Three Points

(1) Six weeks down, 23 to go.  Time moves way too quickly here.

(2) I now feel as competent in my job (professionally, socially, culturally, linguistically) as I did at the end of my last internship.  Go me!

(3) Downtown Dakar feels shiny and modern again.

Two Weeks

 afternoon, 18 August 2011

Finally -- rain, thunder, and cool winds.

I've been here nearly two weeks (left Vancouver two weeks ago yesterday, arrived here two weeks ago tomorrow) and this is the fist real rain that I've seen since my 'rainy season' arrival.  The sky has been periodically dark and menacing since I arrived, and I'm surprised it has taken this long to break.  People are saying that this summer, this rainy season, is particularly hot and dry.  I'd be interested to see some long term data on summer temperatures and precipitation in Dakar, and to know how this year compares.

The heat, of course, is especially harsh for those that are fasting.  Over 90% of the population is Muslim, which means that almost everyone is sweltering -- and napping -- through the heat of the day and the insatiable thirst that accompanies it.  (I wish I could tell you the actual reported percentage of Muslims, but I need internet access for that, and I am writing this in the middle of our daily power cut.)

Like last year, I've decided to fast for a few days in solidarity. Day 1 will be tomorrow, and we'll see how well I last.  I promise not to be too hard on myself if I cheat and sneak a few sips of water.  This year, fasting will be more than just an act of cultural empathy, and I will set an intention for the day -- something to meditate on -- and also dedicate my act to someone back home.  I haven't yet decided what or who that will be, but I'll spend the afternoon ruminating on it.

Two weeks in my new/old home, and I'm getting more settled every day.  I am comfortable in my Yoff apartment, which I share with Becca, my partner in crime.  (Though in our case, being settled doesn't yet mean being completely unpacked!)  We live just a few blocks away from the beach and are lucky to be able to go play in the waves after a hot day in the city.  Relative to my apartment in Kaolack, we live in a palace!  We have screens on (some of) the windows, furniture (including a dining room table, actual beds, and a living room set), a real stove, and a fridge!  We're on the third floor, which means that we're above most of the dust, and the ocean winds blow through the apartment and keep things relatively cool.

It turns out that Dakar isn't quite the modern city that I remember.  The first time I visited Dakar was Christmas 2010.  At that time, I hadn't been to a real city since leaving Montréal in August.  I was blown away by downtown Dakar, with its "tall" glass buildings, grand embassies, occasional public garbage cans, and patch of green public space.  This time, I went straight from Vancouver to Dakar, and all my illusions of modernity and cleanliness were shattered.  It is still a wonderful city, but my perceptions of it are much different this time around. It is indeed a grand and modern city by West African standards, but it is still a West African city.

It is wonderful to be back, to be in my African home country.  This time, I am privileged to live a relatively comfortable, Western lifestyle -- and thus open my eyes to a whole new reality of what it means to live in Sénégal.  Dakar is a beast, and the Dakarois sure 'aint Kaolackois or villagers.

Take Two

4 :00 PM CMT, 05 August 2011

And so my Sénégalese adventure begins, again.

I’ve returned to West Africa, to the land of teranga (hospitality), the smiling coast, and my favourite Wolof-speaking countries.  By now, I think most of my friends and family knew that I was planning another trip.  If you didn’t already know  – surprise!  I’m back!

After three flights, a long layover in New York, not enough sleep, and over 30 hours of travel, I arrived at the Leopold Senghor airport around 6:00 this morning.  I received my tenth Sénégalese entrance stamp, was met by the caretaker of my apartment, and arrived home.

Fast forward ten hours and pretty much all I’ve done is slept!  Perhaps not the best plan to get me adjusted to Sénégalese time, but I’ll get used to both the time change and the heat, ndanka ndanka.

And now, I’m off to have a shower, buy phone credit, and connect with the world.  I’ll spend the rest of the day unpacking and puttering, I think, and shall begin my adventures tomorrow!

Love, Eileen

Nothing substantial to say...

