These are a few random reflections and thoughts that I have scribbled down at various times through my first few days in Sénégal. They are not especially profound or telling, but at the end of these first days I have been so [happily] exhausted that it all comes out in lists:
– In the past 27 hours alone, I have eaten 5 whole mangoes
– I am understanding about 90-95 % of the French spoken to me, which is about 85-90% more than I expected to
– It smells beautiful here
– In the morning and evening, I go out on the terrace, which faces west, attached to my room to read and write and think. Across from me, at another home, there is a man who comes out onto his roof and, facing east/me, prays around the same time. We can see each other, but don’t speak. I like to think we’re participating in similar acts though in different contexts: we are centering ourselves, taking time, allowing space.
– The two words I hear the most here are manger (to eat in French, given to me as a command) and lekk (to eat in Wolof, given to me as a command)
– I believe much of my learning experience here will be centered around teranga, which is essentially the believed duty of Sénégalese people to welcome and make a place around the bowl, both literally and figuratively, for all who come, no matter what. I could and hope to reflect on this concept for days.
– My host family thinks its hilarious that one of the first phrases I learned is Wolof is suur na, meaning ‘I am full’
– Every night this week I have unintentionally written the same idea: I am exhausted, but this place makes me want to write so much.
(there will be much, much more)
callie daniels-howell 