p Skirring with Rama and Astou since they had never been and Rama would be leaving for Dakar soon. Marie-Claude and Claudine left after work on Friday but I stuck around to leave Saturday morning with Rama and Astou.(Image left: taxi 7-places we take to get out of town. Fine beasts I tell you!)
As I had sort of been expecting, Astou bailed, saying El Hadj was sick (the kid wasn’t really sick, but what can I say?). I therefore headed to Cap Skirring alone with Rama. I was sort of stressed all weekend because I didn’t bring much money. It isn’t because I didn’t have any, its becaus
e I wasn’t able to take enough from my secret stash in my room and insert it in my wallet. There are ALWAYS people in my room and I don’t want them to know where I keep my money! I now realize how I used to take my privacy for granted when really, it’s a privilege.
Lama, the guy I had met last time I was there and who was more normal than the others, found me and escorted us to the motel.
e I wasn’t able to take enough from my secret stash in my room and insert it in my wallet. There are ALWAYS people in my room and I don’t want them to know where I keep my money! I now realize how I used to take my privacy for granted when really, it’s a privilege.Lama, the guy I had met last time I was there and who was more normal than the others, found me and escorted us to the motel.
(Image right: view from my motel)
I had a nice afternoon on the beach (swim, flew kite) and Rama (who can’t swim) enjoyed the sand + I showed her how to build a sand castle. The others (Marie-Claude, Claudine and her loverboy) had tr
ouble finding lunch since it is low season. I find the tourism industry here very primitive in that finding food, a basic need, is so hard to accomplish!
ouble finding lunch since it is low season. I find the tourism industry here very primitive in that finding food, a basic need, is so hard to accomplish! (Image: the motel rooms are basic but have everything one needs...)
I was happy to have eaten like a pig upon arriving at the Cap and before heading to the hotel. As the sun set, I went for my first jog of the trip. It felt GREAT! My foot hurt a bit since I’m not used to jogging barefoot. I also got bit by a sandfly… I don’t know how long I jogged for, but my endorphin high afterwards was incredible! It started storming after the sun set and we had to get to 
town to eat dinner. The taxi screwed us by charging 3x the price. They can pretty much charge anything they want when its raining… My meal (lotte fish?) was very good but the mosquitoes were vicious!
town to eat dinner. The taxi screwed us by charging 3x the price. They can pretty much charge anything they want when its raining… My meal (lotte fish?) was very good but the mosquitoes were vicious!(Image right: view of Club Med beach)
Unfortunately, Daouda, who I thought was my friend, started calling me. I missed his calls and he eventually sent a text message with a “more than friendly” tone. I replied, saying that I’m happily married and NOT interested. He’s called since but I decline his calls. I’ll
eventually speak to him again, but I’m sending him a very clear message now…This is a recurring problem for me here in Senegal. Its really hard to make true friends. Everybody is so easy to speak with and spend time with, but they seem to always have second intentions (be it to sell something or to date you).
(Image left: Claudine, myself, Rama and Marie-Claude - taken at my motel)
Back to my weekend: I slept really well and woke up very late on Sunday morning. I had coconut and oranges for breakfast in front of a nice view of the ocean. After flying my kite on the beach for a
short period, I headed back to town to find a taxi and travel back to Zig. (Image right: my hair is growing fast! Me at motel)
Rama seemed to have appreciated the trip but she says Dakar is nicer (she misses home). Upon arriving home (Zig), I made a quick lunch for Astou who expressed that didn’t feel like cooking. Landing (my father) had left for Dakar for “personal” reasons.
That night, I went to a BBQ with Claudine’s numerous friends. It was nice to be around people my age with no apparent second intentions. One of her friends, Pape, lives right next to me and he seems like a nice guy.
Its funny with my family (more particularly Astou): they always ask where I’m going
– which I have no problem with them doing since I have nothing to hide. But when ask about their plans or what they’ve been up to, they chuckle, speak in Djola and never answer me. I really can’t comprehend why, but I feel I’m getting the cold shoulder from Astou. The girls see it too. She can be quite rude to me. She’ll be bring Rama back to Dakar soon. I’m hoping things have blown over once she returns.
(Image left: myself, Astou and Rama - taken back when things were going well. I really do want things to be like they were before!)
