Dakar, I have arrived!

My journey was not short but any means. I left home in Mississauga Friday morning at 8am with the entire family. We celebrated Nanny Black's 80th birthday in Kingston. The goodbyes in Glenburnie were difficult as I left my extended family as well as Dad and Joshua. Mom and I continued on to Montreal where we spent Friday night and Saturday with family friends. It was a restful time after the chaos of packing and goodbye-get-togethers during the last few weeks.

My flight was scheduled to leave Montreal's airport at 10:10pm Saturday night. Mom, our family friend Viv and I were at the airport shortly after seven with a quick stop at Starbucks for my last caramel macchiato compliments of Jenn. Unfortunately I had to pay overweight and extra luggage fees, but otherwise I got checked in and through security in no time. Mom and I kept out goodbye very matter-of-fact, though I know that doesn't reflect what either of us was feeling.

My 7 hour flight to Casablanca was more pleasant than I had anticipated. There was no in flight entertainment but I struck up a conversation with the girl sitting next to me and the time passed quickly. She was a 28 year-old doctoral student at the University of Montreal. She was on her way home to Tunisia for a summer break. I'm sure our conversation was annoying to the passengers trying to sleep around us, but I was pleased to feel so at ease.

Over the course of the flight I discovered that the two ladies sitting behind me were also traveling to Dakar. I asked if they minded if I followed them to find the shuttle for our layover at a local hotel in Casablanca. We managed to get separated through customs, but I followed instructions and found my way to the shuttle before they did. The hotel was simple enough, unfortunately my room was not ready when I arrived...but the housekeeper was nearby and made it up for me while I waited. I was still not thrilled with the cleanliness but I slept on top of the sheets and got some much needed rest. My sleep was not deep because I was worried about missing the return shuttle but I was just happy to have somewhere to lay me head.

I was very thankful for the two Canadian ladies traveling to Dakar once we arrived back at the airport. It was quite a maze but between the three of us we figured it out. As content as I was to find the gate and wait for my last flight to Dakar, I was horrified to discover that my brand new Kindle was damaged and not working. I have since tried different things but to no avail.

The Casablanca-Dakar leg of the trip was not as comfortable or pleasant, but tolerable nonetheless. When disembarking the plane I noticed a lady with two small kids struggling with her carry-on luggage. She was an English speaker, so I introduced myself and she was pleased to have my help. On our transfer from the tarmac to the terminal we discovered that she and her husband are with Christian Missionary Alliance and they know teachers and families at DA. I was thrilled to see a friendly face. I helped her through customs and getting luggage. I benefited because they rushed her through with her young kids and I tagged along helping with her carry-on luggage. In the end it was a good thing I stayed close because her luggage did not come through the conveyer. I stayed with the kids and the other baggage while she straightened things out. Thankfully it had come on an earlier flight and was in a separate area to be claimed.

Dan, the assistant director at DA was waiting for me and brought me back to my apartment. I'm on the third floor of the Sand Castle, off-campus staff housing. It's a 5 minute walk from campus and houses at least 12 DA staff and their roommates or families. I crashed pretty quickly which was reasonable considering I had been traveling for 25+ hours with limited sleep and it was 2am.

Our apartment has two bedrooms. We also have a foyer, living/dinning room, kitchen, bathroom, and two patios (pictures to follow soon). My roommate, Kari, arrived later the same morning and we've been working on getting the apartment and our classrooms set-up before new staff orientation begins tomorrow.

So far everything has been great. The school provided groceries for our first few days and people have been very helpful in answering questions and offering help when it's needed. If you had been worried about me, you don't need to worry anymore.

Look for more posts about my first few days coming soon...

The School: Dakar Academy

Dakar Academy is a K-grade 12 school. Students have the option of boarding from grades 6-12. The school itself is a six acre campus in a residential neighbourhood.

The student body is composed of approximately 70% missionary kids, as well as the children of non-profit organization staff, business people, ambassadors and politicians. The student body is also very culturally diverse.

The school facilities include a library, auditorium, science lab, computer lab, lunch shelter, basketball/volleyball/tennis courts, sports fields, running track, and soccer court.

There is staff housing both on and off campus.










Check out this link for further info: http://www.dakar-academy.org/

The Country: Senegal 101

Senegal is the westernmost country on the African continent. It was a French colony until 1960 and there remains a notable French influence including most dominantly, the language...and also the delicious bread you can get at the local boutique (corner store). Besides French, Wolof is the next most dominant language. The country's population is 14 million and predominantly Muslim. Roughly 25% of the population live in Dakar, the capital city where I will also be living. The currency is the CFA and right now $1.00 Canadian is worth approximately 489 CFA.

According to The World Factbook, "..[Senegal] is one of the most stable democracies in Africa." The current president, Abdoulaye WADE, was elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2007. He has been criticized for excessive spending like the 160+ foot bronze statue he commissioned, the African Renaissance Monument.


