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.

Host Family & Malaria

I have now been in Kaolack for a full week and so far my experience here has been very positive and self reflective. I really like my host family, which is smaller than my host family in Dakar, although many times it doesn’t feel like it. I think it is because here in Kaolack my host mom has visitors throughout the day because of her positioning as the Director of APROFES. Oftentimes I feel like our home is a meeting place of the community as all are welcome at all times of the day. My interactions with the visitors are always fairly limited to French/Senegalese greetings because I am often too tired to sit outside in the living room and talk with them.

Front Yard/Drive Way

Main living room

Usually at lunch time I return home from work and go into the salon to sleep until Xadit or the maid wakes me up for lunch time. My living situation in the home is nice though as I share a room with my host brother Amadou, although it’s actually his room during the year. I didn’t know this at first as I thought it would just be my room, like I have in Dakar. There I had a key to lock my room so there was a sense of security as my family always reminded me to lock my door. Here I thought it would be the same but after the first day I noticed Amadou kept going in and out of the room to get things from a drawer and then he explained that this was normally his room. I felt bad because I know felt as though I was intruding on his space but he explained that sharing was the way of the Senegalese. Here I have a large bed to sleep in although the mattress is extremely thin though so when I sleep in the middle I can feel the boards and I end up having a lot of back pain in the morning. So now I sleep on the edges of the bed because the mattress isn't as worn down as it is in the middle. This is a very small inconvenience as I am in a developing nation with 46.7% of the population below the poverty line and a 48% unemployment rate. Also my home has a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower which is nice in comparison with the homes of other students in the villages where they have a whole in the ground for a toilet. 

My bed

My room

The actual people who constitute my host family here (as I finally figured out this week) are my host mother Mama Binta, Louise, Amadou, Djalia, Raki and Xadit. Louise is a French-Canadian woman volunteering for APROFES until January. Amadou is a cousin of the family and Xadit is a family friend. Djalia and Raki are my mom's actual daughters. They also have a brother who is currently in New York studying English and a sister who lives in Paris with their father. Raki is the youngest sister and she has only been living with us for the last few days because she has malaria, as I found out yesterday. She lives in the village for her work/internship and she became sick with malaria on Thursday so she came to Kaolack to get the necessary medications. She usually returns home on the weekends though because the village she works in is only 45 minutes away. I asked her if it was her first time getting malaria and she laughed. She explained that she usually gets it every 2 years or so, similar to how one gets the flu in the United States. She said that initially she was very weak and could not walk or eat, but after 5 days she is feeling much better. We talked about how for the Senegalese they do not take medication for malaria until it is necessary because their bodies are used to the mosquitoes here in Senegal. For me however I take a malaria pill everyday and I am constantly wearing mosquito spray because my body has never been exposed to malaria or the mosquitoes of this country.

After doing a bit a research I recently learned that according to my genetic makeup I am to a large extent malaria resistant. If I do get the malaria, the symptoms are much less pronounced and are not as long-lasting as with someone who does not have my genetic makeup. This is because my Dad had Sickle Cell Anemia, a disease that causes ones red blood cells to be sickle shaped, affecting the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body which causes severe complications throughout one's life. When my dad was born and growing up doctors told him they didn't expect him to live past the age of 20; in 1994 the average life expectancy for males with diagnosed with sickle cell disease was 42. Due to advances in medicine in the US and the medical attention he was able to consistently receive whenever he had a sickle cell crises, he lived till the age of 60; I’m grateful and happy to have had him 17 years of my life. When I spoke with my host mom about sickle cell she I told her that my Dad lived to be 60 which she was shocked. She explained to me that Sickle Cell Anemia is a huge problem here in Senegal and many die in their 20s here because they aren't able to receive the necessary medical attention

I do not have the disease myself because to develop the disease a person must inherit the trait from both of their parents. However, my Mom is not a carrier of the trait, so I only inherited the trait from my Dad. When you are only a carrier of the trait you don’t have the disease, but you are malaria resistant. This is why sickle cell disease occurs most commonly in Africa where incidence of malaria is high because sickle cell anemia imparts some resistance to malaria; three quarters of sickle cell cases occur in Africa. Compared to non-carriers, sickle-cell carriers have approximately 1/10 the risk of dying from infection by the most deadly species of malaria parasite. It is also most prevalent among the African-American community. In the US one in every 500 African-American births and one out of every 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic births is affected by Sickle Cell Anemia. Another two million Americans carry the sickle cell trait. While carriers of the trait benefit from the resistance to malaria, those who have the disease suffer from its affects.

