Weekend Getaway...

Two weeks ago I was excited to head out of town for a weekend away with the Dakar Academy staff. This was a treat for two reasons. First, the Saly resort area is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours outside Dakar so we got to see a little more of the country. I am still fascinated by the things I see every time I get outside my little neighborhood, but it was the first time since arriving in August that we left Dakar. We drove through some smaller villages and admired the lush greenery that will disappear in the not-too-distant future when dry season is upon us. Second, I was anticipating a weekend of doing nothing but lying in the sun, swimming, and reading. And that's exactly what I did. Darl and Jill Powell our facilities gurus organized everything and went above and beyond to make sure we were all enjoying ourselves. They are truly amazing! The kind of people I wish you could all know.

It was fun to see the staff more at ease, or at least not rushing around between classes, coordinating students, or the millions of other things that we are all normally so busy doing.

I spent so long in the pool that I was afraid my face would start to look as pruny as my hands and feet. For those of you who are concerned (*ahem* Nichole) I took every precaution in applying sunscreen and did not experience any burn whatsoever. I was just disappointed that I hadn't remembered to take my wide-rimmed sun hat. When I wasn't in the pool I was reading by the pool or eating delicious food from the buffet. In the evenings we played games and painted our toenails (not the ENTIRE staff ;) and continued to get to know people we hadn't connected with before then.

Saturday evening and Sunday morning we had worship services. Saturday we were each asked to share what we were thankful for. I shared that I am thankful that God is sovereign and that He has my best interests at heart. Sunday we were asked to share our 'life' verse or a verse that is meaningful to us. The passage I chose, a promise I hold onto, is Philippians 4:6-7

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

It was a fabulous weekend, but like most vacations, it was over too soon. That's not to say the ride how was without some excitement.

About ten minutes away from the resort our bus (a charter bus) was sideswiped by another large bus and the window where Kari and I were sitting was smashed. Kari was at the window seat and had a few minor scratches. Our colleague behind us was not seriously injured, but she did have hundreds of microscopic slivers of glass that we spent an hour removing from her skin with tweezers and tape. Just to add to the excitement we were simultaneously experiencing a torrential downpour. If I have learned one thing since arriving in Senegal, life is never boring.


The villas.


Our villa.


The fancy handle in the middle of the door. I felt like I was staying in Whoville. The stripes (not photographed) and colour palette, but especially the big gold doorknobs created a fun ambiance for my imagination.


The luxurious pool. How I miss it.


Poolside bar and outdoor lounge area.

Church in Senegal

This past weekend was full of much anticipated new experiences around Dakar BUT you'll have to wait until another day to hear about them (there's a teaser for you).

I missed telling you about my first true church experience in Senegal a few weeks ago. This isn't to say that the other services I have attended on Sundays are not "real" or even good, but this Sunday in particular I visited a typical Senegalese service in a suburb of Dakar rather than an American-style service at Dakar Academy, or an international service in the city. The whole morning was an eye-opening adventure.

I was invited to join Phil and Judy Bowler at a church near Thiaroye about 15-20 minutes outside Dakar. We found ourselves waiting alongside the "ranch", a livestock yard along the main highway, to pick up the church's pastor who would navigate us to the home where the church service was held.

From where we were parked we could see the odd animal here or there, but they are mainly kept further back off the road. These animals are generally goats, sheep, and cattle. In addition, this is where people buy hay and other food for their animals. They sell it in large stacks which you can see being stuffed all along the roadside. This also happens to be a hectic hub for Ndiaga Ndiaye (pronounced jug n jiay), local buses. While we waited I saw two older gentlemen flag a taxi, negotiate their price, and at the last minute drag three goats towards the vehicle. They proceeded to load the poor animals into the trunk and drive away as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I'm told that it really isn't uncommon, though you are more likely to see goats tied to the top of vehicles close to Kor*te and Tabask* which are both musl*m celebration days.

