Small Miracles

I just arrived in Monrovia, Liberia. It appears Internet is not only existant, but easily available.

I guess perceptions are deeply tied to the past.

Will shortly update y'all. Cheers !

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

AWOL

Guys, I'm flying to Monrovia (Liberia) where Internet communications are deemed inexistant, limited, or inexistant.

I probably will not update until March 29th, unless I miraculously gain access to Internet.

Cheers! Expect plenty of stories and pictures in April !

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Tribute to Shakespeare

Sometimes, it's nice to reminisce on those works we had to study in school. Indulge!!!

Sonnets CXXX
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red:
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go:
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

-- William Shakespeare



Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest;
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

-- William Shakespeare

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Sierra Leone Insecurity

Just in case other readers are in the area.....

Sierra Leone Police report that three serious attacks took place on Lumley Beach on Sunday evening between 9 and 10 pm possibly carried out by the same gang of 4-6 men / youths armed with knives.

Near Silver Wings a Ghanaian national (male) was robbed at knifepoint of cash and mobile phone.

Near Chez Nous restaurant a Lebanese national (male) was attacked and stabbed ,cash and a mobile phone were taken. The man was badly injured.

Near the Golf Club a SL national (female) was dragged from her stationery car ,while she was making a mobile telephone call. The thieves smashed the window of her Pathfinder jeep as they carried out the attack and removed her from the vehicle.They stole cash,jewelry and other articles from the car before running off.

International Woman's day - tribute

Africa

La percée des femmes entrepreneurs
The opening of the women contractors

(Syfia Bénin) Depuis l'avènement des processus démocratiques en Afrique, les femmes chefs d'entreprise ont le vent en poupe. Mieux formées qu'autrefois, elles forcent le respect et désamorcent les préjugés les plus tenaces.

(Syfia Benin) Since the advent of the democratic processes in Africa, the women heads of undertaking have the wind in poop. Formed better than formerly, they force the respect and defuse the toughest prejudices.

Drapée dans un grand boubou rose, la Nigérienne Amina Hassane Wangari en impose par son allure altière. Cette femme se bat depuis une dizaine d'années pour développer Ciminti Import-Export BTP et C.E.T Wangari, son complexe d'entreprises, spécialisé dans l'import-export, la construction, l'enseignement général et technique. "Quand j'ai commencé en 1997, je n'avais que 40 millions de Fcfa (environ 83 000 dollars canadiens). Aujourd'hui mon chiffre d'affaires dépasse les 785 millions (plus de 1 300 000 dollars)", confie-t-elle en marge d'un séminaire sur les Petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) agroalimentaires, organisé fin février à Cotonou, la métropole du Bénin, par le Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA). La Sénégalaise Bineta Coulibaly, une autre participante, a connu un parcours identique : de 35 000 Fcfa (72 dollars) en 1992 elle a su porter à 30 millions (62 000 dollars), quatorze ans après, le capital de La Vivrière, sa société de production et de vente de denrées alimentaires à base de céréales.

Draped in large a boubou pink, the Native of Niger Amina Hassane Wangari imposes some by her proud pace. This woman fights since ten years to develop Ciminti Import-Export BTP and C.E.T Wangari, her complex of companies, specialized in import-export, the construction industry, the general education and technical. "When I started in 1997, I had only 40 million Fcfa (approximately 83 000 Canadian dollars). Today my sales turnover exceeds the 785 million (more than 1 300 000 dollars)", entrusts it in margin of a seminar on Small and medium-sized undertakings (SME) agroalimentary, organized at the end of February in Cotonou, the metropolis of Benign, by the technical Center of agricultural and rural co-operation (CTA). Sénégalaise Bineta Coulibaly, another participating, knew an identical course: from 35 000 Fcfa (72 dollars) in 1992 it knew to carry to 30 million (62 000 dollars), fourteen years after, the capital of Food, its company of production and sale of foodstuffs containing cereals.

Nombre d'entrepreneuses d'Afrique peuvent se prévaloir d'une telle réussite. Dans la plupart des pays francophones d'Afrique de l'Ouest, l'émergence de cette classe d'entrepreneurs féminins date d'un peu plus d'une quinzaine d'années. "Elle est en grande partie le résultat des changements provoqués par l'avènement des régimes démocratiques autour des années 1990", analyse Moubarakatou Akinotcho, de la Chambre de commerce et d'industrie du Bénin. Assortis d'une libéralisation de l'économie, ces processus de démocratisation ont libéré les énergies et incité les femmes, 51 % de la population en moyenne dans ces pays, à s'impliquer davantage dans les activités économiques. Par ailleurs, au Bénin par exemple, la crise de l'emploi, accentuée vers la fin des années 1980 par la faillite des entreprises publiques et la mise au chômage de bon nombre de pères de famille, a rendu impérieux cet engagement des femmes.

