Back again

Apologies all around for our quiet over here. Much has happened since our last post and not all of it good. I suggested to a friend that we had had our run of bad luck in threes since our arrival and his quick response was to say that in Senegal you're not limited to three. After his wife gave him a swift (and probably painful) punch in the arm, he retracted his statement to say that we are now heading into good luck from here on out. Let us see. Humor is an important commodity here.

A short comment about our most recent bad luck. Our house was broken into and some of our small electronics were stolen - the camera, the laptop, our cell phones, an ipod and a small amount of cash (apparently our intruders didn't understand that the wife in the house might have all the cash and despite having gone through my purse, they missed the greater amount of grocery money that I keep. They took Carl's paltry cash instead. Hah). They came, they took, they left. We probably interupted them as we were gone for less than an hour. They likely scaled the back wall (and our neighbors guard saw nothing, humph, imagine that!). The house was locked so they busted open a security grate, broke a window and opened the back door. Many lessons learned on that one. We'll be able to replace our things later, our house has been reinforced, and we are wiser for the experience. Hate that. Interestingly enough, we think the peacock was trying to tell us there were intruders as he squawked a number of times before we left and we couldn't figure out what he was doing. Peacocks are territorial like geese and will get protective of what they consider their property (we learned that later, thank you very much). He gets extra corn from here on out.

Last week was spent minding the house and entertaining Matt as break started on the 16th. Hence, he had the one computer most of the time and internet was pretty spotty for us anyway. So it goes.



So, on to better news. Two weekends ago, we travelled to Lac Rose, the pink lake. It was definintely one of the best things we've done since we've been here. Remote, rustic, the friendliest people and none of the hustle and bustle of the city. We rode horses on the beach one day, four wheelers the next. The food was fabulous - a chicken tagine and fresh french bread for dinner. Fresh squeezed juice and fresh bread and jam for breakfast. Simple and lovely. We will go back.



Lac Rose has a small salt mining operation. The lake is pink during the dry season when the water is low and the sun is high. We saw the pink when we arrived. There is a high concentration of minerals that reflects through the water with the sunlight. Close up, it looks rusty.




The dunes we rode through are the same dunes where the Paris to Dakar Rally used to end. The race is no longer run because of the dangers north of here. I'm pretty sure Matt was thinking he was racing the rally over the dunes. It was exciting. We came over one dune and found a Touareg with his camels. Although I found the camels interesting, I found the herder more interesting. I typically identify the Touareg people by their azure blue robes and the particular turban they wear on their heads. I do not see them often, but they are a distinctive people, indigenous to the desert. They have a long history of a nomadic lifestyle, impacted greatly by development. I do hope to reach a point where I can ask people for their photograph, but I have a respect for these people and, even though it is quite obvious we're not from here, I still dislike the "tourist" aspect of some of our experiences.




Our Christmas was quiet. Although the country is 95% Muslim, Christmas is celebrated by many, Christian and Muslim alike. Everyone was dressed in their finest and the sounds of fireworks lasted long into the night. The Santa at the grocery store was a little bit creepy but Matthew didn't see him, so we're good. We opened gifts under our very first fake tree (imported from walmart), hung out at the soccer field for awhile with other families, and then had dinner with friends. As with the military, people tend to take care of each other, particularly in these faraway places, more so during the holidays. We are grateful to our new friends here in this community. There is much to be thankful for.

I understand people have had a hard time leaving messages on the blog. I have also been unable to respond to those comments that are left here, go figure. In any event, thank you for reading and following our adventures.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Elections in West Africa

Hi Everybody, Carl here. It has been a bit since my last post, so here goes.

Senegal looks to conduct Presidential elections in February. This process serves as a shining example to other African nations as to how the process should work, mostly.

Recently, there have been several examples of poor election process such as in Cote Ivoire last summer and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in November. Cote Ivoire wasnt necesarily bad election process, it was more about a bad president who refused to accept the clear mandate of the elections and refused to leave office backing this with military power. Getting the picture? France (yea France) finaly went in, captured the guy and he is currently on trial in The Haugue for war crimes. Not a good example of democratic election process but ultimately a process that worked, somewhat.

