I live to see the day when Africa sheds its artificial boundaries and unites its people. I spent the day today in downtown Johannesburg looking for clothing material to make a wedding garment. To be clear, I am only going as an invited guest. When I was looking for a spot to park my car it was a gentleman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who came to my rescue with an available slot.
I then walked into a corridor of dresses, suits and skinny mannequins. In the end I had three items. One from a shop owned by a Nigerian entrepreneur, one from a store belonging to a Beninese (person from Benin) individual, Mohammed and lastly an item from a store owned by a French speaking male whose origins I couldn’t place.
This experience allowed me to take out my phone and google Benin. I learned that the country has 10 million inhabitants and that its capital is Porto-Novo.
Happiness in Africa means learning something new and rubbing shoulders with my brothers and sisters from across the continent.
#10 – Reconnecting with old friends
There is something wonderful about reconnecting with old friends. Having recorded 100 episodes for http://www.1000africanvoices.com over the last 2 and a half years we decided to check in with some of the voices that left a long lasting impression on our listeners. The conversations have been graceful and hearty as we learn what the voices… Continue reading →
#9 – Watching 100 Movies in 10 months
Today I made a commitment to myself to watch 100 movies in the next 10 months. 10 movies a month. Its hard to justify spending 12 thousand minutes on such a seemingly meaningless pursuit one could rationalize. I have in the past wanted to read the Top 100 most influential books of all time. With… Continue reading →
#8 – What the hell is game of thrones?
While at a flea market this morning, I ask one of the merchants if she had a Game of Thrones t-shirt that I could purchase. She looked at me inquisitively and said, game of what…? Needless to say this took me by surprise, after all Game of Thrones for about a decade was the biggest… Continue reading →