The Reynolds' Rant

Taxi Tales

2007-03-17T22:28:00.000Z

My latest taxi tale started off as a normal taxi ride to work. Zig-zagging around through a neighborhood to avoid traffic (a common practice that I am quite certain does not save any time), we waited our turn at one of the many four-way stops. Then, as the driver turned right, the steering wheel came off the steering column! He slammed the brake, but not before we hopped the curb onto the sidewalk. Stunned, I watched as the driver picked up the steering wheel, stuck it back on the steering column, then carefully bumped off the sidewalk back onto the road. He delivered me safely to my office with a new appreciation for vehicle inspections and another story to tell. I really should record taxi stories to at least be a chapter in a book of experiences in West Africa, but since I lack the talent to write a book, I guess I'll stick with blogging.

What did you say?

2007-01-19T06:18:00.000Z

This is a translated transcript from an actual dialogue I had with our guard the other night. It is a perfect example of communication between two people neither of whom speak the common language fluently. Background notes: Omo is laudry detergent that is commonly used to wash the car; guards do more than guard, they also wash cars, sweep, and water plants.

Guard: Sir, we are out of Omo.
Me: That's okay, you don't need to wash the car.
Guard: Can I have money to buy some Omo?
Me: No. You don't need to wash the car.
Guard: I use Omo to wash the car.
Me: I know, but you don't need to wash the car.
Guard: You can buy Omo at the boutique for 20 cents.
Me: I know. But you don't need to wash the car.
Guard: Okay.

The next morning as I left for work, I found that he had washed the car, apparently with only water (no soap). Looking back, I think he understood me to say "you don't need it (Omo) to wash the car", which would be a very strange thing to say, thus he kept questioning it.

Arabic Graffiti

2006-12-04T23:35:00.000Z

This is why we keep a camara in the car! The writing in the dust on the back window of the car is in arabic script. Somehow, it actually looks prettier than "Wash Me" in roman script.

Electrical Engineering?

2006-10-11T14:13:00.000Z

Where's the Duct Tape!?! This is what I saw when I removed the electrical panel in the garage this week. This is where, in the US, you would have a panel full of circuit breakers, but why waste money on circuit breakers? Notice the red and blue bunches of wires - this is how our house is tied into the electric meter (the black wires in the bunches). It should not surprise me that we have electrical problems in our house!!!

Africa's Automobile

2006-10-11T13:57:00.000Z

Ford is making a bid to steal small truck market share from Toyota's Hilux (a truck not available in the US but hands-down the most popular truck in developing countries world-wide). Local gas stations are giving away Rangers, and Ford advertizes itself as "Africa's Automobile". However, I've only seen a dozen of them on the roads in the year that I've been here.

Happy Ramadan!

2006-10-11T13:46:00.000Z

This is a billboard advertisement that Coca-Cola has put up all around Dakar. It reads, "Happy Ramadan", the muslim month of fasting (they fast during the daytime and eat at night).

In case your dog needs inspiration...

2006-09-26T18:47:00.000Z

The statue everyone needs in their garden. I took this picture at the hospital where my son was born here in Senegal.

Who ya' gonna call?

2006-09-16T11:20:00.000Z

Don't complain about the greasy handprints on your steering wheel or the mud on the floor mats when you pick up your car. This ain't Mr. Clean's garage! I took this picture myself in West Texas.

Fatty Briefs

2006-09-15T18:50:00.000Z

A friend in Hong Kong took this picture. Not much marketing savy at this underwear factory! I'm sure it's a fad that Fruit of the Loom will pick up soon - "Fruit of the Loom Fatty Briefs - for the pear-shaped man!"

Car Rapides

2006-06-18T15:37:00.000Z

'Car Rapides' are one form of public transport here in Dakar. They're cheap & dirty (like the 'apprentice' posing in front of it), infamous for bad driving, and a fun way to get around town! For more on 'Car Rapides', see www.TheReynoldsReview.blogspot.com.

Dakar - City Lights

2006-06-18T15:24:00.000Z

I took this picture the other evening from the top of one of the tallest buildings in Dakar (perhaps THE tallest, I'm not sure). Our house would be located just over the horizon in the very center of the picture. Like most mega-cities, it's beautiful - at night!

