lessons of every sort
As if making concrete blocks isn't hard enough, we had to move about 200 or so blocks that had dried, and stack them up neatly to prepare the bafa for a new set of blocks. This took up most of the day. I helped with some of the carpentry work as well. The fellow who was building a workbench was impressed by my knowledge of carpentry. (I advised him to nail a single 2x4 along the middle of the bench to support the long planks that would make the top of the bench). I guess those physics lessons came in handy after all. I could never profess to common sense! Well then I was tested on my skills and promptly failed at pounding in nails. I kept bending the nails and the fellow kept asking me if I had anything to say to him. I had no clue what he was talking about. I later found out that if you're pounding a nail and the nail bends, it supposedly means that I have something on my mind that needs to be said. I am not sure if this is something particular to Sierra Leone, or if it's common in other parts as well. I later opted to go clear the weeds and continued through the rain.I had a very interesting and informative talk with a brother whose descendents were warriors from Mali. They were part of a tribe that had come to Sierra Leone in search of salt. The tribe split up leaving some behind and promising to return (me Kono - we will return) as soon as they found salt. The group never returned, and the ones who were left behind in Sierra Leone came to be known as the Kono tribe. This brother's
father is a chief of the Kono tribe. He attended the Bo School, as the sons of many of the prominent elders and brilliant students did. Bo School, located in a town called Bo is a very prestigeous school.
Kono, as the place is named after the tribe, is the diamond capital of Sierra Leone. When the rebels had come to Kono, the brother narrates, he along with his family had to live in the bush for weeks. The bush as the locals call it is a forest or any place densly populated by trees, shrubs, and bushes. They also eat "bush" (Cassava leaves, potato leaves, etc). He recalls on many ocassions having to remain absolutely silent when some of the rebels had come close enough to their bush. Even the little kids were trained to recognize the rebels and remain silent.
The Kono tribe are the only tribe (in Africa he says) who have a system of naming their kids:
| Boys | Nicknames | Girls | Nicknames | |
| 1st | Sahr | SaSa or Sascoh | Sia or Seah | Sia-Sia |
| 2nd | Tamba | T-Boy or Tam-Tam | Kumba | Kum-Kum |
| 3rd | Aiah | A-boy | Finda | Fin-Fin |
| 4th | Komba | K-boy or Kom-Kom | Yei | Yei-Yei |
| 5th | Kai | Kai-Kai |
This is applicable to the sons and daughters of the first and second wives. The 6th kid onward for the guys (5th for the girls), and the children of all other consecutive wives (as they can marry more than one wife) are given random names (sometimes named hammer, or beef, or rock, etc - in their language of course). This brother I spoke to is a Komba. He does have a first name, the middle name is Komba, and a last name. So yes, that Sia you know just might be a Kono.
I also had a very interesting conversation about the practices of witchcraft in Africa. More about that later. It's 10:50 and the generator was turned off at 10 PM today.
P.S. I finally acquired a scrub to wash with. It's a miniature version of a nylon fishing net. It actually works better than a loofah. All of you who were worried about by showering habits can now rest easy. I am as clean as a whistle. I think.
posted by bthomas24 @ 4:03 PM
4 Comments:
May I remind you that whistles are covered in saliva rich in bacteria and digested food particles? Not to mention possible rust that forms if it's metal. Clean as a whistle eh? =)
HAHA. Thanks! Good info for a stay in Africa. Funny thing is, I did buy a metal whistle before I came to Africa. Just in case I find myself in some ditch and don;t know what to say to call for help!
Yea, since you refuse to use insect repellant and keep getting bitten and you won't shower -- I figured an accurate description of a real whistle would be veryyy accurate for your current state as well. hehehe
-Kitty
I am trying to take a bath everyday, but it's just better at times to do it every other day. Save water!!
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