CHRISTMAS? If I had expected to notice any signs of Christmas here, I would have been very disappointed. I counted exactly two clues of the symbols that blanket the stores, neighborhoods, and homes of my past Christmases. There was one stall in the market with a 3-foot high inflatable Santa and one Christmas tree about the same size, with few decorations, in one store. There was a festive atmosphere, but it is pretty much what happens when people have time off because schools and businesses close a couple of days. On the 25th the lady who does my laundry (by hand) [View Full Entry]

---

---

FILLING A VACUUM Nature abhors a vacuum. If a place is empty for any length of time, something will come along to fill it. A vacant field with no intentional planting will soon be overgrown with weeds, then inhabited by insects and rodents. An empty stomach develops hunger pangs. Jesus said when a house is empty 7 deadly spirits move in. When my life seems barren, unwanted things creep in—first in my thoughts. I have to tend to my mind and decide what to allow in. If I am not occupied with constructive activity, dissatisfaction and negativity sneak in. Since the [View Full Entry]

---

---

MY MOSQUE; YOUR MOSQUE The mosques near my apartment resound with prayers over loudspeakers five times a day (and some extra episodes that I am not sure about). Since I find them less than pleasant, a contradictory set of issues has come up for me to ponder. I heard the news that the Swiss people voted in November to ban minarets (the spiral towers that top mosques). That rankled me. There was no question of noise because the four (only 4!) in the whole country and they do not broadcast prayers. The vote was surprisingly strong (57%) when it had not [View Full Entry]

---

---

TABASKI CELEBRATION Just after American Thanksgiving I got to celebrate Tabaski, commemorating when Abraham's son (Ishmael, ancestor of Muslims) was spared and a ram sacrificed. Festivities begin early at mosque prayers. Then the men and boys kill the sheep at home. It is shameful not to be able to provide one. They must be skinned and pieces chopped up. Of course it is pretty messy. The women do the rest of the preparation. I missed the killing but saw the skinning. I went dressed nicely, in off-white. My host asked his wife to give me something to cover my clothes. I [View Full Entry]

---

---

END OF LIFE CEREMONY Feeling that it was an opportunity to be thoughtful and for me to experience another cultural event, I went to services for the husband of a teacher who passed away. He grew up in Kaolack where his family and friends remain. First we went to a mosque, but looked it like an ordinary house. Men were outside (street, sidewalk) at a prayer service. Women were in the yard sitting around. I wore the most appropriate dress I had and saw that color does not matter. But a head covering may have been good. In one area food [View Full Entry]

---

---

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. This past week gave me opportunity to study myself and laugh at my impulsive feelings. This was due to impatience. Things started to get under my skin when I was told I had not greeted people properly. I did a general good morning, not an individual handshake and small talk as is the norm. (Since then I have noticed that the chitchat is a nice way to connect to others. Finding something personal to say and [View Full Entry]

---

---

Education Since I am STILL waiting to begin the teacher training that I came to do, I am getting to know the education system. I visited some classes at a large secondary school. (See pictures a new friend gave me of it). Students were in desks that sit 2, squeeze 3, with 50 - 60 in a class (almost no way to learn names with several classes a day), no lights, large blackboard; the front of the room where teacher was most of the time had a 6 inch platform. Kids were bright, engaged, polite, yet pretty typical teenagers. Eagerness to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Language One reason I came to Africa was have language easier than when I was in China. In Senegal I can do OK with French. Literate people know it. But pretty much everyone speaks 2 or 3 native languages. In conversations more than one at a time is used, with some French sprinkled in. I want to pick up basics, but know it will be just a bit. Kids and Traffic Babies are on their mothers' backs tied with a wide cloth. Little kids seem unusually free. They are out playing with no nearby supervision and look very self-reliant. Traffic is [View Full Entry]

---

---

A Flat World I'm reading the book A Flat World which argues that technology and cultural developments have flattened the earth so there are no distances or differences in 21st century globalization. One family I have met exemplifies that. The woman is an English teacher who works for the ministry of education's regional office, training those teaching without formal teacher education. She has a teenage son who is a techy in a small town. He helped me with computer issues quickly and easily because I did not have Wee Fee (Wi-Fi in Americanese). The 11 year old daughter won a national [View Full Entry]

---

---

Greetings Attitudes Louis Armstrong's song, "What a Wonderful World," says I see friends shaking hands, saying How do you do? but they're really saying I love you. When people get together here the hellos seem endless. They shake hands with all others at a bus stop. In a room full each new person shakes each hand and says "Ça va" (How you doin') 2, 3, 5 times. No medical report, just repeat. My take is that they are paying respects and show they take a moment for each one. People say hello ("Bonjour" or "Asalam aleikam") many shake hands, even kids [View Full Entry]

---

---