Amadou/Mosque/Boubou

Thursday was the day after the Tamxarit holiday and it was very relaxing. Breakfast that morning was tea, french bread and brie cheese. I enjoy mornings when I get to eat breakfast at home because I get to spend time time with my family. During the week I always eat breakfast at my job when I get to the breakfast sandwiches. I've also become a really big tea drinker since being here, and not just with ataya. I have tea whenever I have breakfast at home because the rest of my family drinks coffee, which I do not drink.  After breakfast we just lounged around the house and around 1:30pm Amadou said that he would be heading to the Mosque for prayer. I asked to go with him because I understand how important Islam is to the Senegalese and how it plays such a huge part in the culture here. I also had not yet been to the mosque with one of my family members. 

Before I spoke with my host dad about the possibility of me going with him one time to the mosque but I knew that going this time with Amadou was probably a better bet since spend the most time with him. During our conversation I also asked my host dad about a picture that I took of a man on the front of Sandou's motorcycle. Sandou was the Jakarta I met who gave me a ride home one day from my internship and was wearing the Sacramento Kings jersey. After I asked to take a picture with him, he insisted that I also take a picture of the man that he had on his scooter. At the time I didn't know who it was exactly, but I knew he was some type of religious leader. I had seen pictures like that everywhere I had been in Senegal such as in taxis, restaurants, stores, barbershops and basically anywhere you could put up a picture for a lot of people to see. He pointed at the man and tried to explain to me who he was, but I couldn't understand exactly what he was saying, although it was evident that the man was of much importance to him. 

My host dad explained to me that the picture was of Marabout Baye Niasse, the marabout of Kaolack who died in 1975. There is a different marabout for each city which is why the pictures that I saw so often in Dakar and throughout the other cities in Senegal that I've been to, have been of different marabouts. The marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher. As a scholar of the Qu'ran he is the one who was first responsible for translating it for the people. I asked Amadou's friend Khadim why the marabout had to translate the Qu'ran if Khadim, Amadou and the other Senegalese could read Arabic. He explained with a description of the Marabout, "il est don est plus venere". Essentially he is viewed as a gift from god who is very revered by the people, so his translation of the Qu'ran is most respected. This is why the Jakarta had so much respect for him and wanted me to know who he was. 

Sandou (the Jakarta) and I 

Marabout Baye Niasse (Kaolack)

When we left the house for the mosque I initially thought that we were going to the mosque near the APROFES hotel. I knew of it because I would walk by the mosque before when I stayed at the hotel and I saw many men praying outside of it all the time. We actually went to a different larger mosque, Diakae Mouride, which Amadou usually goes to for prayer. When we got near the mosque Amadou set up his prayer rug outside of a house next to about five other men who were getting ready for prayer as well. Closer to the mosque under the shade of a tree there was a group of Senegalese men setting up their rugs for prayer as well. As it approached 2pm I observed as more and more men arrived for prayer, some entering the mosque and many others setting up their rugs in the surrounding area. I saw two boys, who were probably no older than 4 or 5, walking together to the mosque with their mat which they placed on the ground and shared. 

We didn't go inside or walk up any closer to the mosque because I was not allowed to go in the mosque since I was not Muslim. Later when we returned to the house I told Djelia that I had gone to the mosque with Amadou and she gasped stating that it was forbidden for me to do so. However I explained that I did not go inside and I just went to view the praying and she understood. She explained that to enter the mosque one must first undergo some form of ritual purification. I later looked up the validity of this and it seems like one's ability to enter a mosque if they are not Muslim really depends on the culture and the mosque.

Diakae Mouride (Kaolack Mosque) 

Throughout my time at the mosque observing the prayer I could not help but notice the true sense of brotherhood among all of the Senegalese men. Everyone greeted and acknowledged each other as I could really feel the sense of community. I was unsure whether this sentiment was due more to religious connection between this group of men or just because of the sense of community that is staple of the Senegalese culture. Although, these two things, Senegalese culture and the Islamic religion, are so closely intertwined that it is likely unnecessary to make this distinction between the two. After the prayer ended everyone shook hands with each other and left. However, no one acknowledged me or came to shake my hand, which I understood because I was not Muslim. Also it was probably quite obvious that I was not from Senegal because I had a camera with me.

I also thought about how this sentiment of brotherhood alongside a true sense of community pervades Senegalese culture in every way. I've noticed that the younger Senegalese men, like Amadou, Xadim, Yousou and Galo, are very open and friendly with one another. Sometimes on the streets I see two men holding hands and while in the states many would think that this means the two men are gay, here in Senegal that is not the case. Senegal outlaws same-sex sexual acts and, in the past, has prosecuted men accused of homosexuality. Additionally 97% of Senegal residents believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept. I say this because in the United States where most recognize homosexuality, you don't usually see two heterosexual men who are friends holding hands on the street, at least I don't. In the states usually the action of holding another's hand in public is associated with their being a relationship between the two people. However here in Senegal that perception is not a possibility because they don't acknowledge the existence of homosexuality as a sexual orientation like heterosexuality. 

