Living the (stereotypical) dream

There are some days when I go about my business and I feel like the environment around me is conforming to every stereotypical image we have of life in African countries.  This morning, for instance, I stepped out of the house into the sunny morning.  The birds were singing in the air around and I went out the gate to the mud-track road.  I picked my way through the dirt and fresh formed ruts after the heavy rain of the previous day, meeting a few people and exchanging greetings with them as I went.  As I turned the corner to walk up towards the main road, I could hear music coming from a nearby shop.  It was loud and cheerful and the typical soundtrack to any film that is set in Africa (and which has probably been conceived in Europe or North America).  Still, it was cheering and as I avoided the waiting moto drivers and walked along the street, I did feel it put a little spring in my step.  Why is the music so cheery?  Is it just that I don’t understand the words and meaning?  Although occasionally I can pick out “Imana” and I know the song is being sung to God.  Not at all like the dour hymns I was brought up on....

As I saunter along the street weaving between bikes and people and animals, I pass the Feel Okey pub and see the Never Give Up business consultancy, the Blessed Hope hardware store and the God Bless You Stationery store.  The names still bring a smile to my face.  I pass new houses which are beautifully finished and look grand, but sandwiched in between them are small shacks and crumbling old houses.  People shout and call to each other and the bus toots as it crawls along the street.  The conductor shouts out the destination in an attempt to get more passengers on board.  Every moto that passes slows when they reach me and call “To go?”  I decline their offer and continue walking to my destination, narrowly missing a drop into the deep drain along the edge of the road as I try to swerve and avoid a fast approaching man with a chain of supermarket trolleys (where is the supermarket to which these trolleys belong?).

All around are people and cars and bustle.  There are people in modern clothing and some women are in brightly coloured outfits beautifully tailored from local cloth.  Children scurry along in their uniforms or play clothes.  MTN and Tigo sellers approach and call out “Airtime?”  I shake my head and decline and pass along the street to be met by sellers of Airtel airtime.  Taxi drivers stop and shout “Taxi?”  I shake my head.  I continue walking; trying hard to keep on the path now that I am near the market and the volume of people has significantly increased.  And then I am safely at my destination and I call into the office where I have come to discuss some work.  I slip in off the street to the calm and quiet corridors of an office block and enjoy the quiet for a while.