... because it's the biggest side of me.
... A look inside
Soldier's afro-european mind...
my friend Alicia (who i hadnt seen in a while and who spent some time with me, visiting from France) and I were talking and listening again and again... to our friend Tamara's song (she's a talented singer and dancer who's becoming huge in france and the rest of Europe right now, her stage name is Shy'm yay!)... and she told me the reason why she could not get that song out of her head is that it made her realize how it seemed like i had been gone forever and would never come back the songle is entitled "t'es parti " (which means " you're gone ")... So this is the soundtrack to the post... it doesn't matter if you don't understand what she's saying, the song is just powerful...CLICK PLAY****
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On heavy rotation on my mind right now :
where it all started, where baby Soldier and his dog Rex learned how to play with food and make a mess with their breakfast... fast forward to many years later, first glass of whisky, first cigarette, first boyfriend, first tattoo, a kiss to grandpa before he goes to sleep then off to a club sneaking in with a fake ID... Paris (France)
where the value of life was discovered... honesty, humility, love, passion, pain, respect, sacrifice, hope, god, friendship, karma,... fried plantains and jerk chicken... lobster, ginger and yams... sunsets on the beach... first girlfriend AND first boy-on-boy action... freedom...
Abidjan (Ivory Coast, in West Africa)
Where maturity started to settle in, where things changed, where responsibilities slapped Soldier in the face, where mom and dad became 2 very separate entities... first time driving with no license or permission to use the car AND first speeding ticket... (maturity huh ? lol) ... pool parties, boat trips, soccer games, and introduction to the concept of WILDIN' OUT... high school diploma with honors, social work, dreams, inspiration... and trip to jail to save a friend LOL
Nice (south France)
The peace. The holidays. The meditation, the relaxation, the paradise, the laughter, the simple life. The scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, fishing, touching sharks, climbing trees, surviving without food on secluded island as a part of an Army program... malaria because of ridiculously high exposure to mosquitos in forbidden (i should have know itwas for a reason! lol) lagoons.. the surfing.. selling my mother's bags on the flea market... LOL
Praslin, Seychelles Islands (Indian Ocean... Eastern Africa)
The serenity. The authority... truth, wisdom, warmth, love... and amazing " Osso Buco "... my grandmother. The loud people, late dinners, talking with hands, short-tempered, sexiness, romance... tomatoes in every recipe.. heated conversations... Martini.. red wine... church on sunday morning, every week trying a different startegy to avoid it. always failing. lol
Milan, Italy
i'm attached to my European background... i feel privileged to have lived in those beautiful cities but...
... the question mark... the crime, violence, moments of joy... twice as much pain... the progress... the regression... the constant fear of something terrible happening. The reason for my desire to become a soldier. The injustice, the pain in their eyes.... abuse, rape, foolishness, theft... lost hopes.. tears... rain... sun.. fog... rainbow... blood... food... famine... the reason why i keep on praying god to give me what it takes to make a change... the beginning... the end... the future, a future ? what future ? who knows... every sunset, every meal could be the last... every second is a gift from God when one person has the power destroy the lives of thousands in less than a minute. My deepest roots, my pride, my anxiety, my inspiration, my future... myself... forever...
... Africa.
Couldn't resist, this kid is too cute
Bonus : Surprise, surprise... Yes ! Marylin there are penguins on Boulders beach in South Africa
So to my friends in Europe... don't expect me for dinner lol... i might be there once in a while and for the holidays but i'll never be able to live there again... that part of my life is over... the sacrifice i'm making right now...
living by myself in a country where i'm i'm freezing my ass off 10 months a year... is getting me prepared so i can come back and bring something better to the place that gave me so much and could benefit the most from my experience... to the black continent...
I just hope it's worth it...
