Destination Dakar

Yes I’m back and I never thought I’d be writing again on this blog. Unfortunately I’m not back in Dakar but rather I’m back to this blog drudging it out of it’s 3 year dormancy. I decided to take what I currently have here a selection of numerous post recounting what I learned while in…

            My last required blog post for my blogger job and it’s all a bit surreal that my program is ending soon and I will shortly be leaving Dakar, a place I’ve called home for the last few months. A place that has tested my limits, frustrated me, and most importantly has brought me so…

            Food is a central part to life without it, starvation is inevitable. The thing about food is that is varies by culture and region and not just the type of food but how it is eaten. In Senegal the biggest difference is the times meals are taken. Breakfast varies for people based on when…

            What do people think of when we say the word rural? Many things pop through people’s heads and part of that is all dependent on context. If the context was rural America farms, pickup trucks, and tractors would be the image people got. If the context was rural Senegal where I just spent a…

            My course load in Senegal is unlike anything I would be doing back on campus. Here I am not taking any science classes the first time since I started college. Here I go to my internship 2 to 3 times a week. Here I’m not involved in clubs and other extracurriculars. Here I travel…

            While everyone at SU had their spring break a few weeks ago I had mine this past week. I spent the week in northern Senegal in the city of St. Louis which used to be the French capital of former French West Africa and the vestiges of colonialism is still visible in the architecture.…

Welcome to Lake Retba or Lac Rose (pink lake) as most of the world knows it. This incredible place is not only beautiful but also amazing considering the science behind the color of the lake. The color is due mainly to algae that live in the lake but also the combination of wind and sun…

I recently took my 60th malaria pill. A fact that means I’ve been in Senegal for two whole months but also it means I only have two months left. In this halfway point of my journey I’m perplexed by being excited to leave and not wanting to go because my next location brings me closer…

            Shopping in Senegal is very different from shopping in the states for starters most of it is done on the street at a market. There are all kinds of markets from ones that are permanent to those that move around, that sell all kinds of stuff from clothes to food to even fabric. Senegalese…