The DRC, well now there is another kettle of fish. This is a huge country with untold natural resources, probably lots of oil that held an election a few weeks back. It is told that NGOs spent upwards of 700 million USD just to ensure the validity of the elections! Ok, lets start off with a 32 page ballot! Smelling like election fraud yet? They conducted the election and of course all of the 161 candidates are claiming victory! You have got to love it. The Catholic Church claims to have information on voting irregularities and the true winner but they refuse to release this information as it may start a civil war. A Civil war that has factions that support the major contenders and a military which will splinter to support multiple candidates. Holy Moley.

All of this makes the Senegalese elections seem tame in comparison. We have a sitting President who came into office and initiated term limits to 2 elections. He did this right after his first election so he contends that he has only been elected once since term limits were instituted so he is of the opinion that he can run again. The people of Senegal have said no. The President recently proclaimed his formal candidacy for his third election. Senegal law requires 50% of the popular vote to win an election. The President tried to write legislation tht would allow a win with only 25% support from a popular vote. Well, the people went nuts, rioted and he backed off.

Today there is a great deal of anxiety about the time between now and the next election. Parties proclaimed their candidates on 23 December. Riots because the President threw his hat in the ring as expected. The end of January is when the legislative council will rule on the legitamacy of the Presidents bid and campaigning may begin for all. Probably more rioting. Then the elections at the end of February will not produce a 50% popular vote for any one candidate and well you guessed it, probably more riots. A run off election will be forced in March if there is less than a 50% popular vote.

Laurie , Matt and I were driving home one afternoon when traffic came to a standstill. Matt started complaining that his eyes were burning and yes, there was rioting at a local university with CS gas thrown in healthy doses. A few days later, an opposition candidate for President was approached by a "band of thugs" and he responded with guns killing one (evidently on you tube), he is currently on trial for murder. Politics Africa style.....

Who knows what the future will bring? The good news is that Senegal will direct these elections for better or worse. The populace is generally peaceful and interested in change for the better of all. They want a better and more prosperous country and you can not blame them.

Anxious in the short term and hopeful for the long term.

All the best. Carl

the weekend

On Saturday, we participated in a 5 mi walk/fundraiser for Malaria Prevention. It was a gorgeous morning and lots of people showed up to walk off the Thanksgiving turkey. The route took us from the Embassy, up the Corniche along the ocean, ending at Ebbett's Field.


On the route we passed the fish market with the beautiful bateaus. Each bateau is painted to identify ownership and each is a work of art.



We also took the opportunity to travel to Bandia, an animal reserve south of Dakar. While there we had the opportunity to see a small sampling of the animals that roam the more than 30,000 acres of the reserve. We'll be sure to return to Bandia to see all that it has to offer.

a month, really?

Who would have thought that a month could pass by so quickly with hardly a peep from us! I guess we'll just have to fix that, now won't we.


Our truck has finally made its way to us and for that we are grateful. Honestly, I had forgotten what it looked like! We now have the freedom to explore outside the city and see what the countryside in Senegal actually looks like. We are anxious to get to the game reserves to the south of us, all the while remembering to "stay in the vehicle!"


Of course, we'll need new armour for the adventures on and off these city streets. Carl's looking at a black rhino guard for the front grill. Not that we've seen any rhinos, but those taxis are pretty pesky. With the exception of parking, we'll be glad to have this larger, 4X4 vehicle.


Carl and I attended the Marine Corps Ball last weekend and had a lovely time. After the ball, I got my first opportunity to drive. As much as I usually choose not to drive after dark regardless of where I am in the world, the lack of traffic made it totally do-able. I haven't even attempted driving in daylight yet. Courage. That's what I need. Courage.

The weather has definitely shifted. It's just lovely - daytime temps in the low
80's, night temps in the 70's. And a breeze. Just right. With the shift out of the rainy season, our surroundings will quickly change from green to brown, with sand swirling and piling up everywhere.


Over the past week, we've been taking care of Abigail. Her family is in the states for the holiday. She would love the chance to chase both the peacock and the cat, but hasn't been given the opportunity for either activity. I doubt she'd be prepared for what the peacock could give back to her. It's better for us all if they don't connect.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

the view from here

Hello everyone, it has been quiet here for us, thus the lack of posting. We are busy creating our new familiar, our daily routines, our everyday normal - which once established, doesn't seem that exciting or new anymore. With that in mind, I'll fill you in on some of the particulars.

