I’ve been running past this spot for the past seven months. If you had told me that there was anything notable here before my classes started, I’d have said you were on crack.

If you pick up on only one theme in my blog, it’s probably my observation that you never know what’s in store when you embark upon the mundane. Take my taxi ride home from the dentist for example: I was spacing out in the back seat when all of a sudden my attention was drawn to the radio.

“Do I hear jingle bells?”

Indeed, the high-energy version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” was building to a joyous crescendo. Pleasantly amused by this dose of unintentional comedy, I really wanted to let the clueless taximan in on the joke. Experience told me however that this cultural gap could never be justly bridged, so I just smiled to myself and looked out on the un-Christmassy fish market. Mariah Carey’s shrill refrain remained funny for about 90 seconds, and then I remembered that the song sucked. Luckily for me the driver was on the same wavelength, and he reached down and switched the station to some good ole fashioned Wolof newscast.  Ahh Dakar. 

So I guess Senegal does pay attention to Halloween– how else could they knew when it was commercially acceptable to commence the 54 day aural and visual Christmas assault?

Okay, that was one minor blip in my days of amusement. Check out what some co-workers spied while out on the city roads:

This is an Epic FAIL.The driver must have been listening to Christmas music. The grand irony is that his windshield is completely free of cracks or stickers depicting religious leaders. He had perfect visibility.

Meanwhile, back to my cryptic photograph at the top. Do you know what it is? I sure as heck never gave the area a passing thought. Here’s a closer look:

 No guess? Maybe some of you who are on the continent already know what this probably is. 

Think harder, Homer.

Here’s a close-up of the sign. Don’t feel bad, I almost walked by this place on Tuesday after having previously frequented the establishment.

I have new eyes! It’s a student restaurant that was hidden in plain view on campus. All I needed in order to see it was an invite to lunch from my classmates. The prices match the ambiance, and the food is great. I now go here once a week to indulge in some fantastic fataya.

Mmmm….this meal isn’t the vision of health, but I really don’t care. These are stuffed with hamburg, cilantro, and other fantastic goodness. I don’t want to peer into the “kitchen” (likely just a vat of hot oil and a tray), but the fatayas are a bargain at 40 cents each. And of course you have to wash it down with a nice glass of bissap. 

After I was brought to the restaurant, I was reminded (again) that life in Dakar varies drastically depending on your point of view. Every day that I step out and allow myself to experience its dynamism, I am rewarded with something notable. Some days it is Christmas music in a car pocked with الحمد لله stickers, other times it yields entry into a subculture that I never otherwise would have experienced. 

The days might not always be challenge-free, but I am thankful this week for good food, and a eye towards the holidays.