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Saturday morning Amadou agreed to go with me to the Grand Market to get my boubou (the traditional Senegalese garb for men) because I had been waiting to get one. I bought one for Tabaski in Dakar however that one was relatively cheap and it was not actually custom made. I had purchased the shirt and the pants already made and I just took that one to the tailor so that he could make the necessary adjustments to it. With this new boubou I would be buying the cloth for the tailor who would then make the entire boubou based on my measurements. I've been pretty excited about getting one because I needed one for work and I wanted to bring it back with me to the states. I told Amadou that I also wanted to go to the Village Artisinal to look for some gifts for my friends back home and he said he would accompany me there as well. 

My sister Djelia and Louise were also going to the market that day to pick up a dress for Louise. Amadou and I went separately as Djelia and Louis took a taxi into town while Amadou likes to walk everywhere that we go. He asked if I walked around Kaolack often and I told him I usually take the Jakarta to work, but I walk home at the end of the day when I'm not pressed for time and because the weather is cooler at the end of the day. He thought that this was good because although the Jakarta is fun, he thinks walking lets you really see and experience Kaolack and I agreed with him. I really enjoy walking back home after work and I try to take a different route each time, or at least pass through streets I haven't seen before. 

We first went to the one of the larger banks, BCEAO, which is very close to the market, although on our way we ran into a few of Amadou's friends who are policemen. Amadou said that they had just finished their shifts and they were leaving their post, as neither of them was dressed in their uniforms. I introduced myself and explained where I was from and what I was doing in Kaolack. They were both very friendly and they seemed very concerned with if I was having a good time in Senegal. Pretty much all of the Senegalese I have met have asked to make sure I was enjoying their country, which I think is the most natural question for a native to ask a visitor. I assured them that I have had nothing but positive experiences in this country. Then one of them asked me if I was enjoying the nightlife here in Senegal as well as the Senegalese women. I told them that I had a great time in Dakar with the nightlife because of the clubs, but here in Kaolack I had yet to check any out yet. They said that we could go out together one of my nights here and them one of them joked that he could provide me a Senegalese woman, or multiple women. 

I hear jokes like these very often here and the inherent objectification/commodification of Senegalese women always makes me uncomfortable. I laughed saying that wasn't necessary, since I never know how to respond to these jokes and laughing is usually my first instinct in those situations. I often feel guilty by the fact that I respond with a laugh rather than correcting them or explaining why the joke is problematic. I spoke up one time after I telling my family about the demographics of the MSID group 3 guys 11 girls. They joked that if I gave Amadou one of the female students then they would give me pretty Senegalese women. I laughed awkwardly initially, not answering the question hoping we would just continue with the conversation. Then they asked what the problem was and I explained that in the states "giving" any of my friends to anyone was not something I could do and it was a concept that I had only encountered here in Senegal. The most that you can do in the states is match two people, but what happens next is up to the both of them. It's never a matter of anyone being given to anyone, because that's treating a person like an object, with no concern for their own desires. 

Here I understand that these are jokes, but they are a sign of the mentality of the men and their perceptions of women that further contribute to the inequality here. I think there is likely due to the prevalence of the Islamic religion here (95% Islam). I say this because it is acceptable for Muslim men in Senegal to have multiple wives and for them to give away their daughters as wives. The male figure is considered the guide for his wife and daughters so he is thought to know what is best for them. There societal value for the ability of the father to give their daughters away and so I believe that is why it has become joke among the younger Senegalese men. Additionally young Senegalese men are also known for having multiple girlfriends (not surprisingly). So there is always the possibility of "acquiring" another girlfriend, an idea which further contributes to the objectification of women. 

After we parted ways with Amadou's friends we continued to the bank to withdraw money. He then went with me to get my haircut at one of the barbershops which was nearby in the grand market. He waited outside while the barber cut my hair and he did a very good job. I gave the barber 2000CFA and he gave me back 1000CFA. I looked at him waiting to give me the other 500 CFA, but he never did. So Amadou and I left because I thought about it and in reality I still got very nice haircut for a little over $2. Afterwards I asked Amadou why I paid 1000 CFA because I thought the price for a haircut was always 500 CFA. That's the way it was in Dakar and that's the way that Amadou initially said it was in Kaolack too. Amadou often comes to this barber, which is the reason we came here, and he knew a lot of people at the shop when we arrived so I trusted his judgement. I told him that I thought that the barber had increased the price just because he knew I was American and he agreed that was probably the case, which is something that upset me.

I understand the perception that many Senegalese have of Americans as wealthy, understandably, because of the difference in our economies and the overall standards of living. Additionally the Americans who come to Senegal are the ones who get the better end of the economic prosperity in America because they have the money to travel. I feel that it is important to note that there are surely though who are struggling financially in America. Despite the fact that am an American, I didn't feel comfortable with just accepting an augmented price. I remembered being in a similar situation before with a Jakarta before who increased the price he wanted once we arrived at the destination. With the Jakarta it wasn't ever the amount which was the problem because it reality it was no more than an extra $1. It was only a matter of my desire for the Jakarta to keep his word to the amount we agreed upon before I got on the motorcycle. I didn't like how the Jakarta felt like he could increase the price just because I wasn't Senegalese, and I felt like the same thing was happening here with the barber. So Amadou and I went to ask the barber if he increased the price because I was American, because really I just wanted to know. He said that he didn't and that he normally charges 1000 CFA and although I didn't quite believe him I accepted it and left. 

