Colorado & front-porch sitting

There's something about front porch sitting.  I absolutely love this picture of Abdoulaye, Anna and me on hers - don't you just feel like drinking tea and shooting the breeze when you see the picture above?  I do - and I think I just might.  

It looks like we're headed to Hogwarts!

Abdoulaye and I got on a west-bound plane two weeks ago to celebrate the wedding of my cousin, Brian, to his fiancee, Kari, in Colorado.  We met up with my Mom and John and visited around Denver including Red Rocks, Evergreen & Golden.  The trip was a treat though my favorite part was the time we spent with family and, of course, seeing Anna.  The views did not disappoint and I was cured of the East-coast humidity with all the dry air.  

It's been a busy summer with settling into our home, finishing up my last classes of graduate school (now on to my thesis!) and visits with friends.  I've missed blogging and hope to get back into the swing of things with the coming of fall and more of a routine.

For now, I'll leave at this and hope for more regular posting now that September is (almost) here!  

Red Rocks Amphitheater

a very merry fourth

America+Guinea 

In honor of yesterday's Bastille Day, let's bring back the 4th of July.  Abdoulaye, Cassie and I along with friends made our way to a park in Maryland to celebrate America's independence with the Guinean community of Maryland, DC & Virginia.  There was an ice cream truck, lots of hamburgers, hot dogs, corn and watermelon,a live DJ and a blow-up castle for jumping around.  A great 4th for Abdoulaye's 1st in the US.

Cassie and I made cakes to celebrate - a carrot American flag and a banana Guinean.  It took awhile to get folks to share in our baking but the DJ, who was speaking in French, made an announcement for everyone to go by the picnic area where the white girls are sitting since they made cakes for everyone.  We were momentarily transported back to West Africa!

Abdoulaye's first 4th of July in the US!

Cassie is a master baker and has the best recipes.  

Abdoulaye promised us the Ambassador to the US would cut the cakes...maybe next year?? 

It was such a treat to share in the day with N'tossoma, far right, who was one of Cassie's Peace Corps bosses for her sector (health) and who now works for the Peace Corps in Guinea not far from Abdoulaye's family.  N'tossoma came to the US for a month for a Peace Corps training (and vacation!).  Abdoulaye's family sent hard copies of their wedding pictures from their celebration, along with video, and we were able to send copies from our celebration back home with him.

Virginia Beach!

Following the fourth we headed to Virginia Beach to see my family.  We were lucky enough to see my nephew (and brother and sister-in-law!) who is growing so quickly.  It's a blessing to be close enough to see family as often as I do - a lot more frequently than once a year (or worse, once every two years!).

With Badara, Sean & Abdoulaye

Oh man.  I need to frame this - thank you, Sean for such a great photo!

A little sunshine on my face, a lot of sunshine in my life.  

Black Out: Studying by Lamplight in Guinea

This morning, while perusing my Google reader for articles of interest (i.e. Mali, Guinea, Virginia, international education), I stumbled upon this article on a documentary about kids studying by streetlight in Guinea.  The documentary, Black Out, follows students during exam time in Conakry, Guinea's capital.  The film has been featured at film festivals around the world and scooped up a number of awards.

What struck me in the trailer is how much these kids study and for what - there is no guarantee they will have a job, or go to college, following graduation.  I think of Abdoulaye, and all the studying he did by lamplight or with inconsistent electricity and of course of Zana, Mali where my host siblings similarly studied by kerosene lamp.

It's too bad there aren't any Guineans on the team who produced the film and I can't tell from the director and producers' blurbs how much experience they have in Guinea/West Africa/Africa.   Nonetheless, looks like an interesting piece, hopefully it will come to E street cinema.

Pizza+Painting=Perfection

The painting crew for our little yellow house

We're making progress on updating things in our little bungalow as we slowly move in over the next month or so. This past weekend friends joined together for a painting party to freshen up the inside of our home and the week before, we hired painters to do the outside (Butter Up by Sherwin Williams if you're curious :)  I love the way it all turned out!

See below for some pictures of the before and after (we clearly still have some touch ups to do but we're getting there!).  We're also not totally moved in yet but will be by August.  So many thanks to the wonderful friends who made it out for the party; we truly couldn't have done it without you - I hope you liked the snacks!

Dining Room Before I love our new curtains from Target!

