Currently, I am in my home, with my eyes transfixed on my e-commerce book. With all the beauty that lies right out my door, it is terrible nauseating to force myself to contemplate which is the preferable web template. It is true that I signed up for this class, however, why do I give a rip about e-commerce. Props to those of you who get high off of HTML, customer acquisitions, and web marketing, but I am personally numbed by the subject. The thought of spending another minute alone with my book brings me to tears. I need to learn how [View Full Entry]

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It happened. The very pinnacle point of your life where you invariably see the bright light at the end of the dark tunnel and crawl to it in an incoherent stupor. It happened. It’s called malaria. Despite the high fevers and cold chills, projectile vomit and diarrhea, abdominal and back pains, headaches and hallucination/dizzy spells, it was quite an amazing experience. Although I looked like the bride of death and was not in the mood for people visiting me, they still did. All of my Gambian friends came over every night, just to check on me, and see that I was [View Full Entry]

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It’s been a whirlwind week. Between working and school work, bouts of the runs and fevers, cleaning, and trying to find my kitten (he ran away for two days), I’m glad for the long weekend. Dad, I know you’re reading these since you’re a rock star and subscribed to my blog, so don’t worry, I don’t have malaria. Also, my iPod blew up. As an aside, let me just say that iPod’s generally blow. They break, and then you can’t fix them, and if you’re outside your warrantee, you’re screwed. I plugged it into the wall (with out a power converte [View Full Entry]

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If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me, “What drives you, why do you want to live in Africa, why do you love it so much?” I would be a rich woman. If I had a nickel for every strange face, smart-ass remark, glazed over look, I received when I tell people about my life in Africa; I would be an even richer woman. To answer the first question, and to potentially put an end to the second effect, I need to speak up. It’s taken me time to formulate why I love Africa so much, and a [View Full Entry]

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I got to thinking about religion the other day. My life here is saturated with religion all around me. 95% of the Gambian population is Muslim; about 4% are Christian, and about 1% practice traditional religions such as animism. It is not uncommon for someone to ask me upon our first meeting, “Are you a Christian”? Christianity here is different than the traditional Christian living we associate with in the United States. It’s not Jerry Falwell, born again, hand raising in church Christians. By saying you are a Christian basically just says you are not a Muslim. It doesn&rsqu [View Full Entry]

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Perhaps one of the primary reasons I am not interested in having children is because I know I’m going to have “embarrassing parent syndrome”…all the time. I got a kitty yesterday, his name is 3pac. Like 2pac the martyr rapper (who is still alive, like Elvis) only with a 3. He is gorgeous, white with grey splotches and big Yoda ears. Anyway, I was chasing him all over the house yesterday to try and get him to take a picture. I took about 20 pictures of the friggin cat. A symptom of embarrassing parent syndrome for sure. My compound friend, Fatou, [View Full Entry]

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(The internet has been out for several day, and the electricity has been on and off, which is why these two posts are back to back. There is about a week’s time in between them.) I went down to Gunjur again this weekend, with my friend Babadingding, and his sister Kaddi. Time spent in Gunjur is always appreciated. Both by the people I stay with there, and by me. It is a nice get-a-way from the every day life in Bakau. Saturday was a track and field competition for the secondary schools there, and in the evening, there was a “club” [View Full Entry]

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I feel like an African woman. Although my strength and fortitude is in no parallel, I'm beginning to re-live my life as on, a white, less strong version of one. I have been very domestic lately, which is fairly unlike me. Especially in the department of cleaning. Because of all the bugs and sand and little critters that get into your home, it is essential that you scrub the floors, BOP spray (insecticide) and sweep frequently. Otherwise, your house becomes a sest pool of insects you dont even want to look at in a magazine. So I decided to be very [View Full Entry]

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I'm only going to put a quote in this posting. I'm tired, and hot, and hungry, and I haven't showered in four days. And besides, sometimes people can say things better than I can. So today, I will gladly let them. Quote of the day- “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman [View Full Entry]

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I had a most tremendous, productive day. I met my friends Kelly and Greg at Come In for a little lunch, and then Kelly took me to her internship sight. She works at the Center for street child and child trafficking. The director, Mr. Louis, has such a great passion for getting Gambian kids off the streets and into schools. And I felt that passion, I really did. He offered me work there and opportunities to go on several trips with his organization. The place also deals with child sex-tourism, which is a huge problem here. I would love to do [View Full Entry]

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