Where are we going?

The World we live in

It is not unusual for people to analyze the state of the world in their generation – and to find it in a state of troubling change. The difference today is that the change is happening faster than ever before in human history.

First of all, what is happening?

The hazards of learning a new language

Learning a new language can be a wonderful experience. It refreshes and challenges the mind. With perseverance it eventually can be a gateway to meeting new friends. Finally, after much effort, it enables one to enter the deep thinking of another culture. As Charlemagne is reputed to have said, “Avoir une autre langue, c’est posséder une deuxième âme”. (To have another language is to possess a second soul.)

Trump, Democratic Dictator

Africa

I have spent a lot of time in Africa. I have seen dictators at work. They are characterized by:

- They usually take power by a coup d'etat (but not always).

- At the beginning of their reign they make wonderful promises to all.

- With time these dictators surround themselves with a group of sycophants. These surrounding henchmen (they are usually all men) share in the power and perks of office. They also make it difficult to remove the dictator.

Development: Malaria

My experience with malaria goes back a long way. In 1966 when I first arrived in Tanzania to work there I used to take quinine-based malaria medicine once a week, on Sundays. On Mondays as I headed off to work I typically had a headache. I reasoned to myself that it seemed like I really did not like my work very much, since going to work on Mondays gave me a headache. I have since learned quite a bit about quinine based anti-malarial medicine. More of that later. First let me share a few words about the nature of malaria itself.

Poem: Africa, land of sunshine

In 1966 our family went as volunteers to Tanzania. I taught engineering in a technical college and my wife taught English studies. The following poem was written after we had been there two years.