Trip to Pikine

Today the group went on a trip to the suburb of Pikine for our International Development course, which I found to be a very rewarding and eye opening experience. This trip was the first time that I had really been outside of the main city of Dakar, other than our trip to Goree island. It was also the first time that any of us rode in one of the buses that we see transporting people around Dakar very often. These buses definitely serve as a principle form of transportation for many people here in Dakar, however I am unsure if people pay for them or not. I always see men and women hoping into the buses without giving anyone money so I think they are either for free or the men and women tip the bus driver an amount after getting off. From my personal observations I think that public transportation is very important here in Dakar because there are so many taxis and buses that I see around the city. Additionally not many of the families have cars so I would assume that whenever they need to get somewhere they use a taxi or the bus. This has been the case with my family as well because my mom picked me up from the WARC at the beginning in a taxi and I am pretty sure that my host brother takes taxis to work whenever necessary. The taxis here are far from as pricey as the ones in New York as you can pretty much get anywhere in the city with 1500-2000 CFA ($3-$4).

Our Bus

After we loaded onto the bus we realized that the bus needed some assistance to start up so I got out and helped 3 other guys push the bus as the bus driver started the engine. We pushed it around the corner and down the street next to the school until the bus was rolling on its own and then I jumped in. I did jump in a little early because I was nervous about waiting too long to do so, but I got another chance to help push it to start when we were on the freeway. That time was much more exhausting because we pushed it a long distance and we were pretty much running the entire time. It was the first time I had done something like that and I appreciated the experience a lot because we see the buses everywhere in Dakar as it is clear that they are an important element of the culture here. Not only not only did I get on the bus, but I actually helped to start it and I found that aspect of participation important. On the highway there was a lot of traffic and as I looked through the back of the bus I saw vendors selling various things as they were walking in the middle of the highway. This was also a first experience for me because it was something I would never see in the United States, especially on a main highway.

Me helping push the bus

The bus stopped on the freeway

The ride to Pikine was about 45min and I initially thought that we would be going to the village, but when we arrived at the suburb of Pikine I realized this was not the case. The purpose of our trip was to conduct interviews with people who lived in various households in Pikine in regards to the areas of economics, environmental studies, health and education; my group focused on the micro-economic situation in Pikine. On arrival it was clear that the economic state of the suburbs is more serious than the most populated region of Dakar by the state of infrastructure in the suburbs. When I arrived in Dakar I was surprised by the fact that many of the large buildings were not finished and I never see or hear construction going on like I do so often in New York. However, here in the suburbs there was not any construction going on and I saw an inordinate amount of buildings and structures being broken down by the residents. All around Pikine the homes seemed to be slowly disintegrating over time as many did not have roofs or entrances. In addition there were very few paved roads and there was a lot of waste water in the streets too.

When we walked in the first house I was sad to see the conditions that the people who lived there had to endure. There was no covering on about half of the house and it had the most standing water from flooding on the inside out of all of the homes that we visited.  I knew before coming to Pikine that those living conditions existed in the world, but I had never seen with my own eyes. Additionally, I felt very uncomfortable with the idea that we just walked in the home of people whom we did not know and who did not know us. At the beginning there were about 12 of us from 3 different groups in the first household, because we had not split up yet, and I felt as though we entered without their permission. Although our professor had spoken with the households prior to our arrival and we were conducting these interviews for our class part of me felt very guilty for being there. I knew that the depth of our connection with these people was limited to the 15 questions we had composed to ask them and this felt uncomfortably impersonal. Each time we would enter a household all of the children and family members would come out to watch and listen, but we could not talk to them because of the language barrier. We had written all of our questions in French and our professor provided us with translators so that they could ask the questions in Wolof. The most we could say to any members of the families were the traditional Wolof greetings and the rest had to be translated. One thing that stayed on my mind was how after we received our responses, went on to the next houses and then returned to our houses in Mermoz and Baobab, the people in Pikine would still be living there is those circumstances. I recognized though that this was the best form of learning because we were able to see firsthand all of the things that were learning about and discussing in our classes. I also noticed that many of the families were happy to know that we were interested in learning about their situations and getting their perspective on these different subject areas which we were studying.

After completing the interviews some of the people in my class said they believe that people in this community were "trying to be western" because children were wearing shirts with Popeye and the American flag. They contrasted the situations of the people in the suburbs of Pikine to those in village who they thought were in no way interested in the "ways of the west" as they were content with the simplicity of life in the village. I though it was an interesting notion, the fact that one could identify the value system of the people here as being in pursuit of the "western way of life" just by their clothes. However, I did not interpret their clothing or lifestyle in the same way. I just thought that the people of Pikine had to make best out of their situations and limited resources as they probably do not have many other options. So if they were given shirts to wear, wherever the shirts came from, they would wear them because it was a piece of clothing that they needed.

