lundi 4 novembre 2013
N'Djamena Road
As I crews
along the sunny tarmac, being overtaken by all that I see and enjoying the
sandy side of life, I stop to contemplate why at the glance of my red moped, my
smooth white helmet and cool shades the ladies turn their heads and the boys
all stop in awe! Suffice to say, all this unwanted attention is perhaps due to
my unique moped. There is not one like it throughout town! Sporting a N'Djamena
road sticker accompanied by a black panther and hero one, it is needless to say
coveted and envied by all. It certainly puts on a remarkable show of
sophistication and grace as it turns the corners and sails down the straits
(yes sails!). Some even call it....la flèche rouge!
Umm, this I
thought until one day, one of my colleagues turned round to me and gave me a
similar account of vanity...it was only then that I thought the unimaginable:
-Is it coz I
is white?
So I thought
I would talk to you about the wonders of being white in an African country.
Even though there are a few rich Africans around town (one has a 4X4 porche
nearby), the white man is classified de facto as rich. Therefore I have
had my fair share of punctual demands! The difficulty is to decipher the reel
person in need from the liar or the thief. That is the bit when I say to
myself….-Is it coz I is white?
One amusing
fact around here is the older generations call us "nazaran's". This
comes from Nazareth because the whites are all brothers of Jesus! Thus we are
from Nazareth (it's all very tribal). This is even more amusing when you
consider that no one knows where the name comes from or what it means. Another
amusing fact especially out in the "brousse" (outback) is that
all the white people are fathers and sisters! So the sister could be swinging
her hips around the bar or the father spending all his time building buildings,
this is never put into question!
Health:
There is
something positive to cheer about when being ill around here; it is that one
gets to see people and places! Therefore after getting frustrated last month
with recurring health problems I decided to go to the army base (the French
one) where a free health service is provided. This is one of the very positive
things the French army gets up to around here. Surgery and sophisticated
equipment for analysis's are the reason one might go there (apart from the fact
that it's free). I met up with a Dr colonel (I didn't know medical staff were
ranked in the army) and after a check up, nothing serious to
report...adaptation. I then met the religious army team; there is a catholic
priest, a pastor and even an imam (there are a few muslims in the ranks). To my
surprise the catholic priest is Polish. He was a refugee to France from the
communist era.
Anyway I
have been quite tranquil of late with my health!
Sunday mass:
It's nine
o'clock on Sunday morning and motorbikes start flooding in the sandy courtyard
where a carefully set out car park is taken care of in order to maintain…well
order!
The faithful
turn up wearing their finest attire; suits, boubou, shinny shoes for the
men and dresses of all colors (sometimes more like evening dresses), heals and
fancy haircuts for the ladies when not covered up in an equally extravagant manner.
Style is essential around here and it's great to see.
As some of
you know religion is omnipresent around these parts and people actually give a
cult back to God ;) in their masses! The church is packed every Sunday and it
is all very well organized! There is a church band: drums, guitars and a pretty
cool fancy choir who bop along to the rhythm (think gospel choir). It is the chic
parish so the sound equipment is good. The music is a mixture of mo-town and
Caribbean reggae under the coconut trees. They occasionally sing out of tune
but life goes on. On top of that some of the sermons are pretty interesting.
One difference to the service in Europe is that the offertory is danced.
Children dance their way to the altar with the money and some more bring the
bread and wine. This is all carefully choreographed. And all of that lasts an
average of two hours!
Bakara
Bakara is a
village just outside town where the seminary is. There are two seminaries in
Chad, one here and another down south. A couple of weeks ago, took place the
ordinations of twelve deacons (that’s the one before priesthood). The seminary,
being outside of town and in the country, is surrounded by trees in the shade.
The service therefore took place outside under the trees; a natural cathedral I
thought? The bishop was a Spanish missionary. The church being very young, is
only at its first native bishops therefore there are still a few foreign ones
around including this one.
