7 February, 2019
That being Anglophone is an endearing quality in itself is a reality that was unknown to me. At least not quite as strongly as it is now.
It first struck me many years ago while in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, how when anyone given the chance to practice their English who was within earshot of me struggling to have a conversation with someone else, would leap at the opportunity to interject, keen to be of assistance, help to interpret, then themselves try to engage me in conversation and say to me what English words they knew.
In Rio I heard the words "more or less" in reply to the question "do you speak English" so many times, that it seemed as if this was the standard answer to that question, at all times; and whether or not this person knew any more English than those three words.
Though I did not make much of it at the time, I do have a better understanding of it now. But the story of Rio de Janeiro is for another day, I intend for today to remain in Brazzaville.
My first impressions of Brazzaville have been altogether positive. The sights sounds and smells are familiar, and similar to those in other African cities I have visited. But there are things peculiar to Brazzaville that must be said.
First of all it is a clean and well ordered city and in ways that are unlike other similar cities. There is an almost complete absence of chaos, with smooth flowing traffic everywhere. It is obvious that keeping the streets clean and tidy is taken seriously, with a refuse bin positioned approximately every one hundred metres from the last one on every street in the city centre. Municipal workers and road sweeping machines are seen sweeping the streets constantly.
Then there is the conspicuous absence of motorcycle taxis, tricycle taxis or tuk-tuks, or indeed any vehicles of questionable roadability or age. On this point, Brazzaville is completely unique. The people too are on average better turned out than in most other African cities I have been to. I have seen no destitute people, although it might be naive to think that there are none. Also, I have seen no beggars on the streets, or street kids, both sights that are commonplace in other places I've been on the continent.
One thing of note, though, which I consider to be a bit sad, is the near absence in Brazzaville of old French colonial architecture, which for me is something of a disappointment, given the country's lengthy French colonial history; a history at par with that of countries like Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire, where colonial architecture is still aplenty and reasonably well preserved. Unfortunately, the historic Brazilian architecture in Lagos, Nigeria has in many cases not enjoyed that same level of conservation and appreciation. Most of that rich historical record, save for a few precious examples still bravely standing, has been lost in favour of soulless modern high-rise office blocks.
For Brazzaville it is not easy to understand the reasons why this record of history is scant, but the many newly constructed modern structures in Centre Ville, the city centre, might be an indication of where those colonial buildings once stood. I have heard of, and seen photos of a magnificent well preserved colonial railway terminal building in Pointe Noire, this country's second city. So perhaps there might be some redemption there.
Of course, as in any other similar country there are pockets of deprivation and poverty to be seen here and there, but these are less visible and less profound than in several of the other African capital cities I have visited. Brazzaville is well ordered and things are better organised than one might expect.
Also, to notice the overwhelming presence of 'big government' is unavoidable, since the government is apparently the largest employer. This could be one of the lasting vestiges of this country's experimentation with the socialist system during the 1970's and 80's, but there is also clearly to be seen a strongly emerging private sector, one that appears to be thriving.
Then there is the impact of Chinese finance, in particular, the impacts of that oriental funding on physical infrastructure development, and at a rapid rate; development that is expansive and visible across the city, and unmissable even from the air when approaching to land at the city's China-financed ultra-modern Maya-Maya Airport. The Republic of Congo is one of the African countries with a huge amount of Chinese debt.
On being Anglophone, well, others on realising this has quite often earned for me a smile from that person who just learned that I am English-speaking, then a discernible slight embarrassment that they are incapable of continuing with the conversation competently. Then when I try to salvage the situation by launching into my bad French, that inevitable rush to politely correct my faulty grammar.
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