Growing up in my house, the “No Whining” injunction existed in perpetuity. The enforcement was so strict that the notion to whine never even entered into our consciousness when injustice or disappointment came around. My mother and father can correct me if I am wrong, but I was more likely to sigh and move on, rather than attempt some ill-fated complaint directed at unconcerned ears.
So with that said, I swear to God I’m not going to whine in this post. At least I don’t want to. I’ll rely on you to tell me how successful this endeavor pans out at the end.
Welcome to La Pointe. One of the most touristed places in Dakar.
My life in Senegal. It’s feast or famine here, and that’s what I am learning and re-learning day after day. September marked the month where I finally began my university classes- alxamdoulilay (thank god). I know you are all waiting for me to start reporting on my new student life, and it is certainly filled with observational fodder that I can crack on here in this blog. That time will come.
For now I will just say that things got busy in a really big hurry. When even my ability to sit down and write a quick blog entry is negatively impacted, you know that my down time has been dramatically curtailed. As a feeble defense mechanism I am currently safeguarding my off time so that I may recharge my batteries without being disturbed by anyone. A-N-Y-O-N-E. This in itself is becoming a challenge.
I was born a curmudgeon, and when I call my Dad to lament my lack of solitude he laughs and responds knowingly to my misanthropic leanings by announcing that I will be a perfect lighthouse keeper when I retire from the Navy.
I think he is right.
So while I feel as though I am being stretched to the limit with a number of competing obligations and culturally-enriching experiences, I must also remember that I am here on a “good deal”. This scholarship is fantastic, and indeed I have been wanting to do it for a solid ten years. At last I am living my dream, but that dream doesn’t come without obligations. Such a prestigious selection (thank you, General Olmsted!) necessitates that I devote an un-Meganly high amount of waking hours to acting the part of a politician: pressing the flesh, saying “hello” to everyone I encounter (note: I never do this in the States), and even being social to some extent.
On Gorée Island. The most touristed place in Dakar. See if you can guess why I am posting these photographs.
So either I have been really busy, or there has been absolutely nothing going on over the past nine months. I can assure you that there will now be a permanent list towards the “feast” side- straight on to 2012. I have seen my academic plan over the next two years, and it is quite chargé. At a minimum, I am going to strive to faithfully write and and in doing so hide in my air-conditioned house, all by myself. That way I can have my cake and eat it too. I do, after all, love my classes and my classmates- but I also love my peace and quiet.
I guess that’s all I’m trying to say.
Can I also add that I miss my family? They’re the only ones where I can enjoy a symbiotic relationship where we tell one another to stop yammering via the most direct methods (we see you, Myriah). How I miss the evil I know, where all forms of politesse are out the window and I can’t get away with posts like this one.