how to write about africa

..note that 'People' means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans....In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grassland and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving...Don't get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book (err, blog)...Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat...Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it--because you care...Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters...they have family values... Elephants are caring and good feminists...Never say anything negative about an elephant....You'll also need a nightclub called Tropicana where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out...Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care. [Binyavanga Wainaina]

guilty as charged. the whole hilarious, satirical piece is here. i had read it before, but now my roommate gave me a little book of perfect stories accurately describing and poking fun at our time here. and then there is this lady's kenyan guide to kenya, "if you're bored in kenya it's because you're dead." read it.

this week I learned that you know you are working for a government agency when:
1. you get reprimanded by the parking lot security guards for taking a picture without a written letter.
2. you need a badge to show your legitimacy.
3. most doors are locked at all times.

#1 actually happened. But, I "deleted" the photos and swore it wouldn't happen again. If you can believe it, contrary to American paranoia, I have no plans to deface the building or harm anyone inside. I just wanted to show my mommy all the way back in America where I'm working, you can understand that, right? That was a minor setback and if I can't take photos I don't know how I'm going to submit those required 6 photos to the Department of Global Health. First World Problems.

the refugee health team

a view of the driveway in KEMRI

My 26th Birthday passed here without much fanfare. I cannot thank ya'll enough for the notes and facebook postings and ecards. It made being so far away tolerable. I may have hung out on my couch with Don Draper for three hours, but I didn't feel alone. I got to see the face of a few important people, including my mom (who had a cupcake with a candle and a chorus to sing happy birthday!), the littlest sis, and a dozen curious villagers in Jimmi. My roommate's visiting, Italian parents made me pizza and I had a beer on my balcony in 70 degree weather.

Additionally, grooveshark works on the work computer! hooray! So, I dug up some unknown Florence + the Machine jams, Four tet and listened to the Naked and Famous. all day.

And how excited are you that the pandas get to stay in D.C?! yay, China! and I was confused by Tunisia, but this helped.