Field Trips to Dakar & Ile de Madeleine With High School Students

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Photo 1:  Brad's class poses with our rented car rapide before departing ISD;  photo 2:  weavers from Guinea Basseau work along the street near the university;  photo 3:  we stop for breakfast in Almamy's vibrant neighborhood of Fass;  photos 4/5:  a visit to Almamy's home;  photos 6/7:  riding in the car rapide;  photo 8:  taken in the area of Marche Sandaga while students barter for school supplies;  photo 9:  en route to Ile de Madeleine with Gabi's marine biology class.

I joined two high school field trips last week, one with Brad's sociology/economics class, who toured several areas of Dakar, and Gabi's marine biology class, who explored Ile de Madeleine.

With Almamy's assistance, Brad arranged a car rapide for the day.  Student teams were given 10,000 CFAs (roughly 20 USD) and assigned to barter for school supplies in an open air market specializing in it.  The aim here was to observe the difference in prices between a western-style grocery store and the African market, where the local Senegalese would shop.  It was, too, an opportunity to experience and more deeply understand/appreciate Senegalese culture.

It was a full day.  The class visited a local public high school, walked through Almamy's neighborhood of Fass (quite a contrast to the students' exclusive expat community of the Almadies), had breakfast (baguette with a bean spread) and cafe Touba (a chicory-based drink, heavy with sugar), visited two tailors, toured Marche Sandaga, bartered for school supplies, and had a late lunch at a popular Cap Verdian restaurant.

The next day, I accompanied Gabi's marine biology class to Ile de Madeleine, where I guided them around the island, and we went snorkeling.

My own students were NOT pleased about my abandoning them to go to Madeleine.  We twice tried to go to the island as a class, once in the January and again a few weeks ago, and I twice cancelled due to poor weather and turbulent sea conditions.  The kids blocked the classroom door Friday morning, in protest of both my going to Madeleine, and my leaving them with a mean sub.  Poor darlings.