It's Just Precious

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.” ― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2014-08-12T02:38:00.000+01:00

As the day I leave Senegal draws near, I'm feeling a host of emotions. I can't decided whether to be happy or sad about the whole ordeal. I'm going home and leaving home at the very same time.

And for those who can't see what's on my face, it's a smiley face made out of African material.

“Enjoy your youth. You'll never be younger than you are at this very moment.” ― Chad Sugg

2014-07-15T18:33:00.000+01:00

When we say we teach all ages, we really mean it. Meet the youngest of the centre: Thierno, Khalifa and Modi. You may find them playing on the centre bikes, aimlessly running about, hanging with their older siblings or learning a new English word. If you say 'Hello, how are you?', don't be surprised if you get a reply.

"A city is a place where there is no need to wait for next week to get the answer to a question, to taste the food of any country, to find new voices to listen to and familiar ones to listen to again." - Margaret Mead

2014-04-17T12:06:00.000+01:00

Selfie overload! Sorry, I promised people to get more photos of me in my blogs. overboard much.

Susanna and I left the dusty roads of Kaolack to explore the capital city. We entered the sept place (taxi) sweating due to the sweltering heat and left the sept places rapidly searching for our largest thickest jumper. Due to the beautiful oceans that you've seen in a few of my photos, Dakar is very cold, well at least it felt that way after leaving the 40 + degrees that we've grown so accustomed to.

Before I say any more, I must say well done for making it through the copious amount of photos that I've taken! I hope they make up for my absence. It has been a very long and lovely Easter.

Our Easter started with a celebration as one our Canadian friends from Kaolack celebrated their birthday. We spent the first couple of days dancing, eating and generally having a good time. We even went back to the first place we ever visited when we arrived in Senegal.

Once our friends left to go back to work, we took it upon ourselves to get lost in the city and found ourself standing in front of the main museum of Dakar, IFAN Museum of African Arts. We agreed to visit it the next day. The museum exhibited works of art from all around Africa and also had an exhibition on the top floor that focused on how much waste is produced in Senegal. If I had to compare it to London, my home town, I'd say the bottom floor was V&A and the top floor was Saatchi. V&A now becomes 'Very African' and the Saatchi becomes Senegaatchi. Okay, maybe I'm not too good at wordplay, but you understand what I'm trying to say, 10/10.

Moving onto our second week, our friends came down from Kaolack again, but for a much sadder reason. Our Canadian friend, had now finished her stay in Senegal and was returning to Quebec. It was a very sad day. We had a nice lunch with her then watched as her taxi progressively disappeared further into the distance. To get over our sadness, we all decided to dance the night away. We danced until the pain was no longer metaphorical, but in our legs and feet.

Near the end of our trip we managed to fit in a little more sightseeing. We went to Ile de Goree, a beautiful island off the coast of Senegal. As our ferry approached Goree, we were flabbergasted at how beautiful it was; colourful houses, beautiful beach and decorated stores. We took our time looking at the lovely jewellery, paintings and clothes that the island had to offer. Not a single person went home empty handed. Though that was not why we truly went there.

Goree is known for its history as a major slave-trading centre so the main place went to see was 'La Maison des Esclaves', The House of Slaves. The House of Slaves is a museum and memorial to the Atlantic slave trade on Gorée Island. It has been visited by a range of world leaders from Barack Obama to Nelson Mandela to Pope John Paul II. It really exposed us to the poor conditions slaves had to endure.

We arrived on Goree very late and we feel like we're not done with it. We'll definitely be visiting there soon.

The rest of the week was filled with loads of food, loads of coffee and loads of fun. Though we didn't actually do much, it was just what we needed. The other volunteers were finally in Dakar and it was time to hear about all the exciting things that happened at everyone's project. The days were filled with ice-cream, walking and exploring the big city. The night was filled with cooking, dancing and movies.

As a whole our trip to Dakar was exciting and somewhat eventful. Loads of nothing happened, but loads of something did also. For now, it's back to work!

