Toubab Dialaw

This past weekend we went to a small village two hours south of Dakar called Toubab Dialaw for a field trip of sorts. This is the first place in Senegal outside of Dakar that I have traveled to, so I was quite excited to see the landscape change from the bustling city to tranquil savannahs filled with baobabs. We arrived in the village and set up our things in this resort that reminded me very much so of a summer camp. This resort was right on the beach (it seems like the ocean just happens to be everywhere in Senegal), so although the weather was very hot, we had a nice ocean breeze. The waves were very powerful – so powerful that I got knocked around a few times and had to get out of the water. The ocean seems so much saltier here; I can float with very little effort, and my entire sinus cavity is on fire after a few hours of beach time. At this resort/camp, I took a batik class, which consists of painting wax on fabric and then dying that fabric to make cool designs. At night there was a professional Guinean drumming and dance group who performed. They invited the audience to dance and play some games with them. They had a contest to see who could do the splits the farthest, and although I have not attempted a split in a long time, I went for it and fell right into it (I surprisingly was not in pain the next day, either). There were a few vendors there, and one woman walked up to me with a scarf and started wrapping my head with it. I tried to back away, but then she pulled a mirror up to me, and I actually really liked the way the head wrap looked, so I decided to get it and wear it for the rest of the day. The food was absolutely amazing. The restaurant served vegetarian mafe, which is a type of sauce with peanut butter, tomatoes, and other vegetables. This probably sounds like a bad combination, but trust me when I say it is delicious. I saw my first sunset since coming to Senegal, which reminded me a lot of the Lion King (if anyone reading this knows the image I am talking about); the sun seemed to grow in size and it turned a radiant red as it set over the water. We stargazed on an overlook of the beach while listening to the rhythmic tumbling of the waves. The immensity of the ocean paired with the infinitude of the night sky made me feel so small, but in a good way; this reminded me that I am just one person and that there are forces much greater than myself in this universe.

After a very self-reflecting weekend, I came back to Soso’s house feeling gross and wanting nothing more than to take a shower. As I walked in the door, I noticed that Soso had company over. Soso exclaimed her gratitude that I returned home and told me that I looked very pretty. I have no idea why she said this - I was still wearing my bathing suit with a beachy dress, my hair had not been washed in days, and I was sunburnt. She motioned for me to turn in a circle, so I did so, and she just laughed and told me I looked good. Maybe it was sarcasm that I didn’t pick up on, or maybe she just happened to like that specific dress. Either way, this continues to affirm that Soso can always provide a good laugh.

While the power goes out all the time on campus, last night was the first time it went out in my house. Unfortunately it happened to do so right as I was covered in soap in the shower. I stood there in the pitch-black bathroom for a minute, wondering how to proceed, when Soso knocked on the door and gave me a lantern. The water is not run by electricity, so I was able to finish my shower by candlelight. When I went to go to sleep, I realized that my fan would not work. I managed to fall asleep only to wake up an hour later soaking wet with sweat. I fell asleep and woke up again. I thought to myself, “This is not going to work.” I sat in my bed and stared at the wall for a little while, wondering how I would kill the remaining six hours of the night, when suddenly the electricity turned back on. I said a big ALXUMDULILAY, turned my fan on, and went back to sleep.

Other news:

I started dance classes last Thursday. This is probably the most exercise I have gotten since coming to Senegal, so I was extremely sore the next day.

After feeling quite underwhelmed by the amount of homework involved with my classes here, I finally have some work to do. Being the nerd I am, academic success makes me very happy. I did very well on my first Wolof quiz, so I hope that the two papers I have worked on the past week will also go smoothly.

I finished the third Harry Potter book, and now I’m onto reading the fourth installment (in French): La Coupe de Feu. I am spending more time than ever reading.

I joined the “Language partnership club” on campus, and I will be meeting with my language partner for the first time this afternoon. Basically, she wants to improve her English, and I want to improve my French, so we take turns speaking in each other’s languages. I hope it goes well.

Yesterday’s realization: it will be very difficult to go back to the United States (particularly the 70% female American University), where I am not constantly referred to as, “Belle fille.” Even though I have only spent five weeks here so far, I have felt a surge of self-confidence. Being outside of my comfort zone and inside a very foreign place has allowed me to grow as a person. The general nature of the Senegalese is much more accepting than American culture. Even though I physically stick out because of my skin color, I am not judged because of my size or the way I dress (except that one time during Ramadan I wore shorts, but that was poor decision making on my part). If my hair is particularly frizzy and/or I do not wear makeup one day, people do not regard me differently for it. The only time people ever judge me is when vendors assume I have tons of money and continue to follow me around selling stuff.

Yesterday’s other realization: a sense of direction is not something one can learn; it is something one is either born with or without. Sadly, I fall into the latter category. I still get lost in my own neighborhood. Some of the other students don’t let me walk home alone at night (although I try to avoid that in the first place as it isn’t the smartest idea). My neighbor even recognized me and told me I was walking the wrong way. At least my first reflex is no longer to check my GPS… THAT was a complete eye-opener the first couple times getting lost. I promise I’m not as high-maintenance as I probably sound.