I'll explain these later, we're about to go on a tour of Dakar and I have to go!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
An Encounter with a Senegalese Death Pepper, and Other Adventures
HEY GUYS.
I am here in Dakar, at present sitting at my new found favorite place in the world, MyShop. We haven't had internet or phone access until this very moment, and it has been beyond frustrating. This post will be short, but I'm definitely going to come back here tomorrow and write more!
The plane ride was fine, South African Air is a pretty cush airline. They even gave us socks! I befriended this group of three older men who were on their way to go hunting for black wildebeasts in South Africa, and they helped me through airport security and to the gate. When I got there, there was a huge gaggle of kids who were obviously my group, so I sat with them until we departed. They are all nice, and I think I'll make some good friends here!
We stayed in a hotel (with air conditioning, thank Allah) the first night, and visited the house of a Senegalese woman, Honoré, who had worked with MSID for 10 years on our first day. It was raining BUCKETS, so we hung out inside, ate, danced, talked about things to do and NOT do with our host families, ate, ate, and then went back to the hotel.
At Honoré's house, we had the Senegalese national dish, chebujen, for dinner. We all sat on the floor around these huge communal plates and ate with our hands. (Only the right one! To eat with your left hand in a big no no.) Chebujen is really tasty- it's cooked millet, veggies, and fish, seasoned to delicious-ness. It was while eating this dish, though, that I made a near fatal mistake. I was eager to try everything in front of me, so when I saw what looked like a small harmless bell pepper, I grabbed it and offered to split it with the girl sitting next to me, Allison. What happened next I can only compare to a dementor attack (for the Harry Potter fans amongst you,) if dementors stuck flame throwers down your throat instead of making you feel cold. Immediately upon contact, I started weeping, shaking, sweating ALL over, and turning the most incredible shade of red. Allison was suffering a similar fate, and the other kids sharing our food were quite concerned. To make matters worse, the Senegalese don't drink any water with their meals, so to quench the fire we just had to shovel more food in our mouths. I can honestly say that is the most uncomfortable I have ever been in my life!
Anyhow- it is nearing 6 PM and I have to make my way home before it gets dark, but I will write much more tomorrow and post pictures! Briefly- we don't start classes til Monday, but we moved in with our host families day before yesterday! My family is great- Maman Binta and Papa Anicet are extremely nice, and Raissa and Pascal are a lot of fun. Pascal was thrilled that my umbrella opened with just a button.
In Senegal, white people are known as "toubabs"- with each passing day I feel like more and more of a big dumb toubab! It's become a running joke amongst us students- you bought that necklace for 6000 CFA?? You are such a toubab! You left your underwear for your host family to wash?? (big no no!) Tu es vraiment toubab!!
Things are so cuckoo bananas here, I can't even wrap my mind around it. Anyway, more later.
I am here in Dakar, at present sitting at my new found favorite place in the world, MyShop. We haven't had internet or phone access until this very moment, and it has been beyond frustrating. This post will be short, but I'm definitely going to come back here tomorrow and write more!
The plane ride was fine, South African Air is a pretty cush airline. They even gave us socks! I befriended this group of three older men who were on their way to go hunting for black wildebeasts in South Africa, and they helped me through airport security and to the gate. When I got there, there was a huge gaggle of kids who were obviously my group, so I sat with them until we departed. They are all nice, and I think I'll make some good friends here!
We stayed in a hotel (with air conditioning, thank Allah) the first night, and visited the house of a Senegalese woman, Honoré, who had worked with MSID for 10 years on our first day. It was raining BUCKETS, so we hung out inside, ate, danced, talked about things to do and NOT do with our host families, ate, ate, and then went back to the hotel.
At Honoré's house, we had the Senegalese national dish, chebujen, for dinner. We all sat on the floor around these huge communal plates and ate with our hands. (Only the right one! To eat with your left hand in a big no no.) Chebujen is really tasty- it's cooked millet, veggies, and fish, seasoned to delicious-ness. It was while eating this dish, though, that I made a near fatal mistake. I was eager to try everything in front of me, so when I saw what looked like a small harmless bell pepper, I grabbed it and offered to split it with the girl sitting next to me, Allison. What happened next I can only compare to a dementor attack (for the Harry Potter fans amongst you,) if dementors stuck flame throwers down your throat instead of making you feel cold. Immediately upon contact, I started weeping, shaking, sweating ALL over, and turning the most incredible shade of red. Allison was suffering a similar fate, and the other kids sharing our food were quite concerned. To make matters worse, the Senegalese don't drink any water with their meals, so to quench the fire we just had to shovel more food in our mouths. I can honestly say that is the most uncomfortable I have ever been in my life!
Anyhow- it is nearing 6 PM and I have to make my way home before it gets dark, but I will write much more tomorrow and post pictures! Briefly- we don't start classes til Monday, but we moved in with our host families day before yesterday! My family is great- Maman Binta and Papa Anicet are extremely nice, and Raissa and Pascal are a lot of fun. Pascal was thrilled that my umbrella opened with just a button.
In Senegal, white people are known as "toubabs"- with each passing day I feel like more and more of a big dumb toubab! It's become a running joke amongst us students- you bought that necklace for 6000 CFA?? You are such a toubab! You left your underwear for your host family to wash?? (big no no!) Tu es vraiment toubab!!
