We went to the fabric market for cloth and henna!

The beautiful ocean

So we've stumbled on a little bit of paradise!

Senegalese dresses!

Yesterday we all went to the market to buy fabric for dresses. We went to a market that sells fabric exclusively. There were so many different stalls that it seemed like we were walking through a big ol' rainbow. My favorite part was walking through the ribbon section of the market. The whole pathway was hung with different ribbons that fluttered around your shoulders as you walked.

After buying the fabric we went to a tailor who took down our measurements for dresses. After choosing the style and length we were all done and only had to wait. He promised that they would all be done tomorrow, so when they are I will post pictures!

Dinner in St. Louis

Our hotel in St. Louis

Driving to St. Louis

Today we got up early and got on a bus to go to St. Louis. Even though I brought books to read for the four hour drive, I was so intrigued by what was going on outside my window that I didn't open a single one! The landscape was beautiful and it was interesting to see all of the different villages. Many of the houses near the road were cute little constructions made of grass. They were all enclosed in fenced in areas. One thing that was quite striking was the fact that there were tons of little goats running around by the road. It was explained to me that during the dry season the goats are left to roam free amd they come home every couple days for food. In any case, they were the cutest little goats I ever set eyes on.

This is our little classroom where we meet each morning from 9-12. With 6 people in the class, there ends up being time for lots of different discussions. Each day, for the second half of class, we present news paper articles about topics covered in class such as health, politics, religion and education. This is my personal favorite part of class since the resulting discussions are so interesting!

Traditional Senegalese music!

I have just been able to use my ipod on the internet here, which is a little more difficult than regular typing so I'm going to post mostly pictures.

My house!

A senegalese meal!

Our professor and me at orientation today.

A lovely mango for breakfast!

I was looking up the food in Senegal and feeling very hungry! It looks excellent. Since I am a food lover, I'm excited to try it all! Maybe I'll be able to learn how to cook some of it for my family and friends back here in Geneseo.

My Moleskin Journal Ready to be Used

I am beginning to get excited about the trip!  Yesterday I dragged out a pair of binoculars to bring and set them out ready for me to pack. Then I got on Amazon and searched for bird field-guides to Senegal.  There were quite a few different ones that looked quite nice that were for West Africa, but I finally settled on this one because it is specifically for the birds of Gambia and Senegal.  I am excited to see birds that are different from the ones here!

Bird Field Guide that I Just Ordered

I also dragged out my old moleskin journal for drawings.  Only a few of the pages are used up so far, but I hope to make some more drawings while I'm in Senegal.  The last time I used it, I was drawing in pen and became frustrated because it took so long to shade and get the effects you want.  Maybe I'll use pen again, but I won't worry so much about finishing the drawings so that I can make more.

Everything seems to finally be falling into place. Classes are wrapping up and I can almost feel the Senegalese sunshine on my head. Six more weeks. We're almost there.

I've flown across the ocean before, but this is the farthest away I will have ever been. It's funny when you look at a globe and realize just how far you go on a transcontinental flight. Your destination looks so small and far away on a map until you get there and see how huge it really is. Four-thousand miles from Piffard to Senegal. Here I come.

Senegal