"Big Night" (a movie reference, even though mine has nothing to do with food)

First, some more pictures of Minou.  Because you never can have enough pictures of Minou, right?

These were taken her last day chez Paula, where she had access to this swanky little cat bed.  I felt badly taking her back to my monastic digs...  But, this coming Sunday I get to go back for another week of luxury-cat-sitting!  And Minou gets to reconnect with her boyfriend, Robespierre!  Yay!



Next, some pictures from Saturday night.  Saturday night was one of those evenings where too much stuff happened and I feel overwhelmed trying to write it all down.  I'll try to give a brief synopsis:

My French music-journalist friend, Florent, invited me to a party he was going to on Saturday, since he was leaving on Sunday.  I had met the girl hosting the party the night before and she was really sweet and also invited me to the party.  Tumi, the hostess, is a South African who works for the telecom company Ericsson.  She travels weekly, all over the continent - she said it's getting exhausting.  She is friends with Alban, the director of the French Institute here, and Florent met her via Alban, and I met her via Florent, etc., etc.  Anyway, to make a long story short, I feel like I became good friends with Tumi and her sister Lerato, and I'm grateful for this because I've been missing the company of good girl friends here - for whatever reason most of the people I've met and become friends with here have been guys.  Which is fine, but girls need girls sometimes, you know?

So, the party was fun (I'm not always a party person, especially if I don't know most of the people there, but we're in Senegal where it's impossible to be shy for too long and everybody is super open - so much so that even the foreigners here end up become more open than they would be at home).  I met a lot of interesting people from all over the world - the Philippines, Sweden, France, Mali, South Africa, etc.  I especially enjoyed talking to the women from Mali and South Africa about their experiences traveling all over the continent. 

After the party, Florent and I went to listen to some Afro-Cuban salsa at "Le Petit Club" - a small little place tucked away in a corner and frequented only by local regulars.  The lead singer of the group, Pape Fall, must be in his late 50s-early 60s, I'm guessing, although it's hard to tell.  The group reminded me of what you might see in "Buena Vista Social Club" - similar-sounding music, of an older generation, and the environment was also similar in that it was just a bunch of local people doing what they do every weekend.  The music was fabulous - the lead trumpet player, especially, was quite good, as were the sabar drummer and the bassist.  And of course Pape Fall was fantastic - he had such charisma.  The lead singer from Orchestra Baobab was also there as a guest performer - he's friends with Florent and got us in for free.  The people dancing looked so elegant - these grande dames dressed to the nines, their largesse part of their stately elegance, dancing with men who were half their size but equally elegant.  These were people who, you could tell, came here regularly to dance and could move about the floor with utter grace.  It was beautiful to watch!  One man, who had previously danced with an especially large woman about 3 times his size, later danced by himself, his arms raised upwards, his eyes looking skyward, with this huge grin of pure joy on his face.  I felt so happy to be able to watch them all dancing and laughing and the musicians playing and smoking and laughing...

So, all in all, it was a good night!  And I made some new friends, and also now have I Pape Fall's contact info.  I plan to call him up to see if I can interview him about Fesman, because I'm sure he was around for it.

So, here are some pictures from Le Petit Club:

Pape Fall, lead singer and bandleader of "Groupe Pape Fall and l'African Salsa"

The lead trumpet player, and the singer from Orchestra Baobab (Florent's friend).

The lead trumpeter was really great!

The bass player looked super suave in his suit playing w/ the cig hanging out of his mouth.  And the sabar drummer was incredible - really amazing.  Pretty much everybody in the orchestra has perfected the art of playing and smoking at the same time - even the trumpet players and singers.  This takes coordination!

Some of the dancers...

Ok, that's all for now.  Now I have to get going because I have a Wolof lesson in 25 minutes and I have to walk there.  I'm sorry to say that the heat is returning, damn it.  In the evenings it's still pleasant but in the afternoon it's starting to get a little too hot for my taste...  Better get used to it!  This is only the beginning... I'm here 'til August 1st!  Ack!



Cats and Beads

Oh, and here are a few random photos from Friday:

Robespierre (Minou's boyfriend!) and Minou snuggling with each other and me while we waited for Paula to get back from Ouagadougou.

Some earrings I made at the beading party Thursday night.  I gave these to Paula, since I don't have pierced ears.

A little bracelet I made for myself, which I already can't find because of course Minou had to attack it and play with it and swat at it until it disappeared somewhere...  maybe it's under my bed.

A Productive Few Days at Last!

