These past few days I have felt more like a tourist and less like a resident of Niger! One of the big traditional sports in Niger is wrestling, or ‘Kokowa’, and this year those of us lucky in Tahoua region were lucky enough to have the championship tournament for the past five days in Tahoua. So, these past couple days a few of us headed into Tahoua to see part of the tournament as well as some of the other events that have been going on during the big event.
A bit on Kokowa- as far as I can tell it’s very similar to ‘typical’ wrestling, except as soon as one of the opponents hits the ground they lose and (I think) are out of the tournament. (I’d have to do a little research- you can only grasp so much sitting and watching) While I’ve never really been a huge wrestling fan, I was totally entertained and fully enjoyed myself for the 3 ish hours we were there. While it started at four, for some reason, we didn’t think it would be necessary to actually show up on time (NOTHING in Niger is on time), but we were mistaken, there were TONS of people there, the place was packed, and there were massive lines to the ticket area… No fear, we were fortunate enough to be attending with one of the volunteer’s Nigerien friends, who smooth-talked us right up to the front of the line of the ticket window. With no seats available and standing room only, we thought we were in for a squashed, limited-view, nose-bleed section, but, once again, things worked out pretty well- Colin asked one of the guards if he could sit on the ground (about 10 feet from the ring) under the press window area, and we all followed him over and plopped down, fully expecting to be shooed away, which instead we were interviewed by BBC! I hope the locals weren’t thinking, “Darn foreigners!” but I think we may have had some of the best seats in the house; I ended up with some great photos and video, which will (hopefully) one day be one here! The other part about sitting so close is several people that evening and the following day told us they saw us on TV! (I feel so famous) It was pretty great.
About the wrestling itself, it was actually pretty intense, especially since it was the finals. Each state or region in Niger has there own regional tournament (there are 8 of them) and, I think, the top ten in each state attend the BIG one. The winner last year was from Tahoua region, and we did get to see him wrestle… he won… I’m guessing a lot of potential for a two-year-in-a-row victory… You would think that the rounds would go pretty quickly, and some of them did, but some of them dragged on for quite a while, almost 15 minutes.
So after our wrestling viewing, we went to a concert that night which, unfortunately, I thought I wouldn’t need to bother bringing my camera… I was very angry with myself as we sat and watched several groups perform traditional songs/dances… as well as some rap and hip-hop dancing! I think that’s one of the things that strikes me as so fascinating in Niger- people wear everything from very traditional attire- Tuareg, Fulans, Wudabi, Hausa, Arabs, all have distinct traditional wear; yet some of the younger generations look like they just stepped out of a 50 cent video! Especially in Tahoua, and during such a big event, it was really cool to see the traditional vs. modern Niger, all integrated together for a traditional wrestling event.
The other day in the bush, in my village, I was thinking how lucky I was to live in such a traditional place. There really aren’t that many places left in the world that still live in such a simplistic traditional way! I wonder, in 100 years from now there will even be a place like this still? I mean, sure, you can go camping, or head up to the mountains, but even that is turning into renting a fully furnished cabin, or driving a motor-home the size of a small house to some park with running water and electricity hook-ups! I know that’s exaggerating, but I couldn’t help but feel how fortunate I am to be living in what feels like a part of history- which up until I moved here seemed like something so primitive and challanging! It still amazes me that this is how these people live and how I live, and, really, out here in the bush, things haven’t changed a whole lot for probably thousands of years. (Minus, of course, motorcycles, radios, and the ‘bling-bling gangsta’ wear the younger generations are donning. )
I really am having the time of my life here, but just so you know it hasn’t all be roses, here’s one of my more frustrating stories of my week…
So a couple days ago, one of my women friends, who happens to be the women’s-group leader (I have yet to see her hold a meeting…) shows up at my house at 9:30ish in the morning and says, I’m going to a wedding, get ready and we’ll go. Not that I mind, but this wedding was in a nearby village about 6 K away… Again, not that big of a deal, but this women tends to do this often… she often refers to me as “her Butura (white person)” and almost shows me off like some kind of show-dog (she’s a very sweet old lady, I just get a bit frustrated every now and again on the whole ‘her volunteer’ thing) then, as we showed up to this wedding, some lady announced, “Friend! You brought your Butura!” (I just smiled as I grinded my teeth). Also along the same lines of frustrating times in my village, the other day, this same woman came up to me slightly angry and tells me, “you have no truth!” and then continues in rapid Housa I couldn’t understand then walks away! I was a little affronted, but to make it worse, the women I was sitting with at the time, started in on the same thing and repeated what she was saying- I know it was partially in fun, but I was so frustrated that they were telling me I had no truth! When I finally got them to slow down and explain in a way I would understand, I discovered I apparently have no truth because I don’t visit that woman every morning before anyone else… I was not exactly calm nor happy. So then I was like, “I NEVER said I would! I have truth! I never said I would visit her EVERY morning!!” So then they were like, “no, you have no truth. The last volunteer, Raheila, SHE visited her every morning- YOU don’t.” That’s when I almost lost it and was like “I AM NOT RAHELA!” and then said “I have to go now.” And got up and left. Needless to say that is one of the most frustrating, aggravating conversations I’ve had here.
Anyway, sorry for the exceptionally long blog post, but, as this is Niger, I am sitting at the internet place, in where the internet has not been working for the past hour… so to pass the time I am pre-writing my blog… and as there is STILL no internet, it just keeps going, and going, and going, and going….
Just a few quick pictures!!!
Three of the boys on my village, kids are always so happy here it seems!
