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/
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Protests in the capital
Last Thursday there were some riots in the capital outside of the National Assembly. The president of Senegal since 2000, Abdoulaye Wade who recently had his 85th birthday – proposed a change to the constitution. Currently, to be elected president in the first round of voting, the candidate must receive at least 50% of the votes. If no candidate wins 50% then there is a second round of voting between the two candidates with the most votes. Wade proposed that a candidate could win with only 25% of the votes and also wanted to introduce the position of Vice President who would replace the president in the case of his death or anything preventing him from performing his job. These changes would make it very easy for Wade to be reelected with his son as VP. Wade is very unpopular but since the opposition is not united it would be possible for Wade to win 25% of the vote in the first round.
In response to this proposition, a large crowd gathered downtown. It was quickly dispersed by tear gas and there was some stone throwing. I believe there were a few deaths and injuries but a couple sources have said that the protest was nonviolent until the police tried to break it up. The president withdrew his proposition that same afternoon.
I was very excited to see that the Senegalese stood up against Wade. It was also satisfying to see how quickly he withdrew in response to the crowds. For the last 5 years there have been power cuts. Here in Thiès we lose power about three times a day and recently the water pressure has declined. We are only able to take water when we have power so we fill up large bottles every day to last us through the power outages. Other Senegalese I have talked to are also happy about the results of the protest. One of the opposition groups plans to continue until Wade steps down from power. The next elections will be held in 2012.
Senegal has a reputation for being a very stable and peaceful country and the Senegalese are proud of this fact. However, they have been letting Wade steal money from them and buy property and build houses, buy planes and put his son Karim in power without making much protest. The change Wade proposed was the last straw. I’ll certainly be following the news, especially in the upcoming year as elections draw nearer.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
How my life has changed --- abridged version
What is normal? Normal is a relative term; Normal can be your best friend or an enemy depending on your ability to adapt to your surroundings.
Normal is not stopping the conversation when the power goes out because everyone expects it to happen.
We lose power ~3times/day. If I come home from work and have power, I can expect that we’ll lose it before dinnertime.
Normal is eating bread for breakfast every morning. Luckily I’ve made the switch from white “ghost” bread to millet bread – it lasts a little longer in my stomach. Too hot for tea, so I take a large glass of cold powdered milk.
Normal is slower. If I’m rushing it’ll probably take me longer to finish my task. I greet everyone at work and at the boutique, don’t ask to borrow the whiteout without asking about the person’s family, how he slept, and how work is going.
Normal is coming home from working and going straight to the mango tree. Pick a fresh mango and bite into it with your teeth. Try not to let the juice drip on your clothes because there’s no laundry machine, you may have to wait a week to have laundry done.
Normal is sweaty. Normal likes to take at least 2 showers a day.
Normal visits her friends’ Facebook pages when the power is on and she’s not exhausted and is surprised to see girls wearing shorts. Are those thighs? Normal feels exposed if she leaves the house showing her knees.
Normal has a hard time making to the gym but pays less than a dollar. Normal does not fit in at the gym but nevertheless has started lifting again and likes to wear giant red gloves on Talarta, Axames and Gawo. (Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays)
Normal has a hard time making to the gym but pays less than a dollar. Normal does not fit in at the gym but nevertheless has started lifting again and likes to wear giant red gloves on Talarta, Axames and Gawo. (Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays)
Baback
By the time all of the sponsored kids showed up and we prayed together, our number had grown to 54 kids. Since we were outside and arrived in a 4x4 we drew a lot of attention and kids came to join us from all directions. We split into groups and gave some themes such as what happens if the fence breaks and animals get into the garden or a motorbike hits a kid in the street. This was mildly successful – the kids were really shy to start but with some guidance they were able to act out the scene and we got a few laughs out of it.
Next was a game of tag, which ended with only 2 crying children out of 70 so I’d say it went pretty well. Before breaking out the snacks we tried to sing a couple songs with the instruments we brought but again the kids were shy. We tried to get a couple of the guys to play the tambourine as a drum but couldn’t get anything started. I ended up singing some Wolof songs I remembered from my spring break trip. This also elicited a few laughs but unfortunately did not give anyone the courage to start singing.
Next challenge, feed 115 kids some pieces of cake and 15 mangos. Maybe this is what the disciples felt like when they wanted to feed 500. Managed to prevent a giant mob from forming which is a huge accomplishment in my opinion and the mangos ended up getting passed from hand to hand, sharing at its best.
What stuck me the most was the shyness, the lack of creativity. We suggested themes and tried to encourage the kids to make up a story, what would happen? Back in Dakar, one of the CIEE students started a program for girls called CIPFEM. The organization encouraged girls to become leaders, to be more confident. Talking with her and others that volunteered for CIPFEM revealed a similar theme; the girls were often searching for the ‘right answer’ when asked to draw something or play MadLibs rather than pretending and creating. I’m not sure why this is the case, one theory is that the school system doesn’t encourage creativity or critical thinking. I see students studying which means rereading notes word-by-word trying to memorize exactly what the teacher said in class. Also there seems to be a ‘right’ way to do many tasks here, which doesn’t leave much room for trying new ideas.
This has further confirmed the notion of community involvement. Of course it makes sense, the local population should be an active participant and when possible a leader of development projects. But when you’re there, in Baback trying to entertain 115 kids with 3 people, one of which speaks Serer (the local language) you realize the gravity of the term community involvement. Someone from the region, if not the village itself would be much better suited for this job – someone who knows the language, knows the songs to sing, the way to keep the kids attention. Training is definitely necessary but train someone that lives there, who is invested in the kids lives.
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