PUBLISHED OR NOT A VIDEO OF YOUR THIEF?

The most influential blogger in Nigeria, Linda Ikeji, was robbed of her phone while she was trying on shoes in a store. She realized the device was missing when she was in her car. Apart from the shop workers, there was another client, a woman, who was already gone when she went back to search her phone. The vendors said they had not seen it and she returned home.

Few days later, she was contacted by the same store. The phone has not been found yet but one of their camera filmed from start to finish how the device was stolen by the other client, a woman. Incredible! She clearly saw the young woman retrieving the device from her bag, hiding it under clothes.
Once her victim was gone, she put the phone in her own bag and left the shop after writing a fake name and a wrong phone number in the register of the store.

Now, the shop manager is ready to give this video to the blogger, who receives over 50,000 hits a day on her site.She has the authorization to do whatever she wants with it: post on youtube, twitter, facebook, everywhere. But she wonders if it would be a good thing. It can ruin the life of the thief and after all it's just a phone. What do you think? Should her post the video or not?

THE PROSTITUTES OF DEUX-PLATEAUX

A young prostitute by Eliane de Latour

Two days ago I came back home late. Please don't ask me what I was doing outside at this time. lol. It was around 11 pm. I took a cab and the person with me showed me some girls sitting near the station Lubafrique in very short clothes.

 "They are prostitutes." 

I refused to agree with him saying that it was not possible. It seems that I'm naive. I rarely recognize prostitutes. First, because they wear the clothes that the Lambda Ivorian girl wears all over the city. Skimpy dresses, outfits that show more skin than they hide is the new fashion. If you want to use clothes to jugde, more than half of girls are prostitutes. Then I can barely identify them because I have trouble understanding how they can prostitute themselves in a place full of light, with their faces uncovered. 

What if someone recognizes you? What if your parent goes through there? What if tomorrow you want to stop this "trade"? The past does not die. It hides in a corner to reappear when we take our happiness for granted. I looked them carefully at the favor of the red light. Curvaceous, acceptable faces. In more decent clothes, they could have fit in the good mother role. What can push a lady to do that ? Is there no other alternative? 

This is a huge risk they are taking by following men they do not know in sordid places. Their life is in danger.  On the other side, the life of the customer too is in danger. Behind these angelic faces can hide serial killers, who knows? 

I was even more stunned when the person with me said, "and there are even boys disguised among them ." 

-Boys? May God help his children. 

PRESS RELEASE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG FILMAKERS OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE

A series of seven workshops including six of screenplays rewriting of short films and one of directing ended in Abidjan this Saturday, April 21. Organized by the Association of Young Filmmakers of Côte d'Ivoire (AJTEC-CI) with support from the Hubert Bals Fund of the Netherlands, these sessions were attended by 21 young Ivorian filmmakers. 

"These workshops were great times of learning. I am sure that what I learned will help me during my whole career," said Isabelle Kouraogo, student in film directing and author of a selected scenario. 

These workshops, which started on February 18, 2012, are part of a global program to produce three short films. A screenplay competition was launched for this purpose in December 2011. The three scenarios chosen by an international jury have been rewritten in two sessions per project, led by experienced writers. These include Ivorian filmmakers Akaffou Bertin, Désiré Téhua and Ernest Kouacou. The production workshop which took place on April 21 was led by the filmmaker and film school director N'Drya Jean. 

"Additional rewriting sessions were needed to refine some projects but we are really happy with this important phase. The three scenarios are now ready to become great movies," said Honoré Essoh, Chairman of the Executive Committee of AJTEC-CI. 

 In collaboration with its partners the association will proceed in the shooting of the three films in May. Created on November 13, 2010 the AJTEC-CI is an association of young directors, cameramen, editors, screenwriters and other filmmakers. Its main objectives are to train its members and help to revitalize the film and television sectors in Côte d’Ivoire. Abidjan, April, 21, 2012 

 For more information, please contact the association AJTEC-CI at email address ajtecci@yahoo.fr or phone numbers: +225 08 28 14 14 or +225 08 51 70 08.

