I Will Eat What I Want

Driving from Phikwe, the mining town where we lived, to our home village of Mahalapye in Eastern Botswana, my face was always pressed against the back window. I was fond of watching greener-than-green mophane trees dotted with women’s brightly colored headscarves. The women in the trees were from nearby villages close to the big road and they were shaking mophane caterpillars off tree branches to the ground for harvest. 

Despite being an inquisitive child I could only squirm at the thought of eating these tough yellow and green caterpillars, and so eventually I would extract my face from the window. 

Today I do not live in Botswana but I encounter many Western tourists who have explored
Botswana and they tell me, very seriously, that mophane caterpillars are a Botswana delicacy. And truth be told, I was willing to try mophane before but now that they are litmus for Tswana authenticity even to BaTswana themselves (thanks to Western travel literature) I have no desire to snack on the lovely caterpillar. 

The African’s palate is always called only “cultural” and his taste understood as only “tribal” thereby leaving no room for the African’s individual taste. So, I write now of the truth that I am a proud MoTswana man who will not force himself to eat mophane caterpillars. Simply because they have thorns growing from their body. 

Donald Molosi

Non-FicTion

I am so Sad About tHis. Poleni, jamaani.

Zanzibar mourns ferry disaster victims

Victims of the disaster were taken to Stone Town in Zanzibar

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The Tanzanian region of Zanzibar has begun three days of mourning for the victims of a ferry sinking that killed nearly 200 people.

The boat was carrying about 800 people when it capsized between Zanzibar's main islands of Unguja and Pemba.
Survivors said it was dangerously overloaded with passengers and cargo and was listing when it left port.
The government of the semi-autonomous region has ordered an investigation into what caused the disaster.
It is thought the boat capsized after losing engine power in the swift currents between the two Indian Ocean islands.
The accident happened early on Saturday and by nightfall about 600 survivors had been rescued.
'Ladder removed' Friends and relatives have been identifying the dead, which have been taken to a football ground in Unguja.
The bodies, placed in separate rows of men and women, have been wrapped in black blankets with their clothes placed next to them to help relatives find them.

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Captain Neels van Eijk from Whirlwind Aviation flew out over the ocean to help search for survivors and describes what he saw to the BBC

Rescue workers said the death toll could rise because more bodies were trapped in the capsized vessel, the MV Spice Islander.
The boat, licensed to carry 600 people, began its voyage in Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam.
It took on more passengers and cargo in Unguja before it left for Pemba.
Fearing the boat was overloaded, some passengers disembarked before it left port.

"A few of the passengers managed to get off the ship after noticing that it was tilting," said Aze Faki Chande, who Reuters news agency said lost her two children and sister.
"We also tried to disembark, but the ship's crew quickly removed the ladder and started sailing towards Pemba," she said.
The BBC's East Africa correspondent Will Ross, in Nairobi, says carrying too many passengers or too much cargo is a common cause of accidents whether on sea or on land in many parts of Africa.
Survivors have described the moment the vessel foundered.
"I realised something strange on the movement of the ship. It was like zigzag or dizziness," Associated Press quoted 15-year-old Yahya Hussein as saying.
"After I noticed that I jumped to the rear side of ship and few minutes later the ship went lopsided."
He said he survived by clinging to a plank of wood with several others.
Many children were said to be among the boat's passengers.

All The Ghosts in The House Say "Yeah"

Come one ghost, come all ghosts! Today is Ghost Day and I am excited about getting spooked. I observe firecrackers tinting the air in the streets and little stations of food and other items like gift vouchers set up on roadsides. The ghosts are definitely coming and they will fetch vouchers to buy stuff with in hell. I am eight years old again and mesmerized, like Santa is about to slide down the chimney and give me a toy car.

After a delicious lunch of many food items at Shabu Shabu buffet (I ate aout 20 kilos of food competing with my host cousins)I could barely walk. I waddled. I was so full. And giggly. I was in Taiwan and being able to be as sillya s I am when I am home in Botswana.

The afternoon was karaoke in the mountains at someone's house, one of the family friends. I was hoarse and sang every song off key. I even pretended I could read Chinese and sang in made-up Chinese. I goofed on and my host brother goofed right back.

Then we went shopping. I had to get some stuff and people in shops were soooo friendly. And flattering - they kept telling me how handsome I was. And I goofed, yet again, and asked if that was why people always told me I look like I am Taiwan. Of course with my dark skin and kinky hair, I am nothing like what a Taiwanese is expected to look like. But we all just goofed all afternoon.

At the Lions Club meeting I met amazing people, older men in their fifties at least. I learnt "kan pe!" a phrase that means you must empty the cup, basically down your drink. Taiwan beer was smooth and the company was welcoming and full of laughter.

Later I met the Thai workers at the factory that my host family owns. After my zealous "Sa Wa De Ka" they invited me for a drink. It was a Thai gin of sorts. We laughed a lot and made so many jokes that I could have sworn we shared 10 languages.

I discovered a soft drink place called Coco. I still love Ching Shin and its yummy non-alcoholic cocktails. I went to bed with a smile on my face after a whole day of goooooooofing around like a cartoon! Kan Pe!!!

MIAOLI, Taiwan :)

We arrived in Hong Kong sleep-deprived and Phoebe had a cold. But both of us suddenly got excited when we realized that the long trip from Botswana had led us both to East Asia for the first time. We immediately met up with fellow SayTaiwan participants at the airport and sat down together for drinks. Phoebe observed that the waiters were putting in our orders through iPads which we thought was very exciting, tech-forward.

