kandiikane:

Uh huh.

"Just because many of them are"

Wooooow!

JallowBah:

But why is it so wrong to do, just because you find it UGLY? I don`t get that. At all.

And there are people, even in the bush in west-africa, walking around almost naked in the bush. If I was up there, I would join them in on that. Much more comfortable.
Women in the western society walk around almost naked to the clubs, so why not.

...how am I harming the society..?

all4naija: You just proved me right with some of the images you posted. I am in no way against tradition but ancient things associated with it which are not right for daily uses should be done on special days.

The last post looks like Māori day celebration or movie rehearsal

TerryCarr: what the taboos? i think they are cool

all4naija: JallowBah, I know you still don't get. Is unclothed in the bush a thing we must embrace to move forward? We keep begging the question when we know the facts are right at the tip of our noses.

Allowing a thing as harmful and disgusting as having tattoo inside the mouth and gums is disturbing. Not only that, it is ridiculous in almost all ramification. When talking about freedom, I am always at the forefront to ask for one because there is nothing that can be traded for freedom in the whole wide world. But, using freedom as an excuse to harm oneself and the society is unacceptable. Indeed, it is very unreasonable of any human to engage in such a thing.

To be a spoiled person who wants to indulge all forms of delinquent deposition is a bad thing also. We must move forward and let the primitive past be history and embrace the future for the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wJjEcVl6PqY#!

If it is something like what is on the video I don't disagree with, when it becomes a part of people on a daily routine that is where I beg to differ.

JallowBah:

Still, you don`t want it because in YOUR eyes, it is a bad thing. Freedom for me means I am free to do whatever I wish to do with MY body. It is my skin to tattoo, not yours. It is my pain, not yours. And it is MY beauty, not yours. What you fail to understand, is that your feelings are egoscentric, but you are covering up under "the society". I don`t care if one or 100 people find my tattoos, bodyart, hair or style ugly or nasty, or "a shame to society". It is ME, not you, or them. As long as I can take care of myself, and I know I do it out of free will, why do you still believe it is a harm...? WHERE is the harm?

And; is being naked in the bush something we must get rid of to move forward...?

all4naija: No, I am not egocentric! I am making my views and I am not against what people do to their bodies. If the choice is to have the tattoos inside the mouth and gums there is nothing wrong about that, but we should not keep accepting things based on culture and excuse of freedom alone. The truth is that peer pressure will make some to take to this disgusting practice thereby creating trouble in other family. You are not seeing the effects this will have on the community yet you are very much about the introvert side of the issue - which is not a very good things also.

We are humans and know that there is no way we can keep to the past as progress and advance. Why are you fighting to have people put tattoos inside their mouth and gums?

Seriously, you are taking this issue out of the ordinary. I don't see anything significant in the practice than it being harmful to people lives. There are people who would use that to pass their savage slur across. I hope to see how this will really pan out in any society. Talk is cheap but the reality is far from it most times.

As to the statement on bold. Yes, it is. It is part of moving forward, which is advancement or progress.

JallowBah:

Again; HOW is it a part of moving forward?

And no, you have been saying all along that it is bad for society, it is disgusting, etc, etc. That is YOUR point of view, and you still don`t manage to explain to me WHY it should be left behind, and WHY people should not do it, other than your preference of beauty.

I am fighting for peoples freedom to do whatever they wish to do with their bodies, and not be judged by it. People judge me all the time because of my tattoos, still; I have always gotten the jobs I want, and people have changed their mind after actually talking to me. Why should I change myself, because some people in the society don`t agree with my view of beauty?

all4naija: I can see where you are coming from. You want people to be like you, that is, choose to be free to do anything they want! There is nothing like absolute freedom to do anything you want,PERIOD! Freedom is not what you think it is. Freedom has limit. It is limited by the very fact that you are not the only human being in existence. If you exist alone your wants can be achieved without restrain by anybody. So, you are seeing it from an absolute perspective, which is not the reality of life. Don't tell me you do whatever you want to do all the time. It is never possible because human want is endless.

Why in the whole wide world getting well dressed is not a progress? Your opinions are based on half-truth. Introvert is not what we should embody as people willing to advanced alone.

