Truly the most comprehensive book on Africa I've ever read, The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by Martin Meredith, takes you through post-colonial African history in detail. It covers pretty much the whole continent. The unique thing about the book is its structure. It does not follow a single country or even a region, chronologically going through history. Instead it follows a sort of thematic structure, simultaneously looking at different places where similar or related events happened. While this can make the book confusing if you set it aside for a couple weeks and then jump back into it, it is also a real strength in helping the reader see historical events in their contemporary context. This is particularly important in a place where state boundaries are frequently arbitrary, not accurately reflecting geographic features or ethnic groupings. So I liked the book a lot, but it took me a couple months to slog through it!
The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari is a personal memoir of the experiences of a Darfur native working as a translator and guide for journalists and aid workers. I loved the storytelling tone of this book, his voice is consistently respectful and often humourous, even in the face of the atrocities happening in his homeland. It is this kind of story that gives a human perspective to the news articles. And speaking of news articles, the events in Darfur are of course on-going, and in something new under International Law, the ICC has just issued an arrest warrent against Sudan's current President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Clearly that will not solve the problem, indeed it may complicate the solving of the problem, but at least it adds some personal responsibility into the equation. Anyway, the book is a great read, like three days, no slogging required!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Reflections on Kenya, from Vietnam
Being in Kenya during President Obama’s inauguration was fascinating. Living in Vietnam, I am at times surprised by how much people here know about and follow US politics. At the same time, however, Vietnamese are perhaps uniquely qualified by their history to understand that whatever changes occur in current US politics will probably not impact their lives here today in any immediate or dramatic fashion. By contrast, Kenyans appear to be universally exuberant about the fact that Barack Obama, whose father’s village is someplace in the Kenyan countryside where they don’t have power at night (or at least not on inauguration night), is now US President. I probably saw advertisements for more Obama inauguration parties in Kenya than I have ever even heard of inauguration parties anywhere for all the other presidents that I remember being elected! His face shows up in random product advertisements and congratulatory cakes, and his name is plastered across more than a few Nairobi matatus. I was down at the coast on inauguration day, and should have fond memories of the event. Mostly because I was lazing in the swimming pool looking up through the coconut trees at the stars, meanwhile the hotel was projecting the festivities on a big outdoor screen to entertain the guests, in lieu of Masai Dancers.
One of the amusing things about going to Kenya was doing it from Vietnam. Picture me with any random person in Vietnam:
“I am going to visit my sister and her family next week.”
“Oh that’s nice.”
“They live in Africa.”
Puzzled look at me to double check my skin color
“Where?”
“Africa, I'll meet them in Kenya.”
Pause
“In Africa?”
“Yes, Kenya.”
Pause until end of conversation.
Then after I get to Kenya I keep trying to explain to people where I live, usually ending up saying ‘next to China.’ Everybody knows where China is, it’s where cheap motorbikes come from. Incidentally, they sell the same brands of Chinese motorbikes in Nairobi supermarkets that we have here in Vietnam. Upon leaving Kenya, one of the security guys at the Nairobi airport, who was very friendly, paid me some undeserved respect when I mentioned that I was going ‘home’ to Vietnam. He looked at me soberly, shook my hand firmly and said, “You’re a brave man, going to a place like that.” Obviously Hollywood has done a good job commemorating Vietnam - the war, which perhaps makes better selling movies than Vietnam the country!
In case anyone is confused, let me just say that my life here is pretty relaxed. I drink a lot of good coffee, read a lot of books, go to the beach fairly frequently and have rarely worked very hard. That to say, whether or not I happen to be a “brave man” has no bearing on my capacity to live in Vietnam!
One of the amusing things about going to Kenya was doing it from Vietnam. Picture me with any random person in Vietnam:
“I am going to visit my sister and her family next week.”
“Oh that’s nice.”
“They live in Africa.”
Puzzled look at me to double check my skin color
“Where?”
“Africa, I'll meet them in Kenya.”
Pause
“In Africa?”
“Yes, Kenya.”
Pause until end of conversation.
