Snappy & Harry in Africa

A few things must be said about our transition back to African life.

1. I forgot how hot it gets and the baby doesn't like it. When we go outside he wiggles and complains. Glad we missed the bad part of the summer; it's supposed to cool down in the next few weeks.

2. Gusi is officially off the nap list. The second day we were here was the last time he napped. He just doesn't seem to need it and if I force it on him he doesn't get to bed until nearly 10pm, so no naps unless absolutely necessary.

3. Gusi is also really into snapping lately. I mean, he snaps all day long. If his hands aren't busy with his trains or cars or trucks, he's snapping. He even snaps as the cars or fire trucks "stop at a red light". He learned how to snap when we were in the US but he was never quite so into it.

4. The baby is trying to adjust to a new routine. He's slowly getting over the jet-lag. Some nights he wants to go to bed at 7pm (like last night) and other nights (like tonight) it doesn't happen until 10pm.

5. The baby is routinely swaddled in his miracle blanket. (It was recommended by our pediatrician and really did the trick. I wish we had gotten this with Gusi--it would have saved us so much pain.) However, if we don't put him down soon after swaddling him, the wrap comes a bit loose, just enough so that when you do put him down and think he's asleep, he'll wiggle one leg out and cry until you come get him. So, we try to swaddle tightly, bounce, bounce, jiggle, sway and into the crib. If we bounce too much or sway too long our little Harry Houdini will get out of his baby straight-jacket and wail so hard you'll have to start the bouncing all over again.

6. I miss our free range, reasonably priced chicken. Here I'm shocked, again, to pay $10 for one midget bird. I spent $80 at the butcher's the other day and the expensive parts were the chicken--the beef fillets were cheap at 4 for $10. It's just mind boggling at how expensive life is here for your average Joe...or better said, your average Mamadou.

7. I haven't told too many folks that we're back. I just need some time to adjust before everyone starts stopping by to see the baby. I think I can buy myself about another two to three days before people start finding out and calling me up offended that I didn't tell them I was back. Plus, they'll all find out as Gusi starts preschool here in Dakar later this week and a lot of my friends' children go to the same school.

8. Before we left it was the constant yelping of the peacocks that we heard. Now that I'm back I haven't heard them once. Instead after sunset, we hear loads and loads of toads. Gusi hears them most at bath time and isn't sure if he should be afraid or not. It's only when I start to sing songs about frogs or recite rhymes about toads that he settles down.

9. The potholes have gotten bigger. If you haven't visited us in Dakar yet then you don't know what I'm talking about, but if you have you're saying to yourself: how is that possible? Well, I didn't think it was, but it has happened--the rainy season was so incredibly long and strong that there are craters everywhere. I don't even think they'll be repaired, at least not while we're living here.

10. A lot has changed in our neighborhood since we left. Construction sites have advanced, new ones have started, stalled ones have recommenced. In a city that is constantly shifting, it will be interesting to see what exactly has stayed the same.