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.