Numbers the entrepreneuses ones of Africa can prevail itself of such a success. In the majority of the French-speaking countries of West Africa, the emergence of this class of female contractors goes back to a little more than one about fifteen years. "It is mainly the result of the changes caused by the advent of the democratic modes around the years 1990", analyzes Moubarakatou Akinotcho, of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Benign one. Together with a liberalization of the economy, these processes of democratization released energies and encouraged the women, 51 % of the population on average in these countries, to imply itself more in the economic activities. In addition, with Benign for example, the employment crisis, accentuated towards the end of 1980 by the bankruptcy of the public companies and the setting with the unemployment of considerable fathers of family, made pressing this engagement of the women.

Se former pour s'affirmer

To be formed to affirm oneself

Ces dernières étaient d'autant plus motivées que plusieurs institutions internationales (Unesco, Bureau international du travail, CTA…) et locales, de plus en plus sensibles aux questions de genre, les ont encouragées par divers moyens : formations à l'entrepreneuriat, conseils et appuis, facilités de crédit, etc. Les femmes elles-mêmes se sont organisées en réseaux : Association des femmes d'affaires et chefs d'entreprises du Bénin (Afaceb), Réseau des femmes chefs d'entreprises du Niger (Refcen), Réseau de l'entrepreneuriat féminin en Afrique de l'Ouest (Refao), etc. Pour elles, la formation est cruciale : "J'ai eu accès aux technologies de l'information et de la communication grâce aux séminaires fréquents qu'organise l'Afaceb pour nous aider à gérer nos affaires, précise Ginette Koukoui Honvo, importatrice de produits de beauté. Je me rends souvent au cyber pour chercher des opportunités d'affaires."

These last were all the more justified that several international institutions (UNESCO, International Labour Office, CTA...) and local, increasingly sensitive to the questions of kind, encouraged them by various means: formations with the entrepreneuriat, councils and supports, credit facilities, etc. The women themselves organized themselves in networks: Association of the businesswomen and heads of undertakings of Benign (Afaceb), Network of the women heads of undertakings of Niger (Refcen), Network of the female entrepreneuriat in West Africa (Refao), etc. For them, the formation is crucial: "I had access to technologies information and of the communication thanks to the frequent seminars that Afaceb organizes to help us to manage our business, specifies Ginette Koukoui Honvo, importer of beauty products. I often go to the cyber to seek business opportunities."

Ces formations leur permettent d'être présentes dans divers secteurs (hôtellerie, restauration, agroalimentaire, services…) et de s'affirmer dans un environnement souvent hostile, dominé par les préjugés sexistes. "Au début, j'ai eu des problèmes dans la gestion des ressources humaines, car certains de mes employés n'acceptaient pas d'être dirigés par leurs collègues femmes que j'avais nommées à des postes de responsabilité, témoigne Bineta Coulibaly. Mais j'ai été ferme et tout est rentré dans l'ordre." Pour elle, il est préférable d'avoir un mari et des enfants compréhensifs, car "on n'a plus de vie de famille, on rentre quelquefois à la maison à deux heures du matin".

These formations enable them to be present in various sectors (hotel trade, restoration, agroalimentary, services...) and to continue in an often hostile environment, dominated by the prejudices sexists. "At the beginning, I had problems in the human stock management, because some of my employees did not agree to be directed by their colleagues women whom I had named at stations of responsibility, Bineta Coulibaly testifies. But I was firm and all returned in the order." For it, it is preferable to have an understanding husband and children, because "there is not any more life of family, one returns sometimes to the house at two hours of the morning".

Créer des emplois Creating jobs
La Kenyane Jemima Munene, gérante de la laiterie Palm House Dairies, se réjouit aussi du recul des préjugés dans son pays grâce au courage des femmes. "Mon entreprise contribue à la réduction de la pauvreté car elle a créé 35 emplois dans les zones rurales et fait vivre 350 producteurs de lait de vache et leur famille", se félicite-t-elle par ailleurs. La Vivrière, au Sénégal, emploie une quarantaine de personnes tandis que Ciminti Import-Export BTP a créé plus d'une centaine d'emplois au Niger.

Creating jobs

The Kenyan Jemima Munene, managing dairy Palm Dairies House, is also delighted by the retreat of the prejudices in its country thanks to the courage of the women. "My company contributes to the reduction of poverty because it created 35 jobs in the rural zones and made live 350 cow's milk producers and their family", it is pleased in addition. The Food one, in Senegal, employs forty people while Ciminti Import-Export BTP created more than one hundred of employment in Niger.

"En 1992, la contribution des femmes béninoises au PIB, toutes activités confondues, était de 34 %. Cette part devrait connaître une certaine croissance avec l'évolution de leur taux d'activité en hausse d'environ 5 % entre 1992 et 2002", indique Ismaël Taddé, dans une étude sur l'entrepreneuriat féminin réalisée en 2005. L'objectif de ces femmes leaders est de continuer à mener des actions de sensibilisation, de formation et d'appui afin que leurs sœurs des zones rurales puissent à leur tour sortir de l'analphabétisme et du secteur informel, freins principaux selon Moubarakatou Akinotcho, à l'émergence d'un entrepreneuriat féminin fort et durable.

