This post by Fellow, Alec Yeh has been Cross-posted from the Current TV News blog.

Q: What are your first impressions?
Things here are incredibly different, even from Dakar [the capital]. Being in the village is just a lot more downtime. Things seem to move at a slower pace, and it isn’t a bad thing at all. People here genuinely seem so happy. But the weird thing is, they yearn to immigrate to a western country, where they can hope for a better life. It’s interesting that outwardly, they can be so happy, yet also want a better life. Everybody in the village is so incredibly nice. Nothing like Dakar. Dakar has that city feel to it, and you don’t get to know as many people, such as your neighbors. Here in the village, people know everybody, and upon my arrival, I already feel incorporated into the community. I stick out like a sore thumb, but nonetheless, they’ve been nothing but accommodating.

Q: How does your new home compare to where you live in the US?
Well, obviously it’s different. You don’t have the amenities that you had in the US. But it’s not necessarily worse. Somethings may be, but some things are better. For example, bugs fall from my ceiling. That’s something that doesn’t happen. I have a toilet at home, and a hole here. I have a shower at home, and a bucket here. But nonetheless, here, there’s camaraderie. Here, there’s this solidarity, this idea of “we’re in it all together.” That’s something I’ve never, and probably will ever, experience in the US.

Q: What are some of the local issues facing the community you’re in?
That’s easy. Unemployment. Everybody here wants a job. Yet there are so many young, able bodied men here, that simply can’t get a job. People just lounge here. They sit around and make tea and talk. And it’s not their fault at all. They’re so incredibly bored, and they yearn to do something. But with no jobs, they actually don’t have anything to do. I don’t think I will ever forget what my host brother said. I asked him “how many times a day to you make and drink attaya [tea]?” He answered, “sometimes three, sometimes ten. Who knows? You know, we come together to make attaya to talk and forget about our problems. We don’t have jobs here. There are no jobs. You know, I have my college degree, most of us do.”

Q: How are those issues indicative of bigger global challenges or trends?
I think it’s indicative in two ways. One, the fact that with globalization, with media, and with kids like me, people in third world countries sees how the other half lives. This gives them to desire, the want, the yearn to try and improve their position. Though they might never do that, it’s still there. That idea of wanting better is stronger than ever, which is why there’s so much immigration. The second way is that it challenges governments to be creative, and to create jobs and opportunities where you think there could be none. That’s what’s needed.

Q: How does what happens in this community affect the folks back home in the US? And the other way around – How do lives and decisions in the US affect the community you’re in now?
Well the first one for me, is just the fact that they’re making such an impact on foreigners. I’m going home, a changed person. And I can’t express my gratitude to them. It’s something thats invaluable. It’s irreplaceable. And I’m hopefully going to go back and do something about it. I think my answer to the second half is in answer number 4. They see how the other half lives. It gives them a new picture of what’s out there, and what could be achieved. It may be a bad thing, or it may be great. I don’t know. Only time can tell.

Imagine being the Minister of Health in a country like the United States. Your jobs pretty important right? You spent a long time acquiring the degrees and credentials to be the Minister of Health. Now imagine being paid a salary of 26,000 dollars a year. If a minister’s salary is that much, imagine what the average citizen would make.

However, you’re lucky enough to even be making anything in Senegal. Like so many young men, my host brother doesn’t have a job. It’s not because he doesn’t want one, and it’s not because he’s stupid. There simply aren’t enough jobs in Senegal. Without jobs, imagine how bored these men get. Imagine how unhappy they are. Read more…

Kids will seriously put anything in their mouths. Anything. If it looks like it’ll fit, they’ll try it. And if doesn’t look like it’ll fit, they sure as hell going to make it fit.

I woke up one morning, tied up my mosquito net, brushed my teeth and got dressed. I go to put on some chap stick. I open it, and a huge chunk is missing, with teeth marks riddled all around it.

