Tabaski 2008 - In loving memory of Chi Murakami
When I was in Granada, Spain, I demurred long and hard as to whether or not I should buy a ticket to see the corrida, or bullfight. On the one hand I love animals and hate cruelty, but on the other hand I was visiting another country and wanted to try and see the beauty and pageantry in what the Spaniards consider to be a prized art form. It is true that the spectacle of man versus beast is riveting and that the matadors move most elegantly, brandishing their red capes with a flourish, but I had not realized beforehand to what extent the bull was driven out of its mind by the picadores chasing and circling it and drawing the first blood of the fight, followed by the banderilleros who antagonize and maim the hapless beast still further.
To the consternation of the cheering Spaniards around me, I cried when the first bull went down. To help me over the hurdle, they encouraged me, offering me sips from their hide-covered flasks of (thankfully very potent) alcohol.
Words of Wisdom in Wolof
Wolof, one of six national languages which include Pulaar, Serer, Diola, and Mandinka, is by far the most widely used language in Senegal, spoken by about 80 per cent of the population. It is one of the Niger-Congo languages, like Chichewa, Xhosa and Zulu. Wolof spelling using the Latin alphabet was standardized only in 1974. As some readers may remember, Wolof has no word for please, which shocked me initially.
Equally interesting is that its verbs are unchangeable words which are not conjugated; instead, personal pronouns are conjugated to express different tenses or aspects of an action. Whereas grammar is something that only a specialized few can truly appreciate, however, proverbs are fascinating and can be appreciated by a wide audience.
