Finding Awe in New Surroundings

So many moments silently gazing into the distance wondering if this is real life...

I’ve already lived in Senegal for a month. That is even hard for me to believe! Every day I have seen something, big or small, - a sunrise, a picturesque landscape, a baobab tree - that has made me pause and look for a moment before I continue on with whatever it is that I am doing. Intermixed with my days working alongside the pediatric psycho-oncology team observing post-diagnosis announcement interviews, listening in on grief support phone calls, hosting impromptu play groups, and assisting with alternative therapy activities, I have taken dedicated time to explore, visit sites, and try new things. Below, in chronological order and with pictures, I explain a bit of what I have gotten up to on my days on during my days off.

Musée Des Civilizations Noires

This was my first excursion, besides walking to my hospital and the grocery store from my hotel with the owner so that I'd know the way, in Senegal. I got verbal directions on how to take a public bus to a train station to the museum and back, which sounds a lot less intimidating, confusing, and stressful than it was in real-time. But, after accomplishing it more or less successfully (only getting on the wrong bus home for about 20 minutes before realizing my mistaking and rerouting) it felt a lot less daunting and I have actually made this same journey a few times now.

Not one who usually gravitates toward natural history exhibits, I found myself surprisingly captivated by the middle display on the evolution of homo sapiens, bone structures, and where various skulls and skeletons were found throughout Africa. I spent about half of my time in the museum just being entirely engulfed by this knowledge and the opportunity to see bone structures that I have read about before sitting just inches away from me.

There were also really fantastic and mesmerizing art exhibits on the second floor of the museum which kept me occupied for about another three hours. I read every plaque, looked at every piece, and watched every video display from start to finish.

Plus, on the train ride home, without having to say more than 10 words, I was offered a teaching job here in Senegal. I'm not sure what I would be teaching, but the man offering me the job seemed very enthused by the possibility and had me write down the school's Facebook page info so I could learn more about it. Unfortunately for him, I decided to stay with my original plan of working at the hospital, haha! :)

Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories, IFAN Art Gallery, Leopold Sedar Senghor French Institute

By the time the weekend rolled around, 2 days later, I was already ready to make the bus/train journey again to explore more sites I missed out on during my first trip. I started by visiting a lavish Cathedral.

If I am honest, before my mass attendance in New Zealand, I don't remember the last time I participated in a religious gathering. I say this to indicate that it has been a while since I have been inside a church. However, I attended Catholic school through third grade and spent my fair share of time in mass as a child, and am used to seeing art portraying religious scenes and figures. And, yet, I was hit with the realization, as I admired the design in this cathedral, that this was the first time I saw artworks of this type where all of the characters were black. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I became accustomed to seeing most, if not all, of the saints and high holy figures depicted in paintings, sculptures, and stained glass as white since that is how they appeared in the churches that I went to and in more public spaces where these works are displayed.

After visiting the Cathedral, and having to decline giving out my Senegalese phone number to a man who proposed marriage to me on the spot, I visited another art gallery. This one featured many artisinal works from all around Africa.

I had to go through that museum fairly quickly because I had made plans to see a movie being played at the French Cultural Institute. I made it just in time to buy my ticket and watch the brief movie La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil.

Pink Lake, Gorée Island, African Renaissance Monument, and Mosque of the Divinity

The next weekend, I booked a guide to take me around and show me some of the "must-see" sights! He came highly recommended by a friend of a friend who visited Senegal and then ended up moving here a few years ago. We started the day by heading to see the Pink Lake, which is now a misnomer and is no longer pink due to climate change and human involvement in terms of farming practices and the redirection of water.

Then, we went to Gorée Island.

This was several weeks ago now, but this is still the favorite thing that I have done during my time here, and likely not for the reasons expected. You can read a bit more about the history of the island here, but briefly, from the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast. The landscape comes alive with brightly colored buildings, the sound of crashing waves, vibrant music, and flourishing flora and fauna. But, Gorée Island is also an everlasting monument and reminder of horrifying tragedy, suffering, and pain that reverberates throughout history and today.

