Boy, with this post and the one farther up about Afghanistan, we seem to be in a "There are worse things than imperialism after all" mood this afternoon.
I can still make a case for imperialsm is bad. After all, one of the primary reasons one wants to sympathize with the women guarding the water supply is that one recognizes that their distrust of outsiders has good historical precedent.
I read this many many hours ago and, along with every other worm-parasite narrative I've ever heard, it haunts me. My boyfriend's older son likes to torture me by making me tell him how you get rid of a tapeworm at regular intervals. He gets to watch me gross myself out.
Bitch, since when are you and I "Susie Bright's favorite blogs"? I must have joined those ranks recently, and, given the low quality of my recent posts, I have no idea why. Technorati is an odd place.
For anyone interested in reading up on why Nigerians are paranoid about outsiders, I highly recommend Ben Okri's novel The Famished Road, which should pretty much do it, or, if you're into brevity, his short stories in Stars of the New Curfew packs a wallop. Doesn't matter whether the outsiders are white, black, Nigerian or American; everyone's out to get you.
I asked the first of many Nigerian students I've had to write a paper about what A White Bear would want to do in Lagos, a city I've always fantasized about visiting. The paper began, "First of all, never take the bus. You will probably be driven out of town and your blood drained for money rituals. Tourist blood is powerful juju."
One of my uncles got an intestinal worm on his mission. Back in the US, the doctors tried and tried to kill it off, but the worm survived and thrived. Then my uncle got posted to Mexico, and there, the doctors really understood that you have to poison the worm. My uncle survived, the worm didn't, but it was a near thing for both of them.
On disease eradication and imperialism, Malcolm Gladwell had a good article about DDT and malaria, although he takes the hero woship a bit too far, especially at the end.
We're Susie Bright's favorite blogs because we rock the house, dude.
It may have something to do with your feminist post that I linked back in the day. Or maybe, as I believe, Susie is a damn smart woman and likes reading what other smart women have to say. Yes?
The "intruders and imperialists" being turned away were other Nigerians. The villagers were just just being a bunch of superstitious screwballs. Their antics apparently weren't too popular with the local chiefs council, which fined them "one very mighty native cow, plus goats, yams and kegs of palm wine," for their resistance.
Ick ick ick!
Posted by Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 12:35 PM
Twee pow chung zwip!
Posted by Chopper | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 3:23 PM
Boy, with this post and the one farther up about Afghanistan, we seem to be in a "There are worse things than imperialism after all" mood this afternoon.
Posted by John Tingley | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 3:26 PM
How about we agree that just about anything is better than ignorance, but truth, as much as we can know it, can hurt.
Posted by Dave McLeod | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 5:38 PM
just about anything is better than ignorance
Except three-foot-long worms that you have to slowly pull out of your eye socket over the course of several days.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 6:27 PM
I can still make a case for imperialsm is bad. After all, one of the primary reasons one wants to sympathize with the women guarding the water supply is that one recognizes that their distrust of outsiders has good historical precedent.
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 7:04 PM
I read this many many hours ago and, along with every other worm-parasite narrative I've ever heard, it haunts me. My boyfriend's older son likes to torture me by making me tell him how you get rid of a tapeworm at regular intervals. He gets to watch me gross myself out.
Bitch, since when are you and I "Susie Bright's favorite blogs"? I must have joined those ranks recently, and, given the low quality of my recent posts, I have no idea why. Technorati is an odd place.
Posted by A White Bear | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 8:20 PM
For anyone interested in reading up on why Nigerians are paranoid about outsiders, I highly recommend Ben Okri's novel The Famished Road, which should pretty much do it, or, if you're into brevity, his short stories in Stars of the New Curfew packs a wallop. Doesn't matter whether the outsiders are white, black, Nigerian or American; everyone's out to get you.
I asked the first of many Nigerian students I've had to write a paper about what A White Bear would want to do in Lagos, a city I've always fantasized about visiting. The paper began, "First of all, never take the bus. You will probably be driven out of town and your blood drained for money rituals. Tourist blood is powerful juju."
Posted by A White Bear | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 8:25 PM
s/b "pack a wallop"
Posted by A White Bear | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 8:26 PM
One of my uncles got an intestinal worm on his mission. Back in the US, the doctors tried and tried to kill it off, but the worm survived and thrived. Then my uncle got posted to Mexico, and there, the doctors really understood that you have to poison the worm. My uncle survived, the worm didn't, but it was a near thing for both of them.
Posted by Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 8:29 PM
On disease eradication and imperialism, Malcolm Gladwell had a good article about DDT and malaria, although he takes the hero woship a bit too far, especially at the end.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 8:43 PM
We're Susie Bright's favorite blogs because we rock the house, dude.
It may have something to do with your feminist post that I linked back in the day. Or maybe, as I believe, Susie is a damn smart woman and likes reading what other smart women have to say. Yes?
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 9:54 PM
"had a good article about DDT and malaria" s/b "is nicely bouncy"
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 9:56 PM
The google's top pick for gladwell gay is pretty amusing, AOTW.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 10:13 PM
Especially since it turns up 5 different threads (when you click on the "more results from" link).
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 10:16 PM
We are the internet's leading source of Malcolm Gladwell is not gay.
Posted by Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 10:18 PM
I can't wait for the day when this thread becomes part of the results for that search.
Posted by teofilo | Link to this comment | 03-26-06 10:27 PM
The "intruders and imperialists" being turned away were other Nigerians. The villagers were just just being a bunch of superstitious screwballs. Their antics apparently weren't too popular with the local chiefs council, which fined them "one very mighty native cow, plus goats, yams and kegs of palm wine," for their resistance.
Posted by gswift | Link to this comment | 03-27-06 1:53 AM
We are the internet's leading source of Malcolm Gladwell is not gay.
Part of our mission statement.
(16 trackbacks, none of which show up? I'm guessing it's a spam thing.)
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 03-27-06 7:13 AM
Um, ew. Worms. Learning about these was standard high school grossness.
I do kind of like fining people specific items. It feels so much more.. real? Like fining someone half a sandwich.
Posted by Cala | Link to this comment | 03-27-06 7:30 AM
The Malcolm Gladwell is not gay thread is the internet's leading source for frites and comparative pizza studies.
Posted by Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 03-27-06 7:31 AM