Shout out to Brian Shimkovitz and The Awesome Tapes From Africa! Thanks to them, the Dur-Dur Band is once again enjoying the spotlight. Released on March 19 -  the classic Somali band’s 1987 recording encapsulates some of the unbelievable sounds happening in Mogadishu during that era.

Want the full article? Click here.  Photo Credit – Eric Albrecht. DISPATCH. 

A gay Somali teen was allegedly stoned to death on March 15, according to an advocacy group that posted about the incident online.

A Facebook group calling itself Somali Queer Community posted information and photos of the alleged stoning on its social media page Saturday. The post states that Mohamed Ali Baashi, 18, was tried and convicted of sodomy by a rebel judge from the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabab in the Barawa area of southern Somalia. In front of a crowd of villagers, Baashi was reportedly pelted with rocks until he was dead, the group’s post goes on to claim.

During the many years while I was teaching ethics the prevailing prejudice I continued to run into is that all values are relative. I call it a prejudice because it was seldom a conclusion reached after serious thought. The claim was that in ethics if those values are not relative to the individual, they are at least relative to cultures. We have been told that values are “enculturated” in us and we simply adopt the values of those around us as we grow up. If someone in another culture does something we regard as wrong who are we to say it is wrong? It’s just what they do. We hear the bromide “don’t judge another person unless you have walked a mile in his shoes.” In fact, we are constantly admonished not to be “judgmental.” But let’s take the story above as a case in point. It raises serious doubts about the viability of the whole relativism thesis: failure to judge might even be regarded as the height of irresponsibility.  I have never thought that people take relativism seriously, though, they just lean on it because it is easier than thinking.

In my classes I would ask the students if they thought that the Nazis were right to “relocate” the Jews and send millions to their death. Most students would stick by their guns and say, “of course, who’s to say?” Then I would ask them if they would still believe this if they were a Jew living in Germany in the mid-thirties of the last century when the purge began. That would usually give the students pause, though I don’t know if it ever changed a single mind. But the idea was to get them thinking about a complex situation they probably never thought about before. It helps us to see evil more clearly if we imagine ourselves to be the victim.

But the story above tells us about a judicial process in Somalia in which a young gay man is found guilty of sodomy and is summarily stoned to death. The cultural relativist would say, “that’s the way they do things there. Who are we to say it’s wrong?” My response is: anyone with half a brain knows it’s wrong regardless of where or when it happened. The value of human life and the respect all human life is owed transcend cultures and makes it wrong to inflict harm on others; we have duties as moral agents to alleviate human suffering whenever possible. Now, whether or not our culture teaches us this any longer, it is the heart and soul of any viable ethical or religious system known to developed minds. The obvious conclusion in this case is that the process that found the young man guilty was flawed and the “rebel judge” handing down the judgment was blinded by prejudice. We know this happens: we see it happening on a daily basis all around us. In this regard, the Somalis are just like us and they should know better. Certain values transcend cultures.

Many think that this position smacks of “absolutism,” the claim that values are absolute and a few people know them while others do not — those few wearing clerical collars or holding degrees in philosophy no doubt. We are uncomfortable with this view and regard it as the height of intolerance, though we don’t distinguish carefully between tolerance and indifference. But while I make no claim to absolute knowledge about values, since all human knowledge is partial, there are things that are inherently wrong and simply should not be tolerated. Does this mean we should send in drones and invade Somalia with our armed forces to bring the Somali people to their knees and make them accept our way of life? Of course not. What it means is that we should all condemn the action and our hearts should go out to the young man who was stoned to death as the natural expression of sympathy for another human who was wronged apparently by what appear to be extremists — and we should hope that by making the action known through the social media the world community would condemn the action so that this sort of thing does not happen again.

Author’s note:

A Somali-Muslim sister decided to dedicate a poem, to this African leader. However, she wants to remain anonymous, which is cool with me. I do think that this poem is good, and, that she has something important to say in this particular work. So, this is also the reason as to why I am happy & proud to display her writing.

You don’t recognize us But we are the children of your fight Black and white.

I write what I like, you said. Now they do what they like; we mourn for you.

But Steve, mourn for us How handsome you were The infinite potential of youth.

Then a bludgeoned bloated corpse We don’t recognize you in those pictures Black and white.

But it was proof of what they did to you Though we were shy to see it We mourn for you.

But Steve, mourn for us Mourn the tender deal Tender and kind.

Deep in the bowels of the earth there lies our wealth And with glittering glee.

Our leaders squeal It’s mine, it’s mine Squandered with stealth Buyer and lender smile.

While the child Without books, without shoes, walks to a school without teachers Mile after mile.

With every million that divides rich and poor Mourn for us With every woman raped Mourn for us.

