Lessons Learned
-Never depend on a single person for
emotional support, never expect someone to be your sole source of knowledge.
They won’t and can’t always be there for you, nor should they be.
-A teacher
by any other name can still teach just as well. Prod to find out what people
know, and show interest in whatever that is.
-Keep the
professional and the personal separate—always in love, often in friendship.
-Don’t fret
or fight over what you can’t control. But more often than not, you have
options, you just haven’t found them or identified them as such yet.
-Listen to
your gut, because it usually has something good to say.
-You’re in a
new country, with new people, speaking a different language. Guard your soft
and vulnerable spots; beware of easy intimacy; grant trust sparingly.
-When you
feel flattered by someone, than they are usually flattering you.
-If you
don’t talk, then you won’t speak Mandinka.
-All time is
potential learning time.
-Know your
limits, stretch them, and know when to let them be.
-Pace
yourself, because the next two years will be a marathon. Treat yourself best of
all.
-Your hut is
your sanctuary. Treat, decorate, and use it as such.
-Remember
that you’re here to work with the people, always with the people.
-Just
because you don’t hear from people doesn’t mean that they don’t care and never
think of you. But if you want to hear from them, call them.
-Set
boundaries as needed for other people, before your own boundaries are infringed
upon.
-Here in
Senegal, you’re different, but not that different.
-People love
to talk about themselves. Good thing you like to listen.
-You’ll need
to learn some Wolof, so that you can at least yell at the Talibe when they throw
rocks and dead sparrows at you.
-Don’t
pretend you understand, because you’re never actually doing yourself any
favors. Ask, ask, and ask again.
-You’re not
stupid, you’ve only been here 9 weeks.
-Keep life
new by doing new things everyday.
-First
impressions are only first impressions; they don’t always give you a good idea
of what the whole picture will look like some time from now.
-Check in,
re-evaluate, and recalibrate constantly without any external prompting.
-Be brave,
because there is no alternative.
-Keep your
values and actions aligned.
-Set goals
for yourself, and take deliberate steps towards them.
-Keep track
of your accomplishments rather than your mistakes.
-Keep track
of your spending.
-Small talk
over ataaya is hugely important. Never underestimate it.
-Don’t
compare yourself to others. It rarely gets you anywhere.
-When you
succeed, your villagers succeed. On est ensemble. Remember that when people
tease you for speaking such awful Mandinka.
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