tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27281614288983493572024-03-05T09:02:49.764-08:00Beautiful SenegalA journal I will keep to stay in touch with friends and family during my 4 month stay in Dakar, Senegal as a Kiva fellow - November 1, 2010 to February 21, 2011Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-81063897122890119982011-01-18T13:54:00.000-08:002011-01-18T13:54:03.609-08:00FINALLY..... Vacation time is here :-))<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Hi everyone,<br />
<br />
This will probably be my last posting before I take a week off and go to the southern region of Senegal called Casamance for a mini vacation. It has touristy spots (even a Club Med) but where I will be going is a small fishing village on the Atlantic called Abene. One of the son's of the family I am staying with works at a compound there, owned by a Dutch woman. It is suppose to be very basic - small clean huts not far from the beach and NO ELECTRICITY..... I am told the food is very good (mostly daily caught fish that one buys on the beach as the fishermen come back at the end of the day), the sea and the beach very beautiful, nature plentiful with some amazing species of birds and nothing much to do except just sit and watch the day go by. Can't wait.....<br />
<br />
Then I will come back and have 3 more weeks of Kiva work. This time however, I will not be in an office but will be visiting borrowers in different parts of the country. I saved the best part of the job for last :-))) I am really excited about the prospect of meeting actual borrowers and seeing more of the country.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, here is another photo essay from the last couple of weeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79JnAKWqwVhM6hutBl47iVC42c7Tc1VsJ4VqQu72l5A-nozgCPcTLknFH2xc8bbfsGr2mE47SUJYCu5GpT5GOGgXAPhs0xKapoufmBXEoFu_xOUnSCEthpdWfw8M5Lb7FPgDyBCOk6f7k/s1600/holiday+party+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79JnAKWqwVhM6hutBl47iVC42c7Tc1VsJ4VqQu72l5A-nozgCPcTLknFH2xc8bbfsGr2mE47SUJYCu5GpT5GOGgXAPhs0xKapoufmBXEoFu_xOUnSCEthpdWfw8M5Lb7FPgDyBCOk6f7k/s320/holiday+party+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the entrance of the "Art Village" </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBu4hSpCadPCEztiKpYeKdU4fQgEorS7PnQ9gQqOQWRnwVupZ7-KSLZ6vY872EFuPBfrmYj2JByPtlkxBT-WRWUNrcZRxP-qjvgACzqVH0Wi_xBcOKhFlPx60_xBGsTzczsYlKEN_-e1z/s1600/holiday+party+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBu4hSpCadPCEztiKpYeKdU4fQgEorS7PnQ9gQqOQWRnwVupZ7-KSLZ6vY872EFuPBfrmYj2JByPtlkxBT-WRWUNrcZRxP-qjvgACzqVH0Wi_xBcOKhFlPx60_xBGsTzczsYlKEN_-e1z/s320/holiday+party+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am not kidding - this is a car wash...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1dYSsy39v5g6tr9s5q2CNuaXBIQBY4elkh9XJ4RHVwNNR8t2BiPwejeNCSWa84PxAPAKPRN7zkm7tDp4OtA5aScPlR4f6Sjv0C9SYikrB4_O11OcmGaR67EUrU76vPCTYVk53-dLsCpv/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1dYSsy39v5g6tr9s5q2CNuaXBIQBY4elkh9XJ4RHVwNNR8t2BiPwejeNCSWa84PxAPAKPRN7zkm7tDp4OtA5aScPlR4f6Sjv0C9SYikrB4_O11OcmGaR67EUrU76vPCTYVk53-dLsCpv/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf anyone????</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l-qgrvqLk8yi2iKfvChHSmnXQBOY_XpBlEvNxzsq7EgjQU0TZSHjLIE076d22nov7cDhspG6P50yuOLATHY8xbLnVoLgjeOIFbn96bVRuosoGqY_Fr_BNExIs0r0IwdCXoCI5Vqkfcac/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l-qgrvqLk8yi2iKfvChHSmnXQBOY_XpBlEvNxzsq7EgjQU0TZSHjLIE076d22nov7cDhspG6P50yuOLATHY8xbLnVoLgjeOIFbn96bVRuosoGqY_Fr_BNExIs0r0IwdCXoCI5Vqkfcac/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I first saw this statue, I thought the yellow one was a bear and I thought how appropriate given the state of our economy :-))) When I got closer, I realized it is suppose to be a lion - I think so anyway....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8eQn4QdB4r6ozP08hYrNjJ5WBCLr594c7USKTbWuITE-5WUk0sdNhd7AfrchNA8nRpb5XpQ2udrQCwU5AhHf43BhMlWbDwrqW6Rh3J8O2nZyCsH6Auhk6kpayvUPIdTVIFlRxc03drcs/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8eQn4QdB4r6ozP08hYrNjJ5WBCLr594c7USKTbWuITE-5WUk0sdNhd7AfrchNA8nRpb5XpQ2udrQCwU5AhHf43BhMlWbDwrqW6Rh3J8O2nZyCsH6Auhk6kpayvUPIdTVIFlRxc03drcs/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+035.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the butcher shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpESXEe2aEDu8tpJWs889swTVjY_x4PMgmcDNYVc3k77VFsjHE78WM_lbAzqCYL0wf2tTFtDV2MXBmPOnZCysxVcOOhoxe8OQkrVS4EEcuO5g6qQA7QFgSQJV64faqLGNVAHAaXhOU8Sa/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpESXEe2aEDu8tpJWs889swTVjY_x4PMgmcDNYVc3k77VFsjHE78WM_lbAzqCYL0wf2tTFtDV2MXBmPOnZCysxVcOOhoxe8OQkrVS4EEcuO5g6qQA7QFgSQJV64faqLGNVAHAaXhOU8Sa/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's more of a butcher stand, actually..... The meat sits exposed to the elements on a counter right on the street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENtO9jlrIlmhVO_nK7_fp6h8m3srm1CN7DxwxcvW4QpEWYKIVF3bF-euQU2UdngiafStwLD0WgigOFCyuzg3nnM67RRQjCVkjLf5m1K_PzylaQzt__lnz0uBRakf531EdZALX1yecw-px/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENtO9jlrIlmhVO_nK7_fp6h8m3srm1CN7DxwxcvW4QpEWYKIVF3bF-euQU2UdngiafStwLD0WgigOFCyuzg3nnM67RRQjCVkjLf5m1K_PzylaQzt__lnz0uBRakf531EdZALX1yecw-px/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the car wash</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUBmKBQvf2oaGJ1X_GRQgOfBALN8fSO4C_Vj76eA46lcQaRHa3KDqVUhtsqxAJsE92d5l4AtwTuzykETmRs3xjT906nKSkBVgRTmp8wG5vFtcQ-oytqHVwdRYsxS0wHEDKzvuuoxlp_Nk/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUBmKBQvf2oaGJ1X_GRQgOfBALN8fSO4C_Vj76eA46lcQaRHa3KDqVUhtsqxAJsE92d5l4AtwTuzykETmRs3xjT906nKSkBVgRTmp8wG5vFtcQ-oytqHVwdRYsxS0wHEDKzvuuoxlp_Nk/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Istanbul Furniture Store - have become fast friends with the owner, Mustafa, who is from Izmir. He imports IKEA like furniture from Turkey and assembles it here. Have toget a picture of him too at some point.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBpTJNwvyXVQjXzFlrhXGFVg2RNFlMWvR5qu72Itsyztt_RMHv0cOWDdtm7QJ2eJGri6PG6C6yY-T8Jl9L_RgMffhje4cABRo0u9G1vZzDjhDq2RW7uVlr1U4VGrGKTEDbnhk5rdMbHjp/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBpTJNwvyXVQjXzFlrhXGFVg2RNFlMWvR5qu72Itsyztt_RMHv0cOWDdtm7QJ2eJGri6PG6C6yY-T8Jl9L_RgMffhje4cABRo0u9G1vZzDjhDq2RW7uVlr1U4VGrGKTEDbnhk5rdMbHjp/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the company Holiday Party for the children of the employees - Yacine in the middle is the Kiva Coordinator with whom I work the most. She is very sweet. Aita to the left is the teller at the Yoff branch where I spend my days. They're both beautiful women but for some reason, people here don't smile very much when they're having their picture taken.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrdmQjhV5Q7OqieqBuMnaTRUDpsf9dxujY1qzZhZI_Hq4mnt_F6sfk7TEG71vjJzoTApqzutUMNMo2nFEqPOcZLbxLys6MS8sO7gAClIl6BG92lDNp7LszOB7NwANDhBpNfD-hcPSkCrL/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrdmQjhV5Q7OqieqBuMnaTRUDpsf9dxujY1qzZhZI_Hq4mnt_F6sfk7TEG71vjJzoTApqzutUMNMo2nFEqPOcZLbxLys6MS8sO7gAClIl6BG92lDNp7LszOB7NwANDhBpNfD-hcPSkCrL/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+013.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just fell in love with him. The hat was just too much..... especially considering it is 80 degrees outside.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3akmHpZ4z8aDiOjcALEP-3AdLWZF6ZFSaUhSGIc4GYsnsEEGJyw9ZWnglFr-idltGXuuFeyvWQb18ClJxt6AzNEONFfUHoGjCQZF-0JT3q3EVIPOoniDsEnstBZI97eWqdKqpb5ZzAyNS/s1600/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3akmHpZ4z8aDiOjcALEP-3AdLWZF6ZFSaUhSGIc4GYsnsEEGJyw9ZWnglFr-idltGXuuFeyvWQb18ClJxt6AzNEONFfUHoGjCQZF-0JT3q3EVIPOoniDsEnstBZI97eWqdKqpb5ZzAyNS/s320/U-IMCEC+Holiday+Party+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yacine, her nieces and their friends with Santa. Every child got a gift. It was very nicely done.