First, about the pictures. More specifically, the lack thereof of family and IMBA pictures. Rest assured, these will come in time. But, being scanner less myself, I was at the mercy of the only lab I knew that had one, and that was back in Toronto just before I was leaving. Since I have yet to find to find an appropriate outlet here in Abidjan, more photos may have to wait till I get back I'm afraid.

As for the download time, I do apologize. I realize I could have made it slightly easier (not to mention faster) if I had used smaller images on each page, but that would have required a ton of effort to create separate pages to view each one appropriately. Maybe in a few weeks when I get the time. But, I will try and minimize the number of photos per page, in order to decrease the download time.

So what else is new? Well, I'm slowly re-adjusting to life in Abidjan again. I must admit, it certainly was a shock to the system at first -- especially after the hectic schedule I had in Toronto. But, I'm getting more accustomed with each passing day. Plus, it really does feel great to be home, even if things have changed a lot since I left almost 12 years ago (the series of coups , coupled with the recent attacks on fellow African minorities, have definitely made the changes all the more apparent, sadly).

The internship is slowly coming along, as well. I spent the first few weeks basically surfing the net, just trying to pick up bits and pieces about the banking industry. Now comes the hard part: trying to understand what's happening locally and how I can be of any benefit. The more I dig, the more confused I get, so I'm hoping there is a light at the end of this tunnel! The bank itself is small, by any standards, but the people are nice and I'm sure it'll provide me with a ton of good memories, so what more could I ask for?

January 26, 2001.