The seminarists, looking very classy in their white soutanes and black
belts, had a stylish little choir going with a drum kit and a couple of
electric guitars. The service went on as usual: the various rituals, the
Eucharist and the speeches when at the very end something rather different and
unexpected happened:
Now in
Europe, it is a custom to give a gift to the newly ordained discreetly after
the service (on the big table where people are having drinks nearby). But over
here things take a different proportion: Music starts, everybody gets in line
down the middle (really everybody) and I am standing on the receiving end being
part of a chain (about 6 or 7 of us) to put the gifts away; sort of pass the
passel. The presents then start flooding in, but not what you might expect i.e.
books, ecclesiastical garments or some other fancy thing… No! On came some
eggs, soap, nuts, water,…then came a few wrapped presents (there was a book in
there to my relief!), money (always useful)…all of this whilst I was passing on
down the chain. I then found myself with a couple of pigeons in my hands (still
alive!) then came a couple of hens (still alive!) and then one chap decided it
would be a good idea to give a goat (still alive!)! So I found myself with a
goat in my hands! All of these carried upside down by their feet like bounty. So
you see, over hear people give what they can and they give essentials. Stuff
like bottled water is a luxury and makes a present.
We then had
a good meal with some nice cold drinks!
N'Djamena:
About
N'Djamena: The president has decided now that the petrol dollars are coming in,
that he is to build "la vitrine de l'Afrique" (sort of show
room town for Africa). The town therefore resembles a huge building site. There
isn't one corner of town where there isn't some big project going on. I
mentioned the restoration of the old cathedral. It has been decided that a huge
basilica will be built as well as big government buildings. Roads and bridges
are popping up, companies and countries are investing. Qatar will be splashing
out its own petrol dollars on a future 5 star hotel and a dozen dispensaries.
So there you
have it, The country is slowly getting somewhere providing there aren't any
wars or power struggles in the near future which isn't guaranteed. Other than
that it's hot and sandy.
Work at the
centre:
So how are
my first weeks of teaching going...well rather good: French and English is good
fun (there very happy to hear real english) and the kids are generally well
behaved. Philosophy is a bit of a challenge considering they don't have the
texts on hand. There program is thematic and reading just bits of authors is
not very constructive…We shall see. I am also doing a bit of history (obviously
this is all about the slave trade and at the moment the segregation problem in
the states).
I had my
first muslim holiday this month when they celebrate Aïd or Tabaskie
as it is called here. They all slaughter a sheep to remember Abraham's offering
(or something like that).
We had the
big yearly party at the parish last week-end when sister M celebrated her
jubilee. It Is quite an achievement to have spent 25 years around here and
forces respect. She gave a speech at the end of mass under the gazing eye of
the French ambassador. Many old students came round to salute her and said how
she was a mother figure to them. We then ate a sheep for lunch to celebrate.
(just in case you're wondering, we didn't slaughter it).
Basile &
the kitchen:
Last but not
least, I thought I would recount my little encounter that I had with Basile
last night. Basile is the chief rat in the kitchen (according to Disney rats
are always French; so Basile it is!). Now as I was scavenging for some
spaghetti at an unholy hour of the night and trying to operate my fabulously
authentic cooker with my torch and matches. I spotted over my head Basile who
was quietly on walk about on the kitchen window. It was then that I threw onto
him the spotlight of my torch and began to quietly converse with him:
"Oi you
cheeky little s*%t... get down from there!(excuse my French)
-I'm up here
and yurr downs zerrrr, and I will neverr get down haha! Said he,
-You tiny
little annoying...I'll show you the true meaning of ratatouille (sorry
not very original I know)!
He calmly
starred down onto me with his little round eyes in a squeaky little manner as I
tried to discern something to do…
I then
turned unto the cat who was miaouling at my feet and I said unto thee:
"-What
do you waiteth for?" I asked
The cat
stared right back at me with chicken in his eyes…
So I carried
on with my cooking and I ate my spaghetti...Basile stayed up on the window
until daylight knowing that time is ticking...
vendredi 1 novembre 2013
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