When we got the USAID money

This is not going take much of your time. There is plenty to read and plenty to do. As an American living abroad, I am following what I can from this guide (thank you kottke.org), and calling every day (thank you Kerri!). I wanted to briefly share what it was like to...

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The 5 worst animals on the planet

I think this is a fairly uncontroversial list, but you can let me know in the comments if you think otherwise. 1. Humans  Obviously  2. Pelicans Is it personal? Yes. Is it justified? Yes. Let me ask you something. How do you feel about swans? Be honest....

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A poem about doves and some other bird art

I can't remember the last time I wrote a poem. It was surely part of an exercise at school. What I am really trying to say is that I don't think I have ever written a poem voluntarily. So, here we are. My first poem that was not written under duress: Red Eyed Dove You...

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Our One Star Review

In 2019, I had a red bump on my forehead that would not go away. I applied different creams and ointments. I tried covering it up, I tried airing it out. Nothing worked. I thought that maybe my skin was irritated by my motorbike helmet. But when I went to the states...

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Culling the newsletter herd

Yes, the decluttering of our digital life that people talk about. I am really doing my best to follow the latest self-help trends. Even birding is apparently what you should be doing now! I was subscribed to many newsletters, but when I separated the wheat the chaff,...

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My daughter’s breakfast

I garnished my daughter's breakfast yesterday morning. Bintou cooked the crepes, but I applied the chocolate. I don't always apply the chocolate. Bintou often does that, too. As I was spreading the Nutella around, Bintou repeatedly mentioned that I need to make sure...

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38 Things for 38 Years

These kinds of posts used to be popular back in the youth of my blog so I will give it a go and see if that is still the case. They are also easier to write because they can be completely incoherent. I'm supposed to now say something like number 8 really surprised me...

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Mali on the verge of liberating Africa?

Do I want to wade into these waters? Not really. I have relatively flimsy toubab-in-Mali credentials to be talking about pan-Africanist critiques of the neocolonial order. But maybe someone can help me see something that I'm missing. By now you may have heard the...

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Join My Email List

If you enjoy the site, you can join my email list, which I update less frequently than the blog but possibly with more juicy content that I wouldn’t dare share in public.

Scoot West Africa

Want to travel with me in West Africa? A friend and I run scooter trips in the region. scootwestafrica.com.

Postcards from Timbuktu


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