Thursday, May 26, 2011

Home Is Where The Heart Is...

Asalaam Malekum!

Nanga def? I, Maddie Paxton, am officially home. Today has been a hard day. It has been a day of reflection. It is so difficult to be back in the states. It is also very hard not to look around and compare everything to Senegal. As I am looking around, I can't help but think of our last night in Senegal with our reflection. Pastor Peter Hanson had a list of questions for us. There were four questions:

1: What was the best thing you experienced on this trip?
2: What was the worst thing that you experienced on this trip that ended up as a positive thing?
3: What is one thing that you will take back with you about Senegalese culture?
4: What is one thing that you have learned about your own culture because of this trip?

Every answer I had for those four questions related to my home stay in Linguere. Linguere was by far my favorite part of this trip. Yes, it did reach up to 47C (117F) but that did not seem to matter. I fell in love with the community; every part of it.

Our first day in Linguere (Sunday), we went to the parish. The parish was literally right next door to our guest house. The congregation was so welcoming and really patient with the fact that we did not speak the language. It was so much fun to sit back and watch them interact. Dirk and Peter walked up to each of us and pointed out each of our families. My family was Malik Sy and Iseta Ka. They had two daughters, one son, one niece that lived with them, and one on the way! The only interaction that we with them that I had before going to their house were a smile and a head nod. Shay was my partner staying with me.

Monday afternoon we were dropped off at our house. It was dark and I couldn't seem much. I did notice, however, two beds that were made outside. One bed was for Shay and I and the other for their family. I was so excited to sleep out under the stars.

Malik is the translator for the parish, so luckily, he knows some English. As we were eating dinner, Shay and I asked how to ask some questions to Iseta so we could communicate with her while he was away at work. The first question we asked was "Can I help you?" She smiled and nodded. She handed each of us a knife and some onions. I have gotten really, really good at cutting vegetables because of my home stay.

Tuesday was our first full day at our home stay. I woke up at 5:27 a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep. I was just so ready to start the day. After the kids went off to school and Malik went to work, it was just Iseta, Shay, Me, and Abraham, her 1 year old son. We swept and did dishes. Then Iseta asked me to go to the market with her and for Shay to stay with Abraham. I was so excited to get to go. We couldn't communicate but we got really good at signals and I picked up a few words from her. We made it through the market and got home to make lunch. We did more chores and cooked. After lunch it was time for Shay and I to leave for our activity with the group. When we got back that night we chopped more veggies and were off to bed. I was so surprised how exhausted I was after one day.

Wednesday, I asked if Shay and I could walk the girls to school. They said of course. As we walked to school each of the girls grabbed my hand and held it until we got to their classrooms. We played with the kids awhile and had a ton of fun with them. On our way back we stopped at our guesthouse so Shay could go see Dr. Soh. I was alone at the house today. I did chores and played with the kids. Then it was market time again! I helped buy stuff and picked out fish. Iseta laughed at me because I didn't really know what I was doing. She was very patient with me, however, and never made me feel bad. That night was so sad because it was our last night with them. Malik and Iseta gave me a name. Shay had been named that day at Dr. Soh's. I was given the name, Aminata Sy Ka. When I asked why they chose that name I was told that Aminata Ba is Iseta's best friend and it means "the one who has security." They told me that I always have a home in Senegal when I returned to their family.

That night I layed down with each of the girls in my arms one of my arms. They curled up to me and fell fast asleep. I cried as I held them, knowing that they wouldn't understand that we were leaving them and wouldn't know when they would see us again. My home stay was the first time that I truly felt that I was in Senegal. The Sy Kas are such an inspiration. They are happy with what they have. Iseta is 9 months pregnant in 117 degree heat, bending over and walking half way across town to the market. I learned so much from that I will never forget. That family and Linguere has a special place in my heart. They say that 'home is where the heart is', and I have left part of my heart in Senegal.