That night, I went to a BBQ with Claudine’s numerous friends. It was nice to be around people my age with no apparent second intentions. One of her friends, Pape, lives right next to me and he seems like a nice guy.
Its funny with my family (more particularly Astou): they always ask where I’m going
– which I have no problem with them doing since I have nothing to hide. But when ask about their plans or what they’ve been up to, they chuckle, speak in Djola and never answer me. I really can’t comprehend why, but I feel I’m getting the cold shoulder from Astou. The girls see it too. She can be quite rude to me. She’ll be bring Rama back to Dakar soon. I’m hoping things have blown over once she returns.(Image left: myself, Astou and Rama - taken back when things were going well. I really do want things to be like they were before!)
On Monday, I had a long day at work which included my first home visit. The visit was very desolating: young girl with a presentation much more limiting than what her given diagnosis would indicate; no money to afford care nor transportation to get help. She was Claudine’s patient and we were supposed to see her jointly but Claudine got sick and didn’t work. At work, Abba – my supervisor- gave me and Clau a hard time about missing the meeting last week. It was clear to both her and myself that there was no meeting but he insisted that he had made it clear that there was one. He’s a hard-headed man who must believe in telecommunication. What can I say ?
After work, I met up with the girls downtown since Claudine had gone to the medical clinic and needed help with drawing up a care plan. It was stressful seeing as how it involved a medical procedure in Dakar. I won’t expand any further on her illness since I respect her privacy. Since she needed some moral support, we decided to stick together and make a delicious fruit salad chez Marie-Claude’s. With all the walking, I started noticing that my right foot hurt. Weird.
The next day, the girls and I went to the fast food restaurant near work and had the daily special for 2.25$ which was very good. We then headed back downtown to get money from the ATM and the girls bought their boat tickets to go to Dakar for Friday for Claudine’s procedure. My exterior arch of the right foot felt like it had a huge contusion for some reason. I started limping because of it.
I thought I’d have a relaxing Wednesday at work since I didn’t have many patients scheduled and the ones I did have cancelled. Turns out, a complicated new one turned up and wanted something akin to an OT miracle to happen. I worked hard…we’ll see what happens. I’m trying to get her to walk with a walker before she shortly returns to her far-away village for school. Again, a major barrier is the lack of material resources and language.
I’m hoping to
one day catch up with my day-to-day blogging and talk more about my cases at work! (Image left: the goats here are funny...)
Anyway, after work, I went for lunch chez Claudine’s (who was freaking out because of her upcoming medical procedure). We then went to Omer – the artist making my sarouel – to pick it up. I really like the pants/skirt and will take photos soon!! That night, we returned to the Fast Food place and had a hamburger and a Gazelle beer! Wow! It hit the spot! Note: they put eggs in their hamburgers here! Two in mine! Yikes!
The girls headed for Dakar by boat on Thursday. After work, I headed to the nicest hotel in Ziguinchor calle
d the Kadiandoumang Hotel for a swim. Seeing as how I haded spotted a WIFI sign the last time I was there, I brought my laptop with me and had a sensationally peaceful afternoon. (Image right: me on internet at the hotel- my laptop can take photos of me!!!)
I spoke to my parents + Phil with Skype in between swims in paradise :)
On Friday, I was very busy with patients and had to send in my bi-montly report to Canada. Unfortunately, a virus destroyed everything I had already worked on. How crappy! Since my supervisor wanted to meet with me after his afternoon prayer, I had to stick around work for way longer than I usually would. I therefore went and had lunch at the nearby restaurant with an interesting textbook. My meeting with Abba actual
ly went well. He is very weird though.
On Friday, I was very busy with patients and had to send in my bi-montly report to Canada. Unfortunately, a virus destroyed everything I had already worked on. How crappy! Since my supervisor wanted to meet with me after his afternoon prayer, I had to stick around work for way longer than I usually would. I therefore went and had lunch at the nearby restaurant with an interesting textbook. My meeting with Abba actual
ly went well. He is very weird though.(Image right: taken just outside of where Claudine lives/lived. Its hard to see but there is a wheelchair on the roof of the home under the palm tree. So random!)