I'm back from vacation with my papa and have reconnected to the digital world. I've posted more photos! Check for more updates in the coming weeks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littleeileen/

African Images

Finally!

I am currently in the process of sharing Africa with my lovelies back home, and I'm thrilled to finally be uploading a taste of my African images. Posting photos will be a multi-day process, but they're coming!

See them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/littleeileen/sets/72157625380529171/with/5223574262/

Food

Today, I finally found Kaolack's toubab shops -- two of them, tiny, and across from each other, but tiny little culinary heavens (by my new standards). In a fit of excitement and desperation, I spent nearly four days' food budget on a bottle of extra virgin olive oil from Spain. Heaven.

And, I also bought pomegranate glaze! Shocking. It was on the shelf and relatively cheap. You can buy beets here, oranges are in season, and mint is a Senegalase staple. All I need is fennel seeds and I am set to recreate my absolute favourite salad ever...

Coupures, French Keyboards, and the Ambivalence of African Daily Life

Apologies for the prolonged silence. It has been a long time since I have properly posted here and an equally long time since I've been in touch with most of my lovelies. There are many reasons for this, but most of them are entirely too dull or far too juicy to repeat here. In short, my priority is always to fully live and love Africa and writing publicly about it is way down on the list. There will be plenty of time for stories, debriefs, and beer-fuelled waxtan yi when I return home. (Thirteen weeks down, a short twelve to go.* Eep.) I also finally am truly feeling settled in Kaolack and much of what I experience is merely African "daily life." Compared, of course, to daily life in Canada, each day is full of intense, unexpected, and completely new experiences, but they still carry a certain amount of ambivalence: "Oh Africa. C'est comme ca."

There are, too, some practical reasons for my silence. Ironically, in the city with comparatively fast internet and strong wifi, my internet time has been drastically reduced. In order to write here and to post long-winded e-mails, I need four things:

(1) Power;
(2) A computer or computer access;
(3) Functional internet;
(4) The time and desire to write.

And I need them simultaneously.

Unfortunately, it's rare to have all four at the same time. I no longer have a laptop to call my own, daytime power cuts are frequent and lengthy, internet can be spotty, and there are lots of things to do besides writing tales for public consumption. And, when I do get on an APROFES desktop, I have to battle with a French keyboard.

This post is a great illustration of the challenges. I began to write it on a desktop on Nov. 12 – but, there was a power cut when I was partway through writing, and I lost everything. So then I wrote much of it by hand, and waited almost two weeks for all four conditions to arise and get it on my blog. They haven’t yet, so I’m currently (Nov. 25) typing in a word document and don’t know when I’ll be able to post this. There’s no power, the borrowed laptop I’m using is almost out of battery, and I’m about to leave for Gambia to attend the naming ceremony of a very special newborn.

Also – good news – I’m going to Gambia to pick up Leanne’s laptop. She and Margaret finish their internships tomorrow (!!!!!!!) and are going travelling for four weeks. Leanne is generously lending me her laptop during that time. This means that I’ll have more reliable computer access, but I have no idea if that will translate into improved e-mail communication, more regular blog posts, and photo sharing. On va voir.

In other very brief news, I have a stranger (Gambian word for visitor) coming to visit! In eleven short days I will head to the Banjul airport to meet my father! He’s coming for a whirlwind trip of Gambia and Senegal, to see his daughter, and to experience a very personal side of Africa. We’ll engage in a bit of tourism, but the plan is mostly to head to Njawara, Kaolack, and villages in between to experience African daily life and meet the people that have brought me into their homes and hearts.

And, now, finally, I am about to post this. For real. It's 11:00 AM on Nov. 26. I'm in Njawara, in an unusually quiet office, using solar power and slow, but functional, wifi. So that's it for now. I'm going to take advantage of the computer access, power, and tranquility to pump out an agroforestry document.

Love to you all!


*This was true at the time of writing, but is not longer accurate. Now, it's 15 down, 10 to go!!!