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.” ― George Carlin

2014-03-16T09:20:00.000+00:00

So, I have been taking some dance lessons. It's a type of dance from South Africa using wellies! I'm not too good yet so I don't have a video me of doing anything worth watching, but I promise I will show you something in the future. The sound that the wellies make shapes the entire dance. I decided to take away the sound as the acoustics in the room we were in were horrific, plus I'd like to add a little mystery until I get something with me in it. Enjoy 'Fireflies' by Owl City instead.

"Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself." - Unknown

2014-03-14T19:54:00.000+00:00

Last week Saturday, we went away for a religious/family gathering. It was in a small village in the middle of nowhere. Susanna and I trekked off into the fields to escape into the peaceful surroundings. It was a lovely place to just sit, relax and stare into the distance. I feel like I haven't truly been able to sit and reflect while I've been in here so it was a nice change from the hubbub of Kaolack.

"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer." William S. Burroughs

2014-03-13T18:09:00.000+00:00

Our favourite weekend hangout spot in Kaolack

"Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife." Franz Schubert

2014-02-18T16:21:00.000+00:00

A Senegalese wedding is considerable longer than English one. It starts with the men going to the mosque while the women celebrate. It then goes on to loads of food and partying at the wife's house. Everyone then rushes to the groom's house to see the bride be accepted into her new family. There is a small ritual before she is hidden in a room with her head covered. There is then another party at the groom's house. In between this, both families exchange many gifts and money. All of this is done over the course of a few days with loads of food and dancing.

I must say, Master P, our host, knows how to plan a very lovely wedding . It was very exciting experience to be a part of Senegalese wedding - though, it did mean very little sleep! Our desk officer, Kate, and the other volunteers also came to visit during this weekend. 10/10

'Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.' John Harrigan

2014-02-05T16:42:00.000+00:00

Such beautiful flowers. What a shame.

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us." Ashley Montagu

2014-02-05T00:33:00.000+00:00

On 23rd of November 2013, I celebrated my birthday, which was actually the day after. The plan was to invite the other volunteers down to where I am volunteering and give them a grand tour, before hitting the club. Little did I know that my Senegalese friends had something a little more interesting in store for me. After our taxi driver mysteriously lost his way, we arrived at a small beach. A large group of people stood around a small fire. It took me only a second to realise what was going on. Something I'd always wanted! A surprise party. Not only was it a surprise party, but it was a surprise party on a beach in Africa. How could I ask for more?

The Birth of Prophet Muhammad

2014-01-15T13:07:00.001+00:00

Before I go back to telling you about all the amazing things I do in Senegal, I must apologise. I am kicking myself as I didn't want to have to be one of those people who have to apologise for not blogging in such a long time. I love it, but there is just so little time during the day. I promise it will never happen again though, I hope. A friend of mine helped me get over my shame by saying 'it's better to be too busy to write because your doing something worth writing about than have too much time to write with nothing worth reading about'. I have so much to tell you, but I won't start from where I left off, I will keep going forward with the odd flashback. I hope you've missed me.

So two nights ago, we celebrated Gamou. Gamou, the birth of Prophet Muhammad, is one of the biggest Senegalese religious festivals, where everyone comes together. They stay up until 5am, or later, celebrating, praying and eating together.

The day started with the men of the house slaughtering a sheep, while the girls chopped up all the vegetables. As cooking does in Africa, it took the whole morning and about ten females to make it. We ate the sheep in our Ceebu Yap (rice and meat), for lunch, and in our salad for dinner.

The late afternoon consisted of visiting the large mosque in Senegal. The entire area was flooded with people going to meet their friends, pray or, like us, to ogle over the beautiful lights, the numerous stalls and decorated mosque. After drinking large amounts of Nescafe that you can find people selling all around Senegal, we preceded to get on one of the numerous horses and carts that filled the dusty Senegalese roads around the mosque.

