This morning Kari took me to her tailor so I could have some traditional African clothing made. I looked at a few different styles one of which was dressier than everyday clothing. The dressier clothing consists of a long, floor-length skirt with a matching top, and the material is called basin. Kari and I agreed that something more simple would be more practical; so, she told me we could pick out some fabric at the local fabric market, and the tailor could make a simple wrap skirt for me.
In the afternoon I met some more of Kari and Jonathan’s friends, and we went to dinner downtown with them. After dinner we went next door to a concert by Orchestra Baobab. The concert was outside in an amphitheater style. The lyrics were in French, Spanish, and Wolof so most of it I couldn’t understand. But the band was still really good!!! About 150 people showed up, and there was lots of dancing!
As we've been driving through Dakar, I've noticed a lot of unfinished houses. So I asked Kari about them, and this was her explanation. Here people don’t have bank accounts where they can save money. And if a family member asks them for money, they have to give it to them (it’s just part of their culture). So if a family decides to build a house, any extra money they have goes toward the house. This serves in a way as a “bank account.” Instead of giving a family member their extra money, it goes toward building the house.
If a family decides to build a house, but they are able to live in the house before it’s completely finished, they don’t have to pay taxes on the house—because the house technically isn’t finished.
No comments:
Post a Comment