Welcome to Ouest Foire!

When talking with folks back home, I’m always amazed by how interesting just the day to day of Senegal can be. While sometimes it’s clearly evident that I’m not in my usual environment, sometimes things just seem to be. After a very short period of time, the everyday things become not so shocking or noteworthy anymore – they become just part of the background.

The neighborhood where I live is in a newer part of Dakar. When I was in Dakar before, I lived in Liberté 3, a neighborhood with tight rows of houses, established business, and only $2 cab fares downtown. Now, I’m in Ouest Foire which is along a highway that was most likely built in the late 90s. Ouest Foire is still a neighborhood with lots of new construction so the houses are a little more modern – with balconies on each floor, small courtyard entrances where the guards watch, and integrated conveniences like flushing toilets and light switches. However, as a newer neighborhood, it’s missing the abundance of shopping options, street vendors, and restaurants. It still has the neighborhood corner boutiques (small stores) and a main road with a small grocery store and a pharmacy. Just not as much as Liberté 3.

A typical street in Ouest Foire - wide streets means less harrowing run-ins with cars or donkey carts!

Construction in the neighborhood.

The house is on a nice quiet side street, but only a block or so away from a fairly main drag with lots of shops – including the requisite street vendors for fruit, veggies, and roasted peanuts (yum!).

The Tostan House

Couldn't resist taking a picture of these cute kids!

My favorite spot in the house is the roof – a common theme to my stays in Senegal. Most buildings here are built with an open top story, which I think is a fabulous use of space instead of just using a roof as a roof. However, this is possible here in Senegal with the snow or ice dams. The roof gets decent internet service while offering a nice cool breeze and a little privacy from my 6 housemates.

My housemates here a great though! All also work at Tostan, which is great for building a sense of community. I always like having roommates for the company, but not so much when we’re all trying to use the one kitchen with its itsy bitsy oven around the dinner hour.

Tostan housemates and me!

Otherwise, life is pretty much the same here as at home. Wake up, scrape together breakfast, work, home again, bed, and repeat. Yet, some things are a little different. For example, breakfast here is either your customary cereal and milk, or if I’m feeling so inclined, I substitute out the cereal for simple millet (a common grain that’s very fine – kind of has the texture of sand) and then slice a banana on top with milk. Dinner at the house is also just scraping things together although I’ve started trying out some more recipes. Lunch is served at work and is your traditional Senegalese meal. You only have so many ways to combine things. The general equation stays the same:

Base [millet or rice] +

Meat [generally fish (either dried, boiled, or grilled) or mutton] +

Sauce [lots of oil plus peanut paste or tomato paste or something] +

Veggies [a carrot, a yam or two, and maybe even a potato].

And then, it’s served in a large bowl. This large bowl dictates much different etiquette than at home. Here, it’s perfectly fine to put your elbows on the table, because it’s not all that often you find yourself eating at the table. Usually, it’s on a picnic-blanket-like-cloth on the floor. It does though come with its own rules. Don’t sit cross-legged. Only use your right hand. Only cut meat with your spoon, no knives. And above all else, do your best to stay in your pie slice! Each person gets the section in front of them and then cuts meat and veggies from the pile in the center.

Hope this gives you a glimpse into my everyday life! And watch out, I may be serving up dinner in a big bowl next time!