Arriving back at the house, we were greeted with our dinner. I love salad so this was a nice surprise as we don't have it often. Senegalese salad is often just lettuce, onions and loads of meat, but today we had it all. On our plate, I say our because we all eat from one plate, there was lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and of course sheep. I don't think they have ever seen someone so happy to see vegetables before.

After dinner, we were almost immediately whisked off to the real celebration. After a fifteen minute walk, we arrived at a massive gazebo where a well dressed young man chanted the famous Senegalese Muslim refrain 'La ilaha illa Allah', which translates to 'There is no God, but God'. This is where we will spend the whole night, but first, we had to say hi to all the people who live on the street. We started with our student, Khady, who's family were hosting the party. Khady, dressed in a beautiful Senegalese boubou and long black heels, greeting us with a massive hug and a kiss on each cheek. We sat with her and chatted with her aunty, who was Gambian so spoke English, before moving on to all the other houses filled with people we knew and people we didn't.

The rest of the night was sitting, listening to chants, having naps, eating the Senegalese equivalent of a doughnut, drinking strong coffee, chatting with friends and celebrating something that was very important to the people around us. That night, I fell asleep at 7am. Though, it is not the latest I have gone to bed in Senegal, but I'll get on to that one another day.

Precious x

WORLD AIDS DAY - Journée Mondiale du SIDA

2013-12-02T02:15:00.000+00:00

1st December 2013 was World AIDS Day. With loads of thought and preparation, we managed to create and exciting and informative day for the members of Diapalante, with drama, art, talks and question time.Our celebration of the day began the night before, with an introduction with the adults. They created an article in either English or French on AIDS. We picked one piece of work to be stuck around the centre on World AIDS Day for everyone to read. These two students also became Students of the Month for their hard work.

To get the kids involved I had a small morning lesson with them, where they created posters relating to the day. I motivated them with promises of sweet and their work around the centre. The kids were excited to have their posters up (and some mints), poking and prodding me until their poster had been stuck up somewhere around the centre.

The afternoon began with preparing the outside of the centre for the big drama. All the members got involved, picking up the rubbish and scraping the sand to make the ground flat. If you would like to see team work at its best, I propose watching Africans work together.

With both the centre tidy and posters stuck up, the event began. It commenced with a small speech by member and local teacher, Mr Salle. I would tell you what was said if I understood!

After Mr Salle's speech, the drums began; the play had started. The play was an exciting way to get everyone thinking about AIDS, with army members using condoms to kill the 'great SIDA'. It being the only time where it has ever been appropriate to laugh when learning about such a serious topic .

Last, but not least, was the talk and question time with specialists, only for those over the age of fifteen. Sadly, I could only understand the bare minimum due to that pesky language barrier creeping out to bite me again. The members seemed very interested though, asking loads of questions. I have never seen them so attentive!

photos by Cheikh, photographer and member of the centre, and I

"I grew up in a household where everybody lived at the top of his lungs." Frank Langella

2013-11-29T01:20:00.000+00:00

Hello, so today, I am going to take you on a little tour of my host family's house. I do not live with them, but I have breakfast lunch and dinner with them. I will take you on a tour of where I actually live, which also happens to be where I work, very soon.

Welcome to the house of the Kane Family. Come inside!

So here is our courtyard. This is probably where our spend most of the time with the family, other than when we are sitting outside, watching people walk by. The television doesn't seem to have a place as it often moves around the house.

This is what I like to call "Mama's Seat". She is not the only one who sits there, but it's best to give it to her when she's around... unless the fold out bed happens to be in the courtyard also.

Now this is the living room. We often watch the tv in the courtyard with the tv blocking the entrance of the living room. The living room is normally hot and full of mosquitoes so this is the next best thing.

This is one of the bedrooms. Who is this beautiful person in my picture?

The kitchen is this way.

Almost there now.

Welcome to the kitchen. Where all the ceebu gen is is made.

