Summer 2011--Meditation Center in France

The Vipassana Meditation center in France is sort of in the middle of nowhere--very small village--the center arranges for a bus to bring the meditators from the train station to the center--which is about an hour drive.  They were expanding the center, so construction made taking good photos difficult. The course I attended was taught in French, English, and Khmer.  Wonderful group of people--even though you only get to speak with them the day you arrive and the day you leave. The weather was fantastic the whole time.  I sat the 10 day course the third week of June.  It was helpful to my French to read the signs and other literature about the course in French.  

The fields were lovely--this is the view from the women's walking area. 

Main entrance to the center--beautiful old French farm house. 

Spring Break

Spring Break was only one week at the end of March.  Marje and I  decided that we just needed some basic R&R--no major travels, so we went to Saly, a resort town south of Dakar.  We took a "sept place", basically an old stationwagon with three rows of seat, (2,3,3) there is one seat next to the driver, making it 7 places to hire.  They don't leave until it fills up.  We went to the main transportation center, and found a sept place, go where we wanted to go, that already had 3 people and the way back (for three people) was available.  We paid for all three places which made the ride much more comfortable, so we only had to wait for one more person.  The drive took about an hour and a half.  We had book a room at this hotel, call the Flamboyant, because it had this lap pool and Marje and both like to swim. 

A couple who both teach at the school and have two boys, had rented a vacation home in Saly for the week. They invited us over to their place for BBQ the last night and then gave us a ride back to Dakar the next day.  Here Jennifer and Marje not talking about school. 

We pretty much just hung out by the pool, although we did walk over to the beach area and the nice hotels that are right on the beach--but none of them had good swimming pools for laps.  We would also walk down to the good French bakery. The three nights there were just perfect. 

Here's the TeHuki's, Jennifer and husband Murray.  They met which teaching overseas, Murray is from New Zealand and Jennifer from the US.  They have two boys, in 1st and 4th grade. They alternate summers visiting grandparents in NewZealand and US.  They most recently had been teaching in Bulgaria. 

Winter visitors

Typical Senegalese meal, sit on the floor and everyone eats from the same large bowl.  They use to  use their hands, but I noticed that more and more they use forks for spoons.  The weekend before Josh and Johanna left for the US, Alabra, my French tutor invited us to his place for a typical Senegalese meal--rice and fish.

Johanna and I played lots of scrabble while she was here. When it was just the two of us, we played in English.  When  my French tutor came, we played in French.

Josh picked up this lovely young women when we left Alabra's place and gave her  ride over to the main street. 

Josh playing Baaba Mal's guitar at Alabra's.

Alabra invited to come for dinner, we played our last scrabble game in French.

My sister, Johanna and her husband, Josh, came to spend last winter vacation with me.  Here  they are at a  roof top bar.

Johanna at a fancy hotel where we went to just hang out for the day.  It  had a beach and looked across to Ile de Goree.  See photo below.

Martine and I planning meals.

Josh and Johanna at the slave house museum on Ile de Goree.

Johanna on Ile de Njor.

Martine gave Josh and Johanna these Senegalese outfits to take back with them.  I doubt they have worn them in the states. 

Josh and Dede in the living room.

Apartment in Mermoz

I moved into this building last August, it is closer to the school,  more convenient but a little noisier because it is on a main street.  They dig up the street, then finally put it back together for a few weeks, then they come around and dig it up again. 

Here's the kitchen.

This is the best the street has looked--now the sidewalk is covered with dirt as they dug it up again.

Diningroom

My baobob tree just outside the diningroom

Livingroom with wall hanging on loan from Josh.

Carrying Things

One of the things I notice most about being in Africa is how people carry stuff.  Mostly on their heads, but also piled high on vehicles of all sorts.  While on vacation in Togo, I was reading one of the books for my book group, Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Fornaand (takes place in Sierra Leone). In it, she described a funny scene of a white woman's futile attempts to push a pram along an unpaved path.  The locals stared and laughted up their sleeves and then finally someone came to her aid and lifted it up and carried it on his head.

I liked this picture, below, of the woman with the huge bag of plastic curlers on her head.

And the babies are always on their backs.

The pig was actually alive! I can't imagine how they got it on the motorcycle and how far they going with it!

Charcoal used for cooking and heating water.

And the last one is the best, carrying crates of eggs--see the link to the facebook--I posted it last year and can not find where the photo is in my computer.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1426294541185&set=a.1129840610022.2020175.1347427974&pid=31139815&id=1347427974

Signs along the international route in Togo

Signs were painted on sides of buildings and large billboards were posted as we entered each town. Here are a few of my favorites.

The sign (below) is advertising marketing and financial consulting services in retro style.

The only time I have seen such a sign in Africa--it seems that all of outdoors is a public urinal--the sign seems to be effective, I passed the wall several times and only once was someone pissing on it.

The next three billboards on AIDS prevention were put up by the Global Fund and were everywhere.

Rotary International sponsors many projects, this place in Dapaong to train women has sponsors in Minnesota and Wisconsin.