Yesterday was the opening of the National Assembly. We just happened to want to cross the street to go one street over to Bolangs restaurant. Not possible—the president would be coming soon. The entrance to the street was blocked by 3 soldiers armed with semi automatic guns. We walked up a couple blocks and ran across Independence Avenue through the crowds of people that appeared to be in rather organized groups. Women dressed in brightly-colored, large-print long dresses made of the same material in different styles marched by. We see this a lot— at the tailor's last week, we watched a bridesmaid have her dress sewed and she picked a style flattering to her out the fabric that all the bridesmaid’s dresses were going to be made. It’s has a nice look about it. There is a new fabric that I haven’t seen in the market-- the president’s image on a bright green fabric with writing I can’t read and 2011. Fula dancers and drummers with their loud, pounding rhythm passed by. Groups of young people in white T-shirt with logos like “Interior Children’s Culture”—what ever that means—and “Rid Gambia of Malaria”. We could see the National Assembly courtyard filling up with all kind of uniforms and traditional dress. They like big black SUVs and tear down the empty street at breakneck speed, turn a sharp corner and slam to a stop in front of the National Assembly. The door seem to fly open before cars even stop and it appears that people are ejected instead of getting out of their own free will. We ordered our dinner and came back out to watch. The crowds grew and grew. One of the police told us to stay on the steps of the restaurant—he seemed actually concerned something would happen to the tubabs (new spelling-each tribe spells and pronounces differently). I know to ask to take pictures—people DO NOT like having their picture taken-so I asked one of the police, he told me that I couldn’t without permission. “Who am I supposed it ask?” “Over there” and he pointed past me. I needed to ask the military. This went on—I gave up. Bagpipes and a high stepping, scepter-carrying, red-uniformed, brass-buttoned man led the Gambian High Court judges of 10 men and 2 women (I think I could tell sex by what they were wearing under their robes) marched down the street in long red robes with white lace cuffs. Heads were covered with English style wigs with a twist—they’re oversized, grey cornrows going horizontally around their heads in the style of a cap with earflaps, except for one man whose head was partially covered by a small animal pelt poised on top of his head like an overgrown Mohawk. I lifted my camera to take a picture and one of the soldiers lifted an assault rifle towards me. Don’t know how he noticed me—I was standing in the restaurant doorway with a friend surreptitiously holding the curtain open a bit. End of thinking about taking a photo, so this event exists only in Anita and my memory. 1. When we went inside to eat our dinner—the TV was showing inside coverage of the event we were observing from the outside. While we ate, the crowds grew and grew. We resumed our watch on the street just prior to the arrival of Madame Isatou Njie Saidy, VP of the Gambia dressed all in white flowing dress and a traditional white fabric head cover ornately tied into a large bow on her head. The scene resembled a mixture of parade, a fair, a military crackdown and was charged with energy. The armed military and police presence was impressive even by US standards. A rocket launcher lumbered up the street and continued past us. I’ve never quite seen a site like any of this. Trucks with armed soldiers positioned themselves everywhere. I loved it and was excited along with the other thousands of people! And finally, the biggest Hummer I’ve ever seen crawls into sight with 500-1000 green boys and girls running in front, beside and behind his car cheering and screaming. Standing up and plainly visible through the sunroof was the President, H.E. Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh, dressed in a white Muslim cap and flowing white robes accompanied by his second wife who is stunning standing by him waving to the crowd. He and his entourage threw biscuits (cookies) packages to the crowds and people scoop them up just like at a July 4th parade. He’s a very good looking man and we were told his approval rate among Gambians is about 98%. Most people we have met love him and think he’s doing a great job for the Gambian people with new roads and improving infrastructure and society as a whole. We would never have gotten that close to the President of the United States in an uncontrolled and unsecured area like a main street. Here we were 50 feet away and the crowd and President seemed to relish the closeness!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The President
Yesterday was the opening of the National Assembly. We just happened to want to cross the street to go one street over to Bolangs restaurant. Not possible—the president would be coming soon. The entrance to the street was blocked by 3 soldiers armed with semi automatic guns. We walked up a couple blocks and ran across Independence Avenue through the crowds of people that appeared to be in rather organized groups. Women dressed in brightly-colored, large-print long dresses made of the same material in different styles marched by. We see this a lot— at the tailor's last week, we watched a bridesmaid have her dress sewed and she picked a style flattering to her out the fabric that all the bridesmaid’s dresses were going to be made. It’s has a nice look about it. There is a new fabric that I haven’t seen in the market-- the president’s image on a bright green fabric with writing I can’t read and 2011. Fula dancers and drummers with their loud, pounding rhythm passed by. Groups of young people in white T-shirt with logos like “Interior Children’s Culture”—what ever that means—and “Rid Gambia of Malaria”. We could see the National Assembly courtyard filling up with all kind of uniforms and traditional dress. They like big black SUVs and tear down the empty street at breakneck speed, turn a sharp corner and slam to a stop in front of the National Assembly. The door seem to fly open before cars even stop and it appears that people are ejected instead of getting out of their own free will. We ordered our dinner and came back out to watch. The crowds grew and grew. One of the police told us to stay on the steps of the restaurant—he seemed actually concerned something would happen to the tubabs (new spelling-each tribe spells and pronounces differently). I know to ask to take pictures—people DO NOT like having their picture taken-so I asked one of the police, he told me that I couldn’t without permission. “Who am I supposed it ask?” “Over there” and he pointed past me. I needed to ask the military. This went on—I gave up. Bagpipes and a high stepping, scepter-carrying, red-uniformed, brass-buttoned man led the Gambian High Court judges of 10 men and 2 women (I think I could tell sex by what they were wearing under their robes) marched down the street in long red robes with white lace cuffs. Heads were covered with English style wigs with a twist—they’re oversized, grey cornrows going horizontally around their heads in the style of a cap with earflaps, except for one man whose head was partially covered by a small animal pelt poised on top of his head like an overgrown Mohawk. I lifted my camera to take a picture and one of the soldiers lifted an assault rifle towards me. Don’t know how he noticed me—I was standing in the restaurant doorway with a friend surreptitiously holding the curtain open a bit. End of thinking about taking a photo, so this event exists only in Anita and my memory. 1. When we went inside to eat our dinner—the TV was showing inside coverage of the event we were observing from the outside. While we ate, the crowds grew and grew. We resumed our watch on the street just prior to the arrival of Madame Isatou Njie Saidy, VP of the Gambia dressed all in white flowing dress and a traditional white fabric head cover ornately tied into a large bow on her head. The scene resembled a mixture of parade, a fair, a military crackdown and was charged with energy. The armed military and police presence was impressive even by US standards. A rocket launcher lumbered up the street and continued past us. I’ve never quite seen a site like any of this. Trucks with armed soldiers positioned themselves everywhere. I loved it and was excited along with the other thousands of people! And finally, the biggest Hummer I’ve ever seen crawls into sight with 500-1000 green boys and girls running in front, beside and behind his car cheering and screaming. Standing up and plainly visible through the sunroof was the President, H.E. Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh, dressed in a white Muslim cap and flowing white robes accompanied by his second wife who is stunning standing by him waving to the crowd. He and his entourage threw biscuits (cookies) packages to the crowds and people scoop them up just like at a July 4th parade. He’s a very good looking man and we were told his approval rate among Gambians is about 98%. Most people we have met love him and think he’s doing a great job for the Gambian people with new roads and improving infrastructure and society as a whole. We would never have gotten that close to the President of the United States in an uncontrolled and unsecured area like a main street. Here we were 50 feet away and the crowd and President seemed to relish the closeness!
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