"In 1992, the contribution of the Beninese women to the GDP, all confused activities, was 34 %. This share should know a certain growth with the evolution of their activity ratio in rise of approximately 5 % between 1992 and 2002", indicates Ismaël Taddé, in a study on the female entrepreneuriat carried out in 2005. The objective of these women leaders is to continue to carry out formation, publicity campaigns and of support so that their s?urs of the rural zones can in their turn leave illiteracy and abstract sector, principal brakes according to Moubarakatou Akinotcho, with the emergence of a female entrepreneuriat extremely and durable.

Par (By) Abraham Brahima & Fernand Nouwligbèto

Freetown!!!

Early morning walk, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

To go to work in the morning, we have to drive 45 minutes. This is one of the views on Freetown, from Aberdeen, where I am staying for now. The sky is green here... maybe it's the mist?

Pour aller travailler le matin, nous devons rouler 45 minutes. C'est un des vues sur Freetown, d'Aberdeen, où j'habite pour l'instant. Le ciel est vert ici... peut-être il est la brume?

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Youpi and the Lagoon at Sierra Lighthouse, Aberdeen, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

This is the sun-set from my window! Youpi is still with me, and has returned as ever to witness my crazy habits :)

C'est le coucher du soleil, vu de ma fenêtre! Youpi est toujours avec moi, et est revenu pour être témoin de mes habitudes folles:)

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Between Aberdeen and Freetown - the baobab, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Another view on the way to work. This road is a little bit bumpy, but I really enjoy seeing the Baobab and the sea everymorning.

Une autre prise de vue sur le chemin du travail. Cette route est un peu inégale, mais j'ai vraiment plaisir à voir le baobab et la mer tous les matins.

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Freetown homes, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

I took this picture while hanging out in downtown Freetown on Saturday. The Krio (sounds like Creole, doesn't it?) are the descendants of the freed slaves who returned from the Americas to Africa and estabished themselves in Freetown.

J'ai pris cette photo tout en accrochant dehors à Freetown du centre samedi. Le Krio (ca ressemble a Créole, n'est-ce-pas ?) sont les descendants des esclaves libres qui est revenu d'Amériques en Afrique et qui ont construit Freetown.

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Freetown from the mountain, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

On Saturday, we went to visit Desmond, a friend of my colleague's who runs a children's home. I took this picture on the way there. This is what Freetown looks like from the hill top.

Samedi, nous sont allés visiter Desmond, un ami de ma collègue qui gere une maison de jeunes. J'ai pris cette photo en route. Voici a quoi ressemble Freetown vu de la colline.

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King David Fast Food, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

You all know who this made me think of ! This is a tribute to all the Davids out there ;)

Vous que tout sait à qui ceci m'a incité à penser! C'est un hommage à tout les Davids !

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With the kids, over at Desmond's, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

We refer to them as the kids, but in fact, they are young adults or teenagers. They were abandonned, before or after the war, and were taken in by a Swedish NGO. Desmond, a local reverend, had been managing the project and fathering them. Left to right, we have, Mary, Beaver, Hawa, Johnny, Daniel, Assantu and Moses. Squatting at the front is Desmond Jr.

They are wonderful and full of life. You will see more of them later ;)

On les appelle "les enfants", mais en fait, ce sont de jeunes adultes ou des adolescents. Ils étaient abandonnes, avant ou après la guerre, et ont été pris en charge par une ONG Suedoise. Desmond , un pretre local, gere le projet et leur sert de pere. De gauche a droite, nous avons, Mary, Le castor, Hawa, Johnny, Daniel, Assantu et Moses. Accroupis à l'avant est Desmond Jr. Ils sont merveilleusement pleins de vie. Je vous reparle d'eux plus tard...

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Lumley Beach, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

There are lots of beaches in Freetown... On Lumley, it's Easy to get a drink or a lunch by the water. We had lunch here after visiting Desmond.Freetown is the first place where I go where the beauty of mountains complement that of the sea. (Ok, not true, Mamelles in Senegal is pretty nifty too !)

Il y a beaucoup de plages à Freetown.. A Lumley, il est facile d'obtenir une boisson ou un déjeuner au bord de l'eau. Nous avons pris le déjeuner ici après avoir visite Desmond. Freetown est le premier endroit où je vais où la beauté des montagnes complète celle de la mer. (Non, c'est pas vrai, la plage des Mamelles au Sénégal etait aussi tres belle!)

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Stitched_001, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

On Sunday, for once in a long while, I went to church. For those who don't know me too well, I need to specify that it was, for me, a cultural experience more then a religious one. (For a more detailed explanation of my opinion on religion, CLICK HERE.)

What I found truely interesting in this experience was the fact that:

1) there were people. Lots of them. And of all ages.

2) they were happy to be there, concentrated, and full of energy.

3) the preacher was a woman.

4) people participated in singing and dancing.

Le dimanche, pour une fois dans un long moment, j'est allé à l'église. Pour ceux qui ne me connaissent pas trop bien, je dois indiquer que c'était, pour moi, une expérience culturelle plus que religieuse. (pour une explication plus détaillée de mon avis sur la religion, CLICK HERE

1) il y avait les gens. Un bon nombre d'eux. Et de tous ages.

