My other weekends and weekdays were pretty uneventful. At this point, I am several days out from my departure and I’m just really excited to be home. My experience in Senegal has been challenging but it has been a good experience over all. I’ve come to understand a new religion and a new lifestyle. My host family is challenging and it’s interesting because every time I get upset that something goes wrong with my family I just remember what my Dad said, since the farm hosted students when he was younger, that every family functions like a family. No family is perfect and communication isn’t always going to be easy. They also aren’t going to go out of their way to change their life, you are adapting to their lifestyle not the other way around. I think it’s important to remember this.
I have also realized from this situation how lucky I am to be from the U.S. Women here are in an extremely fragile situation where they are attempting to gain their independence in some ways but they must also continue to satisfy some traditions. I have had men grab my ass and think it was perfectly fine. For instance, one day I stepped off the bus and some old man pretending to be blind just randomly caught a free feel. No blind man can aim as well as he did. I’m so proud of my host mom because, although I feel she won’t give me an inch, she works 5 and a half days a week. She is always tired and sometimes I have to remind myself that she’s impatient and tough on me because she’s tired herself.
I have also had many discussions with my housekeeper. In some ways I have built my strongest connection with her because she’s the one who told me her real story. Her family lives in St. Louis which is about 4 hours north. She’s in Dakar working for my family but at the cost of leaving her little girl behind with her family. She returns for the wet season to help her family but I can tell she really misses her child and her family. She also says her biggest regret is giving up her studies. It’s hard realizing that she had everything going for her and now she spends her days all alone in our house cleaning and cooking. She never told me why she couldn’t finish her studies but I know she’s frustrated with her situation. Although I try to be a cultural relativist towards treatment on women here, my host father is incredibly rude to her and my host mom is even more impatient with Ami than she is with me. I feel bad because there seems to be nothing pleasant in her day. Last Friday I cooked for my family and we had a lot of fun cooking together. I was glad we had a fun activity together. I know it’s just the cycle of life and there are always going to be women like Ami, but it’s still hard to know that she gave up her studies to marry then divorce and have to leave her child behind while she’s gone half the year. I take solace in the fact that she has a bed and good food with my host family and she certainly could be in worse conditions. There is always something worse.
Being in Senegal has changed me I’m sure but I don’t know in what ways yet. I’m definitely more patient here although that may back fire once I return when I expect everything to function perfectly haha. I also appreciate my life back home much more. As my dad said, he could rub holes in Lola’s floorboards to make me feel at home, but I feel more at home where watching the road means through an uncracked windshield rather than through the man-eating holes in floorboards. I’m excited to live in DC this summer and be able to compare a U.S. city to Dakar because for me one of the most difficult adjustments was just living in a city. There are so many people and so many cars it was just chaotic.
I also realized I will never participate in Peace Corp. It was a sad and disappointing realization for me, but I also found alternative volunteer opportunities where I will be better protected. Had I never come to Senegal, I could have been in over my head going off for two years to another place. First off, I got my own fair taste of the village that weekend in Toubacouta and there is nothing to romanticize about it. It’s dirty, filthy, unhealthy, and hotter than you could ever imagine. One student who was here for his second time finishing up grad school work said his first visit he was in a village. He said they lived on couscous (not like Moroccan couscous this stuff is literally like eating sand) and leaves. When the kids caught a huge rat they ate it. He lost 35lbs. I also did my research. I feel safe in Dakar most days but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had some scary moments. Luckily here, if something WERE to happen, there is a great staff here to help me. My research about the Peace Corp leads me to believe that they will leave women in any situation until it results in violent and life changing events such as rape even as far as murder. I’m not willing to participate in something as corrupt as that. As much as I want to witness the world and help make it a better place, I would never do so at the cost of my own life.
When I was preparing to leave I had all these ideas of what Senegal would be like. What is an African nation like? I found out the easy way and in a healthy environment. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It had its ups and downs. I ended up in tears a few times, I have been angry, but I have also had fun and learned more than any classroom could ever teach. I suppose that’s the sappy stuff. I just can’t wait to be home! Four months was long enough for me haha!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
My time since spring break! A long overdue post!
So since my mom has been nagging me to update my blog, I decided now is a good time. I finally finished all my academic obligations here in Dakar so sorry about the hiatus for a while there but I had lots to do and I had to finish my spring break blog first.
