As I’ve touched on before, the family dynamics in Senegal are very interesting. The mom is clearly the head of the household here. Some moms are the only source of income for the family, as the father is very often absent in a household (whether it’s because he has another wife and family to take care of, or he’s off in Europe or something). My mom was a midwife for many years, but now it seems as though she is retired, because she pretty much just sits around the house all day and prays. Elizabeth, our maid does a lot of the work, whether it’s cleaning or cooking, but when she leaves for the day around 6pm, Moussou, the daughter, takes over as the maid. The doorbell could ring, and Mama could be sitting 2 feet away from the door, and she will still call Moussou to answer it. Moussou has to finish preparing dinner, set the table, and clear it afterwards. I remember thinking a few days ago that if I were her I would have a few choice words for my mom. But then, as of yesterday, I apparently officially became part of the family, because I do started getting ordered around. I really don’t mind helping out Elizabeth or Moussou, but the orders from Mama are already starting to get a little annoying. I think it’s the way she says them, because she doesn’t ask or say please or thank you – it’s more like “Brittany, go get this”. For now, I can handle it, but I hope I don’t get to the point where I can’t help but crack and lose my temper.
We had our first French class on Tuesday. I think the level will not be too advanced for me. But I definitely have mixed feelings about the class. We are going to be practicing French through themes on Senegalese culture, which is fine. But the thing is that my spoken french is a lot more advanced than everyone else’s, so I feel like sitting through that class, listening to people talk, is going to be like pulling teeth. Furthermore, the setup of the class doesn’t seem like it’s going to cater to my own needs – namely, grammar and written french.
Also, I really don’t like it when teachers talk AT me. I guess I had forgotten that point, because at Lake Forest most classes are discussion classes. I think the African way of education is a little different, because boy did that French teacher lecture. The first hour of the class, noyone spoke but her, and I sort of dozed off (for some reason, I’m always a little tired here, even though I’m getting plenty of sleep – maybe it’s the heat). I hope that not all my classes are lecture classes, or I might just go insane. The only good thing about the French class was that near the end the professor asked us all what elements of the French language we really wanted to work on. She seemed ready to cater to our needs. Unfortunately most everyone said they wanted to practice speaking French, and I was one of only two people who emphasized the need to practice writing. But, we’ll see. I finally got my mosquito net put up on Monday (we needed a carpenter to come to hang a hook on the ceiling, so don’t freak out mom!). I hate it though. I feel so closterphobic (Sp?) under it, even though I know it’s just my mind playing tricks on me. And I also hesitate to breathe deeply when I’m falling asleep because I know the thing is doused with toxic chemicals. Maybe I’ll get used to it soon, but I really despise the thing.
I thought I might lose a little weight while I was here, but that is at best questionable. Actually, my mom told me on one of the first days that she wanted me to gain weight while I was here. When I told her that I would not like that, she said that if she let me go home skinnier, it would be a sign that she didn’t take good care of me. Great… With the highly fattening meals (lots of oil), large quantities of starch (white bread, white rice, white pasta), huge portions (you never know how much you’ve eaten when you’re sharing a huge bowl with 4 other people), and late dinners (8-9:30pm), I hope I still look like Brittany when I get back. My only hope is that the large amounts of walking I’m doing will counteract the weight that a Senegalese diet adds.
I really like it when it rains here. Well, I don’t like it WHILE it rains (never been a big fan of feeling damp, and also rain causes a lot of havoc and chaos here – you’d think a place that has such an intense rainy season would build roads and homes that are better suited for it), but I like it AFTER it rains. It actually cools down to an almost-reasonable temperature. When it rained on and off all day Sunday and Monday, Tuesday was actually a comfortable day! Of course, it doesn’t take too long for it to heat up again here, but temporary relief is better than no relief at all.
Wolof is going ok. I don’t think I have a particular knack for languages though. We started learning a little grammar yesterday, and that’s when things got really complicated. But, I’ll keep at it. The only thing I’m really good at is basic salutations:
Me: Salamaalekum. (Hello)
You: Maalekum Salam. (Hello)
Me: Na Nga def? (How are you?)
You: Maangi Fii Rekk. (Like this only = I am well)
Thankfully, knowing a couple of basic salutations actually takes you very far, because here in Senegal, salutations are very important, and can go on for minutes. People ask about your family, your work, everything. And as a foreigner, approaching someone in Wolof actually breaks down a very large barrier. The Senegalese get so excited that you’re learning their language that they seem more excited to talk to you. The language is also really cool sounding though. It sounds very arabic, which makes sense since this is a Muslim population. Some words, like Alxamdulila (I thank God) are directly borrowed from arabic actually.
Well, Mangi Dem (I am going). Ba Beneen Inchalla (See you soon, God willing). Jamm ak Jamm (Peace and Peace).
Family Dynamics
