Archives: November 2005
Tue Nov 29, 2005
Nder Visit - Pictures and People
Ok, here are some of the people who helped make Nder what it was.
My host family:
Pape Niang. I spent most of my afternoons talking with Pape, eating watermelon and drinking ataaya, as he tried to convince me to find a Senegalese husband. He spoke fluent french, and kind of reminded me of my grandfather (although I would never tell him so...don't want him thinking he's old :). He was also the head of the theater troupe and the nutrition program.
Soukheyna, Pape Niang's wife. A very welcoming woman, although our conversations were somewhat limited as she spoke only Wolof.
Myself and Ndeye Thioy, my "official" host mother, and in my opinion, one of the best cooks in the village.
Myself with Pape Niang and Soukheyna's children - Omar, Fatou and Bai As - as well as one of Bai As' friends.
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Mon Nov 28, 2005
Nder Visit (First Entry)
I am not even sure how to begin writing this entry. Nder was a truly amazing experience, one that I find difficult to put into words, but I will attempt to do so here. Be prepared for a slight bit of rambling and - as always - if you get tired of the narrative skip ahead to the next entry to see some pictures.
So. We arrived in Nder on Nov. 8th. I ended up staying with a different host family from our previous visit, which ended up being an excellent idea, as I was much more comofortable physically and socially in my new situation. It was also a much better arrangement language-wise as two members of my host family spoke french (to varying degrees), but the women spoke only wolof which gave me ample opportunity to practice and expand my speaking skills. It is hard to communicate in written words how vibrant the community of Nder truly is - ranging from the women, who are some of the strongest and proudest women I have met in Senegal, to the kids who were playful and friendly, to the men who were talkative and hardworking, to the laobe framily, who made some of the most incredible woodcrafts I have seen, and on and on... In the three weeks I spent there, I felt closer to much of that community than I have felt to many of the inhabitants of Yoff who I have known for much longer. Perhaps it is because it was a rural village, and thus has a tighter social network, I don't know, but whatever the reason, it was a truly unforgettable experience. It will be easier, I think, to describe who people were in the pictures section, so I'll tell you all more about individuals in that part.
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Giving thanks to N'Der
Where do I even begin to describe the experience of my past month living in N’Der ? Sitting here at the computer right now seems like the absolutely wrong way to approach it because I know there is no way to convey the appreciation and love I feel towards this village and the people within it, nor the beauty of the area, the lessons I learned, and the experience I lived. I don’t know how I can portray enough my life there, the lives of those who live there, and how we came together for one unforgettable month.
It’s amazing how quickly one can adapt to new environments, such as no electricity, running water, or ease of transportation. I rapidly became used to the horrendous cry of donkeys (whoever said donkeys go “hee haw” was obviously mistaken), waking up at 7 every morning to the daily chores of the compound, embarrassing myself in Wolof, and dancing whenever the women could get a hold of me. I have never met such welcoming and living people, people of such quality and honour I had thought their type extinct, and quite honestly the most beautiful coalition of women I have ever seen.
We celebrated Thanksgiving in the village, made food in the solar ovens,...
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Mon Nov 07, 2005
Laundry and Farewell - Katie
I woke up this morning at 7 am so I could attempt to do laundry. Our host families are paid to do it for us, and although I felt bad about it because I feel too spoiled sometimes, I now realize if I had to do mine own all the time I would be perpetually dirty/soapy. That's because washing clothes here is extremely, impossibly hard, and I understand why Kayla's fingers were actually raw and cut after she did hers the other day.
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Korite - Katie
Ramadan is over and everyone can eat! The moon allowed the last day of fasting to be Wednesday, and therefore everyone could gorge on Thursday. However, Korite was very different than I imagined, or at least very different than typical Western holidays. It consists of a eating, of course, but whereas in America food is available throughout the daty, here it is still served in the lunch and dinner schedule. Thus, I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the usual times, but the meals consisted of better quality food such as chicken (which is very expensive). I also got to eat a lot of Ngallakh, my favorite Senegalese food ever (probably because it's a desert) consisting of a sweet peanut butter sauce mixed with banana juice, chocolate, and raisins until it has a yogurt like consistency. Then couscous is added so it's a little like tapioca. My family makes fun of me because I always get so happy when they give it to me.
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N'Der - Katie
Going back to village life was really nice after spending 2 1/2 weeks back in Dakar. Although I love Yoff and my family here, the traffic, pollution, and heat really start to weigh down on me after a while. Thus, returning to the countryside, although in a completely different part of Senegal, was a relief.