Not only did I see goats being wedged into a car trunk, but at the very same time a small kerfuffle broke out behind our truck. We're not exactly sure what triggered the situation, but it appeared that a young guy had done something to disturb the peace on one of the Ndiaga Ndiaye and a crowd was holding him accountable. Rest assured that he wasn't injured, I wouldn't be willing to tell you about anything I wouldn't want my mom to read for fear of her freaking out. It was a very eventful morning...and all this happened before we got to church.

As I mentioned, the church itself was located in a suburb of Dakar. The infrastructure in the city is not the greatest; huge pot holes, lots of exposed rocks, and poor drainage during rainy season. All this is worse the further you travel outside the city. In several areas we drove through mini-lakes. It is particularly dangerous to drive through deep water because you can never be sure if there may be a sink hole, or other hidden surprises beneath the surface.





Though the journey to church was adventurous, it was the service itself that was the highlight of the day. When we arrived they honoured us with front row seats, though I would have loved to observe from the back. It was extremely humbling to worship alongside people who radiate their love for God in spite of the challenges they face on a daily basis. It was ironic that they were honouring me while I have so much to learn from their example.

The church building was actually a small courtyard about the size of my family's two-car garage in Canada. At one point I could hear the neighbours talking in an adjoining courtyard, and a bleating goat. It was a hot, humid day (surprise, surprise)though the courtyard was shaded from the sun, thankfully.

There were about 25 people worshipping together including children. It was a very lively service and I was able to pick up a few of the French lines from songs, but there were also Wolof songs I simply enjoyed listening to. The singing was only accompanied by djembe (hide-covered hand drum shaped like a large goblet).

The prayer time was the most exciting element of the service for me. While it is typical in North American churches for the pastor to lead the time of prayer from the platform on behalf of the congration, or for the congregation to pray quietly in private prayer, in this service everyone prayed aloud simoultaneously in their own language (French, Wolof, and Serer). It was amazing to hear people praising God so passionately.

After the service, as an element of their ministry, the Bowler's sold medication at reduced prices to the church family as well as neighbours. This is a way the Senegalese are able to feel in control of their health needs. Iron supplements for women, vitamins for children, malaria medication, and common anti-inflammatory drugs are among the most popular.

Though I have not been back to a Senegalese church since that Sunday I do anticipate visiting similar churches in the future. I'll keep you posted.

If...

I had an e-sign to hang on the virtual door of this blog it would say;


Gone relaxing
Be back Sunday



PS. Happy Weekend!

A Day in the Life...

I have been a traunt blogger this past week or two. It has been very hectic around here with the day-to-day planning, meetings, lessons, extra-curricular activities etc. This has inspired me to share with you what it is that keeps me busy on a typical school day. Welcome to my life:

5:40am The call to prayer from the local m*sque breaks into my dreams and wakes me abruptly. I had hoped this was only during Ramad*n, but unfortunately not. I turn over and bury my face in the pillow.

5:45am My alarm beeps. I press snooze. I turn over and bury my face in the pillow.

5:51am My alarm beeps again. I press snooze. I turn over and bury my face in the pillow.

5:57am My alarm beeps a third time. I press snooze. I turn over and bury my face in the pillow. Some things don't change no matter where you are.

6:01am I sigh loudly and roll out of bed (literally). I turn on the coffee pot, if the power is on, and shower.

6:15am I get dressed, in a dress-code appropriate outfit of course (necklines no more than four fingers lower than the collar bone, dresses and skirts to the knee, no shorts, no straps), make my lunch (usually leftovers from the night before OR tuna OR peanut butter with crackers). I also enjoy catching up on e-mail from the night before. Sharing the bathroom has forced me to become an earlier riser which makes for a more relaxing morning than I'm used to at home.

7:15am Kari and I leave for school. We have to be there by 7:20am. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we have staff prayer and devotions. Tuesday and Thursday I do photocopying or sit in my classroom preparing myself mentally for the day ahead.

7:55am The first bell rings and my sixth graders begin to arrive. They are a very active group. If I'm not already fully awake, I am by the time the second bell rings and I am acosted by 10-11 year-olds.

