The Joys of (Not) Working in Senegal

So now that I am back from vacation its time to get back into teaching my computer classes that I teach every Monday and Wednesday in Thies. I had to buy a new cell phone and so dont have the numbers of my students anymore, so I just showed up Monday morning hoping for the best. The office where I teach my first class was locked. Knocked at the gate a few times but no answer. I guess class was cancelled. My second student was there and we picked up where we left off two weeks ago. Exactly where we left off actually, because she hadnt done any of the homework I had asked while I was gone. This is normal, but I will admit that my hopes were high. So we went through the typing lesson, and then I went home.

Spent all day yesterday at the youth library where I FINALLY finished entering all the books. Thats right, all 4100 books are save in the database. What does this mean? First off it means I am the happiest girl in the world. Secondly, it means I get to start teaching Thierno how to maintain the database and hopefully get to the point where he is completely in charge of the project. Yay!!!

So today I show back up at the office where I am supposed to be teaching only to find myself locked out and the office empty. Again. First time it didnt really bother me since Ive been living iin Senegal long enough to know that its not a big deal. Today however, I was very frustrated. Knocked on the door long enough for someone to let me in and give me Julie, one of my students, phone number, and I called and we decided to start next monday. She didnt know I had gotten back and had tried to call me while my phone was awol and figured I was still out of touch. Slightly less frustrated (but still frustrated) I made my way over to Chris's house where I am killing time until my next computer lesson starts around noon (inshallah). I realize that in the states this sort of behavior is completely unacceptable, no matter what. But here in Senegal its just kinda the way things get done, or dont get done sometimes. Calling me to tell me they had work to do outside of the office when there was a computer class scheduled probably didnt occur to my students, although I will point this out next Monday assuming I have a class to teach. Its just another one of the joys of working in a different culture. There is nothing in Senegal that cant wait. Urgency as we know it in America doesnt exist here. They say that Americans have watches but the Senegalese have time.