Reply to Posts: II

The primary school that I am attending, the West African Research Center, does not have anything similar to WebCT, nor does UCAD, the Senegalese university at which I can take other classes optionally. There is no system for giving updates on anything school related. As for the taxis, I'm not sure. This is what I can tell you: they do not have communication devices inside the taxis, so they do not receive calls from "headquarters" about where someone needs to be picked up, nor do they report that they have picked someone up or when they have dropped them off. You cannot put in a call to a taxi company and have them send someone to get you. Sometimes, the taxi drivers have their own cards and if you liked their service, you can call them and they will come get you. There are no meters in the taxis, so you have to know in advance how much it should cost to get to your destination or else they may overcharge you, especially if you are a foreigner and do not know to bargain. Once you agree on a price before entering the taxi, however, they always stay true to that price. Based on my experience, I would say there are no taxi companies, but again, I am not sure.

Eating with the right hand is traditional because people clean themselves with the left hand and it is considered dirty. I'm not sure to what degree this is true today, but it is still a widely respected custom.

I'm not sure that the "lateness" affects the society positively or negatively. It is the way of the country and the culture and is accepted as such. Businesses still function and things still get done - it's just not as intense as in the states. People are much more relaxed about life and interested in life, not work. From an outside perspective, it was very difficult adjusting to this mindset, but as time has gone by, I definitely feel less stressed and harassed...assignments are still expected to be on time, meals should be attended on time, but the overall atmosphere is one of leisure.