I then go out to have breakfast with the family. But as I was eating, I was watching Aminata, the one year old. She crawls away and proceeds to stick dried bird poop in her mouth. I guess she decides it isn’t bad, and goes for another helping. After that, why not try a leaf? Okay okay, you must be thinking “Why in the world would you just watch?” Well, after eating the bird poop, I really didn’t think she’d go for seconds. How was I supposed to know she’d find it tasty? I thought she’d gag or something. So when she went for some more, I was too shocked to say anything. Then she went for the leaf, and I opened my mouth to say something, but the father grabbed her before I could. Read more…

My house is much smaller than my house in Dakar, but I like it much more. It’s quite small, but more conducive for socializing. There are three buildings. The largest is the one with all the rooms. There are three bedrooms, including mine, and a living room. There is another small building that simply a room with a refrigerator in it. I think they want to turn it into a boutique though. The last building is where the cooking is done. I don’t exactly know if I would call it a “kitchen,” at least not a Western kitchen, since it’s just a room with a propane tank for the cooking. There’s no stove, no sink, no table. The room also smells a little funky, due to the lack of ventilation. There is an outdoor “sink,” which is just a spout and drain. It’s the only source of running water in the entire complex. There’s also a pen for the sheep and turkey. I have no idea why we have a turkey, but the sheep are for Tabaski. There’s a courtyard in the center, and that’s where all the hanging out, the eating, the laundry, the playing happens. There are always cats in the courtyard. My family gives them leftovers, so now they just loiter there. It’s interesting though. It’s like having a new pet every day. Read more…

Yankhoba is quite the guy. He took me to his house to meet his family. He introduced most of the men as his brothers and most of the women as his sisters. I thought he had 20 siblings. He later told me most of them weren’t actually his brothers or sisters. He just considers them family. The Senegalese consider their friends and neighbors as part of their family. As Americans, we have a very structured view of what family is. I think we should adopt the Senegalese idea of family. Read more…

Pulling up into Sangalkam, I got extremely nervous. The thought that loomed in the back of my mind was “What if you’re stuck with a family you don’t like for six months?” I was just getting closer to my Dakar family, after buying them a cake as a “thank you.” Cakes really make everything better. And now, I was being transferred to another family, another environment.

The moment I met my family, I knew I was worrying about nothing. Read more…

So I’ve recently gotten into this cooking thing. I want to study gastronomy in school and I figured since I’m in Senegal, why not learn some things about Senegalese cooking? I talked to Gaya, one of the fellows, and she actually invited me over to cook with her family. I was so excited. It was awesome. And since Gaya is pretty much fluent in French, if I had a question, I could actually ask it. Read more…

Those Golden Arches. Oh dear. I miss those beautiful, Golden Arches. I couldn’t really sleep very well last night. Perhaps it’s because my mind was too preoccupied thinking about that image in my head. Oh how the gold pops with that red background. And here comes a little girl with beautiful fire-red pigtails and freckled cheeks. I think her name is Wendy?

I don’t even like fast food that much. I have no idea why I’m craving McDonald’s and Wendy’s. I mean, Wendy’s has the best chicken nuggets, with McDonald’s close behind. Wendy’s breaded nuggets are flavored with heaven I swear, while McDonald’s incredibly crispy nuggets are fried with the oil of the gods. I am quite the nugget connoisseur. I remember those late night Wendy’s runs since Wendy’s in Burlington, Massachusetts doesn’t close ’til 2 on Fridays. But as I think about it more, it’s not the fact that I miss fast food or I’m really craving those nuggets. I miss the comfort. I miss the comfort of piling inside a van with your friends late at night to satisfy your hunger, with the only thing that’s open. I miss the memories.

I thought I’d see a McDonald’s in Senegal and I thought every time I see one, I’d be comforted by those memories. But when I Googled it, Senegal actually doesn’t have a single McDonald’s. Which is probably better for my health, but it just reminds me exactly how far away I am. When there’s no McDonald’s, you gotta be in a far-away world.

The Senegalese hiss. I don’t quite understand why, but they hiss at you. They hiss at each other. They hiss at everybody. Instead of saying, “Hello!”, they just go “pssssst.” It’s how people in Senegal try to get your attention. And it’s not just because I’m American. They do that to each other. They hiss at people just to ask “where is this bus going?” or “how far is the supermarket from here?” It’s so strange.

So I was hissed at by some child. He also tapped on me. He was a beggar. I said “sarax si agg na” which is “I’ve already saved my soul today” essentially. It’s suppose to get rid of beggars. The kid stared at me and a huge smile came across his face. Read more…