Then after I get to Kenya I keep trying to explain to people where I live, usually ending up saying ‘next to China.’ Everybody knows where China is, it’s where cheap motorbikes come from. Incidentally, they sell the same brands of Chinese motorbikes in Nairobi supermarkets that we have here in Vietnam. Upon leaving Kenya, one of the security guys at the Nairobi airport, who was very friendly, paid me some undeserved respect when I mentioned that I was going ‘home’ to Vietnam. He looked at me soberly, shook my hand firmly and said, “You’re a brave man, going to a place like that.” Obviously Hollywood has done a good job commemorating Vietnam - the war, which perhaps makes better selling movies than Vietnam the country!
In case anyone is confused, let me just say that my life here is pretty relaxed. I drink a lot of good coffee, read a lot of books, go to the beach fairly frequently and have rarely worked very hard. That to say, whether or not I happen to be a “brave man” has no bearing on my capacity to live in Vietnam!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Me Staying in One Place
Having returned from Kenya and been back in Ho Chi Minh City for a good four days now, I've been sort of reading the paper and, you know, thinking about going somewhere else... I mean really, shouldn't I take advantage of my current lack of work and make it an opportunity to go somewhere? It is a worn bit of logic that has taken me many places, I guess.
Given that state of mind, I was reading an article about Laos. Incidentally, about Bill Lair, who was the subject of a quite good book which I read long, long ago, called Shooting at the Moon: The Story of America's Clandestine War in Laos. Which was reminding me, not of war history and all that, but of the very fun time I had in Laos when I was there. So on that note, let me just announce to everybody that I'm still in Ho Chi Minh and I haven't gone anywhere else.
Yet.
A film I want to see: Pray the Devil Back to Hell. A documentary from Liberia under Charles Taylor. I won't say anything more about it cause that is really all I know. Just thought I'd say I want to see it, so if anybody has a chance to see it, do that and let me know if it's worth buying!
And speaking of films, just before I left for Kenya I saw a Vietnamese film that is truly worth seeing, Owl and the Sparrow. It is a bit sappy at times, the final scene leaves you in a saccharine haze obscuring the authenticity developed through the film, but that last scene stands out precisely because the rest of the film is so well done. The colors are vibrant, the filming is close and intimate. Which is a nice way of saying that it effectively captures the way life is in the middle of Saigon, claustrophobic and frenetic while, at the same time, strangely placid. Check it out!
Given that state of mind, I was reading an article about Laos. Incidentally, about Bill Lair, who was the subject of a quite good book which I read long, long ago, called Shooting at the Moon: The Story of America's Clandestine War in Laos. Which was reminding me, not of war history and all that, but of the very fun time I had in Laos when I was there. So on that note, let me just announce to everybody that I'm still in Ho Chi Minh and I haven't gone anywhere else.
Yet.
A film I want to see: Pray the Devil Back to Hell. A documentary from Liberia under Charles Taylor. I won't say anything more about it cause that is really all I know. Just thought I'd say I want to see it, so if anybody has a chance to see it, do that and let me know if it's worth buying!
And speaking of films, just before I left for Kenya I saw a Vietnamese film that is truly worth seeing, Owl and the Sparrow. It is a bit sappy at times, the final scene leaves you in a saccharine haze obscuring the authenticity developed through the film, but that last scene stands out precisely because the rest of the film is so well done. The colors are vibrant, the filming is close and intimate. Which is a nice way of saying that it effectively captures the way life is in the middle of Saigon, claustrophobic and frenetic while, at the same time, strangely placid. Check it out!
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Kenya Safari - Samburu
Nairobi to Samburu
This was the view from my porch immediately after I walked in to my room at the Serena Lodge
And these from the game drives in Samburu
This a Beisa Oryx, unique to Samburu Reserve
Gerenuk
Stripes
A cheetah sitting on a termite mound 'reading the menu'
Leopard posing very nicely
The Tale of Lion, Hairball and Buffalo
Buffalo, after all, is truly too ugly to be king, but he is big!
This rhino was at a "safari walk" at Nairobi National Park, not in the wild. And he wasn't very wild either, in fact he was sleeping soundly as far as I could tell.
The Rest...
Overlooking Samburu/Buffalo Springs
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