African Beauty.
Somehow listening to CMX on a train trip from Ouagadougou (the capital of Burkina) to Bobo-Dioulasso (the second city in Burkina) inspires me to write about Africa. To make huge generalizations, too - so consider yourself to be warned! However, my observations are based mostly on Benin & Togo, a bit less on Burkina.
I can't deny it: people are extraordinarily beautiful, especially children. I might just do Madonna/Angelina Jolie one day..! Growing up children also seems a lot less complicated here: until a certain age you carry them on your back, then just let then loose. However, teaching good manners and obedience is of uttermost importance: something that most European (or at least Finnish) kids have never even heard of...and although at first sight one might think that children are somehow neglected, that is not the case. Newborn babies are being taken care of according to strict customs: how to wash them, how to give them "natural protection" (someone might call that witchcraft), how to dress and make them beautiful. Almost as soon as a baby leaves mother's womb, s/he will be decorated with jewellery, such as earrings and waist pearls.
And at least until now even in the most modernized families the transmitting of traditions and customs is regarded as a necessity - also a thing pretty much forgotten in Western countries. Knowing where you come from and what is your culture. I saw a Senoufo (Burkinabe ethnic group) proverb today in the museum of music in Bobo: "If you don't know where you're going, return back in order to know where you come from". It was in Benin that I finally grabbed Kalevala, Kanteletar, a book of Finnish proverbs and several general books on Finland to read. It was in Benin that I sang Satumaa with tears in my eyes and Finlandia with a diskokomppi (don't know how to translate that...). I have to say that I feel sorry for those who can't or don't want to stay longer than a week or two in Africa, because that time is terribly insufficient for learning anything.
I can't deny it: people are extraordinarily beautiful, especially children. I might just do Madonna/Angelina Jolie one day..! Growing up children also seems a lot less complicated here: until a certain age you carry them on your back, then just let then loose. However, teaching good manners and obedience is of uttermost importance: something that most European (or at least Finnish) kids have never even heard of...and although at first sight one might think that children are somehow neglected, that is not the case. Newborn babies are being taken care of according to strict customs: how to wash them, how to give them "natural protection" (someone might call that witchcraft), how to dress and make them beautiful. Almost as soon as a baby leaves mother's womb, s/he will be decorated with jewellery, such as earrings and waist pearls.
And at least until now even in the most modernized families the transmitting of traditions and customs is regarded as a necessity - also a thing pretty much forgotten in Western countries. Knowing where you come from and what is your culture. I saw a Senoufo (Burkinabe ethnic group) proverb today in the museum of music in Bobo: "If you don't know where you're going, return back in order to know where you come from". It was in Benin that I finally grabbed Kalevala, Kanteletar, a book of Finnish proverbs and several general books on Finland to read. It was in Benin that I sang Satumaa with tears in my eyes and Finlandia with a diskokomppi (don't know how to translate that...). I have to say that I feel sorry for those who can't or don't want to stay longer than a week or two in Africa, because that time is terribly insufficient for learning anything.
It is funny: last night I read Georges Balandier's (famous political anthropologist) book "Afrique ambiguë", and although it has been written exactly 50 years ago, his experiences at that time still colonial Africa feel very familiar. It is also relieving to remark that the fears monsieur Balandier had about losing the traditions for modernity did not come true. The traditions are still here, especially strongly in the countryside. Often I have felt like being in the middle of an anthropological documentary! Preserving traditions doesn't mean, however, that life couldn't be modern at the same time. Although there are no McDonald's in whole West Africa, as far as I know (someone correct me if I'm wrong), last night I had a hamburger in a restaurant called "Happy Donald Hamburger Place". I also visited a new part of Ouaga, Ouaga 2000 today. It's a huge area with luxury houses for diplomats and other rich people. Very impressing architecture...and again, contrasting that with the round mud huts, which are still dominating the countryside.
Finally, the ultimate African beauty. There is one thing you notice while looking at the nature -
Finally, the ultimate African beauty. There is one thing you notice while looking at the nature -
bags. Black plastic bags. They are bloody everywhere! We gave them pretty quickly the name "African Beauty" (after the film "American Beauty", those who have seen it know what I'm talking about). Even in the middle of nowhere there are plastic bags littering the ground. I firmly wish that all African countries would adopt the example of Zanzibar (http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=61519) and forbid those damn bags: since they are very fragile, they break down after (or during) the first use - I didn't realize that I should've imported some sturdy Finnish plastic bags (actually rarities in European supermarkets, as well!).
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I suppose I can take co-credit for coining the this post's title phrase - at least I vividly remember looking at those torn pieces of useless black plastic twirling in the wind, to paraphrase, "begging me to play with them".
Be well, dear.