Strike in Loulo

FROM LEFT: That's me, burned down house focused.

FROM LEFT: A house damaged by fire, a room ransacked

FROM LEFT: The walk back to the camp, a burning SUV

FROM LEFT: Bed turned upside down, luggages scattered outside

FROM LEFT: Another car burning, doors broken

July 10, 2009

None of our workers came. Quite strange, so I phoned the local foreman to find out why. He said the gate was blocked by strikers. They couldn't get in. The unemployed villagers of Loulo and its neighboring villages staged a strike in protest for new the mining contractor's move to hire strangers instead of considering them first.

It was a long day for me, doing helping job to a boiler maker cutting flanges.

July 11, 2009

It was raining. Despite this and the absence of my men I came to work. At around 9 AM 10 of my men arrived. The night before the military managed to disperse and pushed the strikers back to the village.

We proceeded to work hoping that others will arrive. An hour later one of my men received a call that the situation in the village had worsened. The strikers had regrouped and became belligerent beyond the control of the outnumbered gendarmes and police. The pipeline conveying toxic waste to the tailings dam was punctured by saboteurs. And the crane sent out to fix it was burned. The expat supervisor in charge of the repair was attacked but luckily escaped. His chin was hurt when the windshield of his pickup was smashed. I came to think this one was genuinely serious comparing it to the previous strikes that the company had resolved without any property damaged.

The workers were told to go home for fear that the ire the strikers might turn to their families for their insistence to come to work and not symphatizing with them.

I too asked permission to go home. Though my mind was trying to picture the situation as manageable I was also thinking of the possibility of a flee if things would turn ugly. I hitched a ride on the Honda Fourtrax (a 4WD all-terrain bike) of a Filipino colleague even if it was illegal to carry a passenger. I even didn't wear a skull guard. At that moment no one was worried of safety anymore.

At home I packed my valuables and medicines into my backpack. I was getting tensed and fidgety. I opened the curtains to see whats going on outside. I saw vehicles arrived and people running to their rooms. Then I heard the successive shots gunfire like war has already commences. I got panic. I hid in the toilet and peeped outside. I phoned home and was crying in fear of a violent death. My family were worried of me too. Not knowing what help they can offer and how. Their voices helped me to calm down.

I ran out of my room. One hundred meters away a house was already burning. The shout of angry people was terrifying. I went to the house of that Filipino colleague who brought me home. He too was wary of a coming attack. He put the kitchen knives ready at hand in case of an assault.

We decided to get away with the Fourtrax. We were joined by another terrified Filipino. And all three of us speeded away.

On the road we met my local worker who couldn't go home to the village because the gate was stormed by strikers. He was reluctant to leave his motorbike and just ran away because it's not paid-up yet. Thinking of me still in camp he got worried and decided to fetch me there. That's when we met him.

To ease the load of the Fourtrax I hopped into his motorbike with my backpack. Together we rode in convoy up to the hill (a stockpile where the crusher was set). The Filipino colleague saw the general manager's vehicle went to that direction so he presumed its where we would assemble. We didn't find anyone there. Our fear grew of the thought that strikers might catch us there.

We rode back down hoping to see any friendly faces. Not a chance, the plant was ghostly quiet. We decided to go to the underground. On the way we met a vehicle with French expats. They told us that no one was there (perhaps, they too were also lost) and that the rest of the expats were assembled at the mining contractor's place. We turned around and followed them.

At long last our ordeal was over. We were rejoined to the group in safety. We embarked on a big truck that's converted to a bus and joined by other Filipinos. I sat there exhausted and hungry, waiting for whatever instrucion from the organizers. It was almost 1 PM.

I was thinking of the things left in my room: my $300 Samsonite suitcase that I bought in Nairobi airport, Nike sneakers, clothes, digital BP monitor, Wahl clipper and other things. I regretted not bringing them for they too are important to me. But then, I thought those were only things...it can be replaced....my life is more important. I should be thankful instead for surviving this ordeal unscathed.

After an hour we departed but to the direction of the plant. We all disembarked and each one of us was given with a 1-m reinforcing bars. "What's this for? An arm?", I said. What can a reinforcing bar do if the strikers were armed with guns and bolos? Anyway we continued walking, tired and hungry.

Afar we saw not only one column of smoke but several ones. I was getting worried of my things lest our block was one of those burning. Luckily it wasn't but it didn't escaped from the hands of the looters. My door lock was broken to pieces. My things were scattered on the floor. The fridge was forayed and emptied. My closet too.

