The search for a baby valise

Tamba market

*note: toubab means 'foreign' or 'french' or 'white' people

An innocent trip to the market on Friday to search for traditional baby gifts. I stop by a vendor at her table selling local incense and start my little spree here. I get a couple of bags of insence and then ask her for some additional ideas for local traditional gifts.. I want to make sure that I have a full variety of local gifts. So this woman says the essential Senegalese baby gift is a "baby valise" (baby suitcase). I am suspicious. It sounds toubab to me. I say, uh huh... I say, this baby valise is traditional Senegalese? She says, oh yes. Before you get anything you need to buy a baby valise. She says "I'll go buy one and bring it back to you." I'm still not convinced. I tell her I want to see exactly what this baby valise is, so I sit down on this little bench and wait for her to finish filling up her jars with more incense so we can go look.

So then we shuffle over to the main part of the market and we go to a vendor who supposedly sells the baby valises. He pulls out (guess what) a carry-on suitcase, Made in China. Hmmm.! I didn't figure that was coming (not) I look at it and say, um, that's way to big to mail to the states.

The last thing that anyone wants in the states is a chinese carry-on suitcase and the last thing I want to do is pay to ship a cheap, chinese carry-on suitcase mocking as a baby valise to someone in the states. So now that my suspcions have been confirmed that the baby valise is just some toubab suitcase, I tell the woman that I actually don't need a suitcase and I'm looking for senegalese-made items. She says she understands that she'll take me to somewhere else.

But guess what? She's not done hunting down a baby valise--I can tell it's become her mission, even though I tell her that I don't really want one. Sigh, so I follow on reluctantly behind her trying to scout one down. Several vendors later, we find someone who says, "Yes! I have a baby valise!" and he pulls out a cheap, plastic foldable baby bag.. Made in ... guess where? CHINA!!!

So I say, um, yeah, but I'm looking for traditional Senegalese gifts. And they both look at me and they say, "This is Senegalese!" And although it's clear that it's not Senegalese and made in China, no amount of discussion leads them to believe that they're not dealing with a traditional Senegalese gift. So somehow in the last 10-15 years the baby valise is somehow deeply routed in the psyche of Senegalese...??

Still the woman and the vendor are looking at me expectantly and the woman is enviously eying the new, shiny baby valise that I'm slightly frowning at and turning over in my hands. hmmm mmm. she says to me quietly but a bit pushy, "Now you have to ask him how much it is! Remember he's my friend so he will give you a good price." Obviously the last 15 minutes of discussion of how I don't want a baby valise has meant nothing. So I sigh and ask the vendor how much he is selling his baby valise for. $12 he says. so I half-heatedly bargain for the baby valise cursing myself for asking a stranger in the first place about 'traditional' senegalese gifts when I already know the answers myself...so as punishment I am bargaining for a plastic baby valise I don't want. Okay, I get it down to $6. I can deal with that. The vendor and woman are immensely pleased with my purchase. They look at each other as if they've accomplished a great thing: selling the ever-traditional baby valise to an unknowledgable toubab. I think they must have thought that I just didn't know "quality" when I saw it.

Now they have the baby valise problem solved, they both try and sell me plastic toubab baby shoes, toubab powder and cheap perfume..... oh no.. we're not getting into that. I say, no I"m looking for traditional baby sandals.

The woman didn't push too hard for the clothes and the little plastic shoes... I think she knew what a feat it was to sell me the baby valise... I guess she realized I was too much work. So we go to another vendor who sells flip-flops. I get the smallest size and am wondering how to make my grand exit. The woman asks again about powder, clothes and perfume. I lie to her and say I've already bought them. Luckily she doesn't press.

