I am a restless individual - I know it and embrace it. After a few weeks in Abidjan of not really going out except if invited to plans I decided to take matters into my own hands. I will go out alone, dammit! I can't be in Abidjan and only going out when others are able to go out. Before I made this decision though, I had a fun weekend. Esther invited me for a friend's birthday party. We had lots of fun - started off by pregaming at hers, then going to the club. I danced and danced and danced. Coupe decale is my obsession. This was a Saturday. On the Sunday, Esther and her friend picked me up and took me for Zouglou in Yopugon. I enjoyed it but mostly because of company. To be honest Zouglou is too slow for me. I much prefer coupe decale and it's amazing quick fire beats.

We were home by 10pm after Zouglou. On Monday I made my plans. I got a taxi guy's number. I got all dressed up and told him to take me clubbing. We went to Zone 4, but luck was not on my side. I went to 3-4 clubs and all of them were deader than a dodo. I did not give up. I decided to revisit the partying plan on another night.

On Tuesday I spent a particularly awkward evening at Esther's cousins place. Her old Italian husband was visiting and she had cooked up a storm. She was also with another friend whose old Italian husband was visiting. I was not quite sure why I was invited to this dinner, which one would have expected to be an intimate dinner of sorts. This was one of the times I wished my French was better. I cannot tell which couples were feuding and why, but it was a very uncomfortable dinner. I tried to leave before food was served (in case there was a sort of misunderstanding - and somehow I was imposing on them, but they insisted I stay.) They were eating some very fancy fish and I still think it was accidental that I was there, but i'm not quite sure why I was invited. I was quite happy to get home. My new friends were really warm and accommodating, but that night I really felt I should not have been there.