Currency Converter Replacement

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I couldn't get the previous Currency Converter to work, so I've replaced it. To see how the fluctuations in the dollar are affecting me, just do the following.

1. Click in the FROM field, press the "U" key 5 times to choose USD, and press ENTER.
   
2. Click in the TO field, press the "C" key once to choose CFA BCEAO Francs,* and press ENTER.
3. Click the GO button (above the FROM field).

* INTERESTING TECHNICAL DISTINCTION: CFA BCEAO Francs (Bank code: XOF) are West African Francs, used by 8 countries, including Senegal. CFA BEAC Francs (Bank code: XAF) are used by a different consortium of 5 CENTRAL African nations. Both currencies are tied to the Euro, and at the same exchange rate, but you can't use XAF Francs in XOF countries, or vice versa. In addition, a few other countries in the region have their own currencies, and do not accept either XOF or XAF Francs! (For more details, including color-coded maps, search for "CFA Francs" on Wikipedia, the source of the info in this paragraph.)

Good news: as of today, the dollar has rebounded from its recent low of 400CFA to the dollar to (today) 446CFA to the dollar. So a box of breakfast cereal today cost only $7.84 instead of the $8.75 it cost two or three months ago. And a pound of bananas is down from $1.50 to $1.34.

I don't know if any of you are interested in all this, but I am--especially the cost of food!

It's raining, it's pouring...

As I write, I can hear a downpour of refreshing rain outside my open windows. This is the best rainy season West Africa has had since it spawned Hurricane Katrina a few years back. Recently, we've had rain every day or two!

Food supplies are still low for many Senegalese, but there's good hope of a good harvest ahead!

Currency Converter

I've just added a currency converter "gadget" at the left--under the SUBSCRIPTION buttons. You, too, can watch the value of the dollar go up and down in comparison to West African Currency! Just press the CONVERT button for the latest exchange rate.

UPDATE: This converter didn't work so I replaced it. For instructions, see my August 28 post.

Your Support Dollars at Work

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Friends often ask me about the cost of living in Dakar. It depends a lot on how I choose to eat.

FOOD. I generally buy western food imported from Europe and, sometimes, the US. I went grocery shopping today and bought the following.

1 box of breakfast cereal
2 large boxes of skim milk powder
2 boxes of fruit juice
4 fruit yogurts

My total bill was 17,110 cfa. Even at last week’s improving exchange rate of 450cfa/dollar, that’s $38.00!

If I consistently ate Senegalese style (mostly rice, with various vegetable or meat sauces very high in oil content), I could eat for about $3.00 per day.

FUEL. Today, I saw gasoline for sale at 798cfa per liter, diesel at 808cfa. That comes to $6.71/gallon for gas, $6.80/gallon for diesel. Most vehicles here use diesel.

I don’t often buy fuel. When I need to travel around town, I either take a taxi—$3.50 to $5.00 per trip, one way, depending on distance and traffic—or use a school vehicle and reimburse the school about 70 cents per mile.

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And the word is...(the envelope, please)...

to find the mYsteRy word, which I unwillingly omitted from the August 15 post, check this paragRaph--simply find The capItal letters scattered aBout, reveRse their sequence, and there you'll hAve it.

Who Benefits? (Part 2) Or, That's Water through the Dam

A magazine article I read last year complained that western companies come to Africa, harvest the natural resources, and then take those resources elsewhere for further processing, refusing to let Africans take part in the more lucrative steps in the manufacture of goods. That sounds selfish until you realize that the infrastructure here (I speak of West Africa) is not reliable enough to run large-scale processing and manufacturing plants.

The following story amazes and saddens me.

The Republic of Guinea is extremely rich in natural resources, including minerals and water power. Some years ago, a foreign nation donated huge amounts of engineering expertise and enormous quantities of cement to design and construct a dam on one of Guinea's major rivers. This dam, I am told, could have provided enough electrical power for the entire country, with some left over to sell to neighboring nations. It had the potential to completely revolutionize Guinea's economy.

But when I visited Guinea last December, I found that even parts of the capital city lacked electricity. Entire neighborhoods lighted their markets with kerosene lamps at night. Why? Because the folks in leadership when the dam was being built apparently stole much of the cement powder for their own personal projects and those of their friends. Once the dam was built, it was determined that the cement was so diluted as to be too weak to hold back the river. So, the dam was never put into operation. Now, decades later, this country is still stuck in poverty.

