Dakar …Creating life memories..:)

Tag: books

  • Histoire 2 fin de vacances!

    “Comment ?  
    Ah bébé je dois faire comment ?  
    Pour pouvoir toucher ton cœur hé  
    Comment ?  “

    Comment/TRK

    Salam out there, hope life is treating you well:)

    Summer holidays are almost over for my daughter. School is set to start early September. Her school publishes on their website the list of supplies very early on during the summer. This helps parents organize themselves. I chose to go buy them early before rush week. The bookstores are always packed the week before la rentrée with parents who are understandably a lot of times. Some parents have several children in different grades and with different needs. On top of that once children enter bookstores they turn like kids in a candy store.

    Every year la Librairie du 4 Vents hires temporary help to make things easier for them and the customers. Today I didn’t bring the supplies list with me but when I gave them her school name and grade they already had it printed out . The employee picked up quickly the supplies and my daughter assisted her with choosing the colors of her notebooks ect.I remember enjoying buying my supplies with my mother & siblings. Picking my trousse and school bag was always a special moment for me:)

    While my daughter was picking her school supplies with the help of 1 of the bookstore employee, I was busy picking a coffee Table book. After browsing the many pretty and interesting books I ended up choosing ” Wax & CO. Anthologie des tissus imprimes d’Afrique” by Anne Grosfilley. I love wax fabric and I am curious to learn more about it.While standing there I noticed a beautiful Senegalese woman behind me with great energy. We smiled at each other and she asked if my outfit was by Thiané and it sure was 😊 …une conaisseuse😉.

    She herself was dressed beautifully in a dress made Senegalese style but in a flowery inspired fabric. After I complimented her on it she shared that she bought the fabric in Bangladesh . How cool is that ?! We shared a nice chat, it’s always lovely when you meet like minded people. We exchanged information and planned on maybe getting together one afternoon and have coffee . I hadn’t met organically in a while o a Senegalese woman that I found interesting and cool so it was a nice encounter.

    While browsing the Muslim section a man who seemed very versed in spirituality suggested a few books.He mentioned Islamic authors that I had never heard of 😅.I could tell he was very far in in his spiritual quest but I noticed that he didn’t seem judgmental or arrogant about it. Sometime people who are well advanced in their spiritual voyages can act self righteous. At the end of our bookstore sortie, my little one had her supplies and I , beautiful encounters and a press book.

    Before going home we decided to go get our “nails done”.I had not taken her to the nail salon in a couple of years . I chose my signature black nail polish while she chose white. It was lovely watching her enjoy getting pampered a little bit. It’s important from time to time to let her enjoy girly moments.We are little by little creating our bank of memories 💕💕.

    “Till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • Saya….!

    “Uhuum, humm sàya!
    Uhuum, humm sàya!”

    Oumou Sangaré- Saa Magni

    Salam out there, hope life is treating you kindly:)

    My sister /bestie Rica called me yesterday! The tone of her voice was a little melancholic so I asked if everything was ok . She informed me that her childhood house neighbor patriarch Pa Ndiaye had just passed the night before. In our culture neighbors become family especially back in the days. Neighbors knew all the tea on family dynamics, difficulties , joy…you name it. They are there for each other through all seasons of life. When we were younger ,parents could always trust that if our neighbors saw us acting up, they would be informed shortly.

    We used to eat at our neighbors and vice versa. Il y’avait vraiment ce sens de communauté. This does not just exist in Senegal but in other African cultures. When I went last year to my cousin’s wedding in Burkina Faso, her long time neighbor was all up in this wedding lol .She was front & center smiling ,dancing. She came to greet those of us who travelled from other countries. Neighbors were sometimes the first persons who were informed if someone was sick . They would show up with food ,money sometimes.

    Nowadays society has changed. I am not saying it’s a good or a bad thing but it’s simply different. A lot of people now just say hi and bye . People like to keep to themselves . Ce sens de l’entraide commence a disparaitre. I was talking once to a cab driver whose family lives in a Senegalese village .I asked if he was going home for the Eid celebration and he said no . He shared that the community vibe was not the same anymore. He added that autrefois all the houses were open, people didn’t need to announce their visit. They would just show up and eat! He said that now things are different and I asked him why. He explained that many rural people work in Dakar the capital city and adopt city life habits. When these same people go back to their villages they bring with them these new ways of living .

    Today Pa Ndiaye’s family was receiving the visits of loved one , acquaintances. Everyone who knew him or his family came to pay their respect. In our culture on occasions such as this one, people dress in traditional African attire. Women wear scarves on their heads and shoulders and dress modestly .

