Video

Les Enfants de Bamako

by phil October 20, 2010 Mali

This post is automated. I scheduled a few before I left Bamako. While you read this I may be looking at the world’s largest mud mosque. More likely, I am sweating it out in a bush taxi, resting my feet on a goat, listening to Sekouba Traore. The paperwork for my numerous planned adoptions will [...]

Keep Reading →

The Only Reason You Need to Travel to Mali

by phil October 15, 2010 Mali

When two Malians meet for the first time, they greet and introduce themselves. Then they insult each other. In this way, Mali has avoided Civil War for centuries. The insults are based on family names and they are mostly hilarious. When a Keita meets a Coulibaly, the conversation might go something like this: Keita (family [...]

Keep Reading →

New Country, New Sim Card: Getting my Feet Dusty in Bamako

by phil October 5, 2010 Camel Drawing

What’s cooking in the oven of Bamako? Humans, donkeys, and dust. The uniform color and the 10 million motos remind me of Ouaga, but Ouaga’s got nothing on the Niger River, or Bambara, a language so smooth you’ll feel like you’re on ice skates. Only there’s no ice and you’re actually in a furnace. Sometimes [...]

Keep Reading →

33 Hours: Abidjan to Bamako Overland

by phil September 29, 2010 Cote D'Ivoire

1,200 km separate Abidjan and Bamako. Given the nonsense that goes on with overland travel in Africa, this journey was practically interstellar. In the station, veiled Mauritanian women, bearded men reading the Koran, children adorned with beads in their hair. Most passengers speaking bambara and generally in good spirits. The boarding process had many qualities [...]

Keep Reading →

How Much Sand Have I Been Eating? Do Ghanaian Children Like Thomas Merton?

by phil August 25, 2010 Ghana

It has been raining a lot. Good weather for the Muslim population (who wants to fast in the equatorial sun?). Bad weather for general public health. The gutters, choked with trash, have been overflowing, and more than once I’ve had to walk through waste water a few inches deep. This I do not like. I [...]

Keep Reading →

Short Movie on Family of Women who Sell Porridge

by phil August 12, 2010 Documentary

This is a documentary on a family of women who sell porridge. There were a few setbacks in making it – many of them came from my poor film-making abilities. The family was also very camera shy. They were most comfortable speaking Twi during the Q&A portion, so we did our best with the subtitles. [...]

Keep Reading →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →