The Fam

"Don't be constipated, just let loose!"
-Serigne, CIEE Dakar Program Director on getting to know our host families

I've been with my host fam for just over a week now, and I've absolutely loved living with them! They are so dear, thoughtful, always asking how I'm doing, and oh so welcoming. My dad introduced me to one of his friends last night as his "eldest daughter." They constantly remind me that as a member of the family, I don't have to ask permission to join them on errands, sit down to eat, etc.

The family member break down is slightly complicated, but I will try to make it clear. The following are people I live with: Pap and Awa are my dad and mom, and I have two brothers Issa (22) and Habib (20) and two sisters Mimi (17) and Rose (8). My mom's sister Aisha also lives with us along with her kids (my cousins) Mama (20) and Dame (13). Whew. So I've got those down. Once again, they are all so wonderful and friendly and any freetime at home is spent with them talking, watching soccer on TV, listening to music and eating (sometimes all at once).

Then the other day at lunch, Awa mentioned her mother (grandma) lives just north of here in Saint Louis and she sometimes comes to visit. Oh. Neat. That's great!

Well then dinner came around and Aisha told me Grandma was actually coming to visit today and she'd be here "soon." Wow. Okay!

I literally turned around and they were wheeling her into the room to eat with us. And now she's staying for a month. HA. Feeling rather foolish and certain I had missed the announcement of her visit, I asked my brother later on in private, but he shrugged it off casually and said he didn't know she was coming either. Just a kick, I couldn't believe it... no one knew she was coming til that afternoon and now she's staying for a month. Total riot. Her son (my uncle) drove her down and finally realized after his four hour commute and eating dinner that he forgot his suitcase with all his clothes in it at home. My friends, this is Senegal.

I already have such a tender spot for old people, but here in Senegal, I can't even describe to you the joy they bring me! They are just hysterical. Most older folks here in Dakar grew up in rural areas and missed the whole colonial rule French influence bit...

So Grandma sits on her bed at our house in these magnanamous traditional dresses and headscarves, grandchildren silently and respectfully pampering and tending to her every need as she eats our rice-fish-and-sauce meals with her bare hands out of a bowl (the tradtional Senegalese way) all the while barking orders in Wolof for the rest of us to eat more, eat more.

So, so great. I feel older people here are more characterized as elders than grandparents. She just has such a presence. Even though I can't really communicate with her, she's a riot to be around, I just love it. :)

Since her arrival (in the past two days), I have also been introduced to two new uncles and I believe four new cousins. I'm still not quite clear on who they belong to or where they're staying...or for how long...but family members just keep popping up!

With all the visitors we've been having lots of treats, though. One of the uncles brought "cornie" (Wolof) with him--the fruit that grows on palm trees (no, not coconuts). It's the strangest thing, but you cut off the top of the fruit and dig out this slightly sweet but mostly bland jellyfish-like consistancy fruit with a spoon... I'm told there is no word for this fruit in French or English (ha! skeptical...) but it's good!

I've also been getting pineapple jam the last couple days with my regular half baguette for breakfast--so delish! All the students here have admitted how funny it is now that we get SO excited about fruit--simple pleasures!

I have to say though, Senegal is doing nothing for my table manners. Supper usually happens around 8:30pm and everyone congregates in one of the bedrooms (specific to my house only... I think most other families have dining rooms) in front of the TV, we lay out a mat, pull up a little wooden stool to set down this giant round dish of our warm meal, prepared by our maid. We pull up the beds and a couple chairs so everyone sitting around the bowl can dig in! Spoons are optional.

We usually eat some combination of rice, vegetables and meat/fish in a sauce--spicy and so delicious!! Everyone kind of assumes their own pie-shape area of the bowl to eat out of, and you just go from there. Whenever you're done eating, you just get up and leave, and people who are still eating can then redistrubute your leftovers to their sections of the bowl. I usually use a spoon, but sometimes it's just easier to use your hand. The mat laid out below is just one big napkin basically, so you can just spit your bones and meat fat out on the floor.

So basically any rules I've ever learned about proper dining etiquette are out the window. The worst is that we had a special guest over for dinner last night and I had to actually eat off a plate and use a knife for the first time in a couple weeks...I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. My mom told me not to worry though, I could go ahead and just use my hands...so I did :)

Apparently there are a lot of things in Senegal I've never heard of before, and my siblings are appalled to discover my extreme shelteredness...so much so that they've begun to doubt my knowledge of even the most basic things. It's come to the point where anytime they mention something they ask me if I "know" whatever it is they're talking about. The last few nights at dinner I've been asked if I "know" mayonaise and if I "know" penguins. Yes. Yes, I think I have heard of those a time or two before. Thank you. :)

Sometimes Senegalese French accents are a little hard to understand, but normally I can get what people are saying to me. For example, the other day on an excursion to Goree Island I could understand the man perfectly clearly when he came up and asked me in French if I was "enceinte"... pregnant. Sometimes I wish I didn't understand French so well...

Mk. I'm gonna go read the State of the Union address now, try to see what's going on in my country. And are the Olympics on yet? Still can't believe Senegal's not making a bigger deal of their winter events... given that this is their winter (people are getting sick because of "the cold") and it might get down to oh... 65 at night. Maybe. Geez...