Two in One Post Tonight

I am not sure if you all realised but I skipped yesterday - decided to do two in one. Only thing different that I did yesterday was go exercising after work with a friend - which was all the way to THE statue that the past president, Wade, built. For more about the Renaissance Statue, you can check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Renaissance_Monument (Ye, ye, I know it's a Wikipedia link, but oh well)

An unfit me underneath the huge statue. Note to self: Stop wearing brown shirt because now I'm too tan for it.

So do you see all these stairs? All part of the exercise!

A friend from Grinnell recently arrived in Dakar and I of course told her we had to meet up. She is an international student as well, so Senegal gave her hell with the visa just as they did with me. Her NGO work was moving a bit slow (on Senegal time) so she decided to give some hours at La Pouponniere – Yay us! I’m like recruiting now haha. I just showed her the ropes while we worked but the babies were really cranky today (by today I mean Wed.) – hope I don’t lose my recruit.

 I invited her back to my house and we took a car rapide (which by the way I’ve been spelling wrong this whole time). It was a real fancy one with nice seats I was in such amazement – I think the other people in the car rapide thought I was crazy. 

Do you see these seats? You don't even get this cushioning in a taxi!

Me and Zhaoyi on our way to Mermoz

But we went home and had cheb u jen which was spicy – I love spice! Plus, for dessert we had mangoes, yumm. As Zhaoyi pointed out, I really do live in a rich part of Dakar – not THE rich part but I live in a pretty good apartment with a flushing toilet and a maid plus Internet, how can I complain? My host mom kindly told Zhaoyi that she is welcome to her home anytime (even without me) so now she can’t be too jealous of my ‘rich’ home.

Zhaoyi (left), Me (centre) and Host Mom (right) after stuffing our faces but still ready for dessert!

We ended up both taking a nap in my room before we left the house. I walked her out and stopped a car rapide for her to go home. Then I went in the opposite direction for my 40 minute walk to Wolof class at WARC. Today was especially hot tho, so I wasn’t too happy.

Anyway, I had my second to last Wolof class – which made my professor so sad. I really enjoyed Wolof classes altho I think I have a terrible accent and don’t speak it very much – I mostly use it to pick out words so I can understand. Last class is Friday – I hope I can visit WARC still tho – the WARC staff all been very helpful to me.

After walking back from Wolof classes, I went straight to actual exercising. I eat so much food here, I’ve decided that exercising is a MUST. So I went out to Ouakam with Malcolm from church – who I’ve now named as my official trainer. My poor little butt has gotten used to walking but I’m only warming up to other exercises now.

But after a shower, I only managed to make this post. I really don’t know why I’m still up and it’s minutes past 1. I have to be up by 7:15 to go walking with my host mom – so early, but it’s nice and cool out at that time.

I just lied. I've done something beside blogging! I ALSO had a lovely skype call with my blog fans Shanice, Auntie Marie, Jade and Ashmar. As a typical Jamaican, got to give a shout out to my family in Canada – Jamaicans represent!

Haha, okay I’m gonna go to bed now. Peace!