    I have fond memories of the Ndiaye family . I remember Pa Ndiaye and his sons going to the mosk almost every single day. I remember him being a strict father who only wanted the best for his children. He had a crew of friends; fellow neighbor fathers. They would meet daily a the former neighbourhood garden called La Case. Some would play pétanque and others card games. Today we got to see his children. They were surprisingly very composed and seemed of course sad but in peace.I learned that tonton had been gravely sick for a little while . His daughters said that God allowed him to go & rest. Of course they were sad about it and when they saw my friend Rica there was this sense of shared understood pain between them.

    I listened to them shared common memories.Rica reminded me that Pa Ndiaye stood in place of her late father on her wedding day. She considers him an important male figure in her life. A lot of people were in attendance . We later on joined and sat with Rica’s family. We have been friends for over 35 years at minimum so I know most of them. People who haven’t seen us together in a long time are always happily surprised to see us still friends after all these years. We stayed for an hour. Sometimes that’s all people who lost someone need ; just physical presence. They feel supported and cherished . May he rest in peace, Ameen🙏🏾❤️

    Till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

    “Uhuum, humm sàya!
    Uhuum, humm sàya!”

    Oumou Sangaré- Saa Magni

  • Story’oo de Pineapple smoothie:)

    “Baby girl you bad o
    Girl, the way you whine
    I dey mad over you, girl
    I dey mad over you, girl”

    Mad over you -Runtown❤️

    Salam out there, I hope you are enjoying the remaining of your summer:)

    I am learning to just listen to mes envies-you know les petits plaisirs de la vidad. I had an acupuncture therapy session today and from the moment I woke up this morning I had a craving for a pineapple smoothie. I had visited the Maison des Arts a couple of times already , et je me sens à l’aise dans cet endroit coloré. Maybe it’s the art enthusiast in me or maybe it’s the quietness of the space. It might be both, I really enjoy this unpretentious & pretty eatery. The staff is attentive and not overbearing.

    On my way to my acupuncture session, I rode with a very young impolite Yango driver. He was arrogant , played music super loudly, had this” I dont want to drive yet I am driving” vibe to him.I remained calm et il s’est défoulé as he pleased .Once we reached my destination, he was looking for change and stopped traffic for a few minutes.I suggested he parked further and he responded that the other drivers could just wait. I didn’t reply back,I knew the best way to teach him a very needed lesson would be to grade him via the Yango online survey. The worst part was that both his vehicle & his driving were decent but it was uncomfortable being around him.Anyways thus continues the Yango chronicles 😌.

    At the medical center, while waiting for my appointment I was observing the various patients sitting with me in the waiting area.I paid attention to each person’s shoes , body language & vibe. There was a Senegalese woman who seemed worried, 2 Indian men who had this disciplined vibe and were wearing leather thongs. There was a French seasoned man with his child who was playing with color pencils . He seemed enamored with his child, was not saying much but was very attentive to him. A 20 something young Lebanese man was busy on his phone . He was wearing a pair of cool Nike sneakers and a gold bracelet à son poignet. A delivery man came in full of enthusiasm greeting every one. An artsy Senegalese man with locks was busy filling in paper work. Once he was done, he opened a book he brought and immersed himself in it. Then there was me, bopping my head to some old R& B songs . I was reminiscing of times when we rushed home to watch new videos, it was exciting back then.

    After my appointment , I finally got to enjoy for a few minutes a pineapple smoothie. The waiter asked if I wanted something else and I said with a smile no:) It’s ok to just go to a restaurant for a simple drink if that’s all you wanted. I sure enjoyed it!

    ‘Till next time 🙂

    Yaye

    “Baby girl you bad o
    Girl, the way you whine
    I dey mad over you, girl
    I dey mad over you, girl”

    Mad over you -Runtown❤️

  • Matu Café..ah bon hein:)

    “Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee
    Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee.”

    Chico Debarge -No Guarantee

    The lyrics of this end of 90s’s early 2000’s R& B song came in mind when I stepped inside of the Matu Cafe.Je ne sais pas, maybe it’s because the orange and green tones made me think of that video..I don’t know:) Memory association is fascinating..maybe it was because of the soulful music playing in the background..I don’t know..But tout celaa pour dire que the vibe inside of the eatery was already my “kind of vibe”.

