Classes, Shopping, and Geckos: My second week in Senegal

I feel as though I'm getting into the swing of things here - the heat bothers me less and less every day, and I'm certainly getting better at responding in French and Wolof.

As our classroom phase in the program only last 7 weeks total, our professors wasted no time in starting on the course material. I've had a fair amount of reading and writing assigned already, and all in French, which takes some getting used to. I'm learning a lot already though, and I look forward to everything that the next few weeks will bring.

School!

View of the library from the outside patio, where we eat...

Lunch! - on this particular day, fish and vegetables with sauce, rice, and Ananaas (pineapple soda)

This weekend, I went with some of the other MSID students to a market to buy fabric and a tailor to order our clothes for Tabaski. We were going to go to HLM, one of the largest markets here, but it's very busy right now with the rest of the city buying clothes there, so we decided to go to a slightly quieter market in the Fass district. Store-bought clothes are the norm for most people here, but clothes for special occasions are specially made by tailors. I chose a blue wax-cloth fabric with a lovely dot pattern. We'll go to pick our finished garments up next Tuesday.

One of the brothers in another MSID student's host family got married this weekend, and so all of us stopped by the wedding reception. Weddings here are large affairs with celebrations lasting a whole weekend, and there was lots of singing and dancing. It was uncomfortable for me to be at a wedding to which I had not been explicitly invited, even though the custom here is much less formal. I mostly stood off to the side and talked to my friends, as I felt very out of place. I hope I have the chance to go to another wedding when I've gotten a little more adjusted being here.

Rue de la Pyrotechnie, around the corner from my house

I've been interested in all the little kinds of wildlife I see in the city - there's a tree full of weaverbird nests on my way to school, and there are all manner of crows, doves, and sparrows around as well. I haven't gotten my hands on a bird or wildlife book here yet, but I do take joy in just observing them. There are also several species of small lizards fond of sunning themselves in the trees and rooftops here. I find them rather charming, and when one got into the house the other night I pointed it out offhandedly, assuming that they just passed through buildings on occasion.

The weaverbird tree - look at all the nests! 

As it turns out, lizards that get into the house are here dealt with in the same manner as any other household pests - with the broom and a large can of bug spray. My host family was surprised that I was so calm (and indeed, cheerful) about a lizard. Evidently, there is still a lot which I need to learn.

One of the strays who's often around WARC.