I’m not gonna lie. I feel like I’ve kinda arrived at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe when it comes to blogging about “strange and interesting Senegal”. I guess that’s about normal, given that I’ve been doing it for a year now. I am thinking that by switching gears in my miseducation, I might have future postings that will yield more interesting subject matter. Alas for the moment, the well certainly does seem dry.

So with that horrible front-loaded apology for this crappy posting in place, I give you some pics taken of Dakar’s answer to Bob’s Discount Furniture. This ain’t the only furniture store in town (indeed, brick and mortar establishments do exist- but this is by far my favorite). I’m not in the market for a new couch, but if I did, I’d say that I’ve been shopping for about a year now.

Behold the canal road- it’s the main load that leads me towards my house (you can actually see my building in the distance over the taxi). I am on this road daily, so this is why I could say that I am always browsing the furniture selection. Note that canal road has street lights. Like the furniture, I believe that these are only for decoration only- because this is very one dark road come nightfall.

Armoire, bed frames, bedside tables….I don’t imagine the furniture vendors are paying the sidewalk guy any rent, so I imagine that this crap merchandise can be had pretty cheaply.

In this country there is so much sand and dust that if you even look at something wrong, it gets dirty. Nevertheless, there is an inordinately large selection of “Eff You we are selling white couches” that are sitting out and exposed to the elements. The follow-on question becomes “Who is buying this stuff?”

If you remember from last year, Senegal has a crazy rainy season. With little warning in the summer the skies open up and the roads flood. Somehow I don’t think that these wimpy tarp-covered awnings do a sufficient job of protecting the wares during the rain- but this year I am going to pay attention to see what happens.

Some of these couches are epically hideous. I am waiting to visit someone’s house and see this pattern scheme so I can ask “Hey, did you buy this on the canal?”

Alright, there’s your little photo slideshow. I am looking forward to branching out and looking for other topics that I can muse on during the coming year. Senegalese prisons, signing on to be a second wife, or maybe just being more studious are all within the realm of possibility, I guess. Actually I probably shouldn’t make jokes like that- especially with the first scenario. The last time I laid on that kind of sarcasm I ended up bailing some friends out of jail after going before a judge in night court. Seriously. As much as you’d like to hear about my experience in a Turkish prison, I’ll stick with trying to be more studious. Maybe reading a text book on one of these plastic-covered couches.