Sorry, I know it's been a while since I even visited my own blog :-))) Thanks for the comments...
The truth is my routine is not that exciting. I go to work 5 days a week, which so far means sitting in an office and trying to put together a Kiva manual for the MFI. A step by step manual that will make it easier for them to process their Kiva loans. It's pretty boring and technical. The kicker is I AM DOING IT IN FRENCH... At first I wasn't too thrilled about it but I've gotten into it and am actually enjoying it and appreciating what it's doing for my French :-))
On weekends I try to go to the beach at least once and sometimes go out for a drink in the evening with a few of the friends I've made here. It's an uncomplicated and laid back life, which so far is working for me. After years of not being able to read on a continuous basis, I finally have the time to do all the reading I want.
Thanks to my friend Aysegul who does the ordering for me I always have a good supply of books on my Nook. I e-mail her the list of books I want, she orders them for me on the Barnes & Nobles website and I get to download them on my end onto my Nook. We finally figured out a system and it's working beautifully. Thanks Aysegul'cugum. Right now I am on Homer's Illiad. Never knew what a violent story it was...
Well, since there isn't that much to write about, I figured you would all appreciate "a day in the life of Lorin" through pictures. Since most of you are dealing with temperatures around freezing levels, I thought these pictures of the day I just spent at the beach will either be appreciated or cursed at :-))
The beach photos are taken from my regular spot at the beach at Yoff. It's a 20-25 minute walk from where I am staying. That particular spot costs me $3.00 and I can stay for the whole day if I want. Today the surf was a little higher than usual - good for surfing. I haven't been able to go in the water yet since I can't leave my stuff unattended. However, there is always such a nice breeze that it is very comfortable to just sit and read or nap or people watch. I do all three....
The other pictures are from my walk back from the beach. I just wanted to give you all a flavor of what the streets of Yoff - a mostly residential neighborhood near the airport - are like. Yoff is considered a nice/upper middle class suburb of Dakar.
Enjoy!!!!
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| The beach at Yoff |
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| The house where I am staying is in that neighborhood in the distance |
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| That's my spot to the left |
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| The sand is really very fine |
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| Here's my view |
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| Today, there wasn't anyone else in this particular section I go to |
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| Dogs at the beach..... I watched one of them do his business right on the sand before he went in |
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| Exercising and showing off at the beach seem to be a very popular pass time for the Senegalese men |
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| Oh yeah.... let's not forget these |
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3 very cute little girls with their mother...
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| One of the streets I go through on my way to and from the beach |
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| A fruit stand |
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| A goat looking for food |
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| ... and those that have found it |
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| The Island of Yoff - I don't think anyone lives there |
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| Welcome to Bed, Bath & Beyond - the Senegalese version |
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| Anybody need shoes??? |
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| How about furniture.... |
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| I think I found the store to buy my next party dress |
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This is a pretty good size grocery store
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| Closest thing to a department store - right on the street |
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| Home Depot |
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| It's watermelon season and they're good |
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| For both humans and animals |
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| Not a bad place to put your laundry out to dry - a construction site by a main road |
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| Way too many goats around looking for food |
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| It's Christmas in Dakar |
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| This is the bakery where I get a croissant every now and then. They're pretty good |
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Soccer time
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| A pretty common vision - cars with missing parts |
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| The neighborhood laundromat |
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| I guess it is the Michelin dealership |
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| The local Nike store |
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| They look good but I don't have the guts to buy them on the street. They sit all day in the sun under a plastic cover |
