New Family!!

So I know it has been a while since I put up a new post, please forgive me, I have been so busy with classes, getting adjusted to family life, and living it up in Dakar :)

I moved in with my family last Friday, I finally get to see what it feels like to have a brother! He is 22 and speaks a little bit of English and is soo nice, well everyone in my family is extremely nice. I have a mom a dad and 3 sisters one is studying in France, the other one (who my mom says I look like) just got married last year and lives in the United States, and one that lives with us who is also married but I have only seen her husband once. My family is probably middle class, because we have a car and the neighborhood is only about 10 years old. We have two goats and a chicken, and the goat always wakes me up in the morning! I have my own room with a closet a desk and a bed but no wifi :( We have two bathrooms (one that’s outside) but the toilet doesn’t flush so after I use the bathroom I have to fill up a bucket with water from the shower and pour it into the toilet so the water goes down the drain. I have been taking cold showers because we don’t have hot water, which you would think aren’t that bad since I’m in Africa and its soo hot. But actually it gets pretty chilly at night and early in the morning,(since it’s their winter right now) when I say chilly I mean you should wear a light jacket not a big winter coat like what I’m use to in Maryland. PS: one of my friends from the campus who is from Guinea had a scarf on the other day because he said it was cold, meaning around 65 degrees, I almost died laughing because I was in shorts and a tank top and he thought it was cold.

I just finished my first week of classes, Im taking History of the Slave Trade, Wolof, French, Environment and Development in Senegal, Culture and Society in Senegal, and a seminar dealing with cultural adaptation. All of my classes seem really interesting so far especially my Environment class because we will be visiting local dumps and wild life reservations to do actual field work. All of my professors are very educated Senegalese men who are interested in the field of study that they are teaching. Its great to have someone teaching that is genuinely passionate about what they are talking about.

Since I have class from 9am to 6:30pm most days I haven’t gone home for lunch yet because Im not sure if ill make it back in time with in my 1 hr break so I have been buying food at "fast food" places or eating at friends homes. Every family eats differently, some eat around one big bowl with their hands, others with spoons, and some even eat with fork and knife and individual plates. My family eats at a low table around a big bowl or plate, depending on what we are eating, and eat with spoons in front of the tv. The most common meal is rice and fish, which is called Tchebugen, but I have also eaten couscous, chicken, beef in onion sauce and lots of bread.
So if you really know me, you will know that I say I don’t like a lot certain foods, like tomatoes, hot dogs, squish, milk, etc but I have been eating it all since I've gotten here. Im too scared to tell my family I dont like something because I don’t want to offend them and when the say "manger manger" I keep eating even when im full. Luckily the food here is really good so I really don’t have a problem with eating more :)

My appreciation for soccer or "futball" has grown so much since I’ve been living here, because thats all the watch! Futball matches are always on, since the African Cup is going on now, and my family gets really into the games so I get excited too. Soccer is actually a really fun sport to watch, hahahaha who would have thought. Tonight Im going out with some friends from the program and some African students from the University to a fashion show and artist showcase, I cant wait it will definitely be entertaining!!!


Well until next time...