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT AND THE COMEDY OF DEVELOPMENT

Let it be clear. This is not an Alassane Ouattara's matter. It is a problem that you can easily notice in most of our african countries. Côte d'Ivoire is just not an exception. When a president must pay a visit to a particular region, you can see people working hard and fast to make the area beautiful for the cameras. Suddenly, there is money to solve most of the problems.

See the exemple of Man. The President Alassane Ouattara must visit the population of the region. So, they are building roads, cleaning fields, renovating stadium, electrifying some places, painting buildings...Why ? This is not the reality of what people are living. This reality I think the president must see, live and experience to be able to take relevant decision to improve the well-being of population. This sound so fake to me. It's seems it's just a political move and not a real attempt of showing kindness. 

If there is money, the governement should not wait for a visit of the president to consider a solution to the problems of the population. Côte d'ivoire is not limited to Abidjan and Yamoussoukro. 

I'm persuaded that all these works done in the hurry won't remain very long after the passage of the president. But will the television go there again to show it ? This is not so sure. According to all that, I can finally say that there is an efficient solution for the development of the entire country. We should give a schedule to the President for the five years of his exercise. In this schedule, he will have to visit every single area, town, street and village of this country. The governement will give money for the comedy of development and everybody will be happy... for a while.

MY BIRTHDAY WISHLIST

My birthday is approaching fast. It’s the 10th of this month. Last year at this same period, we were struggling with more important questions like: “are we going to live until next day?”. "Will Ado and Gbagbo let us have peace in our own country ?"

Gun noises were everywhere. Death was at the corner of each road, waiting patiently to great us, sometimes, bursting into homes,  through lost bullets. By God’s grace, here am I today. Here are we all, if we are able to read this. And I guess we are grateful to still be alive. 

During the war I learned so many things. I learned the simple life. That was the greatest gift I received. We don’t really need most of the things we are fighting to possess. I’m not saying one should stay in poverty or make a vow of austerity, if he has sufficient resources to live in opulence. I'm just declaring that we don’t really need it to be happy, purely and truly. In fact we must learn to be happy without it and confortable with it.

All the people who met me after the crisis see me as a natural woman. Natural because, I don’t use artificial hairs and I don’t put make up on my face (except for pictures), nailpolish, fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake whatever... Most of the time I don’t wear jewels. And even my clothes are simple. I am at ease in a jeans and a top. I'm not quiet sure I know how to suffer gracefully on high heels. 

Some people are happy with it.  Others are saying I should pay more attention to my appearance and be like other young girls of 23 going on 24.

Both group are wrong. I learned not to feel bad or ugly just because I don’t have all those things on me. I learned that being simple, is being me, as looking sophisticated is too. The most important, the most valuable treasure I should cherish and develop is not my appearance but what lies under the clothes, the flesh, the bones, the blood,…it’s me. The spirit living in me. My brains, my personality, my soul, all those things invisible, untouchable, so deep that I am not able myself to understand the depth of it. 

During the crisis I learned that I should value life. I should waste less and focus more on important thing. I discovered that only two spoons of sugar is sufficient in my coffee instead of the five or six I used to put in he cup. I realized that fish was delicious in a stew, even if there is no meat. I used to be a meat lover. It does not matter anymore.

So to come back to my birthday wishlist, I want first, things which will help me to learn, elevate my soul and my spirit to another level like an Ipad lol.  I'll be glad to receive jewels, watches, shoes, bags, clothes, perfume, and all those girly girly things. I like them, I need them. But it will be my greatest joy, recieving books.

-Books about spirituality. I'm a christian so, don't buy me books on other religions for the moment. I'm still trying to understand my faith, and then, I will have sufficient tools and maturity to understand other people faith, that's my point of view. No offense. Books about relationship, business and advertising.

Please don't you all buy the same books oh ! Talking about books there are some african authors I'm eager to read:  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Alain Mabanckou, Serge Bilé, Chinua Achebe (Arrow of God), Calixthe Beyala...

-Laugh or not but I want to learn how to sew. I like to make my own clothes. If only I can have the opportunity to get the training in a school, few hours, each week-end, I'll be really really happy. A book showing how to sew won't be bad.

