my dream from last night:

It started here in Dakar at a restaurant called LGM (Le Glacier Moderne) and we (me and whoever was there, you know how faces are in dreams…) were becoming the new owners I guess so we had to design new t-shirts. But while they were carving the chalk board (yes odd I know) we decided to go to a concert.

So. Suddenly We (some people—indistinct which ones—from my program) and some people I don’t like from high school (why them I have nooo idea) piled into cars to go to this concert. The first two cars were convertibles and they filled up quick so I was the only one (of the people I like) who didn’t fit in the car: sadness. Which meant that I was stuck in the Hummer filled with people I don’t like.

Anyway we arrive at the venue but get ushered into a reception hall where there is some kind of luncheon going on. It was almost like a REALLY boring speech was required before we went to the concert. But some people in my group were pissed and said “we didn’t drive out here for THIS” so we left to walk through one of those REALLLY LONG maze things that are supposed to control long lines (like at amusement parks) it was pretty empty so we ran through but that makes you dizzy you know?? Anyway just as I am turning a corner the driver of the Hummer (no names though I know who this was…) yells “BEYONCE!!!” and boom, there I am standing next to beyoncé. I shook her hand and we walked together in the line for a while I asked to take a picture and she said yes. Then I told her about the interpretive dances that Maddie and I would do to “halo” to de-stress ourselves—she loved it!

More moving around in line (w/o beyoncé) then somehow I am alone-ish with Akon and we talk in wolof!! (though he is Senegalese, I don’t actually KNOW that he speaks wolof…but anyway it’s a dream—also MY FIRST DREAM IN WHICH I SPOKE WOLOF!) We did greetings and basics: I am a student etc etc. Then I told him my name was “Mame Diarra” the name that the tailor who works for my host mom gave me my first week here. It was pretty amazing. So the concert started then something happened (I forget what) and they announced “oh sorry we’ll have to finish this tomorrow…” so I saw Akon’s roadie and told him to tell Akon that “Mame Diarra” said hi. Then Akon comes out—he’s soo famous and meets so many people that he didn’t remember my name—but he recognized me and gave me a back stage pass—AWESOME, but only one, I was trying to negotiate a few more when the beeping started and I had to wake up.