Afterwards we proceeded to the interior of the grand market to get my boubou. The Grand Market in Kaolack is the second largest "covered market" in West Africa. Some of the market is in two story buildings and the shops are each the size of a storage rooms or one car garage with a metallic door that pulls down, much like a garage door.The rest of the market, the part which is like a maze, just has covering over the entire thing. Sometimes after my internship I'll walk through the market, since it's on my way home from the Chamber of Commerce, and wonder through it looking at all of the shops as you can easily get lost in it. The grand market is basically like a mall and you can find practically anything there if you look hard enough. 

An interesting thing is that many of the items which are being sold in the Grand Market are from China, and the Senegalese know this very well. I bought a pair of authentic "Beats by Dre" headphones for 1000 CFA ($2) (The "b" came off of the headphones after a week).When my brother Amadou saw them he immediately said "China". The same thing happened a few days ago at my internship when one of the employees was showing the other employees his new laptop. I could hear all of them commenting dismissively and disapprovingly about how it was from China. There is a general impression among the Senegalese that products from China are not of good quality, however there are a lot of them. This is the same case for the US as many of our products are "Made in China", however here in Senegal the large amount of importation can often be viewed as a hindrance to economic growth. Micro-finance firms are often more comfortable with funding vendors of already made products than they are with artisans or creators of products because there is less risk in those investments, especially in an economy such as Senegal's. 

As we walked through the market there were shops on both sides of us, as the walkways were pretty tight. I usually would step to the side to let someone who was walking my way pass by. All of the shops were either selling cloth for Senegalese garments or products that I could guess had probably come from China. When we arrived at the shop that I would be purchasing my cloth from we ran into my sisters Djelia and Xadit sitting inside the shop. Djelia was looking around and Xadit was eating lunch. I picked out the color of the boubou I wanted, black with white stitching, and Djelia and Amadou basically did all of the bargaining for me. I really didn't know how much a boubou should cost so I trusted their judgement with that. It ended up being 3000 ($6) per meter, which I remember from my Wolof class was a pretty fair price. Then the tailor took my measurements so he could create the boubou. Overall I think the purchase went really smoothly and I was glad to have finally purchased a boubou. 

After purchasing the boubou we walked to the village artisinal which wasn't too far from the Grand Market. We spent about an hour there as I went around searching for gifts for friends and family back home. The village artisinal is a small area which sells products which are actually made by the Senegalese, and not just sent over from China like the ones in the Grand Market. They make much better gifts in my opinion because they're hand crafted and are truly from Senegal. The type of products there reminded me a lot of the Soubedioume market that I went to in during my last weekend in Dakar. As we walked from shop to shop I bargained with each of the vendors that I bought something from, which I enjoy doing. When we went to HLM, which is the large market in Dakar, some of the other students said that they don't like always having to bargain with the guys because it's exhausting and takes a lot a time. I agree with them that it takes a lot of time but I think of it as a game. You end up talking with the vendors and getting to know them a little which I like as well. We went to the back of one of the shops and ran into another one of Amadou's friends who was carving wood sculptures. He explained that he carves a lot of the wooden sculptures that are sold at the village artisinal. He carves them and then sells them to the interested vendors. This made sense because a lot of the vendors there had similar products that looked like they had been made by the same person. Two of the things which I showed him that I bought he actually carved, so it was nice to meet the man who actually produced them. We left the village artisinal and returned back to the house. 

Trip to Touba/Grand Mosque

This past weekend a group of us planned to meet up in the city of Touba, which is the most religious city in all of Senegal as it is the holy city of Mouridism.  From the south it was Amanda (Fatick), Marcos (Sokone), Krishna (Kaolack) and I (Kaolack) who were planning to take the trip. However the night before Amanda and Marcos came to Kaolack to meet up with me because I am closer to Touba and it was easier for them to come to Kaolack the night before so that we could take the trip to Touba together in the morning. They arrived in Kaolack Saturday night and they initially they were not going to come have dinner with me and my family as they met up at a restaurant in the city. However, I told them that my sisters were preparing a grand feast for them and they would be sad if they didn't come. Then when I told my mom and my sister Xadit that that my friends may be eating at a restaurant instead of coming to have dinner with us, they insisted that I tell Amanda and Marcos to come eat with us. They eventually came, although I think they still ate dinner at the restaurant, they also ate again with me and my family so I was pleased. I probably would have done the same.

