Mangi Nii (Here I am)

Wolof Lesson:
Greeting: Salaamalekum! Nanga def? Ana waa ker ga?
Greetings are so important in Senegal that if you neglect greeting the store clerk and asking about her family, she very well might not do anything for you. Luckily, I learned that in our cultural awareness class today, and not at the store.

So, salaamalekum! Nanga def? Ana waa ker ga?

Now, I can tell you that I made it safely to Senegal, at about 0630 local time yesterday morning. African wildlife, women with impossibly large burdens on their head, horse-drawn cart, I have seen it all! (Okay, okay, so a four inch long snail may not really count as wildlife....) Suffolk University, in Boston, has a campus in Dakar which is our home for the first week of orientation. Here, with the Atlantic in view, the 18 of us American students are getting used to everything; each other, the time zone, the food, the language, etc. It is really exciting to finally be here!!! I already feel my rusty French skills being challenged and refined, as well as my digestive skills. Interpret freely.

This message is brought to you by the grace of my friend's laptop, as I have yet to master the internet cafes and French keyboard. Once settled in to my host family (next week), I will be able to have a more regular schedule, I think. Now, some poor Senegalese restaurant will have to figure out what to do with 18 toubabs. Wish me luck ordering!