With each death Black and white Mourn for us How pretty we were.

The endless possibilities of a country renewed Are our bludgeons to the head

self-inflicted? …as they said yours were Bloated – but not a corpse …yet?

We have all the proof, though we are shy to see it Black and White Rest In Peace.

Gareth Bryant/2013

but this Wednesday was the re-emergence of the face. you know…’THAT’ face :-|

people who know me know how much respect I have for sista Georgia Anne Muldrow, a musician who truly walks with the Ancestors and is the conduit and filter for some unbelievable aural art. powerful, progressive, futuristic, soulful…I could go on and on

I have tweeted her in the past but this time was different. picture my face when I received a reply

@jahjahmuldrow your neighbours call the police on you? aren’t they too busy getting down or being amazed with the sounds!? sheeesh

— Nii-Teiko (@IamNii_Teiko) March 20, 2013

it’s the next reply that made me do a later double take

@iamnii_teiko new jyoti awready done! Turned it in for pressing, too!

— GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW (@JAHJAHMULDROW) March 20, 2013

is this known news? a quick bash on the search engines reveal no new information about a new 2013 Jyoti album. in fact, this seems to be actually be the first confirmation of such across the Internet. hey…maybe Twitter can do some good

if you have no idea who I’m talking about or you’re wondering what I’m fussing about then you’ve come to the right place. start here and thank me later

and finally

so there we go. new Jyoti. coming this year. YUP

The Almighty’s Blessings

BONUS

sorry – couldn’t resist

The Independent Film Festival of Boston is one of the best fests in the WORLD!
Make sure to clear your calendar for the week of April 24- April 30.
Check here for the IFFBoston 2013 Documentary Features (All The Links)

BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO
directed by Peter Strickland
cast: Toby Jones, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Cosimo Fusco

A renowned British audio technician (Toby Jones) is hired by an Italian horror director to work on his latest film, but the distance from home and gory content may prove to be too much to handle.
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sun. 4/28 – 8:45pm – Somerville Theatre

Director Andrew Bujalski in attendance!

COMPUTER CHESS
directed by Andrew Bujalski
cast: Kriss Schludermann, Tom Fletcher, Wiley Wiggins

Will computers ever beat man in chess?
A group of programmers and chess enthusiasts get together in 1981 to find out. The latest film by Andrew Bujalski (FUNNY HA HA; BEESWAX, IFFBoston 2009).
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sat. 4/27 – 6:15pm – Brattle Theatre

CONCUSSION 
directed by Stacie Passon
cast: Robin Weigert, Maggie Siff, Johnathan Tchaikovsky

After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can’t do it anymore. Her life just can’t be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor.
Official Site
IMDB Facebook
Twitter
Sundance FF: Meet the Artist ’13: Stacy Passon
Sundance FF:Robin Weigert and Maggie Siff of ‘Concussion’
Sat. 4/27 – 6:30pm – Somerville Theatre

CRYSTAL FAIRY
directed by Sebastian Silva
cast: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffmann, Agustín Silva

Self-absorbed American slacker Jamie goes on a quest for the ultimate high in the Chilean desert. But his plans may be derailed by the overenthusiastic hippie he and his friends pick up along the way.
IMDB
Facebook
Sundance Chanel interview with director & cast
Thurs. 4/25 – 9:30pm – Somerville Theatre

THE DIRTIES
directed by Matt Johnson
cast: Matthew Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison

Two best friends are filming a comedy about getting revenge on the bullies at their high school. One of them isn’t joking.
Official Site with trailer
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Sat. 4/27 – 9:15pm – Somerville Theatre

THE EAST
directed by Zal Batmanglij
cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page

An operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities irrevocably changed after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Trailer
Sun. 4/28 – 8:00pm – Somerville Theatre

EXIT ELENA
directed by Nathan Silver
cast: Lawrence Balin, Jim Chiros, Kia Davis

A darkly comedic home movie about a live-in aide and a family in crisis.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Trailer
Sat. 4/27 – 12:30pm – Somerville Theatre

FRANCES HA
directed by Noah Baumbach
cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver

A story that follows a New York woman (who doesn’t really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she’s not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sat. 4/27 – 7:00pm – Somerville Theatre

A HIJACKING
directed by Tobias Lindholm
cast: Johan Philip Asbæk, Søren Malling, Dar Salim

The crew of a Danish cargo ship is hijacked by Somali pirates who proceed to engage in escalating negotiations with authorities in Copenhagen.
Official Site & Trailer
IMDB
Facebook
Trailer
Fri. 4/26 – 9:45pm – Somerville Theatre

HOUSTON
directed by Bastian Gunther
cast: Ulrich Tukur, Garret Dillahunt, Wolfram Koch

