Author Topic: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010  (Read 5744 times)

TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96'

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #90 on: February 09, 2011, 02:07:00 AM »
Wow, why they use so big of numbers, lol, damn.

Yeah there's probably a reason for it, but to me it doesn't make sense.  I mean why not just knock off some of those zero's?
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TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96'

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #91 on: February 09, 2011, 02:16:15 AM »
Keep posting man, that's some interesting stuff to read. I have a couple of friends who shared first-hand experiences but they're all with at least one African parent so it's cool to get the experiences of a complete outsider (although it's your third time there and all). You get me?

I feel you man, and your comments are definitely appreciated.

Yeah, I've been jealous before hearing about people going to places like this through family connections and so on.  I was young enough, curious enough, adventurous enough, and slightly crazy enough to just take the risk and go on my own in 2007.  And now that it's worked out for me, and I can now say that I really know my own way around these countries, it's a good feeling.  It wasnt an easy process in the beggining, and there were still challenges everyday, but what always got me through was my interest in the culture over there and the high value that I placed on all the experiences whether good or bad.  And in Africa the life is so active and inter-active that you don't have time to get stuck dwelling upon something that didn't go as planned.
My First Officially Schedule Rap Battle on Stage as an undercard to the undercard match



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TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96'

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #92 on: March 10, 2011, 10:13:41 AM »
DIDDY DIRTY MONEY



Remember this photo was after we had just taken a 9 hour flight from Senegal, West Africa back to America, so both of us were very tired.  But it was cool how I met this girl. 

When I was at the airport in Senegal, I heard a group of Americans talking with really heavy East Coast accents.   At first I was kind of dissapointed by them, just because I wasn't looking forward to going back to America and being around Americans everyday, and I was thinking, "damn, back to America again", lol.   But after over- hearing how polite they were with the airport staff, saying things like, "You are our ancestors, we are going to miss you guys so much".  Then I started thinking they were pretty nice people, not just on transit through Senegal but Americans with a real sense of appreciation for the culture.

So then we were taking a bus from the airport to our plane, and the girl got on the bus, standing right next to me.  I'm still not thinking anything of her, because I don't listen to the radio or watch MTV/or BET anymore like I did in the 90's so I don't keep up on new artists. 

So anyway, she is standing there, and I say something like, "Guess it's back to America."  And she replies to me, "Yep, back to the Fitnah."   Now, fitnah is an Arabic word from the Qu'ran, and I was just dressed in regular American clothes, so she didn't really have any way of knowing I was a Muslim.  Even though Senegal is a Muslim country, you still have white, Christian Weterners there on business, or as missionaries, or with the peace corps.  So I kind of took notice of her using that word with me, and realized from eavesdropping on her and her friends convo that she and her two male friends (maybe brothers) were probably Muslims.

So we take the flight and get to the New York airport.  At the New York airport I'm waiting in a long line next to them at immigration.  So I start convo with her and her people, just asking about their East Coast accents and if they are from New York, and she says she's from Philly, and her male friends say they are from Boston.  They could be her managers or brothers or both.  I then ask her, "so how did you know I would pick up that word you used with me, fitnah".  And she was really cool, and she said it was just a feeling you get around people, that you can just feel people and know who they are.  So we bonded over that and started exchanging some Muslim greetings and so on like that.

Then, they ask me why I was in Africa and I ask them, she told me she was in Senegal for the music festival and that she performed as an artist.  She told me her name was Diddy, Dirty, Money.  I thought to myself, "What a stupid and unoriginal name, to put "Diddy" in her name".  I was still thinking she was just an aspiring artist and not a professional artist.

Then we are taking those airbuses to transit on our flight from New York to Atlanta.  I start talking to them about Senegalese music, and some of my favorite artist, and I give her a copy of a Viviane Ndour album, because Viviane is my favorite singer from Senegal and I saw 3 of her shows while I was there.

She thanked me and then she pulls out of copy of Last Train To Paris.  I look at the cover and then I realize, "Ohhh Shit, I know who this girl is, I've heard the song "Hello, Good Morning".   And I'm seeing the Interscope label and all that.

So now I realize who I've been talking to all this time.  She signed the album for me, and I got the picture you see here.  I talked to them for a while more after that, about Interscope Records, I even asked her some questions about Jimmy Iovine and Eminem and Dre and we had a real nice discussion, she was very down to Earth and it was all love.
My First Officially Schedule Rap Battle on Stage as an undercard to the undercard match



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Triple OG Rapsodie

Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #93 on: March 10, 2011, 10:53:11 AM »
^ why are u reposting this a month later? and lol @ hoverhands
 

TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96'

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #94 on: March 10, 2011, 12:15:48 PM »
^ why are u reposting this a month later? and lol @ hoverhands

My hand is resting on a rail, it isn't hovering in the air, we are sitting on a bench in an air bus.  I was already sitting like that and she leaned in for the photo, I was more worried at that time about showing her album cover with my right hand because she had just signed it and given it to me.

