"Les choses marchent quand-même"
"Things work, anyway", would be the very rough translation of this quote from a night watchman at the tiny hotel where I stayed during a field trip to one of the Woomal project ("Woomal" meaning "development" in Wolof, the environmental education project I'm working with) sites, in Diofior. He asked me the usual "how do you like Senegal?" question, and I replied something polite, as usual. We continued by comparing the unemployment in Senegal and in Europe (which for most people here is just one country), and chatting a bit in the dark night in the Senegalese countryside, then still with electricity, later on with almost a daily power cut.
How do I like Senegal? I'm wondering if it is possible to experience all the phases of a cultural shock in two weeks, since that is how I feel. It was even somewhat surprising for me to be shocked with...all of this: beggars, heat, garbage allover, discomfort and other things I had already gotten used to in Benin. There is a certain symbolism, me being back here, finishing a circle and beginning a new one: after all, I ended my West African tournee here last time and flew from Dakar back to Finland almost exactly three years ago.
First few days were a bit overwhelming, having one day for settling down, acquiring a Senegalese phone number, buying some medicines and a mosquito net for traveling (which I of course forgot when going to Diofior-Fimela, and the hotel had none...ouch), and just walking around in Rufisque, a town or a large suburb 25 kilometres from Dakar - distance that is best measured by the take it takes, often 2-3 hours in a minibus due to the traffic jams on the route.
The view of the street in Rufisque where I lived the first two weeks.
The second day, Thursday, I was taken to the headquarters of the Senegalese Scouts, right in the centre of Dakar next to (or in the middle of) sprawling, giant market of Sandaga. We had a meeting on the camp that was organized the next week-end, starting on Friday in the park of Hann in Dakar. I listened to the semi-French, semi-Wolof discussion, and the next day I pretty much spent in the park pitching tents, fetching water and wood, or just sitting and waiting stuff to arrive at the camp in the forest. The participants of the camp, mostly girls as the camp was on "promotion féminine", arrived bit by bit from different regions of Senegal, some more chattering than others.
The camp was quite a start for me, I have to say that! I was initiated to the Scout life, learnt about the particular challenges facing girls and women in Senegal, got to know many great people and inhaled heavy dozes of campfire smoke. I managed to amaze people by being able to eat with my hands the delicious Senegalese food we were cooked by the camp cook, but was less enthusiastic about the spontaneous dancing and singing part when it came to be my turn...anyway, quite a few photos from the camp are now uploaded to a Picasa album.
While Saturday was mostly consacrated for discussions and drafting an action plan (EC stagiaires, any memories on these?!?) to better include girls and women in the Scouts' strategies and programmes, on Sunday we had a "rally" at the park together with the "Friends of the park" (Les Amis du Parc). The Scouts set up four different action points that the five groups of participants had to search for and accomplish, one of which was an environmental one and under the responsibility of two very knowledgeable Senegalese Scouts and the Finnish guest, a.k.a. me. We presented the Woomal project, had some tough questions on environment, recycling and Finland (me displaying there the Finnish-ness), and also action: gathering some garbage from the surroundings, assorting them, and thinking ways to reuse them. An artist from Dakar was also there, helping to make objects from recycled materials.
Toubab (white/European) trying to impress with her grinding skills.
After the busy first week-end, the holiday on Easter Monday was sheer bliss. Then I had 1,5 days in the office in Dakar, mostly going through the project documents, and then I was off to Diofior and Fimela with Ousmane working for the micro-credit organisation of the Scouts, FONEES (Le Fonds National des Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs du Sénegal) and going to Diofior to deliver some material and check the accounts. We were back in Rufisque very early on Friday morning, and I spent the day distance-working from Rufisque, as Fridays are the worst days when it comes to traffic to and from Dakar. After a relaxing holiday week-end in Toubab Dialaw (see the next post), I returned to Dakar full of energy on Monday, and moved for a week to a Finnish residence in Dakar to avoid the 4-5 hours of traveling every day between Rufisque and Dakar.
"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." ~ Henry Miller
Writing down these activities show what I have been doing, but not really what I have been feeling or experiencing. The first few days included so many new things, such as trying to learn the basic greetings in Wolof (and the learning continues...), getting used to the kind of familiar, but still new, environment, trying to remember the names of all the people I have met...overwhelming, as usual. Then the exasperation and the feeling of being annoyed struck: why are people spending so much time for chattering instead of working? Why is there always such a hassle with everything? Why isn't there a system for the collection of all this garbage? Why did I leave all the comfort and the beloved ones in Finland and come here in the first place?
