A tour of Sacre Coeur 3...

This weekend was calm. I got a pretty bad cold, probably from the change in temperature. Thrilled by the warmth, the first thing I did when I got off the plane was to strip off layers of clothes. However, the Senegalese all had on sweaters and jackets, the 70’s here seem quite chilly! So, last week when folks here were all bundled up, stubborn Lili refused to wear any long sleeved shirts so as to soak in some sun. And now, go figure, I’m sick.

So, I had a quiet weekend. Saturday, I went to a fabric store with a couple ladies and bought lovely textiles so I can have a few outfits made. Yes, yes I know I was complaining about the bougie life-style and now I’m participating in it, but I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DESIGN MY OWN CLOTHES!!! And, it seems down right foolish not to invest a small amount of money on garments while also stimulating the local economy. Heehee.

Sunday, I spent the day looking over my Wolof book, cooking and writing. I also took a walk around my neighborhood, Sacre Coeur 3 and snapped some shots. Enjoy the tour!

Everywhere you go people are selling things… in my hood there are a few “nice” shops and a multitude of small shacks. With only one real grocery store in Dakar (frequented mostly by toubabs), most people find what they need at “bitiks”, closet size stores selling the essentials. You can find a motley array of goods and everything is adapted to small revenues. Little sachets of vinegar, milk and butter are sold for cooking. Cigarettes are purchased individually rather than as packs. There are tin closets on the outside where they keep fresh baguettes.

So far, what most impresses me about Senegal is the strength of the women. Starting from a very young age, around 5 years old, young girls learn the secrets of African cooking. They help their mothers with the many domestic duties. They learn how to balance heavy objects on their heads. One of the volunteers had his Senegalese (22 yr old) girlfriend over and at dinner time she ran out to the butik and in less than an hour had a large dinner prepared for everyone at la Case. And it was oh so delicious. Very impressive to a gal from the new generation of women who are raised without the confinement of traditional gender roles. I don’t know where I stand here… my feminist tendencies do not align with watching women toil all day. However, one can not help but have a great deal of respect for the grace and quality of their work, passed down from many generations.

tall, solid and strong women

young girl follows behind, proudly immitating her mother

I am also so impressed by Senegalese women's amazing style. I just can not get over how well people dress here. Ladies in stylish gowns of brightly colored silk and satin for everyday affairs.

I always get a chuckle out of the vast span of tools and transport. Though we are in a big city with loads of cars and buses, people continue to regularly employ horse and cart for hauling people and goods. Since trucks can’t make it through the narrow neighborhood streets, these carts also serve to pick up people’s trash. You hear them holler as they make their rounds. Horses and mules hang out and feed in the gaps between large modern houses. Goats are often found tied to lampposts or trees.



Soccer has got to be the main extracurricular activity. This large terrain is always full of young guys kicking the soccer ball around. When I told my Senegalese friends that I played soccer on a team when I was 13, they were SO IMPRESSED. You, (a female!) played soccer? What I didn’t tell them was that I was absolutely horrible, the twerp of the team, spending most of my time on the bench. I really had no chance with all the very large, muscular Afro-American women running around at the speed of lightening!

The orangish colored dirt covers most of Dakar. Though the lush plants and flower bushes adorning homes makes the area feel tropical, the conditions and landscape are desert-like, especially during the dry season.

Young kids wonder what is this toubab doing taking pictures of the neighborhood. They eager to participate ask me to take their picture too.

And last, here is the mosque, the bane of my… restful night’s sleep!!! It is just across from la Case. I know the little speaker on top looks small, but there are LOTS of them and the sheik blasts them!

Voila for now! Tonight Fatouh will teach me how to make Yeppah... some sort of smothered rice with chicken. Yum.