Sunday, February 10, 2008
Attack of the Killer Cyclops & The Dance of the Filters
The big question is will me & the Super Star clash, compliment, or contribute to each others idea for the drama we are going to make.
My idea is a bit wild ok, & his an educational comedy, which would fit into the middle of mine... but will he go for it?
Abdulai is working on a set of illustrations to help explain my idea but he is having trouble with the final frame that includes a human worm made up of children walking on their hands with their legs supported by the next person's body. He says he can't draw it because he has never seen it.
The Monster Cyclops is easier because it's just one person on another shoulders with a cyclops costume on (the little devil that causes Guinea Worm if ingested and found in the Local Dam where people get water and can only be defeated by cloth filters). The Warriors will also be drawn with sticks on their shoulders carrying small children with filter skirts on doing simple yet stunning acrobatics.
My idea is a bit wild ok, & his an educational comedy, which would fit into the middle of mine... but will he go for it?
Abdulai is working on a set of illustrations to help explain my idea but he is having trouble with the final frame that includes a human worm made up of children walking on their hands with their legs supported by the next person's body. He says he can't draw it because he has never seen it.
The Monster Cyclops is easier because it's just one person on another shoulders with a cyclops costume on (the little devil that causes Guinea Worm if ingested and found in the Local Dam where people get water and can only be defeated by cloth filters). The Warriors will also be drawn with sticks on their shoulders carrying small children with filter skirts on doing simple yet stunning acrobatics.
Super Star
His name is Alidu but I call him Super Star cause that's what he is. He does it all; from manually fixing water pumps, to saving orphans, to mobilizing the community for ____ reason, to fighting guinea worm, to acting and being on the radio for discussion on philosophy, to Warrior (10 years ago his left eye was shot out in the civil war), to wearing cool sunglasses all the time, to wanting to learn English cause he hasn't been to school, to being the one strangers come to when traveling by. And of course he got me here. The joke being is he my father or am I his third wife?
Non Government Organizations
They sound good. They mean well, but I can't talk about them cause I don't know them well enough. We've only just met. We're trying, been on a few dates, he even came over to meet the family but I'm not sure they liked him. Speaking of if you want to get in the Shea Butter buisness let m know. (it comes in bars like soap but goes on smooth.) Serious Inquiries Only.
Abdulai-bla (small who resembles his father)
is my favorite and best friend here, living just close. It's really great. We talk about whatever is on our minds. He helps me remember things I said once, we argue (he is right a lot I will admit), he even shows me how to cook & makes fun of how I cook fish - with the meat actually white, not fried solid.
He draws well from his head, paints houses & cements floors, learned carpentry for 3 years, & fixes radios. He has a sense for shooting video too.
I invited him to a nearby village's youth association meeting I was invited to- made up of a group of creative & motivated & excited people hoping to "fill the gap" in the places they live empowering themselves. Know what you want before someone tells you. Yeah.
He draws well from his head, paints houses & cements floors, learned carpentry for 3 years, & fixes radios. He has a sense for shooting video too.
I invited him to a nearby village's youth association meeting I was invited to- made up of a group of creative & motivated & excited people hoping to "fill the gap" in the places they live empowering themselves. Know what you want before someone tells you. Yeah.
The Youth Clans
Visit me regularly - the 20 some's who speak English and look for things to do, the older school kids who act cool, the younger school kids who cause trouble and are obnoxious, the 6-10 crowd who plays on my acrobatic bar, and those under 6 who are hilarious because they are silly and have parties across the road parading & dancing & drumming.
Happy Stomach
Food is scarce, yet people are eating- including me. If there are not enough vitamins & minerals your stomach gets big and sticks out.
I get lazy when it comes to food, luckily if I'm hungry people will feed me - tizert (pounded millet)with okra or baobab leaf stew. Once I encountered BushRat stew, a local delicacy, but the taste is um, quite, yes -a bit gamey.
I try to stay stocked with eggs & laughing cow. Everything has to be bought at market or the Big Town. Tomatoes too but that's harder cause they get squashed and go bad. There's tomato paste in small tins which I just learned to open - rub the tin fiercely on a stone until the lip just peels away! Clean & pretty.
But the price of a can will also buy me local chop - my favorite being sold in the AM between 7-9ish (Rice & Beans- it's just rice in the afternoon). If I happen to have woken up energized and fetching water I will often stop and get some in a bag then eat it for lunch and dinner with additions.
Sometimes I have hot smooth porridge from a neighbor made with millet, ginger and other nice things. Sometimes I save that for dinner too. It is good with local peanuts which I can get by walking around since people are cracking them all day. Another yummy treat is KuliKuli- a large ring shaped crunchy snack made of pounded & fried peanut- each costing a penny and good with tea.
Though people cannot drink tea without bread which is very funny to me since I drink tea almost daily, whether it being morning chai with local honey & milk, afternoon lukewarm tea cooked by the local sun with sugar, or night tea- an herbal blend or mint if my stomach aches with Ghardia which comes and goes. Look it up. But don't worry, I take antibiotics- sometimes.
