Dakar …Creating life memories..:)

Tag: SELF REFLECTION

  • Breakie @ Teddy’s Coffee Dakar!

    “Why you gotta be so rude?
    I’m gonna marry her anyway”

    Rude – Magic

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

    I took my daughter & I on a breakie date. Teddy’s Coffee located in Almadies has been on my summer list for a little while now. On our way the friendly Yango driver was trying to show me tourist places to visit. He thought que j’etais une vacancière 😂 & I of course didn’t correct his assumption. He shared that the night before Youssou Ndour hosted a big concert downtown Dakar. Yesterday was August 15th & in my country it has always been as long as I remember a big summer holiday.People go out and party all night!Every year it rains on that day.If you ever are in town on August 15th pay attention to it 😁.

    We arrived at Almadies around 10 AM and it was surprisingly quiet! This area of Dakar is always lively. There are many popular restaurants and coffee shops in that zone. It’s pleasant because it’s close to the Ocean. The Yango driver shared that because people probably partied the night before ,they would start going out around late lunch time. After a short ride in Almadies, we finally arrived at the coffeeshop. We were greeted warmly by 2 young waiters.We debated whether or not we wanted to sit outside facing the Ocean or inside . We first tried the outdoor area but it was really hot and soon decided to sit inside.

    The restaurant is spacious with warm and vivid colors. The teddy bear theme was quite present with kids drawings on one wall and a few teddy bears inside of the restaurant. The menu was pretty diverse. My pre -teen chose le croissant Italien and I chose les oeufs Bénedicte with du bacon de dinde. We started with a strawberry milkshake for her & a delicious chocolat viennois pour moi😊. While we waited for our breakfast my daughter shared “a bit of tea” on her school life

    . I told myself internally do not share your opinons before she shuts down lol. I have learned to keep my opinions to myself for a later time when she chooses to share . I remember being her age and thinking my mother did not or would not understand what I was going through.

    At that age , children tend to forget that their parents have experienced “life” before lol. I am learning that it’s a trust bond that needs to be built for the long run, may God help me 😅. In the background was playing the song Rude by Magic. I love that tune and it brought me back to times when Trace TV was a thing for for my friends and I maybe 16 years ago.

    A time when I was not a mother yet and was going out a lot with my friends here in Dakar. Music sometimes reminds you of seasons of your life and this one brought a smile to my face.My daughter said “tu aimes cette chanson à ce point” lol. This was also the perfect time for our date , we avoided rush hours .There were just a few other customers. They all were Americans we were the only locals.

    We really enjoyed the food, it was really good! Of course it was a bit pricey , que dire it’s the norms nowadays 😅. I asked my kid if this a place she would like to come back to and she said yes:) I wanted to try the Creme brulée, mais ce sera pour la prochaine fois InshAllah:)

    “Till next time:)

    Yaye

    “Why you gotta be so rude?
    I’m gonna marry her anyway”

    Rude – Magic

  • 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❤️

  • Ynedi..inedit vraiment:)

    Hello out there…I hope this post find you wherever you are in the world doing well ..à la genie in a bottle , in my Christina Aguilera voice lol… Here I am organically discovering le made in Dakar au gré des occasions et du fond de pocket lol very important …This time I wanted to gift my sister in law with a dress made au 221, she is from Dakar but currently lives abroad so I figured she would like something de coquet de tres feminin that would remind her of her birthplace & the brand https://ynedishop.com/home/ came to mind.

    I figured I could not grow wrong with this brand that sells luxurious boubous and elegant dresses. Living abroad sometimes as African people we might have “get togethers” to attend..it might be a wedding , a baptism ceremony and you might want to wear something current & easy to wear no matter the different seasons. I went to their first boutique, I was greeted by a friendly woman who explained that they had moved to another location not too far..another woman who works there was kind enough to suggest taking me to the second location .We had a friendly chat about the brand as we we were walking there . We talked about how sometimes women me included want casual to wear for work or just for every day for the sake of feeling pretty in beautiful artisanal made in Dakar wear…


    Once we reached their new spot we were greeted by other friendly sales women..I was in a hurry and Dior helped me find this beautiful lemon green tunique dress that we agreed was lovely …I also fell in a love with a white dress and a floral skirt…definitely another brand I would visit again. Their instagram ID is :

    y_nedi

    Till’ next time InshAllah:)

