Boutiques -- the Senegalese mini stores on every corner -- this tiny shop continues to surprise me with everything that fits inside. You can buy everything from baby diapers to loofahs to jump ropes, flip flops, cookies and snacks, drinks and basics for cooking, phone credit, spices, cafe touba, bread, fake hair
Ever buy in detail?
-You can by 10F worth of butter (2 cents) -- although i usually splurge for 25F worth to butter my morning bread
-Biscrème - 100F for 4 scrumptious cookies filled with chocolate goo
-Raini - Fruit drink with real pieces of fruit! My favorite is peach -- a little pricey at 350F
-Loofah in a wide range of colors (actually just a long piece of net)
-Hair starting at 500F
-Diego Chips -- pronounced sheeps here -- one is flavored ketchup, I don't buy this
-Nens (eggs) No refrigeration for eggs here, that's reserved for the drinks and yogurts
-Bag of water - 50F, just bite off the corner of the bag and satisfy your thirst
-Baking soda, baking powder, flour, spices -- all sold in little plastic bags on demand
-Phone credit -- wait for a promotion and get an extra 50%, makes it a little less painful when you have to pay by the minute and text
-Earrings - 300F great price, mine lasted about 2 days
-Thiakry - delicious yogurt with millet -- my family made this from scratch in Dakar but alas none here in Thiès so I have to get my fix from the boutique
-Natural Yogurt -- nice change from all the overly sugared meals, drinks, and treats here, especially good with fresh mango pieces
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Its a zoo!
Time for a fun update on the animal life in Senegal.
I can still remember the first time I was heading to class in Dakar and had to wait for a herd of cattle to cross the street. Another time I found myself in a narrow alley with the same herd, trying not to make eye contact.
On my trip to Mar Lodj (an island in the delta region) 3 of us went running and came across a herd in a large open sand field --- its usually in your best interest to yield to the cattle. This includes large trucks too, although I have seen a cow come to the street and wait for traffic before crossing.
Sad thing is, lots of cattle but hardly any milk. We rely on powdered milk here.
You know its spring time when....
Huge; and I mean big fat momma pig with nine little piglets hiding from the rain on the side of the house. I think they came by to eat all the mango scraps and mom decided to take a break.
Have you ever seen a full grown pig run at full speed? I have and I think I laughed out loud. Little tiny legs and fat stomach, not very graceful.
And I don't like to stereotype but the pigs also like to hang out in the dirtiest mud pools that show up after the rains.
Lots of dogs and cats in the street. Back in the Dakar there was a cat that liked to sneak in the house and search through scraps from dinner.
Cockroaches. Enough said.
Chickens are also common in the streets but are definitely outnumbered by goats and sheep.
Did you know...
Goats tails stick straight up while sheeps' fall down?
And in a beauty contest here, the goats always win. The sheep aren't fluffy like you see in the story books.
Mosquitos are common and when they're not around during the day time, they're replaced by flies. Rainy season is less interesting now that the bugs have multiplied.
The equivalent of squirrels = lizards.
In the village the animals run wild like they do in town too but get tied up at the beginning of the planting season so they don't eat the new crops.
I saw a raven catch a chick. Momma hen tried to fly after the raven but wasn't quite fast enough.
There's some vultures too, usually see them around a dead carcass. surprise!
On the way to Kedougou for spring break we saw monkeys in the wild! Green monkeys with long tails. (they're not actually green)
On my trip to Mar Lodj (an island in the delta region) 3 of us went running and came across a herd in a large open sand field --- its usually in your best interest to yield to the cattle. This includes large trucks too, although I have seen a cow come to the street and wait for traffic before crossing.
Sad thing is, lots of cattle but hardly any milk. We rely on powdered milk here.
You know its spring time when....
Huge; and I mean big fat momma pig with nine little piglets hiding from the rain on the side of the house. I think they came by to eat all the mango scraps and mom decided to take a break.
Have you ever seen a full grown pig run at full speed? I have and I think I laughed out loud. Little tiny legs and fat stomach, not very graceful.
And I don't like to stereotype but the pigs also like to hang out in the dirtiest mud pools that show up after the rains.
Lots of dogs and cats in the street. Back in the Dakar there was a cat that liked to sneak in the house and search through scraps from dinner.
Cockroaches. Enough said.
Chickens are also common in the streets but are definitely outnumbered by goats and sheep.
Did you know...
Goats tails stick straight up while sheeps' fall down?
And in a beauty contest here, the goats always win. The sheep aren't fluffy like you see in the story books.
Mosquitos are common and when they're not around during the day time, they're replaced by flies. Rainy season is less interesting now that the bugs have multiplied.
The equivalent of squirrels = lizards.
In the village the animals run wild like they do in town too but get tied up at the beginning of the planting season so they don't eat the new crops.
I saw a raven catch a chick. Momma hen tried to fly after the raven but wasn't quite fast enough.
There's some vultures too, usually see them around a dead carcass. surprise!
On the way to Kedougou for spring break we saw monkeys in the wild! Green monkeys with long tails. (they're not actually green)
Best gift of all....
Sharing in the Lord's work
When I started my internship with MIS, I told the director and his wife that I was grateful to work in the lab but was interested in seeing how the organization works as a whole. I've joined a mobile medical trip and helped with sponsored children in the village of Baback (see previous blogs). And to add to this, France-Lise invited me to join the Peekshill Baptist Church on their 2 week missionary trip to the Fatick region of Senegal.