The Trip Back Home

Obviously throughout this trip we have all learned a lot about the culture and lifestyles of people who live in Senegal. We have seen how the country operates and how much city life is different from rural life. We have experienced the religion of Islam up close and personal on multiple occasions and have eaten some of the most famous Senegalese dishes (despite not everyone favoring all of them). We received a well-rounded experience of life in Senegal by staying with a traditional family and mimicking their lifestyles. However, something which may not be as obvious, especially for people who have never traveled to a place with a totally different culture than their native culture, is how much this trip has made us learn and realize certain aspects of our own society in the United States.

Our group has heard on multiple occasions that we have not finished our learning from this trip; that it will continue for months to come. This is in part due to slowly realizing the differences, whether they be good or bad, between the cultures. As expected, there are some very obvious differences I began to realize as soon as I stepped foot into John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. For nearly a month the six of us have stuck out in Senegal like a sore thumb, mostly due to being some of the few white people walking the streets but also part due to our lack of knowledge of their culture and doing things in different ways. I felt strange walking through the airport terminal and not being stared at by the majority of people passing by. Not seeing goats and donkeys running around or smelling diesel fumes is now a strange feeling.

Along with slowly realizing the differences between the cultures, I think we will continue to learn about Senegalese culture by reflecting back on our time spent there and finally realizing what certain things meant or what the significance of an event or gesture was. By realizing the lack of these events and gestures I think I will soon begin to miss having them as part of my everyday culture. Specifically I will miss the greetings everyone receives upon walking into a room or when another person joins in on a conversation. I will miss having a conversation with people an entire afternoon event which usually was accompanied by tea. But above all, I will miss the sincerity people give you when they are carrying on a conversation with you or saying their farewells to you.

Obviously I cannot predict what I will realize down the road about culture in the United States, but even in the few hours I have spent back in the U.S. I have already begun to notice subtle differences which I would not have noticed had I not gone on this trip. As my flight made its departure into the New York Airport I couldn’t help but notice how planned out the city appeared to be. Houses and buildings were evenly spaced apart, streets didn’t weave in and out randomly and despite my poor eyesight, I didn’t notice any sand streets or rather any unpaved streets at all. As the plane descended even closer to the ground I noticed that the neighborhood we were flying over appeared to be rather luxurious and that over half of the homes had sparkling blue swimming pools in the backyards. While this itself did not catch my attention but what did was the lack of lower class homes scattered throughout the neighborhood. It became the norm to be walking through Dakar and see a very nice two or three story, newly constructed home with multiple shacks less than twenty feet away from it.

While the physical differences between the two countries may not be hard to become adapted to, one thing that I think will be difficult for me, and possibly the five others who accompanied me on the trip, to accept back in the United States is the understanding and interest in our trip from other people. I know for myself, and again probably for the five others, this trip has been a life changing experience which I will never forget. Naturally I will want to share every minute of it with people around me but as veteran Senegalese-American Sarah Hanson put it best, other people do not understand the experiences we shared and will therefore not be as interested in it as we would sometimes like them to be. Not to say that nobody will be interested in our time spent in Senegal, but that people may not know what questions to ask about the trip and that we may not be able to  describe the full image of everything we had the opportunity to take in, which could be frustrating. However, while others may not understand or be interested in the last three weeks of our lives, I know that I have five great friends who I will be able to share the memories with at anytime who will be just as excited to relive the moments as I will be. And on top of the five people I had the honor to spend three weeks with, I have countless others such as the Hanson family and the Stadtlander Family who helped make this trip and unforgettable time of my life. So to all the citizens of Senegal and everyone who helped make this trip possible, thank you from the five Wartburgers and the instructor who helped hold us all together.
Ethan

Monday, May 23, 2011

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!)





Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Stuff You Should Know: Religion in Senegal

To those of you following from home, asaala maalekum from Linguere!  At 11:00 PM it's a balmy 93 degrees Fahrenheit, and I'm enjoying an ice-cold coke to power me through this post.  This is Gordon, and today I'll be guiding you through a fairly stat-heavy post discussing many of the things our group has learned about religion in Senegal, with special emphasis on Islam and the Lutheran Church of Senegal.  I can already tell this is going to be a long one, so for those of you who maybe are looking for a condensed version, follow along with the bold and underlined parts. Before I begin, I'd like to offer special thanks to Dr. Djibril Diakhate, Pastor Joseph Diouf, and President of the Lutheran Church of Senegal Jean-Pierre Thiam, who supplied most of the facts I'm about to throw out at you.  Let's get started!
We'll begin by taking a look at important aspects of traditional Senegalese society.  First thing you should know is that Senegal is comprised of many different ethnic groups, each with their own traditions, but many of the themes addressed here are pretty universal.  That being said, I'm going to focus in primarily on the largest ethnic group, Wolof.  Fact #1:  Extended family is very important!  It's not uncommon to find villages in Senegal where everyone is a relative of everyone else.  This is because many communities were traditionally founded around a common ancestor, and the village is often named for that ancestor.  For example, the village Keur Moussa is Wolof for "House of Moussa"; a Google search of Senegalese cities and villages turns up more than 800 locales beginning with the word Keur.  So what to take from this?  Family ties are extremely important in Senegalese culture! (Remember this, we'll come back to it).
Fact #2:  Power rests with the elders.  In a typical Senegalese dish like Cebu Jen, there is some sort of fish or meat.  In a traditional setting, the meat or fish would be reserved for the elders eating around the bowl.  This contrasts pretty sharply with the Western World's view of making sure the children are nourished before older people eat.  Why is this so?  It was believed that the animistic gods of traditional Senegalese faith were apart from humans on earth, and so the people required the person who was closest to the gods to communicate to them and ask for rain and food.  The person closest to the gods was the oldest person in the group, who was called the mag (which means both "old" and "great" in Wolof).  Elders hold great sway over their communities
Fact #3:  Primary groups -- Either you're in or you're out!  One very important aspect that we've been able to observe at least a little bit is the joking relationships between family name groups in the Wolof ethnic group.  For example, when we go through introductions we usually all get the same polite "ca va" and smile as our names are given, until we get to Amanda, who often introduces herself by her Senegalese name Oumy Thiam.  Without fail, she always gets a chuckle from the people we are meeting as soon as that name is uttered.  In Senegal, it is important to belong to one of these primary groups defined by family names.  Even when meeting a complete stranger, you have a way to identify with them when you learn their last name.  Although we likely will not experience it in our short stay, we were told that foreigners in Senegal for extended visits who hold on to their American names are often marginalized.  So if you're not with them, you're against them (but not in a violent way, just excluded)
Fact #4:  The physical environment is sanctified.  The animistic faith of Senegal says that gods and goddesses are present in certain trees, rocks, animals, and water.  These deities are often protectors or providers for the people, and so they are held sacred in their respective communities.  For example, snakes are one totem for some villages, and they will protect and care for a snake as it passes through their village.  Other places offer sacrifices such as fermented milk and kola nuts to water or earth spirits.  Either way, there is a strong animistic belief in the presence of deities in the physical environment
Last one.  Fact #5:  The Caste system of Hierarchies was very prevalent.  It's not about what you know, or even who you know...it's who you're related to.  The traditional caste system was based on family names, and they ranged from the Guéer nobles down to the Teug blacksmiths.  All of the castes below the Guéer were considered slave castes.  What this means is that at any point in time, someone from a higher caste than yours could ask you to do work for them, and you were obligated to do it.  In return, you were allowed to ask anyone in a higher caste than yours for money at any time.  Instead of following a direct system of "do this job and I'll pay you this much", it was more like "If you do this job for me, you can ask me for money when you need it and I will give you what you need."  Not exactly the most formal of business transactions, but it got them by.  However, this caste system rarely holds any weight anymore, with the exception of a few rural communities.
At this point we're ready to bring in the Islamic faith.  Islam was introduced first to Senegal from the north, so the earliest Qur'anic schools were set up in northern cities.  These schools drew people north, and many of the attendees of these schools went on to be the leaders of the Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal.  These brotherhoods emerged as Islamic centers of resistance to French colonialism that was occurring at the same time.  The struggle against colonial taxes and catholic evangelism strengthened the Islamic roots within Senegal, primarily around the brotherhoods.  The sect of Islam primarily found in Senegal is called Sufism, which is based on the idea that the various brotherhoods have religions leaders who will help guide their disciples, or talibé, along the path to paradise.  One of the most famous of these religious leaders is Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke, the founder of the Mouride brotherhood.  The Mouride brotherhood is one of the most influential in Senegal, as its members include both the President and Prime Minister, and it has a strong hold on the peanut agribusiness of Senegal.  “Working for peanuts” has an entirely different meaning here!  These brotherhoods have their own infrastructures with a Khalife ruling over several Marabouts and cheikhs, who then have their own talibé followers.  It's remarkable to hear about the political and social muscles these brotherhoods flex when election time rolls around.