We discussed Raki's case of malaria while sitting out in the front of the house drinking tea, Ataya, which is an extremely common past time among the Senegalese, especially young Senegalese men. My host brother made Ataya very often in Dakar, as well as Gallo and the other young men in Mermoz during the nighttime. Although here I have noticed that I do a lot more tea drinking with Amadou than I did with my host brother in Dakar. This may be due to the age difference or perhaps I have just been more present here during the times when Ataya is consumed. Amadou’s tea is very good and he likes to make it very sweet, which Louise doesn't like, as she commented on the amount of sugar cubes that he placed in the kettle when he was preparing it. I told Amadou that I really want to learn how to make Ataya because it is so good and I want to make it when I go back to New York in the winter. I will try to learn and put up a tutorial/explanation of the steps for preparing Ataya.

While sitting outside Djelia and Raki also asked me which aspect of Senegalese culture I enjoyed the most. I said that I really enjoyed the strong sense of community that I felt everywhere I went in Senegal. I thought this was a fundamental difference between the Senegalese culture and American culture. I told my host sisters how in Mermoz the whole community seemed to always be out on their doorsteps constantly greeting one another and our home always kept our front door open during the day. At night I would often go over Yousou and Brittany’s home after dinner and I always felt welcome; Yousou would always extend an offer to eat dinner with them if they hadn't eaten yet. Here in Kaolack I explained that I have experienced the same sense of community. My host home was a meeting place of the community and it seemed open to anyone and everyone who wished to visit. I told them I was very confused at first about who lived in the house and who was just visiting because we had so many people here throughout the day and during the nighttime.

I also mentioned how the pace of life here in Senegal is much slower than the pace of life in New York, a feeling I know that I have expressed in my blogs before. She said that this pace of life was the reason that the Senegalese were behind in their development. Babacar, my co-worker and friend from the Chamber of Commerce, expressed the same sentiment when we were walking to our homes after work. As we walked together I noted that he walked much slower than I normally do and I had to make a concentrated effort to walk at a slower pace with him. I explained how New York is extremely fast paced as everyone is always in a hurry to get somewhere and he appropriately quoted “Time is money”. This notion that Senegal is behind because of the “laziness” of the people here is something which was also expressed by one of my classmates when were in Dakar. In her home her brother was often around the home during the day, which she was not used to. He had a small job as a vendor selling clothes but nothing in comparison to the American standard 9-5 job which we find respectable. She took this as evidence of the laziness of the Senegalese and their lack of discipline, which she then concluded was the reason for the economic state of the country, and likely for the state of other countries throughout Africa. 

However I explained that to accurately and fully asses the reasons behind the current state of a Senegal, we must look at the political and economic history which proceeded it , a history which was undoubtedly impacted by French colonization. I believe this is the case for any formerly colonized country in Africa, although the effects of colonization are different for every country, there are undeniable affects that we must always keep in mind. I also do not mean to create excuses for the continuation of the state of affairs in this country, but I find it hard to believe that the main reason behind the state of this country is a personality trait which she generalized as being applicable to all Senegalese people. However I was now hearing the same rationality from Senegalese people themselves, which I found even more troubling than when I heard it from the girl in my MSID group. Although I interpreted it immediately as a colonist sentiment which had been internalized by the formally colonized; the colonist sentiment being that slow paced "Time is people" Senegalese mentality is not the right frame of mind and that the faced paced "time is money" mentality which commands the lives of those in America is the ideal.

