The World As I See it

The last few days have been simply living life in Senegal. We visited a lovely seaside restaurant for dinner, watching the sunset over the water and a group of local men playing football on the sand. I shopped for groceries, dodging traffic and streetside vendors, and stopped at a local café to enjoy a cold drink and pick up more of my now-favourite biscuits. This afternoon, my daughter and I made a trip to the Musée Théodore Monod , known for its focus on African art and the traditional music of the region. The museum is tucked into garden near a busy traffic circle - locals of all ages, especially school children, were enjoying the grounds. Immediately upon entering the museum you are greeted by the story of the "King of the Kora",  Soundioulou Cissokho . A master griot (travelling poets, musicians and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history) he was part of the President of Senegal's household and travelled with him abroad. Nearby were several examples of ...

My daughter will be working most days of my visit, so it is essential that I get comfortable with navigating the Plateau neighbourhood. I decided to take the opportunity to explore, incorporating a visit to the National Gallery and a recommended shop. The gallery is nearby, and having passed it before it was easy to locate. It is a small space, just big enough for a single exhibition, and is operated by the Ministry of Culture to highlight the works of Senegalese artists. This month, the work of Boubacar "Bouba" Diallo is on display. Bouba's exhibit - Tes Vues / Ma Vie - explores humanity's need to reconnect with each other and the world around us, finding value in real life that we aren't getting from social media.       The museum is free, and engaging with Bouba's art was a pleasant way to spend an hour of my morning. I plan to return in February when the exhibit changes. From the Gallery, I set out to find Minibap, a shop my daughter had recommended tha...

 Seeing the ocean without dipping my toes in it was getting to me, so we decided that a beach trip was in order. The waves were too strong for swimming, so we took a hired car to the Plage de Fann - a beach area set aside for fitness that is within walking distance to one of Dakar's most famous markets. Along the drive we spotted an open area along the sea where some enterprising young men had set up a space for "le foot" - or football, what we North Americans refer to as soccer. Two small boulders created the goal on one side, with two discarded tires set on end to create the second, and a game was underway on the sand. A little farther along, some boys were kicking a ball back and forth on cracked pavement. Make no mistake - Dakar loves their football. During the game the night before, we'd heard the entire neighbourhood cheering and horns blowing whenever the national team had scored! When we passed the Soumbédione market, we knew we were getting closer and mentall...