Then I began to readjust. I began to chat with people on diverse topics, greet them with patience in French and Wolof, wanting to understand. I started to see the details and find what is needed for everyday life: tiny local shops, breakfast shacks, bus stops and so on. I was also immensely exhilarated to find my favourite snack from the Benin days, sugar-crusted peanuts sold in used glass bottles! And I have learnt to appreciate little things when using public transport, such as getting a proper seat and some air through a window - although the air might smell of urine and garbages, but it's air, nevertheless...
Peanuts in a vodka bottle.
What does Senegal mean to me so far? It's a country of hard-working people where the blind recite praise for Prophet Muhammad on the street and in the buses, earning money with their voice. It's a country where the mute sell Chinese pirate copies of mobile phones, for exmple with the text "Phone" in the back instead of "iPhone", and with space for two SIM cards instead of only one to maximize all the promotion offers of different telephone companies. It's a country where the amount of sugar poured into the tiny tea pots makes the end result remind more of a syrup than tea - delicious though. It's a country where there is always space for one more person, be it in a minibus or in a dining table. It's a country where beaches can be deadly, both for swimmers and for immigrants venturing off to the Canary Islands.
While in Belgium everything might seem to work, but in reality doesn't, here everything might seem to be a complete chaos, but things work out in the end. For example in public transport vehicles there are actually people who check your tickets regularly - no free-riders here!
The inevitable waiting here is not that annoying as long as it happens in the shadow and having the possibility to sit down, read something or just watch the world pass by. In any case a one-hour-wait with +27 degrees feels much shorter than a 20-minute-wait with +5 degrees, a drizzle and a cold Northern wind, freezing on a Bruxellois tram stop with no trams in sight.
La Francophonie has left its unmistakable mark to the bureaucratic culture of countries they colonised - maybe this is why it seems easier for me to adapt here compared to other Finns who are maybe less accustomed to the legacy of illogical Frenchies: I have lived altogether almost two years in French-speaking countries, and have simply learnt to accept that this is how it is, don't fight it, work with it. Otherwise I will just end up being bitter and complaining all the time, and although it is necessary from time to time, I rather enjoy my stay here while it lasts.
How do I like Senegal? I'm wondering if it is possible to experience all the phases of a cultural shock in two weeks, since that is how I feel. It was even somewhat surprising for me to be shocked with...all of this: beggars, heat, garbage allover, discomfort and other things I had already gotten used to in Benin. There is a certain symbolism, me being back here, finishing a circle and beginning a new one: after all, I ended my West African tournee here last time and flew from Dakar back to Finland almost exactly three years ago.
First few days were a bit overwhelming, having one day for settling down, acquiring a Senegalese phone number, buying some medicines and a mosquito net for traveling (which I of course forgot when going to Diofior-Fimela, and the hotel had none...ouch), and just walking around in Rufisque, a town or a large suburb 25 kilometres from Dakar - distance that is best measured by the take it takes, often 2-3 hours in a minibus due to the traffic jams on the route.
The view of the street in Rufisque where I lived the first two weeks.
The second day, Thursday, I was taken to the headquarters of the Senegalese Scouts, right in the centre of Dakar next to (or in the middle of) sprawling, giant market of Sandaga. We had a meeting on the camp that was organized the next week-end, starting on Friday in the park of Hann in Dakar. I listened to the semi-French, semi-Wolof discussion, and the next day I pretty much spent in the park pitching tents, fetching water and wood, or just sitting and waiting stuff to arrive at the camp in the forest. The participants of the camp, mostly girls as the camp was on "promotion féminine", arrived bit by bit from different regions of Senegal, some more chattering than others.
The camp was quite a start for me, I have to say that! I was initiated to the Scout life, learnt about the particular challenges facing girls and women in Senegal, got to know many great people and inhaled heavy dozes of campfire smoke. I managed to amaze people by being able to eat with my hands the delicious Senegalese food we were cooked by the camp cook, but was less enthusiastic about the spontaneous dancing and singing part when it came to be my turn...anyway, quite a few photos from the camp are now uploaded to a Picasa album.
