La Plage

Today I am loving Senegal. Just chillin' with my cool new roomie and her hot friends at the beach. It is not so humid or hot today. We are going over to watch the new Sex and the City movie! It's kinda like having a beach house today :)

Things you can buy from a taxi in Dakar....

• Cookies
• Shoes
• radio
• phone credit
• flashlight
• batteries
• mangoes
• banannas
• water
• underwear
• cornflakes
• shoe holder that hangs over your door
• jewlrey
• face cream
• soap
• kleenex
• fans
• cd's
• cassettes
• dvd's

Taxis in Dakar....

Taxis in Dakar a sense of wonder for me. Never in your wildest dreams would you think a car in this bad of condition could run! Seats with holes, only one door works, (the one on the right), gears that don't shift properly, ... ah yes-and the sense of amazment when you notice the key has fallen out but it is still running "just fine".

There also seems to be someone who comes around late at night with a hammer and bangs on the windows of the cabs so that each and every cab has a window that looks as if someone has failed to break in. Hmm.... the Dakar Taxi Hammer Man!!!

The taxi's are either a toyota corolla from 1982, or a lovely old and ancient french Peugot. Some of the Peugot's are actually stationwagons that are commonly referred to as a sept-plus. Needless to say, when my brother mentioned up hoping in to the back of one the these dark and scary sept-pluses for a 6 hour journey to St. Louis-call me high-maintenance but I politely declined. Ok-not so politely! The thought of being crammed in the back of one of these with about 9 other people, no aircon, tough roads, unbelievable smells-didn't even think twice! Oddly enough, this is the way many people do it here. We opted for the mini-bus and payed for it by waiting for 4 hours :(

Hailing a taxi in Dakar....quite perfectly put.

How to Hail a Taxi in Dakar, Senegal By: marianneouioui - 16 Feb 2006

Hailing the cab...
Casually and nonchalantly stroll to the curb, distancing yourself from any people you may be with, so as to appear alone. Slowly and again, in no hurry, raise your arm, make eye contact with a cab driver, and make the "pppsssstttttt" noise.

Approaching the driver....
Approach the cab, as if in no hurry and not desperate to find one. Come to the passenger side window, or lean against the door to address the cabbie. Your goal is to bargain for a fair price for the ride, but first things first: small talk.

Small talk....
Shoot the breeze with the driver, most preferably in Wolof. Even if your Wolof is not strong, even being able to say “Hi, How are you?” in Wolof will give you much more credibility. Only stop shooting the breeze when the cabbie gets down to business.

Down to business...
“Fo Djem?” He wants to know where you’re headed. “Mangi dem chi marche bi.” You’re going to the market. He will state a price, in French francs, making the first bid. You are NEVER to start the bidding. You will hardly ever accept his first offer.

Declining an offer....
After considering his first offer, or at least pretending to, show your disapproval. Shock/surprise work if he proposes an abnormally high price (suspecting you're a tourist). Tell him you go there everyday and the price is never more than ______.

The counteroffer...
If the price is only a bit higher than the correct price, politely decline. You can now propose a price. Propose either the actual price you plan on paying, or even lower, so that if you make a compromise, the price agreed upon will be the right one.

First trick....
If he declines or makes a counter offer that is still not right, thank him kindly and start to walk away to allow him time to call you back. Usually he will, to accept your offer or continue bargaining.

Last ditch effort....
If he still will not accept any of your offers, tell him you only have a certain amount of money with you, but in this case make sure you do have this exact change, and that it is separate from any other money you are carrying.

Get in!!!
"Monte" means an agreed apon price, so get in. Sit in the front seat with him, for it is what locals do. I do not, however, recommend putting your seatbelt on, especailly if you're wearing white.

Get out, ride's over!
"Fii baax na.” (Here is good) Pay him, thank him, exit taxi. Tipping is ridiculous, especially after having spent so much effort bargaining for a cheaper price. Finally, say “Alhumdililah” to thank God for arriving in one piece. (After exiting taxi.)

The thing about Senegal is...