Dance Ceremony and Beach Trip #2

This weekend was a good one as we had limited work from our classes and a lot of free time to enjoy ourselves in the city. It began with a gathering on Amanda’s roof on Friday night, except this time everyone in the program was present, which was nice because we hadn't all been together outside of class or an organized trip yet. Eura and Marco brought candles and everyone else brought food and drinks. Once again Amanda’s family was very warm and welcoming, despite the fact that this time there were about 12 of us up there, although we were being relatively quiet. Apparently other MSID and study abroad students in the past have had people on the roof too, which is why Amanda felt comfortable having us all over. Prince and Clara (Amanda's host siblings) also often have people over so they were completely fine with it.

All of us on the roof

Prince, Marcos, Jack and Me

Afterwards we decided to walk back to Mermoz to go to a bar very close to where a lot of us live instead of going to salsa dancing like we had initially planned. We salsa danced the weekend before which was a lot of fun, but it cost 3000 CFA and many of us did not want to spend any more money. 

On our walk back to Mermoz the most bizarre thing happened. We ran into a very large group of Senegalese huddle around in a circle as people were cheering and playing music. None of knew what was going on but we were intrigued so we approached the gathering. As we entered in the crowd, which consisted of more than a 100 people, the people who were leading the ceremony spotted us and called for two “Toubabs” to come up; Toubab is a name for a person of European descent. At first Marco and Lydia volunteered, but after they entered the circle the rest of the group started getting pulled into the circle by the Senegalese, some voluntarily going in as well. There were also people from the other study abroad programs such as SIT and CIE who were present at this gathering and they were pulled into the circle as well. None of the Senegalese tried to pull me in because I blended in with the crowd, but my friends tried to pull me in the circle with them. I definitely didn't want to go dance as I much preferred to witness the spectacle from the outside with the rest of the Senegalese. They then started playing music and told all the Toubabs to dance and everyone in the crowd was cheering for my friends to dance. A lot of the Senegalese pulled out their phones to record the dancing and I wanted to do the same because I thought it was a very memorable moment, but sadly I forgot my phone. 

My friends loved it and I did as well as I thought it was very funny how we had walked into the ceremony unsuspectingly and now they were dancing, but none of us knew why except for the fact that the people leading the gathering wanted them to. Although the Senegalese could have pulled my friends into the circle to make them feel welcome like they were a part of the ceremony, I saw the circle as making a spectacle out of those who were identified as Toubabs. I thought it was interesting because by calling for all of the Toubabs to enter the middle of the circle, the leader of the ceremony divided the crowd into two, those who considered themselves Toubabs and the Senegalese; but as an African-American I didn't fit into either of those categories. However, I knew that I didn't identify with the term Toubab which is why I didn't go in and in the moment I felt more comfortable identifying with the aspect of my identity which reflects my African ancestral origins, rather than the foreigner raised in America. Also it was a rare opportunity when I had the ability to choose if I wanted to blend in or stick out and I preferred to blend in. We were also with Prince at the time, as he wanted to come with us to the bar, and he didn't want to go into the circle as well as the other Senegalese who were there, so I didn't see it as necessary or desirable.

The next Monday when we were talking about the dance ceremony my friend said that although I didn't go into the circle I was a Toubab on the inside.
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Saturday was also a lot of fun as Jack, Brittany, Amanda and I decided to go to another beach in Dakar that was on our list of recommended beaches from MSID. We met up between the main road between Mermoz and Baobab and took a taxi up to the beach which was about 1000 CFA. When we got there it was clearly a beach that a lot of people go to as they had many vendors set up on the exterior of the beach. This was different than the beach Brittany and I went to with Yousou because that beach was hidden and it was much smaller. As we walked down the pathway from the parking lot where the taxi dropped us off to the beach Amanda stopped to get a pouch of water for 50 CFA because they didn't have bottles there. I thought it was funny because I had never seen water in a small pouch like that before and you basically just bite it open and drink it. When we got down to the beach were immediately approached by Senegalese vendors trying to sell us glasses, me especially because they saw the ones I was wearing and thought I would like some more. Also they knew we were Americans because at the time Amanda, Brittany and Jack were the only white people on the beach so the Senegalese thought that we had money to spend. It is for this reason that our Wolof professor taught us how to say “I am a student, I don’t have money” in Wolof, which was great use to us at the beach. 

We looked for somewhere to sit and we were able to get a mat and an umbrella for the 4 of us from a guy that we bargained down to 1000 CFA, which was the same price we paid at the other beach. We spent the next couple hours just relaxing and talking at the beach. Different vendors would periodically approach us and show us their products while we were laying out. Everyone that came by our was pretty much selling the same things: sunglasses, peanuts and Ataya (a traditional tea here in Senegal). Even when we were laying down the guys would come and stand in front of us for a minute and look at me as though the longer the stood the closer I would get to buying their products. 

