Conclusion in the Capital!

My last full day in Dakar was the one I had been waiting for since I got to Senegal: scuba diving! MC and I had one dive scheduled in the afternoon and one night dive. So, in the morning, I took it easy and washed my clothes in a WASHING MACHINE! After a light lunch, we headed to the scuba place. The equipment was more or less enticing. There was one other diver + the guide on our excursion. They never checked our certification cards… Our boat was quite small compared to the choppy water we crossed to reach our diving destination: Ile de Goree (again).

(Image left: ready, set, go! myself on the left and MC on the right)

I found the courage to back flip in the water with my

equipment donned and so many mon

ths since my last dive.

The guide was a little brisk and I couldn’t take my time which was not very appreciated. MC had a harder time than I and ended up panicking once she got in the water. The equipment nor the staff inspired confidence. She ended up waiting in the boat while the three of us dove. The visibility was terrible compared to what I got used to in Jamaica last winter. I didn’t like my weights and the way they were distributed around me body. The colors and sea life were rather dull. The dive site was a 60 foot long transport boat from Holland which went down during WW2. It was very intimidating up close and since it was so old, it was hard to discern the parts of the boat. After about ten minutes being down, still trying to adjust my buoyancy, my equipment sort of mal-functioned and I involuntarily ascended. Indeed, I couldn’t deflate my vest! If you are a diver, you know that this is bad news and can be very harmful if you were deep. Fortunately, I was only 30ish feet deep. The guide didn’t even notice that I was having trouble. Once at the top, the guy waiting in the boat yelled at me in Wolof and I yelled back to him in French saying his equipment was shitty. Once we got it working again, I redescended for the rest of my dive. I saw eels, ugly fish, big schools of small fish, many puffer fish and some prettier fish. Nothing that made me want to go back down in the dark. MC was more than happy to cancel our night dive as well.

(Image left: Claudine, Bass, Mathieu, Anne-Marie, myself, Marie-Helene, MC)

On Friday, all us Quebequers had our last meal together at lunch in a familial fast food restaurant. I had a 3-cheese panini! Wow! Next, it was back to the ferry in direction for my Casamance. Oddly enough, I did not sleep well on the boat. Its weird but the bad air quality in Dakar hurt my nose! I have sores in my nostrils which hurt and itch. Ahh the weird ailments you succumb to when in Africa!

I was happy to be back in Ziguinchor even though there isn’t as much to do. I shouldn’t say that because on Saturday evening, I attended a wedding! The couple (Omer & Julie) with whom Claudine lived with the first time she came here got married. I believe I’ve already spoke of Omer since he made us supper and also created my batik sarouel- which I have yet to take a picture of!

(Image right: Omer & Julie in the glory of their externalizing day. The art in the background is Omer's batik. If you are in love, tell me and I can have you make you some. He makes curtains, clothing, bags, etc.)

Julie is French and Omer is Senegalese Christian. They married civilly and celebrated at their home; actually on a nearby street (and when I say street I mean the typical dirt road with animals, garbage piles and children playing soccer in it). They set up a tent with huge speakers and the whole neighbourhood attended. There was a djola music band and professional dancers. It was amazing to see the people dance! I have videos to show once I get home. These people really know how to have a good time! I didn’t dance because I wasn’t dressed for it and primarily because I don’t know how! Next time I’ll try, promise!

(Image left: Approaching the wedding scene. This street is called "Boulevard Alpha"...yes, it is a boulevard according to Zig standards!)

They served a decent meal to all their invitees which must have been about 150 people. Their yard and home were jam packed for supper. And the party continued well into the night. Present with me was the usual Claudine and Marie-Claude but also another Quebequoise called Stephanie who lived where I do now last year. Indeed, she was last year’s rehab therapist. She fell in love with a Senegalese soccer player and recently returned here to visit him. I had only briefly met her once before leaving in Canada. While eating supper, she explained to me that she had trouble with Astou as well…

(Image right: a happy groom dancing with his buddies)

The wedding was great fun but I was sort of a party pooper and got to bed before midnight. The next day, I decided to empty out my luggage (which, if you’ve been reading the blog attentively, you know is where I keep my clothes) to air everything out and tidy up. It was like spring cleaning and the entire cleanup took me a good two hours! It seemed like an appropriate time to do the clean up since my voyage to Dakar marked the midway point of my time here; both time wise but especially emotionally.

Taking a week’s break from the job and having a break from my little routine enabled me to put things into perspective and evaluate what I’ve accomplish so far during my time here as well as what goals I

have yet to work towards.

(Image left: therapy gym at hospital. I do my OT at the back on the round table)

All in all, this has been a fantastic experience so far. At work, I’d like to develop more tools so that my contributions here will endure. More specifically, this means:

- presenting the existing re-invented assistive devices to the Association of Physically Handicapped People of Ziguinchor

- re-inventing the long-handled reacher

- creating or buying more therapeutic equipment

- developing initial evaluation forms that are more specific to OT work but that the kinesitherapists will be able to use once I’m gone

- re-inventing more assistive devices

- educating staff and end-users about the assistive devices

- completing more professional development projects:

- finishing the pressure ulcer formations

- advancing the hospital porters’ formation (including presenting their case to the hospital administration so that they can get decent equipment to work with and maybe better work conditions)

- teaching more about OT to the kinesitherapists

Personally, my goals are to:

- teach ultimate frisbee to my fellow Africans!

- learn how to do batik clothe tainting

- visit more of Casamance

- eat crocodile, wild pig and porcupine meat (not all at once!)

- learn how to cook Senegalais meals

- drink palm wine

- learn how to carry a baby African style

- learn how to dance the Mballa + Djola

- try to learn how to carry a bucket of water on my head

- get my hair extended + braided (like all the women here)

Uhh… hope that was interesting for you. Its good for me to have it down in writing! So after my literal + mental spring cleaning, I went to the Kadiadoumagne Hotel for the internet because I had to prepare for my upcoming pressure ulcer presentation. MC had supper at my place and we escaped for a glass of wine to my newly discovered hang out: the roof of my home.

(Image right: me typing this blog on the roof)

Returning back to work… I was happy to be on vacation and didn’t really feel like going back, but once I got there, I was so thrilled to do my job again. I was happy to see that two of my very limited patients had progressed. It was a great day in my life as an OT! I did a home visit and brought my newly re-invented bed helper. It worked like a charm for my elderly lady with hemiplegia; a very satisfying experience indeed!

(Image left: a funny little man who jumped in front of my camera! Kids really like getting photographed)

After work, I tried on my new boubou for Tabaski. Since I’ll probably only wear it once in my life, I won’t waste time getting it altered… In the evening, I had dinner at Claudine’s friend, GB’s house. He never cooks but he made the exception and cooked us up a storm! We also gave Claudine’s brother, Abu, the one who made our boubous his occidental clothing from Dakar as a gift. He was thrilled and it’s a shame his smile wasn’t eternalized in a picture :(