Clemens Trunschka is a corporate headhunter who struggles with alcoholism. He is forced from the support of home when he must leave the country for work. This sends Trunschka plunging headlong down the rabbit hole & into innermost darkness.
IMDB
Facebook
Trailer
Thurs. 4/25 – 7:00pm – Somerville Theatre

THE HUNT
directed by Thomas Vinterberg
cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp

A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son’s custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sat. 4/27 – 9:45pm – Somerville Theatre

CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Lake Bell and other special guests will be in attendance

IN A WORLD…
directed by Lake Bell
cast: Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Demetri Martin

An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation.
Official Site
IMDB
Twitter
Sundance FF: Meet the Artist ’13: Lake Bell
Tues. 4/30 – 8:00pm – Coolidge Corner Theatre

THE LAND OF EB
directed by Andrew Williamson
cast: Elisabeth Christensen, Cynthia Decker, James Gideom

Set in a neglected corner of the Hawaiian islands, The Land of Eb is a feature film about a Marshallese family struggling to create a new home for themselves on the periphery of society.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sun. 4/28 – 12:00pm – Somerville Theatre

THE LAST DAY OF AUGUST
directed by Craig DiFolco
cast: Sebastian Arcelus, Bill English, Rhett Henckel

A paraplegic’s friends pay him an unannounced visit to challenge his secluded life.
Official Site & trailer
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Sun. 4/28 – 6:00pm – Somerville Theatre

LAURENCE ANYWAYS
directed by Xavier Dolan
cast: Melvil Poupaud, Suzanne Clément, Nathalie Baye

The 10-year relationship of a male-to-female transsexual with her lover.
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sun. 4/28 – 2:00pm – Somerville Theatre

LONELY BOY
directed by Dale Fabrigar
cast: Alev Aydin, Natalie Distler, Melora Walters

The romantic misadventures of a schizophrenic bachelor.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Sun. 4/28 – 5:30pm – Somerville Theatre

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
directed by Joss Whedon
cast: Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Official Site & trailer
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Sat. 4/27 – 4:00pm – Somerville Theatre

PRINCE AVALANCHE
directed by David Gordon Green
cast: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, Lance LeGault

Two highway road workers spend the summer of 1988 away from their city lives. The isolated landscape becomes a place of misadventure as the men find themselves at odds with each other and the women they left behind.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Fri. 4/26 – 8:00pm – Somerville Theatre

SIGHTSEERS
directed by Ben Wheatley
cast: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Eileen Davies

Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Fri. 4/26 – 9:30pm – Somerville Theatre

SOFT IN THE HEAD
directed by Nathan Silver
cast: Theodore Bouloukos, Bruce Smolanoff, Jayson Simba

Kicked out of her apartment, Natalia wanders New York City, crashing a family’s holiday meal, staying at a men’s shelter, and dragging everyone down with her. An ode to anxiety and New York.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Kickstarter
Fri. 4/26 – 7:00pm – Brattle Theatre

SOME GIRL(S)
directed by Daisy Von Scherler Mayer
writer: Neil LaBute
cast: Kristen Bell, Jennifer Morrison, Adam Brody, Emily Watson

On the eve of his wedding, a successful writer travels across the country to meet up with ex-lovers in an attempt to make amends for past relationship transgressions.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Clips
Mon. 4/29 – 7:00pm – Somerville Theatre

OPENING NIGHT FILM
Director James Ponsoldt will be in attendance

THE SPECTACULAR NOW
directed by James Ponsoldt
cast: Shailene Woodley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miles Teller

A hard-partying high school senior’s philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical “nice girl.”
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Sundance FF: Meet the Artist ’13: James Ponsoldt
Wed. 4/24 – 7:30pm – Somerville Theatre

THIS IS MARTIN BONNER
directed by Chad Hartigan
cast: Paul Eenhoorn, Richmond Arquette, Sam Buchanan

Two men, at opposite ends of the social spectrum, find themselves starting new lives in the same, small town and form an unlikely friendship.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Trailer
Sat. 4/27 – 12:15pm – Somerville Theatre

TOUCHY FEELY
directed by Lynn Shelton
cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen Page, Josh Pais

A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother’s foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his healing touch.
IMDB
Facebook
Sundance FF: Meet the Artist ’13: Lynn Shelton
Mon. 4/29 – 7:30pm – Somerville Theatre

V/H/S 2 
directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, and Jason Eisener
cast: Kelsy Abbott, Hannah Al Rashid, Devon Brookshire

Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his house and find collection of VHS tapes. Viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be dark motives behind the student’s disappearance.
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Trailer
Sat. 4/27 – 11:30pm – Brattle Theatre