We didn't really want to go into the water because there was a lot of debris, as there is a  big trash problem in Dakar. This was not the case at the other beach though likely because there were a lot more people who came to this beach. The weather was nice though and we were able to lay out on the mat and dig our feet into the sand. During our time there I found myself staring out in the ocean looking at all of the Senegalese people swim as I am still awed by the sight of only Black people as it is something I've never seen before, not even in Harlem. It's actually pretty mind blowing and a very beautiful sight.

When it started to get a little dark the lifeguards cleared everyone out of the water. Before departing I wanted to take picture next to the water because it was such a nice evening and the water looked really nice with the sun setting. Jack offered to take a picture so Amanda and I walked over to the water. While we were smiling 4 or 5 men playing instruments and singing surrounded us and posed for the camera with us singing. I knew they did this because they could tell we were not from Senegal and thought we had money but they were very nice men.He first asked where I was from, to which I responded America. He then said that he could speak English to me but I said English is for America and that I wanted to speak French here. Although I quickly added that French is actually the language of the colonist so I edited my speech and said the language of Wolof is actually for Dakar, but I unfortunately I can't speak Wolof so French was the best I could do. After Jack took a few pictures of us, the musician asked if we had any money for him and I told him we were students and that we didn't have any money. He took this very well as he shook my hand, still smiling, and wished us a good stay in Senegal. I was really happy after that encounter as the man and his music crew were filled with good spirits. 

Amanda and I with the musicians

Jack and I

On our way back to Mermoz I thought about how since being here I have yet to feel unwelcome as all the Senegalese that I have come into contact with have welcomed me into their country with open arms and high spirits. I have yet to feel uncomfortable or as though I don't belong here as an African-American. I thought I may be considered less authentically African because of my being raised in the states, but that has been far from the case. Everyone has been so friendly and I consistently feel appreciated and respected by the people of this country.

Conversations in Baobab

Today after class a few of us went on to the roof of our friend Amanda to have a few drinks after class. She lives about 20 minutes from Mermoz and about 30 minutes from the WARC in Baobab, named after the Baobab tree. Coincidentally there is a huge Baobab tree right around the corner from her house, which is even bigger than the one we saw on Goree Island. On our way over we stopped by the supermarket to get some chips and snacks. Her family is a Christian family which is why we are able to go to to her house to drink because the majority of the host families are Muslim; Senegal is 90-95% Muslim, and drinking is forbidden in those households. When we arrived we said hello to the members of her family who were sitting in the living room, they were all very warm and welcoming. I really like her older sister Clara because she is always the first to correct my french and she calls me Chris Brown every time she sees me, which I think is hilarious. Then we went up to the roof and within 10 minutes Amanda’s host brother, Prince walked up with cups for us. Prince is definitely one of the tallest Senegalese I have seen since my time here and he often plays basketball at the courts around the corner from his house. We welcomed him to sit down and have a drink with us. I really appreciated him coming up to talk with us because he’s our age, a college student and I feel like I can really have genuine conversations with him about the Senegalese and life here in Senegal, much like with Yousou.

Before Prince came up we were having an interesting conversation about the different racial categorizations that are on different forms of documentation in the U.S. and in Brazil, because Marcos is from Brazil. Eura then told me she was wondering about my mindset on the subject of my time here in Senegal, because I was the only African-American in the program, and I told her essentially the same thing that I told Brittany; I wanted a break from the stress as well as the pace of life at Columbia and there was an aspect of my identity that necessitated setting foot on the continent of Africa and experiencing the people and culture here. While my motivation for coming here was getting to know and learn about the Senegalese, I find it interesting how I spend 9am-6pm Monday-Friday in classes and at the WARC with American students. In the classroom we are learning about Senegalese society, culture and economy but at the same time I feel like there is a preservation of Americanism. We also are often together on the weekends except in those instances we’re exploring places around the city. I don’t find this element of my experience problematic because spending time with the other participants in the program is inevitable as I am here because of an American program so it makes sense that I am sharing my experiences with Americans. However, I sometimes feel as though I am in a bubble of American in Senegal. This is why I appreciate Prince and Yousou so much because they are willing to hang around just Americans in their home country and it is in those moments where I feel like I am getting an authentic experience in this country. Additionally when we are around them we speak French because English is their 3rd language, so it is an opportunity to practice our French while learning about the Senegalese culture. Although I have these sentiments about hanging out with students from the program, I do understand that the complete immersion, without any interaction with Americans, will come during the internship portion of the program when all of the students will be working in different parts of the country.