This door is on the other side of the kitchen. It's not the prettiest so I'll leave you to guess what the place it leads to looks like. It's where the wash stuff and put old things.

So I think I've shown you all I'm able to show. There are more bedrooms, but I think you get the idea. The Kane house is a lovely home, mainly because the people who are inside I've learnt to love. Judging by the amount of people that are in and out of the house every day, I think the whole community feels the same way.

I hope you enjoyed your little tour. Please come and visit again soon.

19 Nov: "perhaps the most famous singer alive." - Rolling Stones (2004)

2013-11-20T01:35:00.001+00:00

In England, you have probably not heard of Youssou N'dour, but here in Africa, that is like saying you've never heard of Beyonce. Youssou N'dour, or as Rolling Stones likes to call him, 'perhaps the most famous singer alive', is the most popular musician in Senegal. His name rolls off the tongues of the Senegalese people at least a few times a day. His style varies from traditional Senegalese music to pop, but the reason for his popularity does not stop there; Not only is he a musician, but he is a political figure. Youssou N'dour is the Minister of Tourism and Culture in Senegal.

How does man do such thing? To win awards such as Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Gammy and also be a prized political figure. It takes skill.

15 Nov: "A simple life is good with me. I don't need a whole lot. For me, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, barefoot on a beach and I'm happy." Yanni

2013-11-16T03:21:00.001+00:00

When we first same to Senegal, we used to spend our days with the trainees at the local school. They live all around Senegal and worked on a summer project that leaves them with a new qualification. Now, they're all gone and all we have are the pictures, videos and memories they left with us. They welcomed us to Senegal like we were long lost friends. It's a shame they won't all be in Kaolack to see us make it to the very end. The pictures are of the day they took us to the salt beach in Kaolack.

14 Nov: "If I were a boy... Even just for a day" - Beyonce Knowles

2013-11-15T05:41:00.001+00:00

Couscous and milk. Susanna and I can't get enough.

Going for a new look today.

Nice figure for three kids.

Two 'brothers'

The pattern on my boubou

Maguette

Taking long to decide on an outfit the like a true girl

Mountaga our host brother

with the guys

What we earned for the night - biscuits, rice, couscous and some money.

Maguette looking like a girl again

"Are you excited for Tamkharit?" I ask, receiving a shrug and and a mumble. I'm immediately sad. Tamkharit is meant to be the Senegalese equivalent of Halloween, but everyone is so calm in the morning with little mention of the night that I begin to think it may just be like any other day. Well, I was wrong. I was very wrong.

Arriving at the house for dinner, I'm given my favourite Senegalese dish, couscous and milk. Although we have it often, every bite is like the first, the day I fell in love with this simple yet scrumptious meal.

My friend Maguette arrives with her sister. I almost don't recognize her in her Tamakharit costume, which is to dress up as the opposite sex. Everyone screams and shouts. When I finally look away, Master P is leaving his room in a floral dress that looks almost too good on him. The screaming and shouting gets louder. Now it's my turn.

I run away looking through the amazing selection of men's boubou's in Mountaga's bedroom. Fatou Ba hands me a blue boubou and immediately regrets it when she realises how beautiful it is. I put it on anyway.

When all the girls in the house are ready, we walk out. Fatou Ba gets an idea, pulls us to the side and slaps us with grey powder used for cooking. Looking like 'true Senegalese men', we walk out, presenting our masculine selves to the family and friends. I'm gifted with "c'est tres jolie", "It's nice" and 'rafet nga' before been whisked into the night, out into the street, to collect our treats of rice, biscuits, couscous and money.

12 Nov: "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six." Yogi Berra

2013-11-13T04:02:00.000+00:00

Drinks at Blue Bar, our first trip to a fast food restaurant in Senegal

Margarita pizza at Blue Bar

EDK, our second trip to a fast food restaurant

Chips and a wrap with loads of chips and meat in it.... I asked for a veggie! The tomatoes make it veggie right?

Our pizza to celebrate our special day. We chose to celebrate it at EDK.

