Futbol et la mer!

Today I went to watch the football game of Senegal vs. Algeria! That is me and Cedat, the little boy who is part of the family I am living with. Senegal won :) It was so much fun and I never thought I would get to go to a match like that. It was the first round of games that determines who will go to the world cup, of which I hope to make it to in my favorite place-South Africa.

I also got to put my feet in the ocean today. The sea is really beautiful here but I must admit ´the beach´is not. It smells with the open fish markets. Of course that was the first one I had been to however. Anyhow, just being at the ocean was amazing.

Tomorrow I will go to Ile de Goree´with a colleague from Columbia. It is a famous island for (unfortunately) where much of the slave trading was done. There are supposed to be beautiful homes there and it will be so nice to get out of the noisy city for a little bit.

I will write more about my work this week. Thanks for reading!

Gabrielle

Inshallah

This morning I am peaceful and was so thankful for the little bit of cold water to wash my face with. Honestly, just trying to adjust to life here. You begin to truly appreciate the small things like a bananna or a mango! Perhaps I am a bit too peaceful as I am in dire need of a decent coffee!

Work is going quite well since yesterday. I got a computer yesterday and you can imagine how happy I was!!!!! So I am working on creating a report of the West and Central Africa regions Global Fund progress that will be presented at the regional meeting here in mid July. I have been able to talk a bit more to my colleagues here to get an idea of how things work here.

When people hear I am from NY they think that is quite cool. So it turns out my supervisor is quite an amazing person. He lived in Rwanda during the genocide, after the genocide and in Darfur during some of the war there. He told me about being lost for a month after running from the rebels and he ate mangoes and drank palm wine from the trees. Wow!

Well I will write more later as I must get back to work.

Gabrielle

Week two Dakar

Well, well my friends. Dakar is a strange place indeed. So many feelings, emotions, thoughts....Currently there is no water. ´Its Africa` they say. `Can you tell me when we might have some?`....who knows. Unfortunately, it has come at a very inopportunistic time you see. My stomach problems have begun.

I knew I had been to Africa before but nothing is like Dakar. The heat is already very intense and they say it is nothing compared to what it will be like. The mindset here is one that seems impossible to get your mind around-even for people who have lived here for years and years.

There are so many con-artists- and I mean professionals. I havent fallen prey yet but have heard from others. I am learning that many foreigners do not have a circle of friends here. The truth is that it is very hard to trust people. On the other hand I was happy when a local woman in her boubou (traditional African woman´s dress and hat) came up to me on my walk home and smiled. She said she sees me walking all the time. She wanted to say hello and welcome me I think because some of it was in Wolof. Anyway-it made me feel so nice.

Well-I will write more later as I just want to go sit under the fan.

Inshallah-

Gabrielle

Sticky!

Ok Peeps! No matter how much you bathe or wash your hands, you are always sticky! Eww.. On another note, I took the bus for the first time by myself today. Let me tell you that was an accomplishment. jái un peur! I was afraid. I could not get off quickly enough so i got off the next time the bus stopped. i burnt in the sun but I wear a wrap and 45 sunblock. uh- could someone have told me to chop my hair off? shame

Anyway- so today is holy day and each friday the peeps across the street have a sing along type thing. the men gather and sing along to a big huge loud machine that spurts out muslim chants like the ones from the mosques. However, it actually sounds really awesome. The men wear beautifully colored robes with matching hats and the women get all dressed up. Elles tres jolies! They are very pretty.

Tomorrow I will help with the little girl´s bday party of the fam I live with. Of course it will all be in French and Dutch mais cést la vie maintenent! THen we will go to the family restaurant for dinner. Sunday I am meeting a Columbia colleague to venture to the markets and city center together.

Today I sat in on the UNAIDS staff meeting so that was quite cool. Only thing is it was all in French so I did not get all of it. LOL

So I think I will go lie down and let some more sweat drip down my face as i try and fall asleep (yeah right).

Bonne Nuit!

Gabrielle

Dakar

So I came to the computer and found the internet working a bit. It is almost one am here and you don´t sleep much because of the heat. When you do fall asleep the call to prayers wakes you up around 5am. I´m sorry but who wakes up to pray at that God-awful hour without a coffee even?! LOL

So I am trying not to be too hard on myself and realize I must give myself time to get used to it. Two words: HOT and DUST. Tomorrow is Friday which is the holy day and we only have to work half days on Fridays! YAY Then I will venture to the city center this weekend where the markets are. I will take the bus by myself tomorrow for the first time.

The women here really dress up and they even wear heels which I just don´t understand. It is impossible to wear makeup as it just melts off and to do your hair?! Yeah-the African women are smart when they wrap it up in a cloth let me tell you. I will learn this trade for sure.

The expense of life here is incredible. I learned that most get by because they just eat rice. The staple here for breakfast is nescafe (instant coffee) and a baguette. THey eat as much baguettes as the French! Unfortunately, it is not the same for wine and cheese :)

I am SO glad I am staying with a family. Im not sure how I would make it without them here. I am meeting up with a colleague from school on Sunday to explore. We haven´t met yet but were connected through the Columbia.

I am laughing as I keep hearing the sheep outside. Hmm...what else can I tell you? When I get down and feel like I can´t do this I think of the poverty these people live in and how I get to go back in three months to the greatest city in the world. I just think about how blessed I am and how amazing this experience will turn out to be even though it is truly a rough one.

Well I guess that is all for now. Thanks for reading and...

Salaam Alekum (Peace be with you.)

Gabrielle

Oh man. As I sit here and try to work on this next research project I have due in a few days, I realize the anxiety around leaving that is fast approaching. I new this would come to be but it's not fun. I just have to remember that it is not about me, but about those in need. I am sure that it will be a wonderful and exciting adventure!

Just a quick reminder this am that I am traveling to sub-Saharan Africa and not some luxuriously exotic destination. I received an email that the person who is supposed to pick me up probably got fired because he is so awful! Oh-and the car broke down :( These are the reasons patience is of essence there!

Dakar OutLook

Well, knock on wood but everything seems to be go so smoothing with the only real hiccup so far is having to get four shots in one day two days before I leave. You see the yellow fever vaccine is in limited quantities here in NYC my friends. So I was only able to get it just recently. Since it is a "live" virus I have to wait three weeks before getting my other four.

So I have a driver picking me up at the airport now-thank God! I hear from the locals that the airport is a nightmare. My french is also a bit rusty so the thought of having to bargain a cab price upon arrival just wasn't feeling so great.I will be renting a room in a house with a Dutch family for the first month. Then I will have a house all to myself!!!!! Crazy! Anyone want to come visit? :)

My twin bro is coming for ten days and I can't wait!!!!!Ok-more to come later but I must get back to writing my final paper that is due tomorrow.Gabrielle

Beginning

Well I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel folks! I cannot believe in nine days I will be finished with my first year of grad school and two weeks from today I will be leaving for Senegal! It's amazing to see God's thread through my life. I came to NYC with a dream and four years later am about to live it. It's been my dream to work for the UN and now I am off to do an internship with UNAIDS in Dakar, Senegal for three months. :)