Bonjour Kaolack

Today was the day that we would all be leaving for our internships throughout Senegal. We were to be at the WARC at 7:00am so I set my alarm for 6:00am, although I didn't end up getting out of bed until about 6:20am. I wanted to get up a little early because I had to finish packing the clothes that I had washed last night, but unfortunately they had not dried over night so I had to put them in plastic bags. Finishing the packing took me a little longer than I thought, although I also woke up 20 minutes later than I planned, so I was not quite ready until 6:45/6:50. I was a little worried that I would be the only one late but I was zipping my bags up Brittany called to see if I had left yet as she and Jack were also still in Mermoz. I brought my bags downstairs and my mom helped me out the door. When I walked out Brittany was also in the process of bringing out her bags with her host mom watching and Jack was ready with his large hiking bag. The three of us waved goodbye to our moms and began walking to the main road to find a taxi.

As we were walking with our suitcases and bags a taxi honked at us from behind as he knew we could not be walking that far with all of the luggage we had. We greeted him and negotiated 1000CFA for the ride to the WARC, which I think was too much because we usually pay 600CFA. We had a lot of bags so I was skeptical from the beginning about the possibility of everything being able to fit in this small taxi. When the taxi driver opened his trunk there was a large tire in there so I knew at that point that we would have to take two taxis. We were able to make it work as he fit Jack’s large hiking bag in the front seat with his backpack and our two suitcases in the trunk with the tire. Our suitcases were hanging out of the trunk a considerable amount, more than I would ever feel comfortable doing on my own, but the taxi driver assured us that it would be fine. During the entire ride to WARC I was looking at our bags through the back window because they looked like they would go tumbling out the back if we hit any small bump on the way. We made it there without any problems which was astonishing to me, so I was fine with paying the extra 400CFA in the end because I would have gladly paid for another taxi.

We were not late at all as they were still preparing the bus for us when we arrived and other students were also still on their way. Some of the student’s families came to the WARC to send them off which I thought was very kind of them being that it was 7am in the morning. There was only 12 out of the 14 participants in the program who met at the WARC because two in our group were staying of in Dakar for their internships. When everyone had arrived we loaded our luggage by order of who was getting dropped off last to who was getting dropped off first and we were off. The trip would last two days as about half the group would get dropped off today and the rest would get dropped off tomorrow. The last person to get dropped off was Courtney, who would be in Saint Louis for her internship, which is located at the north west corner of the country. She would have the opportunity to see a large portion of the country in the next two days, however she would also be in the bus for the next two days. We hadn't been driving for any longer than 15 minutes when we heard a pop and we realized there was a problem with the front left tire. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and we exited the bus so that he could could change the tire. When he finished he returned to Mermoz, where we had started our day earlier that morning to replace the spare tire that we were now using because it wasn't safe to drive without one. We were then finally ready to leave Dakar.

The first stop was the village of Sessene, the location of AGRECOL, the organization for which Brigid would be working. Waly and Marie got out with Brigid to introduce her to the supervisor and so that she could take a look around the site, while the rest of us stayed in the bus. When they returned we continued in the bus further into the village to drop her off at her host family with her luggage. Unfortunately while on an unpaved path the front left tire, the same which had been replaced earlier in the trip, got stuck very deep in the mud, immobilizing the bus. Waly immediately realized the severity of the situation and asked us all to descend from the bus. Over the next two hours we tried a number of different strategies to get the bus out of the mud through sheer manpower. When we started off I was impressed by how many of the people from the village came out to help. There was a group of kids who also emerged and stood watching us work on the bus for some time too. We began by digging the mud out from around the front tire hoping that this would allow the wheels to rotate and get the bus started. Then a large group of us tried lifting the bus from out of the mud by rocking it from side to side, but when we would lift from one side the other side would just sink deeper into the mud. Then they tried sticking large sticks and branches under the wheels but above the mud to try to create little runways for the wheels so that there was something to create traction, which I thought was pretty innovative. However, after many valiant attempts by the men in the community we realized that we would not prevail and that a tracker was necessary.

Everyone who had come out to aide us in our efforts as well as all those who had come to watch the spectacle dispersed back into the community and we returned to the bus to wait for the tracker. Although many of us had wished he had requested the tracker from the beginning I enjoyed experiencing the support of this community as getting this bus out of the mud had truly turn into a community effort. Many of the men appeared to be more dedicated to the task  of removing the bus from the mud than the students were and it was our bus that we needed and were depending on for our trip. Some of the students thought that the villagers weren't doing it the right way, but they felt that we students did not have a place to say anything. I thought was an interesting dynamic because Waly was leading the charge and we were all quite comfortable with him at this point as he had been our go to guy for MSID since the we arrived here. Finally the tracker arrived and successfully pulled the bus out from the mud. We clapped as we were all happy to able to be on our way again. In reality Brigid's host family was only a few steps away from her host organization, however we took the long way with the designated road because we were in the bus.