You never know what the day, or rather the next hour holds. After spending a day at home due to extreme frustration with my situation at work, I arrived this morning only to find that everyone had been given the day off. Ah- I smiled at my colleague as this just seems to be the way things go around here. However, a minute later I found out that the director would be in, of whom I have been desperately trying to meet with. I decided to go downstairs to the "library" and read some interesting materials while I waited for her. I was determined and would wait all day if I had to. To my surprise, she arrived shortly after and asked me to go have a cafe with her! I was so nervous but alas, my chance had come :)

She was shocked to hear I had never had much work at all and given no instructions or education on the UNAIDS system. She said that each time I came into the office I looked like I was working on something. (Ah, yes you see this is the American way, eh?) She then began to give me a breif history of the organization as she was a co-founder! Hello! She explained the different levels, etc. I was able to ask her questions about what is too be done when bottlenecking is found between funding and implementation. I was also able to chat with her about certain things I am completely puzzled by here in Senegal, such as the sanitation.

Later, I was able to hear ask her a bit about her country, Ethiopia. It was so wonderful to get to hear a perspective on different areas, regions, and issues from such a powerful woman in this work and also a native. I certainly hope to learn more, though know that things hardly ever go as planned here.

Since moving to my new place last Sunday, I have yet to find a market close by to buy food at. THis is quite a strain you see. So I finally found one on my walk home from the bus today. WOw-it is brand new, super clean, and even has toiletries! One of the guys working there noticed that I was browsing for quite awhile eh? He smiled and asked me if it was my first time there. I laughed as I responded, "Oui! C'est une grande supermarche!" As we were conversing for a few moments, it turns out he works for a local ngo nearby who works with HIV/AIDS prevention and education and especially works to assist women in vulnerable contexts. He is going to introduce me to the director and president next Friday. I am excited as this might be an opportunity to do some groundwork.

So, alas, a good day in Senegal with many possible opportunities at hand.

Inshallah-

Gabrielle

Saint Louis

This is a picture my brother and I took in front of one of the buildings in St. Louis. The city of St. Louis is the former capital of West Africa. It has a very old colonial feel to it, with palms and pastel colored houses that have shutters on them with chipping paint. Honestly, I found it quite beautiful here. It would definatley depend on your own point of view however. Some might find it decayed and neglected, but to me it was inviting and historical. It also one of the stops of the famous aviator, Jean Mermoz. I went to the museum that gave all the history of l'Aeropostale, in which Mermoz was instrumental. We also visited the beautiful hotel that he used to stay in called l'Hotel de la Poste. I really enjoyed this because I dream of the day I will have my pilot's license and have a great admiration for the guys who flew in these old planes!

Saint Louis was shockingly inviting. The people were very welcoming and even the taxi driver said "Bienvenue!" to us. So refreshing to feel welcomed after living in Dakar. There were barely any people who hassled us in the streets. We also enjoyed delicious shrimp. However, the two best parts might have been aircon in our room and la piscine!!!!!!!!!!

Ok now. The trip there and back....was just not so inviting! My brother and I took a mini bus. We went 150 km and it took....10 hours!!!!!! We had to sit and wait for the bus to fill up. THis I had done before in other areas of Africa. However, this time we waited for 4 hours and the entire time we were being sold stuff. Oh man! If you can imagine sitting in the hottest heat you have ever felt, and having all different people coming up to the door screaming at you in Wolof to buy stuff. Anything...cookies, banannas, batteries, underwear, radios, etc. And needless to say, they dont take no for an answer. After a while Micah and I just started cracking up. Til next time-

Gabrielle

Desperately Seeking

I am desperately seeking my purpose in being here. I thought it was so clear that this was the place I was supposed to be this summer. I´ve had the flu for two days now, but will go back to work tomorrow. Unfortunately, today was the first day of a big regional conference we are having where I might have actually learned something. Why did I have to get sick?

Work is so incredibly strange. There is still practically nothing for me do to. However, my supervisor gave me some stats to invesigate for him and they do not even exist. Then I could not finish as I was leaving the office at 7pm and have been in bed ever since. So now I wonder if he thinks poorly of me. Honestly, not sure why I even care though. He does not communicate ANYTHING at all with me. It´s hard because I dont want to complain but why in the heck did they ask for an intern?!!!

