Some Background Information

So to give a little summary of what I'm doing in Senegal:
I'm part of SIT Senegal: Arts and Culture program, which is very different from enrolling in a university. We take intensive language classes (French and Wolof), a seminar on Arts and Culture of Senegal, and a course on fieldwork methods. Then during the last month of the semester we have our Independent Study Projects (ISP). For the ISP, we come up with a topic that interests us (relevant to the program) and then go out into the field to research it. We then compile all our findings and write a 20-40 page paper and give an oral presentation. Woo.

Since SIT focuses on cultural immersion and understanding, we spend the semester living with Senegalese families. Most of the time we're in the capital, Dakar, but we also go on field trips to towns and villages in other parts of the country. I bought an ultimate frisbee and a book about the murals in Philadelphia for homestay gifts. I'm also bringing a couple of discs for myself in the hope that I'll find some other ultimate players, or a willing person to throw with.

Hm, all of this reminds me that I still have so much packing to do before I get to Senegal.