I’ll start with the first weekend of April. Every first Saturday of the month there is a party at this club called Koul Groul along the Corniche Est. It was Chandanie’s 21st birthday so in celebration a group of us went to dinner at the Institut Francais. It was really great food even though it’s a little pricey there. And by that I mean it’s $8 a plate. Wow it’ll suck going back to U.S. prices. Anyways so that’s how our night started. Then we moved on to do a quick liquor run down the street and then off to the party!
We got to the place around midnight and there were people there but there wasn’t much going on. It’s really nice because it’s right on the water. I had Imani sneak my whiskey in for me but unfortunately they checked Keutura and Chandanie’s bags. Lame. I didn’t drink much anyways but it’s cheaper to order soda than anything alcoholic so I ordered soda to mix with my whiskey.
Nothing much to tell about the rest of the night. We all danced and had a good time. Ali got his coat stolen which sucks but at least his wallet wasn’t in it. There was also a creepy dude who kept trying to rub up on me even when I physically shoved him away from me. He thought it was hilarious. Just disturbing what men think they can get away with here. I also met some crazy little drunk dude who used to play drums in Vermont. Now you might be thinking yea he’s just saying that. But we have one interstate and he named it so I give him credit. He was a weird dude but he was nice enough. Everyone was there that night even some of the IHP group which was a group of students here for a 5 week stay.
Speaking of the IHP group, I suppose I should mention Brandy mainly because she made the biggest impression on me out of that entire IHP group. The story of Brandy is she randomly talked to me waiting for the WARC bathrooms one day. She seemed nice and she is but she’s also crazy. So I see her at MyShop like a week later. Turns out she’s getting involved with her host brother. First question? Are you serious? Second, why are you telling me this? This is totally against all host family etiquette and I’m not sure I really want to know lol. So, we go on spring break and we’re back here. I see her randomly again but this time I’m with a group of girls from my program. She continues anyways to tell us the intimate details of how she is creating a family feud because she decided to get involved with the cousin of her host brother. So now the host brother is upset. Then she said she just up and is living with the cousin. Something has to be wrong with her. Anyways I figure that’s a fun little character anecdote.
My second weekend in April was the birthday of a Marabout (Islamic leader here in Senegal) and there is this big pilgrimage to Ouakam to see him speak. So preparation for this included a white dress. I bought the fabric and had it made. That was kind of a mess because I ended up having to buy more fabric than I had planned. My host Mom also didn’t tell me when they bought the fabric so I was asking the tailor on Wednesday for something I needed Friday night. Kind of a douchy move. Oh well.
So to continue with the awkward events, I told Jess I would show up at her house in the morning because they said the festival began in the morning. Nope. And even worse is I showed up in my white dress. Why are you wearing that? Didn’t you mom tell you that’s for this afternoon? Nope here it is 9:30 AM and I look like the dumbass. Oh and why did I go over alone? My host mom said she had to work. Okay so why are you at your sister’s house about an hour after me? Liar. I don’t know why she didn’t want to go over with me but this was beginning to get annoying because despite my attempts to participate in this festival she has cockblocked me the entire way. I didn’t appreciate it.
So I got there and Jess lent me some clothing so I didn’t look like the family joke for the day. We rested a while because there really wasn’t anything going on in the morning. They were preparing to cook. Then Abbey came to Ouakam and we met up with her. We walked to the monument…and then to the top of the monument because Mohammed doesn’t understand the word deeedeet (no in English). It was fun though and then we got an amazing lunch with the nice dark rice, real good cuts of meat, and more veggies I’ve seen in one place since I left the U.S. There was even corn! My favorite!
After lunch we rested. A much needed food digestion nap. The all of a sudden the ladies break into our room freaking out that we aren’t ready yet! So we get dressed and are taking some pictures. And while we are done getting dressed, there are still women running around in towels and getting dressed. WTF ladies?! We weren’t the ones you needed to panic about. So we take pictures and fun stuff. Then finally we’re off to the area they’ve outfitted for all the people coming to visit. It was an outdoor area covered and temporarily carpeted with tons of plastic chairs. Senegalese furniture in other words.
So we took our seats around 5pm maybe even a little earlier. Abbey, Jess, and I were taking some photos. It was really funny there was one lady convinced we were taking photos of her. If looks could kill me we’d be mince meat. She looked so pissed but really I was just trying to get pictures of the area. She was just being self centered to think I was taking photos of her lol jk mostly. So then some photographer dude comes around. I didn’t really know why he was taking our pictures. Jess said no to the pictures. I’ll tell you more about the photographer later though because he was just a big scheming douche bag scam artist. Anyways…so pictures were taken, men were singing Muslim chant type stuff on speakers turned up way too loud, women were filing in. So finally the place fills up. That took about half an hour or more. So there’s a lot more singing and stuff. Important men dressed in nice get-up file in to the couches at the front. Basically a living room but outside. Because it never rains here. This is like 2 hours and a prayer session already. Finally, it looks like the big man on campus has rolled in! Here’s the marabout!
Lots more singing ensues and there are even television stations there. Now I always saw sessions like this on TV and wondered what the heck this was and why were men sitting on couches discussing like Oprah. This was that but in real life. So finally the marabout starts talking and let’s just remember here that it’s all in Wolof folks. Then there’s more praying which we thought might be us leaving because they stacked all the chairs up. No they just needed room to kneel down. This all continues for 4 hours. Yep count them 4 hours! It was a test of patience like no other and of course I understood none of what was said. But I got to look pretty in my white dress and it was interesting to see their religious fete. Sometimes I forget that it’s important to learn about Muslim culture while I’m in it because when I return to the US it’s just going to be one big Bin Laden fest. It’s really not like that and interestingly enough people here are glad he’s dead too because he was giving such a bad image to the religion. There are a lot of opinions. That’s for another time though.
So back to the photographer because this is where he comes in. So later after he developed the photos he tried to get us to buy them. No you didn’t tell me I had to buy them and I have my own goddamn camera jerk. So no we didn’t want to buy them, especially Jess because she straight up said no to start with. Then Jess’s family tried to convince us that she would buy them and we could pay her back since none of us had money. No we don’t want the photos. So that went on and we were leaving the festival. That was a mess in itself. People were shoving you out you literally had no control and people were stepping on you and it was just a fire hazard if I ever saw one and it’s a shock no one got stampeded. We finally made it all out and found each other. We get back to the house and are waiting around. We ate round one of dinner. Then the photographer shows up. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This is rude first of all just to come into someone’s house. So now Jess and I get yelled at by our host Mom’s to buy these photos because this man is poor yada yada yada. Hellllll no! He’s not poor I just saw how many photos he took and sold we were the only photos he had left practically! Really were you losing out that much or did you just want to harass the white girls? So we had to buy them. End of story. I was already cranky and tired because my host mom was mean that morning. It only got worse. We had dinner round two which was really awesome chicken and salad. Then, I wanted to leave with my host mom. I kept trying to figure out when she was leaving and I told her I wanted to leave with her. So what does she do? She ducks out the door with some boy carrying her extra shit and I have to run out to follow her. Thanks for making me feel included. It was just not worth the trouble it seemed like but it was an experience for better or for worse.
This past weekend (my last weekend in Dakar) was a lot of fun as well. Saturday night a group of us girls decided to go out with the two Nigerian boys I met at IFEE, Henry and Charles. Funn thing Charles will actually be in Vermont for a week this summer because his brother is married to an American woman there. It’s a small world sometimes! So we wanted to go to Just 4 U because it has such a good reputation for live music but it was closed due to construction. So we went to Jardin Thailandaise instead. Wicked expensive but the food was okay. It was funny because the guys were asking all the tough questions about interracial marriage and how we see Senegal. They had some harsh criticism for Senegal and being from another African nation it was really interesting to hear what they thought. Then after dinner we went to the Morocaine, a Moroccan restaurant. Some folks did huka and we had a few beers. It was nothing complicated or over the top. It was just a perfectly relaxed night. Then I spent the night at my friend Zoey’s in Baobab. I almost got lost walking home the next day but it seemed like a nice neighborhood. It was a good weekend and it was good clean fun. Sunday was supposed to be pancake day because my mom sent me pancake mix but that fell through. That’s for Thursday now. Sunday I just finished my 10 page paper and took a nice long bucket shower and even washed my hair! I can’t wait for a real shower again.
Tuesday was a market day and that was interesting. We went to Marche Collobaine (spelling?) which is way up by HLM. So first you take a car rapide downtown then another car rapide back uptown towards HLM. That was a little confusing but the market was an interesting one that’s for sure! We were just browsing around and Alison found a table of glasses, she thought they’d be cute for a fashion statement, turns out it’s a table of random prescription glasses this dude collected. God only knows how he collected all those. So she was looking through the pile and Imani and Marshall see a professor there they know. Imani decided to take a picture of Alison because he’s always got his camera ready. The vendor sees this and like freaks out. He starts shouting and there are a bunch of other dudes just yelling randomly telling us to get out. The professor tries to talk to them and settle the situation. While the men are all huddling and shouting and gesturing, the vendor starts looking for a weapon! He finds a huge vendor’s umbrella and pole and picks it up. All of a sudden he starts walking towards Imani and a big group of men start to hold him back. It was INSANE! I don’t think the vendor was all there…I think he had a mild mental disability but Imani disagreed. Either way the whole situation was just bizarre and this guy got so upset over one photo. It is difficult to take photos here because no one wants you to take photos of them but this was just over the top. So we continued our shopping adventures.