Dining Room After

Master Bedroom Before

Master Bedroom After

Breakfast nook Before

Breakfast nook After

TV Room Before

TV Room After

Precious.

Outdoor film screenings in DC: Summer 2013

I saw a link to the outdoor film screenings going on in DC on the Huffington Post and it made me feel nostalgic.  After seeing the picture above, don't you just want to pack your picnic blanket and popcorn and head out to the movies?  I do!

I hope to see ET on July 22nd on the lawn and I'm having a hard time picking one from the NoMa list - do you think you'll go to any?

diaper cakes, banana cafe and grilling out

Last week, my department threw Abdoulaye and me a wedding shower in conjunction with a baby shower for another colleague due next month.  A friend of mine from work and I put together the diaper cake above following inspiration from my sister-in-law's baby shower.  We sourced our materials from the Honest Company (aren't the diapers - hippos & strawberries - precious??) and from around our desks (including my medal from last summer's office Olympics).

I think this cake is pretty incredible.  Such a treasure!

Another colleague made this beautiful cake for Abdoulaye and me to cut.  Since we didn't do a cake cutting at our wedding in May, this was a fun way to have one :)  Isn't it incredible?  She's so talented!

Reunion in the market

On Saturday we met up with Michelle and Alys (friends from Mali) in Eastern Market and headed to brunch/lunch at the Banana Cafe.  I had the Caribbean Benedict - delicious!  Looking forward to heading back for the piano bar.
Saturday night we headed to Cat and David's for some great BBQing and hanging.  Abdoulaye was loving on the chicken and rice (way to steal his heart you guys!) but more than anything, Auggie stole his attention.  Such a joyful child (as Abdoulaye noted) and fun to be around.  Made me feel like summer was really here to stay. 

Abdoulaye  with his aide-de-campe Precious Auggie! Hope you had a great weekend!  We're looking forward to slowly moving things into our new home as time marches on.  Any recommendations for home improvement techniques?? :)

Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa

Static Drift by Ingrid Mwangi

 

Batoul S'himi

Last weekend Abdoulaye and I made our way to the National Museum of African Art on the National Mall here in DC.  I heard about an exhibit there, Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa, on NPR and wanted to learn more.  Like I said before, after spending seven months (maybe a little more?) planning and waiting for our 'real' wedding, it was the first weekend in awhile where I felt like I could truly kick back and relax.

When we got to the museum, we caught the tail end of a dance performance by the Howard University Dancers and Theatre Ensemble.  I was sad to miss it but at least we got a little (see below for a taste of their talent - they presented African dances at the museum - so so talented!). 

The exhibit did not disappoint.  I am now hooked on Ingrid Mwangi.  Isn't the first piece above incredible?  Mwangi used stencils to create the shapes of her two home countries on her stomach (Kenya and Germany).  Abdoulaye made a good point though - Africa is not a country and while Mwangi insists on her two origins, it seems that's what her art is mainly about, she perpetuates the oneness (sameness?) of Africa by emblazoning the continent on her stomach instead of just Kenya.  Of course, I wouldn't know the shape of Kenya but I didn't know the outline of Germany, either. 

Ever since Abdoulaye arrived in the US, I've been (hyper?) aware of what it's like to be a couple from two different countries.  People say the darndest things when they learn he is African!  Thankfully for us, our encounters (to be documented another time here on the blog) have all been innocuous but have given us some food for thought.  Mwangi's piece reminds me of this awareness I carry with me now and, like a hangnail that you can't leave alone or perhaps more like a piece of hair you keep on twirling, her work will keep me thinking about what a dual existence is like (and will be like for our children).

Batoul S'himi's piece was similarly captivating.  His piece, like Mwangi's, transformed me from the National Museum of African Art to a thought bubble somewhere between Africa, women and perceptions of both. 

Owanto, Où Allons Nous?

Finally, Owanto's piece 'Où Allons Nous?' made me stop for a minute (and now many minutes afterwards), to think about where I am going.  The description of the piece stated that it was in a non-descript desert - it could be in the West of the US or a desert in Africa.  Made me think of the Hand of Fatima in Hombori and a desert I've never been to in Arizona that looks quite similar (less the troop of African children).  Universal questions, universal problems, universal joys, universal sorrows.  Universal!

Hombori, Mali

Arizona, USA