While it is with moderate lightness in Senegal that i can throw around salaam aleikums, and with tempered righteousness that I can accept being banned from the inside of most mosques - it is with absolute sincerity that I nodded in accordance with the wish of many of my friends upon leaving: Please. Pray for Senegal. And every non-believer cell of me is… As like never before in Senegal, there is "political unrest" over what most consider to be the illegal candidacy of the current president (Wade) for the next presidential office term. As it is Wade himself who had made an amendment to the constitution capping a president's reign two terms - yet he now is running for a third. Will the people hold their president to his own decision and to their own constitution? ... read more

part iii of iv ...lutte is a lot about multitasking in Senegal, one needs to adapt early to sleeping, eating, reading, writing, watching t.v., dancing and conversing all in the milieu of ten other people doing any one or two of these activities as well. there is little peace and no concept of privacy or consideration of others' physical or psychological needs that i have seen or felt. for better or worse in Senegal, life goes on around you, and yours goes on around others. loudly. absently. (as for when sex happens, i am still wondering about this...). until today, i had only caught lutte at its extremes: a) on the beach - where there is no expectation that focus be given to one set of two tiny boys sparring amid the array of beach hullabaloo ... read more

part i of iv 'lutte' is the highly acclaimed and deeply beloved Senegalese national sport – and is essentially a traditional form of wrestling... ...and considering i don't even like the western world version of lutte, my enthusiasm for attending a local match tonight was driven only by curiosity...and a desire to break through my aloof attitude towards something so important to a country I love. and that I did. i normally catch lutte on the beach. often towards sundown, boys and young men begin their very casual, definitely unrefereed matches. having never bothered to inquire with friends, i still have no clear idea of what goes, what doesn't go, and what is considered below the belt. once in a while, I catch the other extreme of lutte: very professional and definitely refereed. these major matches ... read more

heya readers...just posting the last 2 blogs that went unposted. but first some UPDATES (blog follows): Alhamdoulilah! for Senegal's peaceful elections - and now see what's up with Youssou! http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/20124423740606908.html And please now put your focus and thoughts to Mali, not the coup, but rather to the insurgence of Tuareg rebels, allegedly paired with al-Qaeda fighters who have taken over northern Mali. I walked those towns and met those people and think of them now struggling for their survival, freedom and decency under the rule of the rebels and fighters. I'm trying to get a piece written on the refugees in Bamako, wish me luck, and keep updated: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/africa/2012/04/13/malis-fracturing-ethnic-divides (though unfortunately, this tells you nothing of the life of refugees, and those... read more

So folks, i am within hours away of going back to, or rather once again, returning, to Senegal, and thought i should at least give you the last few fotos. Minus any commentary. in september, i found myself, finally settling, after years, into which family, circle, language, social position(s) i feel comfortable with. let's see if that all goes to camel poo and see what happens this time 'round... ...los geht's! more pictures below...... read more