2013-05-08
When my fellow Senegal Fellows and I arrived in Dakar back in September, I found the place less than hospitable. At the tail end of rainy season, its streets turned to sewage rivers at the slightest shower. Entire neighborhoods’ roads and crumbling sidewalks were inches deep in sand and garbage. Speaking no French or Wolof,...
Read More2013-01-09
A few weeks ago, as I was chopping onions with my adult host sister, she said something out of the blue that caught me by surprise. “At the end of the month, we’re going to finish the house.” “Wait, it’s not finished?” I asked, confused. Sure, the majority of the rooms are unpainted, the exterior...
Read More2013-01-03
5:59 am: The alarm clock goes off. I wiggle my foot free of the mosquito net, hitting the off button with my toes in the dark. I take a few deep breaths to brace myself before 6:00 am: The guy at the mosque outside my window starts his morning yell/chant over the loudspeakers. I’m not...
Read More2013-01-03
I judge books by their covers. I’m not being euphemistic here, I just find that a book worth binding nicely and decorating with gold leaf and a ribbon bookmark is usually a book worth reading. You don’t see many books made like that anymore. But, surprisingly, these quality books pack the shelves of the little...
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2013-01-03
When I moved in with my host family, one of my biggest concerns was being polite in a culture that was completely foreign to me. This challenge was complicated by my extremely limited language skills. I can’t say whether or not I stepped on any toes in my first few weeks here, but I was...
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2012-11-14
Before I came to Senegal, I was fairly detached from the floor, or as detached as gravity allows. The floor was a convenient place to keep chairs and tables and trash cans and other such useful items. It was a chore, always needing to be vacuumed, swept or mopped. I never gave it much thought...
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2012-09-25
I hate to admit it, but after two weeks in Senegal, I needed a little escape. I know, I know, I should be immersing myself in the culture, and I have been. I just needed some breathing room, a concept that is very low on the Senegalese priority list. I decided to kill two birds...
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2012-07-10
“After much anticipation, we hope you will be excited learn that you will be spending your Global Citizen Year in Senegal!” As these words sunk into my head, a memory surfaced amongst waves of excitement and nervous energy. The memory is that of an event which seemed insignificant at the time. It was a typical...
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