Back from Toubacouta!

The busride back to Dakar was long... I think about 9 hours, and wayyyyy too crowded and loud on the bus. One of our camarades got malaria, so we had to stop at a hospital in Kaolack which is about halfway between the two places, and get him checked in. Best wishes to him and his recovery!

Otherwise, things are good, but I am quickly learning some of the cultural differences that come along with "dating" or even conversing with the opposite sex in Senegal. A week or so ago, I met a boy on the car rapide, who seemed very nice and very respectable. His name is Alhassan, and we exchanged laughs over how our names are basically the same (Alhassan = Allison). We exchanged phone numbers because, in the United States, that usually means, "It was nice talking to you. Maybe we can get in contact and go out for coffee or something in the future to continue talking" or something equally casual and informal. However, ever since I gave him my number, he has called me or texted me every single day. Yesterday he called me 5 times. It is getting incredibly persistent. Then, today I was walking to school and a Senegalese boy started walking with me and talking. At the end of the conversation he asked my name, and I told him it was Allison. About 2 hours later, I left school to go get lunch with some of my friends, and he started walking along side of us and talking to us. Several times I told him, "It was nice talking to you, I am going to talk to my friends now because I am out to lunch with them," but he just continued talking.

What I am learning is that in Senegal, once you tell someone your name, that is an invitation for them to keep talking to you. Once you give them your phone number, it is the equivalent of dating. I have heard that it is common for boys to say "I love you" on the very first date, sometimes even immediately after they meet a girl. Thus, for all I know, in Alhassan's mind, I could very well be his girlfriend right now, even if that is not my intention.

It is impossible to learn these kind of cultural differences in any way but firsthand, so now I know that I have to be much more guarded, much more stand-off-ish, and MUCH LESS friendly to people I meet on the street. While Senegalese men are incredibly handsome and charming, what they want out of social interactions with American girls are very different than what I may want out of social interactions with them. (Read: green card)

All of this is fascinating to me from a sociological point of view. Of course dating is different in every culture, why wouldn't it be, because of course every country is not like the United States in every single aspect. But it was a surprise, no less, to realize that my American expectations of dating/friendship do not transfer over to Senegal. It is just so interesting to learn this firsthand!

Here are some pictures from Toubacouta. The first one is of Rodline, Ryan, and me with two women from the Soukouta village women's group that has formed a coalition to protect the mangroves for the good of their community. We helped them plant mangroves, and the mud on our legs is a relic from that day! (Imagine taking a step and then sinking into mud that reaches up to your knees)

The second picture is of me next to a tiny little baby mangrove shoot. When we went to Ile Des Coquillages ("Shell Island") there were plenty of mangrove shoots that were floating in the water, so after having been taught how to plant them in the mud the day before, all of us did our daily good deed for the environment by enhancing the biodiversity of Shell Island by planting a new mangrove there. I hope my mangrove grows!

The last photo is of Rodline and me at the village called Nioro Alassanetall with a bunch of cute, but feisty, village children. Hope these pictures tide all my loyal readers over until the next update!