We continue shopping and eventually we get to this street and on either side of the street is a tunnel of vendors and I do mean tunnels. They are covered and lit with creepy blue lighting. Now why are these vendors only on the side of the street? Well that’s because the middle of the street is flooded with sewer water. Yeeaaaa just what I want to take a swim in! It smelt awful and the water was this terrifying green color. Just nasty. We all found what we wanted except Imani wanted a backpack but the vendor was a jerk. Sad story He really wanted a backpack.
So we catch our car rapide back downtown and another back up towards Fann Residence. On the way home we hit a really nasty traffic mess. There is a road with a large median and a busy road that crosses this one. So we were stopped for like 10 minutes. Finally our car rapide decides to take off right in front of a HUGE construction truck. Awesome! Even worse? We stall out. You know how long it takes to get a car rapide back up and running? Yea like 8 tries. Meanwhile there is a bus, a large construction vehicle, cars, and motorcycles all trying to dodge around in this mess. It was not fun and really concerning. So finally after making it out of that mess barely, we get up by the University. As we’re passing, we see a police squad in all their riot get up: masks, armour, and giant pellet guns. There were students flowing out of the area but you could see some students standing their ground in the dorm buildings as they faced off with the police force. Insanity I tell you. I get home that night and ask my host mom about it because she works there. She tells me this happens all the time because there are so many money problems. Students are paying the school or the students aren’t getting their scholarship money. Either way someone is always upset. I can’t even imagine being on that campus. Then we ended with a lunch trip to MyShop for two for Tuesdays, buy one get one free pizza! Heck yes!
I think that’s all my crazy stories for now. It’s been almost a month since I wrote so I’m sure there are more but don’t worry I’ll be home soon to tell them all!
I’ll start with the first weekend of April. Every first Saturday of the month there is a party at this club called Koul Groul along the Corniche Est. It was Chandanie’s 21st birthday so in celebration a group of us went to dinner at the Institut Francais. It was really great food even though it’s a little pricey there. And by that I mean it’s $8 a plate. Wow it’ll suck going back to U.S. prices. Anyways so that’s how our night started. Then we moved on to do a quick liquor run down the street and then off to the party!
We got to the place around midnight and there were people there but there wasn’t much going on. It’s really nice because it’s right on the water. I had Imani sneak my whiskey in for me but unfortunately they checked Keutura and Chandanie’s bags. Lame. I didn’t drink much anyways but it’s cheaper to order soda than anything alcoholic so I ordered soda to mix with my whiskey.
Nothing much to tell about the rest of the night. We all danced and had a good time. Ali got his coat stolen which sucks but at least his wallet wasn’t in it. There was also a creepy dude who kept trying to rub up on me even when I physically shoved him away from me. He thought it was hilarious. Just disturbing what men think they can get away with here. I also met some crazy little drunk dude who used to play drums in Vermont. Now you might be thinking yea he’s just saying that. But we have one interstate and he named it so I give him credit. He was a weird dude but he was nice enough. Everyone was there that night even some of the IHP group which was a group of students here for a 5 week stay.
Speaking of the IHP group, I suppose I should mention Brandy mainly because she made the biggest impression on me out of that entire IHP group. The story of Brandy is she randomly talked to me waiting for the WARC bathrooms one day. She seemed nice and she is but she’s also crazy. So I see her at MyShop like a week later. Turns out she’s getting involved with her host brother. First question? Are you serious? Second, why are you telling me this? This is totally against all host family etiquette and I’m not sure I really want to know lol. So, we go on spring break and we’re back here. I see her randomly again but this time I’m with a group of girls from my program. She continues anyways to tell us the intimate details of how she is creating a family feud because she decided to get involved with the cousin of her host brother. So now the host brother is upset. Then she said she just up and is living with the cousin. Something has to be wrong with her. Anyways I figure that’s a fun little character anecdote.