    Yaye

  • MOTHER..DAY ’26

    I know Mother’s Day was about a couple of weeks ago, but I still wanted to document how I spent it. My daughter who is close to being 13 years old surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers…I knew she was planning on buying me a gift but I didn’t expect her to order and have flowers delivered to our home…kids nowadays have so much confidence in planning things, going to the florist for example picking with arrangements they want to surprise their parents with..I was really moved with this delicate attention, plus it had this feminine vibe which reassured me in thinking that even for herself she can appreciate the art of gifting and of enjoying the simple things in life like beautiful flowers..It made me smile to know that those are little gestures that she can expect as she grows up from her future partner InchAllah.That same day, she had a dance showcase à Daniel Sorano, her dance school was invited by another dance studio to perform a short piece.The months before ,every weekend they were committed to practicing for this show, their dance instructor asked them to either commit to each practice or not…which is a good thing , its teaching these young girls to make sacrifices and have discipline. At Daniel Sorano, plenty of bilingual parents were in attendance rooting for their children, during the 2 hours of the dance spectacle the young dancers were encouraged through dynamic and loud cheers by their friends their families. The one thing that really moved my heart is at the end of the spectacle the owner of the dance studio, Aicha teared up thanking her young dancers and their loved ones..I was really touched when closed people to her came on stage with flowers, a beautiful moment..afterwards we ended our Sunday evening outing @lamaisondesarts.sn, cute little spot where their offer des ateliers creatifs…it was a nice Mother Day’26…:)

    Until next time 🙂

    Yaye

  • Un petit tour over @ SistersofAfrica!

    Hello out there..as Chris Brown would say:)

    I hope you are doing well. It’s already February… ca y’est we are champions d’Afrique .!There was so much tension and joy this past month with the CAN..mais ca y’est it’s done..the whole country celebrated , my hometown was painted in our national flag colors..yes,it was a time:) On this post I wanted to share my experience over @sistersofafrika, a Senegalese owned clothing brand, they offer beautiful & colorful ready to wear dresses, des ensembles/ pantalons et chemises, afro modern boubous ect..I used to go to their first store years ago.. I hadn’t been to their new store over at Ouakam..It was lovely discovering the space, it’s well decorated, I love the afro modernism vibe of the store, minimaliste tout en gardant ce coté chic afro..I tried couple of pieces and fell in love with this yellow cache coeur piece…:) Definitely would recommend it for chic afro modern work wardrobe, or for cocktail attire or a nice modern wedding….

    Their webbie is:.https://sistersofafrika.com

    Sisters of Africa

    I also tried the Chinese restaurant La Mer Ouest with my cousin. She had been there before and gave good reviews.. was in the mood for du riz cantonais and I also wanted to enjoy l’air marin..so it was perfect. If you are looking also for a quiet spot on Saturday for lunch this could be a good option. I dont know if weekdays it’s busy around that time but I am going to assume so since there are many NGos in the neighborhood.

    The prices are decent…if you live in Dakar, you have probably noticed how expensive restaurants are, le rapport qualité-prix etait ok vraiment..hope they stay reasonable:)

    Oh and their homemade sauce piment & soja…une pépite comme les jeunes disent:)

    @lamerouestalmadies

    Donc voila..un tout petit peu des coins que j’ai découvert lately:)

    Till next time Insh’Allah.

    Yaye

  • Noliane Cafe..Nolianement:)

    Hello out there ..to those who still check the blog from time to time:) I am back for one of those random billets..this one is about my Christmas Day culinary trip to Noliane Café- Fann- Mermoz…I like to try new restaurants au coup de coeur as in if I randomly come across their instagram page and something about the visuals make me want to visit, or if I pass by physically and the architecture or the restaurant exterior seem inviting or enticing…in this particular case, both checked out and I decided that you know what ..today would be the perfect time to try it out with my preteen. I called and asked if I needed to make reservations and the nice hostess recommended I did so just in case… I didn’t know if dress code was required because it’s the holidays but dealing with a pre teenager these days ,convincing them to dress more formal is peine perdue anyways …