The one and only picture of Ahmadou Bamba

Islam also helped grow its roots deep into Senegalese culture by integrating may of the important aspects of their traditions.  The brotherhoods were built with a sense of structure that resembles family relationships, giving people a strong sense of community and belonging.  The power in elders for their ability to communicate with the gods was transferred over to Marabouts and Khalifes who had strong faith leadership for people to follow.  The hierarchy system was modified for the Khalifes, the Marabouts, and the Talibés; the Talibés work for the Marabouts, and in exchange, the Marabouts will guide their disciples to the paradise.
Now it's time to throw in a dash of Christianity.  The Lutheran presence in Senegal began with Finnish evangelical Lutheran missionaries, and the Lutheran Church of Senegal was founded in 1959.  For all of its existence, it has been a minority within a minority.  Christianity in Senegal is dominated by the Catholic Church, which compromises 99% of all Senegalese Christians.  Senegalese Christians are then also the minority within the larger sense of religions in the country, with only about 5% of the population.  However, a common saying is that the country is 95% Muslim, 5% Christian, and 100% animist, meaning everyone holds onto some of the traditional beliefs.  This is one theme that unites Senegalese Christians and Muslims, and helps to bring some of their practices to be more similar.
It should also be noted that Senegalese Muslims would generally not be considered the best practioners of Islam.  One reason for this is the faithfulness of people to Marabouts, almost to the degree that they are treated as prophets.  Another is their continued use of integrated animist practices.  Finally, Senegalese Muslims are very tolerant by most standards.  They often accept the administrative calendar rather than the Islamic calendar, and they also celebrate Christian festivals with as much gusto as the Muslim holidays, a tradition that the Christians reciprocate that further unites the two faiths.
If you haven't been able to tell, Senegal has amazing Christian-Muslim relations.   The name of the country actually derives from a Wolof word meaning "our canoe".  Pastor Joseph says that this can be interpreted as saying that all the people in Senegal are in the same boat, and each person has a paddle.  If the people are to make it safely to the shore, they must put aside their differences and work together, or they will tip the boat and sink.  From what we've experienced, the Senegalese are very good at looking beyond religion to the person they are interacting with.  One example is Aly Ndione, who has worked with the ELCA mission in Senegal for years, but is himself a practicing Muslim.  I also think one of the themes that the two faiths have been able to unite behind is community improvement.  For example, the Community Center Galle Nonandiral in Yeumbeul is a center that was constructed and maintained by both Christians and Muslims, but it is associated with neither religion.  Moving forward, unifying goals like making communities better are the things that will further strengthen ties between the two faiths.

Now, unrelated to my blog post, are some cool pictures that I want to share.  Enjoy!
Sunset from the western-most point of Africa

Brochette de Lot -- Some good fish from Goree Island

A Bayefall sand artist

My first solo French/Wolof purchase!

