It’s been a while since my last post and not a lot has really changed.
I’m still doing my best each day to integrate into my village. This means
fumbling through the language and just trying to find my place here in Senegal.
Along the way I’m learning more and more, not only about the Senegalese way of
life but also about myself. Some of the things I am learning go against those
fundamental rules that we are taught growing up. For example, the title of this
particular post goes against one of the first things we are told as children
which is to never talk to strangers. Here, not talking to strangers is
definitely a major faux pas. It’s considered impolite if you are walking down
the street and you don’t greet each person that you pass by. This rule stands
whether you know the person or not. You might think this would apply only in
your village or town that you live but it’s also when you travel. When
traveling it’s important to make friends with the other passengers in case you
need them to have your back for one reason or another. I could and probably
will one day devote an entire blog just to transportation in this country so
that’s all I’ll say on that for now. Along the lines of behavior towards
strangers; we were also taught to never take candy from a stranger. When eating
here in Senegal it’s thought of as rude to not offer some to those around you.
This can even include those complete strangers you happen to be traveling with.
Although, if you followed rule one, they won’t be strangers anymore!
Another piece of advice (and common sense) given to us as children is
to always look both ways before crossing the street. This is good but here it’s
also important that you look behind you, in front and sometimes even above. You
never know where the next stray animal or horse-drawn buggy is going to come from.
Aside from those basic do’s and don’ts we are also usually told how to behave
when eating or drinking. You know, things such as always chew with your mouth
closed, don’t slurp when drinking, and don’t eat with your hands. Those forms
of food etiquette are definitely not important here. In fact, here slurping
your tea is the way it’s done so, slurp away! Basically, if there’s not at least one person
sitting next to you at the communal bowl (yeah, you all eat around the same
bowl, sometimes up to 10 people) eating with their hands and spitting fish
bones on the ground next to you; then you just aren’t in Senegal!
Those first rules are mostly fun parts of this culture that I have
adapted more or less easily to. Then there are the things that are harder to
tackle. I’ll tell you one thing; it’s not easy living in Senegal. It’s even
less easy to be a young, foreign female living in Senegal. I’ve been having a
hard time lately figuring out my place here in Senegal. I am here to work, this
is true. But, the work women are typically expected to do here is very
different from what I am trying to accomplish. Women in Senegal work very, very
hard. They spend hours cleaning, preparing meals, taking care of the children,
and taking care of the men. I’m not saying women in the states don’t do this as
well but there’s something different about it here. They have no other choice.
If a woman here was ever to ask a man to maybe help with the dishes after she just
spent 3 hours preparing the midday meal bent over a hot coal fire; that wouldn’t
go over well. I’m also not saying that the men don’t work hard. They work very
hard. It just seems so much less balanced here. Men here legitimately don’t
believe me when I tell them that men in America often help prepare meals, clean
and spend time taking care of the kids. I try to explain that men and women are
seen more as equals in America and help each other out. This is just not a
concept they are comfortable with although that is slowly changing. With a new
generation of Senegalese women chasing after jobs that were traditionally male
dominated and going to college, things are becoming more equal. In the meantime
though here I am; trying to find a balance between being taken seriously as an
educated woman who knows what she’s talking about (hopefully) and also just
simply being a woman in Senegal. I think I’ll get there, after all part of my
job is to assimilate into this culture as well as share my own.
Until next time then,
xx