Who are you smiling at?

As the Senegalese believe in loads of sugar, loads of oil, loads of salt, loads of everything in everything, you can only imagine what the junk food is like here. A simple burger usually has a burger, chips, cheese, egg, fried onions, loads of sauce and probably more meat in it – think of a McDonald’s breakfast muffin with extra everything.

Although I enjoy healthy eating (which I have been forced abandon in Senegal), I find myself spending my weekends at the local fast food restaurant stuffing my face with food that could probably feed a family of ten. No, it is not gluttony, but the large portions combined with it being rude to not finish a meal in Senegal.

Today, I have an excuse as to why I’m on a motorbike-taxi on my way to one of the local fast food restaurants after dinner. Today is ‘National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day’. Yes, this is a real day.

As my partner and I stare at the menu we discuss the ‘viande hachée’, which we think is 'minced meat', but decide to go for ‘Reine’, mistaking it for ‘king’ when it is actually ’queen’. Excited, we wait for what we expect to be some sort of meat feast, but receive what appears to be a margarita with olives. My partner hates olives. Great.

Despite the misunderstanding, and having to pick the olives and put them on my side of the pizza, we both thought the pizza was delicious. Since it was just my partner and I, something that rarely every happens, It came with a chance to relax, chat and laugh the way the English do. A small reward for our 10 hour shifts and very little sleep.

11 Nov: "Live like it's heaven on earth'

2013-11-12T03:45:00.001+00:00

To live in Senegal is to sing and dance every day. Every moment is a new opportunity to get up and start dancing. I hope this video will help you understand what exactly I mean.

Post by Precious Adesina.

10 Nov: "As kids, our experiences shape our opinions of ourselves and the world around us, and that's who we become as adults." - Chris Hemsworth

2013-11-11T02:03:00.000+00:00

My exciting lesson on shapes.

A star

because it decorates the night sky.

A square

because every side of me equally makes up who I am.

A moon

because it’s the sun of every evening.

A triangle

because there’s three sides to every story.

A circle

because I wish some moments were never ending.

A rectangle

because it’s those tediously long days that make great days seem so short.

An oval

because it’s the smooth rock you take home from the beach on a summer afternoon.

How did I become the person I am today? Isn’t it weird to think that every moment in your life, every person you have ever spoken to, every place you have been to, every book you have ever read, every friend you have ever made, has shaped you into the person you are in one way or another. You wouldn't be exactly the same person who were today if you had decided to stay home that one day or if you had decided to go out that other day.

What about the other way around? What sort of dent to you leave in the lives of the people you meet each day? As I think of all the eager students I have before me each day, I can't help, but wonder who I will be to them. Will I be the girl who taught them a bit of English many years ago or will I be something more? Something special.

5 Nov: DANCE v. 'move rhythmically to music' - Oxford Dictionaries

2013-11-06T02:29:00.000+00:00

Families watching the drummers perform

The lovely Maguette invited us to an exciting drumming session next to her house. Many locals gathered around to watch the array of drummers perform to the best of their ability. Before we knew it, people were jumping up to flaunt their dancing skills to the crowd. How I ended up being one of then, I do not know.

4 Nov: “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” ― Phil Collins

2013-11-04T19:24:00.000+00:00

Post by Precious Adesina.

The best thing about teaching is the victory you feel when a student truly understands what you have taught. We're not even two months in, but I am happy with how fast our students are learning. Being an English teacher in Africa forces you to learn many things: patience, perseverance and that you really need to have a passion for this sort of thing.

In the video, Papa Ndene is practising some of what I have taught him. It isn't long as he was quite nervous due to a few older students watching me record him.

3 Nov: Your World by Georgia Douglas Johnson

2013-11-04T01:35:00.002+00:00

Your world is as big as you make it.

I know, for I used to abide

In the narrowest nest in a corner,

My wings pressing close to my side.

