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December 26, 2007
Christmas
Well, all the ca-va-aller-sayers were right, as it turned out. Charlie didn't make it in time for the Christmas Eve feast in Djibo, but we were reunited in Ouaga on the afternoon of Christmas Day. She's fine, even after her unwanted three-day sejour in Lomé. Funny, exactly five years ago I had a similarly unexpected Christmas experience.
Anyway, I made it up to Djibo for the Christmas Eve feast and it went really well. There were lots of people. There was singing. There was drumming. There were prawn crackers. There was rice and chicken. And there was an announcement of some very good news.
Posted by sahelsteve at 06:12 PM
December 23, 2007
Free Rice
 | 'What if just knowing what a word meant could help feed hungry people around the world? Well, at Free Rice it does.' (Washington Post) I just came across the Free Rice website (thanks, Africakid). It's worth a look if you like words or want to help the World Food Programme |
Posted by sahelsteve at 09:17 PM
Ca va aller
Charlie was not on the flight from England last night. Her flight was overbooked and she got bumped off.
Bumped off to Togo, to be precise, where she is living in a guest-house with sixteen other Afriqiyah refugees. She's okay, but says there is no flight to Burkina today.
I have to go up to Djibo tomorrow cos I'm preaching at the Christmas do in the evening. Looks like we'll be spending our first Christmas apart, until Christmas Day afternoon (at best).
When I tell people here, this is what they say: 'Si il y a la sante seulement, ca va aller!' While there's still health, everything will be all right.
'Ca va aller!' Reminds me of Lieutenant John's story about the snake in the tree:
A man climbed a tree to pinch the eggs from a bird's nest, and when he put his hand in, he found there was a snake there. The man grabbed the head of the snake to hold its mouth shut, but it wrapped itself tightly round his arm and started to squeeze. The man's friend was waiting at the bottom of the tree, and when he saw what was happening he scratched his chin and said, 'Ca va aller.'
I probably won't be able to post anything between now and Christmas, so I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a VERY HAPPY one. Alla hokku jam.
Posted by sahelsteve at 02:17 PM
December 20, 2007
Yellowcake Conspiracy announcement
Had a bit of good news today. Andersen Press have just sold 'world educational rights' in The Yellowcake Conspiracy. Apparently this means that the Fulani spy Diallo Haroun could soon be coming to a classroom near you. But not literally, of course.
Note for teachers: The special editions are to be published by Pearson and will contain lots of footnotes and irritating end-of-chapter questions for use in class. You will also be sent a photocopiable teachers pack and CD.
Posted by sahelsteve at 07:03 PM
December 18, 2007
Mosque Climbing
Charlie is back in England for a wedding this week. So a big shout out to EMMA AND SIMON who are getting married on Saturday. Congratulations! (And Charlie, please come back in time for Christmas!)
I'm staying in Ouaga to get some writing done while Charlie's away. These are the first writing days I've had since getting back to Africa, and I'm enjoying them very much. Finished the last tweaks to 'Sophie and the Pancake Plot' (hooray, hooray, the trilogy is complete) and resuming work now on 'Hacking Timbuktu' - the hacking/parkour/treasure hunting African adventure.
You know those mud-brick West African mosques with the sticks poking out of the minarets (the sticks serve as scaffolding for annual repairs)? Whenever I see one I think 'That would make a great location for a chase scene!' What I relief, I finally get the opportunity to write that scene. In fact, the book kicks off with it.
We had some visitors from New Zealand a couple years back - two fifty-something ladies - who talked about a time they climbed up onto the roof of one of the most famous mosques in Mali (Bankass) and preached from the top. Oh dear, not the most sensitive way to go about interfaith dialogue, but quite a striking image nonetheless. And needless to say, they attracted quite a crowd!
I know there is a current trend for Urban Exploration (examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of human civilization) in Europe and the States. Anyone out there ever shinned up a minaret? Or, for that matter, a steeple?
Posted by sahelsteve at 03:06 PM
December 10, 2007
preparing to celebrate Christmas among the Fulani of Burkina Faso
Duroowo yari yarnaay, domka muudum heddi.
If a shepherd drinks but does not water his animals, his thirst remains.
Christmas in Djibo is all about sharing the news of Christ's birth with people who have never heard it. Charlie and I have spent the last few mornings telling and retelling the nativity story to groups of wide-eyed children (and one wide-eyed goat) here in our yard, and giving our neighbours invitations to a Christmas eve feast. It's going to be quite an occasion: 300 guests, 50kg of rice, 50 chickens and a festive smattering of shepherds, stars, camels and donkeys.
Back in September I did a book interview on BBC Radio York (Jonathan Cowap's lunchtime show) which took a turn for the surreal when I was asked to preach the gospel in Fulfulde to the people of Yorkshire. I did enjoy that but nothing quite beats doing it here in Burkina amongst the Fulani. Hannden e ley wuro Daouda on ndimanaama kisinoowo, kam woni Almasiihu, Joomiraado. To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord! Hooray, hooray, al hamdilillalay! Have a dance and a chicken wing. Christ is born!
Pyjamas? Fruit bowls? Shoulder bags? Charlie has lots of ideas about possible directions for her women's craft project, and meanwhile her Fulfulde is coming on in leaps and bounds. She can now say 'Yesterday I washed the goat but today it is dirty again'. What is more, she can say it with a straight face, perfect inflexion and absolute truthfulness. Please do continue to pray for Charlie though - she feels (quite naturally) that her world has suddenly become a lot smaller, and that the process of cultural adaptation is not entirely straightforward.
Lots of exciting things coming up, including, in January, my parents' first visit to Djibo. They are fresh back from a trip to Mozambique where they travelled in bush taxis, ministered on rubbish dumps and slept with giant centipedes, so Burkina Faso should be a picnic. Please pray for them anyway.
Love as ever to you and your families. Have a very happy Christmas.