My second weekend in April was the birthday of a Marabout (Islamic leader here in Senegal) and there is this big pilgrimage to Ouakam to see him speak. So preparation for this included a white dress. I bought the fabric and had it made. That was kind of a mess because I ended up having to buy more fabric than I had planned. My host Mom also didn’t tell me when they bought the fabric so I was asking the tailor on Wednesday for something I needed Friday night. Kind of a douchy move. Oh well.
So to continue with the awkward events, I told Jess I would show up at her house in the morning because they said the festival began in the morning. Nope. And even worse is I showed up in my white dress. Why are you wearing that? Didn’t you mom tell you that’s for this afternoon? Nope here it is 9:30 AM and I look like the dumbass. Oh and why did I go over alone? My host mom said she had to work. Okay so why are you at your sister’s house about an hour after me? Liar. I don’t know why she didn’t want to go over with me but this was beginning to get annoying because despite my attempts to participate in this festival she has cockblocked me the entire way. I didn’t appreciate it.
So I got there and Jess lent me some clothing so I didn’t look like the family joke for the day. We rested a while because there really wasn’t anything going on in the morning. They were preparing to cook. Then Abbey came to Ouakam and we met up with her. We walked to the monument…and then to the top of the monument because Mohammed doesn’t understand the word deeedeet (no in English). It was fun though and then we got an amazing lunch with the nice dark rice, real good cuts of meat, and more veggies I’ve seen in one place since I left the U.S. There was even corn! My favorite!
After lunch we rested. A much needed food digestion nap. The all of a sudden the ladies break into our room freaking out that we aren’t ready yet! So we get dressed and are taking some pictures. And while we are done getting dressed, there are still women running around in towels and getting dressed. WTF ladies?! We weren’t the ones you needed to panic about. So we take pictures and fun stuff. Then finally we’re off to the area they’ve outfitted for all the people coming to visit. It was an outdoor area covered and temporarily carpeted with tons of plastic chairs. Senegalese furniture in other words.
So we took our seats around 5pm maybe even a little earlier. Abbey, Jess, and I were taking some photos. It was really funny there was one lady convinced we were taking photos of her. If looks could kill me we’d be mince meat. She looked so pissed but really I was just trying to get pictures of the area. She was just being self centered to think I was taking photos of her lol jk mostly. So then some photographer dude comes around. I didn’t really know why he was taking our pictures. Jess said no to the pictures. I’ll tell you more about the photographer later though because he was just a big scheming douche bag scam artist. Anyways…so pictures were taken, men were singing Muslim chant type stuff on speakers turned up way too loud, women were filing in. So finally the place fills up. That took about half an hour or more. So there’s a lot more singing and stuff. Important men dressed in nice get-up file in to the couches at the front. Basically a living room but outside. Because it never rains here. This is like 2 hours and a prayer session already. Finally, it looks like the big man on campus has rolled in! Here’s the marabout!
Lots more singing ensues and there are even television stations there. Now I always saw sessions like this on TV and wondered what the heck this was and why were men sitting on couches discussing like Oprah. This was that but in real life. So finally the marabout starts talking and let’s just remember here that it’s all in Wolof folks. Then there’s more praying which we thought might be us leaving because they stacked all the chairs up. No they just needed room to kneel down. This all continues for 4 hours. Yep count them 4 hours! It was a test of patience like no other and of course I understood none of what was said. But I got to look pretty in my white dress and it was interesting to see their religious fete. Sometimes I forget that it’s important to learn about Muslim culture while I’m in it because when I return to the US it’s just going to be one big Bin Laden fest. It’s really not like that and interestingly enough people here are glad he’s dead too because he was giving such a bad image to the religion. There are a lot of opinions. That’s for another time though.
So back to the photographer because this is where he comes in. So later after he developed the photos he tried to get us to buy them. No you didn’t tell me I had to buy them and I have my own goddamn camera jerk. So no we didn’t want to buy them, especially Jess because she straight up said no to start with. Then Jess’s family tried to convince us that she would buy them and we could pay her back since none of us had money. No we don’t want the photos. So that went on and we were leaving the festival. That was a mess in itself. People were shoving you out you literally had no control and people were stepping on you and it was just a fire hazard if I ever saw one and it’s a shock no one got stampeded. We finally made it all out and found each other. We get back to the house and are waiting around. We ate round one of dinner. Then the photographer shows up. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This is rude first of all just to come into someone’s house. So now Jess and I get yelled at by our host Mom’s to buy these photos because this man is poor yada yada yada. Hellllll no! He’s not poor I just saw how many photos he took and sold we were the only photos he had left practically! Really were you losing out that much or did you just want to harass the white girls? So we had to buy them. End of story. I was already cranky and tired because my host mom was mean that morning. It only got worse. We had dinner round two which was really awesome chicken and salad. Then, I wanted to leave with my host mom. I kept trying to figure out when she was leaving and I told her I wanted to leave with her. So what does she do? She ducks out the door with some boy carrying her extra shit and I have to run out to follow her. Thanks for making me feel included. It was just not worth the trouble it seemed like but it was an experience for better or for worse.
