Today was a busy day, and I can only laugh because as it turns out this Master’s Program is far more rigorous than I ever would have dreamed. The last (and only) guy to have matriculated at UCAD did so amid numerous student and teacher strikes, attended lecture halls where wild dogs would wander in looking for shade, and students would often have to “build their own desks”.
This is what I thought UCAD would be for me.
What’s my favorite Yiddish proverb? Oh yes: Man plans, God laughs.
I’ll not go on about why my day was busy, but instead want to share how I capped off my long day. It was perfectly nonsensical, in a way that only Megan can appreciate.
Want to guess what I did? Here’s a clue:
Ho ho ho! Supplemental data to aid in your skills of deductive reasoning: it is October 11th and I live in a country that is 95% Muslim. You’re welcome.
Naturally, if you are seeing Santa Claus, you would see the rest of the venue decorated accordingly:
Did I mention that I am looking into buying plane tickets in order to go home for Christmas? I am doing so because I have a high degree of certainty that there aren’t many other places in Dakar decorated thusly come this side side of the year.
No guesses?
Okay, this one might be a dead giveaway. Woman singing with a blindfold. No, I was not abducted.
Note: I don’t frequent strip clubs, so if this is what one of them might look like, then yes- you are incorrect on that assumption.
Ah ha! Hide your disappointment. I only went out for Chinese food tonight. But I’m in Dakar. In West Africa. And it was tasty. (Thank you MSG!)
“This is more Chinese than the Chinese food you eat in the States.” -JD, my translator.
So I have always known that there was a Chinese restaurant near my house here in Point E, but I had not yet gone in. Maybe this is because it looked sufficiently questionable and was clearly some kind of front for some other kind of chinois activity. The Chinese are definitely here in West Africa, as they are everywhere- building, enterprising, and selling lots of plastic fantastic for general consumption.
The Olmsted Scholar studying in Beijing happens to be in town visiting, so this seemed to be a perfect opportunity to check out exactly what passed for Chinese food in this town.
Largely vacated, except for a few Chinese people, the joint was painted in fluorescent lights and a hot pink that must have been on the discount table at the Home Depot. The “patrons” were a bit bemused by our presence, and I wonder if they realized that we had a desire to eat in their establishment. “You are here to eat?” the proprietor asked. Um yes. I would like to sample some of your questionable food, if there is indeed any being prepared on the premises.
So we were led upstairs to a karaoke room (I think), where there was already some excellent UCR Chinese music playing way too loud next to our table.
They would call this “ambiance”. I call it a success for the Olmsted Foundation as two scholars from two completely different parts of the world were able to find their opposing cultures blended into one slightly bizarre setting. Santa Claus notwithstanding.
I’ve spoiled the fun by already showing you the rest of my outstanding cell phone photos, but I will say that it was cool watching JD order everything in Chinese and then translate the really bizarre lyrics of Chinese rock and roll for me. The food was great, but the bill was shockingly high by Chinese food standards (60 bucks for two people- and you saw all the food we consumed up above).
JD went down to “discuss” the bill with the managment, and he was shown the menu that magically appeared after we were initially told “There is no menu”. Indeed, the prices were listed as seen on our bill, and he was told that “Senegalese, white, Chinese- all same price”.
So as I down my sixth glass of water, trying to dilute the salt coursing through my bloodstream, I can say that the food was really good, but with prices like those, there is definitely something else going on in the Chinese place behind my building. And it has nothing to do with Christmas.