Rudolph ... SABS Style

A fellow fellow, (excuse the pun) taught her 6th grade class the Holiday classic ,"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer." She then captured it so you all could get a glimpse. Check it out here!

http://youngcharlotte.blogspot.com/2009/12/rudolph.html

'Tis The Season?

It doesn't feel like Christmas.

When I began this journey in Senegal, nearly four months ago, I figured that the holidays would be the most difficult time for me while I was here. In my 23 years I have never spent a Christmas away from my family so as the holiday season approached I prepared myself to deal with some intense homesickness. However, the anticipated nostalgia isn't anywhere near where I expected it to be. In fact, this season isn't really affecting me at all.

No, I haven't donned emotional armor or have a heart that has turned to stone; it just doesn't feel like Christmas.

I think the absence of the seasonal sentiment can be attributed to a couple of factors. The first of which is the weather here. I grew up in Michigan where, like most places in the United States, there are four distinct seasons. Of course Michigan's winters are rivaled by few other states but across the country winter's cold thaws into spring, spring heats up into summer, summer falls into autumn then it comes full-circle back to winter where the cycle continues. These changing seasons also serve as benchmarks for passage of time. However, in Senegal there are really only two seasons, rainy and dry. So here all my body recognizes is that it was rainy when I arrived and now it's not. The significant changes that occur over the course of four months in the states do not happen here so my whole body clock is kind of thrown off. Not to mention my December in Dakar feels more like September.

Also, the commercial Christmas spirit in Dakar is nowhere near the frenzy it is in America. At home I'm accustomed to hearing Christmas songs 24/7 starting with Thanksgiving. I think I've heard a grand total of two Christmas tunes this holiday season. There are no Santa statuettes on every corner, no toy ads littering the media, and the few decorations are just now starting to pop up with less than a week left before the 25th.

So how does one miss out on a holiday that doesn't appear to be going on?

'Tis the season?

Doesn't really feel like it.

Shades

Colorism is still alive in well in today's society. I'm just not referring to the remnants of America's "brown paper bag test" tradition but its damaging effects across the African Diaspora. Perhaps the most depressing aspect of this outlet of self-hatred is something that I have witnessed firsthand while here in Senegal–skin bleaching.

Now, I had heard of it before. thanks to a few scattered alternative news pieces here and a youtube documentary or two there. Yet, never had I seen the tragic practice with my own eyes until I arrived here. The people here have been so sold on a Eurocentric image of beauty that they opt to put themselves through chemical bleaching just to obtain a paler complexion. I've heard stories of women taken ill from the treatments and I have even seen the welts, bruises, and burns on women's skin from the bleaching process. In the homestay of one of the other SABS fellows a domestic was terminated because she continued to bleach her skin against the wishes of the homeowner.

Of course, I understand from where this complexion complex comes but it's still disheartening to see it live and in color – or lack thereof. Recent photos of All-Star baseball player, Sammy Sosa, have brought this issue into the open once more.

Sosa claims that he suffers from vitiligo and that the disease is the sole cause for his rapid melanin decrease. ::: Strong side-eye ::: I'm no dermatologist but I know plenty of people who have vitiligo and I have never seen it act so quickly and so evenly. A very close friend of mine, who also has vitiligo, had this to say "Sammy Sosa ... as a person with vitiligo I know that it doesn't move that fast! FAIL!" I choose not to speak ill of the dead but I'm sure we all know of someone else who was afflicted with this and couldn't "Beat It."


It's truly sad to see how this issue of skin color is still deeply affecting people. Truly disparaging.


Check out what a few of my colleagues have had to say about this issue. Fabulous Brown Girl talks about colorism and Sammy Sosa and Jada F. Smith talks about it on The Root and on NPR.


Despite all this negativity regarding the topic I have to commend D.C. rapper, Wale, for addressing it on a song entitled "Shades." This track is off of his new debut album Attention Deficit and you need to go pick it up now if you haven't already!

Dakar-Gorée Part 2: "Bienvenue à Gorée"

After the brief ride on our ferry, which happened to be named "Beer," we arrived on the island just in time to see Masake reach the shore. I was elated to be there and to be a part of the congrats crew when she finished the 5k swim. We then had some lunch and explored the island a little. Unfortunately, many of the attractions were closing so we did not get the opportunity to see very much of the island on this trip. Thankfully, I have another seven months to go in Dakar to another journey to Gorée, to truly experience the island, is definitely in the cards.

The Goats Are Everywhere!!!

My neigborhood, Ouakam, and plenty of areas like it around Dakar, have become overrun with goats! The abundance of baas and scuffing of hooves have become a part of the natual soundtrack to life recently. The goats are EVERYWHERE!

Okay, maybe they are not literally everywhere and although they resemble what I would call a goat, they are actually lambs. Nevertheless their numbers have increased dramatically in what seems like overnight. Paranoia would have one suspecting some sort of four-legged coup, however, the truth is much simpler.

The Islamic dominant city of Dakar is preparing for Tabaski. The celebration also known as "Eid al-Adha" is quickly approaching and as the date nears the lamb population grows accordingly. If you come from a Christian or non-Islamic background, like myself, then I doubt the dots have been connected yet.

To be concise, Tabaski is a holiday that celebrates Ibrahim (Abraham) obedience to Allah (God)

in that he was willing to sacrifice his son. However, Allah is pleased with Ibrahim's acquiescence to His will and provides a lamb for the sacrifice in place of his son. So in observence of this, muslims celebrate Tabaski by sacrificing many lambs and feasting.

That goat next door has been quiet lately ... perhaps he knows his days are numbered!

The Smiles of Children

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and the statement was made that children's smiles are an instant cure for the depressed and downtrodden. Perhaps, that notion is a bit of a hyperbole but I dare you to glance at the gallery below and not crack a smile!

Many of you have been asking for more photos of SABS students and I am happy to oblige your requests. Take a look and pass it on. If there's anything else you all want to see or read here please let me know in a comment, email, or tweet.

Look-Alikes Part 1

For a few weeks I have been telling a few of my friends that there are students here who remind me of them. I swear one of 7th graders is a clone of one of my friends. For those of you who know these people (Howard people) make your guesses in the comment section!