I don't know if people will check this since I'm home now, but I feel like this whole experience won't be over for a long time, and I should give some last thoughts for the time being. I've been home for almost two weeks and it feels like it's been forever. It's been indescribably wonderful seeing my family and friends, and overall I don't feel like the US is such a surprise to me. I know my world prety well, having lived here longer than anywhere else. What has surprised me has been an internal feeling...guilt. I feel like the luckiest person alive right now. I'm typing to all of you on my new laptop computer from a warm bed after unpacking my massive amounts of stuff in my new house. I don't know why I am one of the fortunate few, and we are few in comparison, to live in such luxury. When you're in the middle of it, it doesn't feel like luxury. It often feels like normal, a little stressful and not necessarily ideal.
What's surprising about this is that I spent 6 months trying to convince others and myself that I was not one of those rich Americans. I wanted them to know that there was more to me than money. But now I walk through the streets of Chicago, drive through the streets of Ann Arbor and even in Kalamazoo I feel like I see them through a lense that is putting a price on everything. We don't have beggars like Dakar. We don't have the garbage and sewage problems that they do. And there are countries much worse than Senegal.
The most important thing I have gained from my time in Senegal was my perspective on the world. It's, huge, unpredictable, diverse, intriguing and basically falling apart as we speak. I know that sounds horribly pessimistic, but I think it's true. The fun part is that it's not totally falling apart, and for the moment we can enjoy what we have and try to salvage the future. Now more than ever I appreciate kindness, openmindedness, irony and surprises, (although the more I see, the less I am surprised). Humor, of course, is the icing on the cake.
I'm happy to be home and spoiled, but thankful to have gotten a different perspective and motivated to not lose it.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Finishing Up
Hello and my apologies for not writing lately. As the end of my program is coming closer, almost all of my computer time is spent writing papers and doing research.
The last month has been good. I got to visit a more rural town called Fatick where we ate a lot, did tye dye with a woman's group and played cards with the kids. The place we stayed at was a compound with mostly women and several different houses arranged around a central courtyard with baobab trees. I don't know if I've put up any pictures of baobab trees, but you should look them up if not. They're huge and great.
Last weekend I went to the second baptism for the baby (the date had been moved back) in St. Louis, which is a calm, colonial and colorful (unintentional assonance there). The baptism was more like a party for the new mom who got dressed up twice with hair and makeup that was pretty outstanding. There was not any music unfortunately, because one of their neighbors had recently died and during the mourning time you can't play music. I was overwhelmed by the number of well dressed women, but soon found a group of little girls to play with, which was really fun. The next day was great with my Aunt's family I had just met... we cooked and hung out. Later I was lucky enough to ride home with another Aunt (the mom of Fatou Marie, who spent the trip jumping between the two back seats. I very rarely see carseats here).
I now have 3 weeks until I come home...which I am really excited for. Hopefully I will be able to put up all my pictures then and write a few more things. Until then, enjoy winter!
The last month has been good. I got to visit a more rural town called Fatick where we ate a lot, did tye dye with a woman's group and played cards with the kids. The place we stayed at was a compound with mostly women and several different houses arranged around a central courtyard with baobab trees. I don't know if I've put up any pictures of baobab trees, but you should look them up if not. They're huge and great.
Last weekend I went to the second baptism for the baby (the date had been moved back) in St. Louis, which is a calm, colonial and colorful (unintentional assonance there). The baptism was more like a party for the new mom who got dressed up twice with hair and makeup that was pretty outstanding. There was not any music unfortunately, because one of their neighbors had recently died and during the mourning time you can't play music. I was overwhelmed by the number of well dressed women, but soon found a group of little girls to play with, which was really fun. The next day was great with my Aunt's family I had just met... we cooked and hung out. Later I was lucky enough to ride home with another Aunt (the mom of Fatou Marie, who spent the trip jumping between the two back seats. I very rarely see carseats here).
I now have 3 weeks until I come home...which I am really excited for. Hopefully I will be able to put up all my pictures then and write a few more things. Until then, enjoy winter!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
New Baby
I can't tell you her name just yet, but my aunt had a baby girl last weekend. They wait a wek before naming babies, and apparently the dad gets to name them. This is a stupid rule in this case because the mother is a second wife and her husband is hardly around. They actually live in two different towns usually. I get to go to St. Louis (in Senegal, the second largest city) for the second baptism. I am super super excited. Last night I got to hold her for probably 30 minutes... highlight of my life. She'll probably be named Aminata, like the majority of the women in the family, after Grandma. The good thing is that it can be shortened in several ways: Ami, Amina, Adja (somehow) but I haven't heard Nata. Probably for reason.
This weekend I have the vague assignment of checking out the tourism industry in a rural ecovillage. This basically means that I am going on a long weekend, and it's paid for! I'm going with one other girl from the group. The downside is that I am missing my host mom's coming home party, which is apparently even bigger than the going away party for the pilgrimage. I can't imagine her caring too much, as she'll be seeing everyone and their mother over the next few days and I myself don't REALLY mind avoiding the huge group and endless eating. I'll get to do that next weekend, which is enough for moi.
