My Dear Baba Galleh:

Very many thanks for your wonderful comments, and I am flattered that you
described me as some one brilliant. And I am deeply honored by that. I
thought that you had misunderstood my first critiquing, but let bygones be
bygones and let's bury the hatchet. A well schooled guy like you should not
come down to the level of personal satirizing, but rather edge up to a more
advanced height. Please, let Jatta and small lay down low and let's do our
thing. If I have time on my hands, I will continue to critique your
writings, but I may not always have time to do that. In any case, thanks
again for your wonderful description. Continue on with your new broader
themes.

Ansumana Kujabi


>From: Omar Hatab <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: LIFE IN OUR LITTLE TOWN - Part One(BETTER REFINED SATIRE:GOOD
>             JOB THIS TIME)
>Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 15:11:22 -0000
>
>Dear Mr Kujabi
>
>Thanks so much again for a job very well done! Honestly, you are one of the
>most clever guys I've ever come across! You are really so clever that I
>know
>not what to say! The question for me is - to say or not to say?!!! That is
>the question!
>I do really appreciate your brilliant critique which, this time around, has
>not only captured the inner essence of my story, but also its hidden spirit
>and open-ended matter. I hope you enjoy the remaining parts of this story.
>And indeed, as you so very brilliantly put it, you have ruffled my feathers
>so hard that they are all currently stiff and widely splayed, like so many
>spears pointed at the four corners of the skies!! Please continue giving me
>your brilliant citiques, so that I can find always find ways and means of
>improving upon my writings and reaching higher heights. Once yet again,
>thanks so much Mr Kujabi sir. I'm very highly pleased and impressed, and
>more than the word honoured!! God bless.
>Baba
>
>
>>From: Ansumana Kujabi <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: LIFE IN OUR LITTLE TOWN - Part One(BETTER REFINED SATIRE:GOOD
>>             JOB THIS TIME)
>>Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 08:41:49 -0000
>>
>>MY DEAR BABA GALLEH JALLOW:
>>
>>As you have already lamented earlier on, you were absolutely right that it
>>paid off enormously to RUFFLE your feathers. This is chiefly due to the
>>fact
>>that this time around, you came up with a very brilliant SATIRE, and
>>believe
>>me, this comment is from the bottom of my heart, for my RUFFLING of your
>>feathers is NOW tremendously benefiting  every member of the L Forum,
>>rather
>>than creating confusion, misrepresentation, malaise and a very deep
>>division
>>amongst us all. Let me reassure you, I have a HOLLYWOOD STYLE of
>>critiquing,
>>and which has now paid off for us. Instead of PERSONAL SATIRIZING, you
>>STYLE
>>has thus changed and greatly improved this time around. Your this piece
>>has
>>SENSE OF DIRECTION and PINPOINTED ACCURACY to it. To state it more
>>precisely, this time around, you have tailored, polished, sliced and
>>positively altered the PRINCIPAL THEME of your satire from a PERSONAL to a
>>more TRADITIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS and POLITICAL THEMES.
>>To further give weight to my critiquing, I have extracted my analyses from
>>your first paragraph(see quotation below).
>>
>>In your first paragraph, you and BROTHER RENE have stroke similar cords OF
>>CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. Whiles Brother Rene, in his excerpt, has vividly
>>described SAMBA as a humble country boy who has been fortunate enough to
>>have been educated and acquired a "White Man Job" in the City, and always
>>far away from home, his father, PA GORGI, has been greatly concerned
>>because
>>he fears that since old age nears him and his health failing, when he dies
>>their tradition and culture will be lost because his one and only Son,
>>SAMBA
>>is DRIFTING into "CAFE INTELLECTUALISM", and PA GORGI does not want that
>>to
>>happen.
>>
>>Baba, your first paragraph on the other hand, is highlighting the
>>RELIGIOUS
>>SIGNIFICANCE and NATURALNESS of the tradition PA GORGI is fighting
>>tirelessly to protect and prevent from being diluted and forgotten
>>totally.
>>The important question is how are you able to accomplished this. You have
>>approached this from three distinct angles: Religious perspective,
>>Enviromental Perspective and Political Perspective (1) You have
>>demonstrated
>>that there is always a NORMAL and SERENE life style in the Villages no
>>matter what WIND of CHANGE may blow through the Village, and there will
>>always be a TRANQUIL atmosphere. As you have mentioned in the first
>>paragraph:"Not even the greatest storms and tornadoes could disturb the
>>smooth musical rhythm of life in our little town". The above sentence has
>>clearly indicated the strong influence religion has on our local people,
>>that is to say, they still deeply believe that GOD MAKES LEADERS,
>>therefore,
>>we should all be humble and have patience till God brings another leader
>>for
>>us. To put the above point into its proper context, what it means is that
>>since God brought PRESIDENT JAMMEH to us, therefore, we should all be
>>humble
>>and have enough patience to wait till another leader emerges from God;
>>despite all what Jammeh has put them through, and with all the TORNADOES
>>of
>>intimidation, harassment, torture and killings, life is still absolutely
>>normal in the BABA GALLEH LITTLE TOWN.
>>(2) From an enviromental point of view, Baba, you have drawn an
>>incomparable
>>environment between the Western World and your little town's narrow, dry
>>and
>>sandy surroundings. The narrow streets of your little village which has
>>dry
>>bushes and often windy due to the dry HAMATTAN WIND that blows from the
>>SAHARA to the ATLANTIC OCEAN is quite distinct from the much wider paved
>>streets in the Western World which are fully electrified, and only a snowy
>>winter may temper with the power. (3) Finally, your Satire has stroke a
>>political cord, which I had earlier on criticized you for, but
>>unfortunately
>>you misunderstood me. Your remaining paragraphs have exposed the pompous
