Tuesday, September 30, 2008

A Day in the Life of ALEX JUE (The Fasting Edition): 26/9/2008

7:45 AM: Alarm goes off (hit snooze).
7:50 AM: Alarm goes off (hit snooze).
7:52 AM: Finally wake up and take a shower.
8:18 AM: Leave for ACI Baobab Center: Wolof is at 8:30 AM … DID NOT EAT!!!
8:30 AM: Arrive at ACI Baobab Center.
8:37 AM: Wolof begins. **Class consists of: (1) Exercise 6: Expression de la Contradiction avec “Axakay”, (2) Leson Fukk: Waxtann “Tapha ak Vera ñungiy waxtaan”, and (3) Questions de Revision: Leson Fukk
9:15 AM: Zator (my Wolof teacher) asks us if we do not like his outfit….we respond we love it! In Senegalese culture it is rude to give too many compliments, but apparently there is a way to compliment and not be rude…someday I will figure this out! After this comment, we all say how much we like Zator’s plaid shoes…he responds with they cost me 5 000 CFA and I will have the shoemaker come on Monday to get your sizes if you want! We are all extremely excited for what we are calling the Exclusively Zator’s Class Line.
9:35 AM: Pause-café…. AHH!!! Want to drink coffee, but I can’t!
9:45 AM: Wolof resumes with the continuation of the above mentioned activities/exercises.
10:32 AM: Wolof ends and we have homework…
10:35-10:50 AM: I walk around looking for a specific magazine that I think is called Afrique Jeune, this issues cover story reads “La Relation entre Senegal et France”…I think that is very interesting and could be useful for the future. My search is NOT SUCCESFUL!
11:07 AM: L’Histoire de l’Islam finally starts…only 7 minutes late today.
12:18 PM: Pause-café…. so I have decided that these are pointless…. at least today. Our professor is talking to some of us about how Americans do not speak English, but instead we speak “American” (apparently this is a faster version of English…)!
12:23 PM: L’Histoire de l’Islam resumes on the following topics: (1) L’Islam de cour, (2) Deux remarques sur l’Islam de cour, and (3) La conclusion de la premiere partie: Xe-XVIe siecles.
1:09 PM: L’Histoire de l’Islam ends… now what do I do for two hours, since I am not going home to eat lunch.
1:15 PM: Head to MyShoppe (gas station/convenient store) with Myra and Val, so they can buy food for lunch…I watch.
1:30-2:03 PM: I walk around trying to pass time…also attempting to find this magazine, however, I forget that everything is closed from 1-3PM in Dakar!
2:05-2:45 PM: I don’t know what I did… I mean I sat in ACI Baobab Center and read some of “Dreams of My Father”, watched people eat, and sent an email... I think!?
3:06 PM: Dakar en Transition begins and all I can think about are the next fours hours I have before I will be breaking fast…tick, tick, tick…
5:08 PM: Dakar en Transition ends after a discussion on cohabitation between the indigenous people of Senegal and the European colonizers.
5:15-8:00 PM: I joined an English Club because I need to practice my English…. actually this club is a group of Senegalese students at The University of Dakar, who are in the English department. The club meets from one to two times a month. Today’s meeting we discussed this year’s program and watched a movie on the Talibe (child beggars) in Senegal called “Almadou”. Following the movie there was a discussion with the director. The movie was shown once on Senegalese television, but has since been banded and threatened because of its content that is anti-marabous.
7:00 PM: I BROKE FAST!!! I ate beignets and dates & drank water and pop!!! This was some of the best food that I have eaten…probably because I the last time I ate or drank was the night before at 9ish! It had been about 12 hours since I woke up…WOW!
8:15 PM: Arrived back at my home...waited to eat dinner
8:49 PM: Hear the sounds of dinner being set up downstairs… I think that dinner will be ready in the next 5 minutes!
9:01 PM: Dinner time!
9:16 PM: Done eating…I ate way too much at the movie when I broke fast! Anyways, we had fish meatballs in a spicy sauce over white rice…as usually, it was very good. SO FULL!
10:03 PM: TYIF (Thank ‘Allah’ It’s Friday)!!! I am heading out!
11:23 PM: Two Senegalese students show up to the bar that we are at; they were at the movie screening earlier. I have the opportunity to talk politics and react to the movie with them. It was a really great opportunity to practice my French, and I think that we are going to be hanging out with more Senegalese students again!
12:05 AM: The countdown begins to what could be an opportunity to watch the FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE!!!
1:00 AM: The FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE between Obama and McCain comes on in the bar! We were able to watch the debate, but unfortunately there was no sound….so it was pretty much pointless. However, I now know that I can watch American politics in some way on TV5MONDE: Afrique!
1:31 AM: Time to go home.
2:03 AM: In bed.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Ramadan, prayer calls, jeuner, and Korite...so this is what happens when 95% of the population is Muslim!

