Getting caught up...

First, I have to say I'm sorry that I haven't been keeping up on my blog. There's so much going on here... and I'm not just talking about our schedule. It's been an amazing stay here in Senegal... both Dakar and Saint Louis have been very welcoming. Everyone is extremely friendly, even the pushy merchants on the streets. Unfortunately for the merchants... if you take the time to talk to them, they never leave you alone. I came to a realization that I would take more time to look at there goods and even purchase more from the merchants if the they weren't so in your face. Even a simple "No Merci" is a window for more heckling. But, like I said, they are genuinely nice people and would probably give you the shirt off there own back. For those of you that may not know, Senegal was a French colony that gained independence in 1961. Luckily Andrew speaks French... he's been our main translator. I've been able to understand and speak a bit of it... mostly... well, all easy words. Now I can say that taking French from third to eighth grade was beneficial... plus I have a decent french accent. :) We had three shows here, and our music seems to be a hit with the audiences. Plus, working with the local musicians has been very fun. It's interesting to see and hear traditional African instruments mixed in with American jazz. On the flip side, we have played along with there traditional music which is one the things that I was really looking forward to. We had the chance to play with an excellent kora player as well as a couple of African-style drummers. A kora is a traditional African instrument made from a calabash which is a large gourd like fruit. On that first show, I played real hard. After having a week off from playing, my hands were quite sore. Last nights gig was better. I think I've gotten past the initial fatigue... now I'll just have to maintain and not get any blisters.
Right now, I'm on the plane en-route to Freetown, Sierra Leone. We have a short layover in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. After we get to Freetown, we hop on a helicopter to cross the bay. Then... after we just got used to the currency in Senegal, we get to start over with Sierra Leone. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, it just gets a bit confusing dealing with multiple currencies.... even though I work at a bank. HA! Another thing we'll have to get used to is a new embassy staff and sound crew... we were very, very spoiled in Senegal. If our next crew is half as good, I will be extremely happy. I finally found a cord for my camera as you may notice by the pictures... that was a trial!
Well... I'll update after we see a bit of Sierra Leone. Bye for now!