Preparing for my first Village Stay

I'm avoiding writing my essay and thinking about what I need to get done before I leave Friday, so what better time to write a blog post!
So these past few weeks have been rough. Culture shock doesn't even begin to describe it. I am happy to say that things are getting better though as I feel more comfortable with my family, school, and my neighborhood. I am actually cooking dinner for my family tonight, Chicken Yakisoba!
Aside from that, I've just been busy settling in and taking classes. I am taking Wolof, French, and Field Studies Seminar, as well as having workshops on African Dance, Djembe (drum), Tama (another drum), Batik, and Ceramics. This week is dance and djembe for my workshops in the afternoon this week. It is much harder than I had anticipated!!
I have also been going on little adventures with classmates. We usually have Wednesday afternoons free in order that we may explore Dakar more. Of course my favorite trips thus far are ones to the beach.

Why yes, yes I am living in a Corona commercial. Now where is my beer?

Other trips I have taken are to the markets (pictures to come soon), different parts of town, the grocery store (that was a weird trip. The things they sell are very interesting, and there is such a tiny produce section!), and recently Goree Island. The visit to Goree was so beautiful and yet so sad. It is estimated that around 20 million people were sold at Goree into slavery. Men up to 60 kilos and virgin girls were worth a gun or some wine. Women and children were sold for tobacco. Walking though "La maison des esclaves" was incredible, and words don't really exist for the emotions one feels in such a place.

Goree Island!

In La Maison des Esclaves, the staircase to the slave master's quarters above.

One of the rooms where the men were kept

And a room where the women were. The newer labels help to not be stuck in a tour group.

This is it. About 20 million people walked through this door to a wooden bridge, got on a boat (or tried to escape and were killed by guards or sharks), and never saw home again.

It is just incredible. Pope John Paul II stood in this door in the 90s when he visited Dakar and apologized for the involvement of the church and missionaries in the slave trade and colonialism. The general response was "we can forgive, but never forget". I am amazed that the Senegalese people were able to reunite after this, for it was often neighboring tribes declaring war on each other and selling the prisoners/losers of the war. It really is a testament to the culture here.

Here are some other photos I snapped on Goree.

Lovely little fishing boats, believe it or not these were the least colorful I have seen

The view of the village below while climbing up the hill on Goree 

Some graffiti. I am going to have to write a separate post when I return about
 Senegalese graffiti, for it is so beautiful!

Look, I can see a good chuck of Dakar from the hill top!

In short, it has been a beautiful time exploring so far. Things have been hard, but I am starting to feel a good bit better just by walking around places and seeing things.
Friday I depart for my first village stay. On our way we are stopping to visit the Monastere Kerr Moussa and in Touba and the Grand Mosque. We are then staying in villages for 3 days, then going to Saint-Louis for 3 days to explore the city. I will upload some pictures then on facebook and hopefully have an update when I return to Dakar!

Until then,
Bah Benon Yon!!