you know…most of the time i don’t think of indian folks as asian.  but while i was in gambia i had the opportunity to view several indian films.  and what i found delightful and facinating was that they use the same “traditional kung fu sounds”  in their fight scenes as the martial arts films that we all fell in love with via kung fu theater. that kinda rocked my world.

and the nigerian movies that i viewed taught me that you can put together a 4 hour film and only use one or two songs for the soundtrack.  WHO KNEW?

that i was looking at a map of west africa whenever the weather report came on the news…

the amount of emphasis the government seems to place on women’s concerns in the gambia.  they are considered to be an integral part of the proper development of the country

the fatou/fatu/fa2 show !!! the first talk show in gambia…it airs on thursday nights…fatou covers a VARIETY of topics many of which concern women.  she’s makin it happen with a mac and a couplea chairs and a camera crew.

fa2 show

‘Top model of Colour’ preparations in high gear

top model of color

re posted from the daily observer

 

 

Africa » Gambia

Friday, 20 November 2009

As preparations intensify ahead of the first grand model contest in the country dubbed the Top Model of Color, slated for December 5th 2009 at the Senegambia Beach Hotel, organizers of this grand event are currently working hard to make this international event a great success.  

 

Author: Sheriff Janko

Under the chief patronage of the Gambian leader, His Excellency, Sheikh Professor Alhaji  Dr Yahya Jammeh, the 2009 grand final expected to be the biggest and best ever. Organized by FABECS Promotions in collaboration with Mahogany Productions, this international event is believed to be another boost in the country’s drive towards promoting and pushing the entertainment sector to another level.

According to the organizers, the event is one of UK’s biggest modeling competition featuring 40 models from all over the world. FABECS Promotions, an entertainment company under the leadership of Fatima Jabbi, in recent years, has been very instrumental in organizing a series of fashion and beauty contests. Among these were Face of The Gambia, Women of Excellence Awards, Miss West Africa UK, Miss Afro-Caribbean, in which she received great commendation as the proceeds of the event went in support of the less privileged ones. This, as a result enabled her to become a household name both in the country and in the UK, when it comes to beauty, fashion and modeling contests.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Whats On, Jabbi disclosed that this forthcoming event is basically meant to promote models, who are less privileged in the modeling industry such as black models, Indian, Chinese, Hispanics, or Arabs, etc.  This under-privileged ones need people to speak on their behalf. In football, white and black are treated equally, even in music. So we want the same when it comes to the fashion industry; because what we observed is that white models have all the privileges and the blacks are sidelined, she said.

She commended The Gambia for accepting to host such an important event, which she noted will help promote tourism in the country.  Gambia is a liberal country that supports the voice of the people, she said, adding that considering the huge media backing since the inception of the Promotions, this forthcoming event will be a successful one.

This mega event will attract both categories, male and female around the world and will be the first time men and women will battle for the same awards in the Smiling Coast. She  also heaped praises on the Gambian leader, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, who, she said, has supported the initiative since the inception of the  promo. Fatou Drameh, the media and marketing officer for the event, said this event will further promote modeling and the fashion industry in the country.

Mahogany Productions, she said, is the biggest modeling industry for models of color based in the UK. The proceeds of the event, according to Drammeh, will be used to support the Jammeh Foundation for Peace and also the Women Federation Foundation.

this is my tailor, Usman. Usman is a Genius! if you’re looking for him…he’s in Busumbala…he speaks about as much english as i do mandinka.  But his kindness Alieu translated for me…but i mostly went in and pantomimed what i wanted the outfits to look like…and he made it happen. 

i thought it was funny that even though i couldn’t understand what the men were saying when the translating was happening…there was a time or two that i said “no…not like that…i want the sleeve to do this…and i’d gesture to my arm”  the man is RIDICULOUSLY talented! he’s shown here sewing clothing for my godbabies…sight unseen. and his PRICES! the man is just wonderful…and when my friend Lamin goes home…i’m sending fabric WITH him to have more clothing made…

Usman at work

folding up my clothesthis is what pretty much everyone's iron looks like...you open it up and add hot coals...

 

i loved how the shop is connected to his house.  the sewing machine that he uses is one like my grandmother uses…no electricity just the pumping of his foot.  so essentially his shop is a cinderblock room with a sewing machine and a couplea tables in it.  he has the iron that doesn’t need electricity.  his apprentice flits in and out on small errands.  babies play on the floor.  his finished garments hang on the wall.  and there are two narrow benches set up against the wall so that you can sit and chat or wait for him to finish your clothing… and that’s it…he scribbles measurements on the wall in chalk…the shop has two doors and two windows…all of which are flung open during the day. 

on top of the wall surrounding people’s compounds…sometimes they had nails embedded or spikes to discourage intruders…my favorite tho…was when they used glass

so i arrive in jfk

grumpy and somewhat unkempt by my standards

as i come through customs…the gentleman at the window gazes at my passport and says you’re a southern belle!

Me: yes i am

Him: AND a gemini

Me: *chuckle* i am

Him: if i wasn’t already married i would say that i’ve met my soulmate

Me: *smile* what’s your sign?

Him: Libra

Me: aaaah

Him: yes…it’s a VERY FIREY connection

i’m now FULLY checked in with delta and waiting at my appointed gate.  Mohamet came back as promised.  i realized that instead of the fried bread that i was expecting…poppa slipped me a goat pocket!  and even though the only meat that i generally eat is fish…i said a prayer and i ate the dog MESS out of it. yes i did!  instead of letting fear of the unknown paralyze me while i was in the airport in Dakar i decided to look at it all as a big adventure.  i flirted with every pretty Senegalese man working here and made my way, with mohamet’s assistance, throughout the check in process.  i was a little bit concerned that one of my suitcases was going to be over the limit of 23 kilos.  and when i put that sucker up on the scale it said 23.9…JUST made it!  Mohamet wrote me a little note about love complete with a picture of a heart with an arrow through it.  and then he said now give me your hand. and when i did he put something in it secretly.  he said this is something sacred that african women wear. you put it here…he gesticulated around his waist and said you understand? and i KNOW that my eyes were huge whein i nodded my head and said yes i do! and when i looked in my hand…they were hot pink!

the plane is late…we were supposed to leave at 2:45am…so we’re all sitting with some cold air blowing on us waiting for passengers to deplane…i’m feeling pretty easy though…every part that i was concerned about is over…hopefully the transformers 2 movie is playing now…

Leaving the compound today was a wrench.  EVERYTHING was down to the wire.  it was sad to say my goodbyes to everyone…the girls made me cry. i’m going to miss them all! including my homegirl that i cannot understand.  so i cried even though i didnt’ expect to.  everyone gathered and prayed for my safe journey.  Poppa translated the prayer beforehand and then went on and prayed in arabic.  EVERYBODY walked me out to my car…that made me cry again.  THEN i get into the car and i was shocked out of my tears by the fact that Agie was driving! i hadn’t seen a woman drive the entire time that i was here!…as we pulled on to the main road we saw the tailor Alieu who ran across the highway to shove the dress through the window…i shoved the money at him and we sped off. 

 Banjul’s airport is a ZOO!  but the people are very sweet.  in Senegal they pulled me to the side for some vaccination B.S. saying that i needed a shot or some such nonsense.  fortunately the young man that i met on the plane not only assisted me with speaking to the ladies there, he told them that he’d pay my “fee” or whatever it is for the  “vaccination.”  the lady smiled and let us both go. 

then the gentleman assisted me through customs, did all of the lifting of my bags and got the guards to let us around the back way to the check in area so that we could use the cart that was holding my luggage.  “we” meaning him because he was navigating everything on my behalf.  when we got to the door of the airport he sweet talked the policeman at the door to let me in even thought it was 6 hours before my check in time.  he wished me well and went on his merry way. 

I’m sitting in the airport and an older brother who works here comes and sits on the end of the bench that i’m sitting on.  He tries speaking wolof and then french.  when i said that i didn’t understand he pulled out an id card. the photo on the card showed him with locs.  it was FLY! and so i said  the Senegambian equivalent of that…”NICE” he nodded sagely.  We sat in comfortable silence for a while until his break was over.  he uttered some melodically polite words of leavetaking and off he went.

Then along came my new friend Mohamet.  though he claims that his english is not very good, he sat and chatted with me.  he told me that i’m very beautiful.  we talked about his wife and babies.  he said that he can see that i’m a good person.  when i expressed concern that my luggage might be over the limit…he took me over to a weigh in counter and we weighed and shifted my luggage.  prayerfully that will equal NO FEES! a french speaking gentleman passed by and  he said something to mohamet that i caught the gist of but didn’t get fully.  he told him that he could see that he was in very good company with a beautiful woman.  another gentleman stopped by and chit chatted with us.  when i said that my name is Mariama he said are you muslim? i said no.  then he said that i was very beautiful.  when i responded with abaraka he said HA! you are a BIG MUSLIM! i laughed and away he went to handle his business. 

“big muslim” returned later…i suppose he saw me marking a dance step off by myself.  so he comes over with his phone playing music…when i heard it i said AH! JALIBA! and mohamet said ” this one is a Gambian eh?”  mohamet told me that i am “very good in dancing”

one of the things that this trip has truly done for me is to increase my level of confidence in my dancing.  YET another brother stopped and spoke pure french to me…i swear it’s a wonder i didn’t melt into a puddle on the floor.  he was SHO NUFF FOINE! i asked mohamet to translate what the brother said.  apparently he was just talking about how beautiful i am.  mind you…i don’t have on the first smear of makeup, my hair isn’t twisted, i feel sticky  and sleepy and i KNOW that i smell like outside.  and what folks have to say to me is that i’m beautiful and good and a good dancer.  mohamet is headed home but he says that he’ll be back at 9pm to help me with my bags…we’ll see.

well…the beach was nice…my camera is out of juice.  i’m trying to figure out what on earth i’m going to wear back.  i’m torn between the desire to be super cute  and the desire to be super warm.  i think leggings and jeans and a tank top under a long sleeved shirt.  and then my denim jacket.  the world will have to be at peace with my pink shoes and orangey top.

 

i feel a lil overstimulated and mean right now.  fortunately i’m able to spend some time alone in my room.  everything was cool this morning…then i came home to change and jatou told me to check the camera…ALL of my photos and videos had been deleted. i’m most sad about the photos of me eating yassa last night and the one of me and fatoukoyo having breakfast…

in any case the bulk of the photos were saved on yabo’s computer and were able to be salvaged.  i’m chilling in my indigo tie and dye outfit.  and at this moment i am grateful for the fact that i’m single.  i’m hungry…which is a rarity here but that means that i should enjoy my lunch a great deal. i doubt that i’m going to be able to eat all of it though.