Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Tomorrow Zoe and I set off to Dakar and the surrounding area for just over a week. We will be meeting up with the other volunteers in Senegal and we will be introduced to a bit more of Dakar by the volunteers living there. Obviously we are excited about this but at the moment you would not know it as both of us are pretty much dead on our feet thanks to the English Club end-of-year party last night.
It is safe to say that the EC has been our favourite bit of teaching this year and we have made so many friends from inside the club. We have met them twice a week since school started and to finally put an end to it was really upsetting.
The day started early when we got up at 6 30(Saturday morning!) to go and help our friend to harvest sweet potatoes. It felt good to be up so early and making the most out of the day before it got too hot but actually getting out of bed was probably the most difficult part of the day. After harvesting for a while and getting over the excitement of being allowed to use a machete to do so, we went back to the house to help the girls of the EC who were preparing the evening meal. Zoe and I were trusted enough to help cut the onions and BOY, were there onions, and we were both proud to be able to cut them easily without a chopping board, a skill which seemed entirely unattainable at the start of the year. We spent all day cooking and(mainly), watching the experts, or just looking on longingly as the girls practised their effortless dancing. Our house was over-run with people and, because they are senegalese, they don't feel the need to always ask before doing something. At the start of the year I found this difficult to adjust to but now I really enjoy the different attitude to ownership of property because it feels friendly and puts people at ease.
The evening arrived and, you guessed it, the meal only started a couple of hours or so after the planned starting time. We had chicken with a pepper stuffing, salad leaves, mayonnaise, an onion sauce, chips and bread to eat it with - typical senegalese party food and very delicious. For dessert we had fruit salad but not as I know it, it was more like a milky drink with fruit in it, plus our Treasurer dancing on the table...
After dinner it began to rain and seen as the meal had taken place in our front garden, we all rushed into the house or sheltered under the porch. Not long after we all gathered round to hear what some members had to say. Our fantastic Chairperson made a very moving speech(in nearly perfect English) about the importance of keeping the EC dynamic with the new generations of students and then wished all her fellow Terminale students good luck for their Bac exam this week. She ended by thanking Zoe and I for our work for the EC this year and at this point I actually started crying, not massive sobs but enough for it to be embarassing! Indeed, every student who said a few words(some in English, others in French and a funny one in Wolof), thanked us and when it came to our turn, all I could manage was a choked "Thank you. That's all I really wanted to say." I will have to do better when it comes to our leaving party which neither of us even wants to mention!
The evening was, of course, rounded off by a trip to the club which all the Terminale members were unfortunately temporarily banned from, due to their looming exam.
A short entry but I wanted to write about the party and now I'm off to pack my bag for Dakar!
- comments
Jim Sillars Glad to see you are enjoying things more and more. I am sure people there sill miss you when you come back here, but don't forget that we back here miss you very much. I am taking Grandma off the Villa Maria on Thursday for 8 weeks. So, we shall have to wait for some time after you come home to hear all about your adventures, and teaching successes. I see Barak Obama was in Senegal last week. Said very nice things about the country. Lots love X
Jim Sillars Happy Birthday Lena from Grandpa and Grandma here in Portugal. We are hoping John will joing us for a week. We continue to miss you, but are so pleased that you are enjoying life in Senegal, and learning so much. We sent you a birthday card, and hope you got it.
Lena Thanks Grandpa! I hope you're both enjoying Portugal and I'm excited to see you when we're all back in Scotland! XX