What I learned on Wednesday

Apparently, Senegal is nicknamed “Le Pays de la Terra Anga”, essentially meaning the country of the welcome. And it’s so true!! People here are so welcoming, and I’m sure that I will only continue to experience this, especially when I move in with my family.
Speaking about my family, I found out a little bit about them yesterday. I will be living with a family of 4. There are three children – two girls and one boy, ages 21-34. Interesting group. I’m curious as to why there is only one parent (I think it’s the mother). My guess is that this mother is either the second wife of a man (in which case he lives with his first wife), or she is a widow. In any case, we’ll find out. They live in the town of Mermoz, which is actually where I have been since I arrived, and where the school is as well. I kind of wish that my home was farther from the school so that I would get a longer walk in the morning, but maybe once I’m actually walking to school I will be happy I’m so close.
The highlight of yesterday was going on the car rapide. To remind you, the car rapide is the big colorful van that serves as public transportation. I was kind of intimidated to go on them, because everyone who is in there is Senegalese (tourists don’t use them), and the vans are SOOO packed!!! People have to sit on one another, and they just smush everyone in. Apparently, sometimes you think that the van is completely full and couldn’t fit even one more person in it, and somehow 4 more manage to squeeze in. So anyway, we just rode it 5 minutes one way and 5 minutes the other, so as not to be too overwhelmed. It wasn’t too busy when we went on it, so that was a good first experience. Of course everyone was kind of staring at us, but what else is new! And its so cheap! Like 50-100 cfas, or 10-20 cents.
The Wolof class is advancing at a very quick pace. Too quick. I already feel lost, but so does everyone else. I really want to be good at it, but it’s so hard to force myself to study right now because there is always the temptation of exploring or getting to know people. I think when I move in with my family tomorrow it should be easier, because then at least it will just be me (and them, of course).
Lunch today was fish. I have no idea what kind, but they just put an entire fish on your plate – head, scales, tail, and all. At first I decided I wasn’t going to accept it, but then I just asked the cook to cut the head and tail off, so that it at least looked like the type of fish I’d practiced eating. And mom, I ate it! It wasn’t even that bad. Didn’t taste too fishy at all. I’m sure it was just caught this morning, so it was really fresh. That’s the one thing about the food here – all the meat is REALLY fresh, sometimes TOO fresh! Oh well, gotta deal with it, but I’m hungry again already.
I just picked my classes. I’m in the most advanced French class – yikes. I’m a little worried, but if I decide it’s too much, I can drop it within the next two weeks. I’m also doing the internship, Senegalese society and culture, Wolof, and a class that just became offered, Conflict Resolution and International Law (taught in French!). The time frame is good, because most of my classes are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with only one class on Monday and Wednesday evening. And I only have to get up for 9am on Tuesday and Thursday (which of course will change once I start to schedule my internship hours). But definitely, the schedule sounds kind of demanding, so we’ll see how it goes.
It’s reallllllly humid today. I think it’s going to rain. So far it has felt like the hottest day. Up until now, I’ve managed ok and haven’t thought that it was too hot or anything. But today, I would like some air conditioning so I will sit in my room and study Wolof. We have AC in our rooms (thank god), but as of tomorrow, no more AC for a looooong time!