WASTELAND
directed by Rowan Athale
cast: Matthew Lewis, Timothy Spall, Iwan Rheon

A young Englishman recently released from prison recruits his three best friends and to rob the local drug kingpin who is responsible for his incarceration. Can he get revenge and win back his fed-up girlfriend?
Official Site
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Trailer
Thurs. 4/25 – 9:15pm – Somerville Theatre

THE WAY, WAY BACK
directed by Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
cast: Steve Carell, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell

Duncan, an awkward 14-year-old, covertly takes a summer job at a Cape Cod water park to escape the uncomfortable vacation he is to spend with his family. This is the directorial debut of THE DESCENDANTS screenwriters Jim Rash and Nat Faxton and stars Steve Carrell, Toni Collete, Allison Janney, and Sam Rockwell.
IMDB
Facebook
SFF The Morning After: The Way, Way Back
Thurs. 4/25 – 7:45pm – Som 1

WILLOW CREEK
directed by Bobcat Goldthwait

A found footage film about bigfoot. Perhaps there’s been too many of those recently, but this one isn’t a schlocky horror picture. Goldthwait has apparently mixed satire with some suspense and, overall, his film is apparently rather driven by “exploring the idea of bearing witness.” (BleedingCool)
Bobcat Goldthwait Spends 3 Days Looking for Bigfoot
Bobcat Goldthwait Talks About His New Bigfoot Movie
Mon. 4/29 – 9:30pm – Somerville Theatre

For more information on the Independent Film Festival of Boston:
IFFBoston Official site
IFFBoston Facebook
IFFBoston Twitter

Over 4,000 new immigrants have moved to Lewiston since 2001, read a Newsweek article from January 2009. At the time the article was posted in 2009, almost 1,000 students were enrolled in ESL classes at Lewiston’s adult education center. An April 2012 article from the Portland Press Herald stated that in 2010, fully 13 percent of Portland’s population was foreign born.

But upon closer investigation, I realized that Maine was trailing – big time – with their immigration numbers. What many have referred to as “America’s whitest state” isn’t technically true, but it’s close.

The state capitol building in Augusta, Maine

Despite the news headlines generated by the massive influx of Somalis in Lewiston and the growing diversity of Portland, the increase in the foreign-born population between the years 2000 and 2011 was one of the lowest in the country as well, ranking 47th out of 51.

As a percentage, the foreign-born population in Maine has changed 16.5 percent between 2000 and 2011, from 36,691 to 42,747. While this is a big jump from the previous decade in Maine (from 1990 to 2000, the foreign-born population changed only 1.1 percent), it is still much lower than the national percentage, which from 2000 to 2011 changed 29.8 percent (from 31.1 million to 40.3 million).

The jump from 1.1 percent to 16.5 percent, however, is the largest jump in the country. Between 2000 and 2010, only five states (Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Maine) experienced an increase in immigrant population growth from the decade earlier, and Maine’s increase was by far the largest.

Another interesting discrepancy was the immigrant populations of Portland and Lewiston compared to the rest of the state. With a total foreign-born state population of 42,747, and the 13 percent foreign-born in Portland (a total of 8,633), approximately 34,000 immigrants are left for the remainder of the state. Furthermore, if you take out the estimated 5,000 Somali and Bantu population of Lewiston, only 29,000 remain over the remainder of the state. With a population of 1.2 million (the total state population minus the populations of Portland and Lewiston), you’re looking at an immigrant population that comprises roughly 2.4 percent of the total population. The drastic difference between Portland’s immigrant population (at 13 percent) and the immigrant population of the rest of the state (2.4 percent), you can see how different the immigrant experience could be depending on the person’s geographic location.

The population of illegal immigrants is small in Maine. According to an estimate in 2007 by The Federation for American Immigration Reform, only about 0.3 percent of Maine’s overall population were in the U.S. illegally.

Maine is known as “The Vacation State.”

Despite the large share of Asian and Latino immigrants, 11.5 percent of the foreign born population in Maine are from Africa. This percentage is much higher than the national percentage, in which only 4.1 percent of the total immigrant population in the U.S. is African.

Although it is hard to pin down the specific number of Congolese immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are a number of statistics that hint toward an estimate.

According to the 2000 census, there were 3,885 Congolese Americans who were born in the DRC. Although the 2010 census has not come up with a specific number for foreign born from the DRC, the American Community Survey estimated that in 2010 a total of 11,000 Congolese Americans resided in the country. Fronteras reporting adds to this number, stating that an additional 3,000 immigrants came to the U.S. from the DRC in the year 2010.

Between the years of 2000 and 2004, according to Statemaster.com, there were only 64 refugees to settle in New England from the DRC, and of those 64, 11 settled in Maine.