2) ils étaient heureux d'être là, concentré, et plein d'energie.

3) le prédicateur était une femme.

4) les gens participaient en chantant et en dansant.

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Children dancing, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

The other thing that was amazing was that it was Children's day, so kids were really given ownership of the whole ceremony. There was a party going on in there, I tell you!

L'autre chose qui était étonnante était que c'était le jour des enfants, et donc les enfants ont été vraiment associes a la cérémonie. C'etait toute une fete!

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Sunday Beauties, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

After the service, we hung out at Desmond's with the Girls and Boys, who were all partied up for Sunday.

Après le service, nous avons bavardé chez Desmond avec les filles et les garçons, qui étaient tous sur leur 31 pour dimanche.

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Space Cowboy, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Daniel even gave us a pretty good lip sync show of some bluegrass folk. The joy I found with these people was simple and sincere. I was looking forward to sharing it with you, dear readers :)

Daniel nous a même donné un spectacle de lipsync sur fond de folk bluegrass. La joie que j'ai trouvée avec ces personnes était simple et sincère. J'avais hate de la partager avec vous, chers lecteurs:)

The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

FACTS TO PONDER

(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.

(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physiciansper year are120,000.

(C) Accidental deaths per physicianis0.171.Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept ofHealth Human Services.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now think about this:

Guns:

(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S.is80,000,000.(Yes, that's 80 million..)

(B) The number of accidental gun deathsper year, all age groups,is1,500.

(C) The number of accidental deathsper gun owneris.000188.
Statistics courtesy of FBI

So, statistically, doctors are approximately9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Remember, "Guns don't kill people, doctors do."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN,BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.

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Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!!

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Out of concern for the public at large,I have withheld the statistics onlawyersfor fear the shock would causepeople to panic and seek medical attention ! !

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world - those who understand binary and those who don't.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Sierra Leone

To travel from the airport to the city of Freetown, one must take the helicopter (can you see a pattern here ?). Lucky for me, the chopper ride coincided with the sunset. That, my friends, is a great beginning for my 3 week stay in SL !!! For more pictures of SL from the sky at sunset, Click here.

Pour aller de l'aeroport a la ville de Freetown, on doit prendre l'helicoptere (theme recurrent, apparemment, en ce debut d'annee 2006). J'ai eu beaucoup de chance: mon tour d'helico coincidait avec le coucher de soleil. Mes amis, ca promet!!! Pour plus de prises aeriennes du SL from the sky au coucher du soleil, Clickez ici.

DSCN03282006-02-19_14-04-39, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

This is the invitation I got from my co-worker with whom I am going to Sierra Leone:
"This will be my second trip to S/L. I was there just over a year ago. I have many plans to visit some friends there and you are welcome to join me. Last January I went with a group to help construct a recording studio in a school for the blind and paint some buildings at an elder care center. I'm under strict orders to revisit those places (plus I just plain want to) and take pictures of the completed recording studio. Also, there's a girl in a nearby village whose leg was amputated in the war. Some women from the US send money to support her and help with medical bills, and they would like photographs of her. Then there are the kids at the children's home and the residents at the elder care center and a guy who helped us paint that I want to see. If any of this sounds interesting to you, or if you are just plain bored and want something to do, you're welcome to come."

Seems like this is going to be an interesting visit!

Voici l'invitation de ma collegue avec qui je vais au Sierra Leone:
"ce sera mon deuxième voyage au Sierra Leone. J'y étais il y a tout juste une année. J'ai beaucoup de plans de visites à des amis là et tu est la bienvenue si tu veux te joindre a moi. Janvier passé je suis allée avec un groupe pour aider à construire un studio d'enregistrement dans une école pour aveugles et peindre quelques bâtiments dans un centre de soin pour personnes agees. Je suis sous ordres stricts de revisiter ces endroits (sans compter que je veux y aller) et de prendre des photos du studio d'enregistrement réalisé. En outre, il y a une fille dans un village voisin dont la jambe a été amputée pendant la guerre. Quelques dames americaines envoient de l'argent pour la soutenir et pour aider avec les factures médicales, et elles voudraient des photographies d'elle. Alors il y a les gamins des maisons d'enfants et les résidants du centre de soin pour anciens et le gars qui nous ont aidés à peindre que je veux revoir. Si ceci te semble intéressant, ou si tu t'ennuie et que tu veux quelque chose a faire, tu es la bienvenue."

Ca promet d'etre interessant !

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Who to you think I am?

This is a pretty cool little trick! Tell me what you think of me!

Follow the link!

My own Johari Window.

Thanks Tina for the great Idea!


The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Elmima... a European Castle in Africa... Chateau Europeen en Afrique

I left Pakistan on February 16th, and made my way to Accra, Ghana, where I was to meet up with my colleagues and both take the opportunity to rest and to prepare for my next mission to Sierra Leone.

One of my colleagues being local, we took advantage of his knowledge of the area and travelled to the Cape Coast, to Elmima Castle, to visit the most ancient slave trade castle is West Africa.