Someone then jokingly mentioned that I was the “token” of the program, a term with which I was all too familiar, although which Prince had never heard of it as he has spent his entire life around all Africans. He did explain to us that his experiences with diversity were in his classes at the University with people from the various West African countries, although in these situations the distinctions between people were more of a matter of cultural difference rather than a noticeable difference in skin color. I thought about how just our knowledge of this term "token" explained a great deal about the differences in our experiences. My life has been full of circumstances in which I was the “token”, however in no way am I ashamed of those experiences or do I consider myself a victim of them. I love my life and everything that has contributed to it as well as who I am, but in those experiences there I felt a certain element of visual isolation which I found impossible to ignore. Some may say that the visual isolation was self imposed and that if I did not want to care about the visual I did not have to, but for me the visual is always somewhat on my conscience. It did not govern my decisions and it didn't ever prevent me from pursuing anything, but it was always at the back of my mind. Unless I was in a Black Students Organization meeting, a cultural heritage celebration or an event that led to black people coming together in one space, I knew, even if I wanted to, I could never just blend in because I was darker than most people. Brittany who was present said that she had never thought about that aspect of being able to blend in or even the significance of it and I was glad that I was able to open her eyes to it. I pointed out that was a privilege that was not directly her fault or mine, but it is something I thought we should both be aware because it directly affects the way we experience life.

I asked Prince next about the perceptions that Senegalese people have of African-Americans. My reason for this question was that I wanted to know if there were preconceptions that Senegalese had of me as someone of African descent who grew up and was raised in an entirely different place with an dramatically different moral code. I wanted know what I was "working against" essentially, because I am used to understanding fully and being cognizant of stereotypes so that I can know what preconceived notions people I meet may have of me. His initial response to my question was, “They are good guys”, but he then explained that he couldn't provide me with anymore of an answer than that because he could never generalize a whole community of people or ascribe the characteristics of one person to many people. I appreciated his comment as I didn't expect it at all. I thought his response would surely reflect somewhat of an observance of the portrayal of African-Americans in the media or on television and an acceptance of that portray as somewhat valid, which is the case in America. I told him my reasoning for asking the question was the fact that our experiences were entirely different as I grew up in the country of the colonizer around the descendants of the colonizer, while Prince grew up in the place of origin of his descendants. Although there are many aspects of Prince's experiences which likely reflect the impact of the French colonization of Senegal and much of West Africa (such as the fact that we were communicating in French) there was no hyphen at the end of his racial identity.

I then asked him if he could tell that I wasn't Senegalese from sight if I wasn't surrounded by a whole bunch of Americans and a Brazilian and he said yes. He explained that I looked American in my dress and in my demeanor, but that I could also have possibly been a Senegalese person who had gone to America for school and returned to Senegal. His comment reminded of what Yousou said at the club in terms of how Senegalese women could tell I was American just by the way I was dancing because it was an aspect of myself that was inescapably American. My demeanor and the way I dance are two things which I do not consciously think about, yet they serve as markers of my Americanism. I then asked Prince about what Yousou told me in regards to Senegalese women not trusting African-American men because they think that they will have a baby with them and take the baby back to America. Prince explained that I will hear many things from people during my time here and I must take everything with a grain of salt, which I thought was helpful advice as well. Overall I found my conversation with Prince that night very helpful and enlightening. I realized that it was the hope for conversations such as these and moments of self-actualization which brought me here to Senegal.

Université Cheikh-Anta-Diop

Today was the first day of classes and I would say that they went relatively well. All of our classes are in French and I knew immediately that it would take me some time to begin to comprehend everything the professors were saying. I was not completely lost, but there were some things I knew that I was missing. I was not too stressed though because the good thing about this semester is that I will be getting Columbia credits, but my grades aren't going to transfer or effect my GPA so I finally have the chance to relax a little. I also like this because it has allowed me to focus more on my experience here as a whole rather focusing solely on doing well in all my classes. I'm still interested in learning and making the most out of all of my classes there's just not longer that pressure of trying to perfect everything that I do, which is so prevalent in my life at Columbia. I have had time to enjoy the city, spend time with my family and I feel my attitude towards doing all these things is a lot better because I don’t have the pressure of classes.

After class Jack, Eura and I went to the Universite de Chiekh-Anta-Drop because we hadn't been there yet and we heard that it was close to the WARC. This made sense because during lunch a lot of people come to eat and they all look like students or professors from the University. Jack and Eura also needed flash cards for our Wolof class and I needed a notebook as well as a planner for myself. We thought the school bookstore would be a good place to find things. The walk to the University was about 25 minutes as we walked along the main coastal road, la Route de la Corniche West. This road is very beautiful during the day because it's right along the ocean and there are a lot of amazing views as you walk along it ,although MSID warned us that there are a lot of robberies that happen on it at night so it is best to avoid the road after 6pm. When we arrived at the University the campus layout was unusually open especially in such a tightly packed city like Dakar. It also looked a little warned down as there were signs which one could barely read. The University itself is relatively new as it was established in 1957, but it is likely worn down because the city does not have money to carry out any renovations. As we looked for a library or a student center we passed their science building and political sciences building. We then asked for directions to the library from a few of the students who were on campus and they pointed us straight forward on the road we were on to the one building we saw that looked relatively new and modern.