NOTE: I heard the dam story while I was in Guinea. I have done no follow-up research, so it may be off in some particulars either from errors by those who told it to me, or resulting from my less-and-less reliable rememberer, or both. However, I believe it to be true in at least its basic outline. I welcome corrections.

Who benefits? (Part 1)

As much as I respect the Senegalese government (see previous posts), the poor delivery here of such basic services as electricity baffle me. I want to ask someone, "Why are you doing this to your own people?"

During the rainy season (July-December), the power is cut, unannounced, several times a week--sometimes daily, sometimes more than once in a day-- for anywhere between 15 minutes and 10 hours. Apparently, the government, which subsidizes the power plants, frequently doesn't pay the bills on time, so the power company shuts down the plant--or has daily, rolling outages around the city to reduce output.

If there were even a schedule of outages published, it would be immensely better. Then individuals and businesses could at least attempt to plan activities requiring electricity for the times it would be on. (In fact, I'm told this was tried a few years ago, but the schedule was so seldom kept, it was more frustrating than having no schedule, so they quit publishing it.)

I suppose in a predominantly pre-industrial environment, reliable technological infrastructure is not crucial. Much of Senegal qualifies for that description. Farmers and carpenters who use hand tools, vendors with street-side stalls, even taxi drivers in diesel-fueled cars don't care whether the electricity is on or off.

But unlike much of the country, Dakar is not pre-industrial. There are factories, grocery stores, restaurants, banks, and many other businesses that depend on electricity to function--not to mention safety features such as traffic lights and street lights. Computers are common in businesses here, too. Cutting the current without warning is incredibly disruptive to life, businesses, schools.

The president promised last year that power outages would end on a specific day in October. And, in fact, they became very rare for several months. It was wonderful. You didn't have to wonder if you could perform a task (typing, printing, photocopying) at any point during the day. But the stoppages ramped up again in the spring, and have been horrible in the one week I've been back in town.

So, who benefits when the power goes out? Somebody must gain or it wouldn't keep happening.

Suppliers of generator fuel, perhaps? But aren't they the same people who supply fuel for the electrical generators (though perhaps at a lower,bulk price). "I expect," surmised one of my stateside relatives, "that the 'in crowd' (whoever that may be) gets great benefit for maintaining the status quo rather than for improving it. Parties with solutions could be threatening to the in crowd so their barriers to implement solutions are kept high." This is the most plausible explanation I've heard.

Whatever the cause, Africans suffer daily. And, year after year, entire nations pay the price of such infrastructural unreliability. See my next post for a sad example.

Mystery Word

Has anyone determined the word missing from my last entry? Here's the sentence, again.

I'm not a fan of [Frank Gehry's] abstract, seemingly * style, but it is striking.

Email me with your guesses. I remembered it as I drifted off to sleep the other night, but didn't turn on the light and write it down, so it's drifted away again.

Jay the Tourist

TOURING FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I have returned to Dakar from an 8-week visit to the States. I've been wondering what to write that would be of general interest. I can summarize my trip simply by saying I got plenty (!) of rest, saw a number of family members, a number of friends, and met a few new folks. It was great to see "everyone"!

I put "everyone" in quotes because, to my frustration and in some cases embarrassment, I did not see everyone I wanted to. Thanks to a college-era alumni newsletter, word had gotten around that I was coming to town, and people I haven't seen in 20 years contacted me. As a result of a volatile travel schedule, and also of eventual burnout, I didn't get to connect with all of them. If you're one of them, my apologies. Next time, I hope!

JAY THE TOURGUIDE IN DC. I had two, thoroughly enjoyable, touristic voyages. First, I had the unique pleasure of playing tourguide to four Dakar Academy alums and their father (my former English8 team-teaching colleague) during their 12-hour layover in Washington, D.C. We perused the National Mall between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, taking in numerous memorials and some International Folk Festival exhibits and foods. I may become a docent when I retire.

JAY THE TOURIST IN CHICAGO. Later, in Chicago, I went to Millenium Park--built since my last visit, entirely with private money--for the first time. I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't really expecting much. I was wrong! It's a destination! Sculpture, indoor and outdoor theaters, gardens, plazas, and more!

