all of my favorite missions were ill-defined

There seem to be two basic kinds of Obamalove going on in Africa. Both kinds are race-based, but one is great and the other actually made me snap at people the other day (although that’s my problem). The first one is about how fantastic it is to see a black man elected as US president and, (although this part is arguable:) the most powerful person on the planet. Yeah I hear that, do I ever. This version of Obamalove also includes some non-racial stuff about what an inspiration mccain’s gracious defeat speech was. And yes to that part too.

So things like the infinite Obama bags and t-shirts, the 3 Obama songs I’ve heard on the radio, or Obama : The Musical! showing right now in Nairobi, these are kitsch but in a good way.

The second kind is the one that firmly unequivocally states Obama is an African first and foremost, and that any minute now he will start doing the continent’s bidding. Why would I get impatient at this? What is my problem? I mean I get it. I get that almost everyone outside of the New World has a much more lineage-oriented take on nationality, which would make the man kind of Kenyan. I’m sure if he saw himself as Kenyan-first  he would indeed do Kenya’s bidding.

And I always thought I was good at cultural relativism. But there you go; I managed to stumble into a shouting match with people at work who were claiming that next a Cameroonian minister should replace Sarkozy, and who were having none of it when I tried to claim Obama for the States.

Other examples of this variety include a 4^th Obama tune written and performed by a Ghanaian radio personality Black Rasta, who when interviewed about the song said (I’m paraphrasing): ‘Yes, I know Obama never mentioned Africa in his campaign but I’m confident that that is because he needs to get the America stuff out of the way first’. Also, today mean old Mugabe announced that he’s ready to re-establish a dialogue with the USA. Has he EVER said this? What does he imagine will be different? Oh, and a british lady who’s been here for 12 years told me that she knew Obama was bollocks as soon as she saw that the rest of his staff was white. I couldn’t answer.

I think my own small-minded lunatic  outburst (which ended, insanely with “Genetics? GENETICS? That’s not what America’s ABOUT, man!) came from hearing a bit too much jubilation on the radio,then getting jealous and possessive of Obama.

Me, who has surely spent less time in America then he has in Kenya. This might mean I’m unfit for oversees work.

It’s not like variety 2 dangerous (although I suspect there will be sore disappointment in 4 years when America’s relationship with Africa is mostly unchanged).

I’d like to hear what Kim and Larissa have to say from sierra leone, and then after that I don’t want to talk about race again until my 30^th birthday.