Pikine

On Sunday I went to Pikine. It's a suburb of Dakar where many commuters live...like Beaverton, but better (kidding..).  I went with Coudedie. She is one of the girls I interviewed for my project, and being like all generous Senegalese, invited me to her house on Sunday, then to the suburbs. The picture above is down the road from her house in Mamelle - not far from the Renaissance Monument and highest point in Dakar. I think you can actually see the highest point - the lighthouse - in the background.
(Coudedie and her grandmother - who told me to greet my mother, my father and Obama)
When we first got to Pikine (after taking a car rapide and a njaaga njaay [a sort of mini bus]) we walked through some markets to Coudedie's aunts house. We (about 15 of us) shared two huge bowls of rice, fish and onion sauce (yassa jen).
Then we took a car rapide to the Pikine cultural center - Africulturban. They have classes, presentations, concerts and workshops. As it was Sunday, it was quieter than usual, but there was still a sort of presentation/dance performane. But Coudedie and I were there to sit in on a Cine-Banlieu class. Her film professor from Dakar University teaches free courses on film every Sunday in Pikine, so I got to tag along.

Matador - King of Galsen. (Gal-sen, switch it around = Sen-gal....Senegal). He is le Roi of hip hop Galsen, and I was able to meet him. Actually, I hung out in his office with Coudedie while we waited for the film class to start. He says he travels all over, but for some reason the US hasn't asked for him yet. So if any of you have connections...(He didn't ask for that, that's just me asking.)
"GALSEN" and "AFRICULTURBAN" in one of the concert/performance areas.