Here’s what’s been happening lately. I finished my update to the Bradt Guide to Senegal. It was far more work than I bargained for. I may have actually earned a negative wage in the end. But never mind that. I’m proud of the work and it feels good to finish it. And it was honestly wonderful having a menacing deadline looming over me. It had been ages since I was so focused on a single thing.

I was not very present for Bintou and the kids during the final sprint to turn everything in. When I finished, it was as if I was returning home from a trip. The kids were on spring break and I don’t have a real job so we got some round-the-clock QT in Bamako before heading back to Senegal.

After that, I sort of blacked out for a couple of days. I had not really spent any time on social media, in a feed, in newsletters etc. etc. etc. for a few weeks. How nice that was. Then for no particular reason, I let the algorithm just torch my brain. I did get some reading and website work in here and there, but for the most part I was like one of those lab rats repeatedly hitting a lever for more treats. I might as well have been shooting up with crack. It was exhausting, and of course, I have nothing to show for it except regret and a whole bunch of misfiring neurons.

One of the reasons (or maybe the only reason) I am writing this right now and not scrolling is because of an instagram story by @badkidfrench, who has been spinning tunes next to our pool at the sleeping camel on Sunday evenings. His post paid tribute to a genre of music in Mali that comes from the Wassoulou region. This genre has two ingredients, looping Mandé melodies and divine female vocals more than capable of freeing your brain from the algorithm’s death grip. It’s been 100% Wassoulou music for the past several days and I am writing postcards, updating our scoot website, writing in my journal, doing puzzles with the kids. I even updated our Patreon.

Here’s some Tata Diakité to get you started. Djiguiya means hope by the way.

Also, I didn’t mention this earlier, but I have a “now” page now.