Blogs from Dakar, Cape Verde Peninsula, Senegal, Africa - page 8

Not mere moments after taking off from Milan for Dakar and already I was greeted, once again, by that name familiar to millions (of women, in Africa, that is): sistah! I love it. Anyway one of the ten passengers on my late night flight came over to my row to ask me to fill in his carte d'embarquement (customs form) for him. I told him I wouldn't know what to put on it--as most of you know I am super gullible so my immediate desire is to do whatever I can to help in these situations, but I genuinely was thinking to myself, how on earth do I fill this out for him--and he turned away disappointed. Luckily a Senegalese guy on the other side of the aisle stepped in and of course then it hit ... read more

When I was a kid, Dr. Suess' "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" was a personal favorite. How I developed a fear of fish - live or dead - as an adult is a bit perplexing. Now this fear does not extend to eating the little guys. I enjoy them (particularly Flounder, Tilapia and Salmon) grilled, fried and pretty much any way you can serve them. But to actually touch them is another story! So it was with a little trepidation and a lot of curiosity that I headed out to Soumbedioune, a fish market on the beach in Dakar. You can find people milling around the area most of the afternoon but the joint really gets jumping around 5pm just as the sun is starting to set. Dozens upon dozens of fishermen drag ... read more

Having a December birthday has always meant that it's cold, and sometimes even snowy on your special day. 79 degrees and sunny just does not feel like my birthday. I never realized how much weather is a part of my life...we associate so many events and holidays with the weather that goes with them. It didn't really feel like we should have been celebrating Thanksgiving without the chilly, fall weather, and it certainly didn't seem like my birthday would ever be celebrated without pulling on the winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, etc. and trudging through the slush. My friend Andrew offered to throw bits of white confetti over me in order to induce thoughts of snow, but once I realized how ridiculous that sounds, I ignored what I considered to be "unseasonal" weather. We decided to ... read more

Ever since I met her three months ago, my dear friend Sarah has been reminding me that her beloved state, Oklahoma, would be celebrating its centennial during our stay here in Dakar. While my pride in being an Ohioan is slowly growing, I can most certainly assure you that I did not celebrate its bicentennial four years ago, nor do I know of anyone else who did. Sarah, on the other hand, has had a countdown going and planned a celebration for us to attend. The official Oklahoma Centennial website recommended a pork barbecue, but since it's nearly impossible to find pork in Muslim countries, we settled for a little potluck celebration at Sarah's house. Since I live in a house without a stove, oven, or microwave, I decided to bring my imported Swedish Fish (thanks, ... read more

Okay, so you know how in the States, if someone sends you a package, you get a little piece of paper as a notice on your door or in your mailbox; then you go to the post office or DHL, UPS or Fed Ex office, Greyhound Bus Station, Airline office, or wherever, and you give them the piece of paper, maybe present some ID and they give you the package and you go home? Humm....let me tell you how you pick up a package in Dakar... The air freight office calls and tells you they have received a package for you. You get in your car to drive to the airport. Now, if you live on the east side of town, you would normally take the autoroute north and drive about 5 minutes and exit on ... read more