And really I am still only just beginning to write about my trip.  I'm a writer and that's what I like to do.  It's how I free up myself, and free my mind.  This trip was a rare experience where I had no obligations or responsibilities for around 40 days, and I was in an environment where I also had no social restrictions or social expectations.  It made it easy for me to be 100% myself.   In America, it's possible for me to be myself, but I have to exert a great deal of energy defending myself and defending my identity to others.  America is a melting pot and your personality is always being challenged, atleast that's how I feel.  I wish it weren't like that, but even now as I speak I am defending who have a problem with it.  So that's just how it is.

We all have our muses and things that inspire us in life.   Africa is a muse for me.  It's a constant source of inspiration.  It's people, it's culture.   It is a place that is full of life.  The survival instinct there is very strong.  In America it is possible for a person to go through the whole day as a robot, just ants getting along in the ant colony.  In some ways it's almost required of us, because it keeps things stable.   But to live in a robotic state like that in Africa, is to fall behind and suffer.   It's not for the faint of heart.  If you don't speak up, if you don't put your heart into what your doing there, then you will certainly be left behind.  It is heavily overcrowded in many places, government and private services do not run as clockwork like they do in America.  So to get your needs met socially and otherwise you often have to fight for them.  The region has so much to offer, but everyone wants to do everything at the same time there.   In America the life is diversified, there is something for everyone.  Whereas, in Africa the culture is one size fits all, most everyone loves it and is similar, and trying to do the same thing at the same time. 

If there is a concert during the week or during the month, then it is THE concert, that everyone is either going to, or wishes they could go to.  Not only that but everyone wants to show up at the same time, late at night.  Because nothing is rushed in Africa.  You have to wait till the weather cools, then get some exercise, swim, play soccer, or whatever you enjoy around sunset.  After that, everyone feels like eating around the same time, after eating everyone wants time to let their food settle, drink tea, smoke ganja, and so on... then everyone wants to spend an hour or so getting dressed and prepared to go out.. then it takes another couple hours for everyone to meet up and catch rides and the traffic is terrible and things just don't move fast, your always waiting on someone or someone is waiting on you... then finally everyone ends up going to the big event at night at the same time.  Whether that's a club, or concert, or other function in the city, like Reggae nights at the beach, or some kinds of cultural festivals, and so on.   

Some people might think that this is bad, because it doesn't offer for enough diversity, and what if you were not into the culture and liked something else.  Well, another great quality about the life there is that you can't sit on the sidelines with a frown on your face.  It won't be long before the people will engage you, and they will change your mood quickly, nobody will allow somebody to stay in a bad mood before you have 4 or 5 people encircling that person and finding a way to engage them and cheering them up; by nature everyone there knows the right words and actions to do this, and it happens often. 
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M Dogg™

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #95 on: March 11, 2011, 09:38:53 PM »
Many poor nations have lots of "zeros" when it's not needed. The reason is because their currency is weak in exchange, so they need to print out tons of money to even keep up with exchange. It's not even inflations fault, they just have a weak currency. I know Mexico knocked off some zeros to their currency, at one time a peso was worth 1,000 pesos, so a coke was like 750 pesos. Then Mexico introduced the Super peso, and they called it that until the old pesos got filtered out and the Super peso became the peso. But Mexico has more clout and the NAFTA agreement helped them stabilize their peso heavily.
 

Triple OG Rapsodie

Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #96 on: March 13, 2011, 06:07:27 PM »
dude that's a hoverhand if anything is. When a girl leans in and your arm is around her, the cue is to put your hand on her shoulder. You didn't. That's hover hands.
 

jeromechickenbone

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #97 on: March 15, 2011, 10:09:13 AM »
Since when do vacation photos belong in ToT? Mod please.

When they expose people to a more worldly view and allow for discussion about worldly topics, and are more important to todays world than Nazi's in space.

Yeah and this shits on those threads where people delusionally think Obama is anything more than an empty suit blindly regurgitating someone elses thoughts word for word. I mean some people actually think he actually calls shots on US/world affairs! Oh well at least it provides some cheap laughter here on ToT.
 

Lolita

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #98 on: March 28, 2011, 08:49:28 PM »
wow thats totally cool that u went to africa. its a country i want to visit someday.

mucho besos
 

Fraxxx

Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #99 on: March 29, 2011, 03:29:54 AM »
wow thats totally cool that u went to africa. its a country i want to visit someday.

mucho besos

Right? RIGHT? Africa's my favourite country!
i don´t need any medicate shit im 100 normal.
 

Bananas

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #100 on: March 30, 2011, 12:10:06 AM »
I like the country of Africa after seeing The Lion King as a little kid. I'd like to think I'm a grown Simba now. Africa is a hella tight country.
 

.:DaYg0sTyLz:.

Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #101 on: March 30, 2011, 12:47:02 PM »
I like the country of Africa after seeing The Lion King as a little kid. I'd like to think I'm a grown Simba now. Africa is a hella tight country.