J'ai quitté le Pakistan le 16 février, et ai fait mon chemin vers Accra, Ghana, où je devais rencontrer mes collègues et prendre l'occasion de me reposer et mee préparer à ma prochaine mission au Sierra Leone.

Un de mes collègues étant locaux, nous avons tiré profit de sa connaissance du secteur et avons voyagé au Cape Coast, au château d'Elmima, pour visiter le plus antique château de commerce l'esclave d'Afrique occidentale.

DSCN03172006-02-18_09-01-25, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

DSCN03182006-02-18_09-01-39, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Leaving Accra, I couldn't resist taking some street pictures. The African ability to make do with anything has always amazed me.

Quittant Accra, je ne pourrais pas résister prendre quelques photos de rue. La capacité africaine de se debrouillerm'a toujours stupéfié.

DSCN03122006-02-18_08-44-52, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Apparently, the coast of Ghana is scattered with forts used for the slave trade. The one seen here in the back ground is called Fort Amsterdam.

Apparemment, la côte du Ghana est dispersée de forts autrefois utilisés pour la traite d'esclaves. Celui vu ici en arrière plan s'appelle Fort Amsterdam.

DSCN02962006-02-18_07-54-36, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Elmima from afar... at last, I see the sea again ! Elmima is the oldest slave trade castle in West Africa: it's been around for over 500 years.

Elmima de loin... enfin, je revois la mer! Elmima est le château du commerce d'esclave le plus ancien en Afrique occidentale: il existe depuis plus de 500 années.

DSCN02582006-02-18_05-19-12, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Let's enter the castle and take a trip in history. Weak hearts, stop your visit here.

Entrons dans le château et voyagons dans l'histoire. Coeurs sensibles, votre visite s'arrete ici.

DSCN02922006-02-18_06-04-14, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Elmima's inside yard.... where the slaves arrived the first time.

La cour d' Elmima .... où les esclaves arrivaient la première fois.

DSCN02812006-02-18_05-50-55, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Fishermen in Elmima, at the bottom of the castle.

Les pêcheurs d'Elmima, au pied du château.

DSCN02592006-02-18_05-27-07, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

This is the men's cell. 600 men were chained here, without light, air, or sanitary facilities.

C'est la cellule des hommes. 600 hommes ont été enchaînés ici, sans lumière, air, ou équipements sanitaires.

DSCN02632006-02-18_05-29-16, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

This is the entrance to the ladies' area. Not very different from that of the men, really, but with the added burden of the repeated rapes perpetrated by the guards and the governor, who apparently took pleasure in choosing his captives personally. Note the cannonbal embedded in the ground. Elmima was the object of quarrels between the Portugese (original founders), the Dutch (who ruled Elmima for centuries) and the English (who had custody of Elmima for 80 years, and after the abolishment of slavery in 1838). Ghana has retaken Elima for a bit over 50 years now, since decolonization.

C'est l'entrée au secteur des dames. Pas très différent des cellules des hommes, vraiment, mais avec le fardeau supplementaire des viols repetes par les gardes et par le gouverneur, qui prenait plaisir a choisir ses captives personnellement. Notez le boulet de canon incursté dans le sol. Elmima était l'objet des querelles entre les Portugais (fondateurs originaux), les Hollandais (qui ont régné sur Elmima pendant des siècles) et les Anglais (dont la suprematie a dure 80 ans, datant d'apres l'abolition de l'esclavage en 1838). Le Ghana a repris Elmima depuis la decolonisation depuis un peu plus de 50 ans.

DSCN02892006-02-18_05-53-51, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

These canons are still there, as a testament to the Greed of Man, ready to defend their priceless asset in the slave trade.

Ces canons sont toujours là, attestant à l'avarice de l'homme, prête à défendre leurs interets capitaux dans la traite d'esclaves.

DSCN02772006-02-18_05-48-07, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

The Death Cell: this is the room in which caught escapees were locked to die. 2 dozens of men could be locked here. The only way out was in a coffin. As long as there were survivors, no body would be removed.

La Chambre de la Mort: c'est la cellule dans laquelle les évadés etaient enfermés à clef pour mourir. 2 douzaines d'hommes pouvaient être fermées à clef ici. La seule sortie était dans un cercueil. Aussi longtemps qu'il y avait des survivants, aucun corps n'etait enlevé.

DSCN02732006-02-18_05-40-08, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Door of no return: This is the door taken by the survivors, to be taken overseas as slave for plantations of Louisiana, the West Indies, and the Portugese colonies.

La porte de non-retour: C'est la porte prise par les survivants, pour être transportes outre-mer comme esclaves pour des plantations de la Louisiane, des Indes occidentales, et des colonies de Portugese.

This is where the road stops for us today. Soon, pictures from Sierra Leone, a small country in West Africa recovering from civil war, and where hope is very much alive.

C'est ici que la route s'arrête pour nous aujourd'hui. Bientôt, des images de Sierra Leone, un petit pays en Afrique occidentale récupérant de la guerre civile, et où l'espoir est tres vivant.

The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Pakistan advisory... surprisingly, I don't feel the heat!