While Saturday was mostly consacrated for discussions and drafting an action plan (EC stagiaires, any memories on these?!?) to better include girls and women in the Scouts' strategies and programmes, on Sunday we had a "rally" at the park together with the "Friends of the park" (Les Amis du Parc). The Scouts set up four different action points that the five groups of participants had to search for and accomplish, one of which was an environmental one and under the responsibility of two very knowledgeable Senegalese Scouts and the Finnish guest, a.k.a. me. We presented the Woomal project, had some tough questions on environment, recycling and Finland (me displaying there the Finnish-ness), and also action: gathering some garbage from the surroundings, assorting them, and thinking ways to reuse them. An artist from Dakar was also there, helping to make objects from recycled materials.
Toubab (white/European) trying to impress with her grinding skills.
After the busy first week-end, the holiday on Easter Monday was sheer bliss. Then I had 1,5 days in the office in Dakar, mostly going through the project documents, and then I was off to Diofior and Fimela with Ousmane working for the micro-credit organisation of the Scouts, FONEES (Le Fonds National des Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs du Sénegal) and going to Diofior to deliver some material and check the accounts. We were back in Rufisque very early on Friday morning, and I spent the day distance-working from Rufisque, as Fridays are the worst days when it comes to traffic to and from Dakar. After a relaxing holiday week-end in Toubab Dialaw (see the next post), I returned to Dakar full of energy on Monday, and moved for a week to a Finnish residence in Dakar to avoid the 4-5 hours of traveling every day between Rufisque and Dakar.
"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." ~ Henry Miller
Writing down these activities show what I have been doing, but not really what I have been feeling or experiencing. The first few days included so many new things, such as trying to learn the basic greetings in Wolof (and the learning continues...), getting used to the kind of familiar, but still new, environment, trying to remember the names of all the people I have met...overwhelming, as usual. Then the exasperation and the feeling of being annoyed struck: why are people spending so much time for chattering instead of working? Why is there always such a hassle with everything? Why isn't there a system for the collection of all this garbage? Why did I leave all the comfort and the beloved ones in Finland and come here in the first place?
Then I began to readjust. I began to chat with people on diverse topics, greet them with patience in French and Wolof, wanting to understand. I started to see the details and find what is needed for everyday life: tiny local shops, breakfast shacks, bus stops and so on. I was also immensely exhilarated to find my favourite snack from the Benin days, sugar-crusted peanuts sold in used glass bottles! And I have learnt to appreciate little things when using public transport, such as getting a proper seat and some air through a window - although the air might smell of urine and garbages, but it's air, nevertheless...
Peanuts in a vodka bottle.
What does Senegal mean to me so far? It's a country of hard-working people where the blind recite praise for Prophet Muhammad on the street and in the buses, earning money with their voice. It's a country where the mute sell Chinese pirate copies of mobile phones, for exmple with the text "Phone" in the back instead of "iPhone", and with space for two SIM cards instead of only one to maximize all the promotion offers of different telephone companies. It's a country where the amount of sugar poured into the tiny tea pots makes the end result remind more of a syrup than tea - delicious though. It's a country where there is always space for one more person, be it in a minibus or in a dining table. It's a country where beaches can be deadly, both for swimmers and for immigrants venturing off to the Canary Islands.
While in Belgium everything might seem to work, but in reality doesn't, here everything might seem to be a complete chaos, but things work out in the end. For example in public transport vehicles there are actually people who check your tickets regularly - no free-riders here!
The inevitable waiting here is not that annoying as long as it happens in the shadow and having the possibility to sit down, read something or just watch the world pass by. In any case a one-hour-wait with +27 degrees feels much shorter than a 20-minute-wait with +5 degrees, a drizzle and a cold Northern wind, freezing on a Bruxellois tram stop with no trams in sight.
La Francophonie has left its unmistakable mark to the bureaucratic culture of countries they colonised - maybe this is why it seems easier for me to adapt here compared to other Finns who are maybe less accustomed to the legacy of illogical Frenchies: I have lived altogether almost two years in French-speaking countries, and have simply learnt to accept that this is how it is, don't fight it, work with it. Otherwise I will just end up being bitter and complaining all the time, and although it is necessary from time to time, I rather enjoy my stay here while it lasts.
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