Although I couldn’t find any other statistics about the Congolese Diaspora in the state of Maine, there are anecdotes I’ve come across that paint a rough picture of the population. In a 2012 article from the Portland Press Herald, Congolese immigrant E’nkul Kanakan is quoted as saying there were only five other families from the DRC when he arrived in Portland in 1996, and today there are between 150 and 200 families of Congolese origin in the city.

In the coming weeks I hope to travel to Maine to report on more stories about the Congolese immigrant and refugee experience in the state. I would love to tell stories about life as a Congolese American in Portland as well as life as a Congolese American in other towns and cities throughout the state. If you live in Maine and want to contact me please send me an email or Tweet.

SOMALI: Bible 2007

Exodus (Baxniintii) 20:3-17

3 Aniga mooyaane ilaahyo kale waa inaanad lahaan.  

4 Waa inaanad samaysan sanam xardhan, ama wax u eg waxa samada sare jira, ama waxa dhulka hoose jira, ama waxa biyaha dhulka ka hooseeya ku jira.  

5 Waa inaanad iyaga u sujuudin, ama u adeegin, waayo, aniga oo ah Rabbiga Ilaahaaga ah waxaan ahay Ilaah masayr ah, oo xumaantii awowayaasha waxaan soo gaadhsiinayaa carruurtooda tan iyo farcanka saddexaad iyo kan afraad oo kuwa i neceb,  

6 oo waxaan u naxariistaa kumanyaal ah kuwa i jecel oo amarradayda xajiya.  

7 Waa inaanad magaca Rabbiga Ilaahaaga ah si been ah ugu hadal qaadin, waayo, Rabbigu eedlaawe u haysan maayo kii magiciisa si been ah ugu hadal qaada.  

8 Xusuuso maalinta sabtida, inaad quduus ka dhigto.  

9 Lix maalmood waa inaad hawshootaa, oo aad shuqulkaaga oo dhan qabsataa,  

10 laakiinse maalinta toddobaad waa maalin sabti u ah Rabbiga Ilaahaaga ah, oo waa inaanad shuqul qaban, adiga, ama wiilkaaga, ama gabadhaada, ama addoonkaaga, ama addoontaada, ama xoolahaaga, ama qariibka irdahaaga ku jira;  

11 waayo, Rabbigu lix maalmood buu ku sameeyey samada, iyo dhulka, iyo badda, iyo waxa dhexdooda ku jira oo dhan, kolkaasuu nastay maalintii toddobaad, sidaas daraaddeed ayaa Rabbigu u barakeeyey maalintii sabtida ahayd oo quduus uga dhigay.  

12 Aabbahaa iyo hooyadaa maamuus, in cimrigaagu ku dheeraado dhulka Rabbiga Ilaahaaga ahu ku siiyo.  

13 Waa inaanad qudh gooyn.  

14 Waa inaanad sinaysan.  

15 Waa inaanad waxba xadin.  

16 Waa inaanad deriskaaga marag been ah ku furin.  

17 Waa inaanad damcin guriga deriskaaga, waa inaanad damcin naagta deriskaaga, ama addoonkiisa, ama addoontiisa, ama dibigiisa, ama dameerkiisa, ama waxa deriskaagu leeyahay oo dhan.  

Delivery

Jonathan R. Miller

Smith Publicity

Pub Date:

Dec 1 2012

My rating:

Struck blind while defending his daughter from abductors during a visit overseas, Ambojeem makes the decision to settle permanently in the relative calm of Minnesota. As a biracial Somali man, he has spent decades adrift, running from Western nation to Western nation in search of some semblance of belonging. And in the Twin Cities he thinks he has found a proper home.

Aided by retinal implants that provide a synthetic vision, Ambo scrapes out a living as a delivery driver, transporting an array of items both legal and otherwise. During one seemingly simple assignment, he makes a devastating discovery that sends him spiralling down a twisted path that changes his life immeasurably, plunging him into a dark world where black market surgeries, kidnappings, and murder are the norm. On the way, he meets a little girl whose father has made plans for one of her vital organs, and Ambo must find a way to help the child while ensuring that he doesn’t fall victim to the father’s crazed ambitions himself.

Dealing with issues as diverse as immigration, autonomy, ethnic identity, female circumcision, the consequences of vengeance, and more, Delivery is a thought-provoking, moving, and thrilling journey from beginning to end.

After reading a lot of YA recently, every now and then mixing it up with some romance, this was definitely something else. But it was a good sort of different. Once I got past the beginning, which was a bit slow, I was enthralled by the story. The plotline got very intense all of a sudden and I found myself unable to put the book down. I am glad I read this book because it definitely reminded me of all the reasons why I like books outside of the YA and romance genres as well. It has also inspired me to read a bit more adult books and I will soon be picking up a thriller or two, since I recently bought a load of them. 