Young girl selling fish in the market

From Dakar to Linguere

Greetings from Linguere! Ethan here writing in the 105° F temperature which surprisingly feels good compared to the 117°F heat we faced earlier today. Although what makes all of us feel a little better is hearing the citizens of Linguere also dreading the temperatures due to May being the hottest month of the year. However while they are not excited about the blistering heat, these temperatures remind them that the rainy season is just around the corner. While sitting in church service last Sunday with the Linguere parish of the Lutheran Church the first rain shower since last October began falling. While six people from Iowa don’t find rain to be an odd occurrence, it was obvious that is not the case here as the faces of the children lit up with excitement as they become very restless.

                While the most obvious difference between Dakar and Linguere may be the climate change, there are many other differences as well; some being blatant and some being subtle. Coming from a city with a population of approximately four million people to a city of around 12,000 people enables us to see the drastic difference between city life and rural life throughout Senegal. It started to become obvious around four hours into our five hour trip when the road changed from a smooth two lane road into a crack and pothole riddled path. Our trip consisted mainly of scenery which was stereotypical to Africa—large open stretches of land with short trees scattered throughout. It brought me back to my childhood days of watching Lion King, minus the lions and giraffes. To substitute for the wild animals, there were, and are in Linguere, an abundance of goats, sheep, and donkeys which brings me to another change in culture between the city and rural life.

                While spending time in the city, we became immune to the sound of taxi horns attempting to lure us into their car. While we have yet to see a taxi traveling up and down the sand streets, there is no shortage of horse carts offering to deliver us to our destination which I had an opportunity to experience today with my host mom, Aminata Ba, on our way back from the market. Along with the taxis, we have traded our wakeup call of the numerous Mosques’ call to prayers for wakeup calls of roosters and donkeys beginning their day. Another change we are facing is the behavior of the people towards us. It is much more comforting being a member of the community in Linguere than being a “tourist” walking through Dakar. Being recognized by people who remember your name and being treated like a member of the family around the platter at supper makes it very easy to settle in and enjoy the life of a citizen of Linguere.

                Although there are several differences between Dakar and Linguere, there are numerous similarities between the populations of both. Around every corner and in any open space available we still find children of all ages enjoying a game of soccer. The food is very similar, which is a good thing, although the fish isn’t quite so fresh. We have enjoyed the national dish of Senegal, cebujen, twice now which has been delicious both times. Women are still walking the streets in elaborate clothing and tea is still being served regularly despite the temperatures. The hospitality of everyone encountered throughout Senegal has been unlike anything I have experienced in America (in a very good way).

                Despite my enjoyment living in a well furnished, comfortable guest house in Dakar, living in Linguere has been and will be a great learning experience which I have already been enjoying. It is a great lesson for which aspects in life are necessary and which are amenities as well as how to have just as much fun and enjoyment without them. But for now… I’m off to the Ba residence to enjoy another delicious meal. Ba suba!!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Defeating the Stereotype

Back in December when I started telling people I’d be studying in Senegal for a month, I had a lot of people bringing up different assumptions about Africa as a whole.  Today I’m going to confirm/deny many of those assumptions as they pertain to Senegal.
First off all, the idea that Africans aren’t necessarily educated was implied multiple times to me.  On Friday, Maddie, Amanda, and I made our second visit a private primary school in Yeumbeul (CSN).  I sat in on part of the class for the equivalent of first grade in America.  When I got there, the students were finishing their math lesson for the day.  The teacher had written 4 math problems on the board (addition and subtraction) and one student would go to the board for each problem.  Not only did the student have to solve the problem, but they had to recite it to the class and the class had to repeat the problem out loud.  In my own experiences, this way of teaching is much more involved than my own elementary school learning.  Another way the class was involved in learning was through reading.  The first thing to keep in mind is the majority of these kids are learning in their second language.  Although most Senegalese around Dakar speak Wolof, classes are taught in French.  For the lesson, the teacher I was with (who speaks French, Wolof, and some English) wrote a paragraph on the board and the students had to recite it until they could recite the words correctly.  The children I was watching were learning their French the same way I learned English.  They do pronunciation based on sounding out words they don’t know.  In no way are the Senegalese children any less educated than American children if they attend school.
My first graders during our first day at the school.