It continues to be blazing hot here. Not for a moment do we forget that we are at the edge of the Sahara desert. The forecast for this week puts us near 100 degrees every day. The humidity seems to be moving out though, so it's just hot. As Carl calls it - Africa hot. I feel like we're extending the summer season by continuing our trips to the pool. But really, I know we'll be going to the pool year round. Once the tourists leave, the beaches will be quieter and we will probably be the only ones at the water (kind of like New Englanders in Florida in February). I hear that by January, the ocean will cool down, suggesting it's more like a northern Maine beach in the middle of summer. I'll let you know if it ever reaches the ankle numbing stage of cold. Something tells me this side of the ocean, this near the equator, doesn't know that kind of cold.



Every weekend we try to get out for lengthy walks. On Sunday we took a nice hike up to the lighthouse where there is a gorgeous view of the penninsula and the western most point of the continent. And, yes, it was well into the 90's in the morning as we were walking. I won't go so far as to say we've acclimated to the heat, but we all did fine. Matthew even commented that the walk will be much nicer when it's cooler - this is in stark contrast to his distinct desire to not join us on the walks every weekend. I guess he's given up on the protests and knows he's walking.



Our truck continues on it's extended European vacation. Last postcard indicates it is in La Havre, France. If you're up on your geography, you will note that it is still quite a distance away from us. With any luck, it will arrive within the next couple of weeks. Of course, we've been saying that for quite some time now.



We are all engaged in our French language lessons. Matthew gets French every day at school and Carl and I are provided lessons (intense lessons) twice a week for 1.5-2 hours. Did I say intense? Today, for me, was grammar review and those pesky verbs. My class partner was absent today. She sent me her best wishes for the session, knowing full well that as the only student I'd be on for the whole lesson - no sleeping in class today! I survived, barely able to babble in English (let alone French) when I arrived back home.

Is there any topic in particular any one is curious about? Anything anyone wants to know about living here that they just haven't been able to ask? Matthew might share how loud the toilets are; I'm sure Carl would love to talk more about the seafood or maybe his new grill - let's just say, he's missing the Weber.

A little fabric

As many of you know, I have been anxiously awaiting a trip into the fabric district here in Dakar. I had been advised not to venture down without someone knowledgeable about fabric and the area in general as it is a very, very busy marketplace. After a couple of false starts, a trip was scheduled for last weekend and with two other intrepid souls, I set off to begin the acquisition of fabric.

The day started with the promise of a torrential downpour as seriously dark clouds gathered over the ocean and a strong wind whipped the dust around. Carl suggested we reschedule. Was he kidding? There was no cancelling this trip! It would take a lot more than rain to keep us away from the possibilities to be found in the market. Besides, if it was raining, less people might be there, right? Armed with raincoats and umbrellas, we set out. As it was, the rain quickly cleared off and the market was wall to wall people. Our one saving grace was that the temperature stayed quite pleasant for the duration.

Once downtown, we set off on foot through the market area. To say that the area is congested is an understatement of gigantic proportions. What we in America consider personal space is very definintely public space here in Senegal. There is no comfort zone to surround you (either real or imaginary) and one must be prepared to be jostled about, encouraged to purchase things you never knew you needed or wanted, and be completely overwhelmed by the proximity of so many people, sights, sounds, and smells for the duration. Having said that, if one carries a healthy sense of caution and awareness, you can survive said adventure unscathed.

We had not intended to go into the Sandaga market on this trip - our plan was to visit a few shops on the periphery, look for fabric and stop in a gift shop or two. Sandaga is located in the very heart of downtown Dakar. It is crowded, hot, and very, very oderous (for the sake of brevity, I will not share with you my real feelings on the odor). Anything and everything can be purchased here and this is where we found the fabric we were looking for - the bright, patterned batiks so often admired in this country. Senegalese women use this fabric for their day to day and special occasion dresses with stunning results. The colors are mostly bold and provide striking contrast to the desert landscape.


At one shop, the vendor invited us to tour his factory where hundreds of men were sewing - clothing, bags, anything and everything made of fabric. These items would then be sold on the street or exported. The shop reminded me of Lowell, Massachusetts, at the turn of the last century, only more colorful and staffed by men rather than young girls. Literally, every space in the building was crammed with sewing machines, fabric, and people.

As I didn't take any photos while on this trip, visit www.khm.uio.no/utstillinger/madeinafrica/english/marked_2.html for a bit more history and some photos.

We're going back to the market again, once we've recovered from this trip and have done something with the fabric we bought. Next on the list is to find a tailor.