The sculptures looked odd or downright silly in tourist brochures, but were, in fact, terrific. The shiny silver "Cloud Gate" (shaped like a huge pinto bean) is both fascinating and fun. One side yields a dramatic, bowed reflection of the Chicago skyline. Up close, you see yourself and other gawkers in humorous distortion. Underneath, you're lost in a magical and indecipherable kaleidescope of reflections.

Though I missed the open orchestra rehearsal at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion, the outdoor theater designed by Frank Gehry, it was a visual blast. I'm not a fan of his abstract, seemingly * style, but it is striking. And the creation of a distinct audience "space" through use of a grid of widely spaced arches over the lawn seating, is both interesting and impressive. (Alas, I missed the wandering BP Bridge, also by Gehry, which looks cool in photos on the Park's website.)

Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain--twin glass-brick monoliths spouting water into a sloped plaza, and projecting huge video close-ups of Chicago residents--is quirky, but worth the visit just to see the screaming children vying for a position under the foot-wide streams of water coming from the mouths of the citizen videos.

The one disappointment was the Lurie Garden. Entirely walled off by tall firs or junipers, it's invisible from the outside, and it's a good thing. A gently sloping plot perhaps half the size of a football field is criss-crossed by sunken, walled paths. In the remaining patchwork of plots are planted the homeliest weeds and grasses, in the least aesthetically pleasing arrangement imagineable--Nature has never done so poorly on its own. The tallest plants were often next to the sunken paths, obscuring the vegetation further in. My main color recollection is gray, though I was there at the height of summer.

I see from the park's website, http://www.millenniumpark.org/, that I missed a lot. It's on my list for more attention next time I'm in Chicago!

JAY THE ALMOST-TOURIST IN CASABLANCA. Finally, on my return trip to Dakar I had a 12-hours layover in fabled Casablanca, Morocco. Alas, I can neither deny nor confirm rumors that the city does not live up to the romantic reputation it's earned in the US from the movie of the same name. The airline, I had been told, would provide a hotel or a tour of the city. I was going to choose the tour, but it wasn't being offered anymore, so instead I spent the day in a very decent airport hotel in the middle of brown scrubby no-man's-land, with no city in sight. I watched part of the Olympic opening ceremonies on TV (Mini-Review: fantastically creative and clever in places) and ate a lunch of delicious Moroccan food at the hotel's buffet.

* The missing word in this sentence is one of my favorities, but also one
of the hardest for me to remember. I used to keep it written in my wallet to
keep me from being frustrated to the point of distraction in conversation. I'll
fill it in when I finally think of it again.

Political Apologies

I heard a very interesting lecture on the radio tonight. Entitled "The Meaning and Value of Political Apology," it was an insightful analysis of the reasons for, and the effects and limitations of "political apologies"--when a government apologizes for the nation's past actions, perhaps decades or centuries after the fact.

The text of the lecture is available as a pdf file at the following site. It is fairly brief (8 pages, with lots of white space), and worth reading if you've ever wondered about the value, or even the legitimacy of such apologies.

http://www.ony.unu.edu/middayforum/May%2023%20Apology/Political%20Apology%20Speech%20Handout%20Version.pdf.

The author and speaker was French Jean-Marc Coicaud, a young but experienced diplomat, who has co-written several books on international law and human rights, and who currently heads UNU's New York Office (UNU-NYO).

Photo of Jean-Marc Coicaud unattributed.
Source: http://update.unu.edu/archive/issue34_21.htm

Statesman Abdoulaye Wade

If you read the recent National Geographic article on the Sahel--the transitional region between the Sahara desert and the tropical forests of Africa that stretches across the continent, you know that this strip has been gradually moving south, leaving once-arable lands unproductive.

I was interested to learn today that Senegal's President, Abdoulaye Wade (pronounced Wahd), will be giving the 2008 U Thant lecture at United Nations University (UNU), a Tokyo-based school and think-tank. His topic will be "Climate Change and African-led Initiatives."

According to the UNU website,

President Wade will speak on climate change and Africa, and specifically on how African-led initiatives, such as la Grande Muraille Verte (the Great Green Wall) can contribute to combating desertification. . . [I]n his recent speeches President Wade has highlighted the importance of the sharing of experiences, of collaborative effort, and of innovation to the success of these initiatives.

