3:11 pm
Today’s drum lesson was somewhere else. We went where there were a lot of bamboo trees –referred to simply by the bamboo. The land belongs to Atical who’s Christian name is Moses but he explained that he goes by artist (Atical). He gave me the choice from 2 African names—Benti and Musuba (spelling questionable). These apparently mean something along the lines of “nice lady.” Although the second may also have some reference to “strong.”
Last night the rain was strong. Incredibly strong, but I wonder if part of the sound difference also comes from the 1 story tin roof to the compound house. I had read in the guidebook about the lightning being like fireworks and it was lighting up the sky. The lightning in the distance is beautiful. It made it difficult to sleep. So today I feel even more tired. I had strange dreams as well but that’s not new.
We went to the internet café. I need to pay for the balafon lessons. They were not in the arrangement paid for which would have been nice to know. My bag, I also found out, never left DC. That is not helpful. It better be there when I return. I decided it was better not to try to go to the airport and request it to be sent here. One, because there isn’t a Delta counter to talk to a specific person I don’t think. Two, who knows if that process would work and how long it would take. And three, I think driving back and forth to the airport would cost more time and money. The bag is not in oblivion, which was my larger fear.
I’m not happy that I’ve spent money on the clothes and things and have to with regard to the balafon lessons because I really don’t know how to gauge what I have to spend on transportation, activities, and gifts.
I’d like to ask Libon if I can pay him in pounds for a drum and the lessons at the same time because I think I could give him the 400 pounds I have and be settled with that and then not have to change any other money into delasis. I just feel awkward about money but I can’t avoid it.
Two nights ago after buying some flip flops (called slippers here) and walking to the internet cafe, Libon and I visited his friends’ compound. The couple, Isha and Seny, are very nice. I like them a lot. Isha is very kind about them speaking their language Susu (pronounced like the Sioux Indian name), and also they talk in English to me to carry on conversations.
We went there yesterday afternoon as well. And last night. Their compound is one room of a building that has maybe 4 or 5 doors. Their neighbors seemed at a glance that they might have a bigger space, but I’m not sure. Their room is maybe the size of my small bedroom at home—maybe just slightly bigger. But welcoming me in, I was offered a chair as well as libon and they sat o their mattress on the floor. I don’t think most people have bed frames.
They, or Isha, explained they are from Guinea, like Libon and the other 2 musicians (Suryell and Ebro) working with me. The men are best friends. They spend a lot of time sitting, talking, smoking, and laughing together as Libon explains is the Gambian way of life.
The Susu language is from Guinea. I was taught some phrases and will need Libon to repeat them so I can write them down. Phonetically of course. Libon can’t write or read English so I suppose it would be good for both of us.
Conversation of 2 nights ago revealed their, and Africa’s, dislike of the Bush family. Spoke of Obama’s chances at winning the election and some about me from America and being a teacher. And Isha laughing at me walking in the dark.
Yesterday afternoon, after the drum lesson, we went over and she was cooking lunch on their step outside. Their step I like because it says “love” in shells with a heart.
I noticed that yesterday and it’s simple, but is drawing as a feature. Her neice, a little baby, started crying at my sight. She hadn’t seen a toubab—or at the very least had never recognized the light skin. I felt bad that she was crying just at the sight of me. When her mom came around she obviously felt safer and then smiled at me.
Ebro, Libon, and I sat in the yard and they talked. Libon every once in awhile explaining and including English for me. Seny appeared and they continued sitting, talking, smoking…picking up people. Had some lunch—me included in the communal aspect. Libon explaining that by eating together one thinks and is surrounded by family. That eating alone is unhappy as you think of your family and not being with them.
It all makes perfect sense. I enjoy eating with others much more than by myself. The community aspect to African life is lacking in America’s individualistic society.
Sitting, talking, relaxing—it’s a nice way to spend the afternoon. They had explained the night before about the tea. I had seen a woman in the compound preparing it, but their explanation made it much more clear.
It’s a Chinese tea. They boil/heat two small cups worth of water—like almost shot glass size, but a little bigger—in a china tea kettle with a small box of this tea. Once it’s boiling a process begins of mixing in sugar. They don’t just stir this in. A cup’s worth of the tea is poured repeatedly back and forth from one little cup to the other. Again and again to mix in the sugar. It’s a long but defined process.
The result is a sweet green tea. Served in the little cups to the people one is with. Repeating the process to get more servings. It was good. I like the taste of sweetness from the sugar.
The threatening rain-which ended up not coming until very early this morning—had us return from this afternoon of relaxing.
