Dakar Has Taught Me...

In what has felt like a blink of an eye, I am leaving Senegal and heading to Argentina.  Dakar vastly exceeded any expectations I had; I have simply been so moved by the people, the pace of life, politics, music, dance, children, language, beaches—the list goes on and on. The memories I have made here will stay with me my entire life, what a feeling. While sitting in the airport I have made a small list of things I have learned in Dakar, perhaps this will give you a taste of what life has been like for me here:

Dakar Has Taught Me…

-          To say Yes

-          That you can learn from every day, even when it may seem uneventful

-          Strangers can be incredibly kind

-          That it is difficult to find the balance between a relaxed mind and cautious mind

-          Eating fish with bones is a challenge I have yet to master

-          To always wear sunscreen

-          That I have a new sister, a brother and an extra set of loving parents

-          Sometimes being a beach bum for seven days straight over spring break is perfectly acceptable

-          That I have a new found interest in politics

-          Laughter is a cheap, healing medicine

-          Night swimming is as fun as it seems

-          Fruit from street vendors is far better than supermarket produce

-          How incredible it’s been to wake up to the Islamic call to prayer for the past 34 days

-          To hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

-          That dancing till five am is one of the best work outs I’ve had here

-          Music is ingrained in this city

-          Greeting people fully, whether a family member or cashier, is deeply emphasized here and something I believe is important to bring with me back home

-          That even in West Africa, you can find a Passover Seder (at the Israeli Embassy…it was amazing!)

-          Sharing is caring

-          That I would like to learn to speak a different language fluently

-          Jet skiing is an exhilarating rush

-          I am changing, using new vocabulary, asking different questions and looking at the world in a new light

-          I love living by the water

-          My village family showed me communication does not have to be verbal; connections and understanding can created in other forms

-          That I would like to use my cell phone less when I return home, and maybe even turn it off from time to time
-    Leaving your camera at home for the day and just taking mental pictures, only for yourself, is equally as important

-          That sometimes it’s so pleasant to just flow through the day and forget about a timely schedule. Ex: Question: What time is dinner? Answer: When it is ready.

-          I’m afraid I’m going to forget the tiny, yet incredible moments  

-          The children here are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen

-          That my mama’s laugh will always make me smile

-          I’m a very good bargainer, even in French!

-          Time flies

-          …When you’re having fun

While I enter into the last leg of our trip, I am filled with thought and emotion. First and foremost, I am so excited to see my parents and sisters who will be vacationing in BA this week. A reoccurring realization for me throughout IHP has been that I would not be who I am without the love and support I feel from my family. Whether you live in hut in a rural African village or an estate in India like Manu, family has continuously presented itself as having principal importance to the people I’ve met here.  I am so grateful and deeply appreciative to feel the same way because I know this is a blessing rather than the status quo.

I am also very excited to explore a new city! Buenos Aires will be extremely different than Dakar and Delhi, but that is just what makes this program so special; to be able to compare these vastly different cities through my own experience. I feel ready, confident, and a little intimidated but that comes with any new adventure. I am entering Argentina with an open mind and a desire to challenge myself to learn all that I can. I want to use the skills I have gained through this program thus far and apply them to reading Buenos Aires; our final destination.  That’s another thing I cannot begin to come to terms with, IHP is ending in five weeks! I sense that a reflective blog post about this fast approaching end will come soon, but for now I will stay present in this moment of excitement and readiness for my concluding adventure.  

I will write next from Buenos Aries!

Lots of Love,

Rachel

It Takes a Village

It has been one week since I returned back from Kerr Alyugae village, I still haven’t fully processed my experience but a few things I am certain of is that it was a once-in-a-lifetime, remarkable and unforgettable moment in my life. I lived in a hut compound with a husband, his three wives, and eleven beautiful children (Senegal is a Muslim country which practices polygamy, hence the three wives). I ate from a communal family bowl with my hands, I slept in a bed 4 other family members, I took bucket showers, learned African dance, picked lettuce from the garden and fell asleep under the stars, just to name a few moments. One highlight was feeling completely unplugged and so free. I star-gazed with the children and showed them shadow puppets, which they thought was hysterical and absolutely loved. Another extraordinary moment was waking up at 5 am to see the silhouette of my Mama praying at the foot of the bed. The sunlight was seeping through the door frame, and her body bowed up and down so rhythmically and beautifully; it was truly breathtaking

My family was so loving and spoke no English. But yet, we were able to communicate and make it work. I realized that no matter where you come from, you can always find a universal language in laughter. I really felt connected to my village family even though from the surface it looked like we couldn’t understand each other. My experience in the village was tremendous; I was proud of myself for managing the circumstances and enjoying it as much as I did. I felt like I was a part of an incredible community that lived a simple life, yet happy life. The village functioned so well without all the advancements we’re provided with in western societies. It made me feel appreciative for the life I have, but also made me realize how little materialistic things matter. It really all comes down to family, support and leading a happy life however you choose.

Music and dance ceremony when we arrived

My hut and siblings!

Children of the Village

"Kitchen"

Mama in the community garden

Our hut compound

Mama and Siblings

My munchkin!

Dancing

Dinner with the wives

Papa

Saying Goodbye

Since My Return

Since my return from the village, I have continued to have a fantastic time in Senegal. My days have been filled with class, site visits, guest lectures, beach, wondering through markets, spending time with my host family, meeting local people and more beach. I have also been learning a bit of French! Next week is spring break, a group of seven friends and I have rented a beach house in Saly, Senegal. Rest and relaxation on the beach, with great friends, under one roof- what could be better?

Election Update

Macky Sal, the opponent of current president Abdoule Wade, won the election by an astounding 4:1 ratio.  Wade peacefully accepted his defeat and Sal will take his new position as president today (Independence Day)! The Senegalese people are excited and hopeful to see change in the future. It has been remarkable to be here during this momentous time in Senegalese history.

Express Yourself

While I have been abroad I have turned to creative writing as a means to process my thoughts and express myself. Last week, I encountered a beautiful and unexpected experience while alone in my homestay. I wrote a poem about it that I would like to share with you:

Only Here

Laying motionless on the rooftop

Plugged in: music softly kisses my ears

A faint breeze tickles my arms

The 4 pm sun bakes my skin gold

Fingers tap against the tile

I could be anywhere

The deep, calming voice of a man brings me

away from my music

I cannot see him, cannot smell, cannot touch

Projecting from a loud speaker,

his voice sweeps through the streets below me

and flutters up to the sky above me

The voice is steady, rhythmic, beautiful

What is being sung?

The language is unfamiliar

“Hayya ‘ala s-salah”

Arabic

The Call to Prayer

I delicately strip the buds from my ears

The voice becomes louder, more beautiful

I rise, eyes remained closed, hands at heart center

The sun soothes, the sun sings, the sun warms my

young blood

Sun salutation- I dive to the floor

Body bends, body arches, body lengthens

I move to the rhythm of the steady, beautiful voice

Body bends, body arches, body lengthens

A light sweat traces down my spine

Body bends, body arches, body lengthens

The voice subsides

My movement stops

My lips begin to curl into a smile

I open my eyes

I see the mosque, the ocean, the streets of Dakar

I could only be here

--

Lots of Love,

Rachel