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Fri Nov 04, 2005
Korite
Today my mother Ndeye and I went to the mosque in the morning - or, more precisely, to the large sandy area outside of the mausoleum where the Mahdi/Prophet of the Layene sect is entombed - to celebrate Korite, the festival which marks the end of Ramadan. She gave me this beautiful tradition boubou to wear, which was great though somewhat hard to walk in. Here's a picture of me in it:
It's funny, but when I am dressed in traditional Senegalese clothes I feel like I stand out more than ever as a white person.
Anyway, Korite is nothing like the L'appelle that I attended earlier this year. At the L'appelle they sang Layene songs for hours, but today was straight-up praying. I have never performed the Muslim prayers before, and I wonder if it was appropriate for me to so without being Muslim myself. It's funny, I would never think twice about praying in a church, but a mosque seems like a different deal somehow. Still, my mother didn't seem to think it was strange, nor did anyone else there, so I suppose it was alright.
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Nder, Visit #1
We spent the past four days in the village of Nder, situated in the northern desert of Senegal (sahelian region), bordering the Lac de Guiers. During our time there we got to know the villagers and conducted an Appreciative Inquiry in groups along each one of our 5 project themes: Organic Agriculture, Feminine Entrepreneurship, Ecotourism, Education and Nutrition/Health.
I really enjoyed the time we spent in the village. The heat was extremely intense during the day, which meant that everyday around 11-3 we would stop our work and lie out on mats in the shade, reading, napping & chatting. It made everything seem so much more relaxed, as well as making the heat bearable. Then at night, after having dinner with our host families, we would all gather at a predetermined concession where one of us was staying (the houses were mostly arranged in concessions - or compounds - of about 4 related families, or perhaps simply multiple wives/families of the same husband, it was never entirely clear to me. But I would estimate that about 30 people lived in my homestay family's concession.) Anyway, everyone would get together and talk, play chess and drink ataaya. The last night we were there we had a sing-along with a bunch of the villagers, which was a lot of fun. I really liked these nighttime gatherings because it gave me a chance to get to know the Senegalese students even better, since instead of going home to their families in the evenings they would come hang out with us Americans. Everyone seemed much more comfortable, even cozy, with eachother. And contrary to the intense heat of the day, the nights were quite cool after sunset (although mosquito-filled). I am really looking forward to going back to Nder for our longer visit.
More...
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Nder Visit - Pictures and People
Ok, here are some of the people who helped make Nder what it was.
My host family:
Pape Niang. I spent most of my afternoons talking with Pape, eating watermelon and drinking ataaya, as he tried to convince me to find a Senegalese husband. He spoke fluent french, and kind of reminded me of my grandfather (although I would never tell him so...don't want him thinking he's old :). He was also the head of the theater troupe and the nutrition program.
Soukheyna, Pape Niang's wife. A very welcoming woman, although our conversations were somewhat limited as she spoke only Wolof.
Myself and Ndeye Thioy, my "official" host mother, and in my opinion, one of the best cooks in the village.
Myself with Pape Niang and Soukheyna's children - Omar, Fatou and Bai As - as well as one of Bai As' friends.
More...
[1] comments (893 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Nder Visit (First Entry)
I am not even sure how to begin writing this entry. Nder was a truly amazing experience, one that I find difficult to put into words, but I will attempt to do so here. Be prepared for a slight bit of rambling and - as always - if you get tired of the narrative skip ahead to the next entry to see some pictures.
So. We arrived in Nder on Nov. 8th. I ended up staying with a different host family from our previous visit, which ended up being an excellent idea, as I was much more comofortable physically and socially in my new situation. It was also a much better arrangement language-wise as two members of my host family spoke french (to varying degrees), but the women spoke only wolof which gave me ample opportunity to practice and expand my speaking skills. It is hard to communicate in written words how vibrant the community of Nder truly is - ranging from the women, who are some of the strongest and proudest women I have met in Senegal, to the kids who were playful and friendly, to the men who were talkative and hardworking, to the laobe framily, who made some of the most incredible woodcrafts I have seen, and on and on... In the three weeks I spent there, I felt closer to much of that community than I have felt to many of the inhabitants of Yoff who I have known for much longer. Perhaps it is because it was a rural village, and thus has a tighter social network, I don't know, but whatever the reason, it was a truly unforgettable experience. It will be easier, I think, to describe who people were in the pictures section, so I'll tell you all more about individuals in that part.
More...
[0] comments (785 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Giving thanks to N'Der
Where do I even begin to describe the experience of my past month living in N’Der ? Sitting here at the computer right now seems like the absolutely wrong way to approach it because I know there is no way to convey the appreciation and love I feel towards this village and the people within it, nor the beauty of the area, the lessons I learned, and the experience I lived. I don’t know how I can portray enough my life there, the lives of those who live there, and how we came together for one unforgettable month.
