Foot and Fire

The Translator A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur By Daoud Hari Hardbound, 179 pages,  204 pages with appendices Darfur is in Sudan. Published in 2008, this book is recommended for those who simply love personal narratives. For those interested in international politics, this is also a good background on Sudan's socio-political history. But worry not; Daoud's distinct voice is not lost in the translation. His honesty and integrity shine forth all throughout the book. This is tragedy, yes. But it is a tragedy told by a compassionate, committed and courageous man. He has the capacity to encapsulate in simple paragraph seething subjects and he can wield a good humor despite how grim the situation is. A very easy breezy read despite the heaviness of the subject and I warn you, this is an entertaining one too. Further, I appreciated the Darfur Primer as appendix 1 as it summarized the socio-political state of Sudan, very educational. This memoir appeals to the world t...

Cambodia, while welcoming of tourists, still has land mines in some areas and there are foundations even that commit itself to safely remove the same which is considered as remnants of a painful past. However, the areas are all identified areas so there is nothing to worry about except to thank the Cambodian government for the opportunity to visit their culturally rich place. But this does not mean that as tourists, we are just chose or prepared or came to see the happy side. Hence, while it is not a happy place to visit, we started our day trip in Pnomh Penh, capital of Cambodia, with a visit to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. For 3$, the ticket says that the proceed goes to the preservation of the center and scholarship of poor students. They erected a glass obelisk (or it is aptly a tower) on the site and the glass encases layers of skulls of those who died in the so-called killing fields. From there, various signboards telling about the place where the Cambodians were unlo...