I came to make a difference in people´s lives. I came to learn about UNAIDS. None of this is happening and it is so incredibly disappointing and frusterating.

The Storms

Oh man. The storms have started. Crazy winds! Palm trees swaying furiously. They say that the rain comes up to your waist sometimes because they do not have drainage systems here. I am glad it will cool things off a bit however. Yesterday the heat was unbearable, mostly due to the humidity. I have a bad cold and had no idea someone could get a cold in this kind of heat!

Sink or Swim

Well, this is my fourth week here at UNAIDS in Dakar, Senegal. As you might have noticed, I have not written about my work here. You see, things are very different here. There is this somewhat undefinable tension in the air between the Anglophones and Francophones. Each has a different work ethic and a different way of doing things. My office has people from all over the world working in it. We have people from Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Belgium, and more. Each has something different to contribute, but figuring out how to do that is close to impossible.

I titled this entry "Sink or Swim" because that is what it is here. My British colleague just dropped thos note of courtesy to me. "You either sink or swim here. No one tells you what to do." She is actually the second person to speak of this to me. My other colleague had been here for five months when he finally figured this out. There are subtle hints given to you, but almost never a direct response, invitation, or explanation. You can only imagine the frusteration.

My fellow colleague was absolutely in shock when she heard I got a computer after the first week I had been here. Her colleague has been waiting since last fall to get one. When she asked me how I got one I told her that I went to the tech guy's office at least three times each day. Well, I seem to be sinking at this point so it is time to attempt to start swimming.

She is Igbo (Nigerian) and finds Dakar very difficult. It's funny. I literally have not met one person here who likes living here. When I told her this she laughed and said that is why they are all so mean. Now this would be understandable for people who just think it is dirty and poverty stricken. The strange thing is that is not the things that bother you here. Those only add to the frusteration. It is so incredibly difficult to put one's finger on what it is here. She said that one of her friends here has been quite depressed. Indeed one of my friends has been too. She let me know that it is very common in Dakar for people to struggle with depression. This is quite a struggle for me as I also realize how much I have to be thankful for.

Dakar does not have street signs, zip codes, or addresses. When you take a taxi you must give them some reference point to go to and then you direct them from there. I have not met one single person who takes the bus. No one knows where they go! The only reason I can take one to work is because a friend of the family showed me the bus to take the first day I got here.

There is somewhat of a circle in Dakar that one must break into, socially speaking. This is even true for other Africans. One of my colleagues husbands who is from Uganda said that it took their family six months to make any kind of friends here. He said that it is strange in Dakar. The private sector does not get along with the public sector, the ngo's do not like the government organizations, etc. Hmm.....

Gabrielle

La plage....

My brother arrived on Friday night and I was so happy to see him. We picked him up from the airport and immediately took him to see some live music at a cafe around the corner from where I lived. This was also my first time hearing live music.

You see, here in Dakar, the electricity goes out a whole lot lately. In fact, it is off more than it is on. They say it is not usually this bad. I have been informed it will continue to be this way until after I leave. We use a lot of candles in the evening.

On Saturday I took my brother to the Marche Sandaga, one of the main open markets here. Whew! Crazy! However, it was so different this time as the people could now tell I lived here and they knew not to try and treat me as a tourist to be scammed and ripped off. Therefore, I was able to get my brother a nice deal for some sandals he wanted. I now it may sound funny but this is a very big accomplishment. My bro thought it was quite amusing as he referenced the hackling to the paparazzi! I guess that is a bit what it is like.

Later that evening we went to a wedding reception. The women were dressed in extravagant boubous. All different colors and embroideries. The little girl of the family I am living with, Adja, was in the wedding. It was in the public street and everyone just sat in chairs for hours to see the bride and bridesmaids. Then everyone sits and watches as the bride and groom recieve a gift from each person and then have their photos taken. Must be exhausting!

