Stuff really happens when I want to restart my blog after a rather long break. Having typed up some 'beautiful' prose, I accidentally delete it all. But I will soldier on. In the words of the song - "I have decided to ..., no turning back, no turning back"
The only reason why I am back at it today is due to Folasade's yabs. While I might hate to admit it, any other explanation will amount to an untruth.
These are her exact words - " what are you going to do with all these things you are reading"? And over these past months, the end of my academic pursuit hasn’t doused the need to feed my eyes and mind with pages of ink on paper. So much was the craving that I’ve had to go join a library to take the place of my expired student library card. While Folasade’s question might have a hint of altruism to it, I notice that the fervour with which she voices it increase whenever I make the mistake of using any of my books, magazines or newspapers to ‘disorganize’ the tidy arrangement that her room usually is.
So what have I been reading and more importantly, what I have learned that might be useful for sharing?
A quick look into my bag reveal these titles that I’m pouring through at the moment.
In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz (An insightful book on Congo)– Micheala Wrong
The Trouble with Africa – Why Foreign Aid Isn’t Working – Robert Calderisi
Here’s an excerpt that caught my eye this morning from Calderisi’s book. In it he quoted an Ivorian journalist who said
“This continent is really cursed. We may even have to accept that Africans are a bad copy of the human race. We always make ourselves look ridiculous in the eyes of others. What have we done for our Creator to have poured such uncompleted beings into these green spaces. We can only wait for evolution to change us. Until then, all we can do is cry…”
Now before the comments start rolling in accusing me of sharing his sentiments. I make it clear that I don’t. In the midst of the gloom, there is also hope. But he only seems to echo the anger and frustration that many from Cairo to Cape Town face. One of such was this angry post I read on Funmi Iyanda’s blog after her encounter with Lagos Police.
"Policeman: where are you coming from?
FI: work, we just dropped off a friend and are going home.
Policeman: So why you dress like this?
Bose and FI: like how?
Policeman: (shouting and waving a copy of PM News) una no hear wetin Fashola (gov of Lagos) talk abi? Una no hear?
FI: (keeping tight rein of rising bile and anger) hear wetin?
Policeman: (jabbing his finger at us and spitting the words out with disgust) na so una suppose dress, why you dress like this?
FI: what do you mean? This woman here is a doctor, a mother and wife, this is her husband.
Policeman: If na married woman why she no dey her house, all these useless women! "
She concludes
The only reason why I am back at it today is due to Folasade's yabs. While I might hate to admit it, any other explanation will amount to an untruth.
These are her exact words - " what are you going to do with all these things you are reading"? And over these past months, the end of my academic pursuit hasn’t doused the need to feed my eyes and mind with pages of ink on paper. So much was the craving that I’ve had to go join a library to take the place of my expired student library card. While Folasade’s question might have a hint of altruism to it, I notice that the fervour with which she voices it increase whenever I make the mistake of using any of my books, magazines or newspapers to ‘disorganize’ the tidy arrangement that her room usually is.
So what have I been reading and more importantly, what I have learned that might be useful for sharing?
A quick look into my bag reveal these titles that I’m pouring through at the moment.
In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz (An insightful book on Congo)– Micheala Wrong
The Trouble with Africa – Why Foreign Aid Isn’t Working – Robert Calderisi
Here’s an excerpt that caught my eye this morning from Calderisi’s book. In it he quoted an Ivorian journalist who said
“This continent is really cursed. We may even have to accept that Africans are a bad copy of the human race. We always make ourselves look ridiculous in the eyes of others. What have we done for our Creator to have poured such uncompleted beings into these green spaces. We can only wait for evolution to change us. Until then, all we can do is cry…”
Now before the comments start rolling in accusing me of sharing his sentiments. I make it clear that I don’t. In the midst of the gloom, there is also hope. But he only seems to echo the anger and frustration that many from Cairo to Cape Town face. One of such was this angry post I read on Funmi Iyanda’s blog after her encounter with Lagos Police.
"Policeman: where are you coming from?
FI: work, we just dropped off a friend and are going home.
Policeman: So why you dress like this?
Bose and FI: like how?
Policeman: (shouting and waving a copy of PM News) una no hear wetin Fashola (gov of Lagos) talk abi? Una no hear?
FI: (keeping tight rein of rising bile and anger) hear wetin?
Policeman: (jabbing his finger at us and spitting the words out with disgust) na so una suppose dress, why you dress like this?
FI: what do you mean? This woman here is a doctor, a mother and wife, this is her husband.
Policeman: If na married woman why she no dey her house, all these useless women! "
She concludes
"…I didn't sleep that night nursing my injured dignity and wondering if l wasn't doing my daughter injustice by raising her in a society that so denigrate women. One where a policeman is resentful of the educated and hateful towards women".
That Journalist’s question and the answer to it will bring me to my next point…tommorow. Before I go, The photograph is of Residents scooping fuel from a fallen tanker at Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria yesterday morning. PHOTO Credit: EMMA OSO, TheNewsng.com
This blog has returned!
That Journalist’s question and the answer to it will bring me to my next point…tommorow. Before I go, The photograph is of Residents scooping fuel from a fallen tanker at Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria yesterday morning. PHOTO Credit: EMMA OSO, TheNewsng.com
This blog has returned!