Throughout college, as a French major, I studied often the history of the slave trade, colonialism, and its impacts on Francophone African and Caribbean countries today. I cannot count the number of texts, books, videos, films, and photos I have seen or read that have described or depicted La Maison des Esclaves (The House of Slaves). Seeing it in person, stopped me in my tracks. I stood in front of the "point of no return", a cutout at the back of the house that met dark hallways from the slaveholding cells and which opened up to a wide-open ocean. Reading about this doorway and even seeing it in documentaries could not compare to standing in the frame and feeling the wind from the sea hit my face.

We toured the rest of the island, stopping and looking at several other memorial sculptures placed around, before making our way back to Dakar.

Before going back home, we visited the Mosque of the Divinity and the African Renaissance Monument to complete the day.

Lompoul Desert

After a long week at work, I had plans to have an entire weekend away. But the guide had some car troubles, meaning that plans had to change. We ended up leaving early Saturday evening and making a 3-hour drive to Lompoul Desert for a quick overnight trip. Upon arrival, we had a fantastic dinner before gathering around a fire and enjoying a drumming and dancing party.

I wrapped up the evening by heading to my yurt for the evening and listening to the sound of the ocean in the distance and birds and bugs in the forest and desert as I drifted off to sleep. I woke up early to watch the sunrise and even found a perfect spot to capture it - lounging in a hammock!

After having breakfast and a lovely conversation with a number of the other guests, we explored the dunes and greeted some camels. We stayed at the camp for several more hours just relaxing and soaking up the sun. It was a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. On the drive home, we stopped at a bustling vegetable market and chatted about all things Senegalese culture, politics, and customs.

Pottery Class, Plage Des Mamelles, Djembe Lesson, Ngor Island

Last Saturday, I really tried to push myself out of my comfort zone. I recently finished writing my second quarter report for the Watson Foundation and I expressed wanting to do more small activities in the communities I am staying, even if it means overcoming some hassles (like taking a few taxis) to do so. I did that this weekend. My day began by hailing a taxi to bring me to a pottery class that I signed up for earlier in the week. I sat at the "beginners" table and was able to commiserate with the other 5 newcomers there. We also all share in the delight of sipping on yummy coffee drinks while getting our hands dirty making our clay sculptures. The class was 2 hours long and gave us the chance to make one piece by hand and another on the pottery wheel. If the timing works out, I will definitely sign up for another course. And, I will have some pottery pieces to gift! I will also definitely be going back to glaze my pieces, and at the very least, appreciate the positive vibes and cute aesthetic of the studio.

After my class, I had a bit of time to burn, so I walked about 10 minutes to the beach and soaked up some rays, got splashed a bit, and felt a lot of peace and calm.

Then, I was off again to catch another taxi to go to a private djembe lesson. This was also 2 hours long and I learned some of the basics of Senegalese djembe drumming! Am I a pro at this? Absolutely not! I am far from a natural and frankly I would say that I was pretty far from good too. And, usually, that would upset me a lot, stop me from having signed up in the first place (knowing my lack of rhythm would probably be a big hindrance in this case), and cause a great deal of self-consciousness. But, I embraced it. I left myself open to the challenge and the failures. I laughed off mistakes and took feedback as the instruction that it was meant to be rather than as a criticism.

And, I had fun. Even though I was not the best and was actively not good at this new thing. It was still a new experience and a unique one at that. Which was exciting and cool!

Then, on Sunday, I had the chance to meet up with another Watson Fellow who happens to be in Dakar right now too! We spent the day on Ngor Island, chatting about our experiences over the past six months, our joys, our challenges, and what is yet to come.

This Weekend

This weekend, I have another trip planned! I am really trying to make the most of every weekend that I have and take every opportunity to explore Senegal during my time. It also gives me a nice way to step back from work, disconnect, and recharge a bit before another week. So, this weekend, I have an overnight trip planned that involves heading to Bandia Animal Reserve, a visit of Somone reserve with a boat trip, watching the Mbour fishermen arrivals, stopping at Shells island, and seeing the largest baobab tree in Senegal. You will have to check out my Instagram (@mollyg.photography) to see pictures and updates from this adventure!