Everyone at the table outside

Poulet (Chicken) et Frites and my host dad getting ready to jump in

It was a delicious meal and I could tell that my sister put a lot of preparation into the meal so I was glad that Amanda and Marcos came for dinner and that my family was able to host them. We had glasses of soda afterwards as well as watermelon with bananas and apples, which I also enjoyed. It was definitely one of the best meals I've had in Kaolack and I knew that it was because my sisters, Raki, Djelia and Xadit, wanted to make a good impression on my friends. The Senegalese are very hospitable and they always very warm and welcoming to new guests, at least those have been my experiences. I could tell that my family really enjoyed having Marcos and Amanda over and I was happy that they got to meet some other students from the program, as they know Krishna and really like already. I also think Amanda and Marcos enjoyed the meal as I remember Amanda saying it was better than what they had at the restaurant. 

My beautiful sister Djelia!

After dinner we went up to the roof with my brother Amadou and his friends to have tea. He always makes amazing tea and I still want to learn how to make it but I think the lessons are coming soon. We talked on the roof and Marcos and Amadou connected over music that they overheard being played really loudly at the house next-door to us. Amanda asked if it was a party and joked that she wanted to go check it out but Amadou explained that it was probably just someone playing loud music. Connecting over music happens often with me and the Senegalese because they listen to a lot of American music. However this time the music was in Portuguese, but Amadou still knew some of the words, he just didn't know what they meant. So Amadou asked Marcos what the song was saying, as he does with me often, but in regards to American music (such as the lyrics to Drake songs). Marcos didn't know how to explain in French that the song was about sex so Amadou asked me. Marcos and Amanda acted surprised because they doubted my abilities to explain something in French better than Marcos. I used an anecdote that Amadou used before when he was trying to explain the same thing to me in English and he knew got it immediately, and we laughed about that. 

After tea Amanda, Marcos and I went to a bar, The Blue Bird, to have a few drinks before meeting Amadou and his friends at a nightclub close to our house. I had yet to go to a nightclub in Kaolack and I was pretty excited to check it out but I was probably more excited to go out with my siblings because I hadn't had the opportunity to do that yet either. We ended up not making it to the nightclub that night because we stayed at the bar having a conversation about the development of Senegal and Africa in general. The conversation mostly revolved around the magnitude of the impact of slavery and colonization on the Senegalese and larger African economies, and how much one can take that history into consideration when discussing the current state of Senegal. It was an interesting conversation, and I am definitely planning on looking more into for one of the research papers that we have to complete for MSID.

The next morning we planned to wake up and leave by 8 for Touba, but we ended up leaving around 9:30. We called Krishna to walk over to my house so that we could depart together and when she arrived we were off. We took a taxi to the garage where we all bought breakfast sandwiches before boarding the sept-place for Touba. Krishna was the only one who didn't get a sandwich, understandably because she was nervous about her stomach being able to handle it. She had been sick in Kaolack a few times just as I had been. I was nervous a bit too but my hunger trumped my fear of what could happen from the street sandwich, and I ended up being fine. When we were getting our sandwiches a group of young Senegalese boys surrounded Krishna and I asking for money, which usually happens when we're all together in a group, because they know we're Americans. Usually I don't give them money and I justify my rationality (or rather comfort myself) with the idea that no amount of money I give them will help their economic situation. However lately I have found myself feeling guilty about my American privilege and how I likely have more opportunity and financial stability than many of them will have in their lifetime (makes me just as uncomfortable to type that). So I gave them 2 of them 50 CFA which is no more than 10 cents together in retrospect. It wasn't really anything but it was the only change I had on me at the time other than larger bills. 

We boarded the sept-place which cost each of us 2500 CFA, about $5. We waited in the car for a while though because we had to wait for the sept-place to fill up, as they don't leave until they have 7 confirmed passengers. Once the car was full we began the journey to Touba. The ride on the sept-place was a little rough and at many points during the journey the road reminded me of the road between Fatick and Kaolack. The road between Fatick and Kaolack is known to be one of the worst roads in Senegal, which is unfortunate because it is used by many since they are two of the main cities in the country. Additionally Kaolack is a major city for shipping and transportation (there a are a lot of large trucks always passing through the city) so this makes the poor state of the road an even bigger problem for the country. The road to Touba had a lot of pot-holes at the beginning although it wasn't nearly as severe as Fatick-Kaolack. The drive overall was about two hours. 

When we arrived we called Courtney and she told us to meet her and the rest of the group at the Grand Mosque. So I asked someone on the street to point us in the direction of the Grand Mosque. Asking for directions from the Senegalese always works for me and they're always very willing to help out and oftentimes they'll go out of their way to take you all the way to the place. He pointed straight down to street to a large mosque which you could see from and distant but it didn't look like it was walking distance. So he stopped one of the truck taxis on the street and helped us board it. He asked for some money after for his help so I gave him 50 CFA. The ride to the Grand Mosque was also only 50 CFA for each of us, but they cramped a lot of people into the back of that small pickup truck. I ended up stepping over a lot of people when I exited.