After dropping Brigid off we continued to the city of Fatick to drop off Amanda, which was about 30min away. We stopped at her host organization first as well so that she could meet her supervisor, but she quickly returned to the bus because her supervisor was not present. We then went to drop her off at her house which was just a few steps away down the road. I was next to get dropped off but we stopped to eat at a restaurant in Kaolack before we headed to the Chamber of Commerce to meet the Director. Waly, Maria and I waited in the lobby area for about 20 minutes until the Director, Monsieur Thiam was ready to meet with us. When we walked into his office it was pretty nice as there was a conference table in the middle and a leather couch as well as a set of leather chairs to the right of his desk where we sat with him to talk about the internship. Waly began with providing a general outline of the MSID program; how I had been studying Micro-finance during the first 7 weeks in Dakar and how this internship was the second stage of the program. He explained that we had reached out to the Chamber of Commerce in Thies, but they retracted their offer and the Chamber of Commerce in Kaolack was the one who responded positively to our request. My placement in general was very last minute as we had just finalized the details last week, which was in part due to my change of mind after Waly had found me an internship in Dakar. Monsieur Thiam then asked me for my reasoning for wanting to work with the Chamber of Commerce and I explained that I wanted to know more about the role that the Chamber of Commerce plays in the management of the Agricultural production, which is vital to Senegal’s economy. Monsieur Thiam was noticeably a very busy man as he had two phones which he answered three times during our meeting, although each time he apologized and was very respectful of our presence. Overall the meeting went well as I left even more excited and ready for my internship.

Afterwards we headed to APROFES where another student Krishna will be working, the both of us will be in Kaolack for our internships. After she went to go speak with her supervisor Waly returned to the bus to retrieve me because supervisor and the director of APROFES was going my host mom. She was very kind and welcoming. She explained that I would be staying in the APROFES hotel for the first few nights because there was still someone in my room in her home and the ceiling fan was not working either. We returned to the bus and they dropped me off at the APROFES hotel which was literally just around the corner. Waly and Marie helped me with my bags to my room, gave me hugs goodbye and wished me a good stay in Kaolack. The hotel I was in actually serves as a training center for Senegalese women for a majority of the time during the year. APROFES hosts forums and conferences there to train, education and support Senegalese women with their business affairs in the villages and cities throughout the country. My mom explained that sometimes women will stay at the hotel for up to two weeks to participate and benefit from their training programs. The organization also has an office in Thies.

APROFES hotel room

Essential mosquito net

I didn't know that bathroom was there behind the curtain for the first day

At around 8:45pm I was greeted by my host brother, Amadou, who came to get me and show me the way to the house for dinner at 9:00pm. It only took about 10 minutes although I couldn't quite see where we were going because it was so dark. When we arrived the house was quite large. We sat down inside and relaxed as we waited for dinner to be served. While we were sitting Amadou played me a Notorious B.I.G. & Tupac, Runnin' (Dying to Live). He brought out his computer and we looked at the lyrics for the song as he played it on his phone. After each verse he would pause the song on his phone and he would read the lyrics to me to make sure his pronunciation was correct.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL-j8cVo2b8
He pretty much read every verse word for word and would also ask me to explain any words that he didn't understand, which was a good exercise for me as well because I could practice my French. He asked me what Teflon was? Who was Frank White? What was Swayze? And he asked me to explain what the course meant by "Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight?" I thought it was funny how my host brother in Senegal was learning the English language through the words of Biggie Smalls and Tupac. I definitely approved of it. 

After my mom called me into the room adjacent to the living room for dinner I sat down to eat with her and another older woman named Louise. I remembered from my earlier visit to APROFES as she was working in the room next to my host mom’s office. So far I am sure that Louise as well as my host brother Amadou live in the house however I am unsure of who else lives in the house as we have numerous visitors who stop by the house and sit in the living room throughout the day. After Dinner I returned to the hotel to sleep. I was initially sleeping in the larger bed in the middle of the room without the mosquito net because it was cooler as it was directly under the fan. However I got bit all over my body within the first hour despite the fact that I had a cover over me so I moved in the bed in the corner with the mosquito net. I learned my lesson quickly, the mosquito situation here in Kaolack, and just insects in general is very serious.