As far as countries go...you always struck me as the kinda guy that would prefer Europe over Africa.
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Lolita

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #102 on: March 31, 2011, 07:33:41 PM »
god i must have blonde roots. i meant continent guys cut a girl some slack lol

mucho besos
 

Bananas

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #103 on: April 02, 2011, 01:31:57 PM »
I like the country of Africa after seeing The Lion King as a little kid. I'd like to think I'm a grown Simba now. Africa is a hella tight country.

As far as countries go...you always struck me as the kinda guy that would prefer Europe over Africa.

Europe is a cool country too. I like pellegrino water so thats tight. Love is love though.
 

TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96'

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Re: Infinite African Westcoastin' Travel Blog 2010
« Reply #104 on: April 06, 2011, 04:34:50 PM »
My friend Idrissa's work in Africa:

It's well-known that in West Africa they have high unemployment.  Certainly there are a wide range of opinions as to why this is.   The most condemning side of the spectrum would claim that West Africans are lazy, while an opposite side of the spectrum would claim it is a result of oppression and subjugation that was exacted during the Colonial Period.  

Myself, I am still researching this subject.  I can only point out a few observations I made on my own.  I notice that the culture there is much more free in the spirit than what we have in the West.  Many people there prefer to own their own businesses, from millionaire property and real-estate owners with College Degree's from the West, to small-time street vendors selling watermelon and kola nuts; African's are very Libertarian in spirit.  They prefer to work for themselves and not others, and that certainly fits the culture there.  

So in saying this, I think it would be harder to implement large scale factory work in this region of Africa, such as you would see in Asia.  Where you have a business owner employing thousands in hard labor while they receive very small compensation for their work.Also it wouldn't be likely to see gigantic franchises in the region such as a Wall-Mart or a McDonalds; because the people prefer smaller, mom and pop shops and ownership to mass employers such as Wall-Mart.  

Hard and sometimes dangerous work does take place in this region.  For example in the neighboring country of Sierra Leonne people risk their safety and health diving for diamonds, and dig extensively in the heat in hopes of finding a diamond, but even many of these people, work for themselves.

So I think there is more of a free-flow to the culture.  Where they are sometimes socialistic in their politics yet in their individual economic and social lives very Libertarian.  It is quite a unique balance.

...As for my friend, once again; some could call him lazy.  There is a very negative stereotype that is associated with people such as my friends by their detractors.  They dub them as "Bumsters" and even the ruler of Gambia Yaya Jammeh gets made fun of and called "The Bumster King" by his detractors.  Because my friend is viewed as a population of youth who sit idle at the beach all day long, lazy, socializing in the sun, drinking tea, and hustling tourists from day to day.  They are accused of damaging the moral fabric of society and of not contributing positively as "citizens" of the country.  They are associated rightly or wrongly with peddling marijuana and accused of living off Western women much older than them.

But from another perspective it is also these people that provide much to the culture of these regions.   Growing up poor and having to independently seek their income, they have had to be much more creative to make it in the society.  Their creativity and ambition has provided much to the social fibric of society, both internally, and in communication  and welcoming outsiders to the country, whom they at times have to depend upon financially.  They are conduits to the night life, and understand both the Western world and the deeper roots of their own culture.  Because they serve as conduits to both.   Depending on each other and depnding on outsiders to make it, they know the life of Africa more than anyone.   They are the people who live with the most freedom, and it is likely that many of them have been pushed into such a life by necessity, and not simply a matter of enjoyment.  Regardless, they do all kinds of odd jobs to come up with their money throughout the day.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DoO52ozogzo?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;rel=0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/DoO52ozogzo?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;rel=0</a>


My friends nickname around the Gambia was "Silver".  His Muslim name is Idrissa, but mostly he prefers "Silver".   And this is why, his work and family business has been in two things, cars and silver.  So one of his brothers is a car mechanic, one is a driver for diplomats in the country, and he works in Silver.  

Here I am picking up a necklace from my friend's silver shop.  I wanted something that represented Africa and the personal growth I experience when in African.  There was no better choice than the African Boubab tree.   It is a well-known symbol of Africa.  It is a wide tree, with strong roots and great beauty.  It grows often in the upcountry.  When I was sick with food poisoning I was regularly drinking Boubab juice, it is believed to be a remedy for nearly all ailments, from Malaria to other stomach, digestive conditions.

***(I have a much better video to add about my friend explaining his work inside his shop once I reach my desktop)****


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cbzkdZeH_vM?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;rel=0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/cbzkdZeH_vM?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;rel=0</a>

Here my friend is displaying some of his talents as a tour guide, while we are visiting the world famous historical slave Island in Goree, Senegal.   He charismatically explains West African culture and the importance of the various musical instruments to that culture.  Most notably is the Kora instrument of Senegal/Gambia.  The Kora is a traditional instrument that goes back centuries.  The Kora is a 21-string bridged harp instrument.  It is built from large calabash and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, resembling guitar.  

« Last Edit: April 06, 2011, 05:45:47 PM by Infinite- African West Coastin' 2010 »
My First Officially Schedule Rap Battle on Stage as an undercard to the undercard match



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