August Begins

1 August 2010

Two months from today, I will be flying out of Bamako on my way back across the Atlantic. A week from now, my replacement arrives from Tubaniso with Soumaïla for their first week in Kafara.
Last night, I laughed at something Lamine told Fousseyni during a playful argument. Allah ko, fen min tè ben i ma, kana o kè mògò wèrè ma. This can be literally understood as “Do unto others as you would want done to you,” and I immediately made this connection, laughing because a young boy was telling this to his older cousin!
An interesting perspective I recently picked up on is the belief Muslims hold regarding any natural disaster or such calamity that befalls them. They perceive these misfortunes as Allah’s punishment for their sinful existence, and must beg for his forgiveness. I heard this concept put forward by a local on a BBC broadcast from northwest Pakistan, where the worst flood in living history has already affected 1 million people.