I LOVE GREEN MOUNTAIN POWER

Carl here, greetings from West Africa,

OK, so one of the things that we really take for granted in the states is having a pretty cheap and perhaps more importantly, a dependable power source. In Vermont, there are times when there is a significant storm and a tree or seasonal deadfall takes out a power wire and the lights go out. This pisses us off for a few minutes but the outage generally lasts for a short hour or 2 (with the most recent exceptions of Irene and the ice storm of '98). Dig out the flashlight (that never works), light a candle and try to enjoy the quiet dark. For some, you crank up a generator to power a few lights and refrigerator. Life goes on. Then magically, power is restored, lights come back on, the computer is functional and life goes on. For this service, we pay a good dollar to Green Mountain Power or CVPS. I can not believe I am saying this but I LOVE GMP! I have been unhappy with them over the years but generally it is over the cost of their service. The dependability of the product they deliver was never in question. I am a spoiled American, I get it.

Dakar is a major hub of economic activity and population center in West Africa. There is a major deep water port for moving goods in and out. The city has grown significantly and now includes several "burbs," if you will. All of this activity requires power. The elecrical grid was developed over time but has not kept up with the needs of an expanding population, let alone business. The city suffers from ever increasing "managed blackouts", which is another way of saying that there is just not enough power to go around. It is a significant political issue for the current President and is a major source of discontent when speaking with the Senegalese.

Since the world does, in fact, revolve around me, let me tell you how this affects the Hauslers of Dakar. We have a house that is enclosed by a large wall. Inside the wall (covered and out of the way) is a 75KW Caterpiller Diesel Generator that will not allow the Hauslers of Dakar to be without power for more than 5 seconds (that's a very important 5 seconds if you are on the computer). The moment the power from the street is interupted, we hear the trusty Cat fire up and then we listen to the low hum of the diesel keeping us in power, lights and AC. No complaints from me at all, this is great even by Embassy standards as some folks have generators that are not strong enough to power all the needs they have. Some have had to go without AC for a while (and it's hot, hot, hot). So the short story is that the Hauslers of Dakar are very well taken care of on the power side and we are grateful, believe me. The problem is that our generator might run 10-12 hours per day! Great to have the back up system but the back up more often seems like the primary source and the back up is coming from the street!!! Am I painitng a picture here that brings me back to the title of this Blog Segment?

"Old Sparky"

While all this sounds a little humerous and somewhat inconvienient, I always go back to how fortunate we are here in Dakar and you are back in the states. When the power goes out here, most Senegalese do not have the absolute luxury of dependable power and basically sit in the dark without AC or fans for hours and potentially days. They will lose the food in their fridges and just as importantly, they lose some of their livelihood if making aliving is attached to needing electricity. If you think about it, many of the modern conveniences are somewhat useless here until power is an affordable and reliable resource available to all. I dont have a solution but I really wish I did.

Happy Fall. Laurie told me that it is raining this week in Vermont (cause she still checks and reports on the weather for me). The best of days to you.

Italy

Carl here. I had a TDY assignment to Vicenza Italy at the end of August. Nice to travel there but yet another place where I do not understand the language.

I came accross this Fiat 500 in a parking lot. These little (the operative word) cars are still common in Italy. I thought that I pretty much looked like a giant standing next to it. I can't imagine driving it as everything on in the interior was tiny. I seriously beleive that Matt could easily drive this thing. Hmmmm.....

Goree Island

Greetings all,

Carl here! I had a pretty busy last week with a couple of Traveling Contact Teams (TCT) who were here working with the Senegalese Military. We had a group of Medical folks from Vermont who were doing some assessment work with the Senegal Medical system. I really had a great time with them and I am convinced that this TCT will pave the way for some great future work.



One of the things that I always try to plan for the teams is an opportunity to experience the culture of Senegal. Nothing mandatory or forced fun about it. Because this group had limited time, we stayed in Dakar.

We took a morning to visit Goree Island located about 4 km from Port of Dakar. This island is best known as a former West African hub of slave exportation begining with the Portuguese in the mid 1400s. It is currently a UNESCO World Heritage site as an historically significant location.



I secured the services of Ali who is a history major and fluent English speaker and all around good guy. He is of the Mandinka tribe of southern Senegal and Gambia regions. His English was perfect with a strong Woolof twang. He articulated some complex social and political history issues with great elegance. I really appreciated the fact that he looked at the history for what it was and did not pass judgement or inject his personal bias.

