​Culture & Manners
 

• Address others with "Salam Aleikoum/Bonjour, comment ca va? Comment va la famille?" Or a number of salutations in Wolof. Never call someone by saying “hey."
   

• Always greet the people you pass regularly in your neighborhood.
   

• Avoid getting upset at all costs - try to always keep your cool.
   

• Avoid a direct “No,” - try saying "Merci, la prochaine fois."
   

• Avoid saying, “That’s not true," or implying someone is lying.
   

• Never make statements, or pay special attention to a pregnant woman. You should never ask a pregnant woman, “When is the baby due?” as this is considered to bring bad luck to the mother and child.
   

• Use only your right hand when shaking hands, handing something, especially money, to someone else - unless you are leaving on a trip, then you shake with your left!
   

• Avoid pointing at people; or counting people by pointing.
   

• Never look at other people when they are eating - if you do, you can say "Bon appetit!"
   

• Never take a person’s picture you don't know.
   

• Never walk in front of someone who is praying, or interrupt him or her. If you are at a store or need to enter a building, you will need to wait until they finish.
   

• Never touch a person’s "gris-gris/téré." (This is a small leather pouch that is often worn on the arm or around the waist. It contains written pages from the Koran and is worn for protection).
   

• Women - even non-Muslim women - should try to dress in light, modest clothing. In general, shorts and skirts above the calves, and tank-tops are discouraged.