Saturday evening, my roommate was taking off his shoes and exclaimed....."that did not just happen did it?"
I looked up and he was staring somewhat dejectedly at his black dress shoe. As he'd removed it, the body had partially separated from the sole. He had only a pair of sneakers as back-up.(Not that you can't replace virtually anything in Dakar---this teeming city of 3+ million has it all.) We sort of both quickly came to the conclusion that somebody could likely fix this rather quickly----thus he went down to the front desk of the hotel and asked the fellow there if something could be done. The guy immediately took the shoe out the front door, shouted, "Ablei"! Someone materialized out of the hustle and bustle of the evening, grabbed the shoe, and vanished. My roommate was told he would get a call when it was ready. (Incidentally, as I write this at 1:50pm Dakar time, the call to prayer is resonating through the streets. This never fails to impress upon me that I am somewhere exotic and transformative. It is almost always beautiful.) Around 11pm, the room phone rings and B., my roommate, is summoned downstairs. The shoe is ready. I think he pays around $8 or about 4,000 CFAs----apparently an interesting negotiation. "How much do I owe you?" You are my friend, what will you pay me? How does 3,000 CFA sound?" The repairman's face apparently registers some disappointment. Another 1,000 is added. Deal.
Both of us remarked that this shoe would be in the trash back home. It is another part of this world that seems more logical. More efficient. More human. Would we be better off if we could do this in the US as easily? Do we already have this as a possibility but simply do not avail ourselves?
I looked up and he was staring somewhat dejectedly at his black dress shoe. As he'd removed it, the body had partially separated from the sole. He had only a pair of sneakers as back-up.(Not that you can't replace virtually anything in Dakar---this teeming city of 3+ million has it all.) We sort of both quickly came to the conclusion that somebody could likely fix this rather quickly----thus he went down to the front desk of the hotel and asked the fellow there if something could be done. The guy immediately took the shoe out the front door, shouted, "Ablei"! Someone materialized out of the hustle and bustle of the evening, grabbed the shoe, and vanished. My roommate was told he would get a call when it was ready. (Incidentally, as I write this at 1:50pm Dakar time, the call to prayer is resonating through the streets. This never fails to impress upon me that I am somewhere exotic and transformative. It is almost always beautiful.) Around 11pm, the room phone rings and B., my roommate, is summoned downstairs. The shoe is ready. I think he pays around $8 or about 4,000 CFAs----apparently an interesting negotiation. "How much do I owe you?" You are my friend, what will you pay me? How does 3,000 CFA sound?" The repairman's face apparently registers some disappointment. Another 1,000 is added. Deal.
Both of us remarked that this shoe would be in the trash back home. It is another part of this world that seems more logical. More efficient. More human. Would we be better off if we could do this in the US as easily? Do we already have this as a possibility but simply do not avail ourselves?
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