I was in the neighborhood Fann this afternoon after a meeting at the West African Research Center. I happened to run into a new colleague and stopped to chat. We were standing outside of the ubiquitous Dakar boutiques next to the morgue. Fann is a bustling neighborhood that houses the public university, Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, a major hospital, and many embassies. We were standing near a large intersection, one that has an Oil Libya gas station (used to be Mobil) and the very popular My Shop. My Shop is the hang out place in Fann because it serves “Western” food and alcohol, although it is a gas station restaurant.
So, I was chatting away with Ahmadou, I think that’s his name, when all of a sudden I heard metal crunching. People who were in the post office on the corner came streaming out onto the street. Beer drinking patrons of My Shop peered over the terrace onto the street trying to figure out what happened. Taxi drivers pulled over and gawked, pedestrians ran toward the accident, beggars hobbled over, and I stood still. Suddenly, the people in the morgue came rushing out. I have never seen people move so quickly in my life. Senegal is a place of “non-time” and slow movement, until, apparently, a car accident presents itself. The cleaning ladies and the doctors came shooting out of that building and I am pretty sure it was not to collect a new customer, but simply to watch.
Finally when Ahmadou and I finished our conversation I walked toward the street where the accident had taken place. I couldn’t see that well because there were about 300 people crowded on the road, blocking traffic and making a commotion. The accident seemed to have taken place right in front of a private hospital on the newly built bridge that connects the VDN to Rue Cheikh Anta Diop. Cars, buses, and car rapides that were behind the accident were reserving on the bridge to be able to get to another road (not safe at all). Cars on the other side of the road were stopping to pay respects to the accident, meaning they would make a full stop, take a look, and continue on their merry way.
What was most impressive was the amount of people that materialized to watch (and obstruct) the accident clean up. Where these came from, other than the morgue and the post office, I have no clue. It’s interesting what motivates people’s curiosity and compels them to investigate. I have never seen people rushing like I did today. It was incredible. I don’t think car accidents in the US draw the same kind of attention. Bystanders wouldn’t stop and stare and then argue about the accident at hand. Yes there is rubbernecking but not in the same way. I heard bystanders blaming this person and speculating left and right about the accident, as if it was their accident. People were praying and shouting. I doubt anyone called the police. Ambulances came simply because of the location. Culture is fascinating.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
La Magal
For many February 14 is Valentine’s day, a faux holiday of Hallmark cards and love. This year in Senegal for the Mourides (an Muslim brotherhood), February 14 denotes the Magal. The Magal marks the anniversary of Cheikh Amadou Bamba’s exile to Gabon, where he stayed for seven years and purportedly prayed on water. Bamba, or Serigne Touba, as he is commonly known, is the founder of the brotherhood and is worshiped as if he was a prophet. He was a deeply religious man that preached adherence to Islam, hardwork, and living simply. He created a mosque and a huge legacy in the city of Touba. Annually Mourides make a pilgrammage to Touba to pray, chant, and feast.
An aside about the Mourides, they are the second largest brotherhood in Senegal, but are the most visible. Generally, Mourides are merchants and have a large network of followers. These networks extend to the USA and Italy where many Mourides remit their pay to larger Mouride foundations. Mourides have a particular handshake and name their stores “Touba” this or “Cheikh Bamba” that. A branch of the Mouride brotherhood is the Baye Falls. Their leader, Lamp Fall was a disciple of Serigne Touba. It’s a long story but these folks are the “alternative” Mourides. They dress in patchwork clothing, have dred locks, and smoke dope. Those who hustle, hassle anyone they see for money for their marabouts (spiritual leader) in the most aggressive and annoying manner possible.
So the Magal is approaching and everywhere you go there are buses, car rapids, taxies, station wagons, SUVs, and cars packed with people headed for Touba. These vehicles are crammed with amplifiers, cooking utensils, clothing, unidentifiable metal contraptions, and lots of sheep. Yesterday a large van parked outside of my house and unloaded twelve bleating sheep and tied them to each other in the most inhumane fashion. The man who unloaded them was wearing patchwork clothing and an absurd “lost boys” a la Peter Pan hat. In any case, around midnight these sheep were reloaded into a truck along with half the contents of my neighbor’s house destined for Touba.
Apparently there are traffic jams on the main highway for miles and miles because half of Dakar is going to Touba. Police escorts are everywhere, taking small-time marabouts to the ultimate marabout, Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara ibn Mouhamadou Fadilou M'Backé, who is the grandson of Serigne Touba. Do not get me started on these hypocritical charlatan marabouts who have more than four wives, pimp little boys as beggars, and control Dakar.
The actual objective of this post was to mention a hypocritical act of someone going to Touba that emphasizes the general loss of meaning in most celebrations. Today I went to visit my old host mother, a kind, generous, and religious woman whose attitude is always positive and accepting. I could not believe when I saw her this afternoon in a state of inner turmoil. While at the market this morning someone stole her cell phone, wallet, and keys from her shopping bag. When she called her cell phone the thief answered and said that he would return her wallet with her ID card, keys, and SIM card but would keep her money and cell phone. He told her to meet in the Almadies, a posh section of Dakar, about ten miles from where she was. After negotiating with him, he agreed to meet her in front of a supermarket. Much closer to her house. She waited for him for an hour or so and he never showed. Initially, when she called him, he apologized for taking her belongings, saying that he was embarrassed to have stolen from an old lady, but he needed the money for the Magal.
