It’s hard to tell why this Senegalese man wears such an intense expression or where he is headed, but he looks as though he has seen many things in his lifetime; both good and bad. I’d like to hope that he was having a good day at the time cfarivar snapped this shot, but who knows? Did he share any conversation with the photographer? If you’re reading cfarivar, I’d sure like to know any extra details.
Photo of the Day (10/27/06)
Aw yes. The quintessential hanging laundry shot. It’s hard to believe that this age-old method for drying clothes is still readily practiced throughout the world–in this case, near the La Spezia train station in Italy.
I love the blue sky and stark whites so adeptly captured by t3mujin in this shot. I guess if your whites weren’t this white, you might not be hanging them out for the whole world to see. Nonetheless, a wonderful composition of colors. Great job t3mujin!
Photo of the Day (10/24/2006)
I confess I’m getting this photo or the day up a bit late. Sorry about that, but it is worth the wait.
This shot of La Grande Mosquée, Touba, Senegal cfarivar is a perfect combination of superb composition and the exoticness of travel. It highly deserves our honor (such as it is) and others as well. It makes me realize that one of the reasons I so enjoy doing these Photos of the Day and having the gadling Flickr site is that I get to see places like this that I’ve never seen before.
Word for the Travel Wise (08/29/06)
It is the eve of my big departure and I’m afraid I haven’t much time to develop a nice intro to my travel wise feature, but I am sure you’ll pardon me. You always do. Anyhow, I did notice we haven’t touched this fun and difficult lingo in a while so I give you a simple word from the short list of Wolof vocab I have.
Today’s word is a Wolof word used in Senegal:
déedéet – no
According to this Wolof Online site, most Wolof speaking people believe their language is quite difficult and even un-teachable to those passionately wanting to communicate in the lingua. The website also believes if there is a will there is a way which is why you can find primer courses on Wolof there as well. Wiki has a small list of words on their information guide. You’ll notice the word used in today’s lesson above there and should be able to make good use of this one during your travels in Senegal or Gambia and Mauritania where Wolof is also spoken. Scroll further down on the Wiki and the Wolof Online sites to find additional links and resources to help in your Wolof endeavors.
Past Wolof words: jërejëf
Inside Africa Vol. 1 & 2
TASCHEN books are some of my favorite to collect. If I had hundreds of dollars to blow I could easily do so on their website, but for now I’ll have to place some of these titles on my Christmas wish list or refrain from doing so much running to and fro’ to buy a few more. Of the more recent releases I’d like to take a peek at the Inside Africa titles. The two volume set puts the diversity of African living in the reader’s face. I’ll be one of the first to admit (and this is very sad because I have so many African friends), but when I think of dwellings found in various African places I don’t think modern for the majority. I see mud, clay, and earthy homes with wells and without running hot water. SO WRONG. While a good portion of countries may have tribes and villages with housing of this nature there are tons of luxury lodges, artist studios, minimalist houses, and so-forth. These two sets claim to have a good mixture of both and more, but with the eye-popping ink and paper stock TASCHEN uses I’m sure anyone flipping through the book would want to stay in a clay hut. Deidi von Schaewen is the photographer and it took a period of four years and fifteen countries to make it these Inside Africa volumes happen.
Countries featured include Egypt, Kenya, Botswana, Morocco, Réunion, Seychelles, Tanzania, Tunisia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, and Senegal to list only a few.