The view of the Grand Mosque from the taxi truck

Amanda, Krishna, Marcos in the back of the taxi truck

When we arrived at the Grand Mosque we walked around a little and waited for the rest of the group who were coming back from a restaurant, as they had arrived earlier. We were to meet up with Courtney (who lives in Saint Louis), Eura (Louga), Jack (Louga) and Katie (Diourbel). Courtney, Jack and Eura live up north so they took a bus together after meeting in Louga. Katie and her sister Sadaga came together from Diourbel and Jack's brother also came with him from Louga. It was really good seeing everyone since I hadn't seen any other than Amanda and Krishna since being in Kaolack, as everyone else lives pretty far up north. We exchanged stories and updates about how we were all doing in our internships and with our locations around the country.

The group outside of the Grand Mosque
(Krishna, Katie, Sadaga, Marcos, Amanda, Jack, Eura, Courtney)
*left to right*

Afterwards Katie, Sadaga, Krishna, Marcos, Amanda and I went on a tour of the Mosque. Everyone who came from up north had already gone and they said it was very beautiful and Eura strongly recommended going inside to check things out. Initially I thought this wasn't allowed because when I went with my brother to 2pm prayer in Kaolack he prayed outside because I wasn't allowed to go in the mosque. On the street there was a guy who kept trying to talk with us when we first arrived because he was the the "Deputy" of the Mosque. Basically he kept explaining that he had the authority to give us tours of the Mosque, but at the time I thought he was lying due to my experience with my brother, apparently not though. So we walked up to the entrance gates of the Mosque grounds and Sadaga instructed us all to take off our shoes because you're not supposed to wear them on the premise. We all did so and then entered the gates. As we were taking pictures one guy saw Amanda and Marcos about to take a picture together and he yelled at them to stop because men and women are not allowed to take pictures together. Little did I know this guy would be my personal tour guide at the Grand Mosque. Although I never actually asked him to be my tour guide, he turned out to be helpful. Another guy, who seemed more official also emerged and he guided Katie, her host sister Sadaga and Krishna throughout the Grand Mosque. 

Grand Mosque Grounds

Culturally acceptable photo

Hi Mom!

Interior of the Grand Mosque

Our little tour group

Cool view (thanks to my tour guide)

My tour guide

My tour guide and I

I don't really know how the guy ended up being my personal tour guide. I kind of was just really friendly to him from the start and he was following me answering different questions for me so I kind of just accepted that he was my tour guide in the end. He explained to me the origins of the different parts of the Grand Mosque and what countries were responsible for the influence. He explained that the door he stood in front of was made of wood from Pakistan and that the architecture was mainly French. The original model of the tile was Moroccan however it currently being replaced by a new Italian design. Additionally there is a lot of Belgium tapestry hanging all over the Grand Mosque.

 I ended up paying him 500 CFA, which by his face, he was not satisfied with. Although the other tour guide said that they weren't doing these tours for money and that if we wanted to give them 0 CFA, that was an option. However the way that they treated us in the end after we each gave them 500 CFA, was not reflective of their initial statement. It reflected more of an expectation that we would pay them a lot since we were Americans. Sadaga explained to me afterwards though that none of the money we gave them actually goes to the Mosque or the people who run it because they are not allowed to accept money from the public. So perhaps they were an independent group of designated tour guides? I really don't know and now that I think about it and I don't know if any of the things my personal tour guide told me regarding the Grand Mosque are true, but that they sounded legitimate  But oh well, it was an absolutely beautiful Mosque regardless of the information I learned from the tour guide and I am glad I had the opportunity to see it.

After the tour finished we met back up with Eura, Jack and Courtney thinking we would be going to somewhere to spend some more time with them, however unfortunately their bus back to Louga was leaving early than expected so they had to leave us. We said our goodbyes although we would be seeing them all next weekend since we are all going to meet up in Saint Louis. 

The five of us who went on the tour decided to get some food at a nearby restaurant, the same one Eura, Jack and Courtney had been to earlier. The food was very good and very affordable  I got a burger for 1500 CFA. I hadn't had a burger since being in Dakar and I was really craving some American food of some sort. After dinner we went downstairs to pay for our meal. While we were paying Amanda went outside of the restaurant to go smoke a cigarette. As soon as she lit the cigarette their were a whole host of Senegalese men yelling at her to stop. She put out the cigarette in a hurry and the restaurant manager asked her to give it to him, but she just put it away somewhere in the cigarette box. Afterwards Sadaga spent some time talking to one of the Senegalese men about the situation, while about seven or eight people stood watching, but it was in Wolof so I couldn't quite understand. I walked up and asked her what was going on and she said that the man recommended that Amanda go to prison because smoking cigarettes was illegal in Touba. I wasn't surprised by this fact since alcohol is also prohibited in the city as well and the only way to get a drink is to leave Touba and go to a neighboring town. I laughed at first because I thought there was no way that going to prison was a possibility. I talked to the guy and apologized and said that we were clearly Americans and didn't know the rules here in Touba, but it didn't seem like that was a viable excuse for him. He said that each cigarette that the person is carrying merits a fine of 6000 CFA ($12) and reiterated his point she should go to the prison. At this point the only thing for us to do was to leave the area because so much attention was on us and quickly walked away to catch a taxi truck back to the garage to return to our respective cities... And with that our time in the holy city of Touba was over. It seems oddly appropriate that our time there as Americans nearly ended with a trip prison.