What Trademark?

2006-06-17T20:37:00.000Z

Yes, we have a 'Bed, Bath, & Beyond' here in Dakar. I bought a pair of Oakley Eye Jackets the other day for $2, and they look exactly like my $140 pair, almost. What exactly do you mean by "trademark infringement"? Let's go down to KFC (King Fried Chicken) and talk about it over lunch.

Clod & Mu

2006-06-10T14:33:00.000Z

I don't know why, but I love this sign! Clod is short for Claude and Mu is short for Muhammed. Their joint enterprise sells decorative garments, made-to-order clothing, and artistic dying. It's very creative!

Park your Mustang here!

2006-06-10T10:51:00.000Z

One great thing about having friends all over the world is getting to here stories and see pictures from all over the world. Some are moving and emotional, but some are hilarious. This picture of a parking lot comes from the Middle East.

Is there a limit to advertising?

2006-06-10T10:38:00.000Z

A friend of mine sent me this picture of a urinal in a Burger King bathroom in Asia. It's a tiny television on the top of the urinal advertising Burger King's flame-broiled Whoppers. And I'm still impressed with automatic paper-towel dispensers!

I Don't Have Worms!

2006-05-19T23:18:00.000Z

This is a Health Department poster from DRCongo (Zaire) that I found here in Dakar. It reads: I am strong, because I don't have worms!

It takes alot of stamps!

2006-05-17T18:48:00.000Z

First Baptist Church of Mansfield, Missouri sent us 11 boxes of goodies, gift-wrapped in stamps!

A Boutique by Any Other Name...

2006-04-30T18:36:00.000Z

The french word for a small store is 'boutique' (see 'Shopping' on www.thereynoldsrap.blogspot.com). I spotted this 'butik' in the village of Bandia.

Texas Embassy

2006-04-17T11:29:00.000Z

This picture was taken by a friend in Paris. It reads:
EMBASSY OF TEXAS
IN 1842-1843 THIS BUILDING
WAS THE OFFICE OF THE EMBASSY
OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS IN PARIS.
BY THE FRANCO-TEXAN TREATY
OF 29 SEPTEMBER 1839
FRANCE WAS THE FIRST NATION
TO RECOGNIZE THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS
AS AN INDEPENDANT STATE BETWEEN 1839 AND 1845.

A New Way to Mount a Horse

2006-04-17T11:07:00.000Z

We sold the old wooden stairs and replaced them with cement stairs. The new owner of the wooden stairs showed up with a horse and chariot to collect them.

Wooden Web

2006-04-15T16:18:00.000Z

We are having a paillote built on our roof (see TheReynoldsRap), and this picture is taken from inside the skeleton looking up.

Driver Wanted

2006-04-11T11:47:00.000Z

When driving around a commercial shipping port, stear clear of the shipping containers. This taxi was in the right place at the wrong time when a crane dropped a 40 foot shipping container it was lifting off of a truck. Witnesses told me that no one was killed in the accident! The driver and two passengers got out with only bruises and scrapes!

Local Flowers?

2006-04-11T11:33:00.000Z

I gave this bouquet of flowers to Crystal for our 4th anniversary last month. What's funny about them is that some of the flowers in the bouquet are grown right here in West Africa, in Cote d'Ivoire, but they got to Dakar by way of France! I once bought a bucket (literally!) of flowers for Crystal in Abidjan for a song - 10,000 francs ($20) for a huge bundle of locally grown flowers! However, just a short flight down the coast of West Africa, Dakar doesn't have the climate for growing flowers...or anything but peanuts and cotton, actually. Thus, this relatively small bouquet cost 20,000 francs ($40).

