. A manhole missing its cover, marked by a large stick someone thoughtfully put it in to warn others
3. A open-air meat stand where you pick and chose your cuts and they chop it right there. No refrigeration involved

Top Three Things I Miss About Home:

1. Feeling cold
2. Fresh raspberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
3. All of you

Three Things I Did Today:

1. Bought bag yogurt as a snack in between breakfast and lunch
2. Took a tour of a school in one of the poor districts of Dakar- very moving.
3. Hung out with my host sister Mariama, and brothers Khadim and Papi

Three Words You Need To Know in Wolof:

1. Say-say (sigh-sigh): Person of questionable moral fibre or just a generally sketchy dude. Good for describing my host brother, Mohammed. Ex: Mohammed didn't come home until 3:30am. He's a say-say.
2. Asalaa Maalekum (ah-sah-LAH-mal-ee-koom): This is the general greeting used when saying hello. It literally means "Peace be with you." You reply with Maalekum salaam, which means "And also with you." This is incredibly important because you must greet everyone you know.
3. Kay lekk (kai lehk): "Come eat!" Important because you'll hear this a lot. If anyone, including yourself, is eating something, you must offer to those around you.

Three Things I Hope to do This Weekend:

1. Go to the family tailor with my mom and design my bubu for Tabaski. [Bubu: traditional skirt and top made from matching fabric (I bought my fabric at the market and it's super awesome.) Usually the tops are outrageously complicated and elegant. Skirts tend to be simpler and floor length. Tabaski: Important Muslim holiday (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha)]
2. Hopefully I'll go to Ngor beach with Andrew and Joleen, and maybe a few more of my posse. [Side note: Akon lives in Ngor.]
3. There is a soccer match between Senegal and Mauritania. It's on Sunday and i've got nothing else planned, so I'm going to try to make it to that, inshallah. (<-- word used after future plans, meaning "God willing.)

sadglkqbaPOWEROUThw;eal.,msgfnasdf

It is so hot. The power is always out. ALWAYS. It turns off precisely at 11pm at night and comes back on at 4am. Not cool. That is the time when everyone needs to use fans because it is way too hot to sleep. Believe me on this one.

This news article sums our sentiments up nicely:

"Senegalese president names son energy minister

Associated Press
10/04/10 11:55 AM PDT

DAKAR, SENEGAL — A presidential decree published Monday and read on local radio stations announces that the son of Senegal's aging president was named Minister of Energy.

Karim Wade, the son of President Abdoulaye Wade, ran for mayor of Dakar and lost in an election in March 2009. Soon after, his octogenarian father appointed the son "Minister of State and Minister of International Cooperation, Territorial Management, Aerian Transport and Infrastructure." The new title of energy minister will be added to his duties.

The elder Wade has been accused of trying to position his son to seize power upon his death. The post of energy minister is especially crucial now in light of increasingly frequent power cuts in Senegal."

Skype

Just a heads up y'all: I've got internet here that I use sparingly. It's at the Centre Baobab but it closes at 7pm my time, which is 2pm your time. If you want to skype with me at all, just shoot me an email. I'm usually pretty busy and also I am trying to abstain from overusing the internet- it's a little overwhelming.

Hope all is well aux Etats-Unis. Love from Dakar to all of you.

PHOTOS

I stole a bunch of photos from my friend, Joleen. I've got my own but I left them at home, so here's what we've got so far.

This is a typical market scene. Crap piled on top of more crap. Be prepared to waxaale (bargain in Wolof.)

This is the beautiful island of Gorée, just a few kilometers off of the Dakar coastline. This was an old slave trade center. Side note: the ocean here seems saltier than usual.

This is a picture from Voile d'Or. White sand beaches and beautiful palm trees. I spent my Sunday lounging here. No big deal.

This is a picture from the rooftop of one of our houses (Probably Joleen's.)

This is a common form of transportation called a 'car rapide.'

The Five Senses of Dakar: Part I- Touch

Part I- Touch:

• Rice balls!: You eat with your hands here. You can eat with a spoon sometimes, but it's usually more efficient to make a ball of rice with your right hand and mix in some of the sauce and vegetables. I've not been very successful at this. It's messy and most of my rice ball usually ends up on the ground.
• Sweat: It is always so hot here. It is the end of the rainy season, which means that the humidity will finally be going down. It's getting cooler, but it's impossible to go anywhere without being bathed in sweat. I have officially given up on being clean all the time. All of the sweat actually leads me to the next point...
• Heat rash: I am covered from torso to kneecap in heat rash. It's sometimes itchy but mostly just hideous. I look like i've got chicken pox for the second time. There's not much one can do about it either. I'm hoping it will go away soon, but i'll give it another week or two
• Sand: It basically covers everything. Your feet, skin, and sometimes the food if you're unlucky. It's nice at the beach, but there's sand replacing grass in most cases.

That's about all I can think of for now. More to come!

This is my host sister, Mariama. She's 11 1/2 and just as tall as me. Mariama is hilarious and she is incredibly helpful in helping me find my way around the house. This picture was taken at Voile d'or, a beautiful beach along the eastern coast of the Dakar peninsula.

Right Meow

SALUT!

In this picture I am eating yogurt in a bag. It cost about 500cfa, which is about $1.00. Pretty cheap for the most delicious snack ever. Especially since dairy is hard to come by over here.

** Heads up: Due to the fact that I need to be constantly thinking in three different languages, my brain power has significantly decreased. My english has gone down hill, and on top of that I'm pretty tired. The heat is exhausting. So, please forgive me for all of my confusing and not well worded posts. All of us here is Dakar seem to be suffering from trilingualitus.

I went to Voile D'or yesterday because my friend Andrew competed in a swimming race from Dakar to Ile Gorée, which measured 4.6 km. It was an afternoon of lounging on white sand beaches, swimming in the ocean, and eating mangos underneath palm trees. Needless to say the sunscreen did nothing for me because I'm fried like a piece of bacon. We also were at a restaurant on the beach and Youssou N'dour, a very, very famous artist in Senegal, was at our restaurant. Very cool. That's about all for now.