Ouakam, My 'Hood

 At 4:37am, it’s impossible to sleep due to the combination of incessant lecturing and prayer from the loudspeakers of next door’s mosque, an army of hungry mosquitos that found my feet particularly delicious, and one of many frequent power cuts that has left me fanless to fend for myself in the thick, hot air of a rather muggy past hour. Instead of lamenting, however, I’ll try to set aside my sticky, itchy state and instead consider it a golden opportunity to update my blog.

Two days ago, following continued orientation classes on Senegalese culture and language, all of us students re-packed the bags that had been so haphazardly unpacked and lugged them downstairs to be piled into the narrow, nearly impassable hallway. All 55 of us then piled in a similar fashion onto the small sidewalk in front of the hotel, and with much nervous excitement, we waited as one by one each student was called forward to meet their new host families, who had finally arrived to pick us up. For everyone, this was without doubt the most exciting part of our time here so far.

I was picked up by a quite tall, friendly man who I learned was Herbertin, my host father.  We drove for about twenty minutes to my new home, which is located in Ouakam.

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But here, let me quick interrupt myself and give you a bit of background. Dakar is divided into 19 districts, called arondissements. The arondissement of Ouakam is nestled between two hills called les Deux Mammelles. And for those of you who didn't know, Dakar is located on the Westernmost part of Africa - which means that Ouakam, being on the western side of Dakar, is on one side entirely coastline. It originated as a fishing village but over time melted into Dakar and is currently one of the fastest-growing suburbs within the capital city. Ouakam is much less noisy than Mermoz (where our hotel and school are, about twenty minutes by bus) due to less traffic, but nonetheless is very lively and populated with friendly neighbors. It is also conveniently located only a ten-minute walk from two beaches and a stone’s throw from the airport.

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Anyhow. Upon our arrival, Herbertin guided me through one house, a gate, a narrow courtyard, and another gate – until at last we reached my new home, consisting of two bedrooms, a living room, a tiny kitchen, and a tiny bathroom, all connected by an open-air hallway and concluded with a porch area for eating. Admittedly, the bathroom has taken some getting used to; a light-less closet requires me to bring a flashlight in order to see anything. The toilet is angled tightly against the wall and doubles as the shower, and the goats next door have been known to surprise me with their unexpected, surprisingly loud bleating. My own bedroom is sparse but perfectly equipped for my four months here, and it was a wonderful feeling to be able to finally unpack. It wasn’t until then that I really felt settled; living out of my suitcase in Mermoz kept me in limbo, but now I am part of a family and in my own home, and I feel like I’m really getting in my Senegalese groove...

During the little walking tour provided by my guide Herbertin I learned that the house we passed through to get to our apartment is that of Herbertin’s in-laws, and the residence of another student in the CIEE program with me. That side of the living quarters is a busy contrast to my quiet abode of three, with a mother and father and five children ages 10-24. (Although there are so many comings-and-goings of aunts and uncles and cousins and neighbors, all the time, that I lose track of who are the permanent ones.) The sixth child (the eldest) is Lyddie, my host mother, Herbertin’s wife.  The two sides of the house (the other side being, of course, much bigger than ours) share a fantastic rooftop terrace that offers a stunning view of Ouakam, including the Monument de la Renaissance Africaine and airport, as well as a very convenient stoop, to my great delight. They are also located quite near a number of other students; there are at least eight of us within a four-block radius.

Tomorrow morning I'll be up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus for my first class in Le Reglement des Crises, so it's high time I split. However, I'll conclude by saying that I have been so far thankful for a generous, fun family to live with and continued fun here in Senegal, and look forward to my continued months here.

PS To any MN State Fair goers: Please make sure to eat double the Sweet Martha's in my honor. And let me know how the sweet corn ice cream is... I am duly intrigued!