Thursday, March 5, 2009
Jerejef Senegal!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Road Trip Home
Monday, March 2, 2009
Ile de Goree: Where French Colonialism meets Senegalese Culture
As the ferry approached the beautiful island, approximately one kilometer in diameter, the bright sun shown down on the remains of the colorful colonial houses and garrison, with its rusted cannons on the right side, and a hill with narrow, winding cobblestone streets on the left. Right next to the dock was gorgeous white sand beach covered in sparkly sea glass.
We spent the afternoon wandering around the island, exploring the cobblestone alleys around the House of Slaves, learning the history of the Senegalese slave trade, and climbing to the top of the hill for a gorgeous view of Dakar. The island housed the most incredible representation of Senegalese artwork, varying from the more typical stylistic Senegalese stick figure paintings to elaborate paintings and collage on fabric. What was most impressive about this artwork was that the artists were right there to engage you in explaining the meaning of each painting or carving. The island's colonial history of slavery served as a strong source of emotions to draw from, and many of the paintings were imbued with symbols of lost identity and African heritage.
After an incredible group dinner in one of the old colonial buildings, our group departed on the ferry to return to Dakar, where the shimmering lights made us ask ourselves why we were leaving to go home so soon.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bad Car Karma in Dakar
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Senegalese Teranga (i.e. Hospitality)
Meetings, Meetings, Meetings Everywhere
Friday, February 27, 2009
Two quotes that still make me laugh....
Person A: "You didn't know we're going back home on a 10-day boat ride?"
Person B:*eyebrows raised*, "Oh really (pause)...I have to tell my wife."
Quote 2
(This one is hilarious for 2 reasons: 1) having toilet paper handy during this trip was important, but the rolls there are thin, and the more people use some...well they just seemed to never last 2) it was said during the ride back from St. Louis to Dakar which seemed like eternity, it just kept getting late and it seemed like we were never going to get there...)
Person on bus says: "Time is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you are to the end, the faster it goes."
Thursday, February 26, 2009
My Favorite Memory from Senegal
We had two members of our class who were from Senegal; one's sister had a baby the week before we arrived. When we arrived, the politics group was invited over for a naming ceremony. We missed the ceremony, but did get to spend the afternoon with the family.
I was incredibly grateful that they allowed us to spend an afternoon with them on such an important occasion. Everyone was so warm and made us feel right at home, like we belonged to the family. The afternoon was a microcosm of my entire experience in Senegal - amazingly warm and kind people, wonderful food, lots of laughs, and very memorable.
Dakar: Center of French and West African Culture
During our ten days in Senegal we managed to have two wonderful opportunities to listen to live music performed by famous Senegalese musicians. The first was a free concert by Cheikh Lo at a wonderful open-air club called Just For U. About half of the IEDP group was there to see his incredible performance. Cheikh Lo builds his music from Dakar's dominant pop sound, mbalax, but throws in elements of salsa, Zairean Congolese rumba, folk, and jazz. Lo's natty dreads and notable spirituality signify him as Baye Fall, a mystic brotherhood within the Mourides [the dominant sect of Senegalese Islam]. Listening to his raspy, yet soulful voice while enjoying a Flag beer and the warm breeze was a spectacular experience for us all.
The second concert was performed by Seun Kuti - the youngest son of the famous Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti - held at the French Cultural Center on Friday night. A handful of us were able to make this concert after our afternoon and evening on Ile de Goree. The concert was aid to be amazing, with Seun Kuti proving to be as dynamic and energetic as expected.
Senegalese art, unlike music performances, came to us throughout our entire stay in Senegal. Street hawkers with Senegalese cloth, drums, masks, paintings and purses were always in sight if not walking next to you bargaining; markets were teeming with more of the same for tourists to fill up their second and third suitcase with. The ahrdest part for someone traveling to Africa for the first time was distinuishing what was made in Senegal and was considered "Senegalese" as opposed to brought in from Mali, Cameroon or Nigeria for instance.
The only thing we did not have a chance to see was some of the famous Senegalese dancing. At least I had been able to see the Senegalese musician Youssef N'Dour at the University of Michigan this past November and was able to watch a number of Senegalese dancers compete on stage.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Parc Djoudj: Our 1st Weekend
So as we bounced along some game attempts at roads on our way to Parc Djoudj--the third largest bird reserve in the world--on the first Sunday morning, I was amazed to see the flooded plains of rice, grasses, and cattails. I knew that rice was grown here, but the sudden change in the landscape was hard to picture. Since we couldn't have been proceeding faster than 15 mph, the driver apparently had plenty of time to scan the roadside, spotting several reptiles sunning themselves at the edge of the flooded fields. We all pushed to one side of the bus to take pictures of pythons and monitor lizards.
Finally we arrived at the park. I had steeled myself for a blistering day, but the weather was cool and breezy as our herd separated into three boats to cross the lake and stir up bird life. There were hordes of pelicans, cormorants, and other smaller birds that darted down into our wake to scoop up tiny fish. Someone pointed excitedly to the edge of the lake, where there was some rustling in bushes, but then a zebu cow emerged and there was some audible disappointment that this wasn't followed by a surprise crocodile attack.
We did, in fact see a 5 foot crocodile, and if you check Facebook, there are 85 pictures to prove it.
The destination of the boat tour was apparently a colossal nesting ground of pelicans, which the guide didn't really explain.
We returned, spotting a bald, or at least balding eagle on the way, and then two necking pythons back at the dock. We rode back to Saint Louis and dug into couscous, yassa poulet, thiebudjenne, and several other Senegalese specialties before a long bus ride back to Dakar.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Reflections
Monday, February 23, 2009
Welcome (Back) to Africa
I had not anticipated that my return to West Africa, almost 6 months to the day since I had left Ghana, would invoke such a powerful olfactory recognition. But as I walked through those airport doors and into the buzzing neon yellow lights of the baggage claim I found myself inhaling a deeply a familiar, comforting scent. It was a detoxifying blend of earth, aging and well-worn furniture, and plain, fresh soap.
I found my stiff muscles suddenly relax along with my mind as the aroma transported them both to the doorway of the barn in Montana where I rode Arabian horses for 9 years. That barn in the Bitterroot Valley has such a similar smell: horse hair, saddle soap and wooden stalls made smooth from decades of use by horse and rider.
I realized at this moment that traveling in parts of the world far away from my own instills in me the same feelings of being complete and at peace, free and weightless, that I have every time I ride.
It is amazing how the sense of smell can bridge two different worlds and simultaneoulsy make a country in West Africa feel like home in Montana. Coming back to Africa was like coming back home.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Its 7am the morning we leave for Senegal. In Ann Arbor it feels like 0 degrees outside (according to weather.com) but in Dakar its sunny and 70, and so the prospect of nice weather is getting us even more excited about going.
We are only going to be in Senegal for 8 days, but we've got a lot planned for that time: meetings with stakeholders in various policy fields, trips around Dakar, cultural events, an excursion to St. Louis. This packed schedule is a little daunting, but we want to make the most of our short time there. It's going to be a great trip.
Now its time for us to head to the airport, so we'll post again from Dakar.
Senegal should watch out-- IEDP is on its way!