The Adventures of Rassoul and Babacar

One of the most rewarding, dynamic and challenging aspect of my experience here in Senegal has been living with my beautiful homestay family. Here's a short video my little brothers Rassoul and Babacar helped me put together!

The days flash by like seconds on a clock. The world constantly spinning round, like that little second hand. It makes me dizzy to think about. Today felt like any other day, but maybe thats what made it special... Everyday is special. The small moments admits a sea of movement make the days stand out. The few minutes I had to talk with my host Dad about his recent trip to South Africa, the smell of my host Mom's cooking, and coming home to a room filled with curious children, all made my day unique. The small moments when put together, like pieces in the puzzle of life, form a beautiful picture. 

Coming back to my homestay after my afternoon class and run on the beach, I see the friendly smiles of my host family accompanied by their greetings. After I've said hello to everyone, I'm followed by a small flock of children as I enter my room. Snatching a few toys, they entertain themselves scurrying around like squirrels in the forest. When they see me start writing, Babacar grabbes a comic book and all the other little ones gathere around to see each turn of the page. Its quiet for a moment, something that doesn't happen very often, I can take a deep breath and listen... 

A Saturday Well Spent

I left the house first, followed shortly after by little Babacar who stealthily evaded Rassoul so as to not upset him on our departure. We gathered at Sebastian's homestay before setting out for the island of Ngor. After a short ride we left the nearly empty bus at the end of its rout and wandered our way through crooked streets until we came to the coast. After paying our fare, we piled into a ferry that took us across the small gap separating the island from the mainland.

Tossing and turning, the boat plowed through the waves, spraying us with blasts of salty froth. After jumping off the boat and sloshing to shore, my pants were soaked all the way up to my thighs. The island was filled with beautiful houses and fancy looking hotels. We stood by the water, atop the rocks and cliffs to watched the ceaseless waves roll in from the deep. The wind swept across the island as the sea churned and roiled below the gnarled and weathered rocks.

Sine-Saloum Delta