Saturday, March 24, 2012

My very African day

This “very African day” actually occurred a couple weeks ago. 

 I woke up underneath my mosquito net; my false sense of security in this cockroach infested apartment. (Infestation may be slightly mellow dramatic, but we kill 3-4 a day; an infestation indeed, in my arachnophobia world).  I proceeded to get out of bed and stumble to the girls room as they call out, “mom, mom I’m up,” so far, an ordinary day. This day I decided to wear my Senegalese wrap skirt (pagne) that my house helper, Therese, made for me.

the girls and i in our matching pagnes

 I also carried my basket home from school on my head.  I did have to use one hand to steady it. Nonetheless, I did it! 

So what else did I do that was African??? I hissed at a cab driver. I know this sounds rude, but that is how you hail a cab or get ones attention. I cabbed it across town to an African language center and took a one-on-one French language course.  SO MUCH FUN!  Sadly, this was a one-time thing as I was supposed to be in a class with 2 others to lessen the cost and true to African style, things got miscommunicated and there will be no class for me at this time.  C’est la vie!  

On the way home I stopped  at a street vendor and ordered 40 nems (we were having kids over for dinner), stopped at the produce stand for mint, and finished my day watching the Dakar Academy boys beat a Senegalese futbol team. No small feat.  Well, some had small feet…