Loves of the First Week

Saalaamalekum!

Albeit a French country and although I just took a class in Wolof language, I am currently listening to a Spanish song by Juanes that captures my current sentiments quite well: "Hay tantas cosas que me gustan hoy de ti. Me enamora!" There is so much that I like about this country today that I fall in love. :-)

Love #1: Teranga
This is a Wolof word embodying the open arms and hospitality of the Senegalese people. Each and every one of them considers themselves embassadors for their country, creating relations with America through us. They love us, want us to return frequently, and hope that we'll send home wonderful stories of Senegal. I shared a heartfelt conversation about teranga with Amadou, the doorman at my current dorm. In speaking with another exchange student, I came to learn that this kindly Senegalese man had need of une torche (a flashlight) to save him from having to feel his way up the stairwell in search of intruders throughout his night watch. Thus, the two of us decided to purchase one as a gift for him. His pure joy shone through as he thanked me and explained how this was true teranga, something that one did from the heart instead of out of self interest. He has invited us to come and meet his family at his home in a nearby banlieu (a sort of ghetto), which we are looking forward to greatly. Amadou spends his rainy shifts sweeping water off of the entryway patio in order to prevent the lower level of our residence from flooding. He then returns to a home where he must sweep the water off of his flat roof and wade in water knee high. In light of these habitual conditions of some locals, the other students on our program who were flooded out of a second set of dorms on their first day here do not feel at all out of place. Their experience of rushing luggage away from the deluge in their rooms and onto a bus headed toward a nice, dry hotel was truly a luxury in comparison to local banlieu inhabitants.

But I digress. I was describing the hospitality and friendliness of the people here. They honestly do want to treat you the way that they'd have their own children treated aboad, in spite of the fact that we're also viewed as walking money bags by the vendors and beggars. Frankly, the multiple requests for our phone numbers, as white American women here, is also indicative of certain financial expectations. Apparently I can expect several marriage proposals in the comming months. If any of you are desirous of a Senegalese husband, just send me a note saying so and I'll pass it along. You'll be hooked up in no time!

Love #2: The fruit bats
Oh yeah, baby! You thought mangos were good in the states, but they cannot compare with the delicacies that suspend in the embrace of these local chauves-souris. From the balcony of our rooms, we can witness the swooping flight of these winged mammals up-close and personal. Cuping their mango du jour, they hang out, reaching over to snag a tasty morsel from a nearby limb and looking quite cute, actually! I hope I have such great entertainment when I move in with my host family! Speaking of which, I'll be meeting them tonight. I'm in a matriachal Catholic family with a widdowed host mother, Elizabethe, who has several married children living in her home along with four grandchildren: a six-year-old, two toddlers, and an infant. I'm excited to meet them. :-)

Love #3: Balcony Dancing (shadows included!)
Gym membership is not yet activated and there is little time for seeking out climbing these days, so one must take excercise into one's own hands. Ab workouts are great and all, but I need a little more breathing and blood-pumping going on to make it a true workout. That's were dancing comes in; apparently no one can see me from my balcony, so my ipod and myself just get jiggy. No better way, I tell ya! I can twirl around there, trying any number of moves that might draw stares at a club, and just let loose without a single witness besides the fruit bats and my own shadow. The shadow itself can be quite entertaining at times. You should check it out one of these days! Just get yourself some good lighting and a fabulous tune in your head and see how that shadow can be the source of perpetual fun!

Okay, now that you know my secrets, I'm going to head off to lunch. The food here, albeit laden with oil, is delicious. Yesterday they trained us in eating with our hands out of a communal bowl, which was magnificent, but there's no telling whether my host family will adhere to that tradition. Dinner tonight with my family may include spoons.

Well, ba beenen yoon inshalaa!

Je vous aime!

Hugs,

Jocelyn