Dakar, the Manhattan of West Africa.

Dakar, like I wasn't in Senegal anymore…

It is hard to explain Dakar, because even I was having trouble reconciling the difference between the two Senegals. There is a distinct difference between the Senegal I've experienced (village life mostly) and the Senegal I saw last weekend (urban, modern, and fast-paced).

Environment

While I was in Dakar, I finally experienced French colonialism! There is something really distinct about the way Europe (and France) colonized Senegal. The city is constructed to best serve colonial needs and administration. Even though Dakar was not the capital of French West Africa (St. Louis in the north was) it was the major commerce center for many years and it eventually became the capital. The city is structured on a long peninsula with docks on three sides of the city. The city is nestled by the ocean, making it the perfect port. There is a breeze constantly running through the city making the city incredibly enjoyable. The city then spreads inland in a much less organized fashion.

I think that the best way to describe Dakar is alluding to a film, The Battle of Algiers. I'll explain. There is a distinct difference between the part of the city that was meant to be for Europeans, and the part of the city where Senegalese live. In the film, there is a very distinct line drawn between the French and the Algerians. In one of the most important scenes in the film (right before a bombing of a popular Western bar), the director cuts back and forth between the Casbah (where the preparations for the bombing occur) and the bar that will be bombed. In the bar there are women in short skirts, bare shoulders, men and women dancing together, and a general sense of disregard for the country they live in. In the Casbah the women are veiled, dress modestly, and men and women are rarely in the same shot. At the end of this scene, the Algerian women "become" Western, they dye their hair, change their clothes and completely transform into completely different people. As convoluted as that was, that s how I saw Dakar. There is a Dakar with women Western men and women working in the high rises, wearing Western clothing, as if they were in Europe. People in "this" Dakar live in Apartments, sit at tables, eat ice cream, go out for pizza and live a life similar to mine in DC. Notably the majority of these people are Senegalese, they are the educated middle class. The other Dakar is a traditional lifestyle similar to the village: compounds, women pounding millet, eating from a bowl, rice, fish, and noon tea. I'd recommend watching the film, to get a good sense of what Dakar, and I suspect, most of West African capitals are like.

In any case, what I am trying to explain the contrast between the modern city of Dakar and the traditional lifestyle of the rest of Senegal.

Architecture

Like most of Latin America, the last time Dakar had a boom of architecture was right after independence, when the country was attempting to construct a national identity based on rigid lines, patterns, and modernism. The buildings look just as they do in Mexico City, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires: Modernist, functional, and what must have been avant-garde at the time. There is however a current building boom in Senegal, but unlike its European-inspired predecessor, the current architecture has strong rooting in Islam and Middle Eastern design. Once again a stark contrast between a modernizing Senegal that is trying to reconcile itself with the strong Muslim culture that surrounds it.

Food

Like I mentioned before, the food is extremely un-Senegalese. I had three meals in Dakar, all of which were very different. The first meal was at The Club Atlantique (I will talk more about that later). I had a Fajita Wrap, which, if you ever went to Wisey's tastes just like a Chicken Madness, GLORIOUS! That night we went to a Chinese restaurant run by Chinese that speak no French or Wolof, luckily we went with a volunteer that spoke mandarin and we just sat there as AMAZING FOOD was brought out for us to eat: Tofu, rice, cucumbers, peppers, chicken, PORK, and a whole lot of amazing. The last meal we had was at a Lebanese restaurant in the town center where I had a falafel sandwich, which was also, very very good.

Ex-Pats

Like the food section alludes to, there is a large amount of ex-pats in Dakar, and the top three are mentioned above: European/American, Chinese, and Lebanese. The Europeans and Americans in Senegal are generally diplomats and businessmen that have no intention of staying long and create bubbles of European culture like the Club Atlantique. The CA, formerly the American Club, has a pool, a snack shop (with cheese fries, hot-dogs, and American style sandwiches), tennis courtsm and is adjacent to the International School. The International School looks just like the American School in Guadalajara, whi ch was disconcerting to me since it was so familiar.

The Chinese are a much more interesting lot. The Chinese government, a few years ago, won a bid to build a new stadium, roads, and a string of projects in Dakar. In true Chinese fashion they government used only Chinese labor(to cut costs). Therefore, thousands of Chinese came to Dakar to build the stadium, when the stadium was finished the government allowed people to opt to stay in Senegal. Most of them took that chance and have since created a Chinese presence in the city that serves itself. There are Chinese restaurants and stores whose clients are other Chinese restaurant and shop owners.

The Lebanese were imported (literally, as harsh as it may sound) by the French during colonial times to stimulate the economy of the region because they were merchants and artisans. The English did the same by sending South Asians to live in their colonies. It has created an extremely large community of Senegalese-Lebanese. They speak no local languages and although are Senegalese citizens, are often viewed as expatriates.

Dakar and Senegal in general, are extremely diverse and this last trip to Dakar, really made me conscious of the impacts colonialism and independence have on the national psyche. So Fascinating!!!!!!!

I am heading out to the village this week for a full 10 days, I have no doubt that it will be hard but I look forward to getting better at my Wolof. I recently reached Intermediate Low, which is the minimum required for swear-in, Bax Na! Ba beneen yo samay xaarit! (Cool! Until next time my friends!)