Other than that, things are going along. This week I had ALL 3 classes I was supposed to have, which is always a good but unforunately not usual thing. I started a project at a local clinic/public health organization, which is interesting, but it seems like all of my work is going to be jammed into the last 2 months. So if I don't write, that's why. Ask any questions burning in your mind. Jamm out. (jamm=peace)
This weekend I have the vague assignment of checking out the tourism industry in a rural ecovillage. This basically means that I am going on a long weekend, and it's paid for! I'm going with one other girl from the group. The downside is that I am missing my host mom's coming home party, which is apparently even bigger than the going away party for the pilgrimage. I can't imagine her caring too much, as she'll be seeing everyone and their mother over the next few days and I myself don't REALLY mind avoiding the huge group and endless eating. I'll get to do that next weekend, which is enough for moi.
Other than that, things are going along. This week I had ALL 3 classes I was supposed to have, which is always a good but unforunately not usual thing. I started a project at a local clinic/public health organization, which is interesting, but it seems like all of my work is going to be jammed into the last 2 months. So if I don't write, that's why. Ask any questions burning in your mind. Jamm out. (jamm=peace)
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Killing Goats and Christmas Craziness
Hello all...It's been a while. Thank you for your Christmas letters and packages...they are making me feel so loved and I really appreciate it.
Christmas was much better than I expected it would be. We were walking around Ziguinchor a few days before when a woman called us into her house. Somehow we were adopted into their family, that just happened to be Catholic, and spent Christmas eve and Christmas with them. They were the most welcoming family I have ever randomly met, and we felt very comfortable there. There were people of all ages, like most big Senegalese families, so feeding a few extra mouths wasn't a huge deal. We made sure to bring dessert though, and despite our wishes, we sat at the table and ate with a bunch of the men, since we were guests. The women who made the food sat around the bowl somewhere else. NOT fair, but not our place to decide. The Grandma of the family was definitely in charge, despite the fact that she was in a wheelchair and couldn't see very well. She was very spunky and kept offering us more wine and told us we had to dance. So we all danced... a lot.
Coming home from our long and otherwise uneventful but relaxing vacation was nice. The 31st was the day of goat-killing, which I watched all of except for the actual throat-cutting. The disassemblage was fascinating, and I was amazed to be eating grilled liver while the rest of the body was still being cut up and divided into the appropriate places. I don't know if I can handle sheep again, and I am really looking forward to being a vegetarian again when I get home, haha. Despite the disturbing side of it, I enjoyed the holiday. It's not very often that you get to see the entire process of how meat gets into your hands. And we got to get dressed up in our boubous and visit the neighbors. I'm not very good at that type of thing...I can get dressed up but they visit to chit chat in Wolof, and seeing as I don't really like chit chat in English, I was a silent guest. I think holidays here are mostly about getting dressed up and seeing as many people as possible. The eating is important too, but only after the first two objectives.
I hope you all had a good holiday! I will be putting up pictures eventually, but for the moment I'm at a stand still on that beause I have a lot of other work to do online. My apologies.
Christmas was much better than I expected it would be. We were walking around Ziguinchor a few days before when a woman called us into her house. Somehow we were adopted into their family, that just happened to be Catholic, and spent Christmas eve and Christmas with them. They were the most welcoming family I have ever randomly met, and we felt very comfortable there. There were people of all ages, like most big Senegalese families, so feeding a few extra mouths wasn't a huge deal. We made sure to bring dessert though, and despite our wishes, we sat at the table and ate with a bunch of the men, since we were guests. The women who made the food sat around the bowl somewhere else. NOT fair, but not our place to decide. The Grandma of the family was definitely in charge, despite the fact that she was in a wheelchair and couldn't see very well. She was very spunky and kept offering us more wine and told us we had to dance. So we all danced... a lot.
Coming home from our long and otherwise uneventful but relaxing vacation was nice. The 31st was the day of goat-killing, which I watched all of except for the actual throat-cutting. The disassemblage was fascinating, and I was amazed to be eating grilled liver while the rest of the body was still being cut up and divided into the appropriate places. I don't know if I can handle sheep again, and I am really looking forward to being a vegetarian again when I get home, haha. Despite the disturbing side of it, I enjoyed the holiday. It's not very often that you get to see the entire process of how meat gets into your hands. And we got to get dressed up in our boubous and visit the neighbors. I'm not very good at that type of thing...I can get dressed up but they visit to chit chat in Wolof, and seeing as I don't really like chit chat in English, I was a silent guest. I think holidays here are mostly about getting dressed up and seeing as many people as possible. The eating is important too, but only after the first two objectives.
I hope you all had a good holiday! I will be putting up pictures eventually, but for the moment I'm at a stand still on that beause I have a lot of other work to do online. My apologies.
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