Kushe!!! And candle-lights
Door: Sahro Ahmed
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Sahro Ahmed Koshin
11 Juli 2007 | Sierra Leone, Freetown
Dear family and freinds!
Ow di bodi? Di bodi fayne! is the preferred greeting here in Sierra Leone.
I arrived safely in Sierra Leone around 20;00 hrs on monday the 9th of july. I was supposed to land around 16;30 but we had a delay of some 4 hrs in Brussels! Once we landed, i came out of the cold plane and walked into the Sierra Leonean fresh air, i was greeted by a wave of hot humid air......and .....a scent i can not describe....the scent you get when it rained on dusty roads after it had been dry for some time. Yes that kind of smell, The smell of Africa. It is good to be back!!!
They lost my luggage at the airport. They didnt know where it was and neither did i!!!! After many calls and a visit to Brussels Airlines yesterday, they said that they 'might' have my bag on hursday's flight.....i should come back friday noon to enquire!
It was a 30 minute drive from the Airport-where i was greeted, kissed and hugged tightly- by the Sister who came to pick me up- to the ferry dock. That drive was the most beautiful one i have seen in some time. It was dark everywhere. The only light on were the candles the people on both sides of the streets have on. Candles here, candles there, candles everywhere. Candles in bottles, candles in pots, cadles in jars. I have never seen so many lit candles on display. Whereas we in the West use candles to "lighten" up an atmosphere or add a romanticised extra touch to things, the people here are using candles as a basic necessity so that buyers can see their goods and the sellers can see to whom they are selling things!!
On the dock we went by ferry. It was a rough ride, but the kindness, compassion and friendliness the people here show compensates all things rough.
Other than that, i am doing well and things are so far kind of going according to plan....though i have to constantly remind myself the early advice i received from one of the kind Sisters here...namely not to expect a high level of efficiency, not to expect things to happen the way you want, to switch off any time-consciousness and to just "glow with the flow"!!! or should i just flow with the glow!!
Hmmm....that will be a challenge....
For those of you who do not know what i am doing here; I am in SL to do research for Cordaid on the 'cultural dimension of violence against women'.....
more next time!
Wi go see back!
Ow di bodi? Di bodi fayne! is the preferred greeting here in Sierra Leone.
I arrived safely in Sierra Leone around 20;00 hrs on monday the 9th of july. I was supposed to land around 16;30 but we had a delay of some 4 hrs in Brussels! Once we landed, i came out of the cold plane and walked into the Sierra Leonean fresh air, i was greeted by a wave of hot humid air......and .....a scent i can not describe....the scent you get when it rained on dusty roads after it had been dry for some time. Yes that kind of smell, The smell of Africa. It is good to be back!!!
They lost my luggage at the airport. They didnt know where it was and neither did i!!!! After many calls and a visit to Brussels Airlines yesterday, they said that they 'might' have my bag on hursday's flight.....i should come back friday noon to enquire!
It was a 30 minute drive from the Airport-where i was greeted, kissed and hugged tightly- by the Sister who came to pick me up- to the ferry dock. That drive was the most beautiful one i have seen in some time. It was dark everywhere. The only light on were the candles the people on both sides of the streets have on. Candles here, candles there, candles everywhere. Candles in bottles, candles in pots, cadles in jars. I have never seen so many lit candles on display. Whereas we in the West use candles to "lighten" up an atmosphere or add a romanticised extra touch to things, the people here are using candles as a basic necessity so that buyers can see their goods and the sellers can see to whom they are selling things!!
On the dock we went by ferry. It was a rough ride, but the kindness, compassion and friendliness the people here show compensates all things rough.
Other than that, i am doing well and things are so far kind of going according to plan....though i have to constantly remind myself the early advice i received from one of the kind Sisters here...namely not to expect a high level of efficiency, not to expect things to happen the way you want, to switch off any time-consciousness and to just "glow with the flow"!!! or should i just flow with the glow!!
Hmmm....that will be a challenge....
For those of you who do not know what i am doing here; I am in SL to do research for Cordaid on the 'cultural dimension of violence against women'.....
more next time!
Wi go see back!
-
11 Juli 2007 - 18:00
Josine:
Buurvrouwtje! Zit je ineens in Sierra Leone! Misschien als je hoog springt kun je mij zien. Klinkt heerlijk Afrika allemaal en het onderzoek lijkt me 'a big challenge', hoewel.... voor jou misschien 'a piece of cake'. Heel veel succes en groetjes vanuit Kaduna (Noord-Nigeria)! -
11 Juli 2007 - 18:19
Anita:
Sahro, darling, happy to hear from you! I wish you lots of succes!!! I´m sure you do a great job.
-
11 Juli 2007 - 20:40
Ibrahim Traoré:
Hoi, ik ben erg blij om iets van jou te horen. Ik wens je veel succes. We gaan jou missen. Goed verblijf in Afrika en kom snel terug, we hebben jij hier nodig. Groetjes. Ibrahim -
11 Juli 2007 - 22:46
Teshome:
wow what a surprize!!
It is really nice to hear from you again.I hope you will achive a lot and wish you all the best
-
12 Juli 2007 - 07:12
Frans:
Mooie start. Go for it. -
12 Juli 2007 - 07:52
Caterina:
My beautiful radiant Sister...
