Si nous avons la sante, la reste va venir. If we have our health, everything else will come.
After health, les voeux are money, work (which rely inherently on each other...) happiness and, as I chimed in to much laughter, beaucoup d'energie solaire en 2010!
The Togolese tradition on New Years Eve is to go to church at Midnight, to ring in the New Year. Even those that didn't go to church on Christmas eve were there at 00:00 31, Dec., 2009.
After the 4-5 hour service-chorus-dance-celebration, people return home to prepare an early morning fufu. Makes perfect sense to me to ring in the New Year with a bon fufu :)
Throughout the day, we visited friends to wish them health and a prosperous 2010. Around 2PM we found ourselves at Daniels, just in time for the President's New Years Address...
First, a 3-minute scratchy rendition of the Togolese national anthem played, while Daniel sang random words and beamed at thoughts of Kabye ministers. The general tone and style of the song are military, as it was written during Togo's independence before the regime of Eyadema.
Petit Digression: I looked up the words of the anthem later on, and learned that the Togolese National Anthem describes the difficulties of the past but more importantly, the will to reconstruct and create unity and prosperity. It is almost like a promise by the Togolese people, government and spirit of dedication to their country. The intense identity and nationalism of Togolese resonate from the anthem's lyrics.
Here is a sample: People of Togo arise! Let us build the nation. To serve thee in unity is the most burning desire of our hearts. Let us shout aloud our motto that nothing can tarnish. We the only builders of thy happiness and of thy future. Everywhere let us break chains and treachery, and we swear to thee for ever faith, love, service, untiring zeal. To make thee yet, beloved Togo, a golden example for humanity.
A graphic of the waving Togolese flag floats across the screen.
Monsieur Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE,Président de la République appears fairly expressionlessly on the screen(imagine the backdrop as SNL Weekend Update circa 1998), his title extending across the bottom.
Faure spoke for about 10 minutes, airily wishing a prosperous 2010 with gigantic leaps in economic productivity and Togo's brilliant emergence as a transparent democracy. There was a surprisingly progressive element of substance in the middle of his speech however, when Faure announced that on January 13 (the National Holiday celebrating not only the assasination and overthrowing of the first Togolese Prime Minister Sylvanus Olypmio, but the first true Coup d'Etat on the continent of Africa, in 1963) Togolese authorities will travel to Benin to dig up and bring back to Togo to remains of Sylvanus Olympio, in a gesture of national unity and semblance of a break with the Eyadema years. Faure announced that from now on, the 13 Janvier will no longer be a national celebration of victory but a national day of prayer.
Daniel loudly applauded the president's decision. I continued to count how many times Faure uttered the words "Mes Compatriats." In the words of my friend and Kiva Fellow Nick (who is currently working with FECECAV), the man needs a teleprompter.
Faure closed out his speech by wishing a "successful" and "transparent" election in February. For himself.
There is no question that Faure will win a second term. Besides the widespread belief (and sincere concern and opinion of mine) that a free and fair election will not be permitted, there is no real opposition candidate. Opposition parties are not well organized or effective in Togo, and, fascinatingly, the front-running "opposition" candidate's name is Gilchrist Olympio. Yes, son of Sylvanus. Togo desperately needs some new blood...
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw20100112163243686C356854
Informal campaigning for the February 28,2010 Presidential Election has already begun, with visits and gifts to villages of rice, corn and pagne. And fCFA. There is a national list on which you can sign up to receive a green sac of rice, on which is written "Faure 2010." If you want to be seen as supportive of Faure, or think yo should be seen as supportive of Faure and the regime, you'd better have a green sac of rice...official, organized campaigning, when posters and rallies will overtake the capital, begins in early January.
First, a 3-minute scratchy rendition of the Togolese national anthem played, while Daniel sang random words and beamed at thoughts of Kabye ministers. The general tone and style of the song are military, as it was written during Togo's independence before the regime of Eyadema.
Petit Digression: I looked up the words of the anthem later on, and learned that the Togolese National Anthem describes the difficulties of the past but more importantly, the will to reconstruct and create unity and prosperity. It is almost like a promise by the Togolese people, government and spirit of dedication to their country. The intense identity and nationalism of Togolese resonate from the anthem's lyrics.
Here is a sample: People of Togo arise! Let us build the nation. To serve thee in unity is the most burning desire of our hearts. Let us shout aloud our motto that nothing can tarnish. We the only builders of thy happiness and of thy future. Everywhere let us break chains and treachery, and we swear to thee for ever faith, love, service, untiring zeal. To make thee yet, beloved Togo, a golden example for humanity.
A graphic of the waving Togolese flag floats across the screen.
Monsieur Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE,Président de la République appears fairly expressionlessly on the screen(imagine the backdrop as SNL Weekend Update circa 1998), his title extending across the bottom.
Faure spoke for about 10 minutes, airily wishing a prosperous 2010 with gigantic leaps in economic productivity and Togo's brilliant emergence as a transparent democracy. There was a surprisingly progressive element of substance in the middle of his speech however, when Faure announced that on January 13 (the National Holiday celebrating not only the assasination and overthrowing of the first Togolese Prime Minister Sylvanus Olypmio, but the first true Coup d'Etat on the continent of Africa, in 1963) Togolese authorities will travel to Benin to dig up and bring back to Togo to remains of Sylvanus Olympio, in a gesture of national unity and semblance of a break with the Eyadema years. Faure announced that from now on, the 13 Janvier will no longer be a national celebration of victory but a national day of prayer.
Daniel loudly applauded the president's decision. I continued to count how many times Faure uttered the words "Mes Compatriats." In the words of my friend and Kiva Fellow Nick (who is currently working with FECECAV), the man needs a teleprompter.
Faure closed out his speech by wishing a "successful" and "transparent" election in February. For himself.
There is no question that Faure will win a second term. Besides the widespread belief (and sincere concern and opinion of mine) that a free and fair election will not be permitted, there is no real opposition candidate. Opposition parties are not well organized or effective in Togo, and, fascinatingly, the front-running "opposition" candidate's name is Gilchrist Olympio. Yes, son of Sylvanus. Togo desperately needs some new blood...
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw20100112163243686C356854
Informal campaigning for the February 28,2010 Presidential Election has already begun, with visits and gifts to villages of rice, corn and pagne. And fCFA. There is a national list on which you can sign up to receive a green sac of rice, on which is written "Faure 2010." If you want to be seen as supportive of Faure, or think yo should be seen as supportive of Faure and the regime, you'd better have a green sac of rice...official, organized campaigning, when posters and rallies will overtake the capital, begins in early January.
Bonne Nouvelle Annee - Happy New Year.
Sante, Bonheur et l'Energie Aolaire - Health, Happiness and Solar Energy.
To my family and friends, throughout the world. You know who you are, and to those I do not know yet - I look forward to it :) To the people of Togo and the Togolese diaspora, with whom I will be forever connected and thankful.
Sante, Bonheur et l'Energie Aolaire - Health, Happiness and Solar Energy.
To my family and friends, throughout the world. You know who you are, and to those I do not know yet - I look forward to it :) To the people of Togo and the Togolese diaspora, with whom I will be forever connected and thankful.
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