When we walked up to it and tried to go inside we realized it was closed on Mondays after noon during the summer until the school year began in October. The school year for the Senegalese runs from October to July instead of September to May/June like in the US. To our right we saw a little shop that was selling supplies and that was where I purchased my notebook and planner. Eura got a notebook as well, but they didn't have the flashcards that they were looking for. We asked the man at the counter if he could direct us to another place that would have a bigger selection of supplies where Eura and Jack could find flashcards and he pointed us to the right, however he did not specify exactly where the shop was. We then went off to look around the campus for about 10 minutes but we were unable to find the shop so we just decided to just walk back to the WARC through the University campus this time instead of along the main road. I enjoyed walking through the greater University campus because we got a chance to check out their lecture halls, classroom as well as the dormitories, which were on the interior of the school. The dormitories were quite a sight because we saw clothes hanging outside of almost every window to dry. This made me think about how it is luxury to have had washing machines and dryers in all of the dormitories in which I have lived. I really couldn't imagine having to hand wash and hang dry all of my clothes as often as I do laundry. Additionally, I think a majority of the homes in Dakar don't have a washing machine or dryer because of the price of electricity. My household and most of the other households in which the other MSID students are staying have maids who wash all of the clothes and the dishes. Although I wash my undergarments myself because MSID emphasized that it was disrespectful to give the maids your underwear to clean.

After exiting onto a road behind the campus we saw a whole slew of karts set up right outside of the school selling school supplies and we realized that this was where the man had tried to point us initially. These karts had all the schools supplies one would need and as we walked down the road we saw that they had books and electronics as well, you just had to bargain for what you wanted. At first I was very surprised to see all of these karts were set up right outside of the school for all of the students. At Columbia and many other Universities the most convenient place to you get your supplies when you're on campus is from the overpriced bookstore. However, here in Dakar and you got your supplies from these karts and you could bargain to get the best deal. Jack and Eura were unable to find their flashcards, but it was pretty funny listening to them try to explain what a flashcard was to all of the vendors. Jack was able to get a book written by the past President on his views for the future of the country that he negotiated down to 1000CFA from 7000CFA and Eura bought a dictionary that she negotiated down to 3000CFA from 7000CFA also. We then continued to walk in the direction of the WARC as we wanted to make our way there without using the main coastal route and next thing we know we had arrived. The walk was about 15 minutes this time around because we cut straight through the campus.

Day at the Beach

Today, Sunday was a very relaxing day as I had no work yet for my classes and I had all of the freedom in the world. I woke up and it was a beautiful and sunny day, as had been almost every other day we've been here, if it was not raining. I thought that it would be a great day to go to the beach since it was our first free weekend in Dakar and none of us had been to the beach yet. So I texted my neighbors Brittany and Jack, as well as a few other people in the program to see if they wanted to go to the beach too. Coincidentally, Brittany’s told me that her host brother, Yousou wanted to do the same. I first had a hearty brunch of egg, fries and onions with bread, prepared by my host sister Diro. It's a meal I've had a few times since being here and every time its been delicious.

I then met Brittany and her host brother Yousou outside of our houses and we departed for the beach. I didn’t know what beach we were going to and I had heard a few names of some good ones in Dakar (there are many being that Dakar is a peninsula), but I didn't ask Yousou which one we were going to because I was confident that whatever beach we went to would be a good one. As we started walking I thought maybe that we were going to the beach which is in walking distance from where we live, however Yousou then hailed a cab and I realized we were going somewhere else. As we drove in the cab I realized we were going to the northern area of Dakar called Les Almadies and we were entering the same area that we had just been the night before night. It was about a 10 minute ride all the way to where we got out and walked a few yards to the beach. As we approached the beach I was stunned by how beautiful it was. 

We went down to where there were a number of umbrellas set up with mats under each of them. A man approached us and explained that we had to pay 1000CFA ($2) for one of the umbrellas, a fee that goes to the people who were responsible for setting up the umbrellas and the upkeep of the beach. I wondered how they were designated with that responsibility, although I didn't question it any further because the beach was very clean. Since we got there during the early afternoon around 2pm there were not that many people present as many natives in Dakar work on the weekends. There were a good number Europeans though as Yousou explained that this was still vacation season for Europeans and many of them like to come to Senegal for their vacations because of the nice beaches and cheap prices. Brittany then rain into the water, however I had to take a few pictures before I go in because the beach and the area that it was in was so picturesque.

I then undressed and ran to the water too. Yousou stayed back relaxing under the umbrella and on his phone, although he came down to the sand eventually. As I approached the water the sand felt amazing on my feet as it much finer that the sand on Goree island, of which you could clearly see and feel the makeup (pieces of glass, rocks, trash, etc.). I spent a good amount of time just laying out on the beach and sinking into the sand. The water was extremely refreshing and feeling the waves splash against me was nice too. While we were in the water Brittany said that she thought this was the happiest she had ever been, which I was glad to hear. Although I didn't know if I felt the same, I knew I made the right decision to study abroad in this city. Over the next 3 hours we spent time getting in and out of the water and taking naps under the umbrella, an amazing afternoon. 

