Learning to be “débrouillard”

Saturday morning, after my coffee and Wolof review I got a call from Alexandra inviting me to run errands with them in downtown Dakar. I was overjoyed since I am still shy about venturing out on public transportation. It's crazy… there are official buses but most transport is controlled by random folk driving a colorfully painted bus that won’t actually go anywhere until it is not just full, but overflowing. You usually see at least 3-4 people hanging out from the back. Same thing with taxis… the informal sector here is much more prominent than any official business. It is a country of “débrouillard”… relying on ones own creativity in dealing with everyday needs… getting things done using whatever means available. Anyhow, you get on a bus and unless you’ve lived here forever, there’s no way to know where they are going… so #1. Must ask direction. However, this remains tricky because Dakar is a constantly changing landscape so there are no real maps since only half the streets have names. And, there are no real “stops”. You have to YELL from your smushed spot, “I get off here”. # 2. Must learn phrase in Wolof. Now do you understand my relief when a couple volunteers offer me a ride?


Bus waiting for at least 10 more people to squeeze in before taking off.

We went to a market covered by a HUGE pavilion, constructed by the French long ago. You can find everything here. Except pork products. This area of Africa is 86% Muslim. I must admit to already be suffering from withdrawals after having adopted the extremely pork-heavy French diet. And dang it, beer, or rather alcohol in general, is super expensive since Muslims don’t drink either.

Alexandra shows me the ropes.

I watched Brice (volunteer who has been here a year and 6 months) buy his fruits and veggies. Each purchase, seller and buyer must negotiate. MUST negotiate. It is part of every day life here. What a pain for a shy person. HA, it takes me going to Africa to turn timid! So, after they finished buying everything, they nudged me along, “Lili, go for it, you just got to jump in!” So, I did… I bought carrots, green beans, potatoes, garlic, onions, tomatoes, clementines, bananas, parsley… each time they gave me a price “oh, that seems too expensive, 600 francs a Kilo???, no, no, 500 francs!, 550 francs, I’ll go broke! Ok fine, fine 550 francs” Or, “Brice, how much did you pay for your carrots? 300 francs? I’ll pay no more than 300 francs. What?, 350 francs? Ahhhh.. ok. ”

Lady selling mangos on the street. I know everyone has already seen a picture of this type, but let me tell you, when people all around are carrying big buckets or bags of rice on their head, including kids, it is VERY impressive. On the right, Brice and Alexandra.

I tagged along for the rest of the volunteers errands… my eyes wide, my mouth hanging open… the energy is electric, colors bright, women with magnificent builds and dressed like Queens, and stuff everywhere.

All the streets are lined with small merchant stands. Whew, they are a bit aggressive as you walk buy. They are very polite but they just don't let up. Alexandra says it's the vicious circle... the more aggressive they are, the less you want to buy, the less you buy, the more aggressive they become.

Afterwards we stopped at a “restaurant”, more like a shack for lunch. Brice pulls out a big serving bowl, goes in and has them fill it with rice and sauce for 3 people. We ate at La Case. So delicious! And this time there was a good bit of meat. Brice had paid the equivalent to 5$ and we had leftovers. Not bad.

The rest of the day I relaxed with Mady’s family outside. I’m trying to pick up on the Wolof but it is really hard. They speak so fast. The sounds are not easy to replicate. But at least I know the essentials… I might butcher it but I think toubabs who at least try are more respected.

Oh funny story. Mady had his friends and family over yesterday… they have visitors hanging out all the time. Well, as I mentioned before, people are soooooo soccer crazy here. Last night, there was an important game in the early evening so all the guys were packed in to Mady’s little one room house intensely watching the match on his small screen. So I decide to retire since no one is outside. I ask Mady if he’ll show me how to work the t.v. in the Case. So he comes in with me… and shows me how to turn on the cable. La Case is only subscribed to 5 channels: movie channel, sports channel, Senegal, Nigeria and Mauritania channel. So, as he is telling me the numbers for the channels he shows me the sports channel, then the movie channel, the sports channel, then the Senegal, the sports channel… you get the idea. He finishes with the sports channel, stops for a couple minute to watch before reluctantly handing me the remote. After he leaves, I get comfy on the couch and flip through the channels several times before finally deciding on watching the crappy movie playing. Not too long after I hear all the men back out in the courtyard area. That’s weird. Well, it wasn’t until way later, when Mady came in saw I wasn’t watching t.v. and turned it back to the sports channel that I finally got it. I felt so bad… The tv in the Case controls what shows on their tv!!! Duh! I apologized profusely to Mady for making all the 12 guys miss their game. I promised him not to change it from the sports channel ever again!

Sundays… ahhhhhh… so relaxing. Today I followed Fahtou around as she prepared rice with a fish sauce for their large family. Mady is the eldest of 5 so brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins and grandchildren come to his place on Sundays. Their kitchen is in a small concrete block across the courtyard. It didn’t seem so hard to prepare… but that’s cuz masters in the kitchen always make it look easy. I was just impressed by how she could easily gage how much of each ingredient was needed in proportion to how many people there were to feed. So, I learned their sauces are made with a base of oil, the juices rendered from fried meat, tomato paste, salt… and then you add your paste that has been mashed in a gigantic version of a mortar and pestle. It could be peanut based, or okra… today it was garlic, onion, pepper, and a couple nut looking things and herbs I’ve never had before. This is mixed in and then the veggies are thrown in until softened a bit. Then, water is added, bouillon cube, it is checked for salt, a couple red HOT peppers and once it’s back boiling a colander type bowl is placed on top to cook the rice. The rice here is thai, small and cracked looking. And voila! Once the rice is cooked, it goes on the platter, sauce with veggies and the meat is added. Mady asked me when am will I make it all by myself. I said I have 4 months here… I need one month of being the assistant.

Fahtou, always smiling!

Ok… I think I’ve given you plenty to read for the day. Thank you for your emails and comments. Even though I’m not really all that far away with modern technology… it still brings me so much joy to hear from you all.