Finally we walk back to her stand where I've parked my moped. she says, Yeah, since we're friends now and I've helped you find your baby gifts, I think you should buy me $2 worth of phone credit. I say, "Oh yeah?" I say usually I didn't think that new friends asked other people for money and that friends did services for their friends because they're friends." That didn't seem to sink in. She's like, "Well friends help each other. I've helped you and you help me now". sigh outloud. I'm tired.

we go back to her stand where I'm confronted by a rotund wolof woman who's heard we've been baby valise shopping. I bring out the baby valise for everyone to gawk at and everyone asks me how much I pay. They nod in agreement at the good price I got. Now the wolof woman is kind of pushing me and saying I should give her some money. I laugh and tell her it's coming later. She does a little dance and she demands, "Pay me a fee for dancing for the baby'. I do a little dance and tell her that she needs to pay me for dancing for her instead. That doesn't work but I get a laugh from others.

She insists on me giving her money for dancing for the baby and several woman are watching on to see how I react. God I'm tired. Okay. so I smile and ask 'Are you wolof" and she says yes and I said, "ah-ha! I knew it. All Wolofs are only interested in money!' that gets a laugh all around but she doesn't back off. I'm not nervous but I'm starting to become a little uncomfortable that the usual jokey responses aren't working... I try to pass but she won't let me. I say a little joke but she presses me again with the money. I didn't feel threatened but she was surpassing social norms in the interchange. The other woman are starting to become embarrassed and ask the woman to please let me through. Finally she does. My new baby valise "friend" now quits drops any further hints at my buying her a phone card given the embarrasing exchange about money a minute ago, but in good form I buy a bottle of incense from her for .50 cents for her help. She knows that's fair. I take my baby valise and head home.

The Mother's Day Flower Fiasco

Okay so get this.

I had flowers ordered for Mother’s Day. I ordered them well in advance so mother could get some tulips. She loves tulips and I wanted to remind her of our trip to Holland when I was younger. They were supposed to be delivered on Saturday unless I wanted to pay $24 more for a Sunday delivery (I did not). Anyway, Sunday morning comes and no email from mother saying she had gotten the flowers. Finally in the afternoon I catch her online and say, Um, so you didn't get any deliveries? And she said, no..should I have? And I said, yeah. She checked her front porch again but there was nothing and not even a note.

Hmm. So I call the company I use for the flower delivery and they say that they had gotten confirmation on Saturday that the flowers were about to go out. So company calls the florist. Now mother gets a call from the florist because the florist had delivered the flowers.

So what happened was that the florist accidentally delivered to 108 South Washington instead of 108 North Washington. Now before I go further, you have to understand the deal. Sometimes people get confused with mother's address. I'm not really sure why... I mean north surely is clearly different from south, but whatever. People sometimes mix up the addresses. This has happened before actually with the current resident of 108 South Washington. In fact, during Christmas when Brook and I sent some packages to mother for Christmas, the post office accidently delivered a few of them to South Washington. And even mother had a package mailed to herself that was delivered to South Washington. Luckily mother tracked the package and everyone had it shown as delivered so they figured that it had been delivered to South Washington. The post master goes to South Washington to inquire and guess what? This chick had opened up our Christmas presents, one of which was a DVD, was plopped on the couch watching our DVD!!!!! Can you believe that? The cheek! Anyway the post office felt bad and paid for a new unwrapped DVD for mother which was nice and we got the rest of our stuff back. So given this as a background, the horror of finding out that mother's flowers had been delivered to the same chick. And obviously this chick does not have the track record of returning things that are not hers.

So it was confirmed by the florist that they had delivered to the South Washington address. And no peep from her trying to track down whose flowers they are, even though there was a card addressed to mother saying Happy Mother’s Day Love from Brook and Anne.

So the florist feels really bad, but they are now out of tulips (because the chick at 108 South Washington took our tulips) and she has to do another arrangement. I was livid. The florist was very accomodating and as you can see made a huge arrangement with more flowers for mother for free (to replace the tulips that were delivered to that horrible little woman down the way).