I may not be american... but i sometimes pass for one. Passing this along to anyone who may still be in Pakistan or planning to travel to Pakistan soon....

Warden Notice No. 09/2006
February 15, 2006

We would like to make American citizens aware of the following situations that are taking place throughout Pakistan. Additional protests and demonstrations may occur throughout Pakistan without prior notice or warning. The Embassy will provide further information about
demonstrations as it is received. Again, we encourage all American citizens to remain aware of their surroundings at all times and to avoid all
demonstrations and protests.

Islamabad - Wednesday, February 15

1. At 1330 hours, people of BaraKahu City will organize a demonstration in Barakahu City (a 10 minute drive from the Embassy). It is expected that the demonstration will disrupt the traffic on the Murree Road.
2. At 1500 hours, a large group of various professionals (teachers, clerks, drivers, engineers, doctors etc.) will organize a demonstration at Kulsoom Plaza (intersection of Jinnah Avenue and 7th Avenue) to protest against the cartoons. Islamabad police have confirmed that during this demonstration, traffic on Jinnah Avenue may be diverted to other roads.
3. At 1500 hours, the students of the International University of Islamabad will hold another demonstration in the Melody Market area. Thus far, the police are not aware of whether or not the students will move out of this area. However, in view of the incidents in Lahore which took
place yesterday, additional police forces are being deployed as an added security precaution.

Islamabad - February 19 Rally (as per prior Warden Notice)

As previously mentioned, the route of this particular rally is scheduled to start from Aabpara chowk, proceed to Khayaban-i-Sohrawardy-Attaturk Avenue (west), continue to the intersection of Jinnah & Attaturk (west) Avenue and to the parade grounds. The rally is expected to start at 1300 from Aabpara and will terminate in front of Parliament House on the parade grounds.
It is expected to be a very large rally and could cause traffic hazards. Again, all Americans are encouraged to avoid the areas of this and all demonstrations and protests.

Rawalpindi - Sunday, February 19

1. At 1030 hours, students of Gordon College will organize a demonstration to protest against the cartoons.
2. At 1300 hours, the Pakistan Muslim League will organize a demonstration to protest against the cartoons.
3. At 1600 hours, journalists will organize a demonstration in front of the Rawalpindi press club to protest against the cartoons.

Karachi - Thursday, February 16

A protest against the cartoons is planned in Karachi on the 16th to begin at 1000 and last approximately 3 hours. The demonstration will begin on M.A. Jinnah Road at the Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum and then proceed to the Tibet Center (in Saddar town). The demonstration should end approximately 3km from the US Consulate. Between 5,000-10,000 protestors are expected from several Sunni organizations.

Lahore - Wednesday, February 15

A protest is on-going in Lahore near Punjab University.

Lahore - Friday, February 17

Several religious groups are expected to protest the arrests that occurred during the February 14 strike.

Lahore - Friday, February 27

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal plan a large demonstration to protest the cartoons.

Lahore - Friday, March 3

Large-scale demonstrations are expected as part of a country-wide protest (mentioned in previous Warden Notice).

Peshawar - Thursday, February 16 and for the next several days.

At the time of this Warden Notice, Peshawar is experiencing demonstrations about the cartoons as well as the planned Wheel Jam strike. Some of these demonstrations have become violent and the police have had to use tear gas to disperse crowds. Due to this unrest, the Consulate in Peshawar recommends that as a precaution all Americans limit travel to Peshawar and all of NWFP for the next two days.

Bomb hits Shiites / Attentat-suicide

I don't know how many died (8 or 22??). The news didnt get to me yet... let's see what the local news paper says...

Je ne sais pas combien de morts (8 ou 22?). La nouvelle n'est pas encore arrivee chez moi... la suite dans le journal local de demain matin.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- A bomb ripped through a Shiite Muslim procession Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least eight people, injuring dozens and sparking riots, officials said.

The explosion targeted hundreds of people after they emerged from a Shiite mosque in the town of Hangu, said a senior Interior Ministry official, who asked not to be named because he's not authorized to speak to the media. The Shiites were observing Ashura, the most revered religious holiday in their faith.

It wasn't clear if the bomb was detonated by a timer or a suicide attacker.
At least eight people were killed and dozens injured, said a senior intelligence official who also spoke anonymously because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The Shiites responded by burning shops and cars while clashing with police in the town, located about 125 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad, the Interior Ministry official said.
"The situation is very grave there. People are fighting. Police are trying to control them. Our priority is to get the injured to hospital, but angry and emotional processionists are attacking police vehicles and even ambulances," the official said.

Security was tight for the holiday because it has been marred by violence in recent years. Sunni Muslims -- the majority in Pakistan -- have been blamed for attacking the Shiites during the event, which involves religious processions across the country.

Ashoura marks the 7th century death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein's death led to a rivalry between Shiites and Sunnis over who should succeed the prophet.
Source: CNN
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Au moins 22 personnes ont été tuées et une quarantaine d'autres blessées jeudi lors d'un attentat-suicide contre une procession chiite au Pakistan.

