Politics

I'm here in Dakar, on medical hold without too much to do as it's the weekend, so I'm reading a lot - currently working through A Prayer for Owen Meany, and also catching up a bit on the news. Things like this make me think that we haven't changed at all from everything that John Irving was ranting about in the 1980's. But, maybe it's naive to expect any change.

Ah, well, it's nice to be away from the U.S. while all of the nonsense of the current administration goes on and comes to light.

I'll try to put up pictures and not get worked up about things beyond my control next time. Until then...

Dakar, again

So, I'm back in Dakar.

Peace Corps flew me up here today - I was medevac'd(!) - so that the doctor here can examine my arm, which may have a ruptured tendon on the short head of the bicep. It's a long story that I don't find interesting, so I'll not write about it, except that there is some internal swelling which has pressed against the nerve so there isn't much pain, and as an extra bonus, there are numb sections of the forearm. I suppose I'm in some sort of denial or I don't know what, but the whole thing seems a bit run of the mill and not so exciting.

In other news, the weather is rather confused these days. Fara Fenni is getting warm warm during the days, but some nights are still deliciously cool, and it seems to be just the same thing again - I know I miss the four seasons, but a part of me is adjusted to the fluctuations here and I don't seem to mind. Yet. It's still all dry heat, so I'm happy. And on the coast, it's gotten colder. Colder. Africa has upset my internal thermostat, as I'm now sitting with a long sleeve shirt on over a t-shirt, and was actually cold walking around Dakar earlier.

As you can see, things don't feel very exciting at the moment. I find myself watching things a little more closely as the sense of time drawing short develops, but it's still four or so months away, and I want to be present for that time. Not in Dakar with something out of place in my arm. Life, it's good at providing challenges on its own time.

The college basketball tournament started. I know it would be exciting if I could watch some of it, but I had forgotten about the whole thing until I saw the headlines. Ah, America.

photos and posts

A monday in Kombo - I came down to try to look down the road at life after Peace Corps a bit, and to get some rest. I'm getting a bit run down and having trouble with fibromyalgia and just generally trying to pull it together for the stretch run, as it's starting to feel around here. The heat is coming back, work plows on with highlights and struggles, and life continues.

I have put some photos up on the flickr site, so check there, and also posted little blurbs I wrote the last two times I've thought I was going to be able to use the internet.

Maybe I'll get to write again when my mood is a bit brighter. Cheers to all,

attempt two

Now I’m at ILink, one of the premier internet cafes in the Kombos and by extension, the country. There is no internet connection. The one person working seems to be trying to get it working, which may be more than his counterpart in Fara Fenni would have once done – that business seems to have closed down in the last couple of months – but still no connection. Ah well, it’s not home and I don’t expect it to be. But, I’d love to see email, see what’s going on with a few little things, to what I can be looking forward.

Maybe I’ll try to go to the office and see if there is a connection there….

[which there was, but the office was busy and I didn't get to blog or do much besides see what email I'd recieved]