As mentioned above this book had a bit of a slow start. It was partly because of the descriptiveness of the writing. On the other hand it also had to do with the fact that we were kept in the dark about where this story was headed. But once you read about that first swift turn of events you are instantly sucked into this whirlwind adventure alongside Ambojeem.

It was a very interesting ride to read about Ambojeem and the craziness that has become his life. It was fascinating to see how he handled all these curveballs that where thrown his way. This just felt like a very realistic and humane person. These are hard times that are upon him and still Ambo finds it in himself to care for others. It just gives you that little spark of faith in humanity, especially in this world that is growing so dark. I know this is a fictional book, yet I thought it was inspiring.

Ambojeem is half Somali and he uses a lot of Somali vocabulary in the book. Though usually it’s pretty clear what this word means, we never get a full, definitive answer as to what they mean in some cases. And this was sometimes a little bit of a let-down. As I said, the context often hints us into the right direction, but at times I was still a bit uncertain about certain words or phrases. Though these helped shaped the feel of the situation, I sometimes really wanted to know what these words meant. But this was definitely a minor irritation.

Big news! This Thursday I have a real treat for you! I was able to ask Jonathan R. Miller some questions about this book and I will share his answers with you this Thursday!

What you need:

1.5 cups cubed beef

4 cups water

1 cup mixed vegetables

1/2 sliced onion

1 large diced serrano pepper

1 tbsp. beef bouillon

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cardamom powder

1/2 tsp. cilantro

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. Vegeta

salt/pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

What you do:

1.  Boil beef in 3 cups of water for 45 minutes.  Drain.

2.  Heat olive oil on low on stovetop.

3.  Add meat, onion, and serrano pepper, cook on low about 2 minutes.

4.  Add 1 cup of water, vegetables, and all seasonings.

5.  Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

6.  Serve!

A young Somali man. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently I was discussing with @JaredRomey about an article he posted, “9 hard languages for English speakers.”  I replied that I don’t know why Somali never makes it onto those lists; they tend to be the same list: Chinese, Arabic, etc.  Jared suggested I blog about why Somali deserves to be on the list.  He suggested 5 reasons why it’s hard–I came up with 7, but I’m only a beginner.

In difficulty, Somali can stand its ground against the hardest languages.  Yet the Foreign Service Institute puts Somali in category 2, where 3 is the hardest.  Category 2 includes Farsi and 3 includes Arabic.  I’ve studied both, and I don’t see how this is so; Somali seems to be way harder than Farsi and of at least the same level of difficulty as Arabic.  If you drew a Venn  diagram of languages and their hardest aspects, Somali would overlap with a lot of them.  While Mandarin and Somali have tones, Mandarin has no case.  While German and Somali have case, German has fairly simple sounds.  While Arabic and Somali have difficult sounds, Arabic has a consistent writing system.  Plus Somali does some odd things with prepositions you’ll have to read about, below.  Somali is a doosy–but the challenge is made lighter by the joy of Somalis hearing their language spoken by a foreigner.

For a bit of background: Somali belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family, in the Cushitic branch.  More famous branches of this family are Semitic, to which Arabic and Hebrew belong, and Egyptian, which includes the language of the ancient Pharaohs.  Some overlap with Arabic, then, is natural.

1. Three (four?) writing systems.  When Somali was originally written down in the Arabic script in the 13th century (Wadaad script).  In 1920, another script was invented that somewhat resembled the Ethiopian writing system (Osmanya script).  A more minor script was invented in 1930, called the Borama script.  The official script since 1972 has been a Latin-based alphabet (Somali alphabet).
2. All the hard sounds of Arabic.  The guttural sounds that foreigners have trouble with in Arabic–they’re all in Somali.  The emphatic ha, the ayin, the qaf, the raspy kha–they’re all there.  (They’re spelled x, c, q, and kh, respectively.)  Additionally, Somali distinguishes between short and long vowels, like in Arabic, and other languages like Japanese and Finnish.  So my friends correct me if I say “si” rather than “sii.”  Finally, they have a retroflex “d” (spelled dh) like in Indian languages.
3. Some of the tones of Mandarin.  Most have heard of the four different tones of Mandarin: high, low, falling, and rising.  Somali only has two, high and low, but they can sound different depending on the environment they are found in.  They change the meaning of the word, too!  “Boy” is ínan, and “girl” is inán; “dog” is éy and “dogs” is eý.
4. Irregular plurals like German or Arabic.  A Somali noun forms its plural according to a pattern that is not predictable from its singular, and Somali has 7 or so patterns.  This concept may sound familiar to German- or Arabic-speakers.  Unlike English, which almost always forms its plural with “-(e)s,” Somali has no “regular” plural suffix.  So the plural of áf  “language,” flattens the tone and repeats the last syllable: afaf.  For some nouns, a suffix is used, so hoóyo “mother” goes to hoyoóyin, and áabbe goes to aabayaal (also note the tone shift).  Finally, words may shift gender as they go from singular to plural.
5. Prepositions–unlike anything.  Somali prepositions don’t resemble any language I know.  They’re a challenge, so I’ll explain as well as I can based largely on this academic source and this textbook.  They are divided into prepositions and “deictic particles.”  They have four prepositions, roughly “to”, “in”, “from”, and “with”.  “Deictic particles” indicate activity relative to the speaker; the four Somali deictic particles indicate toward the speaker, away from the speaker, toward each other, or away from each other.  One may need to use both a preposition and a deictic particle.  Somali tends to place these items in front of the verb, not the noun.
   For example, “I pulled the man out of the well with a rope” is nínkíi bàan cèelka xádhig kagá sóo saaray.  The last five words literally mean, “well-the rope with-from towards_me I-raised.”  Similarly, “they used to give us news about it” is way inoogá warrámi jireen, literally, “They us-to-about news gave.”  They could have thrown a soo in there, too, right after inoogá.  It seems to me they cluster all the prepositions together.  In the first example, “from” goes with “well” and “with” goes with “rope,” but both stick by the verb.  In the second, “to” goes with “us” and “about” goes with the unspoken “it.”  Unscrambling in real time what preposition goes with what is beyond my level right now.
6. Cases–like Greek or German.  Somali has four cases, but not the ones you may know from, say German or Greek.  They are absolutive, subject, genitive, and vocative.  Absolutive is used when it is by itself, and subject if there is another noun in the sentence.  Genitive, like in other languages, indicates possession, and vocative is used in directly addressing someone or something.  Like the plural, they are marked with a suffix or tone change, depending on the class of the noun.  In addition, like in German and Greek, the absolutive and subject are marked on the article, as well.  However, Somali also has different articles depending on whether the noun was mentioned before or not (similar to English “a” and “the”).
7. Poetry.  Somalis are known for their love of poetry.  Richard Burton noted in the 19th century the widespread recitation and performance of poetry among Somalis.  When Somali is spoken it is peppered with poetic allusion, proverbs, and alliteration.  The uninitiated cannot understand the depth of the language without a deep knowledge and appreciation of the poetry.

Before you feel discouraged, let me tell you that Somalis love to hear their language spoken by foreigners.  Some non-Somalis have become YouTube sensations by simply interviewing in Somali.  When you try to learn the language, you will receive tons of help.  Somalis love their language, and their love is infectious.  Enjoy taking on this challenge of learning Somali and all the new, friendly people you will recruit to help your efforts and entertain with your enthusiasm.

Related articles

• What makes a language useful? (lovinglanguage.wordpress.com)
• H.S. Class Teaches Somali Children Their Parents’ Language (minnesota.cbslocal.com)
• The Preposition: What it is and How to Use It (english.answers.com)

Ianthe and Izabelle are our two breeding females.
The sisters are best of friends, spending their time either cuddled up together or tussling amicably. Affectionate washing of the ears morph into wrestling energetically – Can’t Ever Have Too Much Fun, they claim.. and then degenerate into chasing each other through the house. WeeHee! They shout as they race by, almost flattening our dog in the process. At night they sleep closely together, spreading out – as cats do – to take up most of the bed, grumbling only ever so slightly when I unceremoniously chuck them out of bed, because I need to MOVE! I just don’t understand why it is always me they sleep on and not my husband…
Visitors are always fun. It is usually a bit of a race to see who gets the visitors attention first. Both the girls LOVE attention – any attention – from anyone – and will present themselves for cuddles, play and any interesting interaction people might be up for. They are respectful of the fact that some people don’t want to chat, though. If they aren’t encouraged, they shrug their shoulders and go off to bash the dog instead. Fun Too! They say… and the dog looks at them with a slightly puzzled expression and shrugs her shoulders.
Evenings on the couch are very popular. Ahhh – they say in unison – and settle down for cuddles and sleep, draped over convenient body parts and soft plaids. Hair Needs Washing, Izabelle proclaims, and proceeds to give my husband a very thorough groom, eyes closed in ecstasy – and my husband seems to enjoy it too! Chin And Nose Needs Kissing, Ianthe chirps, and lovingly chews gently on my face while rubbing herself against me. And after having demonstrated their affections, they settle down, often closely together, and sleep. Life Is Good…they sigh.
As is typical of siblings, the girls are very different in many ways. Most people struggle to tell them apart, and when they were younger there were times where it was only their voices that gave them away. With age and familiarity we have learned to immediately tell who is whom – and as they have grown older, their personalities have crystallised into two very distinctly different ladies. What they have in common, though, is a keen interest in anything we do, a desire to be involved in everyday life, a super affectionate nature and stunningly good looks (but then I am of course biased..).
The girls have a shorter coat than many Somali’s – this does make everyday life easier as there is no need for grooming. Considering that we also have a Persian and a Maine Coon, that is a bit of a relief.. The tails are wonderfully fluffy still and it never fails to make me smile when I see two fluffy, upright tails moving in front of me wherever I go. What Are We Doing Next, Mum? They say..

A modern guntiino.

Guntiinos are long dresses wrapper around the wearer and tied at the shoulder, similar to the dresses worn in both pictures shown above and below.

Traditional Somali guntiino.

Diraacs are long dresses of various colours and patterns that are loose and usually somewhat see-through. Somali women wear it with a brassiere, long matching slip (called gorgoro), and a matching long scarf (gabarsar). The dirac is of a Yemeni origin and it was only during recent decades that it became a popular dress to wear to weddings and other events.

Somali women wearing matching diracs at a wedding.

A Somali woman wearing a dirac.

However, these days, guntiinos are more frequently seen as cultural events and weddings. While diracs are still worn by some, it is clear that Somali women are going back to their roots and traditional dress. It would be interesting to see the traditional cambar (amber) and other accessories worn with the guntiino but for now, the shift back to Somali traditions is a positive sign.

UN eases Somali arms embargo – Africa – Al Jazeera English.

These young American rappers of Eritrean, Somali, and Kenyan backgrounds put out this hit onto Youtube. It is refreshing to see unity among East Africans in Seattle, plus the song is banging.

What are your thoughts on this song?

Audience: Ages 7+

Cultural Origins

Wiil Waal is a Somali folktale. Wiil Waal was a Somali leader (a sultan) who lived in the early 1800s. He is known for being generous and for being a brave leader. More information about Wiil Waal is available at the Minnesota Humanities Center website: http://www.minnesotahumanities.org/video/somalibooks.cfm 

Summary

“A story, a story, it’s time for a story…” [traditional beginning to Somali folktales]

Long ago in Somalia, there lived a brave and generous sultan (i.e. leader) named Wiil Waal. To find the next leader, Wiil Waal called all of the men in the region together and shared this riddle. “Bring me part of one of your sheep,” ordered Wiil Waal. “The part you choose should symbolize what can divide people or unite them as one.” The men returned home and tried to solve the riddle. Each man slaughtered their finest sheep and chose one part to share with Wiil Waal. There was one man in the region who was very poor, yet he still chose his finest sheep and slaughtered it. “What a waste!” he exclaimed. “I have no idea what the answer to Wiil Waal’s riddle is.” His oldest daughter overheard him and knew the answer to the riddle. “The gullet,” she said. When the man presented the gullet to Wiil Waal, Wiil Waal asked to meet the man’s daughter — the one person in the region who was able to solve Wiil Waal’s riddle.

The daughter explained to Wiil Waal why she had chosen the gullet: “I had my father bring you the sheep’s gullet because it is truly a symbol of what unites or divides us. There are those in this world who have much and those who have little. When people do not share, they become enemies. But when they share with one another they can live in peace. The gullet delivers shared food to a hungry stomach. When no food is shared it is empty. It can be a symbol of greed or of generosity. Greed or generosity, in turn, divide people or unite them.”

Wiil Waal eventually married the man’s wise daughter and she, along with Wiil Waal, ruled the land.

Adaptation Ideas

I will tell this story as it is told by Kathleen Moriarty in the picture book Wiil Waal. Before I tell this story, I might point out where Somalia is located on a map and briefly introduce Wiil Waal. There is information about Wiil Waal available at the Minnesota Humanities Center website. After telling this story, I can ask kids what they think of the riddle. What does this mean: “Greed or generosity, in turn, divide people or unite them.”?

Source

Moriarty, Kathleen. Wiil Waal: A Somali Folktale. Saint Paul: Minnesota Humanities Center, 2007. Print.

Mogadishu, Somalia 1984 at a photography studio.  Some of the photos on the wall are of Somali celebrities of that era. Getting your picture taken by one of Mogadishu’s local photographers was pretty popular back in the days when Mogadishu  was peaceful.

(via Vintage Somalia)

Click on this link and you will find Walking Guides in English, French, Spanish, Chinese ( 2 versions), Arabic, Punjabi and Somali. The document formats are easy to use and in languages that accommodate London’s diverse community.