Things are so cuckoo bananas here, I can't even wrap my mind around it. Anyway, more later.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Washington, DC
My mom and I have been having loads of fun in Washington this past week! We're staying in a youth hostel that is within walking distance of the capitol mall and many, many, many FREE! museums, Smithsonian and otherwise. Washington seems like a really neat place, and the history geek in me feels right at home. A week wasn't nearly enough time to do all we wanted to!
We have done quite a bit, though, including walking the mall and checking out all the memorials, visiting the Museum of Natural History, the Freer Gallery, the International Spy Museum, Mount Vernon, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I also got to spend a couple nights going to concerts with my good friend Sam from Grinnell, who is here with some other Grinnellians doing an internship and taking classes for the semester. Great fun!
Some photos- James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery, the Washington Memorial, my mom and I at the Lincoln Memorial, a working farm on GW's Mount Vernon estate, the back porch of the Mount Vernon mansion, shoes at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a funny dog Sam and I saw on a walk.
In Senegal-related news, I got an email a few days ago describing my host family! Here is all I know:
"It is a young couple. They have two children, Raïssa (1994) and Pascal (2002). Maman Binta is one of the best cookies, donuts and samussa makers (be careful if you do not want to put on weight). She sells them every evening at the entrance of the house. Papa Anicet works at Cheikh Anta Diop University."
!!!
So very exciting! I already have a pre-facbricated fib to tell the family to prevent morbid obesity from the gross overeating of donuts- namely that I have a mild allergy to sugar, and that if I eat too much of it, I'll break out in hives. (My mom says this is not too farfetched.) (Also, I feel that it's a vague enough story that I can still say that one or two pastries a day isn't "too much" sugar.)
For now, I must go finish packing, and then my mom and I both have long days of travel ahead. I probably won't have internet access for the first week of my stay, but I'll post ASAP!
PS- some people were confused about how to post comments on the blog- as far as I know, you can click on the link at the bottom of each post that says "0 comments," (or maybe "1 comments" or "29385203 comments,") write your comment, and then post using your gmail, AIM, or other accepted user name and password. I think you might be able to post as a guest, as well. Please write back!
PPS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORAH DEMING! xo
We have done quite a bit, though, including walking the mall and checking out all the memorials, visiting the Museum of Natural History, the Freer Gallery, the International Spy Museum, Mount Vernon, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I also got to spend a couple nights going to concerts with my good friend Sam from Grinnell, who is here with some other Grinnellians doing an internship and taking classes for the semester. Great fun!
Some photos- James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery, the Washington Memorial, my mom and I at the Lincoln Memorial, a working farm on GW's Mount Vernon estate, the back porch of the Mount Vernon mansion, shoes at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a funny dog Sam and I saw on a walk.
In Senegal-related news, I got an email a few days ago describing my host family! Here is all I know:
"It is a young couple. They have two children, Raïssa (1994) and Pascal (2002). Maman Binta is one of the best cookies, donuts and samussa makers (be careful if you do not want to put on weight). She sells them every evening at the entrance of the house. Papa Anicet works at Cheikh Anta Diop University."
!!!
So very exciting! I already have a pre-facbricated fib to tell the family to prevent morbid obesity from the gross overeating of donuts- namely that I have a mild allergy to sugar, and that if I eat too much of it, I'll break out in hives. (My mom says this is not too farfetched.) (Also, I feel that it's a vague enough story that I can still say that one or two pastries a day isn't "too much" sugar.)
For now, I must go finish packing, and then my mom and I both have long days of travel ahead. I probably won't have internet access for the first week of my stay, but I'll post ASAP!
PS- some people were confused about how to post comments on the blog- as far as I know, you can click on the link at the bottom of each post that says "0 comments," (or maybe "1 comments" or "29385203 comments,") write your comment, and then post using your gmail, AIM, or other accepted user name and password. I think you might be able to post as a guest, as well. Please write back!
PPS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORAH DEMING! xo
Sunday, August 23, 2009
One more test
Another test, just to make sure I know how to upload photos. Looks like yes, I do! We painted our house white this summer, and are still trying to figure out if this was a good decision or not. A color consultant described the house color as a "rich, warm, buttery white"- though "white" seems like a more appropriate description to me.
Also pictured is the newest addition to the family, Ezra the Electric Car! Very exciting.
My mom and I depart for DC tomorrow morning, and I go on to Senegal a week from today. Packing packing packing...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Testing 123
Hello all,
I'm going to update this blog as often as I can with pictures and stories from my adventures in Africa this coming semester! Please check it as often or seldom as you see fit, and make sure to write back and let me know how things are going in your lives.
I leave for Dakar, Senegal from Washington D.C. on August 30, so expect the action packed tales of lion hunts and desert wanderings to start then.
For now I'll say Adieu, and start practicing the useful Wolof phrases in my summer reading packet : Ponkal, na nga def? ("Hey fatso, how are you?")
I'm going to update this blog as often as I can with pictures and stories from my adventures in Africa this coming semester! Please check it as often or seldom as you see fit, and make sure to write back and let me know how things are going in your lives.
I leave for Dakar, Senegal from Washington D.C. on August 30, so expect the action packed tales of lion hunts and desert wanderings to start then.
For now I'll say Adieu, and start practicing the useful Wolof phrases in my summer reading packet : Ponkal, na nga def? ("Hey fatso, how are you?")
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