I get lazy when it comes to food, luckily if I'm hungry people will feed me - tizert (pounded millet)with okra or baobab leaf stew. Once I encountered BushRat stew, a local delicacy, but the taste is um, quite, yes -a bit gamey.
I try to stay stocked with eggs & laughing cow. Everything has to be bought at market or the Big Town. Tomatoes too but that's harder cause they get squashed and go bad. There's tomato paste in small tins which I just learned to open - rub the tin fiercely on a stone until the lip just peels away! Clean & pretty.
But the price of a can will also buy me local chop - my favorite being sold in the AM between 7-9ish (Rice & Beans- it's just rice in the afternoon). If I happen to have woken up energized and fetching water I will often stop and get some in a bag then eat it for lunch and dinner with additions.
Sometimes I have hot smooth porridge from a neighbor made with millet, ginger and other nice things. Sometimes I save that for dinner too. It is good with local peanuts which I can get by walking around since people are cracking them all day. Another yummy treat is KuliKuli- a large ring shaped crunchy snack made of pounded & fried peanut- each costing a penny and good with tea.
Though people cannot drink tea without bread which is very funny to me since I drink tea almost daily, whether it being morning chai with local honey & milk, afternoon lukewarm tea cooked by the local sun with sugar, or night tea- an herbal blend or mint if my stomach aches with Ghardia which comes and goes. Look it up. But don't worry, I take antibiotics- sometimes.
Total Dissolution
This is to all you Power Yogas out there (meaning Naomi) - we got this tape at a Thrift store for a $1 (there, not here). I transferred it to audio because it happens to be one of the best classes out there (I spent a month going to local free trials) so this week I have been stretching with the sun going down & sometimes BBC or the soccer match would accompany me- though I am not sure Tony would agree that's a power yoga move.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Guniea Worm Photos
TIME MAGAZINE ONLINE
www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1707059,00.html
by my talented (closest in distance) Peace Corps Buddy
www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1707059,00.html
by my talented (closest in distance) Peace Corps Buddy
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Tomorrow Is My Birthday - I will be A Quarter
Now is the time to write me that letter or email you always wanted or send me that Gatorade powder, mac & cheese powder (you can skip the noodles), duct tape, tea, fun, good paint/ brushes, dv tapes, 16mm short ends, 35mm film, or if you are feeling adventurous pizza and ice cream.
I am actually attempting to make ice cream right now, condensed & powdered milk, sugar & cocoa. We'll see...
Tomorrow My plans are dressing like a present, a Wedding, African Cup of Nations game & much much more.
I am actually attempting to make ice cream right now, condensed & powdered milk, sugar & cocoa. We'll see...
Tomorrow My plans are dressing like a present, a Wedding, African Cup of Nations game & much much more.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Fire Fire Everywhere
Like a parade, like a dance, like setting everything on fire. It is a holiday to remember the dead and an old story of a chief's small son who got lost so the village went to search for him with torches. They found him by a big tree so in the reenactment the torches are flown through the air onto the live (therefore indestructible) tree. It can be quite dangerous but I had a boom mic bodyguard and I got to witness 5 villages of them over two nights and taped them all from different angles. I somehow do not have my battery charger with me so editing later.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Sea Ride
The Lorry (trotro) I take between Tamale and my village goes on a road that looks as I would imagine the ground of the sea. It is wavy, bumpy, carpeted with red dirt, holey, and I get sea sick. There are holes in the bottom and to start it they pinch wires. I took a picture got it developed and hung it up.
Swing!
Me and my new partner in crime built it. We chopped three tall trees, stuck two deep in the ground and the other across - some rope and a broken desk chair later a glorious swing! It is the beginning, the beginning of an acrobatic playground. I have high hopes, a trapeze? Parallel bars? Balance beams? I think so.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The Famous Village
When I tell people in Tamale where I live many exclaim - oh! Something happened there once. I have heard different stories, the government came with a tank to break up some kind of civil dispute but the people attacked them and the troops fled and left the tank, the government gave them a bus that they didn't want so they set it on fire, and a horse ran up a baobab tree and left hoof prints that are still there.
I asked a trusted fellow from my village to explain, he did and it was long and complicated involving chiefs and tribes, and indeed some kind of civil war where more than 40 important people got shot about 10 years ago. Mr. Superstar Alidu, the guy I work with often and is a superstar cause he is awesome had one of his eyes shot out in the war and will give me a detailed account at a later time. And that tree fell down a couple years ago.
I asked a trusted fellow from my village to explain, he did and it was long and complicated involving chiefs and tribes, and indeed some kind of civil war where more than 40 important people got shot about 10 years ago. Mr. Superstar Alidu, the guy I work with often and is a superstar cause he is awesome had one of his eyes shot out in the war and will give me a detailed account at a later time. And that tree fell down a couple years ago.
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