Blog Entry 2

I’ve been in Thiés, Senegal for almost a week now and I must admit that I’m loving this country. Since making lists is therapeutic for me, as weird as it sounds, I’m going to list the things I’ve observed and experienced this week that are making me fall in love with this country ‘ndank ndank’ (little by little).

  1. Sunsets are incredibly beautiful from here, and I’m so happy I’ll get to experience them for 7 months 🙂

  2. There’s so much music and dancing around and after receiving a short course on dancing one of these days, I can’t wait to get my hands on dancing again.

  3. People are incredibly nice here. As long as you remember to greet the locals with ‘Asaalam Maalekum’ and a ‘na nga def?’ they will always be there for you with a huge smile on their faces. Senegal is said to be the country of teranga which means hospitality in the local language, Wolof. So far, I haven’t been let down by that, as I’ve been received with open arms and smiles everywhere I turn.

  4. The urban scene in Senegal can be quite overwhelming, but beautiful at the same time. Motorcycles will pass right by you without you having enough time to react much. Cars will just honk to ask for permission to pass as there are no street signs or traffic lights, and people will just stare at you because you’re foreign. It is indeed an experience, especially when you look as lost and confused as I was.

  5. Food is great, especially when you eat it from the same bowl as your family and with your hands. Even though I haven’t arrived to my host family yet, my host mom and host sister came to where I’m staying as a surprise and we had a chance to have a meal together the Senegalese style. We ate the country’s traditional dish which consists of rice, fish and some vegetables; and it is served in the same bowl for everyone and eaten with your hands. I made a total mess of myself and spilled rice all over the floor. My host mother was very understanding and helped me by teaching me how to roll the rice properly and then put it in my mouth. I hope I can master this at the end of my 7 months.

Isabel Munoz Beaulieu

About Isabel Munoz Beaulieu

Isabel is passionate about art, dance, philosophy, and culture. She is a UWC student involved in multiple activities including an NGO in high-school named Saving Future Generations which creates student-led projects in developing countries. She also took part in the organizing team of TEDxUWCRCN and also she was part of a voluntary group which helped people with disabilities to involve themselves in nature and outdoor activities. Isabel is also very keen on MUNs as a delegate and chair and hopes to continue this in the future. Her goals for the year are to learn from Indian culture and language, and also to develop new skills and ideas that will help her grow and develop as a person.