Au Revoir Dakar

Tomorrow I am headed to the city of Kaolack for the internship phase of the MSID program. I will be there for 6 weeks working with the Chamber of Commerce and I'll be staying with the family of the supervisor of an NGO for whom another MSID student will be working. Kaolack is about 4 hours south from  the city of Dakar and it is the 5th largest city in Senegal with a population of 170,000. After Dakar, which has a population of 2,000,000, the populations of the largest cities in the country drop off dramatically. We actually stopped in Kaolack there for lunch on our way to Toubacouta for the group trip and I remember it being the busiest city that we passed through. I am more excited than anything about all of the elements of this upcoming experience such as being on my own in a new city and having an internship in French. I am really looking forward to being completely immersed in the Senegalese culture here, which I don’t think I was able to fully do in Dakar. 

Our French teacher explained it well in the fact that the MSID program as well as the relationships between the students in the program served as a crutch for all of us. It was a crutch in terms of our language abilities, because we were able to speak English with one another although all of our classes were in French. It also served as a cultural crutch because when we had problems in Dakar, whether it was the food, relations with our families, lack of freedom to do what we wanted or anything to do with the fact that life in Dakar was not the same as life in states, we were able to complain to one another. Everyone always had someone who could listen to their troubles, relate in someway to their complaints and empathize with their feelings. Upon arrival we all immediately had 13 friends in the city of Dakar whom we knew and could call or text when we wanted company or needed someone to accompany us to a restaurant, a beach or anywhere else in the city. I am glad to have had the chance to meet some very kind and amazing people, and along with the MSID staff, we serve as a support system for one another.

Although many of us also had a similar sentiment regarding the necessity of the support system. Personally I felt that I was not immersing myself in the Senegalese culture as much as I wanted and a few others, towards the end of the program, felt like they were suffocated by the presence of the WARC. For me I was consistently aware of my limited time in this country as I have heard so much about the speed at which study abroad programs go by because everything is a new experience. From the start I wanted to use as much of my time in Senegal to get to know the people and culture here. I felt like I was doing this to the best of my ability in Dakar, but at times I felt like this was not the case. I presented my opinion of mine to Brittany during our last day. Brittany pointed out that it was not necessarily my situation in the American program which hindered the level of my immersion, but perhaps the lack of my initiative to separate myself from those in the program which was the problem. She referenced Mirabel who had become very involved in dancing as she went to dance class almost every day of the week. Out of class many of us did not see her because she was spending time with her Senegalese friends from her dance class. Brittany proposed that she had successfully avoided the American bubble within Senegal and any dependence on the support system. In retrospect I had used the support system, referred to it and depended on it at times it during my time here in Dakar just as mostly everyone else had. The part of me that thought that I did not need it was ready for the challenge of experiencing Kaolack on my own, which is the reason why I am so excited for the internship phase.

Nevertheless, I have had such a great time in this city and I am truly sad about leaving, although I know that I will be returning for the final week of the program. During these seven weeks I have realized how amazing of a city Dakar is as well as the people who live here. Never have I had so much time to myself to just think and reflect while simultaneously enjoying my place of living. I have had so many wonderful experiences here whether it be the bustling market place of HLM, the beautiful beaches of Mamelle, Ngor and Mermoz, or weekend trips to the Petite Cote. Dakar has provided me with nothing but great memories and peace of mind during my first time in the country of Senegal on the continent Africa. Many of the natives however speak about the western influence in Dakar, as they explain that Dakar is not all that Senegal has to offer and in no way does in fully encompass the Senegalese experience. The western influence and the international element of the city is most evident in the nightlife here, which is very exciting as there is always a new club to check out. Although many of the most popular clubs in Dakar are filled with Americans and Europeans and many have made me feel like I was back in New York because they often play a mix of American and Senegalese music.