8am Sixth grade Social Studies: Ancient History. My class has 12 students. This morning we were in the computer lab using an interactive website as an intro to Catal Huyuk one of the first agriculture settlements located in Turkey. I only learned about Catal Huyuk earlier this week when I was preparing for my lesson. I'm learning with my students, but I have always loved history, so it's a fun experience!

8:45am Seventh grade Social Studies: Geography. This class has 17 students. They are a little less "active" but have a lot of personality. I have connected with this class very well and they almost always seem engaged in the lesson. The students are currently developing a culture for a continent they invented in our last unit. I am looking forward to grading this assignment as it is very personal and the kids are really excited to be using their creative genious.

9:35am I have a break from classes. I usually hang out in the staff lounge and eat birthday treats or other goodies that may have been left there. I grade assignments and/or socialize with the elementary teachers who are on recess break.

10:30am Elementary French students arrive (a class of 11). They are mixed grades 3-5. I have found this class challenging because there are various levels of capability, there is no curriculum (we're working on this problem), and they are developmentally different in their ability to retain information etc. We still have a lot of fun.

11am I have another break. I usually try to be productive with this time and often finish last minute planning for my afternoon French classes.

12:10pm Lunch...yum!

12:50pm Middle School French. These students (class of 16) are mixed grades 6-8. They have all known each other for a long time and are very social. They are also very competitive and thrive on the games we often play. I am still adjusting to the various levels within the class, but I think we're getting more comfortable with one another.

1:40pm High School French. This small class of 11 is also my most challenging class because I am adjusting to working with older students who in some ways are very advanced in their French and in other ways still have a lot to learn. This is my biggest learning curve, but as I get to know the students I am becoming increasingly confident and enjoying them as people not just my French students.

2:30pm Study Hall. Students are required to work silently. This makes for a very productive time for me. I do planning for the next day and often catch up on grading (aka marking).

3:15pm School is done for the day! I often have students who stop by with questions about homework or to pick-up forgotten items. Tuesdays I go straight to the library where I am the librarian until closing at 5pm. I enjoy the time to meet students I don't teach, to help students I do teach, or to catch up on my e-mail. Sometimes I even blog.

Wednesdays are meeting days. The newcomers meet bi-weekly for a support group-style meeting. Otherwise I have middle/high school staff meetings or mentor meetings. A lot of meetings!

The rest of the week I try to excercise with a group of staff (admin, dorm parents, and teachers) who do a video workout together. Right now we're doing P90x. It's nice to have something to keep physically active, especially when it's too hot to run or be outside much during the day. I also enjoy watching volleyball games when our teams (the Lions) are competing. Sports are a big deal here.

5pm Kari and I usually connect and head home. We start cooking and are usually ready to eat by 6pm. We are finding it difficult to make 'quick' meals, especially on nights when we've had a tough day, or we have committments later in the evening. We have gradually managed to increase our repetoire and haven't starved yet. Grilled cheese, spaghetti, sweet and sour chicken, shrimp alfredo, and hamburgers with fries are among our favourite meals. We haven't learned how to cook senegalese food yet, but we're hoping to hire someone to make senegalese food for us every couple of weeks. House help is very affordable here and you simply cover the cost of groceries.

Mondays and Thursdays are the nicest days to come home because we come home to a freshly scrubbed apartment. Our clean, ironed, and folded laundry is waiting for us. Often the laundry is so fresh that it is still warm from being in the sun and being ironed.

Once a week we play volleyball with the staff at 8pm after campus curfew. I'm not very good. Really, I'm just competitive and don't enjoying losing, but I'm getting a bit better and it's usually an entertaining evening. Other nights I enjoy reading (using my recently returned Kindle), watching a movie on my laptop, or more commonly I am scrambling to get lessons planned and come up with creative or engaging ways to teach expressions with 'avoir' for French, or Population Patterns for Geography.

Thursday nights are youth group nights. I come back to school at 7pm for middle school youth group, which is quite traditional. A bit of worship, large group activities, a teaching time, and small group discussion. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the students on a more personal level. Afterwards the campus is a buzz with students playing games on the two sports courts, or socializing...there are often flirtations to observe.

