Whew it has been a month since I have written on this blog! Ahh way too long! I miss all of you who might be reading this right now! Internet has recently gotten SUPER slow here at Suffolk (even slower than before) and I am looking for a summer job, so that takes up a lot of my computer time.
So right now I am at the halfway mark. I have been in Dakar for two months. We just had our spring break last week. It wasn't 5-star classy, but it was definitely a 5-star adventure!! :) I will start writing about it but I am sure it will take me a few more entries to fully tell about it.
By the way, my camera disappeared at Lac Rose when I went there (Pickpocket? Maybe). Right before spring break my dear host brother Habib helped me bargain for a camera at a market here in Dakar. In Senegal, some prices are fixed, such as with some food and in stores. But in markets one has to "wahaler" (bargain) to get a good low price for things. There are a lot of markets here-- one can get clothes, fabric, electronics, cell phones, kitchen supplies-- pretty much everything. The bargaining was and still is kind of intimidating for me, I don't like arguing and it is difficult to know what is truly a good price for something. It is also especially difficult for "toubabs" (foreigners) to get good prices-- vendors hike up the prices when they see a toubab. Sometimes I feel like my white skin might as well have $$ dollar signs $$ tatooed on it-- the general presumption in Senegal is that Americans and Europeans have a lot of money. It is really stressful at times to deal with the hassling that comes with my toubab skin... especially in touristy places, and at times I just can't stand it. People will put stuff in your face and tell you to buy their stuff... they seem so desperate, but I don't want to buy it!!!
I am currently trying to upload photos to this blog, but as I said, the internet is HORRIBLE these days!! At 10AM I started to try to send one email with attachments, and with eating lunch and walking to and from school, it was 3PM by the time it was successfully sent. Crazy. I am going to try to go to a cyber cafe to at least upload some pictures soon. My spring break stories will be so much better with pictures.
Love you all and take care, I miss you and am thinking of you!
Yenduleen ak jamm (spend your day with peace),
Beth
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My dear Beth,
ReplyDeleteYou came to mind today and I thought "how is my sweet friend doing?" Is it getting easier to speak the language now? Have you made many new friends? I will send you a more detailed letter through email, but I understand if it's hard for you to find a way to write back right away!
Love,
Ellyn
I just sent you an email with a picture attachment. If it takes too long to download because of slow internet, I can just tell you what the picture is of.
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