It’s amazing how quickly one can adapt to new environments, such as no electricity, running water, or ease of transportation. I rapidly became used to the horrendous cry of donkeys (whoever said donkeys go “hee haw” was obviously mistaken), waking up at 7 every morning to the daily chores of the compound, embarrassing myself in Wolof, and dancing whenever the women could get a hold of me. I have never met such welcoming and living people, people of such quality and honour I had thought their type extinct, and quite honestly the most beautiful coalition of women I have ever seen.
We celebrated Thanksgiving in the village, made food in the solar ovens,...
More...
[0] comments (821 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Laundry and Farewell - Katie
I woke up this morning at 7 am so I could attempt to do laundry. Our host families are paid to do it for us, and although I felt bad about it because I feel too spoiled sometimes, I now realize if I had to do mine own all the time I would be perpetually dirty/soapy. That's because washing clothes here is extremely, impossibly hard, and I understand why Kayla's fingers were actually raw and cut after she did hers the other day. More...
[1] comments (856 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Korite - Katie
Ramadan is over and everyone can eat! The moon allowed the last day of fasting to be Wednesday, and therefore everyone could gorge on Thursday. However, Korite was very different than I imagined, or at least very different than typical Western holidays. It consists of a eating, of course, but whereas in America food is available throughout the daty, here it is still served in the lunch and dinner schedule. Thus, I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the usual times, but the meals consisted of better quality food such as chicken (which is very expensive). I also got to eat a lot of Ngallakh, my favorite Senegalese food ever (probably because it's a desert) consisting of a sweet peanut butter sauce mixed with banana juice, chocolate, and raisins until it has a yogurt like consistency. Then couscous is added so it's a little like tapioca. My family makes fun of me because I always get so happy when they give it to me. More...
[0] comments (845 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
N'Der - Katie
Going back to village life was really nice after spending 2 1/2 weeks back in Dakar. Although I love Yoff and my family here, the traffic, pollution, and heat really start to weigh down on me after a while. Thus, returning to the countryside, although in a completely different part of Senegal, was a relief. More...
[0] comments (365 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Korite
Today my mother Ndeye and I went to the mosque in the morning - or, more precisely, to the large sandy area outside of the mausoleum where the Mahdi/Prophet of the Layene sect is entombed - to celebrate Korite, the festival which marks the end of Ramadan. She gave me this beautiful tradition boubou to wear, which was great though somewhat hard to walk in. Here's a picture of me in it:
It's funny, but when I am dressed in traditional Senegalese clothes I feel like I stand out more than ever as a white person.
Anyway, Korite is nothing like the L'appelle that I attended earlier this year. At the L'appelle they sang Layene songs for hours, but today was straight-up praying. I have never performed the Muslim prayers before, and I wonder if it was appropriate for me to so without being Muslim myself. It's funny, I would never think twice about praying in a church, but a mosque seems like a different deal somehow. Still, my mother didn't seem to think it was strange, nor did anyone else there, so I suppose it was alright.
More...
[0] comments (534 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
Nder, Visit #1
We spent the past four days in the village of Nder, situated in the northern desert of Senegal (sahelian region), bordering the Lac de Guiers. During our time there we got to know the villagers and conducted an Appreciative Inquiry in groups along each one of our 5 project themes: Organic Agriculture, Feminine Entrepreneurship, Ecotourism, Education and Nutrition/Health.
I really enjoyed the time we spent in the village. The heat was extremely intense during the day, which meant that everyday around 11-3 we would stop our work and lie out on mats in the shade, reading, napping & chatting. It made everything seem so much more relaxed, as well as making the heat bearable. Then at night, after having dinner with our host families, we would all gather at a predetermined concession where one of us was staying (the houses were mostly arranged in concessions - or compounds - of about 4 related families, or perhaps simply multiple wives/families of the same husband, it was never entirely clear to me. But I would estimate that about 30 people lived in my homestay family's concession.) Anyway, everyone would get together and talk, play chess and drink ataaya. The last night we were there we had a sing-along with a bunch of the villagers, which was a lot of fun. I really liked these nighttime gatherings because it gave me a chance to get to know the Senegalese students even better, since instead of going home to their families in the evenings they would come hang out with us Americans. Everyone seemed much more comfortable, even cozy, with eachother. And contrary to the intense heat of the day, the nights were quite cool after sunset (although mosquito-filled). I am really looking forward to going back to Nder for our longer visit.
More...
[0] comments (820 views) | [0] Trackbacks [0] Pingbacks