You make the whole world feel so cosy and small... as if Home is anywhere!!!
GLOW with the GLOW I would say, bright sparkle...
Love you always, everywhere we are...
A strong embrace from la bella Italia to our Mama Africa!!!
X! Cat. -
12 Juli 2007 - 11:49
Elkana:
Lieve sharo!!
Wat een lange tijd geleden heb ik je gesproken!! Wat geweldig te horen dat je zo'n mooie en belangrijk werk daar gaat doen voor jezelf en met namen ook voor anderen!!
Ik hoor graag van het vervolg van je avonturen!!
Ik woon sinds 1,5 jaar in Noord Drenthe in de heerlijke hollandse klei!
Mijn opleidiing tot huisarst is half afgerond. Heb je veel te vertellen over al onze ( Rogier en mijn) ontwikkelingen op het gebied van integrale geneeskunde maar dat komt wel een keer ..
Veel liefs,
Elkana -
12 Juli 2007 - 12:25
Elizabeth:
Hi my dear
No wonder i have not heard from u...globe trotting. wanted the baan advies. currently ok but ambition to get into social work is still my driving force. let me know when u can communicate. probably when u get back.
lots of love and success
elizabeth -
13 Juli 2007 - 02:24
Sahra Mumin:
hoe gaat het met jou ik ben vriend van jou zus i kan niet heriner alles. i cant write a lot of dutch but ihope you will understand. nice to meet you and good luck with evrything sis. bye i am leilas friend. -
14 Juli 2007 - 04:02
Laila Koshin:
wow what a sister i have she is going after her life dream.Ever since we were kids she cared about the world and how she could change it and that is what she doing.I like said wow what a sister how many people can say that there sister is making a change in the someone's life. well keep up the good work am very proud of you. LOVE YOU -
14 Juli 2007 - 09:54
Gili :
Hi Sahro,
We didn't see each other for ages ... I didn't have the opportunity yet to tell you how was South Africa (great!) and now I was reading that you are in Sieera Leon for a research for Cordaid ... Wow! I am so happy for you and also very proud at you. I hope to read soon more of your experiences and adventures, and I wish you all the best and hope to see you soon.
Kisses,
Gili. -
15 Juli 2007 - 20:34
Naima:
heej sarho hoe gaat het ikmid je heel erg waneer kom je weer eens bij ons of iets leuk doen zoals pretpark met mij en soe doei i love you good bye shatttttt !!!! -
16 Juli 2007 - 06:30
Alba:
Nice to hear that you are doing well. Take care and "just flow with the glow"
Liefs
-
16 Juli 2007 - 06:30
Alba:
Nice to hear that you are doing well. Take care and "just flow with the glow"
Liefs
-
16 Juli 2007 - 06:30
Alba:
Nice to hear that you are doing well. Take care and "just flow with the glow"
Liefs
-
16 Juli 2007 - 17:22
Abdul:
hallo Sahro wij zijn heel erg blij ermee dat je veilig bent aangekomen..in het gebiedt waar je je werkzaamheden gaat verrichten en wij hopen dat je weer veilig terug keert in Nederland en maak er wat in Freetown. een ee uitkijken he je bevindt zich in het land van Blooddiamond lol
groetjes
abdul -
18 Juli 2007 - 12:02
Mark:
Dearest Sahro,
Welcome back to the African Soil, As you go along with your activities in SLeone, have it in your concience that you are at home, and that we are happy to know that you are just afew hundreds of miles from us. We love and Miss you and hope to receive you in our country soon.
Best of luck. -
19 Juli 2007 - 17:29
Roomie:
Hey sahro there you are?!? ik mistte mijn buurvrouwtje al :)
things op de klik zijn chill. veel mensen zijn weg of doen chillend.
Ik ga volgende week naar een festival in duitsland van een week (full moon: goa-trance!)
Klikt goed en ik herkende idd die geur, op dat moment besef je dat je in afrika bent idd.
ik hoop met reinout een tijdje te gaan reizen in het midden oosten. maar hij wil al over een jaar. ik denk dat ik gewoon in de zomervakantie kom.
wanneer kom je weer naar olanda?
groet, kus taco -
19 Juli 2007 - 18:07
Hoi:
Met Ibrahim weer. Hoe gaat het verder? Het is hier ook mooi weer.We missen je. Komt snel naar ons terug.
Groeten -
24 Juli 2007 - 12:42
Jawahir:
macaanka waa ku salaamey kawaran xaladaada cafimaad iyo tan shaqadaba walaal sow ma wanaagsanid waxaan ku rajeynaya caafimaad iyo nabad amiin ya rabi nagu salaan hadhoow hooyo iyo inti aad jeceshahey abaayo macaan sahro cadeey anagana waan kuwada salaameyna ilaahey haku fududeyo shaqada amiin kushi jawahir by -
20 Februari 2008 - 22:22
ALUSINE BANGURA:
SAHRO,
I HAVE JUST GONE THROUGHT YOUR SITE AND I'TS QUITE INTERESTING. IT'S A GOOD JOB.
PLEASE CONTINUE.
SALAM
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