Senegalese Dreams

I don't have much time to write, but I feel like this has been period of my life where I've actually been doing things. I just realized it the other day, that I have for once been thoroughly productive and on top of my game. Lauren's chapbook is ready to go to print once Sheryl sends me her blurb and Lauren's photographer sends me a photo. I've filed my taxes. I have been working on applying for a Fulbright Grant to study religion as boundary in Senegal and the surrounding nations. I have been touching up on my Spanish in preparation for Oaxaca, and in fact am studying soon with Neil, every Tuesday at 6:30 He will teach my Spanish and I will cook him dinner. I have a few packages to send out to writing contests. Things are good.



This morning, with a bang-over from last night's show, charging like a bull into bullet belts and walls of people that were surprisingly thin and very close to concrete walls, I rode my bike to campus to meet with Drs. Sene and Ayuninjam to discuss my project proposal, what to expect, where to get started, etc. While I do not know quite enough to have questions formulated just yet, they have presented themselves as excellent and willing resources to help me in my nagivation through information to create a polished proposal concept. They've lent me books (some of them in French and out of print, which is quite an honor and also horrifying) and printed me out some information left over from classes they'd taught, and most importantly (or at least as importantly) they wished me "bon courage" and have faith that this is a worthy topic of research that will be welcome in the region in which I am studying.



This also helps with my nonfiction class, which for spring break presented the assignment of reading a book that expanded our viewpoint. I have been reading the Moon tourbook on Oaxaca, but I feel these classics on Senegalese culture and history will be a fine addition. Here are the titles, I'll link what I can:

L'Islam et les Pratiques Cultuelles, by Muohamadou Makhtar Thiam

L'Exil Au Gabon, periode coloniale 1895-1902, 'sue les Traces de Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, by Cheikh Abdoulaye Dieye

Que Saise-je? Le Senegal et la Gambie, by Hubert Deschamps

Conversations with Ogotemmeli, and Introduction to Dogon Religoius Ideas, by Marcel Greaule. Here is a link to a briefing on Dogons.

African Leaders: State of Africa Report 2005, by Boston University African Presidential Archives and Research Center



Just looking at some of these getting my brain thinking in French again. Which is confusing when I've been trying to think in Spanish for quite some time now, to no success. I am excited and happy, and feel like my life is just on a constant uplift, dispite the downswings that occasionally take place. And for the most part, those don't even happen to me, just to people I love. I wrote a poem last night, a eulogy for Laura. It felt good to finally say something.



Wednesday was Evan and my one year anniversary. Truthfully it isn't but it was the day of the punk show he helped me set up, and as had a sort of date, even though we hung out regularly with mutual interest before that. This is at least something with a date attached to it. We have out wedding anniversary coming up at the end of April, which Evan says he considers more our anniversary (weirdo) but he will be in Mexico then so maybe we will celebrate on May 2nd when I arrive in Acapulco. Anniversaries are weird, anyway. I think they are great, just as I think birthdays are great, but that doesn't keep me from remembering dates, holidays, special occasions. I'm a horrible personal journalist.



my armpits are itchy. I think it's time to shave them. Drink more coffee. Eat yer cereal with a knife.