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November 30, 2008
An interesting review
'Supporting a racialized hierarchy' or 'empowering the child protagonist'? You decide!
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Posted by sahelsteve at 08:25 AM
November 20, 2008
Shining like Stars
'Njaynodon hono koode' (shine like stars) is Paul's encouragement to Christians to be good news in their various work and home and social settings - to reflect the light of Christ wherever they are. We have just started a three-day Fulani conference here in Djibo, exploring the various applications of this idea. Please pray that the conference goes well, that people get inspired by the Light of the World and that they reflect his light all over this very needy province. Thanks.
Tomorrow night we're borrowing a telescope and doing some star-gazing; a kind of extended visual aid!
Posted by sahelsteve at 09:46 PM
November 16, 2008
Dozens die in Burkina Faso bus crash
Tragic news about yesterday's bus crash in Burkina Faso west of Ouagadougou.
I do not know which bus company was involved, but the fact is that all the buses of Burkina Faso are death-traps, especially the ones which travel on unsurfaced roads. At this time of year the roads are terrible, having been damaged by three months of heavy rain. The road from Djibo to Ouaga should be declared impassable, but as long as there are people willing to risk the journey, you can be sure the buses will continue to career along it at breakneck speed.
Earlier this year I was driving from Ouaga to Djibo and was hit by an oncoming STAF bus. I say 'was hit by' because my (borrowed) truck was motionless at the time - I had seen its dust cloud way off in the distance and had pulled over to the side of the road to let it pass. The bus whizzed by at about 50 miles an hour, smashing my wing mirror and gouging the whole side of the truck. To the bus driver's credit, he did stop to check that we were all right, and the director of STAF did agree to pay for repairs. At the time, we were happy and relieved that no one was hurt. But others are not so fortunate - in the very same week as this accident, a STAF bus with faulty brakes ran over a young man near Djibo and killed him.
My point is basically this: these are not roads to drive fast on. Britain's Highway Code is understandably silent on the subject of post rainy-season corrugations (known affectionately here as 'washboard'), potholes, slews of sand, wandering herds of cows, flocks of sheep and (nuttiest of all) goats, but none of these hazards should be underestimated when travelling in Burkina Faso.
Poor bus drivers - they are contending with bad brakes, bald tyres and any number of mechanical faults on their clapped-out buses. But the fact remains, if you are driving a clapped-out bus, 'Inshallah' won't cut it. You should drive more slowly. Occasionally in Burkina Faso I do come across a bus driver who regulates his speed sensibly, and when we arrive at journey's end I make a point of thanking him and complimenting him on his driving.
What happened yesterday was tragic. When will the bus companies learn the lessons of these accidents?
Posted by sahelsteve at 11:52 AM
November 13, 2008
I want fifty
I have already written on the subject of people who have been strangled by their own turbans. Yesterday Hamma told me of an equally strange and unfortunate death which occurred in Djibo last market day. Hamma sells sheep in the animal market and is a good source of ovine current affairs.
Wednesday 5 November 2008. A man took his sheep to Djibo market. It was a fine ram and the man was hoping to make at least fifty thousand CFA ($100) on the sale.
A Fulani herder approached the man and said, 'I'll give you forty-five thousand CFA for your ram.'
'No,' replied the man. 'I want fifty.'
The herder went away.
A marabout approached and said, 'I'll give you forty-five thousand CFA for your ram.'
'No,' replied the man. 'I want fifty.'
The marabout went away.
A merchant approached and said,' I'll give you forty-five thousand CFA for your ram.'
'No,' said the man. 'I want fifty.'
The merchant went away.
No one was willing to buy the ram at fifty thousand CFA, so the man took it back home with him and tied it to one of the upright poles of his shade shelter. He noticed that the time was now two o'clock so he bowed down there and then to perform his sallifana prayers.
As the man straightened up for his third Allahu Akbar the ram flew at him and butted him savagely on the forehead, causing a haemorrhage. In the early hours of the morning, the man died in hospital.
Posted by sahelsteve at 12:22 PM
November 12, 2008
Kitten Conundrum
Charlie and I were talking just now about Chiiwel and Wiliwindu's habit of spending the first half of the night prowling about outside and the second half sleeping in our bed. 'It's not that I mind them joining us,' said Charlie. 'It's just that we have mosquito screening on our windows and doors as well as a mosquito net over the bed, and, well, they're cats…'
Posted by sahelsteve at 09:10 PM
November 08, 2008
Hacking Timbuktu is finally finished
This week I've been working on revisions to my new novel 'Hacking Timbuktu' and I'm happy to say I've finished it. The continuity errors have been stomped on and the unnecessary adjectives thrown in the Unnecessary Adjective Bin. All we need to do now is to find a graphic designer who can do the Arabic calligraphy on page 48. Hmmm.
I think it's lined up for September 2009, which seems an age away at the moment.
The next project I'm working on is Top Secret. That's because it's a half-baked idea that I'm not up for talking about yet, hehe, except to say that it's got something to do with Robin Hood...
Posted by sahelsteve at 06:36 PM
November 07, 2008
27 tips on how to write well
Found over at Confident Writing, a list of 27 tips for writing like Hemingway! I really like these tips. Some I 'get', some I don't. But all of it has the ring of truth.
#1 Start with the simplest things
#2 Boil it down
#3 Know what to leave out
#4 Write the tip of the ice-berg, leave the rest under the water
#5 Watch what happens today
#6 Write what you see
#7 Listen completely
#8 Write when there is something you know, and not before
#9 Look at words as if seeing them for the first time
#10 Use the most conventional punctuation you can
#11 Ditch the dictionary
#12 Distrust adjectives
#13 Learn to write a simple declarative sentence
#14 Tell a story in six words
#15 Write poetry into prose
#16 Read everything so you know what you need to beat
#17 Don’t try to beat Shakespeare
#18 Accept that writing is something you can never do as well as it can be done
#19 Go fishing in summer
#20 Don’t drink when you’re writing
#21 Finish what you start
#22 Don’t worry. You’ve written before and you will write again
#23 Forget posterity. Think only of writing truly
#24 Write as well as you can with no eye on the market
#25 Write clearly - and people will know if you are being true
#26 Just write the truest sentence that you know
#27 Remember that nobody really knows or understands the secret
Posted by sahelsteve at 03:24 PM
November 01, 2008
Spilling the Beans
Just to let you know that Charlie's October newsletter is now up.
Posted by sahelsteve at 11:05 PM
Knights of Akonio Dolo
If you're on Facebook and still haven't joined the group The Knights of Akonio Dolo, now would be a very good time to do so.
An important development is about to happen:
6 a.m. GMT Monday 3 November.
Be there!
Posted by sahelsteve at 05:23 PM
Yin Yang Kittens
I wasn't going to post this picture of Chiiwel and Wiliwindu, because it's far too soppy, but then oops I did:
