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mind entropy of the ethiofrican

On t’Brink Again: Hungry Horn

25 September, 2008 | 1 comment | Category: peace & conflict

the looping setting on the horn of africa. BAM!
2008 ~9.6 million hungry people (hi food prices), 3.25 million affected by drought.
2001 ~over 12 million people in Ethio, Eritrea needing urgent aid within drought.
1984 ~ 5-7 million affected with very high death rate: drought/delayed response/war.
read more.

it’s worse than the last time…they say…

i did something last time.

i wonder if i will again.

having experienced being at one of the sites they always show on news clips of people collecting food, i am intrigued by how news stories depict the scene…
here’s a pre-commentary, pre-news-edit video, part of the world food programme press release on the drought…

the bareness of the video was chilling to watch. but specifically, watching it in detached mode, i could think of a million ways someone could cut and paste this to make it ‘news worthy’. now, take that little snip with naked emaciated kids with bloated bellies, children collecting grains from the dust.
this piece of material could make a bang…yes, it is indeed as bad as 1984. yes, indeed this is the condition of the horn. sad reality that it is…

at the risk of viewers dismissing the news piece scoffing ‘ahhh…yea…didn’t they have that show on last nite? that infomercial about giving money to feed starving babies?’ the ‘pity-worthy-ness’ to a lesser degree, and the creative spin to a greater degree. these could be the uumph that can compete with other news pieces for the front page, the headline, the breaking news…and prove the point this is indeed comparable to 1984. the always-ness of africa. take a look!

i wonder.
what could be going through the camera person’s mind while they’re recording it? or the producers’ in thinking about what appeals to his audience? what kinda agenda/bias do they bring by editing?
relaying the urgency of the situation, the need for response…a successful news story that reaches the front page…booya! tv superstandome?? good news, is no news…right?

but really… what of the things that fall through the cracks. that wouldn’t bolster stereotypes…
a cultural value system and context lost in translation? like…respect and reverence of food in that it shouldn’t be wasted. Proverb: “migib kibur new”/”food is to be revered.” This presumes all food is not to be wasted unless it has been contaminated irreversibly…
Also, there may be different conceptions of contamination and germs…and an integrated perception of food-and nature…along with different ideas on ‘wastefulness’ ‘food’ ‘materialism’….’cleanliness’…
an understanding of these things make the scene with kids scrambling for grains on the sandy ground less dramatic.

Edit. Edit. Edit.

the construction of recent history
…versus a recording of the past…

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Lifestyle treat: Abuara

23 September, 2008 | 4 comments | Category: for.the.love.of.words!, nostalgia.personal, prose.tales

You know the strangest little thing about memory? remembering those most irksome little bothers in life with unrelenting fondness. nostalgia …isn’t it the weirdest thing about memory?

It was in Ginbot, very close to the national exams,

the time - mid afternoon-ish
when dusty dry particles billow out from pavements
surrounding, adding noise to vision…
little flakes …pricking below the lids.

walking against a dust cloud…


skipped classes for tastier ventures
crashing day parties
gripping the trilling lures of adulteration
lethargic on cafe chairs
see …be seen…
whom, what…
clarity, enclosed in a whooshing sound as
foggy teenage distractions revolve around
the mind
that’s another strange thing about memory
fog….but this Ginbot had no fog
au contraire mon amie!
the horizon was so bright the sky was sparkling.
a piercing white sun shone down like BouZA lights.
specks of dust as they rose from the ground
chocking up airy volume
chipped blue and white paint of taxis
smeared with flakes of brownness. dust.
mirrored by: cloud, blue sky, dust…

the innocence? of school girls in uniforms.
prancing along the pavement,
flimsy thoughts floating- of social swank and swagger.
chatter on details of so-and-so, cliquesy clique qlink…
gossipy chitchat;

joyous giggles surrounded by dust cloud.
slinking words. talks of aspirations, pop pop culture…

air rumbling before a storm.
pensive. big exam. big stuff…big decisions.
whether …she’s going to be going
….the hair salon once every 2 weeks and full on primping for cafe lethargic,
or an alternate existence…in foreign space…
hmmm, days stomping addis streets chasing lifestyle treats….

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