There's hot, there's very hot... and then there's Senegal
Well, I thought it was about time for me to make a post now that I'm actually in country. It is hard to find the words to describe the beauty that is Senegal. My 3+ weeks here have been fabulous, full of many new experiences. I don't even know where to begin. I'm finally getting into a daily routine now that we are two weeks into our classes. I am essentially in class every day from 9am-5pm, with a 2-hour lunch break in the middle. I'm taking classes on theories of development, a country analysis of Senegal, and break out sessions examining women, education, and the environment and the role they play in development. All so interesting and all taught in French. It is nice to be able to write in English here. The work load comes in waves, but it can be quite heavy at times. I have the evenings free to hang out with friends, my family, or just walk around. I take a dance class every Monday and Wednesday. We have been learning traditional African dances. They are so beautiful, so hard! It's nice to work out though and take part in this cultural tradition. The music is provided by live djembe players and our teacher is the neighbor of a girl in my program. 7 of us take the class. If you can play the djembe, I'll dance for you when I get home again. :)Ramadan began on Sunday. It's interesting to see how this manifests itself in a secular country that is more than 90% Muslim. So far I have not noticed many differences. It's great to be here for this holy month, but from the tourist perspective it's a bit disappointing. In theory, they don't go out on weekends and, for example, one of the drummers from our dance class told me that during Ramadan, they don't play their djembes at the beach. I will have one week left in Dakar after Ramadan ends, so I suppose the drum cirlce parties will have to wait until then. I am living with a Catholic family, so Ramadan does not affect my domestic life. However, before coming here I decided that I would try to observe Ramadan since there is no Jewish activity here. Yesterday I fasted but drank water and today I'm trying to do the real deal. I woke up at 6, ate some bread and chocolate-peanut spread and drank a lot of water. I went back to bed, and so far I haven't ate or drank since then and that was before sunrise. I don't think I'll do the whole month, but I want to try in an attempt to be in solidarity with over 80% of the population who is fasting. It was a beautiful moment yesterday, though, during our dance class. We were glistening with sweat, working hard on the new moves and rhythms, and it was nice to know that I'd fasted just as our teacher and drummers had too. We broke the fast together after class with a few cups of coffee. My family does not understand why I would want to try to fast, but I just want to try something different. It's funny though, because I presumed I'd be with a Muslim family. Instead, I'm with Catholics who had a big wedding two weeks ago. There are still cases of beer left over, so every night, just about, they insist that I have at least one. So I fast during the day, and eat and drink during the night.
I suppose here, I am Muslim by day, and Catholic by night... and Jewish by belief.
And for those of you that were concerned about me spending a semester in a predominantly Muslim country, you have nothing to worry about. The people are fabulous. For most, I am the first Jew they've met (I hope I'm making a good impression), but they have no qualms about my religion. Some evenings, I go over to the neighbor's house where a girl from my program lives. Her host parents are out of town, so her 22 year old brother and his friends hang out there. It is so fun to sit and talk with these young Muslim men. They sit and play cards and drink tea all night long. A few smoke cigarettes, but that is their only vice. They help me with my wolof and french, so it's good practice. My Wolof is coming along, but there's still a long ways to go. People appreciate it though, when I make the effort to try to use some phrases and expressions. It's so fun to learn this new language.
The people here are incredible. I really can't emphasize that enough. Senegal is the land of Teranga. That is the Wolof word for hospitality. Hospitality has taken on a whole new meaning for me since arriving here. They will welcome anyone from any walk of life with big open arms. I can't describe it in words. They will share everything they have. For example, the other day, Amelia realized during lunch with her family that the man next to her was a homeless man they invited in from the street to eat with them. People here are so kind and welcoming.
As for what it's like living in a developing country... in many ways it's no different from my life at home, but in other ways it's completely different. Here you wash your clothes and dishes by hand. The maid didn't think I could do it, but I insisted that she teach me. Electric stoves and ovens don't exist. The power goes out more than once a day. You must always look down when you're walking, not because it's impolite to make eye contact but because you never know what hazard may arise. You could trip over a cobblestone laying on top of the others in the sidewalk, or fall through an uncovered manhole, or roll your ankle in a pothole. You must realize that pedestrians do not have the right of way and that you are not safe on the sidewalk, or dirt path bordering the street. The other day I was almost run over by a motorcycle using the sidewalk as a shortcut, and later that afternoon, my friends and I had to stop so we didn't hit a taxi that cut in front of us to use the dirt sidewalk as a shoulder to move ahead of other cars. Here I am hard pressed to find a vehicle that does not emit a plume of black or blue smoke. I constantly have a runny nose from all the pollution. The traffic jams are such that my brother's commute takes him 2 hours when it should only be 15 minutes. And there is no movement toward renewable energy here. The water in my bathroom stopped working, so now I use the porcelain hole like everyone else. Meals are eaten from one common dish, often with utensils, but sometimes with the right hand (it gives my family a good chuckle when I try). I don't understand most of what is said since everyone speaks in Wolof unless adressing me. Though now I'm able to understand a few words. The sounds of the call to prayer are heard every day, though now I don't even notice it, and on Mondays and Fridays, men chant Allah's name for 2 hours. Goats bleat in the neighbors yard all hours of the day and night. Horse-drawn rickshaws share the road with pedestrians, motorcycles, bikes, cars, blue and yellow car rapides decorated with brilliant colors and images, the all white djieng djiayes, black and yellow cabs, and huge city buses. The scenes are unlike any I have ever seen before. Here my favorite moments come while sitting in my room listening to Senegalese music blasting through our courtyard from my brother's stereo (the electricity was on at this point) and enjoying the aroma of the upcoming meal wafting through my window or while hanging my clothes (that I washed myself) to dry on the line and hearing the 9pm call to prayer or sleeping on the terrace on our roof to escape the heat with nothing but the stars overhead, and the frequent airplane or when someone says something to me in Wolof and I understand their message b/c I understood a few words.
So there is a long-winded glimpse into my life here.
Senegal is an amazing country with incredible people and a rich culture and a value for the important things in life like family and friends... and here, everyone is family.
A la prochaine fois, Inchallah.
Hannah
posted by Hannah Gelder @ 1:13 PM
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