Novotel - Dakar

... just Senegal but Africa. Our driver was also named Doudou, so in French, I was with "deux Doudous" all day, which sounds really funny when pronounced in French and I laughed about it a lot with Julie and Kareem when I returned at the end of the day. I saw the Presidential residence, Dakar University, the food market with the biggest lobsters I have ever seen, and then Ile de Goree. The island was established as a slave trading base by the Portuguese ...

... it was amazing, and possibly the best shower I have ever had in my life!! For those who have never had to suffer this, you have no idea how good this feels. A fantastic weekend wouldn't be complete without the premature departure of your roommate now would it? And this is exactly what Lucy did to me, not going into too much detail but she was not enjoying her placement here and thought she would be more useful at home. So as I sit and write this she ...

... organized and therefore a lot harder to get up and running. However it seems like I have an extra special staff group on board because there is so much nicely organized activities on board. Later on in the night I watched the MDP (Mobile Dance Party) dance their way around the ship. They were having a blast making sure they went and danced in every room. I played cards with a big group and two of my ...

... crise que os experts esperam que não seja mais do que o fundo de um ciclo de Kondratieff e que em breve a curva se tornara ascendente. Quando america peida todo o mundo sente o cheiro e não sera o Obama que vai perfumar a coisa com spray de WC. Reformas estruturais ruinosas comandadas pelos académicos incompetentes do FMI e Banco Mundial, corrupção e divida externa estranguladora, os ingredientes são sempre os mesmos para quem escolhe andar a toque de caixa do ocidente.

... just wuite following us. He was quite cute. It was nice to get out of Dakar and see what the country is really like. I felt like I actually caught a glimpse of the "real" Senegal. Sunday; we went to Ile de Gorée and walked around there. The island was used in the slave trade. They still have the house that was used at the holding place for the slaves who were going to be sold. It was quite haunting to go there and ...

... for a field trip. I am not exactly for sure what we are doing there...I'm just along for the ride. It is so hot and sticky here!!! The bungalows are even more beautiful in real life than in pictures. I am pretty sure Mom is lieing about working here and is really on a two year vacation. It's crazy!!! Well, I am going to get going for now. I will write more later on today once I see and do a little bit more than eat and play with Bungalow (the commune cat).

... 3 per metre, as opposed to my very cheap £1 per yard of a few weeks ago) - but often hand dyed and beautiful colours and designs. This is the traditional wonderful stuff for which West Africa is so rightly famous - classy, colourful, costly, stylish and unique - brash and bold, real fun. This is what I really want for my next batch of shirts! MUCH more daring. MUCH more fun than my rather tame ones to date. I settle down to bargain ... picking my way through the cloth, and ...

... I am doing OK these days, still a little frustrated with the school, but the ideas keep coming so I am bound to find something that'll work eventually, also we had an "all volunteer conference" and I really like the new county director. It felt good to be in the room with all volunteers and really feeling like we were a part of the bigger picture. We will all have to work on Ending Malaria initiatives and tree planting. I now feel motivated ...

... truly talented. There's certainly an element of village communism present there and in most small communities, jealousy and resentment, the great equalizer. I usually relegate such platitudes to the 'superficial impressions' folder. Nevertheless, it's always nice to find a place worth hanging, time to wash the clothes, buy some bread, and make some tea, especially after a week or two of rough travel. This is the way I like to ...