Archive for the ‘Vignettes’ Category
On returning, or, “What does your language sound like?”
I had a conversation in Sierra Leone with someone who speaks an enviable number of languages. I grew up in West Virginia, where it’s not uncommon for high school French teachers not to have been to France, ever (one of mine had, and one, as I recall, hadn’t). People who can move thoughtlessly between three [...]
Tastes like terrorism!
“As another day passed with Mr. [Faisal] Shahzad talking to investigators about the car bomb he had admitted driving into Times Square on Saturday, details emerged on Wednesday about [Mr. and Mrs. Shahzad] and their life together, along with speculation about his radicalization….
A Pakistani man said that an acquaintance of his who was a friend [...]
Living in two economies
On Friday, I went to my regular money-changing place. As I was walking in, there was an older woman leaving. She was the picture of an umuchechero, head and body wrapped in kitenge, leaning on a tall, thin stick, her face wrinkled and kind. She was also poor: She didn’t seem to [...]
From the Department of Locally Appropriate Transportation
On a listserve that functions as classified ads for mzungus and upper class Rwandans in Kigali, someone recently advertised a car for rent:
Rent RAV 4 FOR $80 PER DAY. we accept rent this cars only 10days and more. Rent new Brand Grand Vitar, 2008 for 120$ per day….Buy and rent quickly
Which garnered this [...]
Why this weird category
Some of my most popular blog posts are teeny little stories snatched from the course of the day. This Vignettes category is designed to give you a little serendipity. Most of these are funny. Some of them are sad. All of them are tiny true stories.
“I am going to live here forever.”
Accra, where I learned how old I finally am
I can sympathize with this kid, rapt at the window as we descend into Ghana. “This is Ghana,” he repeats with awe. He turns to his mother and declares the same, with slightly more urgency. “Welcome to Accra Ghana!” she says. “I love it [...]
I am a freelance journalist and multimedia producer who covers human rights, Africa and foreign affairs. [