    Dakar is a bit chilly lately…a sweater, or long sleeves are definitely necessary..we had the choice between sitting inside au chaud or the terrace..hesitated , tried both and decided to stay outside ..the decor is lovely the colors , the tiles… we were offered by the lovely staff the use of comfortable plaids, so comfortable that my daughter wanted to take one home lol. Tonight’s rule was less phone during dinner, I told my lil’ one that we are not bots and need to just enjoy each other’s company:) She ordered a pizza and I ordered the self titled Noliane burger which was so good..lately its been hard finding tasty and good burgers…in general restaurants are very expensive lately…but as her generation says “c’etait renta“…I enjoyed the meal …it was really good..it’s a definitely a restaurant I will go back to InshAllah ..:)


    Joyeux Noel ’25 🎄

    Yaye

  • Tea for the soul..

    “J’avance et j’avance pas à pas....”comme dirait la jeune chanteuse Frenchie Ivoirienne Denden😄

    Anywhoo a dear soul Sister of mine who was visiting our hometown gifted me with some beautiful tea from Kenya .Every time I enjoy a cup of it I smile thinking of her, thinking of making duahs for her.. It’s interesting how as we get older, when we’ve “lived” a little bit..gone through major and minor trials, thoughtful gifts like this means a lot..

    It makes me think of how lucky we are to still be here, it makes me grateful for those friendship moments when we can talk, be a witness to our growth, talk about our children and be happy for each other. So yeah .. every time I use a tea bag I think of her, of how beautiful is her focus in life, how proud of her accomplishments I am, of the woman she is and keeps on becoming..

    Let’s not take for granted friends gestures, it’s their way of acknowledging their care for us…:)

    Merci Amy🌸🥰

    Voilà another random billet of May’ 25…

    ’Till next time InshAllah

    Yaye:)

  • Avec moi…

      « Avec moi il n’y a pas de compétition.. » comme dirait le chanteur Ya Lévis…

    I went for a late night run this evening and as I was running my mind went to all the female runners that have died while doing the same exact thing as I was doing..working out.

    I thought of nursing student Laken Riley who was abused and killed last year .. I remember her trial, the pain of her mother and loved ones .. her broken dreams .. I imagined her passion for the outdoors , for running.. for that feeling of freedom that I know and feel so well when I go work out..

    It reminded me not to take for granted those nights when I am able to come home safe , it could be me , it could be you. Thinking a lot about their families the pain they must have felt, prayers up 🤲🏾🕊️

    Stay safe out there..

    random billet du mois de mai ´25:)

    Yaye

  • Étiquettes tu colleras:)

    Ca y’est c’est the big rentrée 😄🥳, comme d’habitude les parents sont super contents, enfin la fin du boucan in za casa..

    One of my daughter’s fav’ tradition is “colling” les etiquettes sur ses effets la veille.. donc moi j’écris son nom et elle ..elle colle:) She always looks forward to that scolaire tradition of ours… and I do too😊

    C’est le big CM2 InshAllah can’t believe we are already here.. bon on va relativiser already here 😅… il y’a encore du chemin .. mais Alhamdoulilah c’est déjà pas mal ce que l’on a parcouru déjà..

    i asked her what 3 words she wants to focus on this year and among the 3 she chose patiente.. and I said yes , last year she had a bit of a hard time navigating little girls friendships😅… the “ you are my best friend “.. “no she stole her from me “ ect ect … we had to learn to try to navigate those situations..so we’ll see this year..

    Anywhoo très belle rentrée à tous & toutes!

    Until next time, take good care of yourselves:)

    Yaye

  • Waiting … but not in vain:)

    I don’t know if you feel like me .. but waiting at the doctor’s office for a consultation is “something😅”… not complaining but sometimes it feels like it can take for hours and hours …

    Alhamdoulilah for being able to even afford the cost to see a doctor…. we are all aware that the cost of health can be “spicy” . Living in Africa, I think of people who have to call their family members to come to their rescue in order to buy médecine, surgery ect ..

    I think of people who look at their loved ones desperately sans ressources malheureusement..

    Ce n’est vraiment pas facile, la vie n’est pas facile and will humble you très vite….

    I truly believe that if you can help your loved ones , there should be no hesitation.. May we be able to show up for others, Ameen:)

    Until next time, take good care of yourselves:)

    Yaye