The Last Supper USA R&B Greatest Hits

This was the best supper club in town; we danced and sang with the entertainers. While they spoke little English, their diction and articulation while singing the greatest R&B hits were impeccable! When they did their rendition of Black & White by Michael Jackson, I heard myself singing along like I was on stage. I really needed this outing; I relaxed and settled into this experience. I had tried to get out of going--it was a long day, Gorée took a lot out of me; I needed so  downtime.  Papa and Astu wouldn't accept no for an answer, so I made it work and was grateful I did.

The food was excellent- it looked appetizing and was seasoned to perfection! It was a great meal to end my journey. More than good food, was the amazing company.  As I relaxed and enjoy my meal and the entertainment, I watched Papa and Astu, our hosts, dancing and other members of our team enjoying our time together after a really long, and incredibly hard day.  This is Senegal Teranga.

Reflecting on my time and the meals I've had in Senegal, I realize it has been some of the most enriching moments of my life.  While it is an odd comparison, this visit, for me, was almost analogous to my first day on the campus of Hampton Institute/University. Having grown up in Denver, when I arrived on Hampton's campus, it was so awesome to experience instant acceptance, and realtime inclusion. This was exactly what I have experience on this Senegalese trip. As I prepare to return home, it is like the last evening of our a family reunion--I hope my new family stays in touch and I look forward to the next time we meet!


Au revoir! Adieu! À bientôt! À la prochaine!

(my Duolingo lessons are serving me well!😘)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SENEGAL Unscrambled

Image
  "To be African American   is to be African without memory and American without privilege."  George C. Fraser  A couple months ago, I received the following message in an email from a dear friend, Papa Dia, "...  I will be leading a trip to Senegal from December 6 to December 18, 2023. ... The trip will also allow people of African American descent ... to explore and learn more about their roots on the continent of Africa. ... This trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the wonders of Senegal and its legendary Teranga (hospitality). I sincerely hope you would like to accompany me on this voyage..." Knowing I would never get my amazing husband to agree to go to Africa with me, I immediately responded in my mind, " Me, Me, Me!!!"   and to Papa Dia,   " Count me in!"  I am excited, anxious, sad, fearful, and delighted all at once. I would love to share this experience with Tony; I'm blessed to share the trip with my ne...
Read more

Bienvenue - Senegalese Teranga

Image
Walking through the airport, I was excited to see a couple people I knew!  Brother Jeff and several other Senegal-bound travelers had already made the trek and were “home”! As we were boarding the plane, I noticed not only was first class predominantly Black, but so was business class, as well as most of the airplane and the flight attendants. This was my first time having this experience- some might be thinking, “Duh!” but I have traveled to the Caribbean and the DR, which are majority Black and never experienced a majority Black plane. It was mind-blowing. Having shared the photos of those waiting at the gate, I shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet I was! This was going to be a lot of first, I’m going to have it trust the process . The flight was uneventful-except the food; yum ! Papa Dia is well-known in Aurora, and I would soon learn he is a celebrity in Senegal!   We were greeted by several dignitaries who also helped us quickly get through customs with ease. I was...
Read more

Best of... the best moments - Happy New Year.

Image
  My favorite moments of this trip are many; here are my TOP best moments: Meeting the GOOD MOTHER, Queen Dia! With more than 16 people in our delegation, at least 30 other family members and neighbors were present in her home to greet us and offer testimonies about the good mother's Teranga and charitable spirit.  They all professed their love and appreciation for her counsel  and financial support over the years.  Queen Dia sat royally as we all greeted her and kissed the ring ! Her hug was like my mother- she adopted me on the spot, and I was over the moon, thrilled to finally meet the woman who had raised such an amazing, selfless son, Papa Dia.  A guy who is popular in the State of Colorado and a celebrity in Senegal.  I am so excited to partner with him as family! I didn't write a specific post about all the shopping we did during the trip because I didn't know how I felt.  Papa asked us to wait to make purchases until we shared the price point...
Read more