Sipping on Espresso and Contemplating a VERY Important Question...

You may be curious, what is this very important question nagging at the back of my mind...Well here it is, why do restaurants in Senegal insist on calling espresso "expresso?"  This very serious spelling error makes me feel like I am working at the cellar pub on the HWS campus.  Every Smithie that ever ordered an iced latte seemed to add an extra shot of "expresso," *sigh*.  An iced latte is a silly enough drink, including such a terrible mispronunciation to your order just adds insult to injury. I know, I am being such a whiner, but get it right!

Isn't this just great?! I guess some of my Aunts were involved in the Suffrage Movement nearly 100 years ago, maybe they drew this?! Kidding, kidding...

As I am spending my day baffled by the pronunciation of a caffeinated drink, the average Senegalese is spending theirs discussing the upcoming elections.  Senegal has (minimally) made International news in the past few weeks.  A Google search of "Senegal Elections" returned less than one hundred English articles three weeks ago, now you would get over 1000 hits, however.  This is all because Abdoulaye Wade, the country's (nearly) 86 year-old president wants to run for another 7-year term.  Sorry buddy, you have already served two, and YOU instituted the law prohibiting any president to serve more than two terms.  He claims that his age makes him wise, I say you are a completely disconnected, rich, blundering idiot.  The night it was announced that his bid was accepted Dakar erupted.  Now, I am sure much of this was not reported by US media because a Muslim country with controlled, and relatively peaceful protests is just unthinkable, right?

There are no bombings, deaths have been minimal (although very significant for this peaceful country), and the youth is organizing because they are fed up.  My parents heard nothing  about the protests watching US news, and I was baffled.  Even the French have been closely following this! Although, as I said, a peaceful uprising of a Muslim community could never be shown on major US networks.  The articles I skimmed by ABC, CNN, etc. online all claimed that protests were banned during the weekend that the candidates were confirmed.  Yes, they were banned, but by the time you published your article, that mandate had been reversed more than 48 HOURS AGO.  Idiots.

Despite all of this, I am a bit nervous, simply because elections in the US are so different.  I went to eat dinner the other weekend, but the road I need to go down was blocked by burning tires, needless to say I ate somewhere else.  I also have seen more soldiers carrying AK-47s than I ever wish to see again in my life.  Guns just terrify me. I do not care what country I am in, if I see a gun I get all squirmy.  These soldiers are strategically placed to prevent violent uprisings, and fortunately they have not had to do too much.

Life goes on as normal in Dakar, and as an outsider it is interesting to see how things are evolving here.  The real test will come when the election results are released.

The weather has been lovely here, and my two sweaters I brought have been getting a lot of use the past month or so.  I do miss the cold, snowy months of winter, but for one year I suppose it is okay, especially when the cold weather is minimal. I would be very unhappy if I were home and it was 50˚ in February, that is just not acceptable.

Well, I am counting down until the end the second trimester as my arrival in the US will seem imminent at that point.  First thing I will be eating? Any and everything that is baked in an oven!  Also, I will surely take up my habit of berry picking once I arrive in the Finger Lakes :D

Time to go home and face the beast...Rafiki!

Hopefully this SGK fiasco spread light on the BS of "pink" products...

I need to reread Pink Ribbons, Inc.