Nungi nibbi

Bonjour! Ca va? Oumy Thiam here, or Amanda as most of you back in the states know me! We got back to our guesthouse in Dakar a little over an hour ago and are taking it a little easy right now to shake off the carsickness which is inevitable with any drive. We will be meeting with Abu our tailor shortly in order to get the clothes we have gotten made during our time away from Dakar. Already struggling with words, bear with me in this post as my English isn't marching, walking, I mean working very well for me as my mind pushes it aside to make room for French, Wolof, and bits of Pulaar.

With only one full day left for us in Senegal, coming back to Dakar was very bittersweet. It feels like home to us now, myself more than ever. But coming back here also means that we will be leaving this wonderful country shortly. On that note, I would like to discuss some of the attitudes and mindsets that we have adapted during our time here with the hope that we can bring them back with us to the United States. 

• Learn something new everyday. This is so easy to do while in a country with a society and culture very different from your own. While here, we have all learned countless things each day. We were thinking back to our first time on Goree Island today in the car, and Gordon remarked "I wish I could go back and barter my prices again! I can't believe how bad I was at it and how good I am at it now." This little example speaks volumes to how much we have all learned during our time here through everyday interactions and observations. I hope that I can continue to challenge myself to seek out learning experiences everyday while back in the states.
• Faith and dedication to that faith. Before coming to Senegal, I thought I knew plenty of people I would say were dedicated to their faith. Now I see this in different ways. Senegalese society is very focused around religion, as Gordon covered previously approx 92% of this country is Muslim. We have spent the last few weeks discovering the relations between Muslims and Christians, specific to the Lutheran Church of Senegal. From what I've seen and the conversations I have had with people during our time here, these relations are very positive. While in Linguere, we stayed with Senegalese families of the parish. After we ate supper in the evening, my host dad Oumar always pulled out his Bible, read a passage, quick discussion and prayer. One night, we read the same passage in 4 languages - English, French, Wolof, and Pulaar. Joining my previously existing collection of Bibles in French and English, I now have accquired Wolof and Pulaar New Testaments, along with the complete Bible in Sereer. From the time I have spent in Muslim households, 5 prayers a day are the usual. Our tv was regularly turned to a channel of Islamic prayer. Often I observe many people praying by boutiques, gas stations, on the side of the street, etc. This dedication is encouraging me to become more involved in my own faith, and is no doubt a witness to others.
• A sense of humor. I can't say that I have ever had a full conversation with a Senegalese person without laughter, smiles, and giggles. This is also true of our Wartburg group. Though 5 strong and not well acquainted prior to meeting at the airport in Minneapolis, the sense of humor we brought with us and learned from the Senegalese have definitely enriched and defined our time together. While interacting daily with Senegalese, when I give them my Senegalese name, Oumy Thiam, they instantly get a smile on their face and giggle at the thought that a Toubab has embraced their culture in this way, also possibly out of surprise. Often, the subject of dancing comes up in conversations. Then, I try to dance. That gets giggles! Laughter is frequently shared between me and my friends while they try to explain their methods of playing Scrabble, with words made just for Scrabble. Within our group,  no meal or car ride is met with silence and straightfaces. No matter what, something gets us laughing, whether it be Maddie's Disney Princess songs, Shay's infrequent yet always witty comments, Gordon's ability to be encouraging yet not at all, Ethan's stories, or my own lack of word usage/Minnesotan accent.

 These just touch on three big things that have been very apparent in our last few weeks here in Senegal that I hope we can bring back with us to the states along with our stuffed bags of clothes, souvenirs, and other fun stuff. We can lead by example to show others what Senegal has taught us!

Soon, Nungi nibbi - we are going home. :( Ba benen yoon! (until next time!)