On Friday I went out to the Hotel Terrou-Bi, one of Dakar's swankiest, with Zal to hear Serge play.  Zal, you'll remember, is my drummer/composer friend, and Serge is his mentor and also a valuable friend / resource for me here (he is the one who has been keeping the Fesman III scrapbooks!).  As is often the case here, a night of music inevitably became one of those serendipitous evenings in which doors seem to magically open for me.  The other drummer / vocalist in the group (he has a very suave, Nat King Cole-like voice) is incredibly nice and invited me to play with them next week.  I suppose by now I should really stop looking at these invitations to play as magical, serendipitous moments because it is simply what people do here:  as soon as they learn you play an instrument, they invite you to play, like inviting you for tea or something.  I think that it is part of the general spirit of how things work here in Senegal - people are valuable resources, and it is always in one's best interest to a) open doors for as many people as you can and b) be receptive to the opportunities other people might present to you.  But besides offering me the opportunity to blow a little, the musicians I met all have interesting thoughts about the state of music in Senegal today, and the older ones have memories to relate to me of what my friend Florent calls the "belle epoque," or the time of Senghor (Senegal's first President).  So the evening was fortuitouus for all facets of my research, besides being just a fun time hanging out with new musician friends and laughing a lot (Serge is a quick-witted, master wordsmith and in that respect reminds me fondly of my late friend Mark Weiger, whom no one could rival as a punster!).

Then Monday evening I went to the French Cultural Center to hear Florent, the French music journalist / author I mentioned having met back in December, give a talk about American soul music (the subject of his newest book).  He has a remarkable digital music library and I enjoyed hearing some rare clips - for instance, at one point, in response to a question about crossovers with Senegalese music, he played a clip of Orchestra Baobab playing with James Brown!  Very cool.  One of the people who asked a follow-up question struck me as interesting - he was reminiscing about concerts he had seen here at the Daniel Sorano Theatre back in the '70s, including James Brown, and remembering what a remakable showman the "hardest working man in show business" was.  I could see that he liked to talk about music and had a lot of musical experiences / memories stored up inside, so after the talk I introduced myself to him.  He had worked for Radio TV Senegal (RTS) and hosted its first live music program beginning in 1978 (Senegal didn't have TV until 1972).  He gave me his contact information and said he'd love to talk with me more about Fesman '66, etc. 

Then another person came up to me as if he recognized me and asked me if I was the saxophonist that played at Just 4 U.  I was confused because, yes, I'm a saxophonist, but no, I've never played at Just 4 U.  Anyway, it turns out that my last night in Dakar, when I went out with Eva (French sociology student and neighbor) her boyfriend Mohamed, and my friend Balla to hear Orchestra Baobab play (Balla is friends with the band's saxophonist), Balla introduced me to this guy, another musician friend of his, and told him I played saxophone, too, etc.  We took a group photo which I should try to find.  Ok, here it is:

That's Balla on the left, and El Hadje on the right.

Of course I felt like a jerk for not remembering him (El Hadje), but anyway, he was excited to see me and said that he is a music manager / promoter and wants me to meet and play with a trombonist from the National Orchestra he works with.  Cool!  Why not?  So, another one of these - hey, come play! things.  I realize that besides the whole people-being-a-valuable-resource reason, these invitations also have everything to do with my being a toubab chickie, but I figure I may as well take advantage of my exotic status if it affords me more opportunities to play.

Then today, Florent called me up to have lunch with him and a friend of his he wanted me to meet.  The friend is Papis, who has just finished writing a history of Senegalese music that Florent is editing.  Of course it was great to talk with a fellow music researcher, and a local one at that.  Needless to say we had lots to discuss and plan to meet again to talk more.  After lunch we went over to Antoine's (the guy I met the night before at Florent's talk) because, as a former RTS music host, he has quite a personal archive of old LPs and photographs.  Papis found some valuable images for his book, Florent left with an armful of old LPs to borrow, and I flipped through old issues of a popular music magazine edited by Manu Dibango in the '70s, called Afro-Music. 

By the time I got back this evening, I was exhausted (I walked a lot today).  I think it was in part because of the walking, but also because of so many things happening in such a short amount of time.  I felt overwhelmed!  It gave me a headache, actually, trying to keep track of all of the things swirling in my head.  Fortunately, after a restorative nap, I was able to write everything down in my notebook before I forgot it all. 

So - there you go, a pretty productive few days of research!  Now that I'm rested up, I might go out with my roommate and some of his friends to hear a band play nearby...  Or, maybe I'll just stay in and sleep... 

