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.

Very Full 1st Week

This is Saturday morning and we will be going to Goree Island where we will have a lecture by Dr. Ibrahima Seck, an historian. Goree Island is the Island where they gathered slaves before shipping them to America.

Our first week of studies has been very interesting. The Director of WARC is quite a gregarious person; always laughing, dancing and making sure all of our needs have been met. Most of our lectures have been about the culture, history and politics of Senegal and West Africa. I have been very surprised by the complexity of these issues but even more surprised by the always eloquent often poignant manner in which our presenters bring out bits of clearity from these surprisingly byzantine topics.

Lunch and Taxi Ride

To the right is a picture of the kitchen at WARC and left is my lunch for the day.

Below is a link to a video of my cab ride back to the Hotel from WARC.