In our hospitality and tourism class, my colleague and I asked students to make a list of places that people should want to visit when they come to Côte d’Ivoire. The students listed many typical things: the various beaches, the mountains, Ivorian restaurants, and some locally famous neighborhoods. As the students were shouting out all…

Last week, my Ivorian colleague invited me to a cultural festival at the local university, and I was, of course, happy to attend. What does a cultural festival mean? I have no idea. Here is the pattern of my life here: I get invited to an event. I say yes. I don’t know exactly what…

Since arriving in Abijan, I’ve wanted to visit the artisan’s market, which has handmade goods from around Côte d’Ivoire and other parts of Africa. I had seen pictures and read about it but had yet to visit. I knew going would be challenging because all the prices are negotiable, and negotiation is not a strong…

Even before I moved here, I heard that it’s simple and very affordable to have clothing made in many countries in Africa. If you have a dress that you love, buy some beautiful African fabric and have a replica made. Although my clothing is casual, the idea of having some custom dresses made was so…

One of my goals this past summer was to make friends with a crow. I didn’t have any specific reason for this other than I’ve heard that they are intelligent and it would be cool to do. Who doesn’t need a random personal challenge to round out the summer? Unfortunately, I didn’t achieve my goal,…