Street Vending and Tea

Saturday, August 4, 2006

So I have a new buddy. He is a street vendor that I pass everyday going and leaving the hospital. Typically everything he sells, from fruits, snacks, to drinks, are overpriced…typically by 50 CFA or 10 cents…basically a lot of money. I told him awhile back that I refused to pay 350 CFA for his .5 little Cokes when I could go to any other boutique and buy it for 300 CFA. You gotta be a bargain hunter. I won the battle.

Anytime I pass, whether I’m buying anything or not, I always ask what’s up. Well, this week, I was invited to sit down and have tea with my street vendor buddy and a few other folks. Tea in Senegal is far different from that in the States and is also a time for conversation. I ended up sitting there for nearly two hours hanging out. It was awesome. I was told that I needed a Senegalese girlfriend if not 4 or 5 (which might be cool in some sort of fantasy don’t get me wrong), but they just didn’t understand my preference for American girls. Also, during out conversation we discussed a lot about the United States. People are always curious. It is always cool to hear what people’s perceptions are and how often times they are very flawed…I am always amazed.

Throughout the tea time, I opened my Wolof notebook for the first time in two and a half months. What was great was that they were so nice, understanding, and willing to help me with my Wolof. Learning a language for me has never been easy for me, so being in a positive situation to learn it is great. Also, learning Wolof on the streets of Dakar is far better than in a classroom setting. This is like the wild wild west, people don’t always talk as it is written in a text book.

Needless to say, I’ve stopped back by to hang out with my new friends a few times this week. I feel that this is a step in the right direction not only for my language learning but also in feeling more comfortable in the city I live in. I have even done some selling of some goods.

It is weird, but because I stand out here, people typically remember who I am. I feel bad because I am terrible with names, especially Senegalese ones, and here I am bad about recognizing people that I have met (even briefly), but I have learned how to play that off. It is crazy though now because I will be in the area surrounding the hospital and people will be calling me by my name or even stop me on the street. It is really kinda cool.

Things are starting to come together…Inchallah!