Towanda Tales

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Sunday, January 1, 2012

And then, what happened then? Every journey also has to come to an end, which of course is a point of individual perception. The pathes of us four crossed for a final time in Dakar, with the odd adventure of student strike's burning road barricades, best veg burger in Medina and the Paps(t) helping us in the search of THE "secret lesbian bar" in town.... Jano and Daniela are heading to Ghana via Mali and Burkina Faso now.
And what happened to Madita? Well, one day changed everything. In the mroning we were still camping in the sailing club kindly being asked to remove our disturbing moskito net, in the evening we moved into the villa of the director of the Gothe institut - for which Madita is now building a Fachwerkhaus, and that with a good salary and free accommodation in the villa... puh that was fast! Good she made sure that I am always part of the all-inclusive-package... the brave one!

Plötzlich Prinzessin 2 : Madita's new humble accommodation

.... every environment also requires its suiting lifestyle...

BUT OF COURSE! She is working our little honey bee Madita, day in day out!

Merry Christmas my deer, be aware of scary looking Santa Clauses in Dakar's shopping paradise..

And me? As mentioned before I skipped the idea of sailing across the atlantic, understanding the extensions of this undertaking fully. Another time. But that for sure, knowing now that it is only a matter of patience. Instead I decided to continue my journey finally to long awaited Bombay. And then found a connection which allowed me to be an unexpected Christmas gift in Berlin. Even though I refused the idea to hide at my sisters place to jump out of a paket on christmas eve and instead rang the door-bell very unrmomantically. Nevertheless: Joy of togetherness, joy of Christmas! For all those who do not really celebrate Christmas I wanna share a few things about it! Lots of love and kisses!

Christmas is.......

....being back home for elaborate breakfast talks...

...baking christmas-cookies all night...

...and with unlimited patience hang around waiting for a chance....

...howling along with german chritsmas songs

....sleeping on forbidden carpets...

...waiting for the pretty christmas angel (who never came)...

... moments full of emotion...

...unpacking gifts...

....trying to burn fireproof candles...

.... getting gigantic fruitbaskets from the neighbours...

...getting socks, socks, socks... why is it such a klischee?

...just being togther!!!

...finally falling asleep between all the new toys...

Happy New Year to All of you!!!

We will remeet in the New year at the same spot. Towanda Tales have come to an End, but Bombayana has just started - trying a new life in Bombay. Be there to join me in this new part of my life and my travels,
all the love
Helen-Ines Geraldine Schroeter-Mithril-Jaramillo

Monday, December 19, 2011

Grabbelkiste - Senegal

Invitation or threat???

Barbed Flower

Senegalese Pastures

Modes of transport

Dreaming of Ice-Cream

Atlantic crossing??? Maybe not...

Yachtclubnights

What's the event? School!

Dakar-Encounters

THE public nuisance - our moskito net disturbs the "image" of the sail-club... ok ok we go...

...and have free pool parties instead...

... and go to hip (by the way, that's a Wolof word I have learned!) Dakarian freebeer parties;)

Senegal - Fandene-Village-Life

After couchsurfing in Dakar, being impressed by the sudden richness, the high buildings and European supermarkets, we soldiered on to Fandene to finally reunite with Jano and Daniela.

The both had been working there on and off for nearly a month and under the guidance of Jano, who is a carpenter, been building shaky shelves with the wonderful tool of Daniela’s Swiss army knife... – respect! Madita and I basically came on time to attend all the farewell celebrations, celebrate Jano’s birthday, eat tremendous amounts of especially for us cooked vegetarian food, being clapped at and thanked for our help (embarrassing!) at the inauguration party and go to the Thies open-air-disco (= Balztanz). My tremendous contribution to the work sums up to carrying water from the well to the construction site – and that at best two thirds of the quantity a local woman would carry in one go (while at the same time carrying a child on her back). Well, still better than what the men contribute to carry these tons of water – sit in the shade and cook tea, waiting for the women to finish.

Thanks to Betty the village now has a sewing workshop, where the women out of the surrounding villages can utilize sewing machines and maybe earn an extra-living for their families. The few bits and pieces of the discussions at the inauguration which were translated for us from Wolof into German pretty much revealed the same male stupidity to which we are used in Germany:

Men: “So if that’s for the women, what do we get?”

Betty: “Well, you can also use the workshop, maybe the men on monday and wednesday and the women on the other days.”

Men: “And who is supposed to take care of the children if the women come here???”

No comment.

At work - Maßarbeit mit Luxustools;)

We are family!

Winner of the last fashion contest - Betty with Kids

The first dog ever been taken for a walk around Fandene - but I admit, 24hours later I gave up on trying to resocialise this little bitch of a dog :P

Inauguration Party - shake it baby!

Besbo de luci moner, besbo de luci moner, besbo de luci moner Janööööö, besbo de luci moner!

Attention please, arrival of the VIP Guru Shri Shri Shri Bubu-Janö

At night in Fandene

Versteck ums Eck -corner hideout for all those who don't wanna be dragged on the dancefloor...

And this Christmas I wish to have in my snowstorm globe: Bubu-Dan & Bubu-Jan <3 (pssssst - the snow effect is not photoshopped, its the damn dust on my lens...)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Mali - Dogon Land Magic

A highlight of Mali had definetely been hiking through the magical Dogon land with our guide Aly! It´s the land of sacred spaces, animists, baobab trees... in Dogon land people believe the first man was created by a termite mound and a fox, and women who have their periods have to sleep in a tiny seperated house (but are allowed to work - how nice!). It's the land of trees which enclose other trees, of herbal medicine and ancient ruins... and if your french is bad enough, it even is the land where a virgin is being eaten, when the turtle decides the time has come... Enjoy!