by phil | Jan 9, 2011 | Ghana
“So who is that guy?” I asked this of Harriet, who I had met through Rita, who I met through Couchsurfing. I was on the set of a movie, Harriet’s senior thesis, at the National Film and TV Institute of Ghana (NAFTI). “Oh he is the...
by phil | Dec 31, 2010 | Cote D'Ivoire, W. Africa
Let’s be clear about something: there could be a civil war in Cote d’Ivoire in the very near future. If it happens, it’s because the guy who lost the election, Laurent Gbagbo, refuses to step down. He has been in power for over ten years. Twice his...
by phil | Dec 3, 2010 | Mali, W. Africa
Where are the men? This is what I asked Fatima who I introduced myself to after she gave me a what-the-hell-are-you-doing-here look. I was under a promotional Ocean’s 13 tent at a wedding in Bamako. Fifty some women and me; George Clooney and Matt Damon looking...
by phil | Nov 26, 2010 | Camels, Morocco, Stories, W. Africa
The loose stool count is at 61. A conservative 61 due to negligent bookkeeping in Timbuktu. Also, pooping blood should probably count double. But let’s pretend it’s 61. My goal for the remainder of this trip? Keep it under 70. In Mali, Cote D’Ivoire,...
by phil | Nov 23, 2010 | Mali, W. Africa
Bambara is the most widely spoken language in Mali. It bears great similarity to Dioula, the trading language spoken in many parts of the Sahel, including Northern Cote D’Ivoire and parts of Burkina Faso and Niger. Bambara is uncomplicated on the surface. There...
by phil | Nov 19, 2010 | Mali, Morocco, Stories, W. Africa
This title is misleading. It hasn’t quite been five months, I’ve spent very few days alone, and if you read this blog, you are already inside my head in one way or another. More than anything, you’re inside my bowels. My efforts at transparency have...