>>life style of the Politicians of our generation. These politicians enjoy
>>big
>>money, women and Wine upon Wine and driving fancy cars(Pajeros), without
>>regard to human life.
>>
>>To conclude, Baba, my critiquing this time should reassure you that I did
>>not mean to cause malaise or personal attacks the first time around, but
>>instead, I wanted you to refocus your brilliant Satires on this kind of
>>VERY
>>FINE work of yours, rather than focusing on themes such as KHANTEI,
>>JAHASAY
>>ENTERPRISE, RHINEHART SOBER LOOK, ETC. Both you and RENE have been
>>lamenting
>>on similar themes, but have approached it from differing angles. Your
>>situation makes me to wonder why AFRICAN INTELLECTUALS do not like tough
>>and
>>passionate critiquing, unlike their Western counterparts. Critiquing can
>>only enhance your ability to face tougher and bit by bit harsher
>>critiquing,
>>and more importantly, it does encourage efficiency and effectiveness. To
>>that end, I extend to you and Brother RENE, a sincere appreciation.
>>
>>Ausumana Kujabi:(THIRD-Truth Telling, Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility
>>and
>>Democracy)
>>
>>"Unlike all other towns, life in our little town was always normal. Not
>>even
>>the greatest of storms and tornadoes could disturb the smooth musical
>>rhythm
>>of life in our little town. Come hail or wind, rain or shine, our little
>>town remained calm and serene, its life patterned along age-old traditions
>>and established norms.
>>The small streets of our little town were paved with air and marked by
>>rows
>>and rows of beautiful thorn bushes, sharp and pricking to the touch, which
>>grew freely and lent an added tranquility to the atmosphere. Here and
>>there
>>were big trees under which were erected big wooden beds that served as
>>meeting places for the learned among our common townsfolk. There under the
>>cool shades of those mighty trees, they would discuss every subject under
>>the sun and carry on their learned debates, day in, day out.
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: Omar Hatab <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>>><[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: LIFE IN OUR LITTLE TOWN - Part One
>>>Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 22:45:44 -0000
>>>
>>>LIFE IN OUR LITTLE TOWN - Part One
>>>By Baba Galleh Jallow
>>>
>>>
>>>Unlike all other towns, life in our little town was always normal. Not
>>>even
>>>the greatest of storms and tornadoes could disturb the smooth musical
>>>rhythm
>>>of life in our little town. Come hail or wind, rain or shine, our little
>>>town remained calm and serene, its life patterned along age-old
>>>traditions
>>>and established norms.
>>>The small streets of our little town were paved with air and marked by
>>>rows
>>>and rows of beautiful thorn bushes, sharp and pricking to the touch,
>>>which
>>>grew freely and lent an added tranquility to the atmosphere. Here and
>>>there
>>>were big trees under which were erected big wooden beds that served as
>>>meeting places for the learned among our common townsfolk. There under
>>>the
>>>cool shades of those mighty trees, they would discuss every subject under
>>>the sun and carry on their learned debates, day in, day out.
>>>Society in our little town was divided into several distinct strata.
>>>Right
>>>at the peak of the social pyramid perched our most prominent bigwigs, the
>>>fat-potbellied moneybags who controlled the strings of all our bulging
>>>purses and drove around in brand new Pajeros and other expensive cars.
>>>These
>>>were the Smoothface Beevys and Fatcheek Rattys, the Tonton Luhatis and
>>>Jelyeb Lebatis, the really great names whose mere utterances activated
>>>the
>>>juicy glands of our common townsfolk. Nicknamed the untouchables, these
>>>our
>>>most prominent bigwigs led a life of ease and plenty. They led what was
>>>commonly known in our little town, as ‘flamboyant lifestyles.’
>>>The favourite past time of our famous moneybags was to ride their
>>>fattened
>>>mares at the golden dusk of our little town, waving their flywhisks at
>>>our
>>>amazed common townsfolk as they trotted gaily by, and letting out small
>>>shrieks once in a while, so as not to be mistaken for impersonators. For
>>>of
>>>late, some of our dishonest common townsfolk with no money and little
>>>brains
>>>had taken to riding stolen mares along the streets of our little town,
>>>pretending to be untouchable moneybags so as to be able to dupe one
>>>innocent
>>>victim or the other. But now, with their special shrieks, the real
>>>moneybags
>>>could be distinguished from the fake ones.
>>>A rung down the top of our social ladder were our less prominent bigwigs,
>>>the Toughlip Weakys and Bigman Smallys, the Wahyeb Diyamus, Nehal
>>>Lambalehs
>>>and Momkai Degalas whose defining characteristic was their nearness to
>>>the
>>>real moneybags. They made up the administrative cadre of the prominent
>>>council of our little town. Owing to their fabled garrulous cleverness
>>>and
>>>nimble minds, they were also the chief advisers in many a giant business
>>>in
>>>our little town. These had no fattened mares to ride in our golden
>>>sunsets,
>>>but they owned beautiful Japanese and Chinese cars, which they loved to
>>>slowly drive before our famous moneybags, honking their horns and waving
>>>their left hands out the windows to make way for their prominent bosses.
>>>Their favourite past time was to sit around our prominent moneybags,
>>>listening to tall tales of gallantry and exploits, and giving advice
>>>where
>>>needed and even where not needed. They were truly, the most spectacular
>>>lot
>>>in the social cocktail of our little town.
>>>Next on the social ladder, almost parallel to our less prominent bigwigs,
>>>were the quiet ones of our little town: the Norpil Degalas and Fangkung
>>>Mofiseshs, whose defining characteristic was silence, but who
>>>nevertheless
>>>contributed immensely in making our little town what it was: A lively hub
>>>of
>>>exciting activity that was the pride of the centuries.
>>>
>>>
>>>_________________________________________________________________________
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