Handball is a very official sport here at DA. The season started three weeks ago and the majority of the student population, as well as a large percentage of staff are assigned teams and compete in 20 minute games once or twice a week Thursday-Saturday. This week there are games after youth group so I will stay and cheer the players on. Perhaps next year I will play. They set up speakers to play loud music, and they sell pop (aka soda). It's a very serious undertaking. I love the atmosphere and those of you who know me well, know that one of my favourite things about summer (and now Senegal) is being out after dark and still comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt. The only discomfort at evening games, are the bugs. It is not uncommon to be attacked by ants or mosquitos, or both. No need to worry though, I use bug spray AND I'm taking a daily malaria preventative.

10pm I start to get ready for bed, or I have a skype date, or I sit on the couch contemplating why it requires so much effort to get off the couch so I can go to bed.

11pm I actually make it to bed and fall asleep quickly...unless the power is cut in which case I sweat a lot, moan and groan, toss and turn until I am eventually so exhausted sleep takes over.

Attaya: Senegalese Tea Ceremony

Last Friday night Kari and I had planned a relaxing evening with some girls in the building. We ordered pizza (yes, we can order pizza in Senegal) and got ready to watch an episode of my favourite TV show, Pushing Daisies. We had been looking forward to continuing the series, but we spent so much time chatting and catching up that by the time we started watching the episode we were only 10 minutes in when the power cut.

Power cuts are one of the first things you have to adjust to when you arrive in Senegal. Some families are fortunate enough to have generators to prevent the disappointment of an unfinished tv show, Pushing Daisies, for example. We are not so fortunate. It's a reality here and happens at any time; minutes before the first bell rings on a school day, during a unit test, walking home from a friend's house at 10pm, as you're preparing dinner, just as you are about to have a skype date with a friend or family member, or in the middle of the night. It's a fact of life that is unpreventable and easier to deal with the sooner you accept the reality. Rumour has it that the cuts will become increasingly long now that Ramad*n is finished. Kari and I have learned to keep our computers charged and often enjoy movies if the power cuts are in the evenings.

As disappointed as we were to be interrupted as we were just beginning our show, we were optimistic the power would come back on in a few minutes. No such luck. However, the evening turned out to be a great and educational experience nonetheless. Nabrissa stopped by and suggested we do attaya, a traditional Senegalese tea ceremony. It is a long process involving three rounds of preparing and serving tea in small glasses. The Senegalese are a very relational people and will spend hours preparing and partaking of attaya.

We all headed up to the roof for my first ever attaya experience. Danielle and Nabrissa started a fire with coal and paper in the fuurnu, a small coal fire pit. Once the coals were hot, Danielle heated water and sugar with the tea leaves, called warga in a small teapot, the brada.



The first round of attaya is called Lewel, it is strong and bitter, and symbolizes life. The second round, Naarel, is more sweet, and symbolizes friendship; the longer we're together the sweeter it becomes. The third round, Nettel, is the sweetest and represents love. Though this is how it was first explained to me, I have also read that all three rounds represent the growth and development of friendship.



Once the mix comes to a boil you remove it from the heat and begin a long process of pouring it back and forth between the small cups and the teapot. Each time your pour it back and forth it builds up a foam which you keep in the glass while you continue to pour the tea back and forth.



When the first round is ready it is served to the oldest person first and continues in descending order. I was fourth of eight this particular evening. The second round begins using the warga left in the pot with the addition of more sugar. The process continues as in the previous round and is repeated again for the last round.



Though the evening was not what I had planned, it proved to be better than I had anticipated. I love it when these things just "happen". In my opinion, the unexpected experiences in life are often the most enjoyable.

Kor*te

Today in Senegal Musl*ms are breaking their month of fasting for Ramad*n with a day of celebration. In light of the fact that Senegal is a Musl*m country, Kor*te (pronounced core-ee-tay) is a national holiday and even the missionary community "observes" with a day off school.

