A Million Feelings, A Thousand Thoughts, A Hundred Memories, One Person: Grandma Barrett

Grandma Barrett was most often found in the kitchen wearing an apron, humming to herself, making something delicious. As soon as we planned a visit she’d start baking our favourite treats and stocking the freezer, even if it was months in advance. The baking frenzy wouldn’t stop once we arrived. No matter how much she had already prepared, there was always an excuse to make more. I sometimes felt like a door-to-door salesman as we would deliver goodies to all the neighbours in the complex, and often drive further so as not to miss anyone who might need the encouragement of an edible hug. Grandma undoubtedly had the gift of hospitality, rarely making a meal for her and grandpa alone. Her family was never limited to those related by blood, but included anyone who needed a family. She expressed her affection and deep care for those around her through the tangible gift of cinnamon rolls, popcorn gumdrop cake, and jam jams, but it was clear to anyone who knew her for any amount of time, that her unwavering support was much stronger, her uncompromising generosity of spirit was much greater, and her love ran much deeper than any amount of time in the kitchen could ever express.

First comes shopping, then comes packing, then comes...flying back to Dakar

You may be familiar with the famous quote, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You may not be so familiar with the saying, “A journey of 6, 637 km begins with a single shopping trip.” When I touch down in Toronto after having been overseas for a year, my return ‘journey’ begins almost immediately. With the knowledge that I will be leaving the country again in a few months, I am constantly on the lookout for items from Canada that will make my time in Dakar feel more like home. I start a list even before I leave Senegal, but the list grows exponentially when I’m back on home turf.

I’m sure I drive my friends and family nuts when we are grocery shopping, making a quick stop at Walmart, or even spending the day at St. Jacob’s market, because I am constantly talking about how much more convenient this Ikea cheese grater will be than the one I have in Dakar. Or, how nicely these candles will pack because they are in tins instead of glass. Or even when I ask, “Can you help me carry my 8 cake mixes?” I am like a squirrel greedily stockpiling for the winter all...summer...long. I know I drive my parents crazy, because they are not shy to offer their comments. “Do you REALLY need that charcoal grill?” “Are you sure you’ll have enough space for those bedside lamps?” And I, being the master justifier that I am, manage to come up with an acceptable excuse for each item, including the magic milk straws, and 2 kg  (4+ pounds) of candy. (It’s for the kids!!!)

My list often includes items such as Bath and Body Works hand soaps, sauce mixes, ziplock bags, Crystal Light drink mixes, certain spices, peanut butter, instant oatmeal, molasses (to make brown sugar which is not readily available in Dakar), craisins, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. The first few years living in Dakar I devoted 3 kg (6+ pounds) to Starbucks coffee each trip. However, in recent years two or three stores have opened in the city, that offer a wide variety of North American products. I definitely pay more here (approximately $ 8.00 CAD for a medium jar of peanut butter) but can save the weight for other necessities, and of course some luxuries, that are still not available locally.

This year I have moved to a new apartment on campus to be closer to the girls dorm where I provide coverage on the dorm parents’ night off. Being the nester that I am, this move created an additional category of purchasing and packing needs. Among the housewares were three canvas pictures, 4 varieties of material for throw cushions, the aforementioned lamps and candles, placemats, and a shower curtain.

I build my cache all summer, filling tote boxes to overflowing and the night before I leave for the airport, my friend Laura, packer extraordinaire, comes and magically makes everything fit into two hockey bags, one carry-on roller board suitcase, and one backpack.

The packing process itself begins a day or two before Laura comes. I take everything out of it’s packaging and consolidate it into ziplock bags. This makes things less bulky, but is especially important in the eventuality that the luggage is left out on the tarmac in the rain. The ONE time I packed myself (an unexpected trip) I arrived back in Dakar with soggy ramen noodles stuck to everything else in my bags. Yuck!

Just before Laura arrives I take over the living room of my parents’ house and lay everything out according to its category; clothing, food, housewares, technology, teaching ‘stuff’, and ‘stuff’ for other people. There is inevitably a pile for other people because friends who stayed in Senegal for the summer, or over the holidays will ask for a few items. Knowing the joy that a box of Kraft Dinner, a pound of Tim Horton’s coffee, or a bottle of a favourite salad dressing can bring, it’s impossible to say no. It’s a two-way street and I have also been on the receiving end of treasures from the homeland.

Once Laura arrives we start with my favourite part of the packing process; sealing the bags of clothes. We pull out the vacuum and watch a pile of t-shirts, dresses, and shorts magically reduced to half its size. We take turns using the vacuum so that we can both experience the excitement, while the other person attentively waits to pounce with the seal and cap.

Once the clothes are packed in their vacuum bags, everything else is carefully added, insulating my wardrobe. The final step is the weighing with my handy luggage scale. This is often the most entertaining part of the evening as we endeavor to hold a 25 kg (50 pound) hockey bag off the floor long enough to get a consistent weight reading. We have tried standing on a chair, we take turns, we laugh at ourselves, and there are high-fives when we are within an acceptable range, ESPECIALLY if it’s the first attempt.

We have nearly perfected the process. Over the years Laura and I have partnered, often with a few other friends, for this travel day-eve tradition a total of 8 times and each time I declare, “The next one will be better!” By this I mean, I won’t have so much stuff to fit in, or I’ll be more prepared before you get here next time, or I won’t make you pack a comforter and garbage can again. I am proud to announce that we broke all previous records this past Christmas packing EVERYTHING that had been purchased and piled, AND the whole process was completed in under an hour, AND everything was within the weight limit, AND it all arrived in Dakar with no damaged items or any other issues. The August packing nights are a bit trickier because I have had longer to accumulate stuff. Very important, very necessary, very essential stuff!

Every time I travel back to Dakar I pray that my luggage will pass the weight restrictions, and that everything will arrive, and that it will arrive in good condition. I bring an extra shopping bag with me to the airport in case I have to take something out of my luggage because it is overweight. However, there is always a text or an e-mail sent once I’m through security to report that everything was checked-in, even if the bags were a kilo or two overweight.

The ‘journey’ back to Dakar is definitely more complicated than my typical habit of throwing clothes into a suitcase an hour before I leave for the airport in the past. I’m sure that other travelers could accomplish the same end goals with fewer lists, a reduced amount of shopping trips, a less elaborate packing night tradition, and all on a much shorter timeline, but this is the process that works for me and gets me successfully from point YYZ to point DKR. I especially love Laura’s first question when I get home; “When is packing night?” because it’s a simple tradition (or not-so-simple depending on who you ask) that makes the leaving a little more bearable. 

Packing night August 2012:

**All of the items mentioned in this post have actually been purchase, packed, and transported to Senegal in my luggage, including the grill.

478 Days Later, but Who's Counting?

I’m big on countdowns; at least I used to be. Birthdays, vacations, big purchases, have all been eagerly anticipated with mental marks on the master ‘life schedule’. These days life is so busy that it’s hardly worth it to start crossing off the days because they pass in a blur before you even have a chance to refer to a calendar and do the necessary countdown calculations.

The busyness of this past school year was even more extreme than usual [excuses for prolonged blogging absence to follow]: In addition to my regular teaching load and extra-curricular responsibilities, the school is going through an accreditation process, which resulted in many extra hours of less-than-stimulating meetings and the preparation of uninspired reports. You may be sensing my lack of enthusiasm, however being the mature and professional individual that I am, I also recognize the necessity of the process.

I also picked up two sections of a history course on my schedule to cover for a colleague who was on leave for the year. The course was fun. Who am I kidding, I’m a history nerd, I loved it! The students may not share my enthusiasm, but I think that they each left with an entertaining memory or two. If you grew up in church you may be familiar with the timeless adage, “Jesus is always the answer” which can be interpreted both literally and figuratively. Well, in Miss Black’s Western Civilization class this year, the adage became, “ ‘Enlightenment ideas’ is always the answer. ” I like to think that the kids walked away with a better understanding and deeper interest in European history. Every once in a while I’ll get a Facebook message about a connection they’ve made between the course material and their everyday lives, Bastille Day July 14, for example. It gives me a warm tingly feeling and I’ll be honest, it makes my day.

Needless to say, I was ready for summer vacation fairly soon after the conclusion of the countdown to Spring Break and the break itself. The subsequent countdown to Freedom Friday (the last day of school) was, as always, bittersweet. Impending goodbyes to graduates, departing colleagues, and in my case, two of my roommates who are also close friends, make it challenging to truly celebrate the end of the year. As difficult as the dichotomy between anticipation and dread can be, it slowed me down enough to be sensitive to the memorable moments in which I found myself. It also provided me insight into the tension of endless goodbyes and transitions that my missionary kids/third culture kids experience as commonplace, just another part of their reality.

Once I have navigated the goodbyes, the year-end procedures, and the packing, I am able to decompress watching movies on the eight-hour flight, and breathe a grateful sigh of relief once I have landed in Canada.  Incidentally, my favourite parts of the trip home are buying a coffee and magazine in the New York airport while I wait for my connection to Toronto AND more sentimentally, when the Canadian customs officer says, “Welcome Home Miss Black”.