L'explosion s'est produite alors qu'un millier de chiites s'apprêtaient à écouter des discours de leurs leaders.

Des émeutes ont suivi l'attentat. Des chiites en colère ont incendié des magasins et des voitures. L'armée a dû être dépêchée pour rétablir l'ordre.

Des responsables locaux ont attribué l'attentat à des extrémistes sunnites qui s'attaquent régulièrement à des cérémonies chiites.
Source: Canoe.ca

The Beaver




My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Earthquake response reflections / Reflexions sur la reponse au tremblement de terre

Il est ici 3h30 du matin... j'ai travaille une partie de la nuit. Pour les prochains jours nous travaillons a l'hotel, precaution d'usage car c'est fete musulmane et le directeur du bureau craint (a juste titre, je crois - j'ai eu ce commentaire de locaux aussi) des manifestations et de la violence. Pour l'instant, Islamabad est calme. Je ne prends pas de risques, mais je doute qu'il arrive quelque chose. Enfin, ca me permet de travailler a mon rythme, je ne me plains pas...

It is here 3:30 AM.... I have worked a part of the night. For the next few days, we are working out of the hotel, just a precaution because it's a muslim holiday and the Head of Office here is (rightly, I think, as locals are also keeping this discourse) worried that there maybe manifestations and violence. For now, Islamabad is quiet. I am not taking any risks, but I doubt anything will happen. Anyway, this allows me to work at my rythm, I am not complaining...

J'ai recu un courriel me contant qu'hier matin, aux informations de Radio Canada, le reporter canadien de R.C Akli Ait Abdallah, a fait un bref reportage sur le Cachemire pakistanais, et notamment la ville Muzaffarabad (MUZ pour les intimes)... C'est la que j'ai passe 2 jours la semaine derniere . Mon collegue et moi avons visite la ville. Il a pris beaucoup de photos de la destruction... et les a partagees avec moi.

I received an email telling me that yesterday morning, on CBC, the Canadian journalist Akli Ait Abdallah was commenting on Pakistani Kashmir, and particularly Muzaffarabad (MUZ). It's there that I spent 2 days last week. My colleague and I visited the city. He took lots of pictures of the destruction... and shared them with me.

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Mis a nu.... Exposed....


MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Who is he? Is the owner of this icon still alive? Somehow, the picture is still intact...

Qui-est-ce? Son proprietaire est-il toujours vivant? Etonnant que cette photo soit toujours intacte...

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Les habitants de cette maison l'ont abandonnee... ils ont peur qu'elle leur tombe dessus...

The owners of this house abandonned it... they were afraid it would fall on them...

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Incroyable que cet oranger soit reste intact et ai produit des fruits malgre la destruction...

Amazing that this tree remained intact and produced fruit despite all the destruction.

Akli Ait Abdallah se rappelait que les "humanitaires "ne pouvaient s'y rendre que par les moyens héliportés de l'armée pakistanaise, que dans cette zone, il y a eu 70 000 morts et plusieurs milliers de personnes sont encore sous les abris de fortune.......Que les interventions étaient maintenues sur le mode Urgence( abris, nourriture et soins), un an après le tremblement de terre.

Akli Ait Abdallah remembered that the "humanitarians" could not go to MUZ by other means then with the pakistani army's helicopters, that in this area, there 70 000 deaths and that several thousands of people are still living in makeshift shelters... That the interventions are still in emergency mode (shelters, food and healthcare) one year after the Earthquake.

J'ai constate tout cela. Mais les helicopteres sont pilotes par des Russes, et font partie de UNHAS (United Nations Humanitarian Air Service). J'ai pris cet helico pour aller a Mansehra et pour rentrer de Muzaffarabad.

I noticed all of that. But the choppers were piloted by Russians, et are part of UNHAS (United Nations Humanitarian Air Service). I took this chopper to go to Mansehra and to go back from Muzaffarabad.

UN Chopper, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Sur la route de retour, on a pu constater la destruction totale du village de Palakot... J'ai reussi a capturer cette vue:

On the way back, we were able to notice the totale destruction of the village of Palakot... I managed to catch this on film:


DSCN02222006-02-04_03-48-36, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

L'ONG pour laquelle je travaille distribue des abris au Kashmir et dans le Nord du Pakistan. On determine qu'un abri peut etre habite par une famille de 10 personnes. Les gens ne mentiraient normalement pas a propos de leur famille. De toutes facons, nous avons des employes locaux qui font des verifications pour s'assurer que l'information obtenue est logique.

The NGO I work with is a major shelter supplier in AJK and NWFP (sorry, no name - gotta keep my head safe!) The way we operate is that we actually determine that a shelter can do for a family of 10. People usually would not lie about their family members. We have local staff checking the background info as well to make sure it makes sense.

Il y a encore plusieurs milliers de personnes sans abris. L'organisation pour laquelle je travaille a pour objectif de distribuer 10 000 kits de construction d'"abris". Un abri peut tenir jusqu'a 10 personnes. Nous distribuons tous les jours sur 3 sites, a + ou - 200 familles par jour. Les distributions vont encore durer 2 semaines. Donc si mon estimation est correcte, a peu pres 42 000 persones (je calcule 5 personnes par abri car il y a des plus petites familles) sont encore sans abri en ce moment.

