Calling in a foreign language is more difficult than talking face to face because I cannot see the people's reaction. I once called to inquire about the reservation of a restaurant and the staff could not get what I wanted to tell at all. …

It was Christmas and a holiday, but I did not feel any atmosphere of Christmas in the town where I live because people are mainly Muslim. There did not put any Christmas decorations in the town. I went to my neighbor's (friend's) house to …

In Senegal I live alone in a rented family rooms. The way of payment is “handing over”. At the beginning of every month, the landlord comes to my room to collect the money. Each time, I give him 100,000 FCFA (20,000 yen) for a month rent. …

A watermelon I stored in the fridge when I kept it cool, but It was rotten. I put the whole of watermelon I bought in the refrigerator. When I opened the refrigerator after a while, I found a sour smell like pickles. I never thought that a…

A friend's wife showed me how to cook one of Senegalese cuisines. The kitchen of friend's house is about two tatami mats in size. This time the cuisine was a Senegalese classic menu called “Yassa Guinah”. Yassa means “Onion sauce” and Guin…

I was asked by a teacher of a class next to the class I helped, “I would like to decorate my classroom as well,” so I was thingking with her together about what to make. The teacher suggested “Making butterflies,” so we decided on that and…

When I was in a taxi, a woman in the seat in front of me fell asleep and her head snapped back toward me in the back. plop The woman's hair fell out. I thought for a moment that her head had been removed. It was a wig. I took the wig in my…

When a Senegalese friend and I were talking, there was a visitor at my friend's tailor shop. The customer and I shook hands and then he showed me thumbs up with a full smile. He did not say any words. (Why?) I saw the communication between…

There was a teachers' strike at an elementary school. When I was walking to the elementary school, I noticed a thing. (What? Children are playing soccer. It's a school day, though..) I asked the kids about that. Children answered, “There i…

Relying on others. This is a phenomenon that occurs when buses are crowded. In Senegal, passengers have to buy tickets on the bus. There is a ticket seller inside. You pay the ticket seller, but if the bus is crowded, I cannot move to the …

This is a story about one of my friend in Senegal. The man used to work as a “Security guard” in front of the house. When I met him after a long time, he was driving a motorcycle cab with customers on the back seat. He said he earned 3,000…

Two Senegalese men I had already known were having a conversation. One of them said to me, “This man is my oldest brother.” I looked at their faces side by side and I thought they looked alike. “Really?” I reacted. He said, “No, we're not …

I bought a whole pig again as I did last year. Buying and eating a pork is like a festival for me because I only get occasions to eat pork only a few times a year in this town, which is almost 100% Muslim, where they do not eat pork. yuta7…

It is essential to exist tailor industry as the main industory in Senegal. In the center area of the town I live in, there are lots of tailors. I usually buy cloths at fabric shops and then go to tailors to have shirts and accessories made…

It is always in math class, the typical way to teach in Senegal is to have the students solve a few of “Mental math” questions first. I think it is a good idea to make mental math a habit. However, there are cases in which the students are…

I was asked by a teacher, “I want to decorate my classroom,” so I took the job. The walls of most classrooms are either 1 or 2. 1 Various things from the past are on the walls. 2. There are nothing on the walls. This time, the second grade…

It started the dry season in Senegal. It has literally started to get dry suddenly. When I go to bed at night and wake up in the morning, my throat becomes dry. The plants that sprouted two months ago have grown up. They are green beans. I…

Numbers. Children in Senegal have very few times to see numbers in their daily lives compared to children in Japan. For example, when shopping in Japan, children can always find price tags on products in supermarkets. Chidren would calcula…

The town where I live, Louga, is located in a rural area about 200 km from the capital and is surrounded by a laid-back atmosphere. Walking on the sand under the strong sun, there are no buildings around me and it makes me feel like I am w…

I often observe maths lessons of many teachers in elementary schools in Senegal, and sometimes I also observe Wolof language lessons, which is a local language in Senegal. In Japan, we have a subject of Japanese language. Wolof language cl…

Mornings every day have cooled down a little recently. There has been no rain since mid-October. It might be already in the dry season now. Most of the time, before it rains, a strong wind started to blow. I can feel that it is going to ra…

There is a group of boys in Senegal known as "Taribe." I always meet these boys in front of my house in the morning. When I meet the boys for the first time, "I want some money." and approach people. What is a Taribe? Children who go to sc…

There are no member changes in elementary schools in Senegal. For example, a school has two third-grade classes. Class A has 50 students. Class B has 56 students. Why is it possible of the difference of the numbers? This is because there i…

Five children were standing at the front of the classroom. While the other children were already seated. These fifth-graders looked very gloomy. I asked to a teacher, "What are the children doing?" The teacher told me, "They are the childr…

Senegal has a word "Teranga", which means "hospitality". Senegalese are basically generous, and they are willing to give what they have. They give something without return gifts. They invite me to their home like, "Come and have meals with…

I am a foreigner in Senegal. "That is a Chinese" When I walk down the street, someone call me like that. This has not changed since I arrived. At such timing, I correct them calmly, "I'm a Japanese." Sometimes, from the beginning, someone …

It was the second ttime to give a lesson with students in a Japanese elementary school. This time, the lesson was with second grade students from Saitama area where one of my friends is a teacher of the classroom. Considering the 9-hour ti…

When I came to Senegal from Japan last year, I did not bring any Japanese food in my suitcase. When I happen to find Japanese food in Senegal sometimes, I feel surprised and happy. The most exciting moment in Senegal was when I came across…

For the first time, I held a training session for students who are studying to become teachers. This time I asked Japanese volunteers from other regions to help me with the session. The theme of the session was what I am working, "Maths." …

The houses we volunteers live are decided by the conditions designated by JICA (Japan International Cooperative Agency). Especially, the security aspect has strict criteria. Volunteers in Senegal should live either in an appartment or in a…