The Fatick region is mostly Serer, which compared to the Wolof ethnic group is more open to the gospel. The Serer are about 70% Muslim and 30% Catholic so the name of Jesus is more familiar. However despite the label of Muslim or Catholic, most of the people in the villages also follow animist practices. For example, confronted with an injury the person may visit a witch doctor, or multiple witch doctors to seek treatment. There is a fear of spirits as well; it is considered unsafe to leave your compound at sunset which is when the spirits are most active. There are also amulets worn for protection.
The team from Peekshill numbered 13 with 7 first-timers to Senegal. We stayed in a "guest house" in Niakhar one of the larger villages for 3 days at a time and left from there to visit the other villages that had been chosen by MIS for us to minister to. The group split and 2 and visited 2 different villages for three days each. Each time we started by meeting the chief and introducing ourselves and were often welcomed since we were coming in peace. We also met the local pastors who are the main workers for church planting. Some villages have churches built already and a growing congregation while others have cell groups -- a small group of Christians that meet together but don't have a church yet to worship in.
We usually arrive around 4pm after the midday nap and visit compounds. Some are very welcoming and offer chairs to sit on while others just exchange greetings and don't encourage conversation. When possible we shared the gospel and every night we set up a projector and showed a movie. We watched "Yatin" at least 5 times -- a movie about a small town where spirits are breaking up the families and causing fear, Pastor Philip moves to this town from the city to cast out the evil spirits and proclaim Christ. The graphics weren't what we're used to in the states but the movie really touched on the same issues and fears that people deal with here.
A very important aspect were the translators. We had 6 translators with us and since we all stayed at the same guesthouse we had the opportunity to get to know them and ask lots of questions about the Serer culture. I learned a lot about the Serer culture and how Christianity is viewed.
It was really interesting to see God working through the Peekshill team just in the short time that they were there. It really made an impression for us to come to the people and visit them personally. One woman mentioned that she liked Christians because they came to her and didn't ask for any money but brought peace. Alternately, to receive help from a religious figure or witch doctor, there's often a fee to pay.
Reactions to the message were varied, some accepted Christ, others thanked us for coming and sharing peace. Some agreed with us that Jesus was God but they prefer to stay Muslim or said they were too old to change. Some women would like to accept Christ but are forbidden by their husbands while other heads of households allow freedom of religion in their family.
Another blessing for me was being able to spend time with some Americans. We had a guitar and some good worship music, Bible study, card games, bananagrams and good conversations in the morning before heading out to the villages.
You can find pictures online -- the link below comes from the Peekshill team.
http://senegal2011.org/
When I started my internship with MIS, I told the director and his wife that I was grateful to work in the lab but was interested in seeing how the organization works as a whole. I've joined a mobile medical trip and helped with sponsored children in the village of Baback (see previous blogs). And to add to this, France-Lise invited me to join the Peekshill Baptist Church on their 2 week missionary trip to the Fatick region of Senegal.
The Fatick region is mostly Serer, which compared to the Wolof ethnic group is more open to the gospel. The Serer are about 70% Muslim and 30% Catholic so the name of Jesus is more familiar. However despite the label of Muslim or Catholic, most of the people in the villages also follow animist practices. For example, confronted with an injury the person may visit a witch doctor, or multiple witch doctors to seek treatment. There is a fear of spirits as well; it is considered unsafe to leave your compound at sunset which is when the spirits are most active. There are also amulets worn for protection.
The team from Peekshill numbered 13 with 7 first-timers to Senegal. We stayed in a "guest house" in Niakhar one of the larger villages for 3 days at a time and left from there to visit the other villages that had been chosen by MIS for us to minister to. The group split and 2 and visited 2 different villages for three days each. Each time we started by meeting the chief and introducing ourselves and were often welcomed since we were coming in peace. We also met the local pastors who are the main workers for church planting. Some villages have churches built already and a growing congregation while others have cell groups -- a small group of Christians that meet together but don't have a church yet to worship in.
We usually arrive around 4pm after the midday nap and visit compounds. Some are very welcoming and offer chairs to sit on while others just exchange greetings and don't encourage conversation. When possible we shared the gospel and every night we set up a projector and showed a movie. We watched "Yatin" at least 5 times -- a movie about a small town where spirits are breaking up the families and causing fear, Pastor Philip moves to this town from the city to cast out the evil spirits and proclaim Christ. The graphics weren't what we're used to in the states but the movie really touched on the same issues and fears that people deal with here.
A very important aspect were the translators. We had 6 translators with us and since we all stayed at the same guesthouse we had the opportunity to get to know them and ask lots of questions about the Serer culture. I learned a lot about the Serer culture and how Christianity is viewed.
It was really interesting to see God working through the Peekshill team just in the short time that they were there. It really made an impression for us to come to the people and visit them personally. One woman mentioned that she liked Christians because they came to her and didn't ask for any money but brought peace. Alternately, to receive help from a religious figure or witch doctor, there's often a fee to pay.
Reactions to the message were varied, some accepted Christ, others thanked us for coming and sharing peace. Some agreed with us that Jesus was God but they prefer to stay Muslim or said they were too old to change. Some women would like to accept Christ but are forbidden by their husbands while other heads of households allow freedom of religion in their family.
Another blessing for me was being able to spend time with some Americans. We had a guitar and some good worship music, Bible study, card games, bananagrams and good conversations in the morning before heading out to the villages.
You can find pictures online -- the link below comes from the Peekshill team.
http://senegal2011.org/
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