How's the weather down there?

It’s hot in Dakar.
How hot is it?

It’s so hot in Dakar, I saw a fish walk into a bar and ask for a tall, cold beer.
It’s so hot in Dakar, chickens are laying eggs that are already fried.

It’s also humid in Dakar.
How humid is it?
It’s so humid in Dakar that fish I was talking about earlier…well he wasn’t really walking into the bar…he was swimming into the bar (…you know…cause there was so much humidity in the air…he could swim through the air…cause of all the humidity…come on…try to stay with me?)
It’s so humid in Dakar, the mirror in my bathroom fogs up after a shower…but here’s the thing…we don’t have hot water. The mirror fogs up after cold showers people! (And I swear nothings going on in there)

Actually, I made that up. Well not all of it. Most of it. The part about the chickens and the fish is made up. The part about the showers is true. I swear.

There’s also geckos in my shower. And in my bedroom. And in the hall. And all over outside. They climb up the wall with their legs all sprawled around them like this (it's supposed to look like a gecko.. like that dude from geico only with X's and O's and |'s and slashes):

X O X
\ | /
\| /
/| / | X | X
|
<--- Insert spanish upside-down question mark here.

I learned something else today. I hate going to see people speak at a lecture. It doesn’t matter what language they’re in. French, English, Wolof, Chinese, Japanese, martian, whatever. I. Hate. Lectures. I'd rather do something more productive. Like eat dirt. Or broken glass. Or martians. Or go to a lecture about the impact that the introduction of the guinea warbler had on the environment of the guinea hen..oh wait that's what I'm complaining about isn't it. Well nevermind that last one. But the dirt and broken glass and martians...those are all true. And wood. I'd rather eat wood too.

I guess I’m not an academic.

So that makes two areas of study I’m not cut out for – medicine (or more generally, anything that has to do with looking at people with they’re body parts twisted into configurations that they’re definitely not supposed to be – thanks Hoosh) and academia (or really anything where I have to listen to people harp on and on for hours about anything). I guess that rules out politics too (but those pictures on facebook already ruled that one out a long time ago – thanks Max).

Even if I learn nothing else while here, I’d say this has been a productive study abroad experience (well so long as I stay 1) alive and c) out of an African prison).

I’ve been really bad about taking pictures so far, which really is a shame cause its really picturesque and some of the other kids have taken some really nice pictures and I've seen some sweet opportunities (gad that looks spelled wrong)...cause you know....I've got an eye for these things now (riiiight). Anyways...I’ll get on that tomorrow…

Love
Jake