So I tell mother to give me the telephone number of the woman at South Washington that I'm gong to call her up and tell her to give back mother's tulips. Mother wont' do that but says maybe she will walk down there... She actually talks to a police person (mother of course is on good terms with all of them) and tells her the situation... that it has been confirmed that the flowers were delivered to her and this is not the first time she has tried to keep our stuff. So the police woman goes down there and talks to the chick.

So evidently what happened was the chick keeps the flowers (obviously). Her boyfriend comes over. The chick gives mother's tulips to her boyfriend who gives them to His Mother for mother’s day yesterday!!!! Can you believe the cheek! So the police woman said that the rightful owner wanted her flowers (surprise) and made the boyfriend go back to his mother's house and get OUR flowers back from his mother (can you imagine) so mother can get her flowers. Unbelievable!!! If this woman hadn’t already done this before with 2 or 3 other things that were delivered there accidently, perhaps I wouldn’t get *as* worked up. But by God if she’s going to take the an expensive arrangement I paid for and pretend that she bought it!

Mother and I agree that we feel bad for the boyfriend's mother. Obviously she knows now that the flowers were not bought for her and her son pretended that he had. Supposedly the boyfriend says he didn’t know where the flowers came from (I'm sure) and apologized to the police. Anyway, I’m sure his mother is making him feel guilty. He gave his cell phone number to the police for mother to call so he can apologize.

Anyway, that was the saga yesterday. I suppose the upside is that mother gets two arrangements for the price of one! Here is a picture of the latest arrangement + the recuperated tulips. Anyway, justice has been done and all is well that ends well. The End

Oh yes... another trip to the post

It's time for another post office story. I know you can never get enough. I don't know I can't.
So I go to the post office on Saturday with my package slip. The post is open until 12. I go at around 11:15am with my post slip.

I go into the side door when they give your packages and the window is shut. I go around to the main part and ask a guy I know where the package people are. He says, Oh,I think they've gone home. But go around back and see if anyone is lingering around.

So I go out back and didn't see the guys I deal with but there are about 3 guys standing outside the door. So I ask them. I say that I came to pick up a package. They say, "Oh, those guys went home" And I say, "I thought you were open until 12". And they say, "You didn't get here in time" and I say, "Isn't the post open until 12?" and he says, "yes, what time is it" So I tell him the time and then he looks confused.

So another pipes up and says, "you need to come at 8am. They are here at 8". I said "Okay, 8am until what time?" And he says "8am" and I say, "until when" "8 am, they are here." Finally another one figures out that I'm trying to ask the hours and then everyone gives me the answer.
Guy #1 (mind you, they're all standing next to each other) "The hours are 8am to 10am on Saturdays to pick up a package"
Guy #2: "You can't pick up packages on Saturday"
Guy #3: "It depends on the Saturday. Sometimes you can pick up your package, sometimes you can't"

and that (those) were my answers. I said, "Okay, that's clear " and I start to leave. A guy calls out to me as I'm leaving, "Come back on Monday!"

The End

So... the question to you is, which is the right answer: Guy #1, Guy #2 or Guy #3?
Brook and I think Guy #3 has the correct answer: sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. What cracks me up is that they are were so serious about it even though they contradicted each other. Very 'afrique'. love it, except I wanted my package and just realized I had made a wasted trip so wasn't in the best of moods. Anyway, thought you would like another edition of "The Post Office"

98 degrees

I checked the temperature in our kitchen last night at 10:30pm and it was 98 degrees. tell me that isn't just isnt the worst.
The other day in early evening it was only 93 degrees. It felt hotter but I guess it's tricky to know these things. Yuck-O is all I have to say

My first solo "djebu jen"

this is Brook and Balla Diallo.

Brook's brother from his village in Peace Corps has come to visit. He came in last night. Today I made my first local 'djebu jen' without a Senegalese looking over my shoulder correcting me. It was fun to do, but I was nervous! Instead of rice and sauce, I made it with fonio. I sure do love fonio. It's just like moroccan cous-cous but Better!

