Anyway, I’m here and have so far managed to sleep away most of the day and make it to the track for a quick warm-up and that’s about it. I slept a total of about 15 minutes on the plane ride over so I was exhausted and have decided to just keep on my normal schedule and time zone and be a night owl. That means less sightseeing for me but I’ve been here before so I feel ok making rest and preparation a priority this time and my pictures from 2007 will unfortunately probably not be too updated.
I have never been anywhere else in Africa so I can’t say whether or not Dakar is similar to other parts of the continent or not, but what I have noticed here is that there really is no middle. There seems to be relative poverty which most people exist in and go about their day without most of the unneeded luxuries we take for granted, and then an area of town that has huge mansions with a guard at the front gate and unbelievable ocean views. Our hotel is in one such neighborhood and it kind of stands in stark contrast to everything else you see outside of this little area. To better understand, here are a few pictures…
Our hotel…
A few snapshots on the way to the track…
At the track…
I would love to be able to take photos of the people here but I fear that it seems entirely too “American tourist tacky” to get out my digital camera and start snapping away at people who are just merely living their life. Anyway, I will share more if I happen to do anything besides sleep and eat tomorrow but until then I’d just like to remind you that it’s less than 48 hours before my birthday!!!
***If there are any of you out there who read my blog but have never met me in person and are just dying to know what my voice sounds like so that you can get a more realistic picture when I blog, listen to this preracejitters radio show I did a couple of days ago. Basically it’s just me talking with the host about track stuff.
19 comments:
Enjoy your time over there girly. I had planned on coming out there but some things came up. Take plenty of pictures.
Chanel
Can you take a few snap shots during your race please? Maybe just one after the starting gun (or whatever they use in Africa) goes off, another at 50M, and a third just before you finish? I'm sure you can handle the camera and run at the same time! Oh, don't forget to take some pictures in the shower after the meet! Thanks!
By the way, you made the right decision!
Anonymous Ass
Nice picture of the 4 of you!
What, they don't allow white people to run at this meet!
And on that note........why is it that most of the track athletes are black?
Genetics? Genes programmed for centuries to be fast?
So that high black ass on black girls is not only cute it gives a genetically, god given advantage in speed?
I think I answered my own question.
Goodluck!
Anonymous Ass
Good luck to you on competition day. I've been to Dakar and Gambia. I would have to agree with you about the big gap between the haves and have-nots. There is no middle unfortunately.
I like it. As I said at the time, Mt. Sac would have been a nice comfy pair of old shoes and all that, but I really like the idea that you decided to do
something that will make this year different. Just relax and focus on running the best race you know you can run. That's pretty basic I know, but there's simply no point in thinking about anything or anyone else. Good luck!
PS: Thanks for doing the interview! Someone needs to get Jay a better EQ though, my computer had to work on it for 4 hours yesterday to get you to sound like yourself again.
Hey Bri,
How am I suppose to "follow" you around the world if you're not on Twitter? Or are you? ;)
Have fun.
P.S. Advance birthday greetings!
The "motherland"????? I've seen pictures of some of your family that you've posted....Does it EVER occur to you how disrespectful you are to many of your family members! I'll bet even the black side of your family comes from right here in the good ol' USA. So what exactly makes Africa your "motherland"? You make the color of your skin way too much of an issue in your life. Maybe you should concentrate more on the "race" that takes place on the track. The only negative about your blog is your obsession with ethnicity.
Ms. Glenn,
And about the other “Anonymous” comment about “high and tight”? LOL!
I once heard (and like Totally agree) “If God made anything prettier than a black girls ass, He kept it to Himself”.
I’m singin’ “Bootylicious” just for this, lol!
Wow. I just re-read my previous comments. Maybe that last 14 cups of coffee (and 3 Red Bulls) at work today weren’t such a good idea.
But I still Rock!
AHHHH.
This is what I get for not checking my comments when I'm half way around the world. I will choose to ignore a few comments as I've been there done that...
But as for this "motherland" issue... basically all I have to say is GET A CLUE. I feel as if you made your own self look slightly dumb and uneducated and I might not have to do any work to co-sign on that, but I called it the motherland moreso because I'm human and not even because I'm black. I'm sorry, do you think civilization originated right here in the good ol' U.S.of A??!! I did not create the term nor did I use it incorrectly. If you find it offensive the only thing I can suggest is to take a history class.
Oh...and my blog doesn't in the least focus on ethnicity. If you don't believe me, check the stats. It focuses on me. If you have a problem with that or it makes you uncomfortable, that's on you. I'm not changing.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
To paraphrase Robert Frost, a good friend is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.
Ms. Glenn,
May I ask you for a personal favor? Can you, as Blog Administrator, please (please) remove my totally inappropriate rant? I’d really, really appreciate such an act of forgiveness and kindness.
What I screamed my head off about, well, that is not indicative of me as a person at all. As I know you have learned in life, “issues” like that one you are just best to act “Adult” about, i.e. marginalize, ignore, and work right over the top of, such stupid thinking. Reasoning never works, ranting never works. People who want to be hateful stupid just will be. Best to bypass the hater’s, right?
Well, I blew my own “rule” on that right there. We have just lost some more good people here, people I liked, and was internally rather upset. When I read the stupidity posted in the comments, I lost it. I just didn’t want to take any more of this world’s meanness, hurtfulness and idiocy. I erred.
Please forgive such an inappropriate response on your blog.
And if you would kindly Delete it, so it doesn’t live there to shame me forever.
Daniel,
I hope Brianna doesn't delete your amazing comments to me. Believe it or not, some people read others' words to learn a perspective other than their own. When I read your ranting about me, over and over, I finally HEARD you. And I was able to understand a difference in others understandings and feelings that I had been missing. I know I'm probably not saying this well...but thank you. I learn a lot from Brianna's friends...and you just allowed me to learn a huge lesson of life. Never apologize for protecting your values and opinions. And Brianna...please don't delete a very inciteful and heartfelt entry. Daniel, I apologize to you personally for my ignorance.
see, this is why I don't like anonymous posters. who knows if the original commenter is as same as the last??? what's so hard about a name??
daniel, you are allowed to erase your own comments on here.
@Bri, actually I don't think he can. You and I can remove our comments because we log in to our blogger profiles when we post or comment, so the system knows it's us and not just someone using the same names we do. He doesn't have a profile (his name doesn't link), so the system doesn't know him from someone else who might be using that name. You're not moderating though, so you might not be able to do anything about it either.
NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT!
ha! yea, a little nerdy. ok, daniel if you still want me to speak up and I'll do it.
Ms. Glenn,
Yes! Please, in kindness and forgiveness.
What I did was wrong, no way ‘round it. Acted like fools I don’t like. Was in a bad mood and forgot the prime principle of self-control.
So sorry to do it so publicly. On your blog.
Please extend it the idea of “righteous heart but bad response”.
I know better. I really do.
PS. Totally agree about the anonymous thing. I too wonder about the reply; same mind-set? Maybe. Maybe No.
PSS: I’m a tech-weenie, so you gotta do this for me.
Ms. Glenn,
Thank You Very Much.
I mean that.
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