It rained this morning. The rain drenched my whole body. I was watching Senegalese people on a rainy day. Some didn't mind getting wet. Some didn' t like to get wet. It was the first time for me to see a person used an umbrella. I had neve…

I saw a lecture to students at "Teacher Training Center." It was held in a room that about 100 people can be seated. A professor was standing sometimes and sitting sometimes. He was speaking with a microphone. He spoke in a low tone and th…

Rain during the day time was the first time since I arrived at Senegal. It's already passed about 2 months. First, a strong wind brought dust and sand into the room. Then, it thundered and heavy rain started in a flash. The power outage ha…

Cut watermelon was sold on the street and I bought it immediately. It was tepid, though, so good! This is typical thing of the summer!. Since I moved to Louga, I've been on vacation for about a week so far. It is an unexpected break as I t…

Recently, there was a day when lightning flashed continuously. But I didn't hear any sound at all, so I couldn't find where the lightning had struck. The next day, the entire road was flooded. The water was overflowing due to heavy rain an…

When I lived alone in Japan, I relied on eating out or prepared foods from the supermarket most of the time. It is one of amazing things about Japan that there are "Bento” lunch box shops and restaurants all over the place basically. I loo…

Yesterday was the Muslim festival "Tabaski" offering sheep to God. There is a taxi stand in front of my house. Usually there are several taxis parked there. On the day of the festival, there was no taxis there. Moreover, the bakeries were …

Today was a Muslim festivalis in Senegal, which is called "Tabaski". Its festival is the same meaning as "Sacrifice Festival." In Senegal, it is a national holiday. I heard that there is a story about the origin of the name "Sacrifice Fest…

I just moved in the Louga region, so there are still many places I don't know. It is a small town and only a specific area is prospered. The main part is a market . Today I went to the place that is far away from the market. The place was …

A tire is buried in the ground. When I walk around the town, I repeatedly see tires like this. They don't seem to be preventing cars from passing through. They seem to be just buried without any means. There are many children living in the…

Two pieces of building blocks are placed on the road. What are they? They are for making a football goal. When I walk along the street, I often come across these goals made by children. Sometimes, there is a normal goal with frame. There a…

It was the first day I walked from home to the market. There was a Senegalese man walking along the same street. He asked me where I was going. I answered, "I'm going to the market." "I'm going there too. I'll show you where the market is.…

I visited an elementary attached to "Teacher Training Center" I was assigned. I didn't know its existence untill I came here, so I visited there without an appointment. The only information I had were that there are two elementary schools …

It was a national holiday in Senegal yesterday. It was a Christian holiday called "The Assumption of Mary." A Christian friend of mine invited me to a celebration party, so I joined it. It turned out that in the party, people drank, ate po…

It's been a week since I arrived in Louga. The days of looking for furniture in my house are over, therefore the moving is completely done. "the borrower life of renting a room of a senior volunteer's house" is over at the same time. Water…

I still don't have everything I need the living items because I've just moved to Louga town. So I'm looking for tools. Then, I bought a bed mat and carried it. First, I rented a taxi and had a driver put it on the top of the taxi. I usuall…

The 11th of August was a public holiday called Mountain Day in Japan. I had been thinking that I'd like to climb a mountain if Senegal had mountains. Because I used to climb mountains in Japan every year. But it seems not to be mountains i…

4 days have already passed since I arrived in Louga town. On the first day, I went to the Louga Regional Teacher Training Center where I was assigned. I greeted with new boss who was a man. This building is a so-called "Teacher School". Th…

I am finally leaving for "Louga" town where I'm working as a volunteer. Louga will be the base I'm going to work for the next two years. I have to leave Dakar city by the sea. The distance is about 200 km to Louga from Dakar. It takes abou…

Today I packed my belongings to move to the region where I will live. It was the last day to prepare. And I had my hair cut by a peer volunteer. It made my hair very short and I felt refreshed! Among my belongings, one of them is a sticky …

A ceremony was held for all of us, 12 volunteers from Japan. We are going to our each regions assigned, which are in the countryside. Finally, my new life will begin in the region. I've been waiting for this moment. Some of us will leave t…

I threw my TV away on April this year (2018), and I have hardly watched any TV shows. The only program I watched was the World Cup of the football. One of my favorite shows used to be "Crazy Journey" in Japan. I liked that travelers ate un…

Senegal is located at the westernmost place of the African continentDakar. Especially, Dakar city, the capital of Senegal, is located in the most western part. I can look out the view of Atlantic Ocean. Japan played against Senegal in the …

Today is my day off. I went surfing in the ocean. Even tourists can do it here very easily! Although I didn't even have a bathing suit, but I could borrow it and a surfboard at a shop for 5,000FCFA. (1,000 yen) There were a few tourists th…

The official language in Senegal is French. French bread is the standard breakfast here. There are many shops selling French bread with eggs, fish, potatoes, sauces, mayonnaise, etc. They are usually sold outside. There was a bakery, so I …

I got the certificate of completion of the language school "Adesina". After I passed a last exam, I finally graduated. Yesterday, I was asked a question by the children of my homestay family, "What is your Japanese name?" "My name is Yuta.…

I told everyone at home, "Tomorrow, I will return to Dakar." Because it will be ending my three-week homestay finally. Bathing to wash my body at the end of the day became one of my favorite time of the homestay. I got used to scoop water …

I am currently studing Wolof language at school while staying with a host family. The reason is not only to learn but also Senegalese customs and culture. Laundry There's no washing machine, which is unlike Japan. I rely on only my hands! …