The nine-week summer countdown seems like a lot when I arrive, but more often than not it’s fully scheduled before I even touch down. Then there are the shorter countdowns within the grand summer countdown to catching up with friends and family, day-trips to my favourite local spots, road trips, and visiting my home away-from-home-away-from-home, Newfoundland. This year there is also the added excitement of a family vacation to Alaska!

Though the countdown exists involuntarily somewhere in the back of my mind, I have given up ‘conscious countdowns’ cold turkey! As much as I like the thrill of anticipation, it seems that there’s enough to enjoy in the present without having to rush the future. Besides, who needs the hassle of all that countdown math?

Outreach 2013

**Outreach weekend happened in January, but let's pretend it's still March. That way I am only two months late telling you about it (instead of three) AND then I haven't failed my resolution to blog once a month. Watch for my April blog coming soon sometime this month.

 Dakar Academy has a long standing tradition of Outreach Weekend. Traditionally high school students and staff, often accompanied by visiting teams from North America, will go to the "bush" (country) for a weekend in November and in January. These weekends are a way for our school to live and show love to our Senegalese neighbours. 

The school partners with missions represented within our school community. Approximately 120 people load onto various forms of transportation at 5am on Friday morning, drive a few hours, unload, divide into work teams and begin our day of serving. Some of the teams include drama and VBS which are traveling teams that drive from village to village with skits, puppets, games, and music to share the message of Jesus' love with the children, and families they meet. Other teams dug a baptisimal tank, painted a church, decorated the church with a mural, set up camp, and dug wells. It is a tiring day, especially with such an early morning, but the day is not finished when the teams arrive back at camp for supper. 

After eating, we all load up and go to a large open area where we host a 'service' for a village. We learn and practice the songs we sing in several languages, the drama team does their mime and puppet presentation, and a Senegalese pastor will share the reason we are there with the crowd.

Arrival at our base camp.

This is called a jeg n jy (phonetic spelling) which is how I got to outreach. I wish you could see the inside. It's definitely not up to North American safety standards, but don't tell my mom ;)

The unloading begins. We travel in caravan with more than 10 vans, trucks, and cars.

Two of my dorm girls ready for their day to begin.

Within 10 minutes of our arrival at the camp site students line up and unpack the vehicles. The whole system is familiar and works like a well-oiled machine. It takes less than an hour from the time we arrive to the time teams are ready to head out to their various work sites.

It gets to a point where everything is so well taken care of that there's nothing left to do, so we sit and wait until it's time to leave. Cori and Keren two of my roommates, Ju Hyung is  a senior this year.

This was Lauren (4th grade teacher) and Angela's (student teacher) first outreach weekend.

The drama team girls have their hair braided and make-up done before heading out to begin their tour.

Apparently Aunt Judy does a very tight (and painful) french braid.

The local kids peak over the fence to get a glimpse of what's going on.

Judy and Shari are the dorm moms that coordinate the food and oversee the kitchen part of the camp crew. Judy will not be here next year, so I have been in training to work as part of the camp crew next year. Two dorm cooks are hired for the weekend to do the cooking, but we do all the prep work, like cutting pounds and pounds of onions and garlic, and other less smelly veggies.

The crew I worked with; Judy, Shari, Lauren, and Angela. It may be hard to see, but we tried the 'match method' to keep us from crying when we were cutting onions. We held a burnt match between our teeth. It seemed to be at least somewhat effective.

The camp crew also consists of students under the direction of Jim Adams (5th grade teacher) who set up tents and a shower area for the guys, dig holes for the outhouses (also for the guys), haul water from the well, and filter well water ALL weekend. The girls have two shower stalls with buckets for "bucket baths". There are also turkish toilets, which are holes in the ground that you squat over. Allison, Hadassah, and Gloria were the girls on the camp crew.

The tent city for the guys.

 

 

 

A view from the roof, where the girls slept in the open air. They love sleeping under the stars! A random donkey under a tree in the distance.

A view from the roof into the courtyard where we worked to cut veggies, and where the food was served.

Local kids.

Local kids checking out the camp set-up.

Another view from the roof. A very typical Senegalese village.

Breakfast at camp is set up buffet style. Hot chocolate, coffee, and tea to drink with bread and jam, peanut butter or chocolate to eat. Simple but yummy. They order bread from a local bakery so it comes in fresh in the morning, sometimes till warm. It's called tappa lappa bread and is a treat.