    I was meeting friends of mine, siblings duo Amy & Moha.Whenever they are visiting Dakar & have free time , we always manage to hang out at least once. It’s always pure laughter and good vibes. Amy is the one suggested we met at Matu Cafe.It was my first time hearing of it, she further explained that it was owned by a Senegalese woman who moved back to the 221 to follow her dreams of opening a coffee shop.

    I visited the cafe’s instagram and looked through their online menu & was agréablement surprised. The restaurant is located in the neighborhood of Mermoz where I spent a big part of my life. The neighborhood has changed a lot lately, there are new luxury apartment buildings, pilates studio and now the Matu Cafe. I am sure people living near by are probably very happy about this new eatery.

    Across the street ,there is a dance studio where my daughter has been a regular since maybe she was 5 years old. When I arrived at the coffeeshop, I was greeted by an amiable attendant who showed me to my table with a big smile. Maybe because it was early morning , the cafe was not crowded yet..which selfishly I like lol. There were 2 gentlemen having a chat , a hijabi woman on her computer. While waiting for my friends, I enjoyed un chocolat viennois “au chaud” comme disent nos frères Ivoiriens 😀.

    Soon after the siblings arrived, in between catching up, we ordered our breakfasts. Moha had the chicken waffles, Amy had the Senegalese omelette and I tried the croissant Benedicte. The portions were reasonable and the plating was pleasant & neat. All 3 of us enjoyed our morning meals.

    Our trio also enjoyed talking about working out; we talked pilates, running and paddle. Amy shared that she really enjoyed pilates because it really engages the body in its entirety. I have been wanting to try a class but for beginners, like a soft introduction to this practice😅 I know it’s a” big trend” in Dakar right now..pilates this , pilates that lol…which is not a bad thing. I really just want a chill environment not too uppity..just a pleasant vibe. I really am also looking for a class with a focus on breath & meditation.I will keep looking online et continuer à me renseigner.

    Before leaving the coffeehouse, I wanted to try one of their fruity soft drinks. I chose the Mangoe Passion cocktail with une tranche de citron which made for a beautiful visual dégradé color combo . It gave me the right boost of energy I needed this morning. The next treat I would like to try there , is the carrot cupcake..affaire à suivre donc 🙂

    Till next time InshAllah:

    Yaye

    “Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee
    Nah, nah, nah
    No guarantee.”

    Chico Debarge -No Guarantee

  • Boubou …. à La Pointe des Almadies!

    Hello out there..I hope life is treating you as softy possible. I have been in the mood lately to wear more tradi -modern fashion . There are so many local fashion houses so I needed help to figure out where to go . I decided to turn to the always helpful chat -gpt…l asked suggestions for casual linen African inspired clothes and one of the option they offered was @la_maison_du_boubou…the name of the fashion house actually sounded familiar, it’s one of those places I had wanted to visit..donc cela tombait bien.One of the good things with Yango is that if you don’t know the place, and you put in the name of the place, they would take you straight there..so of I went:)When I reached , I was greeted by the owner, a friendly and serious woman , she was rather amused when I told her that I found her atelier through artificial intelligence..she was positively surprised I think lol..She suggested I took a look on my own..which I like…I enjoy going through a store without stressful vendors who stand right behind you.

    The store was nice , bien éclairé, spacious…the fashion line est tres sobre , pas trop chargé..clean, beautiful embroidery work..She shared that she likes solid colors, we had a nice conversation about embroidery work..one of the kaftan she designed was named it after her mother, the embroidery work was intricate and had many irregular lines on purpose because it reminded her of her mother’s tenacity to find her way through life. When she spoke about her mother, her face lit up…I could tell she could talk about her impact forever..she paid hommage to the hard work behind the embroidery done by the artisans she hired..I fell in love with two beautiful tuniques and ended up buying one.We also discussed how people steal designers like her ideas, and go to China to mass produce it cheaply and for very little..and she added people don’t understand that it’s art…Here’s their instagram address @la_maison_du_boubou.

    I ended up wearing the tunique tonight to hang out with a friend of mine au restaurant @restaurantlapointedesalmadies…I had not been there in over a year , it was the perfect summer occasion to enjoy dinner pas loin de la mer..Comme partout les cartes sont chères…my friend who was visiting from abroad was shocked at the prices..and I told him that’s how it is nowadays…all restaurants are expensive..

    I chose les brochettes de gambas with un gratin de pommes de terre and he chose un thiof with atieke…donc atieke poisson quoi…les plats etaient copieux, I didn’t finish my meal and I think he enjoyed his…c’etait sympa..we caught up… cela fait du bien to have good and honest talk …’till next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye