As I am having some Senegal withdrawal, I started reminiscing on my last trip there. And here are some of my favorite memories.
1. The Senegalese lady who works in the supermarket aka “marché toubab” where I used to go get my sandwiches for lunch during my semester in Senegal. During my return to Senegal, after visiting the people in the school I attended, I decided to go and get a sandwich from the place. Surprisingly, she immediately recognized me the moment I took my sandwich to her so she could add some mustard to it (a usual habit I had). She took the sandwich from me and her face lightened up and she started screaming “Oh my God! It’s the American! She’s back! She’s back!” Within a few seconds, she was running around the counter to hug me and everyone in the supermarket had stopped to look at us. Being remembered by someone I barely conversed with apart from usual greetings made my day, especially after not seeing her for 14 months. She asked me to take pictures with her and to mail them to her..
2. The shoemaking baye fall whom I saw only twice during my semester in Senegal. When I returned to Senegal, I wanted to get some more African print shoes made. But I got lost looking for him, so I finally gave up after walking around the neighborhood for about 2 hours. I ended up finding him as I was heading back home and he, too, surprisingly remembered me. “You’re that American student!” he said. As I stood in the sun, trying to pick out the fabrics of the shoes I wanted, he insisted on me sitting in the shade. “No, it’s okay” I replied “Trust me, I need some sun. I’m going back to the cold in a few days so I’ll absorb all the sun I can right now.”
In order to ease my withdrawal and prevent myself from buying a plane ticket to Senegal, I also thought about the strong links between my own Haitian culture and my adopted Senegalese culture. This beautiful comparison picture is one of them: the art of public transportation!
Internationally Yours in Africa 