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHC-95p71gUSB_3Bv-XhssPp46N3Fsu9c_1EKvDL2ZT89fhBmq8B_U69XHVqfyuS3dHAlBNW4vgcrMqpwv8uV55fWsTMPDNYelcCuXoPizFs3N7yabh3brrDc07DVFRWWs9bFpg4acVnt/s1600/ALEEF+AL-OUMA+meeting+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHC-95p71gUSB_3Bv-XhssPp46N3Fsu9c_1EKvDL2ZT89fhBmq8B_U69XHVqfyuS3dHAlBNW4vgcrMqpwv8uV55fWsTMPDNYelcCuXoPizFs3N7yabh3brrDc07DVFRWWs9bFpg4acVnt/s320/ALEEF+AL-OUMA+meeting+001.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The security guard in front of the Yoff branch with one of the neighborhood kids</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9H5N2e3VKiNBu5DDwrucpMlOVWRSMORcHgX_W0FG5so-MCaLLgFGqyV00wj-OdmBksuJwFvrKp_7srGi2CNXso3LcuCZSnTXhdL7CFrQPtf3zPqGaBTGRRTPE22WNkSh0wzRkMjj4Q4Dg/s1600/ALEEF+AL-OUMA+meeting+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9H5N2e3VKiNBu5DDwrucpMlOVWRSMORcHgX_W0FG5so-MCaLLgFGqyV00wj-OdmBksuJwFvrKp_7srGi2CNXso3LcuCZSnTXhdL7CFrQPtf3zPqGaBTGRRTPE22WNkSh0wzRkMjj4Q4Dg/s320/ALEEF+AL-OUMA+meeting+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids in the neighborhood They love having their pictures taken and then look at it in the camers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i3QZk_MjMuGculQ3PJ3vBiGGqVDzPoYp_mJ_lGfp9V1CICoDlhCufjfITipnuicIfs-oPIRKSLC2R9nMW4ZjjSFxYEeAmnkKEhRDwKkU7SDj9eY8kysGEjliXIOtqGwZtr4XKq2GLtnQ/s1600/ALEEF+AL-OUMA+meeting+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i3QZk_MjMuGculQ3PJ3vBiGGqVDzPoYp_mJ_lGfp9V1CICoDlhCufjfITipnuicIfs-oPIRKSLC2R9nMW4ZjjSFxYEeAmnkKEhRDwKkU7SDj9eY8kysGEjliXIOtqGwZtr4XKq2GLtnQ/s320/ALEEF+AL-OUMA+meeting+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the office where I work. Since there are only 2 desks and two officers, I work at a small table at the very end (not visible in the photo) sitting on one of those plastic chairs. Oh yeah... we also share the office with a little mouse who makes regular visits. Never thought I'd be OK with a mouse running around :-)))</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGyaCxe6506AWMhZVOLlIfU7UXqd79Clh5TS0eAjiiCp1np1BJFJJ9lI9qd2-A55181I9eKEf2PQmeREfIBoCjTaXGyscOaalh6QugSyN92Yvjz-cbEoP0xEeU7rRloD0rhVq5Sx7Q5HF/s1600/Extras+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGyaCxe6506AWMhZVOLlIfU7UXqd79Clh5TS0eAjiiCp1np1BJFJJ9lI9qd2-A55181I9eKEf2PQmeREfIBoCjTaXGyscOaalh6QugSyN92Yvjz-cbEoP0xEeU7rRloD0rhVq5Sx7Q5HF/s320/Extras+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The teller's office where a Kiva borrower is making a payment</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT8xjmdrNHJJxCVS4ZKBaAn2aRL4WKHSRnjIJzyP3t3H2z8FdO8K6TmJ1zL-VEIg2u5_CP19BY13F1__cK5Mq-DeKwUbhsZXjyyPlihwbg__xkttpkVtBpJ8lpzxs3KLFyOMIRFhRO4iv/s1600/Extras+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT8xjmdrNHJJxCVS4ZKBaAn2aRL4WKHSRnjIJzyP3t3H2z8FdO8K6TmJ1zL-VEIg2u5_CP19BY13F1__cK5Mq-DeKwUbhsZXjyyPlihwbg__xkttpkVtBpJ8lpzxs3KLFyOMIRFhRO4iv/s320/Extras+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The IMCEC-YOFF branch & our security</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48MPcR_2piNO2NC8tl1SC_9zQ4fOUpPk5M8HD_AG0p2d7QigFcbj2kF5yV6FDvjHBCJ52CsfiwOatGxs7nBYDmR_JHkT2vMPxjnUKCXkbGSeD44-yKBzy8kFT5-xj7xuFvPGkTlGHffkw/s1600/IMCEC-Yoff+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48MPcR_2piNO2NC8tl1SC_9zQ4fOUpPk5M8HD_AG0p2d7QigFcbj2kF5yV6FDvjHBCJ52CsfiwOatGxs7nBYDmR_JHkT2vMPxjnUKCXkbGSeD44-yKBzy8kFT5-xj7xuFvPGkTlGHffkw/s320/IMCEC-Yoff+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the upstairs office where I work. The street ends at the beach on the Atlantic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tY15ZJwv_QlfdMTgwOf6efI0gwmsLvWklrpl3IiyBxeozB5pdtzkJs3jjTXaB-_tdyI6Ht2LkyLBQ-CQzmsNv6ts7zeO7J5YS-gXSbLdqgwnU1Xa3SJ8iszII6lgX329wVx6SWG62Q1-/s1600/IMCEC-Yoff+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tY15ZJwv_QlfdMTgwOf6efI0gwmsLvWklrpl3IiyBxeozB5pdtzkJs3jjTXaB-_tdyI6Ht2LkyLBQ-CQzmsNv6ts7zeO7J5YS-gXSbLdqgwnU1Xa3SJ8iszII6lgX329wVx6SWG62Q1-/s320/IMCEC-Yoff+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New clients headed our way....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPew8v1_479oflzbgOY9cSMB4OlAma7465AP9nMkojV8jwwWwUOUlXRqcbd4QrcUKFQyZgMPBFk8wll2_vaoZFhoAGRvEs599Byh69uKf2hB2XeeeB8IQzPovjcnk7Q9ZO4Ouf6zVbGYj/s1600/IMCEC-Yoff+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPew8v1_479oflzbgOY9cSMB4OlAma7465AP9nMkojV8jwwWwUOUlXRqcbd4QrcUKFQyZgMPBFk8wll2_vaoZFhoAGRvEs599Byh69uKf2hB2XeeeB8IQzPovjcnk7Q9ZO4Ouf6zVbGYj/s320/IMCEC-Yoff+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Yacine, finally smiling....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAOCdZ_bJvy339HkLTVuRwVM-WNAyfPQbpGrWTzxsU6Yrc2fhJcJZNsdbQx9BVUQqFq6fhQJCYweuvWPukn8jH6OHmCTyPNC6x8fg74rwKGeD4ZPZ24pMxQOaS5KyFMgL6_kX6BUY3Pdc/s1600/N%2527Gor+Beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAOCdZ_bJvy339HkLTVuRwVM-WNAyfPQbpGrWTzxsU6Yrc2fhJcJZNsdbQx9BVUQqFq6fhQJCYweuvWPukn8jH6OHmCTyPNC6x8fg74rwKGeD4ZPZ24pMxQOaS5KyFMgL6_kX6BUY3Pdc/s320/N%2527Gor+Beach.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This view reminded me of Istanbul. This is the N'Gor beach and the tiny island right across is the N'Gor island. It's a 5 minute boat ride away.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMp0wBCrgzE0Y7hsJ-Sxk3xt_YUnUr9dpWP_aHa-XE_XWYXSXTZ6qIrKyZiMde2hXVAhUhFuulehOaSi9JS_EbWYtWrPLaOEC0Fu7AWASblJ029bb3Ego6X01gVwXR-9ApFscvyHhB-Bf/s1600/IMCEC-Yoff+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMp0wBCrgzE0Y7hsJ-Sxk3xt_YUnUr9dpWP_aHa-XE_XWYXSXTZ6qIrKyZiMde2hXVAhUhFuulehOaSi9JS_EbWYtWrPLaOEC0Fu7AWASblJ029bb3Ego6X01gVwXR-9ApFscvyHhB-Bf/s320/IMCEC-Yoff+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Les piroques de Senegal - the fishing boats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-6168352143803638762011-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:002011-01-02T11:50:50.365-08:00HAPPY NEW YEARWell, it is 2011 already.... Wasn't it only last year that we all celebrated the year 2000 with all that Y2K business hanging over our head??? Sure seems that way.<br />
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I have officially past the half way point of my Senegal experience. Eight full weeks gone and seven to go... Have to be wrapping up the projects I am working on at work within the next 3 weeks because I have to spend the rest of my time pretty much travelling through the country visiting branches outside of Dakar. Will also try and get some sight seeing in while I am at it.<br />
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Here are a few more pictures from the last couple of weeks.<br />
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The first two are of a traditional Senegalese dish - grilled fish and rice with a very tasty onion sauce called Yassa. Lunch time at work. One of the clients of the MFI at head office is a woman who runs a small restaurant in the neighborhood and every day they get lunch from her. When I am there, I am always invited to join them. We sit around this tray and share it. It is actually a pretty interesting experience - a truly communal meal. Although at first it seemed a little strange to me, I have gotten used to it. When one is eating shoulder to shoulder with others out of the same tray, the whole experience of "sharing" a meal feels very real - you actually live the experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmQkbMqhpYuizNUdGfkqEZgPnJWTd_hxhPPwVDfb1zD2iL-g5w3qKGTQio2gwzo-2bS7VzCcdAnkubvdV7f3s5BjEM9J9iYoiV0qeB2pClQ46cbyUd6ITdJXKB2xo66RL3_uAbmfxwFxZ/s1600/U-IMCEC+Liberte+6+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmQkbMqhpYuizNUdGfkqEZgPnJWTd_hxhPPwVDfb1zD2iL-g5w3qKGTQio2gwzo-2bS7VzCcdAnkubvdV7f3s5BjEM9J9iYoiV0qeB2pClQ46cbyUd6ITdJXKB2xo66RL3_uAbmfxwFxZ/s320/U-IMCEC+Liberte+6+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone's ready to dig in...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eORcItYfAMxY9p_M817chRXtzfkep7Ldoszau5hIi3jYmctCH92lu9GTBvKo8enjrP0ziA87QmWiZ5RKrgVJHlUHyjti95gwCfyx3JciolJORyzs7InuXItorm6Z4VF27_fW487M09s7/s1600/U-IMCEC+Liberte+6+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eORcItYfAMxY9p_M817chRXtzfkep7Ldoszau5hIi3jYmctCH92lu9GTBvKo8enjrP0ziA87QmWiZ5RKrgVJHlUHyjti95gwCfyx3JciolJORyzs7InuXItorm6Z4VF27_fW487M09s7/s320/U-IMCEC+Liberte+6+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only leftovers are in front of me. They're always telling me I eat very little.</td></tr>