I can't read French-language newspapers fluently enough to follow daily political developments in Senegal, but more and more, I am learning about President Wade's statesmanship on crucial world issues. At a conference of Islamic nations held in Dakar in April, he stood firm against calls to make Senegal an Islamic republic, and gave a reasoned but urgent plea for respect and cooperation across religious lines, holding up Senegal as a (in my mind, valid) example.

Photo shows President Wade addressing the UN General Assembly, September, 2007. UN Photo/Marco Castro. Source: http://www.unu.edu/ (June 24, 2008)

Quote source: http://www.unu.edu/uthant_lectures/#wade (June 24, 2008)

Dakar Academy: What and Why?

This video by professional John Brill (no known relation to my brother) of Colorado introduces you to the purpose and a few of the people of Dakar Academy, my home, and will make you thirsty for more. Fortunately, Brill is producing a longer video to quench that thirst! Stay tuned.

Fine Fun Art

For some amusement mixed with a sense of wonder, go to http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm and select any of the thumbnail pictures there. Unlike most trompe-l'oeil exponents, British artist Julian Beever paints his eye-tricking images on streets, not buildings. You may have seen some of these which have made the rounds in the past year or two via email, but there are several here I'd never seen, plus they're always worth a second look. You can also watch a time lapse video of Beever creating one of the scenes at http://media.cnpapers.com/chalk/

Fine Fine Art

We just held our Middle School Fine Arts Festival, which consists of a juried art show (judged by three international artists), a short drama presented by each grade (6, 7, 8), and a handbell performance by each grade. I had no part except to observe and applaud, which I did a lot. (I teach middle school in the fall, but not the spring.) Even in budding adolescence, some of these kids have extreme and already-developed talent. It truly amazes me. They're so good, I hope to purchase a few of the pieces! I certainly don't remember anyone in my junior high school being so gifted or skilled.

The High School Fine Arts program is next Saturday, and will be even more impressive. I did purchase an entry from this show my first year here--a striking, quirky, highly detailed ceramic set--a triangular vase, candy dish, and candlesticks, and a set of (square) coasters--all now prominently displayed in my living room. I do have a formal role in this event--conducting our 11-member Chamber Choir. They will perform 6 selections:

• Kafal Sviri--an exciting and difficult Bulgarian folk song (their favorite)
• Love You--a little known, a capella, American pop song from the 1970s (their other favorite) that I "discovered" when it played over the credits of the film Stranger than Fiction
• O Shenendoah--American folk song (which none of them had ever heard!) in a very pretty and subtle arrangement
• Windsong--another film tune, this one with an African flair (the text is in Swahili), written specifically for Mighty Joe Young--which they grew up on, but I had never seen or heard.
• Hitch a Ride--a light-hearted song in the style of a black spiritual
• Chantez a Dieu--a 17th century, Huegonot, fugue-like setting of Psalm 96 (or maybe this is their favorite)

I'm looking forward to the concert. They have worked hard, they are ready, and they sound great!

The Generosity Jam: Daily public giving, or secret unregulated giving?

Islamic Almsgiving

Alms-giving is one of the four pillars of Islam. Every faithful Muslim is expected to give something to someone in need every day. But, one is only required to give once, and it may be a very small donation.

Living in a Muslim country for five years, it has been interesting to learn a little bit about how this works out in practice.

The daily experience of letting go of something that is "yours" (usually money) is a good thing. Giving something away every day develops a habit and a mindset in which giving is a natural experience, and therefore, a more likely option when a need arises. It can loosen of our grasp of material wealth.

A second benefit of required daily almsgiving is de-stigmatization of the begger. If I am required to give, there must be someone to give to. The fact that I am required to give to them in some sense legitimizes their need. A life of begging, if not pleasant, is at least not dishonorable.

Another aspect of this Islamic pillar--that you are only required to give once each day--yields a third benefit: it de-stigmatizes not giving. Though every begger is ostensibly engaged in a legitimate practice, and is worthy of assistance, once you have given to one person, you are under no compulsion to give to another person in the same day.

