Update from Paris from a terrible terrible blog write!

I guess I will never be a hardcore blogger as my ability to post on a regular basis is pretty inadequate. But the benefit of keeping a blog this way is that when I do post, the posts are exciting and full of cool news.

Here is the latest post from Paris!


--The end of the school year wrapped up fairly nicely (I hope at least, we’ll see when we get the final marks)! There were actually moments of stress for the last month or so - trying to get papers written and studying for tests. I think we had more work in the last month or two than we had combined in the 6 months prior. But the work was interesting. I wrote a paper about religion and violence against women in Senegal and about political representation of women in parliament in Senegal and in Canada. Despite all our differences, Senegal and Canada have almost the exact same % of women in parliament!

Other than school work, the end of the year was marked by the arrival of my dearest friend Maxime. She came with 14 other OttawaU students for a 3 week research course and then half of them continued on for a 2 month internship in and around Saint Louis. Despite the internships being less than wonderful, it was nice for me because I got to visit Maxime twice in her village (a process that involves taking lots of sketchy transport that includes sharing your space with dead fish and live goats!!!). It is quite nice to spend time in a village where the biggest excitement of the day is going to the fields and sorting ‘good’ onions from ‘bad’ onions (mushy/rotten ones). Definitely a nice pace of life! And the food is amazing!

After all our work wrapped up, summer holidays really began! Adam arrived for his first “Africa” trip on July 1st and I got the very very weird experience of going to meet him at the airport about 9 months apart. For those of you that know Adam it will come as no surprise that he fit right in from the moment he arrived and took everything relaxed and in-stride!

We spent a few days in Dakar, a few days in Saint Louis and then headed south to Guinea- Conakry to see some tropical forest before cutting north again to The Gambia and back to Dakar! A 3 week whirlwind tour with LOTS of time spent in cars on unimaginably bad roads. When I say bad roads, I mean…horrendous! As in, 21 hours for 250 km…

Granted, that was more because our engine burst on fire and fried the headlights so we had to spend the night in the car but on a normal day that 250 km still takes 10 ½ hours (which really isn’t a whole lot better).

We went to Guinea because the girls (Annie, Genet and Lenny) were headed there as the first stop on their travels (which will take them all the way to Cameroun). It was quite fun travelling in a group like that and Adam certainly got bonding time with the girls after several hours crammed in tiny cars overloaded with people.

In Senegal the ‘smallest’ and fastest form of transport is a station-wagony car that holds 7 people – hence the name 7-place. The Senegalese have fairly strict rules about the number of passengers in a vehicule and in general the rules are fairly well enforced. In Guinea they do not have these rules! I believe the highest number we reached of people crammed inside and on the roof was 14. That includes a family of 7 in the back row of the station wagon (mom, dad and 5 kids…oh and the mom was pregnant). Ah, Guinea!!

Cool side story: On our way into Guinea, just after crossing the border we came across a big black scorpion on the road! Our driver stopped and he and the apprenti (the helper who usually rides on the roof of the car to help with luggage, fixing the car, walking through puddles first to find a path if they are too deep…etc. etc) jumped out and proceeded to catch the scorpion with a piece of string by the stinger. They then hung it up in a tree on the side of the road! We all stood and watched in fascination – not getting too close!!! Apparently this is what all drivers do who see a black scorpion in the day time because at night, if you break down, you have no chance of seeing it and a black scorpion sting is the most painful. Not fatal, but painful!

So – transportation excitement apart! In Guinea we spent 2 days in Labe. A small-ish town not far from some beautiful waterfalls and wonderful hiking hills. We rented moto-taxis (all five of us) and visited the waterfalls (a rough 30 km road that took about an hour to do). It was quite spectacular and we even almost got caught in an awesome thunderous rain shower! The only draw back was that Adam and Annie’s drivers were CRAZY and drove much much to fast. Adam’s driver may even have been drinking! Eek but there were no major accidents (Annie’s driver skidded a bit just at the end, so she got a bit bruised but nothing too serious!).