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It seems like all I am talking about is food this time around but here's a video from our New Year's Eve meal being prepared in the garden. I am not very big on meat, but I can tell you the smell was incredible - better than the taste. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Senegal is a beautiful country with beautiful people. They are very open, hospitable, kind, giving and quick to oblige with a smile. Other than the mishap I had with my blackberry, I have felt nothing but safe and comfortable here. I can't wait to get out of Dakar and see other parts of the country, where they tell me people are even nicer and life much more pleasant. The Senegalese themselves consider life in Dakar hard, hectic and void of true Senegalese values. Obviously, they haven't been to New York :-)))</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today, I was invited to lunch by Kande, the person I have been working with at the MFI. He is in charge of "Social Performance," meaning the social impact of the MFI on the community. He and his wife just moved to Dakar from the area in the south called Casamance, when he was promoted from being a branch manager to his new position at headquarters. Kande keeps telling me how beautiful the rest of the country is - especially Casamance. It is on my list of places to visit later on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12S6mcsJTZ86b7guiwGfTiiiftn9aDeRN8kz-FwJ-fzlfkuR9Fghtm1SdfMPBNSmxpmGoGdnihBoeD_wMuc8hprIHrXrON7qqgwhYx1rDcgfUWGg5D5siiSFDgh3-bteJFsPCtEjudky4/s1600/Lunch+%2540Kande%2527s+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12S6mcsJTZ86b7guiwGfTiiiftn9aDeRN8kz-FwJ-fzlfkuR9Fghtm1SdfMPBNSmxpmGoGdnihBoeD_wMuc8hprIHrXrON7qqgwhYx1rDcgfUWGg5D5siiSFDgh3-bteJFsPCtEjudky4/s320/Lunch+%2540Kande%2527s+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kande is in the middle with his wife on one side and his cousin on the other. The little boy is his sister in law's son who lives in the Bronx. Guess what the baby's name is...... OBAMA!!!! The white guy at the end is a Swiss friend of theirs.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until next time....</div>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-24775602276854670062010-12-18T11:14:00.000-08:002010-12-18T11:14:04.340-08:00CAN'T BELIEVE HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE MY LAST UPDATESorry, I know it's been a while since I even visited my own blog :-))) Thanks for the comments...<br />
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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 :-))<br />
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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. <br />
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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...<br />
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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 :-)) <br />
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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....<br />
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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.<br />
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Enjoy!!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqad1bm428XM5tLgCh6qmMBHlRz0MuveDXJdT7sG5KHQZ9d_bGyHU86e5h_eDcN1vv_IIa_XOwEkdgM4YQN_whj9OGMpTSHKtZmImG8pUfyTdG0dq_bfwX8USn-zYucosMeHa8T8qSuZfL/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqad1bm428XM5tLgCh6qmMBHlRz0MuveDXJdT7sG5KHQZ9d_bGyHU86e5h_eDcN1vv_IIa_XOwEkdgM4YQN_whj9OGMpTSHKtZmImG8pUfyTdG0dq_bfwX8USn-zYucosMeHa8T8qSuZfL/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at Yoff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaIYyFTdnWLP7HnhTF6bjeW2p5QZRXuAhOWZYpHZazyobNN9wZS7xKfkjXWin8MX2Qs1WqAB8HODpolZ9icZJyB_1ss9qicBWF710TWba3GveRPK3dJGniPWUAw58rKjiGGZEC1zaI0kS/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaIYyFTdnWLP7HnhTF6bjeW2p5QZRXuAhOWZYpHZazyobNN9wZS7xKfkjXWin8MX2Qs1WqAB8HODpolZ9icZJyB_1ss9qicBWF710TWba3GveRPK3dJGniPWUAw58rKjiGGZEC1zaI0kS/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house where I am staying is in that neighborhood in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkY-PoWH_TzEG-TGq_Y7KXpfbOhNwHuvmOq9v7HhV495IilCzlRkhZc5qPKljPJp-HpJM4qmr5KAJoIi7w3YDe0IgKsaXGPNRm_SAsFQOAKIV4FbVcwagN4M_Em389boyCJrHkyCd9CM_/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkY-PoWH_TzEG-TGq_Y7KXpfbOhNwHuvmOq9v7HhV495IilCzlRkhZc5qPKljPJp-HpJM4qmr5KAJoIi7w3YDe0IgKsaXGPNRm_SAsFQOAKIV4FbVcwagN4M_Em389boyCJrHkyCd9CM_/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's my spot to the left</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnqVomKbz44MvhPptyIgjtDhtIbZ3xloZr-Z7qfYv_sWsZv4AQnDyHzIeFwO7dff5LAPE5mW2bWVLWMeX_g29TB7JKH2gcXqxyWntmoWd57tnIKq3-Yznmo1R2pwVvzqdxC9FUqriTJeI/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnqVomKbz44MvhPptyIgjtDhtIbZ3xloZr-Z7qfYv_sWsZv4AQnDyHzIeFwO7dff5LAPE5mW2bWVLWMeX_g29TB7JKH2gcXqxyWntmoWd57tnIKq3-Yznmo1R2pwVvzqdxC9FUqriTJeI/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sand is really very fine</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsv3NbVPZuBIalQ7LIyFxIQ-GCpjAzVLI7uJVf4gOgAGVZz4c-XITe9IYR7c7_Eo-5gAVfHkVm1e8k0yvqVCAMfLIJAu9eDqNjJIKdjIdpEE-HCZlkcDigsW_1R2RBvwiQdxun_LDWyXY/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsv3NbVPZuBIalQ7LIyFxIQ-GCpjAzVLI7uJVf4gOgAGVZz4c-XITe9IYR7c7_Eo-5gAVfHkVm1e8k0yvqVCAMfLIJAu9eDqNjJIKdjIdpEE-HCZlkcDigsW_1R2RBvwiQdxun_LDWyXY/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IuvwXeE6CFN40l0EmK4MxssBg_ccEevMFkx5KuBWSj0IgZOQAJuSn50-Eb0ZlEPHm6RoOahkEzEzOpmnf4RFQdd5ePN1iQ0OaKGFzeh4cUa5Wx4igvSRlB5dcIeYlaHE3Thzn3bcgYxr/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IuvwXeE6CFN40l0EmK4MxssBg_ccEevMFkx5KuBWSj0IgZOQAJuSn50-Eb0ZlEPHm6RoOahkEzEzOpmnf4RFQdd5ePN1iQ0OaKGFzeh4cUa5Wx4igvSRlB5dcIeYlaHE3Thzn3bcgYxr/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's my view</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWZzUrRryAYuTEgakAoMk6vCy8OdO1aylhzkwlnf_2rzO-in0D_Wx-gd45TpzX74FwxtzvElP7DWnq84kG3UuIlkvGSEeMZZ9lFRAf21cT9rLSny3JmgG5aUsQt8vHrwFGdJaaLBB5s24/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWZzUrRryAYuTEgakAoMk6vCy8OdO1aylhzkwlnf_2rzO-in0D_Wx-gd45TpzX74FwxtzvElP7DWnq84kG3UuIlkvGSEeMZZ9lFRAf21cT9rLSny3JmgG5aUsQt8vHrwFGdJaaLBB5s24/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today, there wasn't anyone else in this particular section I go to</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70HBtZvATNo7XuUU78C0txyL19hOOnzepKwM48L-M9hMZjvJQ1hfDH_fxlD92hgyA98uBstWiegIUcz3uUMzDkn7aOopAKQB0p7bgP3HG3MYVRNYhA6OyS4RjifOPBFNVibwedCu_9yaC/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70HBtZvATNo7XuUU78C0txyL19hOOnzepKwM48L-M9hMZjvJQ1hfDH_fxlD92hgyA98uBstWiegIUcz3uUMzDkn7aOopAKQB0p7bgP3HG3MYVRNYhA6OyS4RjifOPBFNVibwedCu_9yaC/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1c8dQiZRaUN-MhUhROhBbsupMJjwTPSM9LL8Feo3KUyJvj4ZiRRXQ6ZCS5X-Ftd_cryAbzfahUWiPpsG3BgYgd3vNPlI2aB288qS7UiLvcTBvhrtIlQIqSO5a_TfQp2lgTCDIFTZ4XC2/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1c8dQiZRaUN-MhUhROhBbsupMJjwTPSM9LL8Feo3KUyJvj4ZiRRXQ6ZCS5X-Ftd_cryAbzfahUWiPpsG3BgYgd3vNPlI2aB288qS7UiLvcTBvhrtIlQIqSO5a_TfQp2lgTCDIFTZ4XC2/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogs at the beach..... I watched one of them do his business right on the sand before he went in</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNErsa2w65Q3jMG6ayfvVfZwedy810QJEWdRb5DzGau3PUNqfnoVgu8TcCRjljVB2U-N-5wZToaNT2yJoEpgiut-ix51RJ8sWArzbtVRjKuXF7yk4hLKB44ZN6JZ0ORuYh6nk_5gAhRV01/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNErsa2w65Q3jMG6ayfvVfZwedy810QJEWdRb5DzGau3PUNqfnoVgu8TcCRjljVB2U-N-5wZToaNT2yJoEpgiut-ix51RJ8sWArzbtVRjKuXF7yk4hLKB44ZN6JZ0ORuYh6nk_5gAhRV01/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exercising and showing off at the beach seem to be a very popular pass time for the Senegalese men</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCkPEilljZQF_Oq97AdK737q_6JqearfI2elBtBXkDB0c0MnkW1ixvyUlGAvMK2Kwm9nYWQYnF0yfAaaVzSJfi9oTM_PnFcdO-B_W44a9hHU7BgZsUxHOXs9qI69fJ9rZZIEQ7uWV09WO/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCkPEilljZQF_Oq97AdK737q_6JqearfI2elBtBXkDB0c0MnkW1ixvyUlGAvMK2Kwm9nYWQYnF0yfAaaVzSJfi9oTM_PnFcdO-B_W44a9hHU7BgZsUxHOXs9qI69fJ9rZZIEQ7uWV09WO/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah.... let's not forget these</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMGloFcq9h9jO9PqNCmRBuKH3DextgyveeuVBu1A8X5bB4eeZHc-zv2ACaXV-5k7n7UGEDEToRlNN4Wf33yZ-aWAlR7ZsZ9hVCAW7uCbLu-CTSuCc60JzsjpzH20dGy9oEttp9eAepyh7/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMGloFcq9h9jO9PqNCmRBuKH3DextgyveeuVBu1A8X5bB4eeZHc-zv2ACaXV-5k7n7UGEDEToRlNN4Wf33yZ-aWAlR7ZsZ9hVCAW7uCbLu-CTSuCc60JzsjpzH20dGy9oEttp9eAepyh7/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 very cute little girls with their mother...