Hannah new na. I am back from the bush.
And with this blog, you all will pick up a little Wolof, since I always feel inclined to include my new language in my title. "Hannah new na" means "Hannah has arrived."So today is my 7th day back in the hustle and bustle of Dakar. Amazing. Today is also the official end date of my program. I cannot believe December 16 has already arrived. Time flies. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Chanukah. As with all things Jewish, the holiday is just not quite the same in a Catholic family in a predominantly Muslim country.
So yes, last Sunday at 6:30 am, I mounted the Ndiang Ndiaye, essentially a very large white van that seats 5 people to a row, to come back to Dakar. I sat behind the chauffeur, smooshed in between the window and a large woman with her baby and purse. I spent the five hour drive back to Dakar looking out the window, dozing, and reflecting on the six weeks I spent in the amazing village of Mbam. It was leaving Mbam, that I realized I am not ready to leave this country. And it was funny, despite the fact that I've lived my whole life in an urban/suburban setting, getting out at Dakar, I suddenly felt so displaced amongst all the cars and people. 6 weeks in the bush really changed me.
I'm sure this is not the blog posting you all were hoping for, since I did not describe at all my life in the bush, the incredible people I met, the different activities that became a part of my daily life, or my thoughts and reflections on poverty and development. Not to mention the life-changing lessons I learned. I am going to do that soon. Hopefully tomorrow, but it may have to wait until January, since I am leaving for the Gambia on Monday, and will be there until my family arrives in Dakar on Christmas. But I promise I will post on the village at some point. I took good notes in my journal while I was there, so I won't forget. And the way I will do it is as a series of small posts describing various aspects of life out there. That way you can read about what interests you. But this short little post is because I just wanted to let all my faithful blog readers know that I am back in Dakar, safe and sound and in good health. Alhamdulilaay. Sante Yallah.
All the best to you all!
Cheers!
Hannah
posted by Hannah Gelder @ 7:17 PM
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