March 17, 2005

I'll be missing you...

The Touareg man with blue flowing dress and the white turban, wobbling on his bicycle trying to avoid the pills of sand to his left and the cars to his right.
Tiébou Dienn.
Tiébou Yab.
The wonderfully outrageously loudly colored Boubous that women wear.
The Salamalekoum, Malekoumsalam, Ca va?, Oui ca va bien et toi ca va?, ca va ca va et la famille ca va, ca va, et la matinee?, ca va ca va etc...
The bitter and sickeningly sweet Attaya in a shot glass.
The fried donuts made by women on the side of the street.
The daily 5:00am Muslim chanting.
The spontaneous little girls that come up to me to shake my hand.
The Baobabs.
The whole morning procession of popping one's head in everyone's office for the obligatory greetings.
Biskrems.
Laughing at the outrageous prices of the Taxi men.
The multitudes of cool restaurants.
The Lebanese vendors.
The intricate jewelry made with fish spine, coffee beans and hand-shaped copper.
The overloaded Ndiagan Diaye buses (pronounce "Diagon-ji") that look like they're about to tip on their sides.
The men washing their feet and their faces in the street before prayer.
The flocks of sheep, goats that give you an insolent look and take their sweet time while crossing the street.
The daily getting-together of all wheelchaired persons by the edge of the ocean in the evenings.
The glimpse of Gorée Island by the beach.
The hens and their chicks in the flower beds.
Being able to buy one pat of butter, two cigarettes and 4 lumps of sugar.
The loud, obnoxious, busy crowds in Sandaga market.
The crazy Mauritanian shops that sell anything and everything.
The loud Muslim chants blaring from the back seat of shoddy taxis.
Baba Maal, Salif Keita (even if he's Malian), Ba Cissoko (even if they are Guinean), Youssou N'dour (even if I didn't get to see him live).
Lepers waving the fingerless hands at me in the morning.
Young boys practicing their Koranic chants on the stairs of the Mosque.
The intricately symmetrical hair weaves on young girls heads.
The shabby little restaurant by the side of the office that serves wonderful food in 3 seconds flat but never seems in a hurry for us to pay the bill.
The wonderful friends I have made here.

3 comments:

MissRancher said...

ok, i updated!! many more coming. i hope you have an even better time in the Congo...such an exciting life you lead!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Senegal will miss you too!! One less Mme. Dakar to marry :)
-Ammo

Victoria said...

Dorothee, je pense a toi! I'm sorry I never got to visit you in Senegal, but at least I got to discover it a little through your blog. Tu me manques! (et le reste de la famille aussi... voila deux semaines que je n'ai parle a personne) I'll try to send you a package soon.
PS: Would you rather I email you? (it requires more effort and I am lazy, but it's up to you)