According to my Histoire de l'Islam class, the penetration of Islam into Senegambie did not occur until the 10th century (though it had existed since the 7th century in what we consider as today's Middle Eastern region). But, that's enough of a verbal/written history class lesson for this blog...what is going on around me is more interesting! So, with that, I have officially dedicated this blog entry to Ramadan, prayer calls, je°ner, and Korite! On y va!

As many of you know, some more than others...cough...ANEEB...cough..., it is Ramadan in Senegal.... as well as in every other country around the world (obviously just more visible in some countries over others). Ramadan began at the beginning of September and will last until the end of the month; the holiday itself is driven by the lunar calendar. During Ramadan, Muslims fast or jeuner from sun-up to sun-down, no eating or drinking during the entire day (though there are some exceptions, if you're sick, pregnant, a young child, etc...) So, my family gets up at about 5am to eat breakfast and they break their fast at about 7:20pm with bread and coffee...that's more than 12 hours of not eating! Someday, maybe tomorrow, I am going to try and fast...I think that it will be an extremely rewarding experience, allowing me to further immerse myself in the culture. I know that before my arrival in Senegal I said that I was going to try and fast for the entire month...that was not going to happen once I felt the heat and humidity as soon as I got off the plane. Instead, as just mentioned, I will be picking one day to not eat or drink during daylight.

So, Muslims need to pray at least five times a day…and from my understanding there are designated prayer times (most likely dependant on the time of day…just a guess), and in Dakar all of the mosques have loud speakers that project these "prayer calls" across the city. For example, I know that my family prays at around 7:45pm (right after we have broken fast) and at around 8:45pm (right be for we get ready to eat)…the other times they pray, I do not know because I am at school. Sometimes my family prays together, but regardless if it is the entire family or not, the males are always in front of the females. Furthermore, women must cover their heads and wear dresses or skirts, while men must wear pants or the traditional robe that covers their legs. It is all very interesting, and I think that after Ramadan is over it will be interesting to compare the difference between what I am seeing now and what I will be seeing while the Muslim population is not fasting.

KORITE!!!! It is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, but the holiday is dependant on the lunar calendar…so it could be the day before or after…we will find out! Korite is a celebration of the end of Ramadan. I am very excited for Korite because, like Chinese New Year, I have purchased new clothes…everyone buys new, bright clothes for the festival! Now, when I say purchased, I mean I went to Marche HLM in downtown Dakar to buy 5 meters of green fabric (10 000 CFA), then I went to the tailor, and now I am waiting for my outfit to be completed…I did not go down to the nearest store and lay down 50 000 CFA! Now, I can finally say that I am having clothes made only/just for me…and not at a bad price either…but again that is considering my US dollar during a US economy pre-half-the-banks-in-the-US-closing, etc…

Signed,
Person wondering about the US economy, the bailout plan, the "PALIN-McCain" ticket, …or simply ALEX

Monday, September 22, 2008

Say what… “COUPURE DE COURANT”: 9/21/08 9:21:14 PM GMT

Well, right now I am experiencing a coupure de courant, or power cut. It is not the first, nor will it be the last, but it has given me time to compose a short blog entry (which will be posted later this week, probably tomorrow). You are all probably thinking, okay so he is writing a blog entry in the dark, without power…everyone does that, everyone has the ability to see in the pitch black. Well, to answer your question (if you were thinking that), I have 70% battery power on my Mac; therefore, I am able to do so.

It was an extremely hot weekend in Dakar! Today (which will be yesterday when this is posted) and yesterday (which will be the day before yesterday when this is posted) I went to a beach in my neighborhood; it is about a 5-6 minute walk. The area the beach is in is absolutely gorgeous; the houses look like they should be on Sunset Boulevard or somewhere in Orange County. They are very plantation/colonial-like, with terra cotta shingles and plantation shutters. They are all gated (but again so is my house) and the landscaping is immaculate. I even saw a Hummer H3 drive down the street as I was walking back home! I think this ocean front property is about 3 million CFA for land…or about 1.5 million USD. Is it worth it?

When I signed up for this program, I never thought that I would be spending my weekends at the beach eating fresh mangos…I mean I really do miss studying in the science library and spending time in the Office of Admissions on Saturday mornings with my favorite people (you all know who you are)! But, back to the more important things… this beach is absolutely amazing…beautiful sand; clean, clear, blue water; and great waves to jump and ride. Someday, for those of you not able to access my infamous Facebook, will see pictures of all these places I am talking about in this blog. The only weird thing about this beach and all the beaches in Dakar is that the male-female ration is about 100:5. Why? I don’t know…and the five females that are at the beach have to go into the water with a male, so they won’t drown… J At the beach I played soccer with some locals and swam for a couple of hours. I will definitely be able to make this a part of my daily/weekly routine. However, the best part is going to be when I get back to the states… I will have a wonderful tan that I will have been working on for four months!

Now, the flip side of things…I have six hours of class tomorrow (and every day until I get back to the states).

Signing off because my first class is at 8:30am…ALEX

P.S. I had to scale a nine-foot wall Friday night because I couldn’t get into my house via the door. It is a really funny story….one that deserves its very own blog entry.

Friday, September 19, 2008

A Mother's Critique: The Response

A. The GRAMMAR mistakes have been corrected.... I think. I look forward to the corrections for this blog, seeing that I am using a FRENCH keyboard.

B. Responses to mother's questions:

What is an SIM card? --It is essentially the card that one purchases to have a cell phone number.

Does your family fast? --YES.... however, the kids do NOT fast. Kids generally do not begin to fast until they are 7-8 years old.

Are any of the other TOUBA fasting? --ONE is fasting, he has been fasting for three days. He said that it is most difficult to not be able to drink water.

Where have you been eating these yummy foods? At your family’s house? Are the foods similar to Ethiopian? Indian? Spicy, just like you like it though. Sounds tasty. Your blog is funny; your favorites all revolve around eating. --I have been eating these yummy foods with my family. I have had a couple of meals in downtown Dakar, but mostly I eat at my house. The food is similar to neither Indian nor Ethiopian; it is very spicy and consists of a lot of fish and very few vegetables. We all eat out of the same bowl, some people with their RIGHT hands, but most with spoons.

What is ACI? --Africa Consultants International

On another note....TODAY IS FRIDAY!!!! I am going to be heading home soon to eat dinner and break the fast with my family, then around ten I will be going to what we refer to as "Baobab IV".... or the local bar (There are three Baobab Centers where we take classes)! It should be a lot of fun!

Tomorrow, I am getting a traditional Senegalese outfit made for me for Korite (the festival at the end of Ramadan); I can't wait! This weekend should be pretty relaxing....maybe the beach and a run tomorrow (after hours and hours of classes this week, this will be VERY nice). For those of you that care.... the following is a more intense idea of what I am doing re: classes....

1. Wolof (75 hours)

2. Histoire d’Islam au Senegal: Xe –XXe siecles (45 hours-French): This course divides the history of Islam in Senegal into three parts: (1) La penetration de l’Islam au Senegal: Xe-XVIe siecles, (2) L’Islam face a la traite negriere et a la monarchie traditionnelle: XVIIIe-milieu du XIXe siecles, and (3) L’Islam, du milieu du XIXe- XXe siecles. The course includes visits to Islamic sites and has an “evaluation formative” & an “evaluation summative sur les pratiques de L’Islam”.

3. Dakar en Transition (60 hours-French): This course analyzes Dakar as a relatively young, new city that is going through cultural, structural, and economical changes (as the name entails). The course has a cumulative project.

4. Culture et Experience en Senegal (45 hours-French): This seminar focuses on students’ out-of-class experiences derived from their inter-relations with members of host families, grass-root communities, NGOs, ordinary people such as market vendors, maidservants, artists, writers, and other professionals. This course has a portfolio, final project, and journal assignments.

5. The Senegal River Valley (60 hours-French): This course discusses the developmental components necessary to help develop Senegal. This course is taught in St. Louis during the entire month of October.

AHHH!!!!! Take care and I will try to post picture soon!
Peace, Love, and Save the_________ (favorite animal-plural), ALEX

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Dakar, Senegal 17/9/2008 14:00:52 GMT

Today is the first day that we have had just classes (Wolof, L’Histoire d’Islam, Dakar en Transition). I had my Wolof and L’Histoire d’Islam already, and after lunch I will be going back for my last class of the day. Wolof is everyday from 9-11am, L’Histoire d’Islam is a MWF class that is from 11am-1pm, and Dakar en Transition is a MWF from 3pm-5pm. All of my classes are at the ACI Baobab Center, which is about a 10-12 minute walk from my house in Mermoz (Dakar is divided into various neighborhoods, similar to how Paris is divided into 16 Arrondissements). There are two classes that we have not had yet: (1) a seminar class that we take every TTh (begins tomorrow) and (2) our final class, which will be a development class (The Senegalese River Valley) that we will take during our one month stay in St. Louis. 

