Update from Qudus' blog

Apr 28, 2008

Allegory of an Afropolitan

Between You and I... there is something missing 
we both know that there is something missing 
that we might probably not find in this generation. 
we know that there is something that burns, 
much more stronger than what we attach ourselves to. 
Do you think there are flames that 
burns so fast and last longer? 

America burned really fast to catch up with 
her first cousin, Europe. 
America has become a monster that needed 
to be re-born in order to get things right again. 

between you and i 
Africa has been seen and told from western eyes, 
unconsciousely we tend to see ourselves 
from the slants of the western judgement 
and you and i continue to dance 
around these laid down stereotypes. 

let you and i ask each other, 
if auto-mobile was made by Africans. 
what would have been the speed limit. 
cos we tend to run too fast, 
shall we last long with this pace? 
we are becoming uncivilized 
of our proper civilization 
with the hope of catching up 
with this capitalist world 
in the shadows of globalization. 

the title of my presentation in school 
as part of my final year degree. 
is AFROPOLITAN 
African and citizen of the world. 

though the autorities claim i'm not African enough 
i'm not making them realize that we live on trees 
that i tend to be blind to the fact that 
Africans are dying of DISEASES and HUNGER. 
that there is an issue of child soldier 
that Africa strongly need to catch up with the world 
because we are retarded. 

i think there is something missing again 
that i might probably not find. 
but let me say it to them in the simpliest way. 
and showing them simple images

like the way i was thought in nursery school. 
This is Ali, 
Ali is a boy 
This is Simbi, 
Simbi is a girl. 

Simple right? 

I think teaching was made easy to the highest level 
in nursery school days. 

PS: nursery school teachers needed. 

This is Africa 
Africa is not my country! 
the Africa you know, is in the media 
Thats not Africa! 
This is Lagos 
if Lagos is as dangerous as you portray it 
there won't be 14 million inhabitants remaining in it! 

AFROPOLITAN is here at home 
not in the artificial luxeries of London 
nor in the pitiful paradise of Paris 
but in the whispering desert of Lagos. 
a lake fresh for new ideas, that will spring up 
to find the alternative to a self-fascist way of living 
that might just be the saving grace and hope for the future. 

A white friend asked me yesterday, 
how do i manage to be happy always... 
you and i know that this is a question 
i have never came across in my entire childhood 
in Lagos that even seem more fun.
 
when i am in Europe 
i'm not an African, i'm YORUBA 
when i'm in Lagos 
i'm not YORUBA, i'm an African... 

its time to turn around clichés
use them to our own advantage
The Afropolis is still not big enough
we will keep on the pilgrimage of advocacy
keep going away with our roots or roofs
or perhaps with our peper pot

"do we need cola-cola to dance?" 
is a project i did around 6 countries of africa in summer 2007 
Lagos, Cairo, Jo'burg, Maputo, Nairobi and Yaounde. 
to retrace a path, that may lead to the discovery 
of the things i find missing 
watchout for the amazing documentary film 
that followed this revolutionary jest. 

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