Gorée Island

So... These pictures are from a long time ago. I just finally got my camera to connect to my computer.

These are all from our trip on October 2nd to Île de Gorée, just off the coast of Dakar.

On the way into the island from our ferry. So beautiful!

Port on the way into Gorée

Historical Museum- complete with cannons.

View of Dakar from the island.

Maison d'Esclaves

Cows on the Loose

(I was a little slow to post...)

I stole this video from Joleen. One day last month a random heard of cows, with no one leading them, just started traipsing up the rue. They terrorized a few sheep and went along their merry way. Who knows where they came from, where they were going, or what on earth a heard of cattle was doing on the loose. That's Senegal for you: unpredictable.

Mambo No. 5

This is what we do in our spare time I guess? Create a melon band...

Two Month in Pictures

Since it's easier to just post pictures of my life instead of writing about it... here you go. I was going to put them in chronological order but that was going to take a lot of rearranging so just pretend:

Taken at Coumba Ndao, the apartment style hotel we stayed at the first two days upon arrival. Coming into Dakar was intense. No words can describe how I felt that first few days. Jet lag and panic might be two good words to start with.

VDN, one of the main routes that snakes through Dakar. I had the chance of having to cross this every morning on the way to culture and Wolof classes in Dakar.

More VDN

Crossing.

Car rapide. These things are cheap as heck. Mass transportation at it's finest. I already talked a little about these in an earlier post, but to recap: A boy hangs, literally, off the back and shouts the general direction the car is headed. No seat belts, windows, or any system of organization needed. Find a seat or stand and you're flying on your way for only 150cfa ~ $0.30

Joleen's front street. I walked a long this many a time. It's usually full of people sitting out side in chairs in front of their houses.

Vegetables for making ceebu jen, the national dish of Senegal. Ceebu jen is made with red or white rice and has a delicious, spicy sauce with vegetables and fried, whole fish.

Looking very fierce pounding the spices to stuff the fish with.

Fish. Yumm.

Eating the finished product. Unfortunately I don't have any better pictures of the whole dish. However, you can see that Andrew and I took the easy way out by eating with a spoon and Joleen took the traditional Senegalese route by eating with her hand (right hand only.)

Hanging out in my dorm and my mosquito net fell on me. Joleen thought it would be fun to take a picture. Note the Senegal jersey. Yeah baby!

My hair is getting long! I'm not going to cut it while I'm here so we'll see how long it gets :) Joleen is going to play hairdresser and give me a few trims here and there.

The Haitians! They wanted a photoshoot with us. Everyone dresses that classy all the time when they go to school. It's ridiculous. L to R: Fleurant, Kate, Bertrand, Joleen

Joleen and I playing with the photobooth feature on my computer. We're pretty silly.

The infamous Tomtom. He passed out on the floor one night and I decided to take a picture. What a strange kid.

The next few pictures are from Kate's birthday dinner at La Saigonnaise. This would be Andrew and Joleen giving an accurate impression of Joleen's 4-year-old sister when she's feeling sassy.

Ananas Flambé! Kate's birthday dessert.

Joleen and I looking classy, comme d'hab.

Looking quite happy with Diablos (Sprite with Grenadine or Menthe)

Being weird like usual.

They love each other. I promise.

Kate started the placemat on fire when she tilted her flaming pineapple dessert a little too far forward. Luckily with my quick thinking I was able to put it out with a nearby spoon. [Reenactment.]

Masse and Kate hanging out with mac and cheese we got in a care package. Our Senegalese friends were not as impressed with the kraft creation as we were.

Modou Fall and Joleen enjoying the m&c.

Making Ditak juice with my sister. This is the beginning of the juice- crushed ditak fruit that is mixed with water, more than a kilo of sugar, and a splash of mint. Tastes like heaven.

My little brother, Mustapha. Don't be fooled by his cuteness- he cries all the time. It's cool and all except when you're trying to sleep at 6am.

Tabaski: Avant

Hi All.

I know it's hard to believe- after just one class at university I'm already on my first week vacation, but the rumors are true: I'm working hard (or hardly working) at being a chill senegalese.

Travel from campus to Dakar was easier said than done. What should have been a 4-5 hour ride turned into 9 hours due to horrendous traffic jams. The influx of people visiting family in Dakar for Tabaski is worsened by the fact that there is only one way in and one way out of this peninsula. After roasting in that oven of a bus for 5 hours we acheter'd some bag waters and I plugged back into my ipod in an attempt to conk out. Partially successful since I napped for about the first three hours, but that still left me the last of the 9 hours fully alert and hotter than camel's hump in the desert.

Strange sight: HUNDREDS UPON THOUSANDS of sheep. I'll explain later.

Now back I'm back in Dakar and preppin' for Tabaski. Moutons ahoy! Pictures of my super fly bubu to follow after its premier. Get excited folks.

Halloween, African Style.

The lovely Kate, who got VERY, VERY sunburned. Massa, Kate, massa...

(Massa being an expression of sympathy.)

Eating xaal wolof (watermelon) on the beach.

Man with his heard of 30 cows that were just sauntering down the beach. They walked over our buried watermelons.

Atlantic ocean, Joleen, Xaal wolof, and me.

Burying the watermelon in an attempt to cool it down. After sitting in the sun for an hour is was too hot to eat. Cue the heard of cows.

My other best friend here, Modou. Ridiculously smart. Also very strong- he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder like it was no big deal. He's a funny one, that Modou.

Vigorously applying sunscreen in an attempt to not get sunburned. Verdict: Unsuccessful. End Result: Very Tan.

Andrew, friend from UW, and the only boy on our program.

My INCREDIBLY funny senegalese friend, Mas. The gentle giant as we like to refer to him.

Joleen with a crab that the boys had a fun time catching. Faites attention au pincers.

Senegalese fishing boats called 'pirogues.' They are colorfully painted and HUGE. The fishermen go out in these everyday and return with tons of fish.

No News is Good News

Hey All!

It's me, Hannah. Just saying Asalaamalekum from Senegal. Spent the first week of November going to the beach, picking classes, making friends, eating what they call " food" at the cafeteria, drinking attaaya, avoiding mosquitos, and taking copieuse amounts of naps.

Basically like college life back in WI, minus the whole it's 90degrees+ in Novemeber thing .

I'll write more soon but i've been too busy doing nothing. It's the whole Africa chill scene they've got going on. I dig it.

Starting classes for real on Monday. We'll see how that goes.

Love.

Gej naa leen gis! ( I miss you all!)

Hannah Tubaab Jayfonde