October 11, 2008
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!!! Honk!!! WHOOOOOO!!!!! Bang bang bang bang bang bang Bang bang bang bang!!! Ba cha taab a cha Ba cha taab a cha ba. Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrpppp!!!!!!!
“The people are running in the street, they will even fall down.” Mohamed
Gambia just played their rival in football, Senegal. Senegal always seems to win, I am told. This time, the Scorpions are on their way to the African Cup, and this time they tied the Senegalese 1-1.
Everyone took to the streets, either by foot, or those fortunate enough to have a car, by car. People were running down the street in celebration, beating drums or whatever they could find, blowing whistles and singing in jubilee. Gambian flags were racing down E block in Kanifing Estate. Both private cars and taxis alike revved their engines going down the bumpy road, beeping and flashing their lights in appreciation. The suspensions were definitely feeling the power of the celebration on the potholes and ditches in the road, but no matter. Gambia tied Senegal. “Gambia Won!!! Senegal Won!!!”
I grabbed my camera and headed to the street for the celebration. Everyone was walking or running in the same direction to celebrate. They were headed to Westfield to convene at the roundabout between the road to Banjul and Kairoba. In our neighborhood I met some of the guys who live nearby and walked with them to see what tomfoolery might be ahead.
On Jimpex on the way there, we were greeted with more people all walking in the same direction. Apparently Westfield is the normal meeting place for a celebration such as this. Cars were flying down Jimpex at deadly speeds with passengers hanging out of the windows holding jerseys and waving flags, making as much noise as possible with their engines and horns. There was a small pickup truck with a ladder angled from its bed up onto the roof. A merrymaker was laying face down on the ladder with arms spread, pretending to fly. Cars were stuffed with people cheering in such methods that most certainly violated government safety standards (if it were in the USA).
On the main road to Westfield, trucks were stuffed with men in the back all headed in the same direction. The closer we got to Westfield, the slower the traffic. There was a widespread traffic jam, both on Banjul Road and in Westfield. There was no point in trying to get anywhere in that area, so nobody did.
Children, men and some women ran around the roundabout in Westfield cheering and singing. There were police and military trucks in the area filled with uniformed men, who were also cheering and waving in celebration, but I suppose they were wishing they could be in civilian clothes celebrating and causing more of a ruckus. There was also a fair share of riot police, but it was a celebration, so no worries.
There was a sea of people painted with the red, white, blue and green of the Gambian flag. The sea was chanting “Olay Olay Olay Ollaay Ollay Olay, Olay Olay Olay Ollaay Ollay Olay,” but its repertoire contained other chants of celebration as well. This ocean also had braches from trees bobbing in support.
The game started at 4pm, so by the time the game ending, dusk was approaching. Soon after we made it to Westfield, the sun sank below the sky. This meant that it was time for fire. Some of the rowdiest members of the crowd had oodles of some kind of spray in aerosol cans. These cans were probably releasing all kinds of CFCs. The NEA wasn’t there. The men with the cans sprayed the fumes into the sky and lit them on fire, sending a tower of flames upwards, awakening the celebration. The police had no problems with the fire. After all it was a celebration.
The crowd was amorphous and had a tendency to move in one direction, all directions, or no directions at any given time. The only constant was the sound of excited cheering. There were a few fights that needed to be broken up, but nothing major.
I can only imagine what Banjul must have looked like at the conclusion of the game, or what Westfield would have been like if the Gambian Scorpions won. Nonetheless, Gambia is onto the quarter finals to play Liberia. I’m not quite sure how it works, but they might be on their way to the World Cup. Football is no joke here. Those Americans that enjoy American football should reconsider the way they celebrate for the games. Put down the beer, get your hand out of the greasy bag, get off the couch, and take to the streets.
Chao
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!!! Honk!!! WHOOOOOO!!!!! Bang bang bang bang bang bang Bang bang bang bang!!! Ba cha taab a cha Ba cha taab a cha ba. Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrpppp!!!!!!!