After my host mother told me that some jerk stole from her so he could participate in a religious festival which is insistent upon adhering to the Quran, I went into a fit of rage. I will not express my feelings about organized religion here, but all I can say is that this action enforced my feelings tenfold.
An aside about the Mourides, they are the second largest brotherhood in Senegal, but are the most visible. Generally, Mourides are merchants and have a large network of followers. These networks extend to the USA and Italy where many Mourides remit their pay to larger Mouride foundations. Mourides have a particular handshake and name their stores “Touba” this or “Cheikh Bamba” that. A branch of the Mouride brotherhood is the Baye Falls. Their leader, Lamp Fall was a disciple of Serigne Touba. It’s a long story but these folks are the “alternative” Mourides. They dress in patchwork clothing, have dred locks, and smoke dope. Those who hustle, hassle anyone they see for money for their marabouts (spiritual leader) in the most aggressive and annoying manner possible.
So the Magal is approaching and everywhere you go there are buses, car rapids, taxies, station wagons, SUVs, and cars packed with people headed for Touba. These vehicles are crammed with amplifiers, cooking utensils, clothing, unidentifiable metal contraptions, and lots of sheep. Yesterday a large van parked outside of my house and unloaded twelve bleating sheep and tied them to each other in the most inhumane fashion. The man who unloaded them was wearing patchwork clothing and an absurd “lost boys” a la Peter Pan hat. In any case, around midnight these sheep were reloaded into a truck along with half the contents of my neighbor’s house destined for Touba.
Apparently there are traffic jams on the main highway for miles and miles because half of Dakar is going to Touba. Police escorts are everywhere, taking small-time marabouts to the ultimate marabout, Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara ibn Mouhamadou Fadilou M'Backé, who is the grandson of Serigne Touba. Do not get me started on these hypocritical charlatan marabouts who have more than four wives, pimp little boys as beggars, and control Dakar.
The actual objective of this post was to mention a hypocritical act of someone going to Touba that emphasizes the general loss of meaning in most celebrations. Today I went to visit my old host mother, a kind, generous, and religious woman whose attitude is always positive and accepting. I could not believe when I saw her this afternoon in a state of inner turmoil. While at the market this morning someone stole her cell phone, wallet, and keys from her shopping bag. When she called her cell phone the thief answered and said that he would return her wallet with her ID card, keys, and SIM card but would keep her money and cell phone. He told her to meet in the Almadies, a posh section of Dakar, about ten miles from where she was. After negotiating with him, he agreed to meet her in front of a supermarket. Much closer to her house. She waited for him for an hour or so and he never showed. Initially, when she called him, he apologized for taking her belongings, saying that he was embarrassed to have stolen from an old lady, but he needed the money for the Magal.
After my host mother told me that some jerk stole from her so he could participate in a religious festival which is insistent upon adhering to the Quran, I went into a fit of rage. I will not express my feelings about organized religion here, but all I can say is that this action enforced my feelings tenfold.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
GENSEN
I have been terrible about updating my blog. I can attribute this to my recent change in jobs. I am currently working for GENSEN, an umbrella organization for a bunch of NGO projects that mainly work within ecovillages in Senegal. An ecovillage is a village that pledged to be sustainable, there are various stipulations that must be adhered to in order to be accredited. The villages use alternative energy, grow their food, etc. GENSEN has established mirco-credit projects and literacy programs in these villages. For more about GENSEN, visit: http://www.gensenegal.org/.
My particular project is the Centre Culturel Vivre et Apprendre. I am working with a team of people to create a cultural center that is focused on Senegalese cultural and fosters exchange between foreigners and Senegalese. We offer dance classes, drum classes, Wolof classes, Senegalese cooking classes (with my old host family, the Sambas), a week-end immersion, as well as English, French, and Spanish classes. I am in charge of event coordinating, such as the grand opening on February 28 and a film series. I also do promotion and general coordinating within the center.
A cool project that is starting with the Cultural Center is an ecotourism project where tourists can visit an ecovillage and actually live and participate in village life. The tourists live in the same kinds of structures as the villages, help out in the gardens, and can even use the solar ovens. One of the main destinations is, Dinde Felou, in the Southeast of Senegal next to a chimpanzee reserve, so tourists can visit the park and learn about the various initiatives in the park.
My particular project is the Centre Culturel Vivre et Apprendre. I am working with a team of people to create a cultural center that is focused on Senegalese cultural and fosters exchange between foreigners and Senegalese. We offer dance classes, drum classes, Wolof classes, Senegalese cooking classes (with my old host family, the Sambas), a week-end immersion, as well as English, French, and Spanish classes. I am in charge of event coordinating, such as the grand opening on February 28 and a film series. I also do promotion and general coordinating within the center.
A cool project that is starting with the Cultural Center is an ecotourism project where tourists can visit an ecovillage and actually live and participate in village life. The tourists live in the same kinds of structures as the villages, help out in the gardens, and can even use the solar ovens. One of the main destinations is, Dinde Felou, in the Southeast of Senegal next to a chimpanzee reserve, so tourists can visit the park and learn about the various initiatives in the park.
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