Coupages

Blackouts.

Yesterday, around 4:30pm, the power went out. It stayed out until about 7:30pm, at which time it came back on for a little less than an hour and then went out again and stayed out until about 10pm. It continued to go on and off during the night, a fact I only know because my fan kept going on and off while I was sleeping. At it was HOT here last night. When I woke up this morning, it was out again and has been out pretty much all day. It came on for about an hour around lunch time, just long enough for me to start working on my report again, making edits that needed to be made by yesterday, and then cut out again. Now it's been on for the last hour or two, so I've finally been able to finish editing the report. It's so frustrating to be typing away making changes (and saving every minute or so) with the constant fear that the power will go out at any minute and you won't have finished, or will have lost what you've done. Although it's a pretty effective way to cure me of my contant need to check my e-mail. I didn't even open it up until I'd finished everything so that I didn't waste any time. But now that I have finally finished what I was working on yesterday afternoon and am ready to have the Director read through it and make comments, she's gone...

And, apparently, it's only going to get worse once the rainy season comes.

Welcome to Dakar, everyone keeps saying to me, with a smile.