J'ai arrivé

I am currently in the midst of orientation. We are staying in the dormitories on campus where our classes are held, until Friday when our host families pick us up. The university campus is in the neighborhood of Marmoz. The Senegalese army has a post across the street, and the Indonesian, South Korean, and Saudi Arabian embassies are around the corner, as well as USAID. We can see the ocean from the classroom windows, and frequent rain showers leave at least a couple of rainbows arching across the sky every day. 

There are lots of dogs and cats wandering around, as well as herds of goats (some with, others without herders), and some horse drawn carts beside the zooming cars, taxis, buses, and car rapides, which are colorfully painted cheap mini-buses that run constantly and are super-crowded (people hang off the backs). Some of us rode with student guides yesterday on a car rapide to Ouakam, the neighborhood I'll be living in. There is an incredible amount of construction going on everywhere because of recent foreign investment, apparently, and many walled off beautiful villas are right next to cramped apartments. Trash tends to be everywhere, but people are resourceful. At  the beach, kids were using a large piece of plastic (maybe it used to be a top or door?) as a boogie board. I have yet to see a chain store or fast food joint, (or a large supermarket for that matter) which is cool. There are innumerable street vendors and small shops and people just selling things without shops or by the side of the street. We will be receiving a food stipend, and I plan on eating many a mango and banana because breakfast consists of a piece of baguette and lunch and dinner mostly involve meat and rice. It's great because I'm not eating tons of snacks! Did I mention that it's extremely humid here and I'm sweating my butt off, but the weather is wonderful nonetheless.

My French is very bad, and we just started learning Wolof today (the teacher is a wonderful woman! and the class is in franglish), so communication has been difficult, but it can only get better from here! Everyone is extremely friendly once you say hello, especially in Wolof, which involves an exchange of about 8 questions and a generous handshake every time you see someone. Though considering our freshness here, we're only expected to exchange about 3 greetings at a time. 

Not much exploring has been done yet, but I'll have a lot more to say be next week after I've seen downtown and been with my host family. Ramadan starts next week so the stores will mostly be closed but that's not a problem. 

P.S. the call to prayer from the nearby mosque may just be a call to prayer but it's mesmorizing and beautiful!

P.S.S. there's no toilet paper here. 

a biendot!

amanda

Books, Music, Movies: Oh my!

In case you want to do your own research, here's an incomplete bibliography of sorts...

This summer, instead of practicing my French as I should have (I mean, in addition to this research) I've tried to do some reading on and related to Senegal, as well as watch some Senegalese movies, and listen to some famous musicians. Many of the musicians are famous enough that I was already listening to them without realizing they are Senegalese! Fancy that.

Movies

The most famous and prolific Senegalese director was Ousmane Sembene (1923-2007). I found three of his many films at my local library in Arlington, MA- including
"La Noire de..." (Black Girl) (1966),
"Xala" (1975),
and "Moolaade" (2004).
His work explores many social issues facing contemporary Senegal and gives great critique and insight into his culture.
Sembene was actually an author until around age 40 when he realized that movies were the real way to reach most people in a country where illiteracy rates are high. Additionally, Senegal's first president Leopold Senghor was a poet and during the beginning of his term especially he gave a great deal of funding to the arts in Senegal. From my understanding, Sembene somehow benefitted from this.
I read a couple of his books, which are listed in my "books" section.

Also, check out this short documentary (free online!) called "Democracy In Dakar" about the role of hip-hop in the last presidential election. The full set of video shorts is here: http://nomadicwax.com/film/democracy-in-dakar/

Here's the trailor:


Music

Popular music for young people includes rap, r&b, hip-hop, and mbalax (pronounced mbalakh) which developed in the 1970s and incorporated soul, funk, and Cuban music with Wolof (the major language in Senegal) lyrics, local rythms, and the local sabar drum. Today there is greater r&b and hip-hop influences and electric instruments. South American and Carribean sounds are also involved.
Youssou N'Dour has this style, and I've been listening to him. I also have...
Cheikh Lo
Ismael Lo and the more old school
Orchestra Baobab

Some other famous Senegalese musicians and groups include
Baaba Maal
Positive Black Soul
Xalam
MC Solaar and
Akon

Orchestra Baobab video:


Baaba Maal video from 1992. Very cute. Couldn't embed this but here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv78EPSxbvI

Youssou N'Dour video (made for global consumption, being a superstar and all-it's in French and English):
Couldn't embed this one so you've got to click the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbBSDE-Dywo

Books

Unfortunately for me I didn't read any of these in French (or Wolof). :)
CIEE, the company that is running my program, suggested some books to participants. Though I didn't read two of them, the rest were great, especially the fiction. I read and skimmed a bunch of other books, but didn't write down the titles before I took them back so regrettfully they aren't listed here. There are some that I do remember and those are here.

CIEE Fiction:
God's Bits of Wood by Ousmene Sembene
So Long A Letter by Mariama Ba
The Beggar's Strike by Aminata Sow Fall
Ambiguous Adventure by Cheikh Hamidou Kane

CIEE Non-Fiction:
The Collected Poetry by Leopold Sedar Senghor
Africa Notebook by C.W. Gusewell
Mandinko: The Ethnography of a West African Holy Land by Matt Schaffer and Christine Cooper
Lonely Planet: The Gambia and Senegal
Muslim Brotherhoods and Politics in Senegal by Lucy Behrman
Islamic Society and State Power in Senegal: Disciples and Citizens in Fatick by Leonardo Villalon
Fighting the Greater Jihad, Amadu Bamba and the Founding of the Muridiyya of Senegal, 1853–1913 by Cheikh Anta Babou
A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal by Allen Roberts, Mary Nooter Roberts, and Gassia Armenian
The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality? by Cheikh Anta Diop
The Cultural Unity of Black Africa: The Domains of Patriarchy and Matriarchy in Classical Antiquity by Cheikh Anta Diop
Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology by Cheikh Anta Diop

Other books, mostly indirectly related to Senegal
The Belly of The Atlantic by Fatou Diome (is related to Senegal directly)
Xala by Ousmane Sembene (is related to Senegal directly)
Notebook of a Return to My Native Land by Aime Cesaire
Segu by Maryse Conde
The Wretched of The Earth by Franz Fanon
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois

What's the story morning glories?

So the idea came up that since I will be studying abroad this semester it would be useful for me to get a blog. Here it is! Thanks for stopping (by)!
I'll be leaving for Dakar, the capital of Senegal on August 23 and returning on December 22. I will try and post my thoughts and things I may learn throughout the trip, though don't be surprised if the posting is inconsistent. Remind me to take photos and post those too.
For now, here are maps of Senegal and Senegal's location in the continent of Africa. Later I will post some music and books from/related to Senegal for those very curious family and friends out there.
Thats all for now!