We left early in the morning to beat the daytime heat and to make the most of the day. The boatride was pleasent as was the company. What struck me most was how much transition there was from European influences with the Portugese, the Dutch, the French, the English, then back to the French. All had a part in West African development and in the slave trade.



The tour finished at the Slave House which was the actual point where people were stored waiting transport via ships to North and South America. "Stored" is the accurate term for what transpired as it was the last stopping point for these people before shipment to their destination. If males didn't weigh the required 60 kilos for shipment, they were force fed until they did. Slaves were housed in small rooms that were packed full without adequate ventilation or restroom facilities. 20 million slaves were reported to be exported from Africa to the west, but only 14 million survived the trip. I was actually quite depressed thinking about the enormity of the human suffering. I had the same thoughts when I toured the German prison camp at Dakau outside of Munich. I am always amazed at how badly man can treat his fellow man. All cultures have these problems with their past. Hopefully we learn from history.




Laurie and Matt are great. I had no idea how hard this transition would be for them. We are hoping that the next few months will allow us to settle in nicely. My best to you!

Carl

At Matt's request

Matthew has requested that I post pictures that might be of interest to his friends. Easy enough.

On Sunday, we got a chance to tour the USS Swift which arrived in Dakar over the weekend. The Swift was built by the same company that built the Cat that services Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia. Way cool.

When we visit our favorite beach side spots, there are always animals - chickens, rabbits, ducks, goats, and sometimes horses. Matt likes these turtles. They hang out with the chickens.

I think I'll hand Matt the camera next time and see what he comes up with. After all, we are trying to make this a well-rounded blog.

Greetings

All,

Just so that you know, this is Laurie's blog and she is totally responsible for its content. She has graciously allowed me to post from time to time on things that I see from my perspective and that are important to me. I will try not to overstep my bounds.

I have said it before but Dakar is an amazing place. In spite of our difficult start, I remain convinced that this will be a great tour with many adventures along the way. We continue to keep an open mind and a willingness to learn about this culture in any way that it is presented to us.

For starters, we got to our home which is a 4 bedroom, 7 or 8 baths (haven't counted them all), single floor home. We ventured out to notice that the Atlantic is about 200 yards from the house. We found the above establishment which is called "Le Cabene de Surfer". You would never know that this place exists as it is situated on the rocks that fall into the ocean. Abdou is the bartender/chef and pours cold "La Gazzele" beer and serves some pretty decent food. Laurie's sunset photo is untouched and is an example of a typical Friday evening. Friends seem to need only a phone call and a small group forms. Pretty good. We do enjoy getting out and seeing what Dakar has to offer.

It's been a while . . .

It's been a short while since I posted last. I have felt somewhat at a loss to post from Africa as I watched our beloved Vermont take the brunt of Irene. We are glad to hear our friends are doing well even as their communities have suffered great losses.

Carl spent a week in Italy (poor thing), so Matt and I held down the fort here. Needless to say, it was a quiet week for us.

One of our goals while we're here is to explore our surrounding community as well as the larger country. It would be easy for us to remain close to our house and not experience all there is and so we go, drive around, sit and listen, experience. And if a gorgeous sunset is thrown in, we won't complain.

I already have a favorite coffee spot (is anyone surprised?). Sweet Coffee. The name sais it all. Strong, very strong, Cafe Au Lait and a croissant. I have yet to visit one of the beach shacks that serve cafe in the morning, but I can only imagine a wonderful coffee at the ocean. It's on my list.

A little catching up

A blog was promised for this journey, so a blog there will be. We are only just now settling in after our very rocky entrance onto the continent. Carl arrived around the 6th of August, Matt and I arrived on the 12th. We were deeply saddened that our beloved bulldog did not survive the journey and we continue to mourn such an important member of our family. Thank you to everyone who has expressed sympathy.

We are fortunate to be in a home with beautiful gardens resplendent with fruit trees and tropical flowers. As if the garden wasn't enough to wow us, there is a peacock who shares our yard. He's really quite lovely.

Matthew started school last week. Although he misses his friends in Vermont terribly, he's doing quite well. The beauty of an International School is that transitions are a part of life, and new students are the norm rather than the exception.

Although we continue to be surprised at every turn, we are becoming a bit more acclimated to our new environment. More to follow as we venture out to see the world that is Africa.