<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKplUX761Qzb_4ly7F60RkRGR38n8_CnMbrSrUNRHGGzVeIu-9BTymciG9l5uUDfnx6Qz-U9z24bP6DRJ-TwWXNogJeCxzIgKsDaVyZfzEBHuOD1Ws18CXwx-SA9kN1wGPSfe3lEbuYhDr/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKplUX761Qzb_4ly7F60RkRGR38n8_CnMbrSrUNRHGGzVeIu-9BTymciG9l5uUDfnx6Qz-U9z24bP6DRJ-TwWXNogJeCxzIgKsDaVyZfzEBHuOD1Ws18CXwx-SA9kN1wGPSfe3lEbuYhDr/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the streets I go through on my way to and from the beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwkR18bpeSVdxsRowAXpPRSX6aC8M4zDB6SK8xNaK9SrSXIxfkkFYnm8xn5d1fLmb91W9BxK8Vuq-b4BKGmAgaPCj_7dfznB50tXgvDdw9kMOLgnIgwyobwBRe3VTeA3ti7smp7OmEPFH/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwkR18bpeSVdxsRowAXpPRSX6aC8M4zDB6SK8xNaK9SrSXIxfkkFYnm8xn5d1fLmb91W9BxK8Vuq-b4BKGmAgaPCj_7dfznB50tXgvDdw9kMOLgnIgwyobwBRe3VTeA3ti7smp7OmEPFH/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fruit stand</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LcyH_Ydd-860ZvN2z21wd3C8Y0Wimdd9_3RDyqyXcQTv0WSjdAQnVq7uIdBry0J69LpiatJ46BgIQLkehN_I-lAMw9xO9duaI7-VlQU7TA1Ht3vII2oJToNYO_eOJpfYuZ8t-NidIMyj/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LcyH_Ydd-860ZvN2z21wd3C8Y0Wimdd9_3RDyqyXcQTv0WSjdAQnVq7uIdBry0J69LpiatJ46BgIQLkehN_I-lAMw9xO9duaI7-VlQU7TA1Ht3vII2oJToNYO_eOJpfYuZ8t-NidIMyj/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A goat looking for food</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xF2ACCC10gkkJhgSB96hjNtFt_g_T_OKQscxxvyfWzNtR0Fo69uClSuzoJ0Fai8y1vlr_FTi2UpvyNr4kNcmpgvKnvvSuMVmelylARnfMNoaiJNUt79NWlf13JwPJvzEGAP3bhkVai4-/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xF2ACCC10gkkJhgSB96hjNtFt_g_T_OKQscxxvyfWzNtR0Fo69uClSuzoJ0Fai8y1vlr_FTi2UpvyNr4kNcmpgvKnvvSuMVmelylARnfMNoaiJNUt79NWlf13JwPJvzEGAP3bhkVai4-/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and those that have found it</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ4qoY1tQOwiN8_ExS-mM64bSxUHLYWPaCa0UgrzQcEP5kuoiQVLJjwXH3UvR_X0-U1YyrIWmFPir8IvcPv0CyKllusHqoEq5vyvb_bjc4L3vxtUuMZ8VEArbgN06bvdU4tdoYCuoBoTl/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ4qoY1tQOwiN8_ExS-mM64bSxUHLYWPaCa0UgrzQcEP5kuoiQVLJjwXH3UvR_X0-U1YyrIWmFPir8IvcPv0CyKllusHqoEq5vyvb_bjc4L3vxtUuMZ8VEArbgN06bvdU4tdoYCuoBoTl/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Island of Yoff - I don't think anyone lives there</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38v6Y-LVcAUsp6tq_OGOCJzUlWV_w9tR6GnTH4SEMnf3gT7gWLlhcHOqssD1b7zm9dKgPWC9XjsCbxk5SJoPTLwuer9EfaE9kwEwXnbWFAHjnGVlz4Clv3Jw8XS84kSxdn7_cy5ADTKK6/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38v6Y-LVcAUsp6tq_OGOCJzUlWV_w9tR6GnTH4SEMnf3gT7gWLlhcHOqssD1b7zm9dKgPWC9XjsCbxk5SJoPTLwuer9EfaE9kwEwXnbWFAHjnGVlz4Clv3Jw8XS84kSxdn7_cy5ADTKK6/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Bed, Bath & Beyond - the Senegalese version</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QGWBrkZIY1ksN0pC8Ozyvpnpiqvy-QoxpsVbw-c8J986KDYGdzhyY0Q15ivB4UqjyCItQyW4nGvgFXqglltpmrPjvHtosKaOsZIb-2oQ48HAUYFb4fy5jIZEXN28gouI24XzGAGlbLAx/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QGWBrkZIY1ksN0pC8Ozyvpnpiqvy-QoxpsVbw-c8J986KDYGdzhyY0Q15ivB4UqjyCItQyW4nGvgFXqglltpmrPjvHtosKaOsZIb-2oQ48HAUYFb4fy5jIZEXN28gouI24XzGAGlbLAx/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0PX9O43sApqHZnKP8nYLig7MbEuL9j8z_4ynVotpbXW-piBcD3wa55SnDF-KqWnJ3OoR5wI0AWu5J-_6oIt9u0yzy-EljwDEAPEHXhCf9QzzMuLLUVNjm0ykYyEqiT-xs40LEFrYOQql/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0PX9O43sApqHZnKP8nYLig7MbEuL9j8z_4ynVotpbXW-piBcD3wa55SnDF-KqWnJ3OoR5wI0AWu5J-_6oIt9u0yzy-EljwDEAPEHXhCf9QzzMuLLUVNjm0ykYyEqiT-xs40LEFrYOQql/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+026.JPG" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anybody need shoes???</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaz-fUnxE028P9A9hNt35EPBmMvFRDVjlqjYNk4UNcOxM6JuHCMYvHmn2hELxPizE_svBW2CsBus85PcQKsEOkDc0GX34OpLMW_v7QZsFKrWiFhN0BwrRnH62NYvRTAS21VdUKQn6wyGi/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaz-fUnxE028P9A9hNt35EPBmMvFRDVjlqjYNk4UNcOxM6JuHCMYvHmn2hELxPizE_svBW2CsBus85PcQKsEOkDc0GX34OpLMW_v7QZsFKrWiFhN0BwrRnH62NYvRTAS21VdUKQn6wyGi/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How about furniture....</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrDHjK8zgAXNuGfNGbSDpOjwl3ADoxzud6Ef0jaJqWdF1rMEngypX_K8PHC3b8iyFNFHMK_ffwTdtPtI1EK4NaVG1ZN-Ui-Io1sqBtP2QvOaDHPZtP1afc3qLGsr3Ux43kYIZCkcBb_ow/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrDHjK8zgAXNuGfNGbSDpOjwl3ADoxzud6Ef0jaJqWdF1rMEngypX_K8PHC3b8iyFNFHMK_ffwTdtPtI1EK4NaVG1ZN-Ui-Io1sqBtP2QvOaDHPZtP1afc3qLGsr3Ux43kYIZCkcBb_ow/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think I found the store to buy my next party dress</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES40l7t8PbdwpTW-6lmn0i6OKG5FRJH4iFgzBq5Fvt8P1btydPyAZ4JXUyPi-DuX1I5MayboTA0HtbQYg8iDveveXrw96oHJLN9CoGophlmRotTqBR0ytoyp_ihrWJL4edGh8lytqsBCU/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES40l7t8PbdwpTW-6lmn0i6OKG5FRJH4iFgzBq5Fvt8P1btydPyAZ4JXUyPi-DuX1I5MayboTA0HtbQYg8iDveveXrw96oHJLN9CoGophlmRotTqBR0ytoyp_ihrWJL4edGh8lytqsBCU/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a pretty good size grocery store<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_u0rE5U5rMIqkJCy7aSsgXl16udipTFlpLT3MwgEFjgB2yeVSBuEFU3jc15QfnIRSyPYQdLFRaKPbF8jZmKYlmGjAa69_WHDOM_yKdUehMxf8epW3WIlMcbJvlnbXkQ1kZ1YLaOd8s9C/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_u0rE5U5rMIqkJCy7aSsgXl16udipTFlpLT3MwgEFjgB2yeVSBuEFU3jc15QfnIRSyPYQdLFRaKPbF8jZmKYlmGjAa69_WHDOM_yKdUehMxf8epW3WIlMcbJvlnbXkQ1kZ1YLaOd8s9C/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closest thing to a department store - right on the street</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9queHFF16i8EoMLC1Akbj6jYPd-8kLwd5pteLCfVQ3PvMPR4SKSsoWHKzLEwt8KVr1PwNvyqjy-R5E-Zy4T1yxzse6qcSH_go_l_QOa4RTMI2w9Brc5_P6rPKIYaoeKvwxgj0pOlVKug/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9queHFF16i8EoMLC1Akbj6jYPd-8kLwd5pteLCfVQ3PvMPR4SKSsoWHKzLEwt8KVr1PwNvyqjy-R5E-Zy4T1yxzse6qcSH_go_l_QOa4RTMI2w9Brc5_P6rPKIYaoeKvwxgj0pOlVKug/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoF1zfUn4lwPVyx3Ag8mw6WI466BFM9nV0SfBX_gkotz_nmUKlPeFz0-gpyiwoNhUuwjhY5xSS2j4nGzEgTg94o-3Dasy64vOqZJmPWIYZPRA9O6zSbk_7CfkDCmpnCwdGTSTWs8JP6b4/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoF1zfUn4lwPVyx3Ag8mw6WI466BFM9nV0SfBX_gkotz_nmUKlPeFz0-gpyiwoNhUuwjhY5xSS2j4nGzEgTg94o-3Dasy64vOqZJmPWIYZPRA9O6zSbk_7CfkDCmpnCwdGTSTWs8JP6b4/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xymvExUP3qAXQ0fB_MkLRjtV10GNl0Fu4kqWFfxn0cmEEHSuJt5BQK9oiDzVEoga9dGF0NorpAE7JBAPQ9QLr5L0BZhv_gmRUXloisjN-ZRLqYZEHl5UdXfrthOBCXXBjCnkNS4tGoLj/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xymvExUP3qAXQ0fB_MkLRjtV10GNl0Fu4kqWFfxn0cmEEHSuJt5BQK9oiDzVEoga9dGF0NorpAE7JBAPQ9QLr5L0BZhv_gmRUXloisjN-ZRLqYZEHl5UdXfrthOBCXXBjCnkNS4tGoLj/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+034.JPG" width="310" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6Emc5eQ7eawx8jDAY7enjrO5mz6KaVkjcEZOg7CO7ilMsPRW2r8vWre5yfqKxtJVm1DfGO1UuvONe-ragXbUr54LYF06EYeCshXYMjZNUlGi2z6UMg620Gaz8cNAiOKY9SahDXxE1rrK/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6Emc5eQ7eawx8jDAY7enjrO5mz6KaVkjcEZOg7CO7ilMsPRW2r8vWre5yfqKxtJVm1DfGO1UuvONe-ragXbUr54LYF06EYeCshXYMjZNUlGi2z6UMg620Gaz8cNAiOKY9SahDXxE1rrK/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home Depot </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPW_L1GR2z_JijD-W4dBMkKRc_b4nswYHh2z3Kw-ylB0Oz3_CtRXilWz6LTIwNnxEmq-qKSfp5_Rfm3azsSqBLK3h7jrLzi-JDEV2CYuiwP1zJdcEAkqjkulJY8K_-Kf-VV52ByWyTTjVC/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPW_L1GR2z_JijD-W4dBMkKRc_b4nswYHh2z3Kw-ylB0Oz3_CtRXilWz6LTIwNnxEmq-qKSfp5_Rfm3azsSqBLK3h7jrLzi-JDEV2CYuiwP1zJdcEAkqjkulJY8K_-Kf-VV52ByWyTTjVC/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's watermelon season and they're good</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX7wIUv-C5cG6fX7ozW7QQ784lfn_9EUC1-anqZceWXrEK-dqdnCaijnDDWUISEKXIDeBI-EJ1-FymTxyTttW8j-SqsVUdUxbXMdZUoCEcgrY69_dEG-I5-NkumOWVp2SQqY4MdgXkwnh/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX7wIUv-C5cG6fX7ozW7QQ784lfn_9EUC1-anqZceWXrEK-dqdnCaijnDDWUISEKXIDeBI-EJ1-FymTxyTttW8j-SqsVUdUxbXMdZUoCEcgrY69_dEG-I5-NkumOWVp2SQqY4MdgXkwnh/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For both humans and animals</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HrmNuvg0UY_kFKq2d5phLbwLDnIsNYfgILn6ZIKPJI01-bZG0jV8KijRvMQd6SPn4KqoKfcYoFDXBmAXe8Fjbt23TUwNnj5GCm9oGyRmRDrCBwWXz0YErHEM6ubg4IrK4KFwvy3UsKN0/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HrmNuvg0UY_kFKq2d5phLbwLDnIsNYfgILn6ZIKPJI01-bZG0jV8KijRvMQd6SPn4KqoKfcYoFDXBmAXe8Fjbt23TUwNnj5GCm9oGyRmRDrCBwWXz0YErHEM6ubg4IrK4KFwvy3UsKN0/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad place to put your laundry out to dry - a construction site by a main road</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJf1Oa87Zu6h5nqcknnHgZ4QLGm4Ppe-Eg_GqRRZDEQiPif31D2IXd0VsRgd2UCAd13aPa1HCOe2iYAe92h6NUTWvGiQss9l48sa8Z0PCuSzB9a90IGHydBoX-7Ftd8YvakveyV6h9XDEP/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJf1Oa87Zu6h5nqcknnHgZ4QLGm4Ppe-Eg_GqRRZDEQiPif31D2IXd0VsRgd2UCAd13aPa1HCOe2iYAe92h6NUTWvGiQss9l48sa8Z0PCuSzB9a90IGHydBoX-7Ftd8YvakveyV6h9XDEP/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way too many goats around looking for food</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDy2F3j6Yqn1tlewL-0g8dEN5RUjkdOdJJTQt4gYJPcesBDe7lQQyTghN0ttkrWoTFBP0mDFxAJinDv1ifvskmt4YZigTlXVm7V2tjR9-2gNF4n0u4gFplIGg4De8FCWVZmTNIlH1QxqAE/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDy2F3j6Yqn1tlewL-0g8dEN5RUjkdOdJJTQt4gYJPcesBDe7lQQyTghN0ttkrWoTFBP0mDFxAJinDv1ifvskmt4YZigTlXVm7V2tjR9-2gNF4n0u4gFplIGg4De8FCWVZmTNIlH1QxqAE/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+042.JPG" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's Christmas in Dakar</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxOt1csCiKz62h2JM6sDlIWS4BqTk4qhyphenhyphenuK1gfZmwK_-xbhcDZ7usQ64K3N4dulDRX7vl9P8K4im38dzzpJ_0A0smsOOI8tVNGfYMMn_ZvHvGUNEYeBAh_DxNSGr0fV-KAIKmMWSumeBX/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxOt1csCiKz62h2JM6sDlIWS4BqTk4qhyphenhyphenuK1gfZmwK_-xbhcDZ7usQ64K3N4dulDRX7vl9P8K4im38dzzpJ_0A0smsOOI8tVNGfYMMn_ZvHvGUNEYeBAh_DxNSGr0fV-KAIKmMWSumeBX/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the bakery where I get a croissant every now and then. They're pretty good</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKn2fYasxIqM3D3lIqHQOQ_kjk6JYcTbHsHiBGTvK9wDfMNgSc_eSXUgM0Ti9kcgWbonrbjqOTNTnT31UPhi1pvIi8wwXZkkSW9oVB4AGvmQFWWtN8vaq24NjXb_2KQ8yBcglyHmQdggi0/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKn2fYasxIqM3D3lIqHQOQ_kjk6JYcTbHsHiBGTvK9wDfMNgSc_eSXUgM0Ti9kcgWbonrbjqOTNTnT31UPhi1pvIi8wwXZkkSW9oVB4AGvmQFWWtN8vaq24NjXb_2KQ8yBcglyHmQdggi0/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soccer time<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZubn5wzMdoWvakpqqdNDoOeSspjRZQvRy8hTlxQIA1ZiwOqqni3VgdVNIGHvtcGqoB7M1Sf6usm-3faC1GpMvc9XmTx8hm7hwr_58GMz6644wUCzP43I7ucfI0q8AE9vmk5-RHJPFOq6/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZubn5wzMdoWvakpqqdNDoOeSspjRZQvRy8hTlxQIA1ZiwOqqni3VgdVNIGHvtcGqoB7M1Sf6usm-3faC1GpMvc9XmTx8hm7hwr_58GMz6644wUCzP43I7ucfI0q8AE9vmk5-RHJPFOq6/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty common vision - cars with missing parts</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5janBQUgbG2wQyIFpPIHj3oVlC0Cs5dgYGfg1o7sbV9V34LHpFNn9a_odEMikBtKfCYFqcWD6-bLGVQJ2N8HSZbIwV9DYg17EBdlrmrmXKWYVee1WIKyPAYbKjhUzIjfpoum6_hyphenhyphen58C4z/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5janBQUgbG2wQyIFpPIHj3oVlC0Cs5dgYGfg1o7sbV9V34LHpFNn9a_odEMikBtKfCYFqcWD6-bLGVQJ2N8HSZbIwV9DYg17EBdlrmrmXKWYVee1WIKyPAYbKjhUzIjfpoum6_hyphenhyphen58C4z/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+046.JPG" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The neighborhood laundromat </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ-wbggepURFmX3Jw8Q-pKlO_XM7InKm2FLLSRwyeMvMR60CiWPbAHqM1LJAA74IL17pQmF0gJpXygBAwQNkP-ZL9Yn5GW4igGYiug2BoPG1KY8mnzaEC8X3QgVDxIhI19yAROGUl-reS/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ-wbggepURFmX3Jw8Q-pKlO_XM7InKm2FLLSRwyeMvMR60CiWPbAHqM1LJAA74IL17pQmF0gJpXygBAwQNkP-ZL9Yn5GW4igGYiug2BoPG1KY8mnzaEC8X3QgVDxIhI19yAROGUl-reS/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess it is the Michelin dealership</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2JzglVGP1320OFSvL06aH3Vmne3vFVlAuVmMPZhfskbtXPh26-GFfetWslAmL7OeuMLwXH2J2wyL_jvCRKIQwtTUY8SxhyKScJmbpYLs50dyft8eFe1q5cz9L6cCEMFLFd5ZsRCgfiWF/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2JzglVGP1320OFSvL06aH3Vmne3vFVlAuVmMPZhfskbtXPh26-GFfetWslAmL7OeuMLwXH2J2wyL_jvCRKIQwtTUY8SxhyKScJmbpYLs50dyft8eFe1q5cz9L6cCEMFLFd5ZsRCgfiWF/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovx6wvl0UJPQziE3zA1QaGF15pmw2n_0uFOywkrs4TBFk2-OpL3IsykHbrxxRovumiLuoduxIG8CZzrxlqAJ1vskHSMSh8pmn34pW1s0o26Iv4qbvIXk2P8EZcNh14abkQfijEuJcuzw8/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovx6wvl0UJPQziE3zA1QaGF15pmw2n_0uFOywkrs4TBFk2-OpL3IsykHbrxxRovumiLuoduxIG8CZzrxlqAJ1vskHSMSh8pmn34pW1s0o26Iv4qbvIXk2P8EZcNh14abkQfijEuJcuzw8/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+050.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local Nike store</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTTeNCS_fcyjFwy5CzGTkltTOmU9fM0rUcvi4sD5MBenwq6bZ95Vuru00xlmzXoARBx4fuHk0IN5e25-hwbOOOlWz2KfjcU5pZQzyyYrp_n3uxrNU58uYcElTGB4_GEUxvkLPXgGWQ3Ke/s1600/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTTeNCS_fcyjFwy5CzGTkltTOmU9fM0rUcvi4sD5MBenwq6bZ95Vuru00xlmzXoARBx4fuHk0IN5e25-hwbOOOlWz2KfjcU5pZQzyyYrp_n3uxrNU58uYcElTGB4_GEUxvkLPXgGWQ3Ke/s320/Yoff+-+Dec.+18%252C+2010+051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-1925960058169856732010-11-27T02:56:00.000-08:002010-11-27T02:56:28.467-08:00THANKSGIVING IN SENEGAL<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I had my first Thanksgiving in Senegal and most probably my last and I can tell you all, it was very nice. One always meets very interesting people in foreign lands and this Thanksgiving was no different. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We were 13 people + a 7 month old cute baby girl – 8 Americans, 2 Spanish, 1 French, 3 Senegalese, 1 who I believe is Ethiopian and the baby girl who is half American half Ethiopian. Four languages were spoken throughout the evening – English, French, Spanish and Wolof. Among the Americans, there was a lovely family of four from Poughkeepsie, NY – Ron and Sharon and their two daughters whose names I am sorry to say I can’t remember. One of them has been teaching English in Spain for three years. They are friends of Jenny’s who happens to be Kathy’s – the Kiva staff member I work with - roommate. Their first time here, they were at the end of their trip and gave me some good tips about the "musts" of Senegal. I now have a trip to the desert on my bucket list before I leave here. They couldn’t say enough good things about – sounds just wonderful. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From Spain came a mother and daughter who were so much fun. The daughter Susanna works for some cultural outfit here. Elena, her mother was visiting. The turkey which had come all the way from the States on a government plane, was delicious – courtesy of Tom, the father of the little girl, who works for the Embassy. Mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin and apple pie were all part of the feast. Good food, good conversation and an easy/relaxing time was had by all. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJyRIKlhqI97mJgStM5EHWjo9QCtO6rFoEH1Hvq16TVmFb_fRYs3cUTRKNuyk0Nj4Tt6Xo_QJ40WAnNXdA12eYwZ2d2sxHWsuzxIfnp_7eF2PBAMO4_WbewiDowmIkq3wKaBCp1lIyGzu/s1600/Thanksgiving+2010+-+Dakar+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJyRIKlhqI97mJgStM5EHWjo9QCtO6rFoEH1Hvq16TVmFb_fRYs3cUTRKNuyk0Nj4Tt6Xo_QJ40WAnNXdA12eYwZ2d2sxHWsuzxIfnp_7eF2PBAMO4_WbewiDowmIkq3wKaBCp1lIyGzu/s320/Thanksgiving+2010+-+Dakar+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Jenny with the turkey that arrived in a taxi, cooked elsewhere because of oven problems </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjdloqh8CM5E185bAwQvTgwNXQSG8klKNBQssuvYtrq-k9I_Tge2rgVIzJ1Ou-UK9D5V0xywcQvTI4RiWtKjgRjMsm1tV4Ta2tfviS13jdRLGUHydudiQ1W6keage68LXbwN-FBrL6v2v/s1600/Thanksgiving+2010+-+Dakar+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjdloqh8CM5E185bAwQvTgwNXQSG8klKNBQssuvYtrq-k9I_Tge2rgVIzJ1Ou-UK9D5V0xywcQvTI4RiWtKjgRjMsm1tV4Ta2tfviS13jdRLGUHydudiQ1W6keage68LXbwN-FBrL6v2v/s320/Thanksgiving+2010+-+Dakar+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything is just about ready<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_I0LGfpIb1JgUssEcTS5iyVBvDAjODsPX4-lvDCLbitsOiGDCD6nlPRMghYiSzOVZqaS4JBc1vI6QuaMQctgPcX4LM3AhbaRkeb_BSbXsfJcD-P51nvQGjTeBUMAJFEp5M61djAqQh9e/s1600/Thanksgiving+2010+-+Dakar+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_I0LGfpIb1JgUssEcTS5iyVBvDAjODsPX4-lvDCLbitsOiGDCD6nlPRMghYiSzOVZqaS4JBc1vI6QuaMQctgPcX4LM3AhbaRkeb_BSbXsfJcD-P51nvQGjTeBUMAJFEp5M61djAqQh9e/s320/Thanksgiving+2010+-+Dakar+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron from Poughkeepsie doing the honors</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just a couple of side notes: Elena kept expecting us to sing songs. She could not understand how we could have a holiday where there was no signing. We explained to her that outside of Christmas, we don’t really have any holidays with songs. She couldn’t quite get it. She was also fascinated with the thermometer that was in the turkey when it was brought to the table. She thought it a bit on the strange side. When it was explained to her that it was the only way to make sure the turkey was cooked, her reply was “well we just stick a knife in and see how it comes out.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So overall, I had a really nice Thanksgiving – although I did wake up homesick that morning for the first time since I’ve been here. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other than that, work has been going well. Finally beginning to feel productive. I spent two days at the beginning of the week in Thies, a city about 50 miles from Dakar, visiting the headquarters of one of our MFI partners. Stayed at a very luxurious hotel – Hotel Rex….. Should anyone of you ever find yourself in a town called Thies in Senegal some day, you now know where to NOT stay.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here are a couple of pictures of my room. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-bBsKDWNjz1Ig2bB09xDbwKpD8GuBwaxOuwnv80r3ZPlgakbPcYBiMeKcW27PTNrdlNs2KtcRW4t9RH1xp8PaVYQ3I3LGXqIpvcrY2Nr7oIUpQtGmrKPb5rr9veasuzQ-XWr1n6HGSQH/s1600/Hotel+Rex+-+Thies+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-bBsKDWNjz1Ig2bB09xDbwKpD8GuBwaxOuwnv80r3ZPlgakbPcYBiMeKcW27PTNrdlNs2KtcRW4t9RH1xp8PaVYQ3I3LGXqIpvcrY2Nr7oIUpQtGmrKPb5rr9veasuzQ-XWr1n6HGSQH/s320/Hotel+Rex+-+Thies+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1gbuLY4vgrsdJSQ0SjQg04QKx3MEuvhOEI_VPm2YdwrPslLmuxYjx9l-YuivCpbEm-q2Llsm_jZiVvsLPk2c8isKLYAQZ-JGHoJhsYU5l4GGdbDjFhCQda3P7gcaR_Cb39sFMC_BGfyu/s1600/Hotel+Rex+-+Thies+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1gbuLY4vgrsdJSQ0SjQg04QKx3MEuvhOEI_VPm2YdwrPslLmuxYjx9l-YuivCpbEm-q2Llsm_jZiVvsLPk2c8isKLYAQZ-JGHoJhsYU5l4GGdbDjFhCQda3P7gcaR_Cb39sFMC_BGfyu/s320/Hotel+Rex+-+Thies+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog06Ogzge60rr_vxH9Orf-VQtfj3GLQCmWrThWYefInW6x8x4iMy5In8ohGVuJ3V2-SjWnP8upb5R5QhzLXfHs6EwIWuvmFV1MMFLSK0wIRDmUB585dKLqAqnlDAfkUeOD1JvfkRQl-u5/s1600/Hotel+Rex+-+Thies+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog06Ogzge60rr_vxH9Orf-VQtfj3GLQCmWrThWYefInW6x8x4iMy5In8ohGVuJ3V2-SjWnP8upb5R5QhzLXfHs6EwIWuvmFV1MMFLSK0wIRDmUB585dKLqAqnlDAfkUeOD1JvfkRQl-u5/s320/Hotel+Rex+-+Thies+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Note the sleeping bag on the bed – and thank God for it. Otherwise, I wasn’t getting anywhere near that bed. My initial plan upon seeing the room, was to spend the night in the chair but after a couple of hours of trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep in it, my body and mind finally broke down. I got my sleeping bag out and went to sleep on the bed. The bathroom was somewhat more challenging considering there was no toilet paper and most important of all – NO LIGHTS. Anyway, the place had wi fi so I could at least go on line when there was power. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not complaining. Nothing so far has really been a problem for me. In fact, I am getting quite used to the place and getting more and more comfortable in my skin when I am out and about. One thing I could definitely do without though is those damn air force jets that fly over the house at least 4-5 times a day starting at about 6:30 in the morning. It’s been going on for a good two weeks now. WHEN WILL THEY EVER STOP???? One story going around is that it is the Mauritanian air force practicing for their big independence day celebration on November 28<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup>. They apparently don’t have runways that can accommodate their jets, so they’re using the ones here. I don’t quite believe it. It doesn’t make sense to me that a country would buy jets they don’t have runways for themselves… but whatever…..</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-17044465161915691582010-11-16T02:13:00.000-08:002010-11-16T02:13:03.366-08:00A taxi ride in Dakar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I recorded this on the way to the Ferry Terminal the other day. My street is just off of this is the main road that ends at the Airport. Enjoy....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxwR1SmZiaWsT2fzYUDPwtgBtqfe90QdDXBS6D-1l92WKzjrbrI4vEQhbaF5NGHlD44Fs-dJXBjHYYniGBMrw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-50211233723623615052010-11-15T08:43:00.000-08:002010-11-15T08:43:35.309-08:00Two Weeks Already....<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Already my second week in Dakar is behind me. Having come here as a Kiva Fellow to work with two local Microfinance Institutions (MFI) it’s been a little frustrating that I haven’t been able to get into a regular routine just yet. I have this one project I need to finish at one of the MFIs, which was started by a previous Kiva Fellow. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much success in trying to arrange for the necessary meetings with staff members. The fact that their head office is in another city about an hour, an hour and a half from here doesn’t make things any easier. So, while going back and forth with my contacts to arrange for meetings this week, I had last week pretty much all to myself. I decided to play tourist and went to see the famous Island of Goree (Ile de Goree) which is a little more than a mile from Dakar and a 15-20 minute ride on the ferry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raby, my landlady suggested one of her sons accompany me – she said she didn’t want me to be bothered by street peddlers. We left home around 10 in the morning, were on the 10:45 ferry and got to Goree a little after 11. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the Island of Goree</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goree is a tiny island – 900 m. by 300 m. (3000 ft x 1165 ft) with about 1500 residents. There are no cars and one can walk pretty much the whole island leisurely in about an hour. Tourism being its main source of income, a good number of artists reside there and the whole place resembles an open art gallery. Art for sale and souvenirs shops are everywhere. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishermen with the skyline of Dakar in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street in Goree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrHXb4WxTiL7S3U3h_ynEOdn8ZkNj9r6xcsmenf3rHStMM0kTctwimi7M0FfIFl63ehKwjZIsaaBoGO-HBwuUSc9LLhWxZ5Uku8EIaTgbzmSq3T3hjADotcSSTOJPpqd5PquupZum-G3a/s1600/L%2527ile+de+Gore+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrHXb4WxTiL7S3U3h_ynEOdn8ZkNj9r6xcsmenf3rHStMM0kTctwimi7M0FfIFl63ehKwjZIsaaBoGO-HBwuUSc9LLhWxZ5Uku8EIaTgbzmSq3T3hjADotcSSTOJPpqd5PquupZum-G3a/s320/L%2527ile+de+Gore+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An alley on the island</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Portuguese were the first to arrive on Goree in the mid 15</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> century. Then the Dutch came and took it from them towards the end of the 16</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> century. There was a brief period of British rule starting in 1664. From 1677 until 1960, it was mainly controlled by the French. From the 15</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to the 19</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> century it was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast. During that time, the number of total slaves who were put on ships going to Brazil, Cuba, the United States, Haiti and other Caribbean islands was put at 15-20 million by the Museum Director at the Slave House, who gave us a presentation. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The courtyard of the Slave House (no that's not me in the shot :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The museum is not large and sits right by the water. It is completely bare… There are no furnishings just empty tiny rooms where women, men, young girls and children were kept separately. The slaves came into the building through a room called “the weight room” (Chambre de Pesage) where they would be weighed. Men had to weigh at least 60 lbs to be boarded on a ship destined for the Americas. Those who weighed less had about 3 months to put the weight on – the time it took for a sail ship to make the round trip to and from its destination in the West and come back for another load of cargo.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Men were kept in the room through the first door on the left</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign above the door of the "Weight Room"</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking through that empty space, peeking though each doorway into a room maybe barely 10 x 10 marked “men”, “women” “children” and “girls” gives one a very eerie feeling. Then, there is a doorway onto the sea called “the gate of no return.” Through that doorway the slaves were loaded onto rowboats that took them to the ships waiting out in open sea. Standing there, right at that doorway looking out at the infinite sea, one can’t help but wonder what it must have been like for all those men and women as they passed through it two by two attached to one another by chains. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gate of No Return</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goree today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once we were done with the museum, we walked the whole island. Our guide was Abdullah, whom we had to engage to put an end to the endless stream of young men offering to show us around as soon as we stepped off the ferry. You really don’t need a guide on Goree but you soon realize if you don’t get one, they will not let you wonder around in peace. He was nice but didn’t really add much to the day. We walked the whole island in less than an hour. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Abdullah, our guide on the Island of Goree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way, a woman I had chatted with on the ferry came running up to me and wanted to show me her little souvenirs shop. I had to of course buy something from her. She was very sweet and after trying to sell me everything she had in her little stand, we finally agreed on a little wooden elephant and a wooden boat. As I left after paying her 1/3 of what she had originally asked for, I was pretty sure I had still overpaid by quite a bit. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's my friend from the ferry. Her shop is the one in the back with the blue bucket on top</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole island is one giant art gallery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the island from its highest point. That's Dakar in the distance.</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was last Wednesday. On Thursday, I spent the day at the local branch of one of Kiva’s Microfinance partners here – U-IMCEC - getting to know the Kiva coordinator I am going to be working with starting in a couple of weeks. Yacine is a very sweet woman and we connected right away. She invited me to an opening ceremony one of the group borrowers of Kiva- AYADY - was having that afternoon. There, I met some 20 women who have formed a group enterprise to make cereal and soap to sell in their neighborhoods. The $1,500 loan that Kiva lenders funded allowed them to get all the supplies they needed to start the production of cereal. They had all their supplies out on display and were set to start production the very next day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I actually wrote my first Kiva blog about their opening ceremony. It is scheduled to go on Kiva’s website tomorrow – Tuesday, the 16</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – at 6 pm Eastern Time. If anyone is interested, you can log onto </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.kiva.org/">www.kiva.org</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and click on Kiva Fellows Blog from the list on the left and it should be the first one that comes up for at least a few hours - until another Kiva Fellow posts a blog.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot is for all those who are enjoying a nice cold winter :-)))</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday, I finally got to go to the beach. Raby told me about this little private beach called Sunugal not far from the house - about a 20-30 minute walk. I had a very nice relaxing time. The sand is very fine and the water temperature just perfect. I was able to stay a good 5 hours or so comfortably because there is always a very nice breeze off the ocean. The heat never becomes uncomfortable. Just my kind of weather. After having a very nice lunch there, I was walking back home around 4 pm when I had an encounter that ended with my Blackberry getting stolen. It’s a long story and totally my fault because I let my NY guard down and became trusting for a few minutes. It cost me a blackberry. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago, I was crossing the street and stopped halfway at the median before crossing to the other side. Like a typical New Yorker, I was totally in my own world, not paying attention to this young girl standing right next to me. She must have been around 18. She looked at me and said something. At first, I didn’t understand. She repeated “Tu me salues pas?” (Why don’t you say hi to me?) I was totally taken aback and felt very antisocial. So, I smiled and said hello. After that experience, I promised myself that I was going to be more open to those around me and with that mindset I got my blackberry stolen from me on my way back from a very relaxing time at the beach…… Oh well…… C’est la vie…. Saglik oslun as we say in Turksih… I have to find a happy medium between being totally closed down and totally open towards those around me. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s all for now. This Wednesday is the big holiday – Feat of the Sacrifice or Tabaski here in Senegal – where every household is going to slaughter a ram or a sheep. They are for sale all over the city. Ours is waiting her fate in the yard. It is a very big holiday where every family saves for a long time to afford an animal for the sacrifice. Frankly, I am not looking too forward to Wednesday and I’ll let you know how I get through it. From my understanding, there is going to be quite a celebration at the house….