Ode to My Fashion

The Fifa 2014 WorldCup in Brazil started a few days ago. Usually I could not care less about Football or Soccer but the World Cup is different. It happens every four years and involves teams from all over. I grew up watching Soccer. Every Friday, we would watch the French Ligue and every Sunday was for the Italian. And obviously the World Cup was an event. I still remember my Mother screaming when Roger Milla from Cameroon scored against Columbia in 1994. But one of the best memories I had about the World Cup was when Senegal, my home country beat the 98 Champions France at the opening of the 2002 World Cup in Korea. I was in Japan sitting in a room with other Senegalese and foreigner friends when I saw the goal. I never felt such joy. We were so excited that we spent the entire night celebrating. The following day, I was walking home wearing my Senegalese Jersey and Japanese were honking to congratulate me. For the first time since I arrived in Japan I did not have to explain where I...

If you are living as an expat,  you know what May, June ( or December) means. It is the time when many people go back to their countries or relocate to different places. It is the time to say goodbye. Usually it means potluck lunches and exchanging gifts, a lot of tears. Thankfully I am spared here because I do not have many friends. I am sad to report that after 18 months in this place, I may have three people I call "friend". And one of them is leaving. To say goodbye we met for breakfast in one of my favorite places: The flour works.  I thought the breakfast would last two hours max but we kept chatting ( mostly bitching about India) until it was almost lunch time. I laughed so hard. I do not remember the last time I had an uninterrupted adult conversation where nothing was taboo. I do chat from time to time with other mothers from school but it is always in a limited time and I have to control what I say. Which is hard because I usually say things without thinking them. ...