Everything's fine

So, as I suspected, nothing particularly newsworthy came out of yesterday's protests.  I got a full report from Paula (cat friend downtown) and Moutarou (my Wolof teacher / roommate).  Here's a summary of what I've gleaned from the two of them plus news reports:

Friday night on the TV news, it was reported that the President would welcome the protests as a sign of a flourishing democracy, and he was not going to intervene except to ensure people's physical safety (in the form of installing a police presence plus ambulences around the square).

Saturday at 10am people started gathering at Place de l'Independence downtown.

By noon there were maybe 2000 people (Paula's estimate).  Everything seemed in control - there were maybe 100 or so police in full riot gear, but nothing was getting out of hand.

The next time Paula checked in, she noticed the last of the protesters running away from the square and signs of smoke.  The police were chasing after all of the protesters, but nobody got hurt.

Then the square was calm again.

Then later, an assembly of counterprotesting women, whose transportation from the suburbs to downtown had been paid for by President Wade, rooted for the President.  He made an appearance and gave a short speech, and that was that. 

SO - as anticipated, nothing really came of the whole affair.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

I'm hanging out at a cafe called "Times Cafe," which pretends to be NY-inspired, but still serves traditional Senegalese fare for dinner.  But, they do make a good latte.  And, it's close to my swanky temporary headquarters at the Place de l'Independance downtown.  As I think I already mentioned, I'm kitty-sitting for the lady who took care of Minou while I was gone, and so I have been enjoying the chance to live downtown for a week.  The transition from her super-silent apartment (the generator makes no noise, and since it's 6 floors up, the deafening noise of the streets below is severely muted) to the raging hustle-bustle below is quite shocking.  Every time I leave the apartment and enter the street, it hits me - "Oh, yeah!  I'm in Africa!" because of course her apartment is a little American haven, with English books, American grocery treats, etc. 

Today I hung out with my friend Serge, a former drummer who played at the 1966 festival.  He has a keen musical ear and great taste, so it's always fun just to hang out with him, listen to music and talk.  He has very strong opinions about music and about the recent 2010 rendition of the festival, and luckily for me, he has thoroughly documented the process of its manifestation in the form of a highly-self-editorialized scrapbook.  In the margins of various articles he has written all sorts of critiques and scathing puns that make fun of the folly of the festival's organization, etc.  To him, the first festival was so meaningful and carries such strong memories for him, that to have seen the current one unfold so differently has felt almost like a personal insult.  At any rate, I appreciate his perspective as one among many, and his candor is refreshing.  He's been very weloming and very generous with his time, his thoughts, and his information.  So, thanks, Serge!  (And thanks, Zal, for introducing me to him!) (My friend Zal is a drummer I met while playing at l'Endroit, and Serge has been his drumming mentor since he was a teenager). 

So, in other news, I won't be downtown to see it tomorrow since I (alas) have to move back to my regular apartment (which, don't get me wrong, I am quite happy in, but it ain't no embassy pad, let me tell you), so I won't be there to witness firsthand what will come of the proposed protest at Place de l'Independence for tomorrow.  I have heard mixed reports.  The news report I read said that the Lebou, an ethnic group who has its own grievances against the government, are the ones responsible for plannng it.  But other people I know have said they've heard it's just to be a mass protest generally, and of course there's always something to be discontent about here - the power outages that leave everyone but the wealthy without power for an increasingly large percentage of every day, for instance (in some areas, as little as one hour of power a day!).  Supposedly the governent and police are prepared to act should it get out of hand, and some wonder if things will get violent.  My Senegalese friends, one and all, scoff at the whole idea.  Many of the protesters claim they want to do a Tunisia-Egypt-Libya-type affair, but my friends point out, logically, that of course the history here is entirely different:  there hasn't been any decades-long dictatorship here, and elections are scheduled for just a year from now (although it's true the current President wants to run again and technically I don't think he's allowed to but he wants to change the rules and run anyway).  And, my friends also point out, the Senegalese do not have a history of violent protests, and when push comes to shove they won't have it in them to hurt each other.  I, too, seriously doubt that anything particularly newsworthy will happen tomorrow, but just to reassure any of you inclined to worry, I won't be anywhere near where any of this is happening and will instead be safely tucked away in my Baobab-neighborhood apartment.  So, don't you worry!  And I'll be sure to give you all a full report on what goes down. 

I guess that's it for now.  I'm taking advantage of my last night in America-ville to attend a beading party.  Not exactly my normal evening's entertainment of choice, but the idea of hanging out with other Americans (other embassy employees who live in the same building), speaking English and "crafting" actually sounds quite appealing right now.  So - yay!  Crafting!

I'll post a picture if I make anything interesting.  So, that's all for today!