I read and took a shower. After which I was going to write but Libon asked me if I wanted to go for a walk. We walked a different way out of the compound and eventually after crossing some soccer fields of kids, a golf course, and some nice looking compounds, we arrived at the ocean/beach.
There is some blacker sand mixed in and the water therefore is a different color. We walked up the beach and sat on a rock. Looked like a volcanic sort of rock- I don’t have the geology skills to name it. Watched the sun set over the water.
Different than seeing it rise in Florida. We walked back—it getting darker as we went. I think I did better with it than the night before (walking without light).
Some things—like sidewalks or at least flat roads and street lights you don’t really think about until they are completely absent from your reality. He know the way in the complete darkness which I guess I could do with the familiarity at home…maybe. But it’s not like they were on any sort of grid. And we weren’t taking a straight path.
I like getting that experience of African life –he had commented on it before in the day. And it comes up again as being different from Europe and America.
It certainly is. But then at the root, it’s not. I like passing my time with friends and that’s what we were doing as we ended ip back at Isha’s compound. I think that it’s just more at the forefront of their lives.
They, as Isha said, tend to focus only on the positive, never negative. And I think we don’t have that perspective. Or at least I can’t claim that to be true in my life. It’s hard to only stick with the positive.
Last night’s conversations were more of a history lesson. Guinea’s independence, second after Ghana, and a struggle for full not half as was being offered.
Slavery. Who was selling who and who still is.
The dislike of Arabs. But the liking of America. Of Britain not helping their ex-colony but of America lending help.
All while sometimes hard to follow in their English version was extremely interesting.
Isha—back on the subject of my mom working about me—insists on her taking care of me. Which she and her husband (in addition to Libon) have. She rubbed me with insect repellent while Seny in the afternoon selected where we would sit based on the possibility of biting bugs and kills mosquitoes in their compound so nothing would bite me.
Their hospitality is amazing. And I like the conversation.
They include me. It’s nice. I understand though if Amy, Libon’s wife, has been slightly jealous of us not being at home. Isha alluded to something like that.
The place of a wife and of not making informed decisions came up as well during conversation. I’m less inclined to accept that view straight as she expressed it, but there were interesting stories to go with it.
A man who’s strength was high and envied had a wife, Lila (or Delia, I’m not sure). The others wanted the secret of his strength and went to the wife to get it. She requested money and was presented with money and jewels to reveal that her husband’s strength lay in his rastas (dreads). The woman, in exchange for the money, allowed the met to cut his rastas then to take his strength. So the story explains how a man can never fully trust a woman, even his wife.
Interesting.
And some other stories of the magic of these other drummers who drum all night at ceremonies. And how no one beats them or wants to compete against them in competition. And how they can plant rice and in the same day it will grow to be cut and eaten. And how someone’s throat was cut pouring blood but the man started dancing back to life and didn’t know he had even been cut.
And something about a large snake and a lion.
==
Excellent, libon agreed to the pounds. That make me feel better and not as though I’m not paying him for the lessons.
And I won’t need to change more money I don’t think. Hopefully.
They have a way of positive thinking and saying “no problem” which I like. It’s like “pura vida” in Costa Rica, the “no problem” phrase.
Not quite the same, but used on similar principle.
I haven’t seen Mohammed in days and I don’t know where Mbalia is. She’s warmed up to me. I still feel awkward with her, but she will come up to me and had me carry her yesterday and we played with her tricycle this morning.
Something about someone being sick was why we left this morning. Not clear on that but I liked seeing the bamboo place. The owner wanted me to buy a cane with a snake head on top and I don’t want to. Helping his family is the reason given for it being offered as opposed to just selling them. But a., I don’t want it and b., I think I can cover that reason with that it won’t be liked by airport security.
(NOTE: the snake head on the cane reflects his ability to use some magic to control a snake that apparently watches over the bamboo place. The snake will make appearances while people drum as well. POSTNOTE: one day there was a man sitting listening to us drum who suddenly left because he thought he saw the snake. Then libon and ebro and suryell started saying that they could smell the arrival of the snake predicting that it would show itself. Pretty sure they were just joking around. I never saw the snake.)
Libon got up and went into the garage and closed the doors. I’m not sure what that is. I hope by me saying I wanted to buy a drum that it doesn’t mean he needs to go and create one.
Although from our walking conversation last night, it only takes a week to do. That’s quite fast. He explained about getting a good drum—that you can’t in Europe. And I agreed –I wouldn’t know. But I know I’ll get a good one from him.