In Labe we left the girls and headed back towards Senegal. This is when we had our 21 hour car ride and sleeping in the car adventure. And then proceeded to wait ALL day for a 7 place to fill up…which it never did so we got stuck spending a night in Koundara. Which would have been fine but unfortunately Adam had caught something and got increasingly more and more sick. So he spent the night running to the bathroom with a mad fever, chills, dizziness, headaches and super painful cramps! I was sure he had malaria and was about to keel over and I wouldn’t know what to do stuck in this middle of nowhere town – far away from any form of hospital…But then again, I was really tired from spending the night in the car so to be honest I just passed out asleep and left Adam to his sickly agony. When I awoke in the morning, Adam was much better and ready to hit the road again…

(We eventually made it to a clinic in Georgetown, Gambia and turns out it wasn’t malaria…we walked into the clinic, Adam described his symptoms and without any questions or tests or analysis the nurse proceeded to prescribed about 18 different pills to be taken for the next month and a half….aahh, over-medicating! The easiest solution! Are you sick? Okay, take ALL these pills…eventually one will succeed in making you feel better! We turned down the pills but did manage to convince her to give him a malaria test! Negative. And with the wonder drug Cypro, Adam was soon feeling much better and eating full meals again!)

The adventures continued in The Gambia where we took a boat trip to see hippos (didn’t see any) and monkeys (saw three kinds)! Spent fun times haggling in the market in Banjul! And went for some long walks looking for birds.

All in all the trip went by much too fast. And before we knew it we were sitting in Lisbon, Portugal waiting for our connecting flight to Paris (where I wrote most of this blog). We didn’t quite make our connection in Lisbon since we had to go through customs and the line was super long! But TAP put us on the next flight and gave us food vouchers and phone cards! I was pretty happy with that option, feeling quite content to discover that that incompetency and delays happen no matter where you go in the world! Adam didn’t quite see it the same way and may have shared some harsh words with the man who gave us the transfer ticket – eek. I guess I am just happy that my departure from Senegal wasn’t too abrupt. We even had two Senegalese women in line behind us who squeezed in front as we rounded a turn – in true Senegalese style of not waiting your turn!!! Ahh, I miss it all already (and this isn’t sarcastic).

Now for the big big news! I don’t have to miss Senegal for that long because instead of going home to Canada after my trip to Denmark I will be heading back to Dakar for 4 more months! ;) Woohoo! I have been given the opportunity to do a coop work term with CIDA in Dakar and I start September 8th!

I am entirely sure how I managed to be so lucky that this all worked out but I am super excited and think it will be an amazing experience. Some of our Congolese friends in Dakar have promised to help me find an apartment or a room in a place for the 4 months - and I work until December 11th.

Despite knowing that I will be going back, I do miss Senegal a little already! We are in Paris having a fantastic time (Eiffel tour, Notre Dame, Louvre, parks, La Seine...etc.) but I find it very strange to walk down the street and not hear people call out "toubab" (white person) or not have taxis honking at me every 2 minutes....or not have to haggle with the metro conductor about the price of my bag to be loaded on the roof....not to mention being in the majority once again (Paris is multi-cultural but people of light skin tone are still the majority for sure!)

The first time we walked out of the metro it was all too much and I had to really control myself from breaking down in tears on the streets of Paris. It just all seems so foreign and although I know I can get used to it all again - I am not sure I want to...I am not sure I am ready to...

Okay - long enough update for one time! Adam and I are off to Denmark tomorrow to see my family. I can't wait to see my parents and Torsten and Kelly again. Despite missing Senegal and feeling strange and out of sorts - I have been looking forward to being in Copenhagen with the family for a loonng time...so no more tears! Just good times and for now, I am going to try to keep the saying in mind that is written on Annie's ring ---- "You are where you a meant to be"

More More More...this is not procrastination....again...regard from the bottom up....

That is all folks! I have done my picture updating for the year...
Hope you enjoy!




And this is when the moto broke. I am just jinxed with motos. They always break! At least we were almost in Saint Louis at this point...

No no, it isn't dangerous to take photos and drive at the same time! (Seriously...there were no other cars around and I was very careful...I promise!!!!)

The river and Omar

Cows coming from a bath. I was tempted to swim because it was sooo hot but my friend told me that last time he swam here he got Bilharzia...a very NOT fun sickness you can get from fresh water....yikes!!!


This is a water purification station at a small village called Ndiol! I went there with a friend to visit the fields and see some country-life.

Those little black pastic bags tied all along the railings? That's right...barf bags....We took the boat back from Casamance to Dakar. We had a good ride but it can get quite rough. It is an overnight trip...


Pretty colours! At our auberge in Cap skiring..

Can you spot Lenny?

Diembering! Where we spent easter with new found friends!



Hot! It is very very hot!


I just really really wanna pet one....just...a little...


