(picture: Waly and Adji visit! My program directors from Dakar.)Alright so the last post was somewhat of a downer...
but eventhough I am driving myself crazy here, there are things that I like:
the beach: Especially now that the water is getting cooler. Although I still haven't figured out where I can go swimming in the morning without getting pulled to the Gambia with the current.
the musique: Senegalese music is pretty awesome. Check out Youssou Ndour or Falou Ndeng on youtube.
the food: Granted my diet is not very varied, but that is what I have my horse-pill-sized vitamins for. Fish and rice twice a day, delicious!
the clothes: So I already have 4 outfits (only two of which I actually like, but whatever...), and I have the most beautiful fabric that I am almost too scared to give to a tailor for fear he will mess it up. And walking the streets everyday is like seeing a runway show, so beautiful!
the pigs, goats, and sheep: Piglets are the absolutely cutest things ever! And pregnant goats look like normal goats that ate a UFO. And I still get freaked out when I go up to the roof to find a goat eating my laundry or find that my breakfast was eaten while I went to get some powdered milk.
the language(s): So my French is far from perfect, especially that the Senegalese don't care much about elle vs il or vous vs tu. But Wolof is super fun to learn and I like learning new words and surprising my host family with my new vocab. It is still going pretty slowly but all's good. I also really want to learn Socé or Serere which is some of my family members speak, but for right now Wolof is enough.
And there are probably more good things in Sokone, and in Senegal, but I'm just so frustrated everyday that I forget about enjoying it all.
So don't freak out! I'm fine. Just a little too frustrated, etc. But I do really like Sokone and Senegal.
My host father asked me why I like Senegal, and my answer: because most animals (insects in particular), each plate of food, each plant, each landscape- each day I see something that I have never seen before in all of my 20 years. And that is fabulous!
Elke, it sounds like you are having an incredible experience and I have enjoyed reading your entire blog and some of your friends as well just to compare their experiences and how they are reacting to them. I find it very interesting. Safe travels home and if you find time I hope you will stop by Johnston Hall.
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