But I sighted the distant horizon

Where the skyline encircled the sea

And I throbbed with a burning desire

To travel this immensity.

I battered the cordons around me

And cradled my wings on the breeze,

Then soared to the uttermost reaches

With rapture, with power, with ease!

2 Nov: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

2013-11-03T00:23:00.000+00:00

As I look at my opponent, I see a glint in her eye from the African sun. She pushes back her gold mane before presenting her deadly claws. She is ready to attack. Like a lion, she pounces towards me and like a tiger, I pounce back. I can just about hear the crowd screaming my African name under the voice in my head repeating 'You have to win. You have to win.' It causes my angry glare to transform into an awkward smirk. But no, I smiled too soon; the crowd's roars were slowly transforming from the beautiful 'Ramatoulaye' to the repugnant 'Aisatou'.

'No', I growl, shaking my head at the crowd.

Now, I have to do this. I have to win. To lose would be to give in. To lose would be to admit that she is the dominant one. To lose would be to say that she is leader of the jungle. But we all know that is not true. This is my territory.

1 Nov: Pinch Punch First of the Month

2013-11-02T10:21:00.000+00:00

The watermelons in Senegal are larger, juicer and sweeter than the ones in England.

So November is the National Blog Posting Month. Who knows what that means? Yes, it means I will attempting to make a blog every day of the month. I couldn't be more excited. I'm sure you're also excited to have 30 days of non stop blog posting from yours truly.

As watermelons are in season, and soon juicy mangoes, I couldn't be happier at the moment. My love for fruit will be fed during this season. I'm sure the family members have realised how much I love Senegal's mouth watering watermelons as I always make sure to consume every last sweet drop of the stuff when we have it after dinner. To them it's just a watermelon, to me it's a piece of heaven. My saving grace when things get tough.

"The language of friendship is not words but meanings." Henry David Thoreau

2013-10-29T01:38:00.002+00:00

Fatou Ba, my Senegalese Sister.

When I came across this quote, I had to use it in a blog post. It is probably the most appropriate quote to represent my Gap Year. Fatou Ba's English is small and my French is absolutely horrendous, but somehow we manage to meet in the middle. To some, it may seem difficult or tedious that a five minute conversation may take us half an hour, however, to me, it adds a new dynamic to our relationship. We are able to gossip, laugh and joke without actually understanding the words that are being spoken. It is teaching me something very valuable about friendship: friendship is not about what you say to each other nor about having "so much in common", but about the special bond you share, one that is irreplaceable.

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." - Victor Hugo

2013-10-26T20:47:00.000+01:00

A pirouge, used as traditional fishing boats in West Africa.

This boy used a bottle to catch fish for his Ceebu Jen.

The beautiful tree in Foundiougne.

Susanna and I with out new french buddies.

The family we stayed with.

As I brush my toes against the water and let the waves crash again my feet to cool myself down from the sweltering heat, I find myself thinking about the wonders of life. Two months ago, I was strolling across Embankment, forgetting to take in the view, as people who are brought up in London do. I forgot to wave goodbye the my bestfriend, Big Ben. I forgot to watch the London Eye do it's final rotation for the day. I generally just forgot to absorb all that London has to offer. Now, I watch the goats drag their feet along the dusty roads as the extravagantly dressed ladies sit idly by their stands filled to the brim with watermelons, bananas, lemons, nuts. They smile as you walk by as if to say "I've been waiting for you all day", making you feel guilty for being too full to have a watermelon today.

As much as I love where I am volunteering in Senegal, getting away was a blessing. To not have to think about all the work that had to be done for a day was liberating, especially when getting away was to the 'joli' Foundiougne. As I arrived on what looked like a boat dragging along some sort of hovercraft, I watched the people play along the beach. I was excited. We were welcomed by the Jeremy, who had come from France to Senegal for 4 months to volunteer with his association, and spent the evening playing in the water then drying off at his friends house before getting ready for the next day. A day full of exploring Foundiougne and absorbing the heat on a pirouge.