Monday, July 27, 2020
Crossroads.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Bamako unrest and Fez
Bamako has been shaken by three days of murderous uprisings. The former head of the Haute Conseil Islamic, the powerful Wahabist leaning Imam Dicko is widely accused of orchestrating the anti government demonstrations which aims to topple IBK- some say in order for himself to try and grab power. The entire country has been put on alert and even in Timbuktu this morning the banks were closed.
My Air France ticket has been booked for my long overdue return to Mali on the first of September- who knows whether this will happen.
Everything now seems unstable in so many ways. It feels as if the very earth we stand on is moving somehow, criss-crossed by fault lines of diverse origins- epidemics and other disasters pulling in different directions and threatening to make everything crumble...
Not perhaps the time to start dreaming and planning a risky new venture... but the other day some mysterious impulse made me look up properties for sale in Morocco and I landed immediately on this 18th century Riad in Fez with a roof terrace with 360 degree views over the medina and an outside space for a little garden and swimmingpool...
It needs complete refurbishment, but what a project! 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms! Thickly encrusted with original glorious tiles and wood fret work! And I have a friend in Fez already, Gigi a vet who works in an American 'horse hospital' and knows all expats and has all necessary contacts of 'doing things up' in the medina.
I was wondering why I have been learning Arabic- I thought that it was mainly in order to give Youssouf in Timbuktu some extra cash - and of course since I am involved in Arabic manuscripts it can be viewed as 'staff development'... but maybe there was another reason for it? Some sort of divine guidance with an ulterior motive?
Hmmm.... what shall I call it? Riad Djenne? Riad Keita perhaps?
I think I might just be serious about this...London life is just not quite enough. Let's see...