Maddie playing with the kids after lunch

Africa as a whole is generally associated with a lack of materials and possessions required for daily life.  I will agree that Senegal is nothing like America in accommodations, however, everywhere we have stayed has running water and electricity (when the power is on).  One difference I’ve noticed between Senegal and America is the lack of extravagance.  At home, I’m used to having everything I need and more.  Sometimes I feel like I have too many possessions and I really could use to downsize.  Here, we have exactly what we need and not really any more than that.  There is very little waste of food or goods.  If an appliance doesn’t need to be replaced with a better/newer model, it won’t be (air conditioning and fans included).  Spending money just to spend it on lavish items isn’t really apparent in the city of Dakar or even in other towns we’ve been in such as Yeumbeul and Malika.

Another stereotype I ran into in Iowa was the “fear” of Islam.  In my Lutheran church at home, the moment I said the word Islam or Muslim there was an automatic fear for my sanity and safety.  First I would like to say, in Senegal, Muslims are really no different than Christians in their daily life besides that they spend more time in prayer.  After meeting so many Muslims in my time in Dakar and Yeumbeul, I can sincerely say there is no reason to fear the Islamic faith.  I certainly feel that Iowans (and many Americans) fear Islam because of the connotation associated with the word and the lack of understanding of a faith different than our own.
My hopes in pointing out these differences is to begin to make a change in how Iowans view Senegal as a part of Africa.  By making such drastic assumptions about the continent as a whole, we really do limit our open-mindedness toward an entire culture.

-Shay

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Samay Kharits!

Right after I arrived in Wakam, looking at the 18 photos Mamadou just took of me.

 A few of the children at Mamadou's house - they all remembered me!
 This is "comme d'habitude" - the usual. Mamadou, moi, et Bouga. Cell phones hold a very important role in society.
 Everyone helps out - my friend spilled hot coffee all over my white skirt and the vendor immediately helped try to wash it out
This photo just makes me smile - or maybe I'm just smiling cuz Bouga has hair!
 why not take a group photo?
 Oh my goodness I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants! This is Mamadou, and he can never cease to crack me up!



Hello everyone! Its Amanda here, if you haven't already guessed from the photos! I will just start by saying that it feels so WONDERFUL to be back in Senegal, when I was packing just last week, I didn't feel at all that I was about to cross the ocean on a long plane ride. I felt that I was packing my bag so normally, like returning home. And that's exactly how it felt to begin the Assaalemalekum's, hand shaking, tea drinking, sandy feet, Wolof-filled days. For those of you unfamiliar with me, I am a senior at Wartburg and spent a semester in Senegal last year. So actually, I am Oumy THIAM! (that is my Senegalese name) 
Aside from all those normal Senegalese things that have occupied our time, a largely defining part of my life here has been returning to Wakam, the neighborhood in which I lived last year. On Friday, I took a cab from our Hann-Mariste neighborhood over to Wakam. As we got closer and closer, my Wolof conversation with the taxi man started getting garbled as my heart started pounding. As soon as I said "Ici c'est bon" (here is good) I sprinted out of the taxi to my friend Mamadou, my best friend who was waiting for me to arrive. He gave me a big hug, there were some tears shed, then he kept looking at me and touching my face and asking "Oumy Thiam, is it really you?" 
We proceeded to walk around, shake hands, "Naka la?!" and everything in between. Hugs and happiness. We visited Mamadou's house, even the youngest of the children remembered me. I giggled as he took a bazillion photos of me on his phone - something he learned from me, taking them from every which angle, etc. Then it was on to my house..which was just around the corner. And guess what, half of my house has been torn down and in its place is an in-progress new two story house! So bizarre! My dad's reaction when I walked in the gate was the best--he gave me kind of an upside down/sideways look and exclaimed "OUMY THIAM!?!" It felt so good to be there. Baby Fa, who was just 3 months old when I left last year was walking and talking. Maty came home from school and I could swear she had grown 6 inches. Unfortunately, about half of my family is staying elsewhere while construction takes place. Nonetheless, it was priceless to return home. 
Since then, the past few evenings for me have been spent with my very best of friends in Wakam, meeting extended family, walking around the neighborhood, visiting people, discussing life, and of course lots of laughter. Once again, I cannot find words to describe my contentment with my friends there. And people are truly the richest jewel of Senegal, and of the world. 
I giggled at Mamadou's exaggerated imitation of me and my camera. And my other friends have followed suit. At this moment, I am fairly certain that my friend Bouga has no less than 57 photos of me on his cell phone. Its just a very tangible way I can see how I have made an impact on them. I have also been meeting more and more family and getting more hints on clues to how the family tree works, that Go and Baye and half brothers, Bouga is their cousin, and I am related to Mamadou through his aunt and through my mother, or something like that. Each night, I have met uncles, aunts, sisters, brother in laws, nieces, friends, and all of the above. Teranga, hospitality, and the importance of family is reiterated subliminally through every little detail. I made a comment the other day that I was "almost family" and Go insisted that there was no "almost" involved.
Also walking around Wakam, I definitely stick out like a sore thumb. Rarely, if ever, do you see a Toubab walking around as I do in that neighborhood. The other night, as I was walking with Bouga and Go, a girl passed us on the path. After she passed us, Bouga started laughing and when I asked him why he was laughing he said "That girl that just passed us was really confused why a Toubab was speaking Wolof!" They also giggle each time a child or other person calls me Toubab, to which I respond in Wolof, that actually, I am not a Toubab, I am Senegalese, my name is Oumy Thiam, etc. They have fully embraced me as their friend and family and many tears were shed last night as it was goodbye just until the day before we leave for the states.