</span></div>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728161428898349357.post-15545353538979862112010-11-08T07:01:00.000-08:002010-11-08T07:01:43.093-08:00MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK<div class="MsoNormal">Have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been in Dakar now for just over a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still settling in but getting more and more comfortable in my new environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house where I rent a room is very close to the water – you can actually see the Atlantic from the roof terrace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It’s in a residential neighborhood called Yoff, right next to the airport – approximately a 15 minute walk from the house .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, every time a plane takes off from Dakar, it flies right over us and the noise can be deafening… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And although the daily number of flights out of Dakar can’t be compared to other capitals of the world, they ARE around the clock – even at 3 in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a realtor and having recently worked with buyers who bought a house not too far from the train tracks <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with some reservation, I wonder what it would take to sell a house like this in NY <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip77O1eBwNQAcKsm-Sg9TiVn6E0irHAgIHCQczQQ8TX-qz5-sJUxuevrXNjipElbFix60u0KMJdWt3MKQNdgd8-YgXkSOzBj0t7tplDIHnsKyy5sc5WiCcynwdAF4lpDq2bHXp2ukkdjzm/s1600/Dakar+-+my+home+here.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip77O1eBwNQAcKsm-Sg9TiVn6E0irHAgIHCQczQQ8TX-qz5-sJUxuevrXNjipElbFix60u0KMJdWt3MKQNdgd8-YgXkSOzBj0t7tplDIHnsKyy5sc5WiCcynwdAF4lpDq2bHXp2ukkdjzm/s320/Dakar+-+my+home+here.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">My very first day here my friends here took me on a short sightseeing tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to see the Monument of African Resistance that was inaugurated in April 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sits on top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>After climbing all those stairs, we had a full view of the downtown area from a distance as well as the western most point of the African continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Hotel Meridien with a 9 hole golf course sits right on its edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later the same day, we went to visit an incredible art gallery on two floors overflowing with African art – LA CALEBASSE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in heaven….. Wherever I looked,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw nothing but incredible pieces made of wood from all over Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even found the painting I want to take home at the end of my stay here and the owner who is French, promised he would make me a good deal….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even more amazing than the gallery was the restaurant he has on the top floor of the building, overlooking the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a lovely meal with great<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>service under a huge thachered??? roof, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>surrounded by some incredible art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no window and no high buildings to block anything, the view is pretty limitless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, being located in kind of an isolated area and with limited electricity availability in the city, once the sun sets, a total darkness envelopes the restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely a must for those who find themselves in Dakar some day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are a couple of pictures I took of the waterfront not far from where I am staying</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP53o38PgEZbMp9Y94xv3fyUPNalubSM_7wGbDxLBOf5X20zysqOSR-VucBo9FNvMvNVyXe10l71i6FflCNmXxQzZEdj7jsXO4_v_oSoasb9cg8xkR9zTRJ1PflfO0NRq_1ZhQTNaL9o63/s1600/IMG00002-20101107-1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP53o38PgEZbMp9Y94xv3fyUPNalubSM_7wGbDxLBOf5X20zysqOSR-VucBo9FNvMvNVyXe10l71i6FflCNmXxQzZEdj7jsXO4_v_oSoasb9cg8xkR9zTRJ1PflfO0NRq_1ZhQTNaL9o63/s320/IMG00002-20101107-1034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKw6PcFvNfmbs3au6iukhMTGfeo55sTz05kCI_X-yGOMlpFESsCDIcQJa6oJzINrExJ3zztPtj89QB4x1rwrXBNfPszXRMGBrOlXiDJPRbLgmGa0qMNVVqkl7iqaLlDAm9YUp-bTiX1Fq/s1600/IMG00006-20101107-1056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKw6PcFvNfmbs3au6iukhMTGfeo55sTz05kCI_X-yGOMlpFESsCDIcQJa6oJzINrExJ3zztPtj89QB4x1rwrXBNfPszXRMGBrOlXiDJPRbLgmGa0qMNVVqkl7iqaLlDAm9YUp-bTiX1Fq/s320/IMG00006-20101107-1056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Came across that last scene while taking a morning walk Sunday with Pape - one of my landlady's sons, who lived in the States for a few years. He was showing me his favorite spots by the water to go swimming and to just sit and meditate. This group was was cleaning the sheep in the water - before taking them to the market to sell I suppose. With the feast of the sacrifice holiday around the corner, one sees nothing but sheep everywhere. Families are busy buying for the holiday on the 17th. We have one in our courtyard too...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Haven’t quite started my work yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have made contact with the first microfinance institution (MFI) called CAURIE where I only have a few weeks to finish a project started by the Kiva Fellow before me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are based in a city called Thies, about an hour or two from Dakar, where I will need to travel for a few days to complete the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am waiting for some meeting to be arranged before I actually make the trip. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the month, I am suppose to start with U-IMCEC, another MFI where I will be for the rest of my stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So for now, I am keeping busy getting to know as much of Dakar as I can and also reading a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just finished Barak Obama’s “Dreams of my father” and started “Half the Sky” by icholas Kristoff & Sheryl WuDunn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One problem I have is that it looks like I may have problems trying to download new e-books onto my Nook from here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I bought it in NY I was told, I could download from anywhere in the world with a wi fi connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I came here with only one book on it and when I went to download a new one the other day, I got a message that said books can only be downloaded from the US or Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummer…… <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am in the process of communicating with them to see if there is a solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, I better find an English bookstore here or get comfortable reading in French – there is an amaing French bookstore called “Les 4 Vents” where I went to get a map of Senegal and Dakar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminded me so much of the Hachette bookstore in Istanbul my mom used to take us growing up…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Better get back to work now….. I’ll try to update this blog at least once a week or whenever I encounter something worthwhile that I want to share with you all before I forget <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
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</div>Araksihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15165624658281993140noreply@blogger.com6