By lrich522
We’ve reached the point of the semester when it feels as if I’ve fallen into a routine and the days are flying by. Towards the beginning, I was constantly confronting new ideas, cultural differences, and what seemed at the time to be insurmountable obstacles. While I still face (plenty of) obstacles, it’s starting to feel like things are comfortable. At face value, comfort doesn’t necessarily have a negative connotation, however I realize I chose to study abroad in order to push myself beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone.
The on site CIEE staff organized a meeting last week in which a former student came to talk to us about this very topic, which made me much more cognizant of how my falling back into a comfort zone could be negatively impacting not only my own study abroad experience, but also more importantly the people of Senegal.
The speaker, Jacob Winterstein, is a teacher and a poet based in Philly, so you already know he’s cool. His presentation pulled themes from an article called “The View from the Veranda: Understanding Today’s Colonial Student”, in which the author, Anthony Ogden, defines and discusses this study abroad student archetype. (No, a colonial student in this sense does not mean a student who comes from GW). After having just arrived in Senegal, I had spoken with my friends studying abroad in South Africa and Rwanda (hello Emily and Carly) about feeling like I did not have a right to live here. I was struggling to understand my place and Carly said to me, “Ecotourism and voluntourism are topics, why don’t ppl write about educational tourism???”. Well, Carly, have I got the article for you.
As Jacob said, Ogden provides terms and definitions for the types of ideas that we were discussing from the very beginning of the semester, mainly through outlining a typical “colonial student”. He states that this type of study abroad student embarks on a journey in search of adventure, but only on his or her own terms. This could range from living and only interacting with other Americans, to refusing to speak the local language, to simply expecting each daily task to neatly parallel the way things operate in the US without attempting to adapt or learn.
In our case, these ideas can be applied to the dangers of only speaking French or English as opposed to practicing and improving Wolof; or not being conscious of spending, for example going to the overpriced mall that doesn’t necessarily support local vendors; or relying on Western products/habits like toilet paper and American food (I myself am guilty of making a trip to the American food store because I can’t resist the allure of a mean Reese’s peanut butter cup); or even just insisting on “city walking” instead of walking at the same relaxed speed as my Senegalese friends (this is actually one of the hardest things for me to adjust, I like to walk with a purpose).
I’m currently struggling to find where I fall on this spectrum, as well as where I would like to fall. I’m definitely guilty of gravitating towards my American friends, drawing parallels between cultural differences that have no basis for comparison, and spending too much time using wifi when I have it. However, I am working hard to improve my Wolof, I spend a lot of time with my host brother and his friends talking, watching soccer, and drinking tea, and me and my friends actively avoid the boujie tourist traps. The article describes the colonial student as one who sits on their metaphorical veranda in a pseudo-American microcosm and looks down upon the place in which they’re studying, as just another adventure for the(ir) taking.
In order to avoid meeting this fate, Jacob had us brainstorm “backspaces”, or areas that encourage a more immersive abroad experience, in which our relationship with the places and people around us are symbiotic. My friend, Leta, gave the example of the woman who lives in Ouakam and sells delicious fataya, and has come to expect us just about every day when we get back from school (shoutout to fataya for being one of the main reasons I get winded walking up a flight of stairs). She offered to teach us to make our own some day soon, and you KNOW we’re going to take her up on that offer. However, a concern of mine is finding a backspace, then essentially ruining the sanctity of it with our presence (can a backspace remain a backspace if there are Americans there?? Tbd).
I understand it would be impossible for me to embody the ideal study abroad student (if that even exists); I take classes with only American students, I’m still grappling with a wifi addiction, and my willpower can be broken by a single Reese’s peanut butter cup. However, I appreciate having the ability to now better articulate these ideas concerning my role in Senegal as a study abroad student, which I have been struggling to define since my arrival. I think there is a balance to be found somewhere between complete immersion and the incorporation of aspects from home in a meaningful way. We showed our friends how to make/love guacamole and s'mores, and they showed us how to make attaaya (tea) and grill fish on the beach; and while there may be a bottle of maple syrup in my room, I plan on using it to eat French toast with my host family after they teach me to make Cheboujienne. What is study abroad if not an exchange?