Most beggers in Dakar respect this. For example, if I decide not to give to someone begging at my car window, I find that if I look directly at the individual, smile slightly and shake my head (usually also holding my clasped hands to my heart), the person will smile--often broadly, give a slight bow of the head, and walk away. Each of us has respectfully acknowledged the other--I haven't ignored her or her need, but have instead acknowledged her existance, her humanity, and the validity of her station as a beggar. And, though she naturally expects me to give alms to someone today, she accepts that I don't have to give to her.

There are drawbacks to this system, too, however. As with any something-for-nothing system, required daily almsgiving encourages abuse. Apparently begging instead of working can be quite profitable. Some beggers in Dakar are said to live in quite remarkable homes. Some travel miles and miles to beg on a corner that is particularly lucrative (and where they won't be recognized as the owner of that fine house across the street).

A second drawback is the effective encouragement of very small giving. Any amount qualifies, so why give more than the least possible? Hand out 10 to 25 cfa (about 2 to 5 cents US), and I'm off the hook for the day. And, in fact, such amounts are considered sufficient. Granted, 25 cfa here has more buying power than 5 cents in the US--350cfa can buy a meal--but it's still not much.

Christian Almsgiving

What of the Christian approach to alms? While Jesus lauded generosity, he didn't mandate any specific frequency of almsgiving. There is no requirement to give every day. Moreover, most giving is to be done secretly, without public fanfare, or even public knowledge. This approach is less legalistic, and therefore, it seems to me, less likely to produce a large begging population. In fact, the Apostle Paul, actively discouraged begging. He wrote that he who doesn't work should not eat. This tends to promote diligence among those who can work.

But the Christian approach does lend itself to stigmatization of the begging class (which, Jesus said, we will "always have with us"). In FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Tevye says, "It's no shame to be poor--but it's no great honor, either." Yet, I suspect many people do experience their poverty as shameful, and experience poor treatment and receive less respect from many of us who are financially better off.

The lack of daily practice can also abet our human tendency to hold on to what we have. If I'm not required to give, and I don't practice giving daily, I can easily never give. (If giving is secret, so too, a lack of giving can be kept secret.)

There is one more factor for the Christian to consider, however: the guidance and prompting of the Spirit of Christ (or Holy Spirit). In the 14th chapter of his Gospel, the apostle John quotes Jesus:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you.

Having a relationship with one generous enough to give his very life for us should increase our desire to become more like him, including our willingness to help others materially. With this remarkable gift available to us, I opt for the Christian perspective on giving. Yet, I have something to learn from the Muslim example of daily generosity.

More Laughs

My last entry got me to thinking about some funny comments I've heard or read over the years. Here's a brief collection

When I die, I want to be cremated and have my ashes thrown in Ernie Martin's face.
--Playwright George S. Kaufman; Ernie Martin was one of his producers.

They weren't blind; they were just hard to see.
--A former colleague of mine
.

Guido Nadzo is nadzo guido.

--George S. Kaufman again, writing of actor Nadzo's performance in a Broadway play. Nadzo changed his name.

Yes! They won't let us rap, they won't let us wear boubous, and they won't let us jump high.
--A former student, in response to the question, "Are whites oppressed?" Note: Boubous are long, handsome, formal, shirt-like garments worn by many Muslim men in West Africa.

Not all alien abductions are bad things.
--Another former colleague

Embarrassing, but Funny

Remember the old joke where you walk up to someone and say, “Did you know that Mark doesn’t have a last name?!” The other person almost invariably replies, “Mark who?”

Well, I have a real-life reversal of that story.

I'm good friends with a family I'll call the McClendons. A few days ago, they sent me an email with a newsletter attached. I was delighted to hear from them, but I completely blanked on their last name, and couldn't find it in their message. It wasn't part of their email address. It wasn't in the body of the email. I looked in the attached newsletter--not there, either.

That night, frustrated and embarrassed that I still hadn't remembered their surname, I decided to ask a friend who also knows them well. The next time I ran into her, I said, "What's the McClendon family's last name?" As soon as it was out of my mouth, I realized what I'd done, and we both burst out laughing!

(By the way, I later learned the explanation for the case of the missing name...but I'm not going to tell you.)

Reprogramming the Automatic Response Bin

Have you ever changed jobs and found, on your first day, that you've driven half way to your old place of employment by mistake without realizing it? Or bought a new car and then spent half an hour looking for the old one in a grocery store parking lot? One of the things our brains are great at is doing things without making us consciously think about them. Occasionally, this comes back to bite us, but usually it's a great thing.

