So I just got home from work and turned on the TV and an American Classic was on TV, "Escape from Alcatraz." It was dubbed in French, but what a great movie. It was towards the end, but I decided to finish watching it.

It was a nice little surprise.

Also today, the minute I got out of the cab, I headed across the street to the grocery store and as I was paying, Bon Jovi started playing. That alone makes it a rare and good day.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Pictures from tournee (September 18 - 21)

With the start of my third year, I have been able to go out and visit with urban agriculture Volunteers. Not only is it great to go out and see different sites and see how I can support them, but for someone who rarely got out of Dakar in his first two years, it is a cool way to visually see the country (a lot of time is spent in a Land Cruiser on the road)

This last tournee I went on, my boss and I visited Mbour, Kebemer, Linguere, Richard Toll, St Louis, and Louga. Enjoy

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Pictures from atop downtown Dakar

Here are some photos taken from my buddy's apartment downtown. Think you might enjoy.

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Madelyn Jane Schoenfisch

While I am a little late getting this up, my sister and her husband had Madelyn Jane Schoenfisch on September 12. I couldn't be happier for Ash and Mark and really can't wait to see little Madelyn, apparently sooner than later.

Dakar Floods

Just wanted to post some pictures that new Dakar Volunteer, Jared Tharp took. They were taken in Patte D'oie, my old neighborhood. This pictures were taken the day after it rained, so the water levels are much lower than they were when it rained the night before. Enjoy and stay dry!

For any of you that have had breakfast breakfast at the Land household or attended a Matson family gathering at our mountain house, then you've probably had Swedish pancakes. They are pretty much to die for, especially when you load them up with powdered sugar, syrup, and being thousands of miles away from home.
With the ability to cook now at my apartment, I decided to take a stab at this traditional family staple. The recipe said it would make 16, I managed to get 8 out of it, which was primarily due to the fact that they were a lot thicker than they should, but they tasted just as good.

As I talk about food, I must also mention that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan started yesterday in Senegal. It is a time when Muslims around the world fast. As I said the past two years, it is really cool time to been in a Muslim culture and see people's faith at work.

Last year, I decided to fast for about two weeks, waking up around 5 am to have breakfast with the family and then go all day without food or water (some cheat and have water) until sun down. It is tough and I definitely have a greater respect for those who make it through the entire month.

This year is far different. Because I no longer live with a family and somewhat live the same life as I would be in the States, Ramadan has not affected me too much and I guess we can say that I'm not fasting this time around...my deli sandwich and leftover mashed potatoes for lunch today were really good.

But, but for all the Muslims in Senegal and around the world, this is your month....Bon Ramadan