Tamxarit!

This past Wednesday the Senegalese celebrated another Islamic holiday, called Tamxarit. Tamxarit is a holiday meant to celebrate the Muslim New Year. It is a month after Tabaski on the Islamic calendar. Tamxarit is celebrated on the night of a full moon just as their is a full moon on the night of Tabaski. For this holiday the Senegalese eat a big meal of couscous and chicken. This is why my work gave to me two frozen chickens to take home to my family, although I was a bit confused at first what was happening when they tried to give me the chickens. There was a man outside with a large bag of frozen chickens and one of the employees called me over to check it out, when I outside drinking tea at Tatan Fatou's kitchen. This was also the day after I was finally getting over the affects from the food poisoning so I was still a little out of it. At first I thought he was asking if I wanted to buy the chickens and I said I didn't want any chickens, but then he clarified that the chickens were a gift so I accepted them. It was the first time I had ever received frozen chickens from anyone as a gift. I thought it was appropriate that my first time be in Senegal because I eat so much chicken here. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the chickens with me when I first returned home from lunch, so I was sure to go back to get them so that I could give them to my family to prepare for the holiday. 

After work I returned home and took a short nap because I was pretty tired from the day. Although they don't assign me a lot of work, my days at the Chamber of Commerce feel very long because of the 8pm-6pm hours. When I woke up it was about time for dinner and I was ready to eat as my appetite had finally returned. Louise put up nice lights on the bushes and my sisters set up the mat out in the driveway, which made for a very nice setting. For dinner we had the chicken and couscous as expected and I definitely had my fair share as did everyone else. Even after I had eaten my sister Djelia said that I hadn't eaten well and said that I should continue eating. I've noticed that with the Senegalese holidays it's always expected that everyone eats a lot and is fully satisfied after the meal. This was the same with Tabaski as we ate so much lamb that day. Today, however, was dedicated to the chicken and couscous. 

My family out on the driveway with the nice lights

For dessert we had a mix of couscous and warm milk, tiere ak mewe. This is a common Senegalese dish and it tastes a lot like oatmeal actually. I enjoyed it although I didn't eat too much because I'm still a little nervous about how I would react to the milk from Senegal. Then after dessert Djelia made her special drink of Sprite and mint grenadine syrup which she makes every Tamxarit. I enjoyed that as well and she seemed very happy to be making it. 

Tiere ak Mewe

Djelia and her signature drink

It was now pretty late into the night, about 10pm, and the festivities that I had heard so much about were about to commence. Before today Amadou and his friend Xadim had joked a great deal about how I was going to have to wear women's clothes for this holiday because that's a big part of the celebration. However, no one in my family actually participated in the tradition of cross dressing for which Tamxarit is so well known. It turned out to be something that only the younger kids did as they went from house to house playing music, singing and asking for treats and other goodies. It was basically exactly like Halloween in the states, except better to me because the kids carried around instruments and would dance and sing for each household to get treats unlike the kids in America who just say "trick or treat" when they ask for candy. Although the costumes are much more elaborate in the states. For Tamxarit the girls just dress like old Senegalese men and I saw only a few boys dressed as old Senegalese women as most of them were in their regular clothes just had white paint on their face. I asked my mom what was the purpose of the white paint and she said it was supposed to be so that people wouldn't recognize the children the next day. 

After all of the children were done coming by we relaxed in the living room while Amadou made tea. Overall Tamxarit was a fun experience. Not quite as eventful as Tabaski, but it was very entertaining to see all of the children come by the house and do their different performances for the treats. 

My brother Amadou pouring the Ataya

Internship at the Chamber of Commerce

My internship at the Chamber of Commerce has been a positive experience so far. I have to be at the office everyday at 8 so I wake up around 7:00/715. I take a motorcycle taxi (Jakarta in Wolof) to work in the morning, which is always a lot of fun. The first few days here my family assigned a Jakarta to me, his name is Pape, who I called whenever I needed a ride to the Chamber of Commerce. It worked out the first few days although I would try to ask him the day before to come at 7:50 so I could be at the office before 8:00, but he never quite got what I was saying so he would usually just arrive at 8:00. Overall I think the communication between us was an issue because I really only know French and it didn't seem like he knew that much French so it was always a little difficult for us to understand each other. Also sometimes after I called him it would take a while for him to come, which I understand because he has a life and I knew that he had other clients because when he would give me a ride we would always pass two or three other people that he knew on the way. However, I didn't really want to have to wait for him every time so I just began negotiating with whichever Jakarta I see first on the road. 

