Life

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I am sitting on my porch at the moment, enjoying the breeze and a book, and watching Senegal Fire Finches and Green-Throated Sunbirds. The sunbirds are so glossy, iridescent, and like to fly between the neem trees and the trees I think are called Luceana. The finches’ movements remind me of watching myself dance in a strobe light, how in that fraction of darkness, I miss a part of my dance move. Watching the finches is similar to that; blip, blip, blip, like they are too fast for my eye to catch all of the movement.
Doves are trash birds, even in Africa. And Common Garden Bulbuls are as un-interesting as their name. Except for the “Bulbul” part, which, along with the fact that one is most likely in Africa to see the bird, saves its ornithological integrity. But really, they are two species of birds that aren’t that exciting.

“...how the women working the field will stand up one after another, unwrap the pagne of bright cloth tied under their breasts, stretch it out wide before retying. They resemble flocks of butterflies opening and closing their wings.” (The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver.)
There is a sense of life here that thrives with obvious vibrancy. I feel it in the rhythm in the drumbeat and in the dance, and see the joy in people’s faces as they clap and sing and dance acbadja. There is no slow-dance music as I know it, and five-minute long songs are put on repeat.
The beautiful tissue is as much a sign of life as the music. Rarely is there a solid color, only if one chooses to wear western clothes. To really dress up, the best choice is full-out tissue, for men and women, and if the event is worth it, women put matching tissue on their head; the event is always worth it. And the tissue is beautiful; no matter the color, no matter how bizarre the pattern, someone is capable of making it look good.
When not dressing up, matching colors and patterns are not too important. Like stripes? Like florals? Why not wear them together? More color! More patterns! Even with the music, the idea seems to be that if you like modern music and traditional music and fanfare, why not have all three playing?
More than in clothes and music, love of life is evident in the reception of babies. Pregnancies aren’t spoken of too much, just in case something happens and everyone is disappointed. But a baby, oh! A baby! Everyone loves a baby. And the child is immediately attached to its mother, by pagne or by breast, and stays there for about two years. What an amazing connection between a mother and child.
But children aren’t coddled. I see how tough these toddlers are and laugh at all the times I was told, “Careful of the head! Don’t pick kids up by the arms and swing them, their shoulders can’t take that.” One of the first things a child learns, other than how to eat pate (or is that instinctive?) is that crying doesn’t help. Crying works for babies, but being able to walk equals all attempts at not crying.
There are abortions here, but very seldom. Death, which is a part of life, is easy enough to come by. Meaning that at some point, life or death may be in question, but life wins the overwhelming majority. And the loss of life is always mourned.
I was asked by another American, non-Peace Corps Volunteer, what was my favorite thing about Africa. I really didn’t know how to answer. The first thought that came into my head was that I could not put into words the love I have for Africa and all I know of her. Similarly to my family, how I don’t know what it is I really love about them, they’re just my family and who I know and love, as this is what I know and love of Africa. I don’t know everything, but so far I like what I do know. So I said I loved how much life was in everything, everywhere. The music, the color, the dance, the language… And the birds, I do like the birds.

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Photos

Elisabeth et Moi
Oh, she is so cute. And smart. She with Imelda almost equal my mother.

Baby
Flora, the mother, is the president of the women's group in Sazue. She has a beautiful baby girl, usually quite calm.

Lillies
I don't know what kind of lillies these are, other than the pretty kind. They sprouted fast and are already gone.

Comments

[nancy Jo]

on your way...
yep! your on your way! A beautiful travelblog I must say. If you aren't destined to be an author I hear that you are interested in opening a restaurant in Montana. jimmy sent me an email today! haha. Hope you are well, and i read all three new blogs:).