There are still several thousands of people without shelter. The organization I work for is striving to distribution 10 000 shelter. A shelter can house up to 10 people. We are distributing every day on 3 sites, to more or less 200 families a day. So if my estimate is correct, about 42 000 people (calculation 5 people by shelter, since there also are smaller families) are still without shelter at the moment.

Parce qu'au coeur de l'urgence, les villages eloignes etaient les plus a risque (essentiellement parce que eloigne = haute altitude = froid = danger de mort), nous travaillons du haut vers le bas de la montagne dans nos zones de service.

Because in the midst of the emergency the mose remote villages were also the most at risk (mostly because remote = high altitude = cold = death) we've been working from the top down in the area which we serve.

Il y a bien sur des tables de concertation dans la zone AJK avec tous les acteurs concernes, et des rencontres hebdomadaires pour s'assurer qu'il n'y a pas de double travail dans les zones affectes.

I also know that there is major concertation efforts in the AJK area by all concerned actors and weekly meetings take place to ensure that no double-servicing happens.

Dans tout ca, les grands oublies sont les sans-abris de la ville (MUZ) qui sont completement ignores par les humanitaires au profit des villages recules, plus menaces par le froid que les citadins. A MUZ, les victimes du tremblement de terre sont encore dans des tentes ou des abris de fortune. Jusqu'a la semaine derniere, c'etait plutot froid la nuit a MUZ.

In fact, the saddest thing (as I see it) is that Muzaffarabad has had barely any assistance based on the above mentionned system. So people are still in tents in the urban area. Until last week, it was still pretty cold at night.



Earthquake victims in MUZ, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Toute cela est bien sur desolant.... All this is desolating.

Il y a beaucoup de defis dans le travail d'urgence au AJK. On ne devrait jamais oublier que gens qui sont sur le terrain travaillent des heures infernales et campent au bureau, loin de leurs familles, pour aider les victimes. (En tout cas, c'est ce que font nos gens.)

There are a lot of challenges in servicing the Earthquake relief. We should never forget that the people on the field are actually working around the clock and camping out in the office, away from their homes, to help others. (Anyway, that is what our field people do.)

If you have any curiosity about the Earthquake, check out Kathryn's post, the discussion there is quite interesting.

Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) est un pays de reve. Des montagnes a perte de vu et des paysages envoutants... comme celui-ci par exemple:

Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) is a dream place. Mountains up to the horizon and magical landscapes... like this one for example:

Kashmir at its best, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

DSCN02282006-02-04_03-52-21, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Bien sur, en bout de ligne, on a aussi eu le plaisir de voir Islamabad vue du ciel... C'est toujours impressionnant, une ville nichee au creux de montagnes...

On the way back, we also got to see Islamabad from the sky... It's always impressive, a city nestled between mountains...

Islamabad... Bird's eye view, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Did you like these pictures? I put up over 150 pictures here. Vous aimez mes photos? J'en a plus de 150! Visionnez-les ici.

Enjoy - let me know what you like!

Earthquake bound / Stupeur et tremblement... de terre...

Hey guys... I know I owe you some posts.... I am extremely tired, so I'm going the lazy way and giving y'all plenty of pics to look at! Below all these pictures, there is a link... to more pictures....

Salut tout le monde... Je sais que je vous dois pas mal d'histoires... mais je suis fatiguee, alors je prends l'adage au pied de la lettre: une image vaut 1000 mots, non? Sous chaque photo, il y a un lien... vers plus de photos....

1Chopper ride ISD MAN, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

We took the helicopter twice to go to the field and back. This is just an example of the amazing views we had from above.

Nous avons pris l'helicoptere pour aller sur le terrain... et revenir... ceci est just un exemple des vues extraordinaires que nous avons eu en helicoptere....

Kashmiri children in Muzaffarabad, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

I stole this picture from my colleague (I am very scrupulous about taking pictures of people) - apparently, this kids instisted on having their picture taken. They are probably the hope of Kashmir - I wonder what their living conditions are now though...

J'ai pique cette photo a un collegue (j'ai toujours des scrupules quand vient le temps de photographier des gens....) - mais apparemment, ces enfants voulaient etre pris en photo. Ils sont probablement l'espoir du Kashmir - je me demande quelles sont leurs conditions de vie par contre...

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Standing on the 1st floor of a house.... in downtown Muzaffarabad, we were told the pungy smell was that of rotten bodies that remain unfound to this day.

Debout sur ce qui devrait etre le 1er etage d'une maison... au centre ville de Muzaffarabad, on nous explique que l'odeur acre que nous sentons est celles des corps qui sont, a ce jour, toujours sous les decombres.

MUZ-LandSlides-4Feb06, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

See the white mesh on the mountains? These are landslides. There used to be villages there, which have all been wiped out.

Vous voyez les etendues blanchatres sur la montagne? Ce sont les glissements de terrain. Il y avait des villages ici, avant, mais ils ont ete completement decimes.

The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !