Creature of habit

I am loving all the new friends and new experiences in Senegal. But I am someone who likes a little structure, so I’ve started some new routines here on the other side of the ocean.

I wake up when the sun peeks through the gap between the hotel curtains.

I shower, then wash yesterday's dirty clothes in the sink and hang them up to dry. Each morning, I also filter my water for the day and then head out to breakfast.

Out for the day, it’s important to respect the culture of modesty here. We are guests and representatives of the US State Department, practicing citizen diplomacy by our behavior. My typical outfit is a long skirt, tank and cardigan. Sometimes I cover my hair -- the wind from the Atlantic Ocean and from the Sahara Desert can really mess with a good hair day!

In Senegal, lunch is the main meal of the day and usually a traditional Senegalese dish. Yesterday I had "yassa poulet," a chicken dish served with white rice and slow cooked onions -- what the French call "sauce mignonnette." It's one of my favorite things to eat here.

This week we have been traveling around Dakar by chartered mini-bus to see the sights and to visit several local schools. It has been wonderful meeting teachers and professors here, but I have learned the most from meeting students. There will be another post about our school visits soon!

Les Hirondelles is a private elementary school with grades Pre-K3 to 5th.

We end the day with a lighter meal and long discussions about all we are learning and planning to take back to our American schools.

What questions do you have for me? What posts would you like to see next?