WAIST 2008: Dakar, Senegal

Kaolack's part in the annual West African Invitational Softball Tournament ended today. We played some awesome games - our team was really good! - but didn't quite make the finals. I did my part by cheering from the sidelines, wearing my bright red Kaolack team tee-shirt and yelling myself hoarse. Our region chose "toxic waist" as our theme; this is something of an inside joke, considering the volume of waste and general nastiness of Kaolack city itself, affectionately referred to as "the cesspool". So, the past two days have been full of softball, interspersed with frequent trips to the snack bar for (pork!) hot dogs, fries, baked treats, burgers, and other American deliciousness. One thing we Peace Corps Volunteers tend to do, whenever possible, is pig out on good food. Anything but ceeb u jen! Additionally, we had space to spread out, root for our favorite teams, relax, splash in the delightfully chilly swimming pool, and socialize. WAIST is an attraction for Volunteers from all over West Africa. I've met people serving in Mali, Benin, The Gambia, Guinea, and Mauritania. Plus, several groups of ex-pats, American and otherwise, who live here in Dakar. These people have been extremely generous to us. They've opened their homes to the Volunteers, so we all have places to stay, not to mention organizing all the games and events! It's really been a fantastic week-end. Dakar, it must be said, is not Senegal. Just like Paris is not France, and New York City is not the USA; Dakar is similar in that it stands alone, practically a country unto itself. Here are restaurants of every ethnicity, florist shops, clothing boutiques catering to every taste, shiny new cars, street lamps, trash cans, parks - all mostly unheard-of elsewhere in Senegal. Certainly a far cry from my quiet world several kilometers to the South, where people still go to the well every day for water, grow peanuts for a living, and there is no electricity. Dakar is dynamic; new buildings are going up everywhere, and the population is very cosmopolitan, with people of all walks of life and different heritages. Still, one is occasionally reminded that this is a developing country. Now and then, the smoothly paved roads give way to dirt. Horse charrettes can be seen trotting alongside sports cars, and street vendors hawking fruits or bean sandwiches are just as common as restaurants. The difference between the lifestyles of les Dakarois, and we villagers, is startling. It's not something you think about on a regular basis. But here are beautiful high-rise apartment buildings, while I live in a mud hut! Actually, I am looking forward to getting back to Keur Ali Gueye. There is a certain charm about living such a basic life, where needs are met but not exceeded, and time moves at its own pace. I passed my five-month anniversary, and I can't believe I've been here so long. The individual days are slow, but weeks fly by. Before I head back to the village, though, I'm going to enjoy my time here in the big city. And go dancing! We've had dance parties every night so far, and I plan to keep it up.