Mats are set out for meal times. In the evenings we eat around the common bowl. Groups of 8 all share one giant bowl of food, this is the Senegalese tradition. Everyone brings their own spoon and you only eat from your section of the bowl. We imagine it like a pizza slice section.

Some of the kids found an open space and make their own camp fire in the morning. You can also see the well on the right. This is where the camp crew filled buckets and hauled it inside to be filtered for drinking.

These are the two ladies who cooked our food all weekend, Mami and Madeleine. This was their 'kitchen' and the giant pots they use for preparing rice and sauces we eat for our suppers. In the bottom right corner you can see the large silver bowl with a lid that is used for common bowls. The tray/lid that sits on top keeps the food warm and allows the large bowls to be stacked or transported easily.

(Belated) Christmas at the Fort

I know, I know, it's February but I was very proud of our Christmas decor and this is the first opportunity I have had to put this post together. My roommates and I think we may have more Christmas "stuff" here than our families in North America. Sadly the trimmings came down two weeks ago but I figure it's never too late to wish you a Merry (belated) Christmas from Dakar!

 

Our foyer

Dining room (taken from the foyer)

Living room. Our stocking are hung by the TV with care.

Living room

"Christmas day" at the Fort (Jan 12)

Christmas Celebrations at the Fort: Saturday, January 12, 2013

I brought this charcoal grill back from North America. My dad advised my to use sticks and cardboard as kindling. Unfortunately we weren't able to find sticks near our apartment so I improvised with wood clothes pins. It's important to be resourceful in Senegal.

 

 

 

 

 

The steaks grilling The clothes pins and file folders we used as fire starters made for a nice smokey flavour ;)

The master grillers, Emily and Cori.

The 'fam' at Christmas dinner.

Keren's ready to enjoy her meal. We have created a traditional menu (two years now) of steak with parmesan potatoes, fresh green beans, salad with balsamic vinaigrette, with fried onions and mushrooms. Yum!

Dessert was chocolate mousse garnished with a snowman peep, and a side of funfetti cookies! Is your mouth watering? It should be.

Keren's new stocking to match the 'fam'.

Cori's matching stocking.

Yep, we all have them.

It's a DA rookie tradition. I got mine my first year here.

The remnants of Christmas.

Keren and the creepy Santa. We kept putting it around the house to freak her out because she found it unnerving.

Our "Christmas Card" Picture.

With love, from Dakar.

2012 (August-December) Highlights

The first few days back in Dakar for staff orientation I always find myself thinking I will be busy and then things will quiet down as we get back to "normal". A month or two later I realize that staff orientation is the quiet part of the year and the excitement just keeps on going from then until June. We started back to school August 15 and took a few weeks to fall into the routine. Then, just about the time the day-to-day starts to become tiring, the summer rejuvenation wears off, you fall out of the honeymoon stage with your new classes, and the hot and humid weather is making you cranky, the administration hosts a staff retreat weekend at a resort a couple of hours outside the city. 

The weekend starts with a half day of professional development (it's not ALL fun, games, and tanning time) before we board coach buses that whisk us away from the city. The weekend is typically full of sunbathing, reading, napping, gourmet food (I still dream about molten lava cake, goat cheese salad, and pain au chocolat sometimes), swimming, beach volleyball, board games, and wherever else your whims take you. The staff gathers together for a devotional and worship time Saturday night and Sunday morning, but otherwise the most enjoyable part of the weekend is not being confined to a schedule.

Keren and I reading in the pool.

Dinner with friends

Late-night Killer Bunnies in the game room.

One of the times I most enjoy is Handball Season, but who am I kidding, there's always something to look forward to at D.A. It's somewhat difficult to pinpoint when handball season is because it seems to get longer each year (due to scheduling issues), but I think it's fair to say it runs September-October. The Advance P.E. class organizes teams (staff and students mixed) and we play. My favourite part of handball is the atmosphere...the lights coming on as dusk turns to night, people chatting, concessions being sold, music playing, and the energy on the court.

Orange Crush takes on the Her-ricanes

 

Orange Crush holds it's breath as Mrs. E-M takes a shot on net

Orange Crush takes a shot at the crease

Harvestfest is a fall fair hosted by the Senior Class. It traditionally falls on the day of first quarter parent-teacher conferences. I suppose it gives us (students, parents and teachers) something to look forward to after the "business" of the day. Events include "hayrides", a zipline, karaoke, square dancing, a cake walk, face painting and more! Of course, no D.A. event is complete without good food and this year was no exception. The Senior Class imported bacon for bacon cheese burgers and other North American delicacies that are harder to find in Senegal.