Yousou and I

Brittany!

There were also a lot of people who started to come to the beach and around 5pm/5:30pm it was full of Senegalese people who had just got off work as well as Europeans on vacation. We then packed our things and departed around 6pm, the perfect time because right after getting in the taxi on the way home it started to rain.

Senegalese Baptism

Today I got the unique opportunity to see a Traditional Senegalese Baptism, or at least the celebration part of the baptism. After I felt good enough to get out my bed I took a shower and went just outside onto the unpaved road in front of the house. There was a tent set up that I remembered hearing being set up the night before when I was experiencing the deathly sickness, which covered the front of our house and the house across the street. 

I sat outside with the two students from the MSID program, Jack and Brittany, who lived in the houses directly across the street from me as well as a few students from the Global Citizen program for high school students taking a gap year, as one of the them was staying in the same house as Jack.  We sat and talked about our programs and experiences so far and we were making plans for what we wanted to do after lunch, which many people had at 2pm because it is in sync with the prayer times since 95% of Senegalese are Muslim. Brittany then mentioned that she thought her family was having a baptism today so she didn't know if she could do anything. The global citizen students had also heard about the baptism however they were unsure if they wanted to attend because they didn't think they had the proper attire. 

Then slowly people began to bring out chairs and sitting in the area of around us as I realized that a portion of the festivities would be happening right where we were sitting, however I didn't know what. We soon heard loud music coming from around the corner and then we saw there was a group of people coming down the street like a small parade, and we knew he baptism is here. 

There were some Senegalese men at the front playing instruments instruments while the the Senegalese woman at the front with the loudspeaker lead the procession, and a few other younger kids were holding baskets of fruits and other gifts for the family of the baby. The woman at the front was saying a lot of things in Wolof which were distinctly different phrases but they sounded in harmony like a song. They continued the music as they approached and entered the space under tent all the way until they were right in front of the entrance into the yard of the house. The woman then continued to speak, however it was like a conversation with the mother of the baby and the people present at the ceremony, as they would respond with affirmation to her after every one of her sentences or phrases. At some points other women would jump in and say something that I’m assuming was about the baby. 

Musiciens

Master of Ceremonies

After the woman finished and the music died down they went back down the street from where they came from. They then returned 15min later and performed another stage of the ceremony with music and a speech from the woman after which everyone who was present at the baptism ate. The mother of the baby even offered me food and water just because I was present, which seemed in accordance with the value system of the Senegalese because they are all about community and sharing. So I went into the front yard of the house to eat with the other young men who I assumed were related to the family and it needless to say that the food was delicious. After eating many family members just sat outside of the house and talked as I didn't know if anything was coming after the two processions or that night. However, once it started raining very hard and the road began flooding, I returned back into my house. The funny thing at the end of all of this is that despite all of these festivities for the baby, I never actually saw the baby who all of the celebration was for.

At the baptism I really enjoyed seeing all of the vibrant colors that the women were wearing. This was the first time that I had seen so many women wearing their traditional garbs. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the women in their dresses, however I felt bad asking for a picture of them just because I felt like a tourist doing so. Although now in retrospect I definitely should have as I haven't seen such colorful dresses since. Another thing I enjoyed about the baptism was that it was such a exciting and positive communal celebration all for the birth of one child.

First Sickness

Today I experience the worst feeling that I had possibility experienced in my entire life. I’m not sure exactly what the sickness was but it was what I understood to be a fever, the flu, food poisoning all at the same time. I woke up in the morning intending to attend school as classes hadn't started yet but we did have to go to the WARC for our last day of orientation. After showering and getting ready I went down for breakfast but I knew as soon as I woke up I didn't want bread and I only wanted tea to soothe my stomach. 

However as I was drinking my tea I started to get a little nauseous and ran upstairs after which I threw up everything from my very delicious traditional Senegalese meal from the night before, during which I indulged quite a bit. I then went outside told my neighbor and fellow MSID participant Jack that I would come to class later that day because I was feeling sick, little did he know that I had thrown up everything just moments before. I then proceeded to sleep for the next day, periodically getting up to throw up or relive my self.

The school actually called me in the afternoon to check to make sure I was not extremely sick with malaria or any other illness. It turned out that 4 other people in the program were sick as well and they thought that it was because of the unfiltered water that we had at lunch on Thursday. Which I remembered drinking a lot of because I thought it was filtered and I was extremely thirsty. Apparently everyone but me knew this was not the case. I knew that everyone warned against drinking the faucet water in a developing country I had never experienced the effects of it. Now I understood from personal experience. 