Yesterday the family, my brother and I , and some other young people at the house all went to the beach. This was the best day yet by far. The water is so nice. I jumped the waves and swam for a long time. Then we sat under the tiki umbrellas and read, ate, and chatted. Last night we went for dinner and a drink at the cafe around the corner again.

Life in Dakar is hard. It is lonely. It is dirty. The internship is very disappointing but having my brother here makes such a huge difference. We will go to St. Louis this weekend to get away and see the former capital of West Africa.

Gabrielle

C'est Vendredi!

Ah...it's friday. Fridays are great because they are half days in Dakar due to the Muslim holy day. Today a woman from work has invited me to her little kids birthday party. Normally that would not be so appealing but...alas-it is a pool party! I am hoping they have some kind of cake too. It is amazing how much the little things mean in a place like this.

Last night the two little kids at my house put on a show for myself and the mom of the house. It was so freaking adorable. The little girl sang and the little boy danced. Adja, the little girl, made me this drawing with flowers that says "I love you". Wow-it made me feel so nice.

This morning I decided to treat myself to a taxi ride instead of the bus. It was really nice and I am getting pretty darn good at the bargaining for the price I want.

Best of all though is that my bro is coming in tonight. I cannot wait for that! Mon jumeau!!!!!!

Gabrielle

A different way of life

Here you never know when the electricity will go out and when it does, how long it will stay off. Same thing goes for the water except it does not happen nearly as much. Have you ever heard of not being able to get cold water? Interesting , eh? So that happens here in Dakar because the pipes get so heated in the ground.

So tonight I went to the store determined to get some protein in my diet. Alas, I found a can of lentils and some swiss cheese. I came home and decided to brave the way they cook here. It is a little can on the ground that you turn the gas on and light it. Somewhat like a gas stove but different indeed. So the electricity blew out just as I found the can opener. Ah! I cooked by candle light.

On the bus ride home I had tears in my eyes because of the immense poverty here. The thing is that there are all these people on the street that haggle you to buy, buy, buy. The taxis beep at you every two seconds because there is way more supply than demand. When you tell the people no thank you , etc. they are often quite nasty and rude and literally have no concept of the word no, no matter what language you say it in. When you get to take a breath sometimes it is hard because you realize that is their way of living. They just haggle people on the street for hours on end in the baking heat. Then you feel bad for being so aggravated. The wierd thing is that you would buy a heck of a lot more stuff if you could just look but there is no concept for that either.

On the bus today this woman offered me a seat next to her. I cannot tell you the joy that brought to my face. It was such a gift.

My favorite thing of each day is coming home to the little boy and girl that live at my house. They always make me smile no matter how bad my day is. I brought them a couple of movies and they just watch them over and over and over because there is not any children´s tv here. Tonight we watched Curious George in French-again! LOL I do not know what I will do when I am at my next place and they are not there. I am sure something else will come about however.

So mosquito season has started! It was nice and overcast today.

Gabrielle

Wow-today was really tough. Work is not what I had expected. However, you never know what the next day will bring. Today I was able to help a colleague out and she was extremely grateful. That was so nice to actually accomplish something and help someone out. She also sat down with me for a bit and discussed the difficulties of Dakar with me. She is from Belgium but has been working all over Africa since 1994. She says this place is different than any other country she has worked in in Africa. You see, it really is. I thought I was prepared because I had been to Africa three other times. I was prepared for the dirt, the electricity and water going out, etc. What I was not prepared for was the attitude here and the unwelcoming that you feel in this city. It is not just Europeans and Americans that feel this way either. Evidently, other Africans feel this too when they come here. You are constantly bombarded by people, always have to be on your gaurd. I do not mean to be negative but just telling a bit of how tough some days are.

My brother asked me for some books to read on the country. I started searching for some and realized there are some books that people have written on this. It is just really comforting to know I am not crazy for feeling the way I do. I came here to impact lives and I hope I get a chance. Maybe I will but in ways I will never see.

Thanks for reading and all your support! Here is to another day and a possibility of making a difference for someone-Inshallah

Gabrielle