Ramad*n is a month of fasting in which Musl*ms refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from dawn to sunset. This makes for an interesting experience for everyone in the country who is affected by the tiredness, and irritability of those observing the fast. I even came across a Senegalese website encouraging visitors to stay away during the month of Ramad*n because it can often be an "awful" experience for a variety of reasons.

To give you an idea of how daily life is affected, I have been woken up almost every morning for the last month between 5:30am-5:45am with the call to prayer heard from the neighbourhood mosq*e. Store hours tend to be altered, and out of respect for our house help and security guards we try not to eat or drink when they are around during the day. If you happen to be out in traffic around 7pm driving can be atrocious as people are at their worst after a day without food or drink. They are desperate to get home in preparation for breaking the fast. You can generally buy dates and water from vendors out the window of your car at this time as this is the traditional way to break the fast. They believe that starting with dates, sweet breads and pastries is good for your system as you begin to eat after a long period of fasting. On more than one occasion I have found myself in a grocery store between 6-7pm waiting in extensive line-ups as people shop in preparation for their evening meals.

Today marks the end of the fast, it is the day when families and friends get together in celebration much like we would for Thanksgiving or Easter. The end of the fasting period is marked by the first day of the following month according to the sighting of the new moon. This is announced by the local religious leader and is not generally known until the day of. We only found out we would have the day off school as of Tuesday and this was because we knew that the full moon would appear Friday, Saturday OR Sunday. Food is donated to the poor, people often have new clothes made by the local tailor or wear their best outfits. Communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. Kari was out this morning and apparently the city is quiet and deserted which is uncharacteristic and contrary to the usual hustle and bustle as early as 5am on a typical day (weekend or not).

I have to admire the discipline and commitment of the Musl*m people as they observe the month of Ramad*n. Fasting is intended to teach patience, humility, and spirituality. It's definitely not easy in the intense heat of the day. There have been a few times in the last two weeks when I have missed my afternoon meal and within an hour or two I'm grumpy and my stomach is aching.

During Ramad*n Musl*ms sacrifice for the sake of God and offer more prayer than usual. They ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. Musl*ms believe Ramad*n to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Q*r'an were revealed to the Islam*c prophet, Muh*mmad.

It is a time when I, as a Christian, am challenged to reflect on how undisciplined and uncommitted I can be when it comes to things as simple as my daily Bible reading and prayer time, let alone fasting. It's ironic to me that while the people here are obligated to seek after patience, humility and spirituality (or holiness), these are things that I aspire to in my relationship with God. Though I am not mandated by my local pastors or restricted by social pressure, I should be intrinsically motivated by my love for God to pursue these things of my own accord.


**I referred to Wikipedia.org for info regarding Ramand*n

Homesick for ROMS

Today is the first day of school for my teacher friends at home. While I am not sad to be a month into the school year already at Dakar Academy, I am missing the excitement of the first day at Royal Orchard. I will admit that I am the most homesick today that I have been since arriving in Senegal. I am feeling downright sentimental.

I can imagine seeing my friends and colleagues after the summer and catching up about our vacation anecdotes. It's fun to see how students have grown and changed over the summer, how the classes are mixed for the coming year, and it's exciting to introduce the new classroom routines and expectations you've perfected in your mind over the break.

I am missing my colleagues who have inspired me, encouraged me, and survived with me. I am missing my classroom at the top of the stairs across from the library, I am missing the familiarity of greeting the kids by name when I pass them in the hall.

ROMS represents familiarity and comfort. It represents the confidence and know-how that seem to have eluded me here in Senegal. It represents a challenge I overcame, and great personal victory.

As exciting as my new adventure is, it's not without some sadness. In all the craziness of preparing to move I don't know if it truly set in until today that I wouldn't be back (at least not this year). This is the point where my past and my present truly diverge. I hope and pray that when I look back at my first day of school at Dakar Academy and my first year teaching in Senegal, that I will regard them with as much pride and fondness as my time at Royal Orchard.