This past weekend (my last weekend in Dakar) was a lot of fun as well. Saturday night a group of us girls decided to go out with the two Nigerian boys I met at IFEE, Henry and Charles. Funn thing Charles will actually be in Vermont for a week this summer because his brother is married to an American woman there. It’s a small world sometimes! So we wanted to go to Just 4 U because it has such a good reputation for live music but it was closed due to construction. So we went to Jardin Thailandaise instead. Wicked expensive but the food was okay. It was funny because the guys were asking all the tough questions about interracial marriage and how we see Senegal. They had some harsh criticism for Senegal and being from another African nation it was really interesting to hear what they thought. Then after dinner we went to the Morocaine, a Moroccan restaurant. Some folks did huka and we had a few beers. It was nothing complicated or over the top. It was just a perfectly relaxed night. Then I spent the night at my friend Zoey’s in Baobab. I almost got lost walking home the next day but it seemed like a nice neighborhood. It was a good weekend and it was good clean fun. Sunday was supposed to be pancake day because my mom sent me pancake mix but that fell through. That’s for Thursday now. Sunday I just finished my 10 page paper and took a nice long bucket shower and even washed my hair! I can’t wait for a real shower again.
Tuesday was a market day and that was interesting. We went to Marche Collobaine (spelling?) which is way up by HLM. So first you take a car rapide downtown then another car rapide back uptown towards HLM. That was a little confusing but the market was an interesting one that’s for sure! We were just browsing around and Alison found a table of glasses, she thought they’d be cute for a fashion statement, turns out it’s a table of random prescription glasses this dude collected. God only knows how he collected all those. So she was looking through the pile and Imani and Marshall see a professor there they know. Imani decided to take a picture of Alison because he’s always got his camera ready. The vendor sees this and like freaks out. He starts shouting and there are a bunch of other dudes just yelling randomly telling us to get out. The professor tries to talk to them and settle the situation. While the men are all huddling and shouting and gesturing, the vendor starts looking for a weapon! He finds a huge vendor’s umbrella and pole and picks it up. All of a sudden he starts walking towards Imani and a big group of men start to hold him back. It was INSANE! I don’t think the vendor was all there…I think he had a mild mental disability but Imani disagreed. Either way the whole situation was just bizarre and this guy got so upset over one photo. It is difficult to take photos here because no one wants you to take photos of them but this was just over the top. So we continued our shopping adventures.
We continue shopping and eventually we get to this street and on either side of the street is a tunnel of vendors and I do mean tunnels. They are covered and lit with creepy blue lighting. Now why are these vendors only on the side of the street? Well that’s because the middle of the street is flooded with sewer water. Yeeaaaa just what I want to take a swim in! It smelt awful and the water was this terrifying green color. Just nasty. We all found what we wanted except Imani wanted a backpack but the vendor was a jerk. Sad story He really wanted a backpack.
So we catch our car rapide back downtown and another back up towards Fann Residence. On the way home we hit a really nasty traffic mess. There is a road with a large median and a busy road that crosses this one. So we were stopped for like 10 minutes. Finally our car rapide decides to take off right in front of a HUGE construction truck. Awesome! Even worse? We stall out. You know how long it takes to get a car rapide back up and running? Yea like 8 tries. Meanwhile there is a bus, a large construction vehicle, cars, and motorcycles all trying to dodge around in this mess. It was not fun and really concerning. So finally after making it out of that mess barely, we get up by the University. As we’re passing, we see a police squad in all their riot get up: masks, armour, and giant pellet guns. There were students flowing out of the area but you could see some students standing their ground in the dorm buildings as they faced off with the police force. Insanity I tell you. I get home that night and ask my host mom about it because she works there. She tells me this happens all the time because there are so many money problems. Students are paying the school or the students aren’t getting their scholarship money. Either way someone is always upset. I can’t even imagine being on that campus. Then we ended with a lunch trip to MyShop for two for Tuesdays, buy one get one free pizza! Heck yes!
I think that’s all my crazy stories for now. It’s been almost a month since I wrote so I’m sure there are more but don’t worry I’ll be home soon to tell them all!
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