The flight to Taiwan was smooth and seeing a huge sign of SayTaiwan at the airport welcoming all participants was exciting and soon we were huddled up doing group photo-shoots in front of the sign. The airport staff were extremely efficient, friendly and helpful and before we knew it our visas were processed and we were collecting our luggage.

Meeting Alice was fun after having virtually talked to her so much over the last few months. We were given cellphones, welcome packets and I met my host brother, K, who took me to meet his father. On the way I was tremendously tired and kept dosing off but at the same time epically excited! We had dinner at a nice restaurant and I was happy to be using chopsticks and not making a mess at all. We got home and I slept like a log, after warning my host family that I might not be up before 9. I had arrived in Miaoli.

TAIWAN!

I am off to Taiwan to celebrate 100 years of Taiwan's being a republic. The posts that are to come after this will mostly be about my trip to Taiwan. Wo ai Taiwan.

Unrest in Uganda: I hope the violence ends right away.

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Riots over Kizza Besigye's arrest

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Security forces try to quell the riots that broke out on the streets of Kampala

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At least two people have died in riots in Uganda's capital over the treatment of opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

Security forces fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters burning tyres.

Mr Besigye sought medical treatment after being tear-gassed in his car and bundled roughly into a truck when he was arrested on Thursday.

It was his fourth detention this month for his participation in a "walk-to-work" protest over high prices.

President Yoweri Museveni has said the walking campaign over the rise in the cost of living is illegal.

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They arrested him like a chicken thief - we cannot allow such things to continue”

Brown NdeseProtester

After his arrest Dr Besigye was charged with inciting violence but was released on medical grounds until 2 May.

The BBC's Joshua Mmali in the capital, Kampala, says Dr Besigye was taken to hospital from the court because he had been temporarily blinded.

On Friday evening, he was allowed by the authorities to fly to neighbouring Kenya to seek medical treatment.

Our reporter says footage of the arrest was broadcast on Ugandan television and the video-sharing website YouTube.

It showed plain-clothed policemen beating up Dr Besigye's supporters, smashing the window of his car and dousing the inside with pepper spray and tear gas before manhandling him into a vehicle and driving off.

Rumours spread

According to Uganda's Red Cross, two people have died in the trouble and 120 others were taken to hospital with injuries.

Internal Affairs Minister Kirunda Kivejinja said 360 people had been arrested and those injured had mainly been hurt by "stones, sticks and bottles".

Police fought with Kizza Besigye and his supporters during his arrest on Thursday

The police force was "within its constitutional mandate to restore law and order" by removing road blocks and "disengaging crowds", he told journalists in the capital.

Our correspondent says transport was paralysed and shops closed because of the widespread rioting and chaotic scenes.

Earlier on Friday morning, gunshots could be heard from different parts of the city and live ammunition was shot into the air in some areas.

The trouble started in Kisseka market, sparked by the anger over the manner of Dr Besigye's arrest and rumours that the FDC leader might have died.

The speculation about his death spread via Twitter and in Ugandan chatrooms.

"They arrested him like a chicken thief. We cannot allow such things to continue. Museveni must go," Brown Ndese, one of the protesters, told the Associated Press news agency.

The security forces were out in strength as the trouble spread across the city, our reporter says.

In some areas, the military beat up people who had resorted to walking to work because there was no transport, and forced them to clear the roads of debris from the burnt barricades, he says.

Dr Besigye has considerable support in the capital where many people were enraged by his treatment

The BBC's Ignatius Bahizi in the suburb of Kasubi said earlier on Friday morning that people were fleeing the area and vehicles were heading out of town to save them from damage.

He said when he tried to take a photo of the protesters burning tyres they turned on him and tried to attack him.

April's walk-to-work campaign, organised by several opposition parties over rising fuel and food prices, has been marked by clashes between protesters and the police and the arrest of opposition politicians.

Dr Besigye, who was shot in the hand during a similar recent protest, lost to President Museveni in a February election he says was rigged.

Before the polls, Dr Besigye had called for Egypt-style uprisings in the event of fraud.

Police responded by banning public demonstrations.

NGUGI WAS RIGHT!

 
Although I did not watch the much-publicized British Royal Wedding (Prince William and Kate Middleton) today I caught a quick glimpse of the vows and the balcony kiss.


I could not help but remember the last time I was in front of Buckingham Palace happily posing for a picture; I looked at the TV screen animated, naming members of the British Royal Family as their faces appeared. I felt English.


I believe it was the great Ngugi wa Thiong'o who said something to the effect that the trouble with trying to decolonize yourself or your mind is that you see just how impossible it is to do that. I thought of Ngugi at that moment because I know I would not be able to identify members of our Royal Families in Botswana (we have several such families).


I knew I did not have a picture of myself in Serowe at the Khama memorials or in Nhabe in front of Kgosi Tawana 1's old residence. I convinced myself that I was only watching a news report about Will and Kate just because I like weddings. Yes, I like weddings in the same emotional voyeuristic way I like award shows. Whatever. I knew deep down there was a connection I felt with this wedding because all my education and socialization in a former British protectorate has been preparing me to culturally identify more closely with such events than King Mswati's yearly marriages. Even in my energized Afrocentrism there are cracks that sometimes show when an event like today's Royal Wedding come up. And our hopelessly colonized curriculum on the continent is to blame for much of this.