Asaala maalekum from Dakar, Senegal! This is Gordon, kicking of our May Term blog! We arrived here early in the morning on Wednesday, May 4th, and now with a few Senegalese days under our belts, I think we're finally starting to make the transition. Our first day was a combination of catching up from the jet-lag, meeting our contacts within the ELCA office, learning just a little about the country's demographics, and making our initial impressions of Senegal. With the exception of Amanda, this is the first time any of us have been to Senegal, so the experience has been unlike anything we've ever seen before. One aspect I cannot stop noticing is the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty within this city. We are spending this first week in a 3-story guesthouse with very American amenities; real beds, running water, and electricity (most of the time, we have experienced a few power outages). However, directly behind our building is a lean-to with a tin roof held down by cinder blocks. This direct contrast seems to be the norm here, because wherever we go we seem to see little shacks sandwiched between giant houses and apartments. Peter Hanson, an ELCA missionary who is serving as our guide in Senegal for the next three weeks, informed us that Senegal is growing at such an incredible rate (it already has over 2.5 million people) that the only direction it can grow is up! We can't walk through the street without seeing a construction crew (or 5) working on adding another level to a building. The chaotic traffic is also completely different from anything in the United States, with people walking along the sides of the streets as cars fly by and motorbikes weave in and out of traffic...all this, and no traffic signs! It seems like it must take ice-cold veins to drive in this city!
A pretty typical street in Hann-Maristes II
Days 2 and 3 have definitely been learning experiences, in both formal and informal settings. On Thursday we spent the morning learning about the pillars upon which the Islam faith is built, as well as the basic beliefs of the religion and a brief history of Islam in Senegal. I was amazed at by how many similarities I was able to draw between Christianity and Islam in their most basic elements. For example, at the center of the Islam faith is a concept known as ihsan, which can be described as a sense of sincerety regarding the faith, which is something that Muslims strive for as part of their Greater (read: internal) Jihad. I believe that Christians also have a great desire to be completely sincere in their faith to God. It's amazing how much conflict can arise from misunderstandings and misconceptions between people who are so similar in their beliefs.
We've also been taking Wolof language lessons with professor Mame Beneta Fall, and the amount we've learned in the last two days has been incredible! We've focused primarily on the greetings, and a few informal conversational questions, which we've been able to use out on the streets with tremendous success! We've learned a lot about the people of Senegal just in these short conversations, chats that are usually taken for granted in the U.S. but are the center of personal interactions here. Driving down an American street, you often see people using the sidewalks as a path to help people from point A to point B, but in Senegal, the sidewalk is where people meet and greet. They stop, shake hands, and actually speak to each other with a sense of caring that goes far behind the typical "what's up?" Actually, the Wolof phrase equivalent, "Nanga def" is only used after you've wished peace to the other person, asked them how their day is going, ask them if they are at peace, and then ask them how their family is! Hospitality is also a proud trait of the Senegalese people, and something we have been at the receiving end of many times. The people of Senegal are amazing. Though they don't have the easiest of lives by any means, and they don't have much to give, but they are always willing to offer a smile, a handshake, and a warm "asalaa maalekum." :)
Amanda and Shay with our new friend Moussa
Oh yeah, the food has been amazing!!! But I'll save that for another day! Until then, au revoir!
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