January 2012

Interview with Juliet Bawuah on Ghana Football and the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

by phil January 27, 2012 N. Africa
Ghana Black Stars

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations is underway. I’m in Bamako where dusty roadside TVs are being co-opted by crowds eager to see Mali advance. This is Africa’s largest tournament and whether or not you care about the sport, it’s hard not to appreciate the atmosphere. I have been supporting Ghana since I studied abroad [...]

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Brief Recap of 2012 Festival in the Desert

by phil January 19, 2012 Mali

I’ll have a more substantial post up in the next week. For now.. As of two weeks ago, I didn’t know whether or not I would be attending festival in the desert. Security concerns and cost weighed heavily. But a week or so before the festival, I found myself having some reassuring conversations. I was [...]

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Thoughts and Photos from Abidjan a Year After Elections and my First Visit

by phil January 5, 2012 Cote D'Ivoire
Thumbnail image for Thoughts and Photos from Abidjan a Year After Elections and my First Visit

1. In this part of the Yopougon neighborhood of Abidjan, a row of houses backs up to a sandy tree-filled corridor where you’ll find 4 twenty-something Ivorians playing monopoly. The properties are all Parisian landmarks. Gare de Lyon costs $125 in monopoly money. In the same corridor, you will find small roadside bars and barbershops, [...]

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