6/16/2002:
up thinking again this morning. back in Kayes. on the roof of the volunteer house. amazing how well one can think up here on these roofs.
Senegal just scored!... Kayes erupted. it's 10 to 6am.
Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
a "direct" flight
6/6/2002:
...i'm sitting in the departure lounge here in Douala waiting to – of course – depart. been traveling so much these past few weeks that this almost doesn't feel any different. in fact, i just realized that the reason this "direct" [Cameroon Airlines] flight will take so long is b/c it's about as direct as a bush-taxi ride.
1st we go to Cotonou (Benin). then it's Abidjan (Ivory Coast). then Bamako (Mali). and finally, for those still hanging on to their sanity by a thin thread of patience (although i wouldn't be), the "direct" flight stops in Dakar (Senegal). won-da-ful!
i'm surprised we're not just dropping people off at their respective villages along the way. the co-pilot hovering slowly while the captain fetches people's luggage and bids them bon voyage before they depart.
anywho... i'm getting cynical and stupid. truth is, i'm tired of traveling and i can't wait to get to Bamako. wish i had gifts for everyone, but i'm afraid i thought of all that too late.
BTW... i just caught the 1st 1/2 of the KSA vs. Cameroon match. i'm disappointed i won't know who won until we reach Bamako. especially b/c i've got this Cameroon jersey [more on the jerseys] on. it's really attracting attention! what will the Malians say? :)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
eid in any language!
Happy Eid! [english]
2/22/2002:...heard a bit of all of that today. spent a nice long day out in Ukpwa, 9am-6pm. ate... twice. well. meat... ram, beef, chicken and fish. prayed out there. toured the village with Maggie. sat down and had interesting discussions with the young men. HIV/AIDS, Bin Laden and development, among other topics.
women figured heavily in our discussions but not in our presence. Maggie sat, ate and chatted with the men today. wonder how she feels about that? will ask... about that, Bin Laden and Ukpwa wanting too much tomorrow. we ended the day out there watching a football match. nice place. great people. good day.
Monday, November 17, 2008
bicultural, bilingual
2/12/2002 (part 2):
had a series of interrupted, interesting conversations with Cheryl in Yaounde. we’ve only sat and spoken to each other twice... so it was nice having such comfortable conversation with her now. she has quite a personality and a head on her shoulders. not to mention class.
we talked about family, moms, brothers, marriage, our biculturalism and Africa... Cameroon, Mali, South Africa and Morocco, in particular. she’s thinking about extending service for a year in Mali. Bamako, actually. had some advice for me about Morocco, too.
about bilingualism... won’t go into depth now, as i’m tired. i’ll elaborate later. basically, every time i go from Francophone to Anglophone Cameroon i come back thinking/speaking French. can’t just turn it off. it confuses me.
i guess it’s the same when i come back from Syria to America. it takes a while to readjust to the different zone and – hmmm... mentality? it's the same confusion that has me wanting to start writing English from right to left and Arabic from left to right (see 4 languages post). i wonder if that confusion translates into, or is reflected in, the national cultural identity of Cameroonians?
during the African Cup of Nations i couldn’t help but be totally amused by the commentary. 5-10 minutes in French, then 5-10 minutes in English. even the pre/half/post-game shows were simultaneously bilingual! 2 anchors... one Francophone, one Anglophone. and often one will be speaking directly to the other (or their respective guests) in one language and receive a reply in another.
“can you say IDENTITY CRISIS?!” i don’t know???... is it forced? is it working? it is strange... at least to me. and talk about a legacy... colonialism’s, that is.
well... i guess i’m not that tired. i did elaborate. that’s all i have to say about language here, for now.
had a series of interrupted, interesting conversations with Cheryl in Yaounde. we’ve only sat and spoken to each other twice... so it was nice having such comfortable conversation with her now. she has quite a personality and a head on her shoulders. not to mention class.
we talked about family, moms, brothers, marriage, our biculturalism and Africa... Cameroon, Mali, South Africa and Morocco, in particular. she’s thinking about extending service for a year in Mali. Bamako, actually. had some advice for me about Morocco, too.
about bilingualism... won’t go into depth now, as i’m tired. i’ll elaborate later. basically, every time i go from Francophone to Anglophone Cameroon i come back thinking/speaking French. can’t just turn it off. it confuses me.
i guess it’s the same when i come back from Syria to America. it takes a while to readjust to the different zone and – hmmm... mentality? it's the same confusion that has me wanting to start writing English from right to left and Arabic from left to right (see 4 languages post). i wonder if that confusion translates into, or is reflected in, the national cultural identity of Cameroonians?
during the African Cup of Nations i couldn’t help but be totally amused by the commentary. 5-10 minutes in French, then 5-10 minutes in English. even the pre/half/post-game shows were simultaneously bilingual! 2 anchors... one Francophone, one Anglophone. and often one will be speaking directly to the other (or their respective guests) in one language and receive a reply in another.
