First Days in Cote d'Ivoire

After 26 hours of traveling; Los Angeles - Dubai, Dubai - Abidjan we finally arrived to our anticipated designation, ton- ton- ton ABIDJAN. Today October 24th, second day of our adventure, I am very pleased to be here even in the humidity and heat that is my enemy for having the skin of snow white. My heart has mixed messages of the city. The City itself is yes, unfortunately in need of reconstruction, financing, cleaning and poverty which being its main aggressor, but hidden in the City are a group of educated fighters (and I don’t mean that violently) who fight with love and compassion for the development of their city and country. These men and woman that I had the chance to see express there realistic engagement at a conference called “African forum economic” discussing as the title in tales, the economy of Africa and what must be done to improve it. Even though the topics and discussions were a little too hard for me to understand because of the economic language they sang to me. The quality of their French was so distinguished and refined, it sounded like a lullaby. The reason for my sensibility of the city is the large gap between what you see and what you don’t see between the poverty and groups of inspirational leaders who are working so hard to get them out of this negative perception. Yes, they still have a long way to go but people should celebrate and reinforce their actions.

In two days I have made a wonderful friend, Yanise of age one, have blushed too many times from many smiles of an adorable boy Librone missing a front tooth, have fallen in love with a home made chocolate cake, have eaten and is living like a queen, is humored by a man that carries three cell phones and a phonebook that shall not be named, is in need of a Boubou and last but not least, has had a slap in the face more than a reality check on how uncultivated I am about the world and will start interesting myself by finally reading the paper. Abidjan I like you!

-- CASSANDRE