Imagine that dozens of things that have worked a certain way your whole life suddenly work a different way, and the action your brain has stored in the Automatic Response Bin is now the wrong action. For example, flipping light switches down turns the light on. Or you flush a toilet by pushing a button on top of the tank instead of flipping a handle on the front. These are little things, to be sure, but face enough of them at one time, and it can be surprisingly disorienting. That's part of what moving to a new culture involves. These little things add up to a bigger mental adjustment than one expects, or even consciously notices.

So, here are a collection of differences I've run into living in Senegal, some having to do with technology, and some not.

• Light switches: Up is "off," down is "on."
• Other power switches: Green is "off," red is "on."
• Hailing a cab: Holding your hand up and waving your hand means you don't need a taxi. Pointing down towards the road and waving slightly means you want one (you're saying "pull over here"). It's funny how much this throws me off, especially given how seldom I have taken a cab in the US, and how often I have taken one here.
• Toilet handles: Toilets here don't have handles. Instead, they have buttons on the top. Pressing the button flushes the toilet. (For a few, the water tank is attached to the wall above the toilet seat, and you pull a string to flush.)

Hee are a few more differences that aren't in the Automatic Response Bin category, but are nonetheless interesting.

• Honking: First of all, horns here don't honk, they beep. Secondly, when someone beeps at you, it doesn't mean that you're doing something unsafe, or that he's mad at you. Beeps are usually directed at pedestrians, and mean "I'm coming up behind you." Only in huge traffic jams where no-one has moved for a while do drivers bear down on the horn in disgust--but this is usually aimed at the policeman directing traffic.
• Door handles. Doors here have handles rather than knobs. Several times as I've entered or exited my office, the handle has slipped inside the front of my shirt and torn it.
• Getting directions. In Senegal, terenga [tuh-REN-ga], or hospitality, is a key cultural value. This has some interesting corollaries. To not help someone is virtually a moral failure. So, if someone asks you for directions, you must give him directions, even if you don't know how to get where he wants to go. Giving wrong information is better than being so rude as to give none!

This list was difficult to assemble, and that's part of the point. These aren't things you think about. They are so entrenched a part of the way one's world works that it's only when they work differently that they are noticeable.

Shopping Spree

On my way home from bird-watching yesterday, I stopped at a neighborhood grocery store and bought the following:

• 2 boxes of cereal
• 2 1-litre cartons of fruit juice
• 1 can of powdered milk
• 1 package of chocolate cookies*
• A candy bar...OK, five candy bars*
  
  *Studies have shown that dark chocolate is good for heart patients!
  Unfortunately, these were white chocolate cookies and milk chocolate candy bars...

The total for this shopping spree was 17,700 West African francs (cfa). At today's exchange rate of 400 cfa to the dollar, that trip cost the equivalent of $44US! When I arrived in 2003, the same items would have cost about 15,000 francs. With an exchange rate that hovered around 550 cfa to the dollar, this was equivalent to only $27US (and that wasn't cheap--$5 to $7 per box of cereal!).

So, yesterday's shopping trip cost about $17 more than it would have 5 years ago. Rising prices account for about $5 (15% if I've done my math right). The drop in the dollar accounts for about $12 (30%, give or take).

This makes me all the more thankful for my church and the friends who donate to my support each month. I am financially solvent because of your generosity!

"That's Africa for You"

A lot of things *in* Africa get blamed *on* Africa.

It is true that, for a variety of reasons, numerous things don't work as well here as they do in some other places. Since I am American and work mostly with Americans, we usually compare things here with things in the US.

Some typical complaints: the city electricity is frequently cut off without warning, for long periods of time. Meetings don't start "on time" as Westerners think of time. Bureaucracy can be paralyzing. The phone company sends out bills every few months, but may cut your service if you haven't paid before the bill arrives. Some governments officials are corrupt; bribery and nepotism are common.

"That's Africa for you!" folks exclaim when we encounter one of these circumstances.
But when things in the US don't work, we don't say, "That's the US for you!" We say, "That's the phone company for you," or "That's a politician for you." Why do Africa's problems get blamed on Africa, and American problems get blamed on individuals or organizations?
Consider the following.