If for some reason you would like to check out my blog from the previous year to make any connections or to give some more details, you can check it out at amandasenegal2010.blogspot.com 


I hope you enjoyed this read!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Two different worlds, yet the same people.


Bonjour!  Maddie here!  We are in our last couple days of being in the city of Dakar.  This city is unlike any that I have ever been in.  For one, it is a very quiet city.  It is 10:15 right now and all I can hear in the distance is a few cars but other than that, silence.  The second amazing thing is the stars!  I can actually see the stars here.  You can’t do that in a city in the United States that is 2.5 million people.
I think my favorite part of the city is not the quiet or the stars, but the people.  The people here are so friendly, not only to our group, but to each other.  In Dakar everyone is outside all the time.  They are not outside to go somewhere like in the United States, but are outside just to be outside and talk to one another.  I am amazed at how much people communicate here.  I love walking by some people and listening to their conversations, even if I can’t understand them.  : )

Last night, a few of us got into a taxi by ourselves and went downtown.  It was so much fun.  I was really nervous about the taxi because, even though we have been taking Wolof lessons, I don’t know it that well.  The taxi driver just kept laughing at me and smiling.  We had a conversation in the Wolof phrases that we all know and he was so friendly and helped us when we would say lines wrong.  Our second driver did the same thing.  They are very understanding here.  During our downtown excursion we walked by the President’s house.  To every single guard and policeman, I smiled and said “Asalaam malekum!” and each of the smiled back and greeted me.  I was amazed!  You would never find that in the US.  They all wanted to stop and talk.  Even if you just smile at them, they get a huge grin on their faces.  It is so fun to see.  Every single person that I greet, they greet back and are so happy!

While we were downtown we stopped by this vendor.  We got to talking and getting to know him.  He kept saying we were his friends.  We all stood there and laughed for a good 15 minutes.  We told him he should come to the United States sometime and he said he would love it.  The next words out of his mouth were not ones that I was expecting.  He gave us a speech about all people.  He pointed to his wrist and said, “When you cut here, what color do you see?  Red, I see red, too.  We are the same people.  We speak different languages and have different skin colors, but we are the same people.  I don’t know why some people can’t see that.”  I got tears in my eyes as I listened to him.  It made me think of Goree Island.  While we were at the House of Slaves, our group was very quiet and nauseous from listening to the horrific things that happened there.  However, that was not how everyone in our tour group acted.  We were in a group with some southerners from the United States.  During every speech, in every cell, they were making awful and insensitive comments and jokes.  I shot them some dirty glares and our tour guide just looked at me kind of sad and then I would smile at him and he would give me a hopeful smile back.  I pray that one day those Southerners meet that vendor and get the same speech.