At some point during the afternoon and night each of my family members came into my room to see if I was okay and I explained that I had taken my medications and I would hopefully be better soon. My host sister in the late afternoon actually came in and when I told her I was hot she told me to get up and she helped me put my bed outside in the cool air because my room was so hot. Even after the stomach sickness and the the diarrhea ceased I continued to feel extremely sore all night and even until the next day. I continued to sleep until about 10:30am on Saturday (I had a slept a solid 20 hours by then) when my strength had returned and the soreness had ceased.

WARC Tour & Reflections

Today we had another round of orientation at the WARC (West African Research Center) which included an overview of the readings we did over the summer, a tour of the WARC and discussion about our internships for the second half of the program. The facilities are pretty nice, there is a main classroom where we have the majority of our classes and a second one where we have our French class on Fridays. There is also a computer room and they have wifi throughout the facility. They also have a library which looks pretty nice and I definitely plan on renting some books from there by some well known Senegalese authors like Cheikh Anta Diop and Leopold Sengor to read.

WARC

WARC

The Main Classroom

After class all of us went to a store called MyShop to sit down have some snacks and drinks. While talking with the other MSID participants about our time in Dakar one girl explained that she didn't feel she had the right to tell the people in this country how they can develop themselves and improve their lives, being that the focus of our studies was International Development. She even felt a sense of guilt just sitting at that shop and having a snack, almost as thought she was imposing herself on the Senegalese sitting around us just by her presence. She then explained that when we were on the bus tour around the city during the second day she felt at times as though she was looking out the window at the Senegalese like they were animals. I didn't feel any sentiment of anger at this comment but I immediately thought about the society that produced the images and ideas which caused her to have this perception of Africans as animals. It could have been just the fact that we were not speaking with the people who we were looking at so she felt disconnected from them, like one does when their at the zoo looking at animals. However the people we saw on the streets weren't in cages, and they weren't there for our entertainment. Nonetheless, I thought it was an interesting comment and it definitely pointed out a difference in our perceptions because as I looked out the window during our tours I thought more about the all of the differences in the life experiences between myself and the people at whom I was looking. I really appreciated opportunities like these to sit down with the other students and get their opinions about our time here in Senegal because sometimes people are hesitant to express themselves fully in class during formal discussion.

Then on our way back to our host families my friend Brittany asked me why I came to Senegal for the MSID program. I said that I first wanted to study abroad to improve my French however I didn't want to do so in a First World country or Western Civilization/European country. Also I had never been to the continent of Africa so studying in any African French speaking country seemed like the best idea to me (although this is also a difficult situation because the fact that any African country speaks French is due to some form of colonization by a European country, France). Additionally having the opportunity to spend 3 1/2 months in Senegal with the only purpose of my trip being to study, learn, reflect and enjoy myself is definitely a once in a life opportunity. After researching the country of Senegal and the city of Dakar as well as the program, I definitely felt like it was the best decision.

She then asked me if I felt like I was more at home in Senegal which was a difficult question because I thought that in no way could a completely foreign country on a continent which I have never been to actually feel like home because it lacks the sense of familiarity that any place which I would consider home would have, so I said no. However home for me is also a place where you are very comfortable and at ease, and just the simple fact that everyone one in the country is of the same skin color as I provides me with a sense of comfort, for some reason, that I do not have in the US. Additionally I explained that home also represents a place of origin so technically Africa is home because those that came before me were removed from Africa, and I am an American as a result of that involuntary process of removal. However, I was born and raised in America, my experience is America, as well as the experiences of my mom and dad and their parents, and so I am an African-American.

Later that night that Brittany's host brother, Yousou asked me if I knew where my family was from in Africa.

"Savez-vous dans quel pays votre famille est originaire de l'Afrique?"

I responded that I didn't and I felt a little embarrassed in that moment because I wondered if I didn't know my origin country then could I relate to my friends host brother anymore than my friend from Minnesota? Likely not because we were both American, although I knew I could find out the answer with a blood test and at the time I felt the desire to do so. I felt like having more a sense of origin would also give me more piece of mind in terms of my own sense of identity. Although my perception of personal identity is solely focused on the individual which is in contrast to the communal sense of identity prevalent in Senegal, as one's identity here comes from their community, family and lineage. So in that case my identity is defined by my mother and father, my aunts, uncles cousins and grandparents.

La Maison des Esclaves

Today we went to Goree Island. I heard a great deal about Goree Island in my Intro to Africana Studies Course during the Spring semester and from people when I told them I was traveling to Dakar, Senegal. It is a very well known place mainly because it is home to the House of Slaves, which has become a tourist destination because for those interested in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Although many claim that Goree Island had little significance to the Atlantic. My mother was also one of the main reasons that I knew about the island before coming to Senegal because she told me about her experiences in Dakar and on Goree Island from when she was in Senegal the year I was born. 