I lost my decent clothes, digital blood pressure monitor, alarm clock (an object of sentimental value), and other little things. My precious suitcase was left outside, emptied of its content. I was so happy to see it again in good condition. My shoes and clipper was strategically hidden in the closet that it wasn't seen by the looters.

Some of our colleagues lost everything including passports to fire. Some lost their laptops, cellphones and jewelry to looting. I am still lucky. Those whose houses were not touched were luckier.

Seven houses were damaged by the fire and 10 were looted. A Grove crane and several vehicles and motorbikes were also lit to fire.

I will never forget this horrifying experience. An historical event of my life.

Happy to be Back...

When I woke up today I was not feeling better. I had a diarrhea. It could be the squash in coconut extract garnished with fried Capitan fish that caused my sickness. Coconut is not aplenty in this place, so they (co-Pinoys) have to use the one in can sold in the commisary. I ate a hearty meal, and perhaps my gastric system was shocked after a long time that it had been deprived of the rich and creamy white extract.

I still managed to get up and called my "right-hand" in the job to take charge of the task for today. It is Sunday today. Only a few of my people would come to do a routinary job, that's why I was confident enough to delegate my obligation for today. I'm just weak enough to change my clothes and walk to the jobsite.

I prepared a greaseless breakfast and went back to bed to rest and eventually fell asleep.

This is my first blog after a long long while. My last was before I went on leave last May. I have many topics to share but procrastination is controlling me from scribbling. I lost the momentum but not the drive and desire.

This post is my booster -- an indication that I am serious in updating my journal. Happy to be back even if not well.

Eve of Departure

Gosh, how I missed my blogsite. It's been awhile I lost touch. Our internet line got burned. There's no cable to change it right away. It has to be ordered yet, well everything here crawls, true to the meaning of WAIT - West African International Time.

I kept on checking my notebook for internet connectivity for several days until I finally gave up. The TV was my best friend again.

I joked my colleague to kill the guy who caused the burning of the cable. He's done a great havoc to our social life.

The moment I stopped checking the line got fixed without my knowledge. I was a bit late before I knew it. Thanks anyway -- I'm back to the circle.

I felt a certain kind of longing when I thought of opening my blogspot. I felt a lump in my throat. Is this how I'm so attached to my blogsite? Thanks a lot. I hope this enthusiasm lingers so that I keep on writing.

Tomorrow is my last day on site. But I still have to come to work in the morning. My boss gave me so much task to finish before I can go. He threatened to cancel my leave if I fail to finish. No way...I must go. He's only joking anyway.

I haven't packed my things yet. Later on after I post this. It won't take me long to fill a single carry on luggage.

From the site we are going to be flown by a small plane to Bamako, the capital of Mali. It's terribly scary flying with this "toy" plane. The 1 hour ride is an endless agony.

My stopovers are Paris and Dubai. I must stay away from the duty free shops.

It's "Ciao" for the meantime. Would be back to writing when I'm home.

My Favorite Songs

In "Any Dream Will Do J?" one of the contenders sang "Had a Bad Day", my favorite. The bulb in the clouded balloon blinked---why not write something about favorite songs? It could be a cool topic.

There are quite a few songs in my list. I'm not updated but I do collect in my thoughts songs that captivate my auditory sense. I'm not keen on lyrics. In fact, I haven't memorized any. It's the tune that makes me fall for it---its "melodic it" that makes me close my eyes in euphoria when I hear it.

I'm poor in naming tunes. I have to rely in somebody else's remebering prowess or search the net for titles.

My choices are not old like my age. It keeps on updating as long as my hearing is still intact.

There's also a story behind each song.


YOUR'E BEAUTIFUL
by James Blunt

I will always remember this song because Julia burnt this in the CD for me. It never fails to remind me of her. I've already cried a thousand rivers over this song.

WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS
by Green Day

Sad song, nice tune... I'm a sentimental person, it captivated my heart the first time I heard it on a movie trailer. It's the only song of Green Day I like.


BUBBLY
by Colbie Caillat

A favorite by accident. I asked Jericho, my nephew for the title of a song which I heard on TV. I tried to sing it to him to give an idea of how it sound but it was an effort gone bad...he gave me this title. He had it played in Imeem to confirm if it was it. I wasn't sure anymore of how it sounded originally but it seemed to me it's it. I liked it. Few months had passed before I found the title of the real song I had been searching.

HAD A BAD DAY
by Daniel Powter

This is the song I have mistaken for as Bubbly. I discovered the title myself when I heard it again. This is the song I heard on "Any Dream Will Do J?".


TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE
by Timbaland

My first encounter with this song was when my friends mobile phone rang. It's his ringtone. It's a pity I couldn't ask him to pass it on to me--- my phone does not have a polyphonic feature. The next time I heard it was after 7 months. I tried to grasp every word I can remember in the lyric line and searched in Youtube. My latest add.




"Our choice of music reflects our personality, but not how humane we are".

Yiriba - La Mort

Yiriba Diarra was our travel coordinator. He passed away this morning after a massive heart attack two days ago.

He had been working in the company for a long time. If I am right, he was one of the pioneers. He took care of our flight bookings, escorted us to the airport during departures and met us during arrivals. Every expat knows him...maybe also loved him.

Lately, he had grown so big---plus the age was a lethal combination that perhaps triggered the attack. His untimely death has brought many of us, about his age and in the heavy side of the scale, to alarm.

I must lose weight. I must maintain a healthy diet and workout. Do yoga to unleash stress.

"Goodbye Yiriba, you left so soon without finishing your job. You still have to book my air ticket".

It's only a week shy from now and I'm due to go for leave, but how can I?

Fingers crossed.

Mother's Day

We were so busy last week trying to meet deadlines of scheduled jobs. We worked overtime and even our weekend rest was jeopardized. But this did not make me forget to remember my dear mother today. I called home and greeted her, "Happy Mother's Day".

Our conversation did not take long as she was complaining she could not hear me well. Yet, she made it sure that my loving thought for her was reciprocated by saying that she was happy I called her.

Nearing 80 in few months time, Mother is still active. She still tends her plants and do the marketing. But her faculties and reflexes are not as fast as when she was younger. These, we understand when she becomes oblivious of our deprived past. Perhaps her memory bank only allows happy thoughts to be withdrawn and simply keep the unhappy ones into the vault of forgetfulness.

In fairness, she is a religious woman. Never gets tired of attending prayer meetings and never misses mass on Sundays and holidays of obligation. In fact, when I called her this morning she was on her way to the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay with my other siblings and in-laws to celebrate mass with the monks. Its a 5-hour drive from home.

As this day is dedicated to all the mothers of the world, I wish them happiness and all the best things in life. And to my beloved mother I wish her more Mother's Day to come, good health, peace as ever, happiness and matriarchal joy.

I am grateful to her for carrying me for 9 months in her womb and delivering me to the world, for bringing me up to who I am now, for understanding my imperfections, for standing by with me in bad and good times and for giving me inspiration to live.....

And most of all for being such a spendthrift...lol...(jokingly but half-true, lol). Ah mothers will always be mothers.

Peak of Summer

April and May are months when dry season in Mali is at its peak, when atmospheric temperature is 49°C, that's under the shade. When under the sun the temperature is 59°C.

Fever is 37°C and up and boiling water is 100°C. Just imagine you are in high fever and dipped in a pool of hot water over half-way to boiling . This is what you feel when you suddenly go outside in the open sun at midday. But when already exposed since morning time, the increasing heat of the sun is unnoticeable anymore. The body seems to get used to it.

Heat is peak at 3 PM such that tap water is too hot to bear. Even at night and morning time the water is still warm. Nature is the water heater. In the evening time you can't stay outside because the heat that the ground absorbed during the day is given off and its just too hot for comfort.

My job requires me to be out in the sun the whole day. I don't want to wilt like dried prunes so I protect myself with sunblock lotion (SPF 45) and I wear long-sleeved shirt. This way, skin cancer and premature ageing is prevented. Who wants wrinkles anyway?

I can consume 4-5 liters of water a day easily without emptying my bladder. All go to rehydration. That is why wherever I go I bring with me my water bottle or "die" with thirst.

This situation has made me hypothesized that Africans have dark skin because it adapted to the hot condition of their place. After 30 million years of human evolution their skin turned dark to fend off illnesses that sun exposure brings. Light-skinned race are more prone to skin cancer than the brown-skinned race but the blacks are not.

This is the climate here in the sub-Saharan region. Half of the year is dry. When its dry, it's literally dry. No rain whatsoever. Grasses die and trees deprived of leaves for the entire season. Dust is everywhere. This is the so-called summer of Mali.

Obviously, for us coming from the temperate zone this kind of environment is a punishment. But what brought us here is another story... I won't elaborate it for now, perhaps in the future.

This is my twelfth dry season here, nearing its end, yet, still counting. Only God knows when will I stop here.