-I want to improve my german. Let's be honest. I want to learn it all over again. I really like the language and even if you can find all the information you need on internet, I would like to have a scholarchip to learn at Goethe Institut.

Apart from it, I would appreciate DVD of Adams Apples by the Ghanaian Shirley Frimpong Manso. I only have the chapter one and the chapter two of the series. I also search "The figurine", by Kunle Afolayan and some others I don't even know if it has already been put in DVD.lol.

Some people asked me what I want for my bithday. Even if the article is a little answer, I think as I  told them that they should act according to their heart. A gift is a gift. A "happy B day", a call, a prayer, are gifts too, valuable gifts. If you don't forget the date, it's sufficient.

FIVE SENSES FOR CÔTE D'IVOIRE

See, how the spark's little kiss,
make the straw blush, catch a fire.

Listen, how short music notes and
rythm father perfect bliss.

Smell, how the hint of many scents,
exhale a unique fragrance.

Touch, how every single bump and depth,
become a beautiful masterpiece pottery.

Taste, how a pinch of love,
increase the sweetness of a hug.

Let's smell the unique fragrance exhaling of the sweetness of our hug.
Let's listen to the rythm of the sparks kissing the straw.
Let's say our resemblances are beautiful, but it's by our differences that we are masterpieces.
We are all unique, that's why we are similar...


 Yehni Djidji...

MISS INTERPRETER: HOW GOD WORKS !

I used to answer : “No” or “just a little bit” each time someone would ask me If I speak English very well. Although my classmates and teachers agreed that my level was beyond the average, I was always ashamed to say a big “yes”. My big obstacle was that an important part of my english education was done through Nigerian and Ghanaian movies. Few actors were speaking as well as my mother wanted me to speak, but she thought it was a good way to begin. She corrected my “ladda” to “ladder” and my “broda” to “brother”…Unfortunately, I’m still convinced that I have the naija accent in my mouth. When I try to speak with the british accent I feel so fake. Lol! 

So when I was in my third year of Junior secondary school we were introduced to African movies. I loved them, and I’m still loving them. At first I did not notice that those films had a hand in my way of speaking English. I always answered to those admiring my ability: "my mother is an English teacher". As if there was any relation between the two facts. As if a child had automatically his parents' skills. I stopped giving this kind of answer the day I met a young lady whose mother was an English teacher too, but who couldn’t speak English to save her life. I realized that it was my own will and passion for this language that makes me spend an entire week-end watching the same movie three or six times with different people. 

The fact is when I like something, I want people around me to like it too. When I find an interesting movie, I want the others to see it. I want to see them laugh and cry or shout like I did when I was watching it alone. It was my greatest joy to come with a new movie and see the whole family gathered around TV and let me translate it in French…even if most members of the family understood English. I used to say it was for the housemaid to understand, or for the cousin spending a few days at home, or for…

My mother was happy because she used to be the one translating years ago, when I was complaining that I was not able to understand, to recognize any word, any familiar sound. Now I’m even translating some pidgin parts she doesn’t understand. 

More than 10 years later, I’m translating the preaching at church. I know now that everything is happening in somebody's life for a purpose! I guess God was preparing me to serve him that way. Each Sunday is a new challenge. General English and biblical one are not the same. In a usual conversation you do not speak about good seeds and tithes and crucifixion…But once again, I have watched so much movies about churches, I always find the right word or it’s synonym . One day I used “chief of soldier” because I did not know at this moment the word “centurion”. I said “rising from death” because I was not too sure that “ resurrection” was English or French only. Another time it was “weeds” I called “bad grass”. People are congratulating me. They say what I’m doing is not easy.

There is a difference between speaking a language, understanding it, and being able to translate second after second what somebody is saying. It’s god grace. It’s god showing that he is powerful. 

I make mistakes! Sometimes it’s like words are slipping out of my mind. A little distraction and I’m a bit confused. But I’m grateful for this opportunity, this experience. Nothing happens in somebody’s life haphazardly. From translating movies in my home to doing it in front of church’s members. Who could have imagine that ? To God be the glory!

picture: http://www.monstersandcritics.com