AND:  HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

New Address

Just to let anyone who feels like writing to me know, the embassy address is still fine but there's also this new post office box number which belongs to one of my roommates.  He assured me he will deliver any mail to me, which means a saved trip to the embassy!  So, either one is fine, but here's the new one in case you're interested (remember: no packages, sorry!):

Melissa Reiser
BP: 16811
FANN
DAKAR
SENEGAL

Halfway Done!

Today marks the official halfway point of my time in Dakar - I've been here exactly 4 1/2 months, and I have exactly 4 1/2 months to go.  It's all downhill from here!!!

How the Other Half (or 100th) Lives...

I am taking care of my friend's cat, Robespierre, while she is on a business trip.  She works for the embassy and was kind enough to look after Minou when I went back home in February.  Naturally I was happy to be able to return the favor, although I must say I think I'm getting the better end of the bargain, because for me I feel like I'm staying in a beautiful vacation home by the sea...  It's quite a change from my place (which is great, mind you, but HERE we get endless electricity because there are backup generators that defy all of the power outages (which have gotten insane as of late) and endless hot water and all of the rest).

Yes, so anyone who's considering it - the Foreign Service definitely has its perks!  This is one kick-ass apartment.  As I write this I have the following view:

Pretty nice, huh???  And here are the two darling kitties (Robespierre on the left, Minou on the right):

So, before any more time goes by, here are some pictures from Kristina's visit.  Most of them are from Toubab Diallo, the little beach getaway that's about 2-3 hours outside of Dakar.

(This first one's not, though.  This is the same ferry Matt and I took (you'll recognize the "Beer" boat!) to Ile de Goree.)

The beautiful, crystal clear water at Goree.

This is the view from our little hotel room at Toubab Diallo!

Fishing boats (pirogues).

Run chilling out on the hammock.

Run lounging in a tree with a beach view.

Lucky Run!  Lucky us!

A lone fisherman.

I think this was the hotel next to ours - the one where we ate dinner and got propositioned by "Jamil."

Kristina relaxing!

Run relaxing!

A view from the hotel terrace.  The building there is a mosque, but it seemed to be abandoned, and right behind it another hotel or villa is under construction.

Ktty mama and babie kitties!  Alas, Minou is no longer kitten-sized, I discovered.  She's definitely a teen now...

Kristina and I - the best trip ever!

We're already brainstorming another trip!  Maybe in another 5 years...  Let's see.. Brazil... Andalusia...  Malaysia...

Back to my Lonesome

Well, Kristina left last night so it's back to just me (and Minou).  We had such an amazing visit and there's so much to tell that I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it all down here!  And for now I'm too lazy to try, so I'll just give you some highlights.  We...

1) listened to Milim play at l'Endroit and met my friends Bambi and Zal
2) went out to nice dinners - Ethiopian, Lebanese at the Sea Plaza (Bambi's treat), cebujen (Senegalese fish and rice), yassa (Senegalese onion sauce w/ meat or fish) etc.
3) listened to some local musicians and drank insanely expensive drinks at Just 4 U
4) took lots of walks
5) went to Toubab Diallo, a beautiful spot on the sea about 3 hours from Dakar, where we...
     a) did lots of nothing and thoroughly relished it!
     b) played an impromptu soccer match with two young local boys
     c) got shamelessly hit on by  a guy named "Jamil," who asked is in all seriousness, "LADIES, what I want to know is:  What can YOU do for ME?"  to which we insulted his manhood by responding with uncontrollable laughter. 
6) had another great line walking home from dinner:  "I'm Omar.  Have you heard of me?"  Lots of comebacks came to mind later on my stoop but unfortunately Omar never got to hear them.
7) haggled for souvenirs at the Soumbedioune artisan market - I've grown to take immense pleasure in the theatrics of bargaining, and have gotten quite good at it!
8) had fataya (a fast food hamburger pocket kind of thing with fries and ketchup and mayo and ground beef and grilled onions inside a triangle of fried bread.  OH yeah.)
9) had lots of long, illuminating conversations as would befit two close friends catching up after not seeing each other for FIVE years! 
10) started brainstorming our next girl-cation adventure for five years from now.  On the table:  Malaysia, Thailand, Spain (Andalusia), Brazil.

PS:  Oh, yeah.  So I'm back from the States.  I guess that's pretty obvious.  Matt's mom passed away peacefully on February 11, 2011, and I am thankful that I could be there for Matt and to attend the funeral.  So, here's a toast to Joan Sintchak:  may she rest in peace.  I got back to Dakar on March 3, and Kristina got here two days later.  Hosting her was good therapy for me - a healthy way to transition back to Dakar life.