It is definitely a change to be taking classes abroad; classes are mostly in French and I feel somewhat uncomfortable about this rapid change in teaching style. The French is not bothering me too much, but the informal structure of the classes is very different than back home. I am used to a more formal teaching environment, but as I have been told numerous times I need to be flexible and understanding of my new home. I can’t wait until I have been in classes for more than a week to really reflect on the differences and the adjustments that I am making to learn, understand, and appreciate what is going on around me. I can definitely say that I am beginning to grow more as an individual (just in this first week and a half); I am extremely fortunate to have the things that I do back home.

I wanted to write a short entry about my academics in Senegal before I go and eat lunch. Take care and hopefully I will write again soon!


ALEX

Monday, September 15, 2008

CALL ME? #221.77.809.12.50

Hey everyone!

FIRST AND FOREMOST...MY CELL PHONE NUMBER IS 77.809.12.50. To dial OUT of the states you first need to dial 221 plus my number. There is NO to LITTLE cost (approx. 2-3 US cents/minute) for me to recieve calls here, so if you want feel free to call me. If you want to call me, buy a prepaid calling card in the states (everyone who has recieved calls says this works the best). Email me if you have any questions about this. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

I have discovered that paying 300 CFA (1USD=500CFA) is a good deal for an hour of internet at a cyber cafe; I will be here quite a bit (or atleast until I figure out my laptop and wireless situation).

So...on the money situation, just an FYI for all of you who are spending dollars and euros! I have spent the following in 8 days!

12,500 CFA cellphone, SIM card, 1000CFA of calling credit
7,000 CFA food (i.e. lunch for one day, granola bars, cookies, etc...)
600 CFA internet cafes (2 times)

We have been given a stipend for many of the days for transportation, food, etc....so this has helped too, but the US dollar goes pretty far here! It is so nice considering this summer was a very expensive one for me in Europe!

Since my last post, I have been to L'Ile de Goree and into the heart of downtown Dakar. L'Ile de Goree is a beautiful island off the coast of Dakar; it was the main island that facilitated West African slave trade. We visited the Maison des Esclaves (Home of the Slaves) and a Musee d'Histoire; it was very informative, but very sad as well. We were also able to lay out on the beaches and go swimming in the Atlantic Ocean! Before we headed to Goree, we had a lecture on the History of West African Slave Trade and the island of Goree.

Downtown Dakar is swarming with vendors and art markets; it is incredible, but we TOUBA (foreigners) are a magnet for the vendors. Everyone wants to give us a good price or a gift....but we have all learned to BARGAIN and just say NO! I can't wait to buy some wonderful African art for myself and everyone back home!

On another note, the FOOD is amazing here! by far my favorite dishes are Yassa Poulet and yaas Poisson, both consist of sauted onions in a delicious sauce with their respective meat. I am NOT fasting, nor do I think I could with this heat, but I respect everyone who that is not eating. It is quite an experience to see ramadan in action....but from my understanding it is quite a blow to the economy here.

We have finally wrapped up our orientation process...there are a few programs that remain (like a Gender Session), but we have begun classes. I am taking Wolof (7 days a week almost!), L'Histoire d'Islam, Dakar in Transition (a journalism course that begins Wednesday), the Senegalese River Valley (I will be taking this when we head to St. Louis for a month), and a final seminar course that is TBA. The education system here is very interesting. The University of Dakar does not actually begin classes until NOVEMBER, so I am enrolled with a program through ACI at what I have been refering to as THE BAOBAB CENTER.

Lastly, a little bit more on my host family. I live with a lot of people, essentially three generations. There is the grandmother and grandfather (the owners of the home), 2 of their 5 kids, and all of the kids of those two respective families. Family in Senegal is undefinable...everyone is family. There is this concept of TERANGA or hospitality that opens doors to everyone in a community, neighborhood, etc.

Well, I will hopefully post again soon!

Peace and love from Senegal,
ALEX

Saturday, September 13, 2008

First days in DAKAR!!!