Another thing that I love about Senegal is how much they value family and friendship.  When the Senegalese people eat, they eat around one big plate.  It forces them to sit together and be a family.  I love it when we have a traditional Senegalese meal because it forces us to be a group.  We have gotten so much closer through those meals.  Today, we had the honor of having a professor of sociology, Dr. Djiby Diakhate, come speak to us about Islam in Senegalese society.  To understand Islam in the society he said, “You must understand the society.”  He told us a little about the Senegalese society and I just smiled the whole time.  He talked about how important family was.  He said, “Everyone is a family member.”  He told us that when foreigners come to Senegal, they are given a Senegalese name so they feel like they are a member of the family.  Next week in Linguere, we are staying with homestays.  Peter said that he told the family to treat us like a member of their family.  Their response to that was, “Of course! We always do!” It is so refreshing to see and hear.

Every time I see children together, they are always holding hands.  I absolutely love seeing a group of kids walk down the sidewalk holding hands.  We went to church this past Sunday and there were two little girls in front of me holding hands throughout the whole service until they went to Sunday school.  Kids don’t really bully each other here.  When we were on Goree there was a group of little boys on the beach.  There was one that was off on his own and the other boys shouted at him to come over to them.  The next thing I know, they are all running around and laughing and chasing each other.  When they got tired they all came and laid in the sand in a circle and just talked and laughed.  It was so funny and sweet.  This trip has really made me value my family and friends more than I already did.  We can all learn something from the Senegalese.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Asaala maalekum!  Again!  Shay here tonight with another update from the sunny city of Dakar.  Well into day 4 of our adventure and it seems so crazy how time goes by here.  I think I can speak for everyone when I say this half week has seemed like forever.

Being in the bustling city of Dakar has been a real eye-opener and a great experience overall, but getting out of the city today and onto Goree Island was a much needed break from the rush (or lack thereof) of city life in Dakar.  Goree is a small island off the coast of Dakar where Europeans brought African slaves for deportation to countries such as Brazil or France.  However, after seeing the despicable conditions of the “holding cells” and knowing what took place on the island in past centuries, the history of the island was not the most significant part of the day.


For me, the day became significant when we were allowed to interact with some of the vendors/residents of the island which we haven’t had much of a chance to do up until today.  Although we really don’t know much Wolof yet, we were able to practice our speaking skills quite a bit from simply greeting people around us to trying to barter for better prices.  Some of the vendors did speak to us in English once they realized we only knew how to greet them and ask simple questions in Wolof/French, but the excitement of using a new language was still there.  Along with showing the people we are willing to learn their language, I feel that they may have felt a bit more respect from our use of their language instead of forcing others to convert to English for our convenience.  In the end, we always resorted back to a form of English – sometimes including bits of French – to really get into a conversation.  At times we would find ourselves slipping into Spanish just because it’s a foreign language we are all somewhat comfortable with, but the laughs we shared from the slip ups have seemed to bring us all together.  Overall, having the chance to socialize with people who aren't English speakers may be one of the most eye-opening experiences thus far.


Tonight we’re staying inside the guest house for a while and taking some down time.  All the sun and fresh air today has really slowed me down personally and a night in just sounds like a great plan.  For dinner, five of us made the sandy trek a few blocks to the grocery store and bought some rather American food: ham, turkey, cheese, bagette, Coca-Cola, fried food, etc.  To top it all off, we seem to have taken a liking to Senegalese ice cream (coconut flavored).  Now as long as we can get some water pressure back so the showers work, the day will be pretty complete!

Ba suba!
Shay

Friday, May 6, 2011

Bienvenue au Sénégal!

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!