So this is what it's like to have jet lag

Salut! Ca va?
I am here in Senegal now! My arrival was great, I chatted with people from South Africa on both of my flights and in the Atlanta airport I met a family from Dakar. The family from Dakar taught me some more Wolof, too!

When I arrived in Dakar, I was able to speak English with the program directors and very much enjoyed watching people from my hotel window, I sat there for about an hour! I arrived on friday, which is the Muslim holy day, so everyone was incredibly dressed up in boubous-- gorgeous brightly-colored outfits! At that time, I was pretty much loving Senegal and was so incredibly glad to be here.

But... now that I have actually been walking around on the streets with Sarah and Seth (the other students that have arrived so far), my presence as a foreigner is definitely weighing on me. Sarah, Seth and I have been speaking French as we walk around on the street. Even speaking with them I get so frustrated with my French. I really want to speak better! Last night Sarah and I were directed to dinner, and I could not understand the man who was walking us to dinner, and I felt horrible asking him to repeat several times. The accent that the Senegalese have is also really hard to understand, although it isn't impossible. As for my Wolof-- I know pat phrases but I don't know exactly how to use them in conversation. Classroom and textbook knowledge only goes so far and is making me really frustrated right now. Here I can't be polite and respectful to people because I don't know how to be polite and that is really hard for me. I am also really scared to make mistakes when speaking. But, I keep telling myself that if I didn't have difficulties here in the beginning of the program, I wouldn't be able to see a change in myself by the end of the semester. I will become more comfortable as I spend more time here.

Here I am on my first day, here I am on the roof of the hotel (it is common for people to go on the roof, especially for drying laundry). YAY for being in Senegal!!!!



I really like Sarah and Seth-- Sarah is from St. Olaf and grew up in Tanzania and Seth is from Washington. See below our three-person family. This is what it is like to have jet lag! I was wide awake this afternoon, but as you can see I was the only one feeling this way!


We were up on the roof of our hotel looking at the view. Here are some children that let me take their picture! They look sweet now but earlier they were tackling each other.

Here is another funny view from the roof, exercise equipment!
And here is the mosque, we can hear the call to prayer from our room!

I have so much more to write about, I will write next time I can get to a computer!