by phil | Apr 9, 2012 | Mali
Karate class at Palais de la Culture in Bamako For a bit of background on the political crisis in Mali, please see my last post. UPDATE: Yesterday, the details of the ECOWAS accord were released and they are not promising. Most notably, Sanogo is not going anywhere....
by phil | Mar 25, 2012 | Mali
Niger River sunset By now you know that a group of relatively young, low-ranking soldiers has taken control of Mali’s Presidential Palace and the state TV station ORTM. They also have control of the airport, which they have closed along with the land borders....
by phil | Mar 20, 2012 | Biz, Cote D'Ivoire
I have been self-employed for a year and a half or so. I quit my teaching job in June 2010 and bought a one way ticket to West Africa. I rode out my savings for six months, coming back to the states during the winter months and taking advantage of several free housing...
by phil | Mar 6, 2012 | Cote D'Ivoire
Rain animates the metal roofs and invites us to sleep. It is Abidjan’s only tranquilizer. The shops close, the coupe-decale stops playing, the potholes grow deeper. The morning after a night of rain, we carry our bodies to a shared taxi. Me, my former...
by phil | Mar 1, 2012 | Cote D'Ivoire
On the left, a toilet on the southern edge of Yamoussoukro in October 2010. On the right, the same toilet in March 2012. The wall has been sealed! (I realize the photo on the right looks far older.. right = iphone camera, left = canon s90). For real though, Cote...
