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Re-branding Africa.

Itwasntme.

I can't sleep (this is not relevant to the rest of the post so I don't know why it is here).

It was Africa day the other day but I was unable to attend any events because I am holed up at home with a leg injury, so I figured I would organise my own celebration and what better place to do it than in AHs.

I have read loads of threads and posts on Africa and what I took away from them is that a lot of people on boards don't really know much about Africa and an even bigger number just don't care.I know this is AH so my expectations are relatively realistic but I just wanted to invite all the other Africans on boards and any other persons foreign to Ireland to challenge what they feel are unfair or ignorant perspectives on here or simply share random interesting and or educational facts/anecdotes about their homelands.

I'll start: I am Rwandan. It's a little country in East Africa that's the size of Wales. It is breathtakingly bee-you-ti-ful: lolling hills literally everywhere, lakes and a lush green landscape. We may be a tiny country but we make a lot of noise (not literally)-very similar to Ireland in that respect. The first thing people always ask me is if it is safe now after our 'troubles' and my response is the same- it is one of the safest places and this is said entirely without bias (okay, maybe a little).

Random fact: Until the dutch overtook us in the Guinness book of world records, my tribe were the tallest people in the world.

Another random fact: Every last Saturday of the month, between 7 and noon, we clean our respective neighbourhoods- planting trees, cutting tall grass, weeding, removing trash etc. It is the responsibility of every able-bodied Rwandan. It's called 'umuganda'.

And another: Benefit packages for most civil servants include gym memberships which I find ridiculous but even weirder still is that Friday afternoons are for sports (government edict). Of course, being the party people that we are, the bars on Friday afternoons are filled with people wearing sports outfits.

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Wompa1

Not sure if it's a question or what kind of dialogue you want to get going. I don't think people on Boards or in Ireland have a negative opinion of people from Africa in general. There seems to be a vocal minority who take issue with Nigerians as many have had negative interactions with Nigerian people and/or have heard or read many stories about Nigerians involved in some sort of criminal activity or corruption.

I myself just don't really care about Africa. I've given to charities before to help deaf children in Africa and one for helping deformed babies there but that's more so because they were disadvantaged children not because I wanted to help Africa or Africans.

My global policies are you stay out of my sh!t and I'll stay out of yours.

LH Pathe

I say let them continue to try and realize their dream of imitating their American hip hop hero's successes. Gives them economic aspirations of sorts.. n at least they're somewhat more authentic than our own so harvest, those long since won fragile hearts and minds.

stovelid

Don't apologize.

It was one the stellar points of Toto's mid-period output but I'm definitely more of a Hold The Line man myself.

Chuck Stone

Africa is a great country.

[Deleted User]

Hold on, Lynx are changing the names of their deodorants?

Dudess

I bless the rains down on it.

hairyprincess

Laughing hills?? A unique selling point right there

stovelid

Dudess wrote: »

I bless the rains down on it.

Jaysus.

I always thought it was "I guess it rains down in Africa"...

Pdfile

Itwasntme. wrote: »

I can't sleep (this is not relevant to the rest of the post so I don't know why it is here).

It was Africa day the other day but I was unable to attend any events because I am holed up at home with a leg injury, so I figured I would organise my own celebration and what better place to do it than in AHs.

I have read loads of threads and posts on Africa and what I took away from them is that a lot of people on boards don't really know much about Africa and an even bigger number just don't care.I know this is AH so my expectations are relatively realistic but I just wanted to invite all the other Africans on boards and any other persons foreign to Ireland to challenge what they feel are unfair or ignorant perspectives on here or simply share random interesting and or educational facts/anecdotes about their homelands.

I'll start: I am Rwandan. It's a little country in East Africa that's the size of Wales. It is breathtakingly bee-you-ti-ful: lolling hills literally everywhere, lakes and a lush green landscape. We may be a tiny country but we make a lot of noise (not literally)-very similar to Ireland in that respect. The first thing people always ask me is if it is safe now after our 'troubles' and my response is the same- it is one of the safest places and this is said entirely without bias (okay, maybe a little).

