One of the best parts about doing an independent research project has been befriending graduate students and learning about their research projects and their lives. Almost everyday, I am able to meet someone new at the cultural center or research center. People come through at a wide variety of stages in their lives and for a wide variety of purposes including a Columbian woman who has worked for multiple human rights NGO’s, a theater student choreographing a contemporary Senegalese dance piece, and American public school teachers learning the indigenous language Wolof to teach to their students. They are impressive global citizens who work on the front lines of human rights, education, and academia. They are also really fun to go out with. I have experienced the city with them as the token undergrad, surfing by the Ngor beach and attending an international music concert at the French Institute. The other main group of people I have been fortunate to meet are 11 undergrad students in a study abroad program for Virginia Tech. They have included me in their social gatherings and the professor has allowed me to tag along when they do cultural immersion trips throughout the city. This past Saturday, we went to the historical tourist attraction called Gorée Island, which was a holding place for slaves in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
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| My surfing instructor and I |
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| Yoff Beach |
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| Gorée Island |
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| Slave House: Up to 40 people would be held in this small room |
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| Slave House |
In addition to the friends I have met through the centers, my home-stay family has provided a comfortable source of companionship. In Senegal, “family” colloquially includes one’s relatives and family friends. My new family is no exception: there is <<Papa>> who lives in the top floor and almost never comes down, <<Mama>> who lives in the second floor, their son Moctar who is at least 40 years old, Moctar’s wife, Moctor’s new-born baby, two maids who do most of the housework, and two laid-back, middle-aged renters who are not blood-related but still treated as part of the family. One of them, Sanou, took my new friends and me out to experience the nightlife this past weekend. Side note: People dance more conservatively, love jazz/reggae, and often begin their nights at 2 AM. Finally, two other foreigners live in the house as home-stay students: an American girl my age and a German guy five years older than me. Despite the number of people, I can enjoy the privacy of my own room.
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| Home |
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| Living Room of my homestay (and baby Mohammed sleeping) |
It is funny to think about how anxious I was about traveling alone before the trip started. Thus far, I am extremely grateful for the people and the resources I have with me and I am looking forward to experiencing more.
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| L’Institut Français: holds concerts and other events for foreigners |
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| Concert at L’Institut Français |
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| Senegalese art |
