Ile de Goree

It is my fifth day in Senegal, and I am settling in more day by day: slowly getting used to the HOT WEATHER, different (but yummy) food, cultural greetings etc. So - Na guen def, everyone? (That's how you say "how are you?" to a group of people in Wolof) The other students on the program and I have been spending a lot of time together, and I feel I am beginning to make some friends.

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We went out to hear some Senegalese music a couple of nights ago, which was great fun, and then yesterday we went to the Ile de Goree. Goree was the last stop on the slave trade
within Africa; We saw the door from which there was no return, through
which the slaves stepped on their journey to America.
In addition to its historical significance, Goree is truly beautiful, and many
talented artists live there. The Senegalese students here have been very kind, showing us around Dakar, the beach and then the island, and just generally helping us navigate the bus systems and other cultural ins and outs. Although the trip started off shaky (lots
of rain, missing the ferry), I wouldn't have missed it.

We were talking about our preconceptions of Senegal the other day in class, and one things that has struck me thus far is the interesting mix of certain technologies with a more traditional lifestyle and architecture. For example, my house has dirt floors, no flush toilet, and a little open flame gas stove, but it also has a tv and a dvd player. It strikes me as an odd combination of technologies, but perhaps this is what best suits my host family's lifestyles/needs/desires. I also think I expected the setting to be more rural, even though it is so close to Dakar, but Yoff is actually quite urban. Urban with goats wandering about in the middle of the street, but urban nonetheless :)
Today is a big festival in the neighboring town of Layenne. The Layenne brotherhood believes that the prophet Mohammad was reincarnated in the village of Layenne within recent decades, and that Jesus has been reincarnated as well. From what I understand, these reincarnations are foretold in the Koran and signal the coming of the end of days. I am hoping to attend part of the festival this afternoon with my host family, I think it will be very interesting. Speaking of which, I've got to sign off here so I can go hear a presentation about this tradition. Be well, Deb.