We invited Binta and Ouli over as well. Luckily I realized before I put the fish in the oil that I needed to take the scales off the fish. Whew. that was quick. Although I forgot to take the skin off the manioc. Binta and Ouli gave me 19/20 points on presentation and taste (they are good friends so you can take their grading with a grain of salt) because I forgot to take the skin off the manioc. I gave them ice-cream blizzards afterwards. A bit of Americana for the heat, plus Senegalese don't really do desserts so the Americans had to come in and save the day. haha

Binta's restaurant is going really well. We ordered pizza from her place tonight. Right now Brook is talking with his 'brother' Balla. I guess he wants to travel to the states or another occidental country. It's a request for help we get all the time, actually. And no matter how many times or how we state the truth that we have no magic card to get someone overseas, they don't understand. I guess everyone thinks we have enough money or clout (ha) to make it happen. Also they believe that things work overseas as they do here: through social capital. As we know, they do not!

Our friend Omar, the chauffeur who drives me to Dakar. He wants to go to the states so bad he can taste it. And both Brook and I have told him that we have no say in the whole visa process. We also try and tell our friends that the US or the occidental is not some panacea and it's just different. yes on one level you can make a lot of money, but there are many things that you give up. Comparative social isolation is the biggest issue. How you live, how you interact in teh states (or how we don't) and that how it's so lonely and difficult for cultures that spend all their time 'around people' with little to no need for private time. Most people don't believe you, or worse give you a look as if to say you're trying to discourage them for trying to get ahead. The answer for so many people here is just getting overseas and make a lot of money, but to explain actual life and its expenses doesn't really translate. It's a no-win situation and I'd better get back in the living room to support Brook in his response to Balla.

AC guys in town

Although the night before last our electricity was out until 12:30am and then went off twice for extended periods during the night, the AC guys from Dakar managed to thoroughly clean and maintenance our ACs. The guest room AC had a couple of things wrong with it, so it looks like we fixed that. However the big problem is the amount of electricity, or the tension, coming into the house. we're getting about 203 or 204 as opposed to what we're supposed to be getting, 220. So the ACs are not quite working. Not enough juice.

Last night the electricity was off from 4:30pm unitl about 2 in the morning. You can imagine how we were lying in our own sweat in bed with an occasional breeze that came in through the window. It's hot season, it's true. You spend the entire day hot and with a sheen of prespiration on your face... and I supposed I'm vaguely crabby.

There was another demonstration yesterday about these electricity issues. I hope they get it figured out soon else this will be a long month.

Update

Well it's been longer than I had anticipated since the last post. And even now I don't have any wacky stories for you. Unless continual electricity cuts in 115 degree weather is considered wacky. Probably not.

Latest update:

Miranda (good friend of Brook's mother) and his friends daughter who is in college came to visit Brook and me at the beginning of April. They stayed for about 10 days. Daughter went out to a Peace Corps site and hit the local market and a wedding. The rest of us bought cloth, went to the tailor and went over to Ouli's for a great lunch.

Brook and I took a long weekend off last week (it already feels like forever ago). Let me know via email if I haven't you the link to the photos, and I'll send them right out.

I'm working on a Catholic Relief Services assignment, which is pretty laid back. I'm interviewing partner organizations in Dakar, Tamba and Kolda. I should go down to Kolda next week for that part. Hopefully by the end of the week I can crank out Tamba interviews.

Brook is going to Ziguinchor at the end of next week (which passes through Kolda). He should pick me up in Kolda over the weekend and I'll head down to Ziguinchor with him, finalize up my write-up for CRS.

Brook and I are going to Thailand for about 10 days in June. Going to see one of my best girlfriends and husband and then on the way back to Senegal, we'll stop off in Rome and take in some sites and food!

It's not one of my crazier posts but I figured a good information post is not a bad thing too. Take care and here is a picture of our lovely house guests in April.