A few shots on the way back from Mbour. A common sight all over Africa to see animals tied on top of the public transportation but for you newbies I thought you'd like to see it. The sign for Ndiass with the line through it is how they mark 'exiting city limits'. I thought it was funny. At the start of the town you see the sign with just the name, and on the outskirts, the name with a line through it indicating you are leaving the limits. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today was Uncle Yacouba's 21st birthday; I think the kids were more excited than he was. We gave him a thumb drive and a backpack; very practical gifts for a returning student! They all made him special cards; Kaijah drew him with a pot of gold, Keagan with cake and ice cream and Leila with sheep! So, I guess he was happy with his imaginary gifts as well as the real ones! We are still trying to get him into the French school by our house. It is about 1/6th the cost of the American Senegalese School we're looking at and [View Full Entry]

---

---

Chekaraou Family The Motorcycle - (Entry restored post server crash) Keagan has been waiting for this ride since before we left the USA!So, Djibril and I decided to buy a motorcycle; against my better judgement because of the accident thing and traffic. We got one that is sort of a hybrid between a scooter and a motorcycle. Anyway, once we chose it we had to go and buy an insurance policy before the dealership could release it to us. So, we go visit one company and after much discussion, we discover than motorcycle insurance does not cover any damage to a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, it is official! Kaijah is black! Look at this hairdoo! Is she not the cutest thing! You would not believe the amount of negotiation that went into getting dad to agree to 'fake hair' extensions. I love the golden highlights; they look so beautiful with her skin. This makes her look so grown up though; not sure how I feel about that! [View Full Entry]

---

---

Horseback Riding Lessons Africa » Senegal » Dakar By Uwargida July 24th 2007 Chekaraou Family The children started horseback riding lessons last week. I was amazed at how well they all did. Even Leila who busted the front of her head the first week and the top of it the second! She was a trooper though! She told the teacher she couldn't trot because [View Full Entry]

---

---

I decided to start a little section I will call "Africa Moments".... You know you're in Africa when: your police accident report contains the phrase "horse cart". Yes, it happened. I was sideswiped by a horse cart! The iron bar holding the cart went right through the driver's side passenger window. Thank God I didn't have my baby in the backseat because it would have taken her head right off. And, if it was about 12 inches further toward the front, it would have taken mine off! The bar completely broke out the back window and bent the metal frame between [View Full Entry]

---

---

With the extra adults in the house to watch babies, Djibo and I were able to get away for one night without worrying about the house burning down! We went to Mbour and stayed in a little hut literally on the ocean front. It was amazing, you walk out the front door and you are right on the beach! We seemed to be the only ones around except for a few employees so we had a taste of what it might be like to own an island like a big film star! Strange though, sharing the beach with a pack of [View Full Entry]

---

---

Yes, my baby is four! I can't even believe it! We celebrated with fine dining at Pizza Passy and steak hachee sandwiches up the road from our house followed by a day at Magic Land, an amusement park here in Dakar. It was a nice time. Keagan had fun riding the bull, which Kaijah had to try and of course, got hurt. Leila wanted to as well, and when we refused because we didn’t want her to get hurt, she pitched a fit and stormed off pouting. We finally got the guy to let her pose on the one-horned bull [View Full Entry]

---

---

Happy Independence Day! (July 4, 2007) Hello Dear Friends and Family, (June 22-23) I am sitting in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa and nursing a nice glass of red wine. I was wondering if I should take this opportunity to enjoy a good book, or catch up on the blog. I opened the last draft I had written and it was dated April 26, so the blog won! Most of what I’d put in it is very outdated, but will still be news to most of you. I don’t actually have internet connection in this room but that [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hello Friends, Wow! We are really back in Africa! It feels funny in some ways; we wanted it for so long, it is hard to believe that we are actually here. Well, first off, we did not receive DJ’s passport in time for the family to travel together, so I left with Keagan and Kaijah on the 26th of March, and Djibril stayed behind with Leila and DJ. They arrived on Easter morning so we were able to hold Easter Bunny festivities together. Kaijah’s first comment at the airport was that Dakar was very busy and noisy. If you have ever [View Full Entry]

---

---