“can you say IDENTITY CRISIS?!” i don’t know???... is it forced? is it working? it is strange... at least to me. and talk about a legacy... colonialism’s, that is.
well... i guess i’m not that tired. i did elaborate. that’s all i have to say about language here, for now.
Friday, November 14, 2008
tired outline
2/10/2002:
things to write about (just an outline... ‘cuz i’m tired now):
things to write about (just an outline... ‘cuz i’m tired now):
- trip to/from Yaounde... talking to a few PCVs
- EE stuff... write up house feedback & things to ask Mike
- Bilingualism... mine, Cameroon’s and identity crises (or at least language confusion)
- Carton rouge aux travaux les enfants... letter to Rama on Youth Day
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
to make an impact
2/3/2002:
looks like Mali will be playing Cameroon in the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations. they beat South Africa in Kayes [western Mali] today. Cameroon plays Egypt before the semis... don’t think that’ll be a problem.
reached Weh today. Maggie and i, of course. took the road to Esu a little out of town to this rock outcrop. nice view. whole thing took a couple hours. introduced Maggie to Pa Wango on they way back.
she thought he was cute. he is. also sensed he’d be a great person to sit and talk to. he is. i cannot believe i neglected to introduce him to mama. bad form on my part. especially b/c he’s got kids in the Maryland/DC area. alas...
a note. Maggie and i had mexican last night. got to talking about posts and PC admin. after dinner. especially as i got a package with some memos in it... Grace [PC staff from Yaounde] came out to visit her brother, the State Counsel.
anywho... we were talking about posts. my opinion is put volunteers in small, remote villages and give them a post-mate. that towns like Wum (and by implication, anything bigger) are too big for volunteers to make an impact.
Maggie agreed that it’s difficult to make a difference in larger towns, but that that is the challenge. to make an impact in towns like that. Africa is heading in that direction... urbanization, that is. and that’s an important step in development.
it’s easy to make an impact or a difference in a small village... the same needs to be done in towns, though. and that may be the setting where we’re needed most.
looks like Mali will be playing Cameroon in the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations. they beat South Africa in Kayes [western Mali] today. Cameroon plays Egypt before the semis... don’t think that’ll be a problem.
reached Weh today. Maggie and i, of course. took the road to Esu a little out of town to this rock outcrop. nice view. whole thing took a couple hours. introduced Maggie to Pa Wango on they way back.
she thought he was cute. he is. also sensed he’d be a great person to sit and talk to. he is. i cannot believe i neglected to introduce him to mama. bad form on my part. especially b/c he’s got kids in the Maryland/DC area. alas...
a note. Maggie and i had mexican last night. got to talking about posts and PC admin. after dinner. especially as i got a package with some memos in it... Grace [PC staff from Yaounde] came out to visit her brother, the State Counsel.
anywho... we were talking about posts. my opinion is put volunteers in small, remote villages and give them a post-mate. that towns like Wum (and by implication, anything bigger) are too big for volunteers to make an impact.
Maggie agreed that it’s difficult to make a difference in larger towns, but that that is the challenge. to make an impact in towns like that. Africa is heading in that direction... urbanization, that is. and that’s an important step in development.
it’s easy to make an impact or a difference in a small village... the same needs to be done in towns, though. and that may be the setting where we’re needed most.
Monday, July 21, 2008
World Cup 2002
12/3/2001:
World Cup Drawings 2002:
- Cameroon / KSA / Ireland / Germany
- Nigeria / Argentina / Sweden / England
- Senegal / France / Denmark / Uruguay
- USA / South Korea / Portugal / Poland
- South Africa / Spain / Paraguay / Slovenia
- Brazil / Turkey / China / Costa Rica
- Mexico / Italy / Croatia / Ecuador
- Japan / Russia / Tunisia / Belgium
...anywho, Cameroon has a 33 in 1 chance of winning. more interested in KSA vs. Cameroon. gotta get on all the Saudi fellas back home before/after that match.
World Cup Drawings 2002:
- Cameroon / KSA / Ireland / Germany
- Nigeria / Argentina / Sweden / England
- Senegal / France / Denmark / Uruguay
- USA / South Korea / Portugal / Poland
- South Africa / Spain / Paraguay / Slovenia
- Brazil / Turkey / China / Costa Rica
- Mexico / Italy / Croatia / Ecuador
- Japan / Russia / Tunisia / Belgium
...anywho, Cameroon has a 33 in 1 chance of winning. more interested in KSA vs. Cameroon. gotta get on all the Saudi fellas back home before/after that match.
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