Morning in Toubacouta

We were on the road most of the day yesterday but, I saw this boy in an Obama shirt when we stopped for lunch. After a very bumpy ride, we eventually arrived in Toubacouta and are staying in a very nice place on the Saloum River. We've already seen some monkeys and will be taking a trip down the river this afternoon. I wanted to upload a video but the connection here isn't good enough.

Monday the19th

Monday was a bit of a slow day but, very interesting. We started the day at WARC with a lecture by Dr. Anna Fall-Gaye on African Diaspora in Cuba and the resulting Yoruba religion; La Regh de Ocha. We ended the day with a tour of IFAN; a West African "Museum Program".

Today we will again be at WARC for a roundtable discussion on Modern Migrations and African Diaspora. Then lunch followed by another roundtable discussion on Secondary Education in Senegal.

Back to WARC

After an evening at the arean to watch the national sport, we return to WARC today for more lectures.

Fishermen at Sunset

We just got back to Dakar and I will write more later. For now I'll leave you with this video of fishermen.

Sleepless Night

I know I said I wouldn’t be making another blog until our return to Dakar but, I find myself unable to sleep. We began our day with a bit of group reflection on our experience so far. I told the group that I felt a bit like one of the many piles of rubble you see on the streets of Dakar. I’m never really sure if a particular pile is the result of the ongoing construction or decay. But, until today, this ambiguity was playing only with my intellect. After walking among the many children in Pikine, I feel I have now begun to imbibe the spirit of Africa. I suspect I’m not the only one in our group getting little sleep tonight.

Getting Out of the City

Last night we viewed a short Senegalese film called "La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil" by Djibril Diop-Mambety. Today we visited a "suburb" of Dakar called Pikine. Early tomorrow morning we leave for Touba and I will not be able to make any blog entries until our return on July 17.

A Day to Relax

Today we took a boat to Ngor Island just to spend some time on the beach. It was a much needed rest for us. Tomorrow we will be back at WARC for more lectures and discussions.