What went well?
The progress I made; what was achieved and done
I finally arrived at Senegal after 24 hours of flight from the other side of the Earth at Hong Kong. First time alone in a totally unfamiliar country, and I am glad that everything went smooth and I have been careful than I thought I was.
My first week was very busy as I toured Dakar and Goree Island for the first three days, then got transferred inland to Tambacounda after a 8-hour road trip, and now settled down in Kedougou near the border of Guinea. Travelling around is truly exhausting!
What could have been done differently?
Things that did not get done and/or could be changed
Effective communication is a real problem here because I can neither speak French nor Wolof. I should have tried to read some French starters before departure and done some research on how I could access Internet here. Also, currency exchange should have been sorted out as soon as possible.
What did I learn about myself when working with others?
Contributions, behaviours and values I exhibited
I am still quite reserved when engaging with people I do not know, and a little bit of homesick since I am half a globe away from Asia and I will not be seeing my family for 7 weeks. It takes time to develop an open mind and integrate into the society, though.
What did I learn about leadership?
Leadership attributes and insights I developed
Make myself heard. I did not hesitate to ask when I did not know.
What do I want to develop or focus on next?
What I still need to develop
Probably trying to walk around the town alone and get to know the community better. I dared not to do so because of security concerns, but friends told me that it is safer than I think.
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