My latest column for Awoko was Round 2 of my experiences with Salone food. Hope you enjoy it!
To read the column, click here.
Word around the office after I cam back from Pujehun was that there were a couple of interns from New York working for different papers in Freetown. Mr. Lewis said they were “going to copy [me]” and start a column about their experiences in Sierra Leone. At first I joked around with him, saying that I should try to be more original with my columns. But deep down, I was hoping to meet them once I got back from the states.
Well, as fate would have it, I met the two interns a couple of nights ago. The power went out at my hostel and I decided to sit outside my room for a little bit while I waited for the lights to come back. I could hear and see a couple of slihouettes talking (with an American accent) outside rooms two doors down from mine. I took the opportunity to “shmooze” a little and introduce myself and that’s when all three of us realized that we knew of each other, but just hadn’t yet met. The two interns are John and Tori; John is a 27 year-old Korean-American, originally born in Brazil but raised in Harlem. Tori, 24, is from Trinidad and moved to New York just five years ago.
To continue reading, click here.
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I got back from the states last night at around 8:30 p.m. The flights were long, but the travel day was not as bad as it was the first time. I’ve actually gotten to know my way around the London/Heathrow airport after having been there three times in the past month. I won’t be flying for another six weeks though, as I’m here in Freetown for the remainder of my internship that ends September 1st.
The wedding in Tacoma was beautiful, and I am so grateful and happy that Mr. Lewis and Professor Baldasty allowed me to take this week off. Special thanks to them and to my parents, who helped make this short trip possible.
I’m right back to work as Mr. Lewis asked me to write another travelogue about my travels back to the states. To read the column, click here.
Something that’s not included in the travelogue: While I enjoyed my short visit back to the states, I was excited to come back to Salone. I was welcomed back this morning with warmth and excitment by my colleagues and I really feel comfortable here. Sunday, the 20th, was actually my 22nd birthday (a day which I spent all day traveling, ironically). I’m planning on going out with my colleagues perhaps on Friday night to a popular restaurant/bar near the beach. That should be much fun and definitely something to write about.
In other exciting news, we have internet on all the computers in the office now. It’s extremely slow and inconsistent, but it’s a start.
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It seems today is a “fast-worker” day. I was able to finish up all five of my columns to be published next week while I’m gone for the states. I’m also taking advantage of the fact that the one computer in the office with internet access, normally occupied, is vacant.
My short visit in Pujehun was a truly fascinating experience for me, so I hope readers will take part in these columns and enjoy it as much I did writing them.
To read Part I: Traveling Day, click here.
To read Part II: Initial Impressions, click here.
To read Part III: Meeting and becoming ‘Pumuin,’ click here.
To read Part IV: Radio Wanjei, click here.
To read Part V: An Eventful Return, click here.
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My five-day visit in Pujehun was pleasant and wonderful. Upon my return to Awoko, everyone at the newspaper said I looked like I lost a lot of weight (still not sure whether they were joking or not). Nevertheless, I had quite an amazing time and I have a LOT to write about. I’ll be writing all of my columns for my week in Pujehun in a bunch today and Monday because…
I’m going back to the U.S. on Tuesday! My very good friend is getting married and I have the privilege of being his best man. I have a feeling it will be a bit strange and surreal coming back to the states, but I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and family, regardless.
In the meantime, here is my column on Salone food that I’ve been procrastinating getting on the blog.
To read the column, click here.
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Happy 4th of July to my American Brethren back home! And speaking of America, yesterday I visited and registered the U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone. The visit, itself, was almost surreal. We had to first drive up a high plateau to get there, and the view from the top was breathtaking. Even through a thin fog, I could oversee all of Freetown from where we were standing. I heard that there is typically an official up at the peak to prevent people from taking pictures because you also have a bare view of the US Embassy grounds, but I was lucky enough to take a few snaps because there wasn’t anyone there.
To continue reading, click here.
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So with my crazy schedule in the next couple weeks (traveling to Pujehun, America) I was set to go back to stay at the YMCA hostel. However, upon inquiring about transfering there, apparently there are no more single rooms available for the remainder of the summer. There is a double-room available, but it would still be cheaper to stay where I am now. So it turns out that I’ll be staying at the National Stadium Hostel, a place where I recently referred to as ‘living large.’ Sure, it’s a bit farther away from work and I don’t get the luxury of an internet cafe downstairs, but I’m obviously more than happy to stay at a place where it clearly has its advantages.
Today will be a long and hectic day at work as we get set to cover a big mayoral debate in Freetown. My colleagues were half-jokingly saying that we’ll be at work until 1 or 2 in the morning. Then one reporter, Mohamed Saidu Bah, said, “The debates start at 8, so we should be done by 10!”
