Blogs from Fatick Region, Senegal, Africa - page 2

The travelblog website is murdering the video quality of the videos i post. This is an attempt to put some old flicks through third party hosting.... read more

It feels as though it would have been a disservice to the world if I were to pass my time here failing to mention a little something about the SANIESERIGNESALIOU MBACKE. What does that mean you ask…..Truth is I have no idea! However, to me it has come to signify the potential of man’s resourcefulness and a machines endurance. Born of Japanese engineering and Senegalese soldering, her big black (not permitted) eyes are a sweet sight for sore feet. She lumbers along the dirt roads and dry salt flats carrying the loads and livelihood of a hard working people asking only in return a mere 100 CFA (25 cents) each way. The SANIESERIGNESALIOU MBACKE is everything in which we should aspire to be: practical, enduring, humble, giving of once self, perhaps a bit dangerous and relatively ... read more

Since I have last written many of the most important Senegalese holidays have come and gone. The first was the Muslim holiday of Tabaski. My basic understanding of the religious premise behind the holiday is the prophet Muhammad was asked by god to sacrifice is first born. He obliged but just before the knife came down god switched out his son for a sheep. I’m missing a lot of the details of course but the idea was to test the prophet. Weather he passed or not is up to interpretation. Theological discussion aside the market that revolves around the holiday is incredibly fascinating to the unaccustomed foreigner. Imagine your local pumpkin seller on Halloween. Now put him on every street corner in the city. Then change the pumpkins out for sheep and you will start to ... read more

My living arrangements in Diakhanor are composed of two 3x3 meter rooms and a private toilet. In addition, there is a walled off porch area which adds nearly 30% to my living space. It also increases my quality of life by giving additional privacy and keeping kids out who are two short too reach the latch. The structure is encompassed in a larger walled off area owned by the family from whom I’m renting. But a simple rental agreement doesn’t do justice to our relationship, for all general purposes they are my adopted Senegalese family. My brother Michel a mason built the house with the intention of living there with his fiancé once they are married. She lives in Cape Verde but according to the plan will return and they will be married in two ... read more

The People Unlike the previous living situation in Thiafaithe the people here were less prepped to my arrival. I have the feeling many learned of my presence for the first time when they saw me this week walking through the village. This is a little surprising as most decisions made here, like inviting a foreigner, are usually made communally. My assumption is that some of the village autonomy was circumnavigated by government officials charged with administrating the area. Either way the first awkward interactions between the villagers and myself are starting to reside and now we can move on to the new awkward interactions of having nominal communication modes between us. The village speaks a combination of Serer, the local language for the cultural group in the area and French which is taught in school system. ... read more