B. Mezgebu
19 March 2008
column
Mr. Claude Marthalir traveled by bicycle across Africa, south of the Sahara. He shared his experience with readers by means of a series of articles on the travel magazine, Travel Africa. Here, I have tried to recap very few of his observations hoping that they might apply here, too.
The nice aspects of African customs and traditions we are familiar with to one degree or another. In fact state media often speak about the good aspects to the point of overdoing it. So my highlights here tend towards the critical aspects.
Smuggling goes everywhere. Fuels are one, for instance. They come in all sorts of containers: Jerry cans, soda bottles. The author describes the phenomenon as "shortage compensated by excesses everywhere. Quality and reason are luxury when these stomach cries." What he meant was that there is fuel in excess in the major cities and towns, with shortages in peripheral areas prompting smuggling.
It is real bad at border towns. But it is almost prevalent elsewhere as well. Its name: shakedown. No doubt bribes speed up matters, as it stands. For a man who has to haul an overloaded bicycle at 35 degrees centigrade, the sooner the money changes hands, the better. However, Mr. Claude stood his ground and declined not to pay under the table. The consequence? Well, what followed is history.
But in Africa you don't have to be a boarder official to ask for money from a foreigner. Here is how the bicyclist put the matter," In almost any circumstances, a conversation between an African and a white man hardly ever finishes without, 'give me your address, give me your money'. Or more elaborately, 'I give you my address, send me money.' The author might have been exaggerating a bit, perhaps. Anyway, we Africans, many of us, if not all, generally assume two things and they both happen to be erroneous: every son of a gun white man has money to burn. Even worse, we assume that they easily part with their money. Frankly, People in Addis are no misers when it comes to giving alms.
"In Africa food is always welcome and eaten quickly", the author states.
The first part leads us to assume that food is not always as welcome in the rest of the world, and makes us ask where in the West food is being routinely turned down.
The second part of the statement, however, that food is eaten quickly in Africa may have some truth to it. It is common observation in our society here that there is not much ado about the process of eating, other than wolfing it down. Silverware for most foods is unnecessary. The only preparation you have to make prior to eating is to give your fingers a good rinsing.
As the article implies, many cultures take meal times very seriously, even elevate it to rites status. They are right to linger on, if they have to go the full monty: appetizer, entrée, side dish, dessert etc.
It is Ferenji in this part of Africa. It is Muzungi in several parts of Eastern Africa. Gringo in Latin America and Gadjin in Japan, if you should know. Our man with the bicycle did not much appreciate people shouting Muzuingi, Muzuingi at him. Many Ferengis don't like the word, either.
Travel in the developed world and travel in Africa conceptually is not the same thing at all, the author decides. Here is how he elaborated it," In Europe, you think more and more that you might have a serious problem, if you don't travel. Simply out of the trend.
In Africa, because you travel, you are rich. Because you are rich and because you are travelling by bike, you must have a serious problem. I didn't even dare tell them that I had maybe an even bigger "problem" in doing the biggest circuit on a bike a kid could dream of. I could barely believe myself that I was actually riding towards Europe". Well, he had a point. We all need to travel within our country at least.
Music in Africa, loud blaring music from music shops, inside buses and taxis, from restaurants and bars, gave one the impression that music is the natural landscape in towns and cities that have electricity, and where even the semblance of modern trade goes on.
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