“The people are running in the street, they will even fall down.” Mohamed
Gambia just played their rival in football, Senegal. Senegal always seems to win, I am told. This time, the Scorpions are on their way to the African Cup, and this time they tied the Senegalese 1-1.
Everyone took to the streets, either by foot, or those fortunate enough to have a car, by car. People were running down the street in celebration, beating drums or whatever they could find, blowing whistles and singing in jubilee. Gambian flags were racing down E block in Kanifing Estate. Both private cars and taxis alike revved their engines going down the bumpy road, beeping and flashing their lights in appreciation. The suspensions were definitely feeling the power of the celebration on the potholes and ditches in the road, but no matter. Gambia tied Senegal. “Gambia Won!!! Senegal Won!!!”
I grabbed my camera and headed to the street for the celebration. Everyone was walking or running in the same direction to celebrate. They were headed to Westfield to convene at the roundabout between the road to Banjul and Kairoba. In our neighborhood I met some of the guys who live nearby and walked with them to see what tomfoolery might be ahead.
On Jimpex on the way there, we were greeted with more people all walking in the same direction. Apparently Westfield is the normal meeting place for a celebration such as this. Cars were flying down Jimpex at deadly speeds with passengers hanging out of the windows holding jerseys and waving flags, making as much noise as possible with their engines and horns. There was a small pickup truck with a ladder angled from its bed up onto the roof. A merrymaker was laying face down on the ladder with arms spread, pretending to fly. Cars were stuffed with people cheering in such methods that most certainly violated government safety standards (if it were in the USA).
On the main road to Westfield, trucks were stuffed with men in the back all headed in the same direction. The closer we got to Westfield, the slower the traffic. There was a widespread traffic jam, both on Banjul Road and in Westfield. There was no point in trying to get anywhere in that area, so nobody did.
Children, men and some women ran around the roundabout in Westfield cheering and singing. There were police and military trucks in the area filled with uniformed men, who were also cheering and waving in celebration, but I suppose they were wishing they could be in civilian clothes celebrating and causing more of a ruckus. There was also a fair share of riot police, but it was a celebration, so no worries.
There was a sea of people painted with the red, white, blue and green of the Gambian flag. The sea was chanting “Olay Olay Olay Ollaay Ollay Olay, Olay Olay Olay Ollaay Ollay Olay,” but its repertoire contained other chants of celebration as well. This ocean also had braches from trees bobbing in support.
The game started at 4pm, so by the time the game ending, dusk was approaching. Soon after we made it to Westfield, the sun sank below the sky. This meant that it was time for fire. Some of the rowdiest members of the crowd had oodles of some kind of spray in aerosol cans. These cans were probably releasing all kinds of CFCs. The NEA wasn’t there. The men with the cans sprayed the fumes into the sky and lit them on fire, sending a tower of flames upwards, awakening the celebration. The police had no problems with the fire. After all it was a celebration.
The crowd was amorphous and had a tendency to move in one direction, all directions, or no directions at any given time. The only constant was the sound of excited cheering. There were a few fights that needed to be broken up, but nothing major.
I can only imagine what Banjul must have looked like at the conclusion of the game, or what Westfield would have been like if the Gambian Scorpions won. Nonetheless, Gambia is onto the quarter finals to play Liberia. I’m not quite sure how it works, but they might be on their way to the World Cup. Football is no joke here. Those Americans that enjoy American football should reconsider the way they celebrate for the games. Put down the beer, get your hand out of the greasy bag, get off the couch, and take to the streets.
Chao
Author's Note: The title is derived from some Bolivian newspaper comic from the 1970s, if my memory is correct. I don’t know the name of the comic, nor if it still exists. And for the record, I prefer soccer over baseball.
2 comments:
Mohammad's quote is the best thing about this post. I laughed so much at it that I just skimmed the rest. Save these awesome quotes for the end as a closer of your blog, ha ha.
Gambia actually did not go onto the quarter finals. The Minister of Sports falsely announced that it was true. You would think that he would have a better understanding of the football rules, but I guess not. Oh well.
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