I recently moved my office desk and computer a foot or two to the right. I had to unplug all the computer equipment to do so. When I plugged everything back in, the computer wouldn't turn on, though the monitor (which was plugged into the computer, not directly into the wall) did turn on! I tried everything I could think of to address the problem. I changed what was plugged into what (computer, power strip, regulator, wall socket) in every combination I could think of. No matter the combination, and no matter how many times I pressed the power button on the front of the computer, nothing worked.

Finally, I unplugged everything again (including the mouse and the monitor, etc.) and took the computer to our tech team who flipped a power switch on the back of the box, and it started right up. Apparently it had gotten bumped when I rearranged my office. But why are there two power buttons on the same computer? Sheesh! That's Africa for you!

Well, no, actually, the computer was bought in the US. That's the computer industry for you. That's the Secretary of State's Office for you. That's the Airline Industry for you. That's the Government for you. That's Republicans for you. That's Democrats for you. That's the human race for you!

As I just wrote to a friend in the States, it's...

...Very busy and interesting time here--working on grant proposals hoping to bring in outside support for the school, gearing up for a regional sports tournament for our students next week, and bracing ourselves for the world Islamic conference the week after--5,000 visitors arriving for 2-5 days. Oh, yes, and teaching. At least we don't have to deal with snow (though at least one embassy is taking a snow day during the conference because our geographically small city will be one major traffic jam, what with road closings and increased security).

Hot Off the Press

My musical play, "A Christmas Carol Card Collection," has just been "released" on DVD!

The play, very loosely based on Dicken's similarly titled book, tells the story of Ben Scrooge, President and CEO of Bleak Publishing House. He stumbles across a box of old Christmas cards. Reviewing these "posts of Christmases past" causes him to mentally revisit key points of his life. Each card leads to the performance of a skit or song (by our elementary and middle school students), re-enacting an instance when Ben chose greed over good.

When he finally understands from the cards that he can be reconciled to God through Jesus, he repents and determines that all of his "posts of Christmases future" will declare the good news he has finally grasped.

The script is laced with humor (even a guest appearance by Laurel and Hardy), Christmas carols, other Christmas songs, and one song by me that sets the stage (so to speak) for the story. Two of our high school students filmed the December world premier and edited it into one presentation. I haven't even had a chance to review the whole thing yet, but I'm mighty pleased to have this record of our performance. (Sorry, I'm not taking orders--there are only 9 copies in existence.)

The Rain in Senegal Falls Mainly in the Summer

We had a thunderstorm last night--quite unusual for February! I'm told the thunder was so loud that children took refuge in their parents' beds. Though the head of my bed is directly beneath a window, I slept through it all, waking only later to enjoy an owl hooting in the trees just outside my bedroom. I didn't even realize it had rained until I left my apartment. For once, Dakar smells fresh and clean!

What Happens to a Rhinoceros' Armor When it Gets Wet?

It rhinocer-rusts.

I took this photo standing about 10 yards from the subjects. Yes, standing. Outside of the Jeep! The park guide said it was safe. "They have very good hearing, but very poor eyesight," she explained. Once we were on the ground, she proceeded to talk loudly for several minutes.

I'll post more pictures of my visit to the Bandia Reserve later. This week has been (and remains) very busy, so I've had to delay updating my blog.

(Joke found on http://www.kidsjokes.co.uk/jokes/animal/kangaroo.html)

Three Smiley Middle Schoolers

Today marks one week since the arrival of an old friend from my church in the US. Beni was part of the same team I was when I first visited Senegal in 2003. She returns every couple of years to volunteer with different organizations.

This year, she's working mainly with one of several organizations that provides help for talibe [TAL-ee-bay] boys--boys whose families have given them to a marabout [MAIR-uh-boo], a regional Islamic religious/political leader, for training in the Koran. Though they do get rote Koranic training in Arabic (which is not spoken here), most become street beggars who raise money for the marabou. They are frequently underfed, underclothed, underwashed, and lacking in medical care. Many Senegalese are scandalized by this system, but marabouts are culturally, religiously, and politically entrenched.

In the next few days, I'll post an article with more details about the problem and about the organization Beni is volunteering for.