A cool eccentric book store in Ziganchour!

So serene...we shut off the motor at one point and just drifted! It was wonderful...


Our friendly guides and boat experts...

We took this boat into the Baobolong wetland reserve! We didn't see crocs but we did see a rare fishing owl! Exciting!!

The boats are ready to go...where are the people?

WOAH

Cute eh?

All the boys out for some friendly soccer!


Aaahh

See!!!


Toubab Diallo! Beautiful beyond belief...

Random photo catch-up time! Start from the bottom and workyour way up......

Baobab and animals taking refuge in its shade. All those big leafy leaves...they really protect well!!

I seem to have found some colour...

On the beach again...nana nanana....on the beach again....

Ahhh


Beautiful, isn't it?

Joal-Fadiout is also known for its Christian-Muslim cemetary on an island made of shells!


Drying something - think it was fishy!

The Mosque. Joal-Fadiout are two twin towns known for their big mosque and their equally big church!

Pigs - lots of them...big fat pigs! Mostly just astonishing because in Saint Louis I have never seen pigs....well, there are two that live on campus (and don't worry, I asked...they do not have the flu) but they don't often venture out...

Lenny and shells...

Big turtle shell in Joal. Met a funny French man doing an environmental eco-tourism project thing that involved raising awareness about the plight of turtles...very complicated!

Baaba Maal! Big Senegalese musician...absolutely incredible!

Lenny's dad on his quick trip to Senegal! And Samantha...and the sky...

Left overs from a war... Seems much more useful (and peaceful) to use guns as climbing toys!

Isle de Gorée - what a haunting past!

So romantic eh?

Imagine back to the days when people looked at the ocean and had no idea what was out there...

Isn't it pretty! Do you see why I just can't leave...

Beach with Alia and Ismael - the gang!

Look ANIMALS

Park de Geumbel - there used to be water here! Someone drank it all....yikes

Like this guy taking a nap in the cave-hole in the ground that he dug!!

Baby tortoises - that will one day be big huge tortoises...

Ismael Ismael Ismael

Cows cows cows

Ibrahima - he made a bracelet for me. He goes to the local abbatoir to pick up cow horns and then makes cool things out of them! Very sweet guy...

Chilling on the beach in a campement! Eating yummy food and jamming! I believe this was Genet's birthday celebration day!

Pretty bracelets made from cow horns!

Aimée, our dearest Congolese friend!

The birds are taking off. Where do you think they will go?

What a beautiful house in front of a beautiful garbage dump!




Goats out for play..

This boat got lost...

The garbage dump....pretty small enclosure...

On a walk to Saint Louis - about 10 km from the University. Scenery can be beautiful...and then you see this...yes, it is burning garbage!

I went to the Muslim baptism of a friend. This is his mom and his baby niece. She was 7 days old. The Muslim tradition is that the baby isn't named for 7 days and then on the 7th day you have a big party....Binta was the name chosen for her!

Out for a walk with friends...taking a break...

The beach in Guet Ndar, the fishing quartier of Saint Louis - hmm, this photo doesn't show up as well on here...dommage!

The whole following. Unfortunately the spiritual leader isn't in the photo.

This is from our adventure to Touba to participate in the Magal of the Mouride Brotherhood. It was a little intensely religious but we got served fantastic food!!

Annie and Ismael chilling on the beach...

Djodj bird park. There are flamingos out there somewhere...

Moto ladies! Looks closely, you might see that Lenny's is missing a light and a pedal and my just might be missing a motor...eee

One BIG Baobab tree....spirits live inside.

Happy New Years in Tougan!



I just love the photo - makes me think of a wild west train...

Tear gas canister. I had never seen one, have you?

The footprints of the monster that lives in the lake!


Mud fighting at the dunes near campus! A beautiful calm and serene place to take a walk...


When we were in Podor we went with a friend to a village (we took a horse cart...poor horse!!) and then proceeded to eat 3 lunches. Refusing is rude and no one told us that we had 3 invites. Sure wish I hadn't eaten so much from that first plate!!!

I like to pretend I am classy and climb on to big fancy river-cruise boats!

All the beautiful ladies. The princesses of the people's republic of watermelon seeds!

From our voyage to Podor!!



I recognize I have been a terrible blogger in the last while - well, let's be honest...since the beginning. But this is the attempt to redeem myself!

Here is a whole slew of photos to catch everyone up on my life!

They are a bit random - from here and there and everywhere!