Fridays in Senegal are Mosque Day. I did not realize this until I left my flat and almost every woman in the neighborhood and on my walk to WARC was wearing traditional dresses in one of several fashions. Sooo… it’s more like “Formal Fridays.” I know this because I asked my translator when I met him this morning.
Some other items of note:
— I went to the market area with the students on the UMKC study abroad trip. We rode in one of the multi-colored buses that are normally used for public transport. I think the market was overwhelming for them because they were not used to sellers being so forward with them.
There were approximately 14 of use in the group walking around the market, so we definitely stuck out. We were surrounded with different sellers from the moment we arrived. The men and women will call you “brother” or “sister” as they try to get your attention and sell you something. There is also no “personal space” because many of the sellers will touch your arm or take your hand to lead you into their shops.
Though I don’t have pictures of this experience, I will definitely get pictures the next time I go to the market. We were on a time crunch on Tuesday, so I just tried to make sure I stuck with the group. As always, it’s important to mind your personal belongings when in such a crowded and chaotic place.
— The power went out in the building the day before yesterday. I mean, OUT. I was working on my French lesson, and the internet stopped working. After a few minutes, I went to check on the router. It was off. So I flipped the light switch next to it – nothing. Oh well.
It came back on by the time we returned from dinner, so it wasn’t much of a problem. I just had to make sure I knew where the wireless chargers were in case we had to charge the smaller electronics. Phew.
Speaking of dinner….
— We went to a lovely Lebanese restaurant with Larson and Brenda on Wednesday night. First, we met them at their hotel which was close to the ocean. On the ride over, the taxi driver took the highway next to the ocean and there were some wonderful sights along the way.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was lovely, and the food was delicious. Everything was quite relaxed.
Other things have happened throughout the week that I have not included in this post, but I promise to write tomorrow after I return from my adventure at HLM (Achelleme) Fabric Market.
Angela D. Murphy, Ph.D. 