Well, I am finally in DAKAR, SENEGAL…I made it here safely without any problems!!! My first adjustments will be getting over the heat and humidity… :)

FYI: This is going to be a lengthy blog entry…potentially covering 4-5 days of my time thus far in Dakar! You all might want to read pieces, or one day, at a time. I will try to update more regularly now that I am officially moved in with my host family and not living out of a suitcase in an apartment! I have internet access here, but it is very limited and unreliable. If any of you need to get a hold of me…E-MAIL me at AJUE10@wooster.edu, or write on my facebook wall!

I arrived on MONDAY, September 8, 2008 at 5:30am at the airport in Dakar. The flight was about 8 hours long, but there was nothing that was too unbearable. The food was incredible and it was my first time on an AIRBUS! I was seated next to a Senegalese family who had a daughter around the age of 7; they had just gotten back from a two-month visit in the states (Rhode Island) and it was an absolute pleasure sitting next to them. I was able to practice my French and, at one point, I was the translator between them and the stewardess. When we landed in Dakar only the group of people with their final destination as the city got off, the others had to remain on the plane for an hour. Dakar is the refueling stop for what is a 17-hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa (for what appeared to be for about 90% of those onboard). When we all (the other 10%) got off the plane we (Americans) were slightly shocked with the heat and humidity at 5:30am; we had just been on a freezing plane, where the blankets were not enough.

At the airport in Dakar, we gathered our bags and went through customs. Customs consisted of getting our passport stamped and having our bags rescanned (by a man who seemed to be potentially inebriated); it took about 20 minutes. We then proceeded to get onto a bus that would take us to our apartment that we were going to live in for the next two days. The eleven of us piled our luggage into a bus and headed to our apartment in Grand Dakar (S.I.C.A.P. Amitie 2).

Our apartment consisted of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining/living room, and a wonderful porch looking onto the street. It was a long first day for all of us, considering it was 1:30am in the states. There was breakfast waiting for us in the apartment when we arrived, it consisted of seven baguettes, “faux-telle”, spreads, nes-café (powdered coffee that is REALLY good), and lots of water. OBVIOUSLY WE’RE NOT FASTING! We were all so hungry that we ate so much and didn’t know what to do with ourselves when it was about 8:30am. We all sat around talked about who we were, what we study, etc….there are five people from Kalamazoo, two people from Smith, two people from Earlham, one from Swarthmore, and myself. There is also a group of four girls from Beloit who are on their program, but take classes with us…it is a Kalamazoo-Beloit collaboration.

Our day consisted of getting over jet-lag, walking around Dakar, and sitting for what seemed like weeks (really hours) for a 1pm lunch, napping, napping, and more napping. However, the highlight of my day, besides the delicious beef-like stew for lunch, was getting lost in a sandstorm/rainstorm at 7pm. Amelia (Kalamazoo), Daniel (Earlham), and myself decided that it would be a good idea to “explore” Dakar on our first day sans identification, addresses, phone numbers, etc…needless to say, we had a wonderful walk, met a wonderful women who sheltered us for about 30 minutes, and had our first set of what could potentially be “mangofly-infected clothing”…ask my mother if you want to know what that means!

Day two, TUESDAY, September 9, 2008 began with me opening our apartment door at 7:30am to let in our maid. She cleaned the apartment, brought us food, and washed our dishes from dinner! How I am going to go back to the states after having this treatment, not only for these first two days, but also with my host family for four months is unthinkable.

We began our orientation program today at the Baobab Center (the Baobab Center has helped facilitate ACI Programs, like mine, transition into living in Dakar for an extended period of time). We were given tours of a very small part of Dakar by tour guides and had an introduction to the program by discussing stereotypes and perceptions of Africa and the Senegalese people. FYI: Senegal is NOT as impoverished as I thought it would be, there is A LOT more green than one would expect, the heat is NOT unbearable…its just something that we all will get used to, people DO stare at us for being “toube” (foreigners), and little children come up and ask us for anything. We all ended our last night together with a little celebrating in the apartment (Euchre…yes mom, other games, and of course a little drinking...)

Day three, WEDNESDAY, September 10, 2008 has to be one of the HOTTEST days I have ever experienced…for those that think it sucked not to have AC in Italy (cough….cough….Jackie), imagine having the power go out about once a day…it just went for the second time today… and walking around in jeans and long sleeve t-shirts! BUT, I LOVE IT HERE and would not exchange this study abroad for anything!!!