The day began with the group meeting at the Western African Research Center and from there we entered taxis to the port in downtown from where the ships to Goree Island depart. I bought some glasses outside from a guy while we were waiting for Marie and Waly to purchase our tickets, which was my first experience with Bargaining. The guy asked for 3000CFA but I asked for 1500 and settled for 2000CFA, although I feel like if I had walked away he would have called me back and given them to me for 1500CFA. Then after we boarded the boat and left for the Island. Goree Island was about a 30 minute trip and it was pretty bumpy ride over there.

Goree Island

When we arrived we exited the boat onto the pier at the Island and our tour guide was waiting for us at the end of it. Waly introduced us to the guide and we began our tour of the island. The first stop was a statue of Galaye (Blaise) M'Baye Diagne, the first African elected at the French National Assembly and to obtain a post in the French government. Blaise Diange also served as the mayor of Dakar for 14 years.

Blaise Diagne

Right behind the statue was a large Baobab tree, the national tree of Senegal.

Baobab Tree

The base of the Baobab Tree

 We then entered into the Maison des Esclaves.

In the "Maison Des Esclaves" our tour guide showed us how there were individual rooms for the different groupings of slaves, as he said the French who owned Goree Island, were well known for their strategic placement of the slaves. There were was a room for the men, the women who were virgins, the women who were not virgins and one for the children as well. 

The room for the men was the smallest and furthest away from the room for the women. There was also no bathroom in the room for the men and they were only allowed to eat and exit the room once a day so they would often have to sit in their own feces, much like the circumstances on the slave ships on which millions of slaves were transported to different parts of Europe. The room for the children was the smallest but they were also the only one who were not chained down because the guards were not fearful of the children rebelling. The room for the women who were virgins was the most open and closest to the main hallway so that the Europeans could point the ones they wanted for the guards to get from the room. Also the virgin women were the only ones with a toilet in the room itself so that the women could use the restroom before the people who were interested in purchasing them picked them out.

There we also rooms or rather small chambers that were used as a means of punishment for the slaves who were aggressive or attempted to rebel. If a slave was to be punished they were thrown into one of the these small chambers for up to 3 days. The french often packed these very small chambers with many slaves to the scare the rest of the slaves from attempting to take the same course of action. Our tour guide also showed us a room for the slaves who demonstrated the most resistance and it was known for being the room from which the slaves never exited alive. The room was directly next to the water and the slaves were left in their until they died from the moisture of the room getting into their lungs, dehydration or starvation.

The final things he showed us was the main hallway which led to the "Door of No Return". This door exited that onto a platform on which the slaves would enter the ships and depart from Africa. Our tour guide explained that all of the slaves would be chained to one another so that none of them could jump into the water during the process of boarding the ships. Additionally if a slave did try to jump or resist the guards would shoot them down to prevent the rest of the slaves chained to them from falling into the water. However, despite these measures there were many slaves who still committed suicide by jumping into the water. that were thrown into the water by the guards and masters of the house for their. Goree Island was also known for the many sharks that would surround the island because of the great number of bodies that ended up in the water.

Me in front of the Door of No Return

The "Maison Des Esclaves" was quite an experience for me because I had heard so much about the horrors of slavery and the history of the dehumanization and exploitation of Africans that defined the Atlantic Slave Trade, but I had never seen the location of these events or an actual slave quarter first hand. Walking into the actual rooms were many lives had been lost was a very surreal experience and I felt bit awkward going on a tour of it as though it was an exhibit but I understand the importance of using the "Maison Des Esclaves" as a means of shedding light on all that occurred within the Slave Houses across the African coast in reverence for the lives that were sacrificed and lost.

After exiting the "Maison Des Esclaves", our tour guide took us to the Statue of Liberation` and the Slavery Monument. He explained to us the significance of these works to the Senegalese and to all those involved and impacted by the Atlantic Slave Trade.

The Statue of Liberation

Slavery Monument

We then walked up to the top of the island for lunch at a restaurant which was unexpectedly very good. It was here that Waly did the second part of his orientation regarding safety, travel around Senegal and our trip to Toubacouda. First we had a salad which we made from a platter of vegetables shaped like a fish which was very good. Next they brought the actual lunch platters which were chicken and fish. I wish I would have taken a picture but those who ordered fish got a whole fish on a platter, with eyes and everything. Also on the side they brought out plantains, rice and fries and we were able to walk up to the table and get how much we wanted of those things. Then for the dessert they gave us a cup of mangos, pineapples and oranges which was very good also.

Mango Dessert

After the very filling lunch and when Waly finished telling us everything we went to the beach on Goree Island, which is a very small beach. The beach was a little dirty and you could see small pieces of debris in the sand (broken glass, bags, etc) but it had been such a hot day and we had been walking around the island all day that it felt good to get into the water. We stayed there for about an hour and then boarded the ferry to head back.