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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Nov 2006 : 00:07:24
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quote:
Originally posted by anna
Even though you are a recalcitrant old man (or so you try very hard to make us believe), i now agree with you totally. Naming ceremonies often turn out to be 'statussymbols'. My partner told me some families spend so much on food, drinks, clothes etc. for the naming ceremony of their child, that after the party they are (as he calls it) 'totally skinny'. I heard of naming ceremonies costing the parents around 30,000 dalasis, and i am talking about ordinary families.
Maybe this is not cultural (and maybe it is off-topic too) but would you say that it is a Gambian characteristic to want to 'show off'? There sometimes seem to be tremendous pressure to make others believe you are better off than you are in reality. In my (Dutch, and so economical) view, 25,000 out of the 30,000 would better be spent on the baby's future education - and with the rest you can still offer your friends and family a nice big benachin to celebrate the birth.
Thats true. The Griots encourage this patronage. Tell this phrase to your Gambian man and see his reaction: FULANG DANNA FAA DING DANNA |
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Babylon
Sweden
691 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2006 : 11:35:16
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Itīs true that people like to show off better than they are. But I donīt think that is just a Gambian phenomenon, but human. Here in the West donīt we take huge bank loans to buy houses, cars etc. just to "show off"? Then we own the bank for the rest of our lives because we really canīt afford it all. So whoīs to judge anyone?
When it comes to once in a lifetime celebrations like naming ceremonies or weddings, I think it is worth it to spend lots of money on.
But then again, I donīt think itīs right to expect people to pay you back for the gifts you gave to them. You should give because you want to give and because it makes you happy to make someone else happy, not because you think you will get it in return later. Thatīs just greedy. |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2006 : 19:16:25
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| Kondorong, my man would say 'ABARAKA' to the griot nicely. But he tells me he would prefer somebody coming to the naming ceremony of his child telling him 'ALA MA DINANO BALULA, ALA MA ASOLA SEEMAYALA, JAATA KENDEYA ANING HAREJEFERING' |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2006 : 18:03:02
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quote:
Originally posted by anna
Kondorong, my man would say 'ABARAKA' to the griot nicely. But he tells me he would prefer somebody coming to the naming ceremony of his child telling him 'ALA MA DINANO BALULA, ALA MA ASOLA SEEMAYALA, JAATA KENDEYA ANING HAREJEFERING'
Thats exactly what i would want to happen and said at my child's naming ceremony.
HARAJEFIRING? Is he a Sarahule man? |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2006 : 18:13:47
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No, he is a proud Mandinka!
Maybe Debra will look at this thread of Bantaba again, i am sure she would be happy to wish for her friend's baby to have a long and happy life and in what better way to tell her so than in her friend's own language?
Is 'HARAJEFIRING' dialect spelling? It was quite a mouthful, so i might have made a spelling error. |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2006 : 18:31:42
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Babylon, i am not judging - really i am not. I have a mortgage on my house myself, i know the bank really owns it in that sense. Taking out a big loan to buy a car is something i will never be able to understand.
I was talking about the pressure from third parties that seem to exist in the Gambia (and there might be other places where the same thing occurs), that make people spend so much on a social occasion that they would feel the consequences of the expenditure for a long, long time. And what is it for? It is to get the respect and admiration from people who might not even be close to you or very important for you in your personal life.
I just think it is a pity that these 'masquerades' are so important when you could put the money to a better use. Especially when the money is scarce. |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2006 : 18:41:27
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quote:
Originally posted by anna
No, he is a proud Mandinka!
Maybe Debra will look at this thread of Bantaba again, i am sure she would be happy to wish for her friend's baby to have a long and happy life and in what better way to tell her so than in her friend's own language?
Is 'HARAJEFIRING' dialect spelling? It was quite a mouthful, so i might have made a spelling error.
Its in fact two words and should have been separated. HARAJE ( MEANS LUCK, WEALTH). FI RING means to untie, to expose, loosen, make easy. The two would mean to be lucky, wealthy, prosperous. The opposite is HARAJE SITO. SITO means to tie, bad luck, etc. Its from the word SITI(TIE). SITO may also mean BAOBA tree. It takes its senblance from the tying of a knot and loosening it. When a knot is tied, its hard to escape and nece bondage. Poverty is very much associated with bondage in mandinka because wealth opens doors and opportunities a lot of the times. |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2006 : 19:37:25
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Thank you for taking the time to explain. I will show your postings to my man when he comes home from work, he will be very pleased. At the moment he is working day and night so as not to have to disappoint people when he goes home for Tobaski (ties, expectance?), whereas i would want for him to be more relaxed in this (loosen the ties a bit, fi ring).
By the way, when in Dutch you want to tell people not to keep a too tight rope (literally), or to let go of things a little bit (figuratively), we use the word 'vieren' (ie=long ii-sound) - which is a lot like fi ring. Interesting, isn't it? |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2006 : 08:06:15
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| When is tobaski? A friendof mine says his fmaily are making me a dress for the occasion. Is it at New Year when I am in Gambia? |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2006 : 10:05:15
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Bev, i was told that Tobaski is really on 31 December, but because of it being New Year's Eve it will be celebrated on 1 January. It will be great to spend Tobaski in your friends' compound! If you wonder what to bring as a gift, i am sure they will be very happy with palm oil (you can buy it at the market, and they sell good palm oil along the road from the airport to Senegambia), onions, big can of tomatoepaste, jumbo's, garlic and maybe some potatoes.
Have fun! |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2006 : 12:31:35
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BEV IF YOU ARE N GAMBIA FOR TOBASKI I envy you, i hear its a great time, lots of house visiting and dinners,
but agree with Anna, there is pressure on Gambians from 3rd parties to "Show off" and i know of families who have borrowed to pay to have "an event" to be seen and talked about. but we all do it but in different ways. |
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Eve
Gambia
344 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2006 : 13:10:17
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| The naming ceremony, depends on what religious is the family, if u wanna do the real tradition, there is the muslins and the catholic ways. |
gambian |
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Eve
Gambia
344 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2006 : 13:29:48
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| Having a baby it's wonderful, congratulations, my baby today is my life, she is all my happiness, the most wonderful that God gave me is her, i always say thanks to Allah giver me a wonderful lovely gal, n i wish she be my dream girl. |
gambian |
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Eve
Gambia
344 Posts |
Posted - 23 Nov 2006 : 13:48:44
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| I'm having some Gambians coming for the Tobaski inshalla, am very happy for that. And my birthday will be the 9th December, will celebrate it together. |
gambian |
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