My editor in chief, Mr. Lewis replied by saying, “When in Sierra Leone are you going to attend something that actually starts on time!? Especially when you’re dealing with politicians!”
I thought that was a fun way to get the day started. A post on the coverage of the elections will hopefully come tomorrow or sometime later this week.
Also, as promised, to read my column on the beautiful beaches in Salone, click here.
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I finally visited the beach in Salone last Sunday. Living in Washington for basically my entire life (and without much travelling), I haven’t had the luxury of seeing many beaches. But the beach here is absolutely breathtaking. The coast is seemingly endless and the sand is pure white. I went there with Mr. Lewis’ wife, niece and son, and I must have taken more pictures there then from my entire first two weeks in Freetown. I’ll be writing a more in depth column on it later this week and I’ll post that when it’s published.
This coming weeks are going to be pretty packed for me so I don’t know how often I’ll be able to update the blog. This week is election week for the local council elections, so it will be quite entertaining (and busy) with mayoral debates, street rallies and more. On Sunday the 6th, I leave for Pujehun for a week. Pujehun is a city in the inner-part of Salone and my editor and colleagues described it as the “real” Africa – meaning no electricity, no real modern technology, and (obviously) no internet. It will be qutie something else, as I’ll be exposed to a side of Africa that I’ve only seen on TV. The week after that, I’ll be going back to the states for a week to be best man at my good friend’s wedding. Then I’ll be back in Salone for the rest of the summer. PHEW!
Coming up (hopefully) this week: A post on the first Sierra Leonean film, and columns on the beach, election coverage, and food (it had to happen sooner or later!)
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Upon arriving to Salone (Krio for Sierra Leone), I was surprised at how much American pop music I heard. The first song I listened to in a taxi ride was “Umbrella,” by Rihanna. And I think I’ve heard “With You,” by Chris Brown and “Love in this club,” by Usher, more in Freetown than I did in the states (no joke). I love it; people have mix-CD’s consisting of various American pop songs which they try to sell to pedestrians in the street or even to passengers in slow-moving taxi cabs.
I’ve also discovered a Nigerian band, called P-Square, that is quite popular here. An Awoko colleague of mine named Ishmael (who apparently has the nickname, “Master Baster,” for his slick dance moves) likes to listen to them while in the office. P-Square is a hip-hop group/boy band, and I hear their music everyday – whether at work or just in the streets or anywhere else. I think many people back home might like it, so here are a couple links to the songs that I’ve heard/like the most: Here and here.
My next column (set for publication next Monday) is about the craziness of the city center, where there are literally hundreds of street merchants filling the area. Imagine an extravagant street fair that goes on everyday – I’ve honestly never seen so many piles of shoes, watches and buckets. To read the column, click here.
A fun note about my column for Awoko: Mr. Lewis called me into his office yesterday and I was a bit worried that I had done something wrong in my last article. But instead, Mr. Lewis called me over to his laptop with a smile and showed me an e-mail he got from a couple of Awoko readers asking/commenting about my columns; one came from another foreigner who wanted to talk about my travelogue and how he had a very similar experience in arriving in African and wanted to compliment me. The other e-mail came from a Sierra Leonean who was just interested in the pieces that I was writing and wondering when my next article would be coming out.
Those definitely put a smile on my face. In addition to the emails, a woman stopped by the office yesterday after having read my column on my first experience at a Sierra Leonean church. She was rather excited to talk about my column and even went as far as to invite me to attend church with her tomorrow.
I feel so blessed and happy to see the people here, as well as my friends and family back home, respond to my writing in just a short period of time.
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These are my two most recent columns in Through the Eyes of ‘U.’
The first is about my first experience in real, heavy Sierra Leonean rain, which actually made me feel a little more at home. To read the column, click here.
The second column is about my experience attending a Catholic Church in Sierra Leone (which will surely please my parents back home). To read that column, click here.
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Bob Geldof, a well-known rock-and-roll artist, was in Sierra Leone last Monday night. My editor, Mr. Kelvin Lewis, and I attended a press conference that night featuring Mr. Geldof, who is internationally recognized for his acts of philanthropy in Africa. I wrote a story about the press conference which was the lead story in the Awoko paper the following morning. That story is actually available online (to read the story, click here).
<Also of note, my editor and colleagues decided to name my column, Through the Eyes of ‘U.’ At first it was going to be Through the Eyes of a Foreigner, but I wanted to have a little more kick than that, so they came up with just using the letter ‘U.’ Anyway, my most recent column is about my first time riding in a poda-poda, also known as a share taxi. It was an extremely interesting experience for me and for those of you who would like to read that column, click here.>
Anyway, the interesting about this particular night was that it was my first time going on an assignment with my editor. And I was very fortunate to be with him this night, because he ended up showing me a very bright, and extremely wise, side of him that I had not yet seen.
To continue reading, click here.
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