Africa Vision 46

Africa Vision 46

February 3, 2008

Battle is on?

There is no way to predict where I will be in 12 hours!
Cameroon, Chad, France or as I hope India.

It is unclear who has won the battle.
It is unclear if the battle is over.

Choppers have been flying all night.
Morning dawn greets with some light gunfire.

What will happen to Chad?
Is the perpetual cycle of violence going to stop?

Will the world open its eyes to ruthless exploitation by the few?
Or is it Britney goes bonkers as usual.

Balance the edge.
Be free.

Today or tomorrow I will be ok.
Wish I could say the same of our Chadian friends.

They will have to endure ongoing violence.
As they have been for o so long.

Host to 250000 refugees without a sigh.
And that one of the poorest countries of the world.

Hospitality often claimed to be a Western virtue.
It is here we can learn.

Today my Chadian friends are joking about the gunfire.
What else to do?

They have been hearing it for so long
And then the staff here in the Meridian

Not a heartbeat
Room service during a rocket attack

Holosync your way through the bombs
Focus on peace.

Young boys out on the street fighting for a slice of the cake.
Warlord or new president?

Will the old prevail we shall see.
Rumors flying thick and fast.

The boss is still in power.
His troops are on the way from East and South.

His troops have been intercepted.
They do not want to fight anymore.

I am grateful today.
The staff of Meridian, the French troops.

Sure I will be in the USA to talk about the plight of people in this part of the world.
They all deserve so much better.

My friends of World Abundance and www.stopgenocidenow.org
Are posting, history in the making.

Let us pray
And give peace a chance

Om shanti,

Ashis

Africa Vision 45

Africa Vision 45

February 2, 2008

Rebels in N’Djamena

The president of Chad is under heavy pressure. As I write the heavy artillery pounding has stopped for some minutes. The gunshots are still ringing in my ears. President Idris Itno Deby is fighting for his life. Maybe as of today he will be enjoying his collected millions in France. That is if the rebels let him escape. After a one-week journey through the Chadian outback and a clash yesterday 50 kilometers outside of N’Djamena the rebels have taken the upper hand. Next on the agenda will be the looting that happens in moments of transition.

It has been hectic today. Rebels shelling the presidential palace only 30 minutes ago. It is about 1 kilometer away from hotel Meridian where I have taken up shelter.

How does it feel to hear bullets zing by?

Trembling due to grenades hitting hard.

Tank rolling and helicopters in the sky?

See and smell mortar’s shard.

There was a song in my head or actually several.
Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
I will survive by Cake
Don’t worry about a thing by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

You live the moment.

1. Discuss with an Ivorian professor who teaches in San Francisco the economical history of Africa. Banter on the pros and cons of the nation state in Africa. How Africa’s nations nearly all young are doing remarkably well in some ways

2. Discuss with an Arabic gum trader his experiences of the embargo of trade with North Sudan, the revolution in Chad and the uprising in Kenya. All this in the last weeks

3. You meditate for peace.

4. Shell out hugs

5. Share French fries.

6. Have dinner with 9 people from all over the world and discuss Celine Dion, world abundance, African coups, Churchill, American presidential elections and million things more during a French cheese gourmet dinner. Joking about a coup that seemingly failed.

Today is the moment of bliss. The moment to rejoice. Be alive. No way the end is near.

I contemplated on going to the hospital, as there are hundreds of wounded soldiers there. But there has been no opportunity for transport and it would be silly to risk being attacked by rebels, stray bullets, stray dogs and bombarding to aid the needy.

Waiting for the sun and praying for peace.

Namaskar,

Ashis

Africa Vision 44

Africa Vision 44

January 28, 2008

Boubous in Dougia.

Dusty lanes with happy kids playing football. A quiet forest and then the Chari River flowing majestically towards Lake Chad. It is the same river that passes through N’Djamena upstream. He area is known for hunting, fishing and artisan work. I think I am here on the right day to see the market, as it is a Monday. Dougia is a resort Chadian style with Fawlty Tower like service. But why worry when there are peacocks and boubous around?

The boubous are blue buttocks langur like monkeys. Observing them reminds me much of humans. After all in every group of humans there are some loud mouths crying for attention. With posturing and screeches the attention of the leader is asked. Seeking his acknowledgement is what it is about. Submissive behavior a plenty and so is the flea-ing or grooming. After a conflict or to avoid one huge amounts of time are spent grooming one and other.

