IDEAS COLOURING FEELINGS COLOURING IDEAS: SOMETHING ABOUT AFRICA

It’s not been a long time since I started developing a greater interest in Africa. Back in 2002 or so, at university, we did study a bit about Nigeria, focusing on contemporary politics and some issues concerning its society and history (it’s all linked, indeed). I enjoyed it but that was all. I later focused on Asia, in which I’ve been really had a keen interest for many years (why does the East –not only the farthest east- attract me?) and enrolled in a 2—year master course on Asian (and also Oceanic) studies.

Less mainstream

I tend to be especially receptive to information about less popular issues (i.e. the dimensions beyond mainstream culture and mainstream topics) since I’m not exactly very conventional. By “not very conventional” I mean questioning settled beliefs, actions, conventions and not following them if there’s a better or rather rational, healthy or beneficial option (it doesn’t mean being an outsider or a radical follower of whatever).

So, I found myself with colourful, intuitive ideas that formed feelings about those rather-unknown fields, dimensions, issues. And, these ideas and feelings brought an increased curiosity, which made me seek information and other ideas. 

Knowledge is dynamic and it’s quite impossible to acquire 100% knowledge about something (or is it?). Concerning Africa, I went for geography (in fact, we had studied quite a lot of world geography at school, lucky me) to refresh blurred data I had about the continent. Then came cinema and literature, and also languages. I also took part in a language volunteering program (helping learners of Catalan) and my partner was a guy from Senegal. Ah...and the latest, yesterday (February 6th) I went to a book presentation by Mactar Thiam Fall (books on Wolof language in relation to Catalan) which included a short documentary.

Shapes, colours, scents

The shape of the feelings I had initially sort of changing after having watched some movies and reading African literature, but the colours remain. Geometrical patterns in brilliant colours, movement, simple lines, some kind of purity, the ultimate causes of a broad smile.  It somehow feels like digging into oneself and feeling the warm and bold scent of the soil from some forgotten and uncorrupted place.

However...

Of course there are also some negative ideas and criticism, as it happens with most places we read about. But here I just wanted to focus on positive ideas and feeling.