My plans for Friday night were to go to a football (aka: soccer) game with collegues. After work, I went out before sundown to get an errand done near home with El Hadj. On my way back, I figured it would be nice to get another sarouel done and stopped by a tailor on my street to get information. Seeing as how the tailor was praying, I simply waited near the door on a bench with El Hadj on my lap. While sitting two Kancourans came around the corner…
An explanation of kancourans: I was explained that they are “evil spirit hunters” – An African village tradition whereby a young man gets dressed up in a brown saskwatch-looking suit with a macheti in each hand walks around a village and scares people; mostly women and children. Young men follow behind the Kancouran and they dance, run and chant. They apparently drink and get stoned before engaging in this act. From what I’ve seen so far, they walk around and strike their macheties, creating sparks in the air; they run after children and women (even elderly), they stop taxis and strike their machetis at the passengers in the back… pretty barbaric.
So, as I was sitting pacifically with a kid on my lap, one of the kancourans who had already passed by me came running back towards me from behind a bush and hit me *@#$!#$ hard with the flat side of his macheti on my thigh (thankfully not the one El Hadj was sitting on). I was so surprised I did not react. And it hurt like a bitch. Before I knew it, the idiot was gone and out of site. The tailor who had witnessed the act but didn’t speak much French said that the guy was completely crazy. Startled, I was divided between:
a) run after kancouran and try to kill him by wringing his neck after having crushed his nuts
b) go to the police station to file a report since the station is on my way home
c) cry and go back to Canada
I ended up going back home with El Hadj in my arms. I could help it… I started crying on my way home. I had never felt so startled, far away from home and lonely
in my life. My family tried to help me by saying that the Kancourans here in Zig are idiots since they aren’t supposed to actually hit people and that they are drugged and crazy. Astou kept on repeating: “stop crying because if you continue, we’ll all start crying too”. I’ve never heard this sort of expression to help console someone – perhaps it is common here… That night, I skipped supper and went to bed at 8pm. I seriously contemplated what in the world I was doing… trying to help a society in which random people dressed in costum physically attack women and children. (Image left: hit on my right thigh...)
For the first time, I thought about returning back to Canada prematurely. I cried myself to sleep and slept for twelve hours!
My morale was low Saturday. I had invited people over for supper so I kept myself busy throughout the day and tried not to think of the aggression for the day before. I washed my underwear since apparently the maids don’t do this task here. As it happens, there was a water shortage which complicated the already labourious taks. Then, I went to the market alone. Astou had said she’d accompany me and help me but at the last minute, she said she had a headache and didn’t want to come. I pretty much worked all day to prepare the meal. And an awesome meal it was! Carrot salad, hors d’oeuvres, beef shish kabobs with rice and my home made coconut dessert. I was impressed with myself since I don’t usually cook for crowds. I fed about 13 people!
Astou, once again, was a bit odd since she made me and my guests and I eat separetly from the rest of the family. So much for making the effort to cook for my family! I noticed something very interesting after the main meal: our plate (4 white people plus 2 black) had only rice left in it. Their plate (all black: my family, the maids and the other boys who live here) had no rice left; there were veggies left and all the red tomatoes had been left on the plate. This shows how much people love their rice here and don’t really like fruits and vegetables. They also perceive red tomatoes as having expired and usually only eat the green ones.
My morale was low Saturday. I had invited people over for supper so I kept myself busy throughout the day and tried not to think of the aggression for the day before. I washed my underwear since apparently the maids don’t do this task here. As it happens, there was a water shortage which complicated the already labourious taks. Then, I went to the market alone. Astou had said she’d accompany me and help me but at the last minute, she said she had a headache and didn’t want to come. I pretty much worked all day to prepare the meal. And an awesome meal it was! Carrot salad, hors d’oeuvres, beef shish kabobs with rice and my home made coconut dessert. I was impressed with myself since I don’t usually cook for crowds. I fed about 13 people!
Astou, once again, was a bit odd since she made me and my guests and I eat separetly from the rest of the family. So much for making the effort to cook for my family! I noticed something very interesting after the main meal: our plate (4 white people plus 2 black) had only rice left in it. Their plate (all black: my family, the maids and the other boys who live here) had no rice left; there were veggies left and all the red tomatoes had been left on the plate. This shows how much people love their rice here and don’t really like fruits and vegetables. They also perceive red tomatoes as having expired and usually only eat the green ones.
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