I chose one of Brigit's splendid pictures from the Djenne Djenno garden to announce a gentler mood today.
One of the wonders of Africa is the quick silver speed with which one's moods change. Everything is so awful and yet so wonderful here. And these two states do not mix happily in some sort of median where everything is bearable and OK. No, it is necessary to feel utter disgust and despair, and then to be wildly happy.
I feel overwhelmingly that I want to go home. This brings me to wonder suddenly in some confusion where home might be until I realize that home is here.
The recent swing of this pendulum towards the light side was helped along just now by finding that the singer/songwriter Tanita Tikaram has given this diary a plug in her own blog tanitatikaramblog.blogspot.com
I was not able to send a message to her on her own blog, but I hope she won't mind that I copy below what she wrote today: Thank you Tanita, and please do come to Djenne one day!We will get some Mali musicians over!

Sunday, 16 January 2011
Mariem Hassan - Haiyu

I'm mostly an arm chair traveller and during the holiday period I spent most of my time in Mali, hooked on a blog by a Swedish woman, Sophie keita, [link]. It documents her experience of living in Djenne, & opening & running a hotel there [link]. I don't think this is an easy decision, the hotel is made of mud like most of the building in this historic town and needs constant attention. There is also a different culture to adapt to and some personal challenges she has to face... maybe you should just read the blog ! Despite the difficulties, my overwhelming impression is of someone living in a romantic & free spirited way... and when I'm feeling romantic & free spirited I plan trips to exotic places and now Djenne is on my list somewhere between Bhutan & the Galapagos Islands! All this to say that my wake up song this week is an artist mentioned on her blog, Mariem Hassan. A new discovery for me, she is a singer from Western Sahara. I've chosen the song 'Haiyu', I think it is a protest song that calls for the separation of Sahara from Morocco and the establishment of an independent country... and it's a wonderful & funky piece of music, I hope you enjoy it as much as me, lotsoflove tanita