i skate for jesus

it's the little things that really make africa africa and make me smile.
today, my friend sidy is wearing his 'i skate for jesus' shirt. cause it looks good. not cause of the message, mind you. great stuff. i love it. i tried explaining skateboards and the rest, but to no real avail. when he gets to the us or jamaica, hopefully, he'll sort it all out.
we've been running around the past couple days trying to sort out his visa situation so he can get to jamaica and visit his girlfriend. hectic. so glad it's not me in his shoes. african travel. wow.
not too much time today, so i'll just share the other funny thing. yesterday, i was watching tv at issa's house with his parents and some other folks at the house. they were watching a broadcast from mecca, as the hadj is upcoming so there is tons of publicity to get people to go. so we watch tons of people praying around the kabah. when the prayers are over, the programming becomes the african music videos and the first video is one shot in a malian village, showing a goat sacrifice and tons of animist imagery. great. and then even better, the next song is a senegalese sabar video with clothes coming off. everyone at the house loved all of it. i love the inherent contradictions in everything and that it is all embraced.
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