After speaking with my host mom I also realized that I could just pay 200 CFA each way instead of the 300 CFA that I was paying Pape. I take the Jakarta 3/4 times a day, and the 1 USD = 450 CFA, so it's not a big savings, a little under a $1 a day. Although some Jakartas don't accept my 200 CFA offer as they end up driving off after I say that 200 CFA is all I'm willing to pay, I can always find a Jakarta who will give me a ride for that price. It never takes more than 2 tries and my strong assurance that I pay 200 CFA every time I take a Jakarta. This is exactly how negotiations in Dakar worked except we were negotiating with taxis and not motorcycle taxis. Additionally Jakarta are just as prevalent in Kaolack as taxis are in Dakar; you see them everywhere, sometimes in large groups outside of popular destinations like the Grand Market or bars/clubs. I also recently learned from my brother's friend Diouf, that the name Jakarta has its origins in the fact that many Jakartas come from the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. 

I often wonder how all of these Jakartas can each have enough business to pay for their gas, pay for their motorcycles and still make enough money to have a profit to sustain themselves since it's such a cheap ride. When I asked my brother about this he assured me that there are always people who need a ride from the Jakartas to get places, which makes sense because I don't think people in Kaolack do a lot of walking during the daytime because it is always so hot. Additionally when I told my co-worker Babacar that I walk home everyday after work, which is only about a 25 minute walk, he looked at me like I was crazy. I think that the idea of walking "long distances" isn't appealing to people here because they can just take a cheap moto ride everywhere. However, the Chamber of Commerce really isn't far from where I live and I like to take my time and walk home after work when I have no reason to be in a rush to get anywhere.

The Chamber of Commerce of Agriculture and Industry of Kaolack

Work starts at 8 and I'm usually the first person there because the other employees don't come until about 8:15 or 8:20. I'm fine with this though because I realized this week that there's a cook, Tatan Ndeye Fatou, who not only prepares coffee but also makes delicious breakfast sandwiches. I found out about Tatan's breakfast sandwiches after asking Babacar where I could get something for breakfast one morning, since the only thing I have in the morning at my house is a piece of bread with tea, so I am usually hungry again by 9:30. Her breakfast sandwiches are truly amazing as she fries the eggs, sautes the onions and then cuts up the potatoes to fry the french fries on the spot. I go out and buy the traditional bread for her to put everything on because I like it much more than the French baguette bread that I had only had in Senegal up until recently. I didn't know about the existence of the traditional bread until I had it one morning with my host mom here in Kaolack. Although it's smaller in size, it weighs more than a piece of French bread twice it's size, as the traditional bread is much fuller and less airy. This all costs me 500 CFA which is about a $1. 

My daily breakfast sandwich

The office, my desk is on the very left.

For lunch they give the employees a two hour break from 13:00-15:00 , which gives us enough time to go home for lunch, eat and come back. In all my previous experiences in offices for my internships I usually only get a maximum 1 hour lunch break and oftentimes some of the employees would not leave the office to eat lunch because they preferred to sit at their desks and eat. This is why this two hour lunch break was a little strange to me at first because I thought that it showed some consideration for the personal lives of the employees. Babacar told me that the actual reason for this two hour lunch break is because it gives everyone enough time to conduct their afternoon prayer, since Muslims pray 5 times a day. I do not use this time for prayer usually I will go home and take a nap and wait for my host mom to wake me up when lunch is ready. After lunch I'll take a Jakarta back to work, even if I do have time to walk, since mid-day is the hottest time of the day in Kaolack as it's usually 100 degrees by that point. The only thing about this two hour lunch break is that it makes the work day seem a little longer because we go until 18:00 when we return.

Overall throughout my first two weeks I have not been given a lot of work to do as I have only had a few assignments. As far as I know, this has been a common theme throughout the internship experiences of the students with whom I've spoken. I was partially prepared for this reality because I read reviews of previous students who participated in the MSID Senegal program and they spoke a great deal about not doing much at their internships and having a lot of time to read. Another common sentiment in their documented experiences was the language barrier as many students explained that their internships in the village were primarily in Wolof. This is one reason why I wanted in a internship in a main city like Kaolack with a organization like the Chamber of Commerce because I thought there was a greater likelihood that the internship would be primarily in French, a language which I have been learning for 5 years, rather than Wolof, a language which I studied for 7 weeks. Then, I thought, I would be able to actually communicate with my supervisors and coworkers and understand what was going on.

Products of the Chamber of Commerce

However, much like in my household, all of the employees usually speak in Wolof with one another. Additionally all of the affairs with clients who come in to look at the different agricultural products of the Chamber of Commerce, are also conducted in Wolof. Most oftentimes I don't know what people are saying unless they are directly speaking to me in French or unless Lucas, the French employee is present, and they are speaking with him about something. One good thing is that the majority of our meetings have been conducted in French so I able to keep up with what is going on and what everyone is saying. Although sometimes they revert back to Wolof to express some of their feelings during the meeting.  Usually in those moments people only say a few phrase and oftentimes everyone will laugh at the end, and Lucas and I will usually exchange looks as we both are equally clueless as to why everyone is laughing. Lucas has been present for all of the meetings that have been conducted in French and the first one which was conducted in Wolof, after an event this past weekend, was the only one that was conducted in Wolof thusfar. So I'm really not sure if they usually have their meetings in French or if they only do so because Lucas is present. 

As an intern I understand I'm not really going to have any significant impact on the Chamber of Commerce during my 6 weeks so I've really just been focused on utilizing my time here to learn as much as I can. I think I have a unique opportunity to study an organization which plays an important role in the economy of Kaolack, and consequently in the economy of Senegal, because it's economy runs on its agricultural production and Kaolack is a center of that production. I have learned that in Senegal the primary problem with the growth of the Senegalese economy is the inability of business to attain large investments because the larger banks do not have confidence in the ability of Senegalese businesses to make the necessary returns on these investments. This is why Senegal is so heavily dependent on microeconomics and it is why a majority of the financing for the affairs of the different business in this country come from micro-finance banks. 

With this internship I have also found that the informative conversations with some of the employees regarding the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce are most valuable. From my conversations with my supervisor Jean I learned that the overall the role of the Chamber of Commerce is to help look for investors for producers of agricultural goods as they serve as the middle man between these two entities. The Chamber of Commerce in Kaolack has multiple divisions as one division helps with the locating financing for agricultural business and another actually helps with the formation aspect of agricultural businesses. This process of formation is when the Chamber of Commerce helps those businesses gain knowledge of and complete the appropriate paperwork necessary to become registered by the government. It is only once these business attain this registration that the Chamber of Commerce can begin helping them receive significant investments.

Bissap Tea (National Tea of Senegal)
Product of the GIE Karama (a partner of the Chamber of Commerce)

I have really enjoyed the events that I have been able to attend during my time here as well. Last weekend the Chamber of Commerce had a graduation for the students who completed their Agricultural Formation School.  It was a pretty big ceremony as it was attended by probably 100+ people as well as the President of the Chamber of Commerce and by the Governor of Kaolack. Throughout the morning different speakers/moderators came up to speak about the graduates and on the occasion in general, some would speak in French and others in Wolof. 

One of the speakers 

Mame with a well known Senegalese reporter

The Graduates from the Formation School

During the ceremony my only responsibility was to help hand out different things to the attendee. At first I was helping out with distributing the pamphlet as people were first arriving which went pretty smoothly because nobody was in a rush to receive a pamphlet. I stood at the door at one point after we had handed out the pamphlets to everyone who was inside so I could catch all of the newly arriving attendees, and a lot of people just walked right past me as I tried to give them a pamphlet. I then helped out hand out water and drinks to the attendees who were sitting down. This did not go as smoothly as with the pamphlets because it was hot so everyone wanted their water right away, understandably. With the waters I started from the front of the crowd and made my way to the back but people were tugging on my shirt and telling me to bring their water first whenever I made my way to the back to get more waters. Additionally I had tried to have a friendly disposition as I handed out the waters, but I quickly realized this was unnecessary as no one ever said "thank you" or smiled back.

The audience with the stage at the front

Then I was to help hand out these orange juice drinks and I was told to start with the speakers who were on the stage. As I was handing them out I was getting looks of disapproval from the people on stage and some were not taking the juices from me when I tried to hand them to them. Some of the men on stage were motioning me to do something, but it wasn't until one of them pushed my left hand away that I realized I wasn't supposed to be handing them drinks with my left hand. This is because in Senegalese culture the left hand is bad luck and it is considered disrespectful to hand something to someone with your left hand. This is the same reason why when one sits down to eat a traditional Senegalese meal with their family, everyone only uses their right hand to eat. Sometimes you can use the left hand to hold bread, but you're never supposed to reach for the plate with your left hand. 

After this happened I thought to myself, "of course I would figure out the one way to mess up the simplest task of handing out juices."  I had done so poorly of a job that I was no longer qualified to hand out juices, which was a sad realization. One of the other guys, who seemed like he was head of facilities, came and took over as he finished the task of giving the men on stage their drinks after many of them motioned for me to be replaced. In hindsight I had only been on the stage for a few seconds, but it felt like a lot longer than that with the looks I was receiving from a group of men who I didn't know individually, but whom I knew were important to the city of Kaolack. I handed a drink to my supervisor Monsieur Thiame with my left hand, which I felt bad about afterwards, realizing that he likely only accepted the drink because he knew I was an intern from America. Luckily I had not handed a drink to the President of the Chamber of Commerce or the Governor of Kaolack, as I don't know the level of disapproval that may have resulted from that. 

The President of the Chamber of Commerce ...with the orange juice drink that he didn't get from me

Overall it was a learning experience and I know I can't be too hard on myself because it was cultural rule which I wasn't aware of, or at least I didn't know the extent to which it should be applied to social situations. I learned my lesson quickly though and afterwards when I continued handing drinks out to the audience, I was more than sure to always use my right hand. I also thought to myself that the use of my left hand may have been the reason for the unhappy looks from those in the audience initially when I was handing out the pamphlets and water. I say this because when I gave them a drink with my right hand some of the people, a very small number, probably two, did smile and say thank you.