Today, I was proud to be an American. And pride for my country isn't really a sentiment I experience all that often.

Everyone here at work calls me "Tofte!" in a really fun Senegalese French accent... and then many usually add "domu Obama", Obama's daughter. So, today, all day, I was walking around telling people that my papa was going to become the President today. And everyone was really excited. :D Because it's an amazing thing that we Americans did. At 16h, I turned on the TV with Lamine, Ndèye Cissé, and Mame Khady Guèye to watch everything as it went down. It was fun to know that it was my country, that it was my President they were following. I was incredibly proud.

I, of course, being American, selfishly wanted to watch the entire speech in English. Seeing as we were watching a French station that a Senegalese station was streaming, they had a voice-over in French. The whole time. Ruining everything. You can't translate on the fly a speech that Obama himself had been preparing for a long time and still capture what he wanted to say. And even in a good translation later, there are certain cultural and specifically American concepts that can't be translated or even transliterated. So, I just finished reading the transcript of the speech. Beautiful.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

He's so eloquent. He's got such a classy family. He's got such a good head on his shoulders. And he didn't make any promises (which is a good way to go).

I'm proud. And eveyrone here is, too.