A not-so-traditional hayride on the soccer field.

You can pay to have people put in jail. One of my students decided to seek some revenge, but the joke's on him...triple the homework the following week ;)

Sack races...a classic! (with Lauren and Emily)

Mustaches!

The Arts department always puts on a great show, whether it's the fall play, the winter concert, the spring musical, or the year-end Fine Arts Festival. This year's play was no exception. The Clumsy Custard Horror Show is a silly, comical play that includes audience participation and several clever one-liners. I spent much of the fall running lines with one of the actors in our Study Hall, so I like to say I was the biggest fan!

Dacron, the villain, in his lair. He was arguably the most comical of the characters and well played by senior, Jonathan L.

Sir Vival, Sir Cumference, and Sir Prize (get it?!?) hold the hero, Swashbuck Valpariso at sword-point as traitor, Malforce, looks on.

Worfle and Swashbuck check for cracks in the dungeon's force field. Their timely escape happens as they are about to be devoured by turkey spiders.

One of my major commitments this fall was the International Appreciation Week committee. We hosted a week of events for the whole school to highlight and promote our international identity at Dakar Academy. The week started with a parade of nations representing over 25 nations, and also included a talent showcase, a taste of the nations, lunch time competitions inspired by international games, and an Olympic day featuring sports from around the world.

Organizing for the Parade of Nations

The flags flying over the blue top (center of campus).

Worship time at the opening ceremonies.

That's me announcing the week's schedule of events to the entire student body.

I hosted lunch time events throughout the week. This is a chopstick competition. Students had to move kernels of corn from one bowl to another. We had professional and amateur contestants.

Another lunch time competition, cockroach races. Students had to blow a ping pong ball (their cockroach) from one side of the blue top to the other.

My other responsibility for the week was Olympic Sports Day. Students gathered with their colour teams (the colours of the Olympic Rings) before beginning rotations to the five world sports.

Cricket was first played in England in the 16th century and is still the national sport. When the British Empire expanded, so did cricket. It is played particularly in Australia and New Zealand, Indian, the West Indies, Southern Africa and the British Isles.

Canada’s official summer sport, lacrosse comes from Native American origins. It is mainly played in Canada and the United States.

 

Bokwele: A game originated in the Congo. When the game begins the players yell “Bokwele” while they try to steal their opponent’s scarves.

Bocce Ball has been adapted from the ancient Roman Empire. The modern form in Italy is called bocce, the plural of the Italian word boccia which means "bowl". It is played in Europe and has spread around the world, to places such as Australia, North America, and South America.

Sepak Tawkraw, also known as kick volleyball, is a sport from Southeast Asia but known by different names in different countries. Traditionally a rattan ball is used to play.

Dakar Academy is an American school which means that we (us Canadians included) observe a long weekend for Thanksgiving. The Wednesday before the holiday is a half day of school and then...TURKEY BOWL (a flag football tournament).

Like I've already mentioned, no school event is complete without a special menu. Turkey Bowl is hosted by the Junior Class.

The Middle School tournament kicks off the event. I teach or have taught all of these students at some point. They play hard!

The female staff put together a team again this year. We were the defending champions going into the tournament. I don't know that we ever settled on a name, but we were Orange.

Some people have called this a "play of the day" which is somewhat embarrassing for me. I had played center all day, but for the last match up (All-Stars vs. Staff) I was sent in as a receiver. I was so shocked to make the catch that I paused for a minute. When my teammates yelled at me to run I turned around and ran straight into Cari-Brooke. You can see me mouth saying "oh no..." The best part of the play, not shown in this picture was when Cari-Brooke, just slammed by a teacher, held up both my flags in a gesture of surrender.

We take the game very seriously! We practice together before the tournament and have our plays on cards which we consult between plays. It payed off though, we were the tournament champions!

The boys games were where the exciting, talented, entertaining plays happened. It was the next best thing to the NFL for Thanksgiving weekend.

Finally, when there aren't "big events" happening it is not uncommon to find me field-side or court-side cheering on DA teams as they play.  Softball, varsity volleyball, middle school soccer, boys varsity basketball, and girls varsity soccer have kept me busy most Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays since August. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, DA takes sports very seriously.

Adan's fancy footwork.

Caleb and Martin get past the opposing team's D.

Soo and Sara gaining some ground.

Basma is one of the team's high scorers.

So you can see that my lack of communication does not mean that life has been uneventful or boring. Stay tuned for more Dakar happenings in 2013.