The weather is very hot, humid and rainy from May-November, and is cool-er and dry from December to April with temperatures varying between the low-20s in the cool season to mid-30s (plus humidity) in the hot season. On Thursday, for example, the temperature was 28 in Dakar and in Mississauga. However, the relative humidity was 79% in Dakar compared to 48% in Mississauga. Fortunately the classrooms have air conditioning units and the apartments are equipped with fans to keep us comfortable.

The Scoop: The 4-1-1, The Dealio, The Skinny...

I am headed to Dakar, Senegal for 10 months to teach at Dakar Academy, boarding and day school serving primarily missionary families.

I am also excited to work with the PAOC missions team on various projects. You can check out the Senegal team at: http://www.paoc.org/missions/missionaries.aspx?sID=3&cID=8

I will arrive in Dakar August 2 and have a few days to get settled before new staff orientation and full staff orientation begin.

The school follows an American school calendar, the first day is August 12 and school lets out June 3.

I will be living in the Sandcastle, a staff apartment building which is a short walk from campus.

I will have a roommate, she is also a DA rookie, she's coming from Illinois.

This year I will be teaching middle school French, Geography, and Social Studies.

I will be at DA for one school year for sure, with the possibility (and likelihood of extending my stay).

I will have internet access within a few days of my arrival.

I am thrilled to be embarking on this adventure, but do not deny even for a moment that I will be homesick. It would be impossible to have such amazing friends and family, to come from teaching at such an incredible school, and to have had such growing experiences at home in Canada to not miss it all at one point or another.

From There to Here: Part 6

"Once you get over the fear, then it's a cinch," she said. And then she leaped into a mountainous and unexplored region of her heart.
~Vignettes by Monique Duval

Tuesday, August 11 2009

"Dear Journal,

I think my over-tiredness is seriously affecting my judgment because I am already thinking that there is no way I can live or teach here. I'm scared and uncomfortable."


Wednesday, August 12 2009

"Dear Journal,

Today was the first day of school. I had just sat down in the middle school info assembly when I was called out. A grade 4 teacher was sick so they asked me to cover her class. At first the assistant director didn't want me to do it, she didn't realize I was a teacher, she actually thought I was 19. They had planned filing and other odd jobs for me, but I was glad to be in the classroom. It was great to feel helpful and have an authentic teaching experience at Dakar Academy. I need to start asking myself if I could live in Senegal and work at DA? What would be challenging? What would be easy?"


Monday, August 17 2009

"Dear Journal,

The director had the time to meet with me before chapel. I had planned to ask her questions about the application process and schedule an interview before I leave. Basically she said that I needed to complete the paperwork but an interview wasn't necessary because they had already spent some time observing my teaching and interacting with students so it seems they are comfortable with me and are confident in my abilities. We spent the rest of the time talking about potential subjects and living arrangements."

Saturday, August 22 2009

"Dear Journal,

All-in-all it wasn't my decision to make but I felt it was good for me to go to this dinner. Nonetheless, something as simple as going for dinner in a foreign country with people I don't know can be scary for me but I'm overcoming my fears one yummy meal at a time. I think I could see myself living in Dakar."

From There to Here: Part 5

I was out with two close friends for dinner one evening at Turtle Jack's (I highly recommend the turkey & goat cheese grilled flatbread...mmmm...delicious) when the topic of summer vacation came up. My idea to visit Senegal was still simmering so I casually mentioned the possibility as well as the several excuses as to why I hadn't already made inquiries.

Sometimes I wish my friends would just kick me in the butt, literally, because it wouldn't be as painful as it is when they kick me in the butt figuratively with the look and the tone that say, "Well what are you waiting for? Save the excuses, of course nothing's going to happen if you just keep sitting there." Under their watchful eyes I sheepishly composed an e-mail to the school's director on a napkin with assurances they would be asking me if I had followed through with sending it the next day.

I am so blessed to have friends who won't just politely listen to me talk about opportunities that are passing me by. Without their thought-provoking questioning, and unapologetic challenging I would allow myself to be paralyzed by uncertainty and apprehension.

From There to Here: Part 4

Just over a year ago I got sick, just a cold and some congestion. As normal as that sounds, it's extremely rare for me to admit defeat by going to doctor and calling in sick. In fact, it was four or five days before I would make an appointment and I only conceded after a "life flashing before my eyes" resulting from breathing difficulties. It was during my convalescence that I got so bored I began researching teaching opportunities abroad. What began as passing the time, soon became curiosity and subsequently, interest. I sent e-mails to China, to Morocco, to Zambia. I came across a posting for a school in Senegal but didn't send an e-mail as the posting was for high school physics and we can all imagine me standing at a blackboard struggling to explain allotropic forms (whatever those are!?!). Gradually e-mails trickled back, apparently a teaching degree IS marketable, but nothing was compelling enough to push me further than polite inquiries.

The Senegal school stayed with me. I was particularly interested in the French-speaking country and realized upon further research that we had 5 PAOC families already working there. As I began to consider my summer plans I knew that it had been far too long since I did anything missional and meaningful with my down time, I wondered about the possibility of serving as a volunteer at the school for a week or two with the potential of applying to teach in the next couple of years. As the summer approached the idea continued to swirl. I was careful to keep these musings to myself as speaking them aloud tends to make them real and all the more scary.