Last week of Tests and Exames

This week is our last week of the program, and for many of us our last week in Senegal. We are trying to balance out the days of classes and revisions preparing us for the exams at the end of the week and soaking up more of the culture that we have not gotten to experience yet.
I finally went to the artisan's market this week and was able to bargain a bit in wolof. I mostly speak in french because I am much more comfortable with the language and I can be understood more clearly. However, if a toubab tries to bargain in wolof, it shows that they have a better understanding of the culture, and often the price will be better.

In the market setting I am automatically labeled as wealthy because i have white skin and I am clearly not from the area. As soon as I enter the area there are people yelling "hey, madam Toubab, come see my pretty necklaces, come to my shop, buy my paintings, come see, come see" from all sides. At first, the market can be a little overwhelming because they sellers are desperate for buyers. They are also shrewd. Prices are not fixed int he market place, so sellers can charge whatever they want for their merchandise because they are the ones who are making it. When I approach a stall, i can look but I have to be careful at how interested I act in the merchandise. If I see a necklace that I like, the shop owner will ask me about it, take it off the rack, try it on me, compliment me, and then augment the price because I am obviously a rich toubab. The trick is to play their game of lowering and raising the price to a place that you both agree on.

So, when the lady says the necklace will be $40 (as an equivalent US standard) i say "no way, that's way too expensive", and offer $5 for it instead. I know that the shop owner will not sell her items for this cheap, but i do know that she will lower her price if she wants to convince me to buy it. Through this process we arrive at a price that we both agree on. Plus, the more things you buy from one shop owner, the better deal they will give you. It's definitely a game of drama, though, which is fun too. Acting uninterested really gets them going, especially if you shrug your shoulders and say "i want it, but you charge to much" and then start to walk away. They often say "no, no, wait! come back! I will make a better price for you, since you are interested." It's quite fun, and tiring at the same time.

I also finally got to visit an art museum, something that I have been waiting this whole trip to do. I visited the IFAN musueum (Institute Fundamental d'Afrique Noire) which houses traditional sculptures, masks, and small thrones from all over west Africa. It was really neat to see the displays that put the objects in settings where they would have actually been used to show their purpose. For example, to show the purpose of a ceremonial mask used by the Serer tribe, the museum constructed a still life setting on a small stage with a hut and several life size mannequins dressed in traditional ceremonial clothing. It was an interesting approach which allowed for the context to be viewed in a way that was accessible to everyone.

Our final exam in Wolof was today, and now I am done with that class. I was tested on my knowledge of basic grammar, vocabulary, and conversation tools that we should have been using during this trip. Tomorrow I will give my program presentation on "any aspect of Senegal that you found interesting", as the description says on the syllabus. I will be speaking (all in french, mind you) about the roles that gender play in traditional music and dance in Senegal. I am interested in the interaction between dancers and drummers that happen within the dance circle. Their is a kind of non-verbal conversation that is exchanged, and it is really interesting to watch at the performances that I have attended.

So, I had better get to bed so I can get some sleep before my presentation tomorrow. I am a little nervous because I will be speaking in french, but I will just have to remember to pause and take breathes and hope that everyone understands me. Glad to be hearing from all of you in the states and please don't hesitate to leave comments or email me about how you are doing or with any questions that you may have.