Also, we started learning Wolof today at the Baobab Center; it is definitely not an easy language to learn, let alone learn in FRENCH! Anyways, here is a little taste of what I have learned thus far…my first set of greetings/responses:

ASALAA MAALEKUM May peace be with you (hello, greeting)

WALEKUMSALAAM And peace with you (response to above)

NANGA DEF? How are you?

MANGI FI REK. I am good.

ANA WAAKER GA? How is the family?

NUNGA FA. The family is there/good.

ALXAMDULILAY. God’s Thanks.

In addition, I have started to learn the numbers, introductions, and presentations…in only TWO HOURS! By the end of this program, I will have been in Wolof classes for about 100 hours! However, THE BEST PART ABOUT TODAY was that I am officially moved in with my host family! I live with Mme FATOU SYLLA and her family in S.I.C.A.P Mermoz with lots of young children and grandchildren! I played so many games today and talked with my little host brothers and sisters! My host family’s children were adorable and asked me to play games the entire night, until I went to sleep.

The first meal with my family was wonderful! We ate dinner at about 10pm and broke the fast at 7:30pm. Dinner was fish and rice; it was very good. We ate dinner out of the same bowl and only ate with our right hands…this is a common practice in Senegal, but more importantly in Islamic societies.

Day three, THURSDAY, September 11, 2008 was our culture session day; we went over proper eating etiquette, cultural norms and taboos, and other things that we may have already done wrong on our first night. Our cultural session started after Val (Beloit) and I walked from our homes (we our neighbors). The walk to the Baobab Center is about a 5-7 minute walk from our homes and involves walking over a highway called the VDN and past a mosque and police training station.

The cultural session’s best part was the meal that we ate. We divided into four groups of six and ate fish and rice with tomato sauce; it was delicious! We started our cultural eating session by washing our hands correctly and having all the females wrap themselves with cloth, so that they would have on long skirts. There is a proper way to do everything in an Islamic society, from eating to talking, and I love it! I ate with a woman who is an English teacher at the local high school and it was great to talk with her about her teaching and the clubs that she runs. I think that I might go and help her in an English class or with a club. After our meal, we had some of the best fruit I have ever eaten, from mangos to papayas to bananas to oranges! In addition, we had about 7 fruit-like drinks to try, my favorites were a fruit and peppermint drink and a very strong, cold ginger tea. I hope that I will get to eat more fruit at a later time…this lunch was definitely a fiber-overload, but I shouldn’t complain about it.

I am going to stop here for today…but I will pick up with more about my host family, power outages (have had one every single day), potable water, Ramadan, and more SENEGAL in the next blog!

MANGI FI REK. MAN JANGKAT LAA WAA SENEGAL!

(I am doing well. I am a student in Senegal!)

Alex

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sitting in the airport with my VIP parents

Well, it is finally Sunday, September 7, 2008, and I am sitting in Cleveland Hopkins Airport with my VIP parents. My mom and dad were granted special access into the gate area so they could see me depart on my 20 seater plane. :) My plane leaves for JFK in one hour and I am very excited to be making my first transatlantic flight to Africa! Can't wait to get to Dakar, Senegal...I will let everyone know when I arrive.

Peace from my last day in Cleveland before the snow arrives! ALEX 

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Contact Information in DAKAR, SENEGAL!

JAMA NGAAM (hello in Wolof) FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

Well, I leave in FIVE DAYS for Dakar, Senegal. I am very excited and am getting ready for what I know will be a life changing experience. I wanted to post my contact information on my blog (though many of you may already have it), but now you all will know where to find it if you need it. There will be a few ways to contact me, and I will do my best to keep you all updated via this blog and emails. I am supposed to have access to the internet at my school via WIFI, so hopefully it will all work out!

Skype: ARJ816

AIM: ARJ816

Blog Address: http://jamangaamfromsenegal.blogspot.com/

Snail Mail (1):
ALEXANDER JUE
s/c ACI Baobab Center
B.P. 5270
Dakar - Fann
SENEGAL

Snail Mail for FEDEX, DHL, and UPS (2):
ALEXANDER JUE
ACI Baobab Center
509 SICAP Baobabs
Dakar, SENEGAL
Tel: (221) 33.825.36.37

*NOTE: Letters and packages must be marked "AIR MAIL" and take 10 days to 2 weeks to arrive from the US.

EMERGENCY telephone numbers: (221) 33.825.36.37 and (221) 33.825.49.72

EMERGENCY fax number: (221) 33.824.07.41



And obviously, you can email me at AJUE10@wooster.edu or ARJ816@aol.com!

Peace, ALEX