Jordan's Cereal

2006-04-11T11:19:00.000Z

This is my breakfast many mornings - the mornings that I'm too lazy (or too late) to peel fruit or buy bread (we buy fresh baked baguettes from the boutiques). I found this brand on a clearance rack where the price had been marked down from 5,125 francs CFA ($10) a box to 2,250 francs CFA ($4.50) because it had passed the expiration date. This, however, is not as good a deal as the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes that I found for 900 francs ($1.80) marked down from 4,200 francs ($8.40), just because the boxes had gotten wet! Needless to say, when you can buy fresh, picked-ripe bananas, oranges, and mangos for less than $1 per pound, you gotta be pretty lazy to eat cereal that these prices!

I also like this brand, Jordan's, because it is my cousin's name. Didn't know you had your own brand of cereal, did you Jordan?

Laundry Detergent...or Soap?

2006-04-11T10:45:00.000Z

Usmane (pronounced 'oos-mon') is a man who has claimed me as his friend. He comes by the house occasionally looking for work or hand-outs or selling something that he has carved out of wood. Our former housekeeper called him 'presque fou' which means 'nearly crazy'. One day last week he stopped by, this time asking for soap to wash his clothes. Never wanting to prevent a man from wearing clean clothes, I went in and got a small bag of Omo for him. 'Omo' is the laundry detergent we use here in Dakar. It is a well known brand, but not necessarily as a laundry detergent. It comes in small, 'one load' bags as well as large bags (pictured).

When I handed it to him, he said, "What's this for?" I replied that it is soap. He said, "That's not soap for clothes, that's for cars. I want a brick of soap."

Indeed, Omo is very commonly used to wash cars, whereas most people still use bars of soap for laundry. So when I told Usmane that we don't use that kind of soap, he looked at me in the same "you're crazy" way that he looked at me once before when I told him that we don't eat rice everyday. Crazy Americans!

Love Notes

2006-03-28T23:17:00.000Z

Our church family threw a baby shower for us before we left the states, and one funny thing they did was have everyone write a note to Crystal on diapers. Well, Caleb is now to that size of diaper, so we've been reading love notes from our friends. This one reads, "We're praying for you."

Turkish Toilet...or Squatty Potty

2006-03-28T23:00:00.000Z

Much of the world uses (some even prefer) Turkish Toilets in their bathrooms. Some people call them by their more descriptive name, Squatty Potties, but whatever you call it, everyone should use one at least once in their lives. If for no other reason than to make you more thankful for your porcelain throne! And just as a side note, there's no need for a magazine rack alongside these toilets - your toilet time is limited by the strength of your knees in a squatting position!

Horse Carts

2006-03-28T22:40:00.000Z

Horse drawn carts are still commonly used here in Dakar for hauling everything from garbage to groceries. In french, they call them "chariots". The one picture is taken in front of our house, across the park - this is our curbside trash pickup, twice a day, six days a week, $4 a month. The picture of the guy riding on the empty cart is a bit blurry, but I had to put it in because, if you look closely, you can see his 'toothbrush' (stick) in his mouth. Plus, he is riding his chariot down a major highway through town.

I have an idea!

2006-03-08T00:10:00.000Z

We've all seen the cartoon character with a light bulb over his head. Well, this guy has lots of ideas!

How many lanes?

2006-03-07T23:53:00.000Z

This traffic jam is on a four-lane divided highway here in Dakar. Aside from the colorful Peugeot pick-up, notice that our two lanes have turned into five or six lanes! However, I applaud those responsible for replacing the bridge that caused this traffic jam because the detour they have created moves traffic better than the old bridge did! I wish I had an aerial photo showing how they made a giant roundabout that, except at the busiest times of day, keep the traffic flowing smoothly.

Traffic Herd - I mean, Cow Jam...

2006-03-07T23:41:00.000Z

This herd of cows wandered across the VDN in no hurry at all. Nevermind that the VDN, a four-lane divided highway, is one of the busiest roads in Dakar! Where's the herder who is supposed to keep them off the roads?!?! He's nowhere to be seen.

Now that's a toothbrush!

2006-03-07T00:02:00.000Z

In West Africa, traditional toothbrushes are made from sticks. There are as many styles to choose from as there are in any Wal-Mart in the USA. This man has chosen the rounded, skinned, four-inch-long style. In Guinea, it was not uncommon to see a toothbrush with the leaves still on it. Really!