Random fact: Until the dutch overtook us in the Guinness book of world records, my tribe were the tallest people in the world.

i love how africa day was mostly white irish people and political gob****es like the KONY 2012 supports...

dont get me wrong, africa's a lovely yet troubled place ( in more ways then war as mentioned ) but come on, its a day for you and other africans to celebrate not our wannabe upperclass elitists.

Chuck Stone

WHAT HAPPENED YOUR LEG?

Battered Mars Bar

Never mind your tribe OP, what height are you?

Sure my peoples are suppose to be the ugliest and...er, well...

Itwasntme.

Chuck Stone wrote: »

WHAT HAPPENED YOUR LEG?

Kamasutra gone wrong. :cool:

Nah, fell off the bed and twisted my foot.

fasttalkerchat

How do you feel about TV charity adverts? Do they damage the more prosperous areas or is it more important that those in need are helped than saving reputation?

fasttalkerchat

Chuck Stone wrote: »

WHAT HAPPENED YOUR LEG?

Arrow to the knee.

EDIT: This is a line from Skyrim and not in anyway related to this thread.

Owen_S

ah... the Africans, a great bunch of lads.

Dudess

Any African music I've heard is pretty ****ing good. Not sure which countries it's from though. Congo could be one I think.

Itwasntme.

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Never mind your tribe OP, what height are you?

Sure my peoples are suppose to be the ugliest and...er, well...

I am average height myself. 5"7 and a half or thereabouts. I am also the shortest person in my family. My brothers are 6"6, 6"5 and 6"4. Both my parents are taller than I am as well. I should probably ask my mom for my birth certificate just to be sure.

mikemac1

Itwasntme. wrote: »

Random fact: Until the dutch overtook us in the Guinness book of world records, my tribe were the tallest people in the world.

I think you'll make a good full-forward

Recover from the leg injury and then head over to the GAA forum

Itwasntme. wrote: »

I am average height myself. 5"7 and a half or thereabouts. I am also the shortest person in my family. My brothers are 6"6, 6"5 and 6"4. Both my parents are taller than I am as well. I should probably ask my mom for my to for my birth certificate just to be sure.

Ah this is no good
We'll stick you as wing-back so

Your brothers have potential though!

[Deleted User]

Dudess wrote: »

Any African music I've heard is pretty ****ing good. Not sure which countries it's from though. Congo could be one I think.

Aye, love this stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o

Itwasntme.

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

How do you feel about TV charity adverts? Do they damage the more prosperous areas or is it more important that those in need are helped than saving reputation?

I personally hate the ads. Mainly because I think they are unethical and completely strip the people in them of any dignity. Your second question deserves a better answer than I am capable of giving at this time of night but I will get back to you.

wonton

random fact: On 4 August 1972, the then President of Uganda, Idi Amin, ordered the expulsion of his country's Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave Uganda. Amin said that he had had a dream in which God told him to order the expulsion

[Deleted User]

wonton wrote: »

random fact: On 4 August 1972, the then President of Uganda, Idi Amin, ordered the expulsion of his country's Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave Uganda. Amin said that he had had a dream in which God told him to order the expulsion

Shows how silly those Africans are, believing dreams. At least US Presidents only do what God tells them directly.

Yamanoto

Deleted User wrote: »

Aye, love this stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o

Eh...that'll be Jamaica right there.

[Deleted User]

Yamanoto wrote: »

Eh...that'll be Jamaica right there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xECUrlnXCqk

Itwasntme.

mikemac1 wrote: »

I think you'll make a good full-forward

Recover from the leg injury and then head over to the GAA forum

Ah this is no good
We'll stick you as wing-back so

Your brothers have potential though!

Unless the GAA supports scrabble, I am afraid I am totally useless as an athlete. I am one of those people who has to touch their hands to tell left and right.

scamalert

id love to spend a year somewhere warm,and Africa always pops to my mind,but when reading info online it seems that whole country is trying to eat or kill you in some sort of way,the malaria ,Cece fly's,lack of clean water,also cities ridden with corruption drugs and war zones,read somewhere that a guy was traveling trough Nigeria i think it was and he said the bodies were rotting away on the streets,because if you report a casualty you have to pay the burial fees :cool: .would be interesting to know whats the opinion on the white people over there nowadays,as many say Africans are friendly and always help out but,most believe if a white person is over there then he is rich and everybody sees him as a target or someone who tries to exploit them.So anyone have any experiences to share,i know what i said cannot be applied to the whole continent so dont take it to heart

oxo_

Rwanda is a fantastic country. Spent some time working all over the country in 1999/2000 and loved it and the people. I got kidnapped by blokes with guns outside that big nightclub in Kigali (I forget its name but it had no roof and they stamped your hand with ultraviolet ink) but they let me go and even drove me back to the nightclub when they realised I was Irish

Worked in Kigali and surrounding areas and also Gitarama, Ruhengeri, Butari and some other places there I can't remember at the moment (humanitarian).
Lovely place, lovely people.

yuppies

stovelid wrote: »

Jaysus.

I always thought it was "I guess it rains down in Africa"...

We all did stovelid, we all did! :eek:

Itwasntme.

scamalert wrote: »

id love to spend a year somewhere warm,and Africa always pops to my mind,but when reading info online it seems that whole country is trying to eat or kill you in some sort of way,the malaria ,Cece fly's,lack of clean water,also cities ridden with corruption drugs and war zones,read somewhere that a guy was traveling trough Nigeria i think it was and he said the bodies were rotting away on the streets,because if you report a casualty you have to pay the burial fees :cool: .would be interesting to know whats the opinion on the white people over there nowadays,as many say Africans are friendly and always help out but,most believe if a white person is over there then he is rich and everybody sees him as a target or someone who tries to exploit them.So anyone have any experiences to share,i know what i said cannot be applied to the whole continent so dont take it to heart .

First, you're quite self aware if your name is anything to go by. :P Second, I laughed out loud at the bit in bold. It conjured up images of white men on boats sailing to the 'dark continent', scared witless of the being killed or eaten.

In response to your question, the continent is so diverse that I can only speak for the part of it that I know which would be East Africa. East Africa comprises: Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea. I have lived and been to most of these countries and have friends and relatives in all and apart from Somalia, I consider them safer than Dublin.The Africa I read about in the news would scare me too but that is not the Africa that I know. The Africa I know is friendly to foreigners, warm and full of character. There's widespread poverty of course but people are also happier than the majority of people I have encountered in the west. Yes, it is assumed that white people are rich but that because to many of the people, you ARE rich. You are under no obligation to give anyone anything. You will find that people in Africa, even the very poor will be willing to share whatever they have which is probably why they expect someone they assume to have more to do the same.

Rwanda in particular is very welcoming to foreigners. In fact, many of my white friends in Rwanda who came to visit or work ended up staying and have been there for years.

I am not saying nothing bad will ever happen to you- I am saying that you would be as safe there as you would in Dublin if not safer.

Itwasntme.

oxo_ wrote: »

Rwanda is a fantastic country. Spent some time working all over the country in 1999/2000 and loved it and the people. I got kidnapped by blokes with guns outside that big nightclub in Kigali (I forget its name but it had no roof and they stamped your hand with ultraviolet ink) but they let me go and even drove me back to the nightclub when they realised I was Irish
Worked in Kigali and surrounding areas and also Gitarama, Ruhengeri, Butari and some other places there I can't remember at the moment (humanitarian).
Lovely place, lovely people.

Kidnapped? 1999/2000 was just after the time of the insurgencies in the north. Brave of you to work in Ruhengeri. What work were you doing in Rwanda. Glad to hear you loved it. You would not believe the change in the last 12 years if you came back to Rwanda.