FREETOWN - Sierra Leone, I just arrived. I love the wind, I love the city, the steep hillsides of vegetation-flanked Freetown Peninsula. After touching down at Sierra Leones international airport at Lungi, I got swoop off on a heli-ride to Mammy Yoko landing sites behind Lumley Beach. The airlines run connecting helicopter services, and alternatively speedboat hires operating from Mahera Beach and arriving into Man OWar Bay which is the best option when youve missed your hovercraft shuttle. Its good to be back here again. After my last visit two years ago, I could not resist the urge to crawl back into this space. So when I got invited to take part in an international Spoken Word convergence at Fourah Bay, West Africas oldest university to play our part creatively in sensitizing the masses on the Ebola scourge, I could not pass the opportunity. The feeling however is somewhat a mixed eerie blended with excitement and nostalgia. Im in Bintuman hotel, a stylish luxury complex on Lumley Beach road, rebuilt by Chinese investors after the civil war. The facilities are top-notched with a touch of Chinese decor, bilingual signs and menus. Gosh! Why didnt I take my Mandarin class in Uni seriously? I had airish petete with plasas, which for your benefits is sweet potatoes with palava sauce. I am savoring this local staple with fresh chak or palmi as my Ghanaian folks will call it. Its new brewed palm wine and I feel on top of the World at the moment. Time to get out and about for a couple of hours before the big event this evening at Mount Aureol, south of the town center. I pick my backpack, the camera goes in, what next, errm . . . well never mind, zip? check. With a sling strapped around my left arm, I step out making sure to securely lock the door behind. Waving down a poda podas heading my way, we bargain on a price for fare and at first he assumes am a Johnny Just Come until I dropped my cockney accent unleashing my undiluted krio. Na too dear, duya lehs mi smohl, i pleaded with him to reduce the price. He looked stunned at first to see someone coming out of Bintumani asking for price reduction as it is the perception that only the bourgeoisie can afford to lodge there.His consolation was nafoh bia nomoh meaning nothing can be done about the fare, its a take-it-or-leave-it. I took it and sat beside him at the passenger seat in front. Aw di bohdi? I asked. No bad, bohdi fine bai gohd in powa inferring he was doing well thanks to the grace of God. He then got too comfortable with me and asked usai yu kohmot?, where am from? Wetin na yu wahala wer a kohmot? I interjected.A dey go na Kroo Town road market, ustehm wi dey go? He lets out a raucous snigger and asks to my chagrin Wetin na yu nem? I take one hard look at him and reply a nem na Ebola! You can imagine the look of horror on his face as the muscles on his face contorted. At this point I want to apologize to all my Sierra Leonie friends here (especially Ms. Celia Sawyer). This wasnt intended for pun. It just wrung out due to extreme provocation.Should have exercised a bit of restraint. We feel the pain and our hearts are with you. Our thoughts will forever be with all those weve lost due to this scourge. I know someday we share all look back at this day and pat ourselves on the back and say We made it through the struggle. I am currently standing by the road as the stand-off between myself and the poda podas route taxi driver did not end well. If you driving by that lane please be kind to give me a left. And off course, I dont have Ebola. Welcome to re-branded scenes from my #VirtualTourSeries
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 13:04:29 +0000
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