I think that contrast between the phrases "Time is money" and "Time is people" accurately describe my experiences in New York versus my experiences here in Dakar. I believe the phrase "Time is money" truly governs my life in New York because I am constantly on the move and if I am resting I usually have something which I should be doing or working on. Here oftentimes I would sit out on the steps with Yousou, Gallo, Brittany and Jack as well as other young men from the community and talk about whatever was on our minds. There was no rush to go anywhere or do anything, we would just sit and appreciate each others company. Even when we did have somewhere to go there was never any rush and everyone would always take their time. This was a frustrating for some because it fundamental cultural difference which affected our everyday lives here in Senegal. Professor Sene described the difference between the American and Senegalese frame of mind well, as he explained that the Senegalese perceive Americans as being slaves of time.

Here in Dakar I have also had an enriching and fulfilling experience with my host family who welcomed me with open arms and have been loving throughout my time here. Although in the grand scheme of things I only spent a short amount of time with them, I truly felt like they they consider me a part of their family, which was a different experience than other students who expressed feeling like they were just tenants in their households. Oftentimes when I returned home from school my little sisters, Mag and Nogaye, would run to the door and greet me with hugs. My host dad, Papa Seck was always very concerned with my security as he would always remind me to lock my door in the home and to also to be careful in the nighttime because of the bandits. My host mom, Mama Fatou is a very compassionate women and I could tell that she truly cared about my happiness and well being. She seemed filled with love and she would often call me "Mon cheri". 

Not only did I have a very positive experience host family, but I also enjoyed the area of town in which I stayed. In Mermoz there was a true sense community among the locals as everyone seemed to know everyone. People would sit out on their front steps and talk for hours, greeting anyone and everyone who passed by. The tailor who made edits to my outfit for Tabaski after I bought it at HLM would always wave and smile to me when I was on my way to school in the morning. Additionally the first time I went to the barber shop Gallo’s brother went in with me and introduced me to the barber. The two young men who worked at the shop just next to my house were always very kind and interested in my studies at the WARC. One of them started greeting me as "Chris the Senegalese", claiming that I was no longer American. My host mom told me the same thing when I explained that I was able to get my Tabaski outfit for 6000CFA ($12), declaring that because of my bargaining abilities I was now a Senegalese. Additionally I made two valuable friendships with Gallo and Yousou, who lived in the houses across the street from me. I really appreciated them throughout my time in Dakar and they were two of the main reasons that I had such a good time in this city.

Many of the families who live in Mermoz are well off compared to the average Senegalese family, which was evident in the grandeur of their homes. This was an aspect of our stay in Dakar that our Wolof professor Sidy was not entirely happy with. He believed that for us to get a true sense of the Senegalese culture we should be staying in not so well off neighborhoods, as the majority of Senegal did not experience the level of wealth and comfort which was present in Mermoz. However I understood that the program placed us in these families and in these areas of town because they are believed to be the most safe. I think that for the most part this turned out to be the case because I don’t think the safety of anyone in our program was compromised during our time with our host-families. If anything I heard more complaints about people's families being overprotective and not allowing them enough freedom rather than people having issues with safety. One girls in our group who lived in Baobab did have her wallet and phone stolen from her room but that was the only instance that I know of in which their was a breach of security. However another group of students from the other program,CIE, were not as fortunate as I heard that they were robbed  by three people late at night on the walk back to Baobab from Mermoz.

The families of the students on my street, Jack and Brittany, have had many study abroad students stay with them over the years. This was the same case in my household as my mom showed me picture albums of all of the members of her family and all the people who had stayed in the home with her throughout the years. A large percentage of them were Japanese and she explained that after the student stayed with her, the mom and dad would come as well. She likes to say how she is a mom of all races as she has had opened her home to many visitors over the last 20 years. I enjoyed also looking at the pictures because I got a small sense of the history of the Mama Fatou Sylla and the Seck family. I saw my host brother, who left for Germany the day I arrived and my host sister, who left for Paris later during the week, as babies with students who were studying abroad in Dakar at the time. It reminded me of myself with Nogaye whose 2nd birthday we celebrated just a few weeks before. I thought about how Mama Fatou remembered many of the student's names and she had only good things to say about them. I hoped that just in 10 years she would have only good things to say about me as well.