I can see within the colony carbon copies of our world leaders and regional leaders. Too bad it is an insult to the friendly monkeys. They at least live in a more or less peaceful harmony without mass destruction. They even deal with the naked ape very well. When humans come with their flashlights and cameras they pose as professional photo models for the cameras. Be it one or twenty. The nuts are happily munched and a swim in the pool is demonstrated when the people are really nice.

This Dougia is a really calm place. The peacocks have taken driving lessons and are now qualified to ride a motorbike. Although the male peacock still has some problems keeping his feathered tail out of the wheel.

So as the scenery shows its tranquility the mind gets to ponder. Even the 20 hunters cannot disturb the soothing scene. Why do I like Africa so much? What part of my skills and knowledge will I be able to sell so I remain free to write, travel, work, do lecture tours, teach, film, network and treat patients?

I shall have to convince the people that I am made for teaching public health and infectious disease in Africa. And that by developing curricula for those topics at the Universities in Chad and South Sudan a sustainable change is made. As I walked around the medical faculty in N’Djamena one day later I realized once again how tough it is to teach and learn in such a deprived area. The next entry may touch that reality and describe the things I am planning to do over the next couple of months in Chad, the USA and hopefully South Sudan. Until then remember that the monkeys and peacocks showed the way. Live your life in bliss. Play and be. Fool your fellow humans in an affectionate way. Indulge them with photo-ops


Namaskar,

Ashis

Africa Vision 43

Africa Vision 43

November 26, 2008

Herons

A gentleman came up to me outside the office today. Being the Boy Scout I can be on better moments I decided to listen to his story. In fact if I got it straight he plunged into a sale s pitch on an investment in fruit trees not far from N’Djamena. If I was to believe him with a little primary investment of 5.000.000 CFA and a yearly addition of 50.000 for permits only I would be set up to make a killing in 5 years time. Yes as he argued that is the time it takes for the trees to come to the fruit bearing age. I pondered and counted on my fingers. Never leaving his eyes. And with a mischievous hint I asked him how even a man with a belly like mine would be capable of eating 10000 dollars worth of fruit. And all the more important how about my hunger for fruits now. How to satisfy the imminent needs? I cannot be asked to think about the future. Now, now yelps the stomach.

A sign of disbelieve in the eyes of my salesmen. But I was not ready yet. As I was actually out in the courtyard observing the herons building nests I asked him about his knowledge of these lovely birds. An so I got a ten minute lecture on their nesting behavior, feeding patterns, eternal fidelity and why they would only nest in certain trees. After this expose I asked the gentleman if he got to know anything about me. He answered me yes I learnt about your character. So I asked him what about it? Is it good or is it bad? Well good for you. It was the best answer possible given the jester he was talking with. By now the poor man was looking at his watch and was starting to sweat profusely. I decided to let the poor man escape with some obligatory non-wisdoms about the interest of Indians in short term projects only and in birds in specific. Without running he scuffled away leaving me enriched in knowledge on the local herons.

Later that day my friend police inspector Pap swung by on his Harley. Lucky for me I only ate one cake and had one left to receive him. Friends and services work very sly here. He told me of my robber who is now working as a police informer, in fact I have seen him around the street and he was eating outside the Senegalese restaurant today. Small gifts are always appreciated and so my friend was fishing for the modem so he could hook up his laptop to the Internet. He always has great stories to tell. Today we discussed his views on the potential of criminals to revert to normal behavior. He believes that some can but that those that keep repeated crimes must be punished in the harshest way possible.

The story of the way was about embezzlement in the beer brewery in N’Djamena. Some gang was siphoning of beer of the production line with the knowledge of several key people. So some people are caught chucked in jail and depending on their political cover they are out in a day or stay in for several years.

My friend Pap was naturally asked to provide his wisdom on the herons. I asked him why birds seem to be so peaceful as compare to humans and if we cannot learn a lot from them. Well Pap said:” There is only a little battle between them and they may be more happy because unlike humans who think too much, they just live and happily survive”

So perhaps in a next life return as a bird I quipped.

Perhaps indeed.

Namaskar,

Ashis