In addition to coming to volunteer, Beni generously loaded up her luggage with things I can't buy here, including oat bran, "Miracle Whip," my favorite brand of chewing gum, books and DVDs in English, and, most importantly, a lot of music for the Chamber Choir, for which we are grateful.

None of this has anything to do with the above picture, which shows three of my middle school students who just dropped by to say "Hi" and to sing silly songs to me.

Elected to a New Office

Things change often at my school. Classrooms become storage rooms, offices become kitchens, kitchens become classrooms--you name it! I have had several offices and several classrooms in my four-and-a-half years here--sometimes simultaneously. Last week, I moved to a new office in what was a classroom earlier this year, but is now half-filled with shelving where we keep infrequently used books and other teaching supplies. There's just enough room to sqeeze my 11-member chamber choir in my half of the room, so we rehearse here, as well (thus the sign on the door).








OK, so it's a low news day. You want I should make something up?

Photo Page Under Construction

This is my first attempt to create a linked page consisting only of photos and captions. It's not a particularly straightforward process. I'll post an announcement when I get it working, until then, this is a placeholder. (The photo is the elementary building and playground as seen from the third story of our new Middle School / High School academic building.)

The 12 Days of Christmas (redux)... and Beyond!

BLOG NEWS: I've published posts (below) for the final two days of my Christmas trip to the Republic of Guinea. All 12 days now have pictures and updated, proof-read copy.

GUINEAN NEWS: Political unrest erupted in Guinea over the weekend, resulting in one reported death. A national strike has been threatened for Thursday--on the one-year anniversary of the riots that left 130 dead last year. We pray for peace in Guniea, and for those of our students who are trying to return to Dakar from there.

DAKAR NEWS: There has been no further trouble in Dakar since the riots that broke out the Thanksgiving weekend, protests centered on two issues: rising food prices, and the razing of un-licensed boutiques (we would say stalls) in various markets around the city. The government relented during the holidays. The holidays are over. No news is good news?

SCHOOL NEWS: We've just kicked off the new semester with a day and a half of interesting and useful meetings (really!). Classes resume tomorrow.

SHOPPING NEWS: You're probably suprised to see shopping listed as a news item, but it's an interesting story. Dakar has a moveable market called Fëgg Jaay [FOOG-ee jie, or FOOK-ee jie]. It's mostly clothing, mostly used (perhaps including something you donated to Good Will or one of its equivalents last year), plus some new items that are often knock-offs of name brands. The city sets up two rows of booths, framed with heavy pipes, down the median of one of the city's major roads, leaving an aisle down the middle for shoppers. Each booth is about 6-ft. square. Most are covered with tarps for shade. They stay up a day or two, as people from that part of town shop, then are taken down, moved to another street, and set up again. Each Saturday morning, the Fëgg Jaay appears in all its glory on a mile-long section of a street not far from my school. On Sunday, it's gone, with piles of trash every few yards all that remains.

Fëgg jaay means "shake and sell." Some vendors have so much the clothing that, in addition to hanging it from the poles, they pile it high inside their booths. When you find something in the middle of the pile, wrinkled and dusty, the vendor pulls it out, shakes it, and tries to sell it to you for "a good price."

I went to this market last Saturday and was delighted to find a handsome windbreaker, two pair of pants my size, and two or three shirts, for the equivalent of about $20! Then, at another, permanent market in a nearby neigborhood, I bought two brand new shirts for about $3.50 each. Until now, I've done all of my clothing shopping on my visits to the States. No longer!

PHOTO NEWS: Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera along to the Fëgg Jaay. I'll try to remember to post a picture of it another time. Lacking that, I've included two pictures of boabob trees, one God-made, and one man-made--complete with hanging fruit and roosting birds. (Click on the picture for a closer look.)

Alive and well in Dakar

I've returned to Dakar from my 12 teriffic days in Guinea. I'll put the remaining "12 days of (my) Christmas" posts up as soon as I am able.

Meanwhile, I wanted to post a photo I just took of an African Grey Hornbill (relative of the red-billed hornbill in my November 7 post). Interestingly, the photo in Wikipedia's article about this species was taken just a few hundred yards from mine--in the zoo/forest park across the street from my school. Their specimen looks rather different. Mine looks more like the hand-painted illustration in the same article.

I've loaned out my fancy Nikon camera for a friend to take some portraits. This was snapped with my little Kodak.