Pumpkin

On our way to work yesterday we (Gabbie, Stacey, and I) found a puppy on the side of the road, eating garbage. I stopped the car, Gabbie got out, and the pup wagged her tail as she walked towards Gab. How could we let her go? She was covered in ticks, dirty, and eating garbage. We brought her to school and I later drove home to put her in Bud's kennel. That afternoon we decided that Stacey needed a dog and we all agreed that Pumpkin should be her name.

Pumpkin looks and acts like a Lab. I can't believe it! She is so cute.

Softball

Gabbie and I have joined the ISD (that's the school we work for) softball team. We have practice on Friday and a game on Saturday. Last weekend we lost to the Peace Corps/dirty hippies team. This weekend we won against the Dakar Academy, the other English speaking school here and they were children. It's a social league. The field is super nice, right on the water, Buddy can come, and there is a stand that sells hot dogs, soda, beer, and candy. The field is owned by the U.S. embassy and our students run the food shack.

Signs

It's been while since I have blogged. I have been busy! Sunday I went SCUBA diving and carved a pumpkin under water. I have been catching up on Heroes, what a cool show. I have also been riding my bike to school and going to Yoga. Not bad! Saturday night Gabbie and I went to a French restaurant called Le Lodge and had a very nice expensive meal. We went with a large group and it took four hours. I got up during the middle and smoked a cigar. That's right a Cuban 'cause you can buy 'em here.

Check these out. Can you name the sodas? Doesn't ass mean ass everywhere? That tire company sign throws me off every time.

Lightning May Strike

Click on the picture to make it bigger. Look at my hair! During our camping trip we had a wee thunderstorm. This is what http://www.erh.noaa.gov
has to say about your hair standing on your head:

When the electrical charge begins to build, preceding a lightning strike, it feels very similar to a build up of charge prior to a static electricity charge. You may feel or see your hair standing up...This sensation is one sign that lightning is about to strike.

Sine -Saloum: Kids from Trip

I had a great time with these kiddos. They like to fish, swim, and play with Buddy. They wore poor buddy out! After we got home he slept for three days straight. What troopers too, it was raining, we couldn't start a fire to cook food, and they still did not want to go home.

A Tribute Blog: Gabrielle A. Hendel

It was a rough start for me here in Africa. I missed my family/friends, I was in shock, it was hot, and I missed our home. Gabbie has made it a lot easier for me. She took care of me when I was sick, she takes me out to dinner, and she totally organized us coming here and made the transition a lot smoother. Having her here has made the tough times bearable and the good times great. It's easier traveling with someone you love. So Sakura (Japanese cherry blossom), this blog is a tribute to you! I love you.

Camping: Sine-Saloum

What an adventure. The drive out of Dakar brought relief. Green fields, baobabs, and colonial French architecture was refreshing to see. The drive was a bit long but worth it. We actually had to park the car and take a boat to the island we camped on. The first night was exciting to say the least. I woke up to the silhouette of crabs scratching and crawling up my tent. At 6:00 AM I woke and saw the clouds coming in. It poured on us, hard! The wind was fierce too. Johan and Wayne had to hold their tents (with their wife and kids inside) to keep them from folding. it eventually stopped and we dried out. We did leave a day early because of the rain. However, I didn't mind because we were out of bait and couldn't do any more fishing. I want to go back, but maybe next time stay at a hotel.

Note: If you get a chance, look at the blog on my blog list (on the left) named Lariam Dreams. Gabbie went SCUBA diving and was filmed.

Fishing Trip #2: Sine-Saloum

I caught a total of 7 fish and one sting ray. What a cool place! Sine'Saloum is an estuary where dolphins have been spotted. In this national park I caught fish that I had never seen before. Pictured is Yoshiko, Johan, and me. I did not have a rod, but Johan shared. I also tried hand line fishing and actually caught some. We were using spinning rods with shrimp bait with a little weight. The little fish in the middle of the lot can be eaten without being cooked. Yoshiko cut it into sashimi and served it with rice, soy sauce, and wasabi. It was so good! Not pictured is Gabbie, she caught a cat fish and a sting ray too.