Again,getting dressed up in clothes is moving forward. It proves we have moved from one stage of the early men life of unclothed to an advanced stage of putting on clothes knowing fully well what might make us look different from beasts in the bush. I dare you go unclothed in your street and see what the outcome would look like. First and foremost people would think you are insane but it could have been what you wanted. Not only that, it will distract attentions and cause disturbances. Please, for responsible life sake let us embrace progress as humans who evolves from savage forms to a more reasonable advancing society. A society we can differentiate harmful ideas from what are not. Reasonably enough to know the impact of horribly disturbing practice as having tattoos in the mouth and gums. We can see it is not only affecting the person practising it but the society as a whole.

JallowBah:

Since many fulanis, most of them, are muslims, they use arabic words much. Very much, actually.

And yes, the marabouts that my husbands family know, do juju. Why would I sit here and lie about that? I am only talking about the things I know about, not hear-say. And I also know that alkales are not the same as marabout, I did not state they were the same, I said that many of the alkales tend to be marabouts as well, up in the areas my husband grew up in. Maybe I did not write it straight out so you could understand it like that. I can not speak for all of Gambia, or all of West-Africa, I can also speak of what I have come to know.

A woman goes to whomever she wish to go to, and many women will go to extreme lenghts to get help. It is not more than an odd 30years since they dumped kids with down syndrome in the bush to be eaten by hyenas, because they were told the child was demonic. There is bad juju, bad marabouts, and there is good ones as well.

And, back to topic again.

all4naija: Did I say it is taboo? Please, reread most of my comment. Maybe your understanding of the word taboo is different from general definition.

thiendella:
Lool went quickly trough the whole topic and if I quote you correctly, senegambians are very prone to human sacrifices , walk unclad ,and throw sick babies in the bush just after delivering
So tell me lady, do we practice cannibalism too,
SMH

JallowBah:

Talk about talking things out of context..read it again.

And there is not a thing as Senegambians, unless you live on the strip. You are either senegalese, og gambian.

thiendella:
Soooo true
And I guess from these totally drastically distinctive and different kind of people the senegalese and the gambians are, all these horrors you mentioned are done exclusively by the gambians.
*humm. relieved*
Good to know , I'm on the senegalese side

Lol. Yeah, I bet they never did anything back in the days in Senegal that would make you shake your head now, huh?

And ask any gambian person if they consider themself to be a senegambian.

JallowBah:

Talk about talking things out of context..read it again.

And there is not a thing as Senegambians, unless you live on the strip. You are either senegalese, og gambian.

kandiikane:

Yes, there is a thing called 'senegambian'. I am a Gambian and I also class myself as senGambian because we share the same culture and have the same lifestyles. It's just a thin line that separates us. You should also look at the map, we are technically inside the belly of senegal. I think you should stick to things regarding sweden because some of the things you come up with are quite ignorant, just because you married a Gambian.

kandiikane:

Yes, there is a thing called 'senegambian'. I am a Gambian and I also class myself as senGambian because we share the same culture and have the same lifestyles. It's just a thin line that separates us. You should also look at the map, we are technically inside the belly of senegal. I think you should stick to things regarding sweden because some of the things you come up with are quite ignorant, just because you married a Gambian.

JallowBah:

Yeah, I know.

And I am not saying they are recognized as strangers, but they are still GAMBIANS, not Senegambians.

all4naija: Lol. You are good at maneuverability of information. I admire your stances though.

However, how are you doing?

JallowBah:

Well, then you are the first one I have heard say that, and I have talked to many about this one

You should be more proud of your borders, though. Theres only a thin line dividing all countries, hon, that is not something new. Still, I don`t count myself as Svorsk ( whick is what they call people who speak a effed up dialect mixed between norwegian and swedish ), even though Norway was under Sweden before.
See what I mean here?

And, don`t try to patronize me. Maybe you should find out what country I actually AM from before starting to tell me to focus on Sweden. I probably know more about Gambia than Sweden.

kandiikane:

Well this whole quote is a lie, because even in sweden(isn't that where you're from) they have cultural events with titles such as Senegambian. I think you've been a few born and bred swedish Gambians who are feeding ýou incorrect information. Don't tell me what I need to be proud of. I am proud of the cultures we share that is why we acknowledge eachother.

No, you do not know anything about Gambia with all the rubbish you spewed here. As I have written before don't try to belong and talk shyt as you feel you have the right just because you're married to a Gambian. You have no knowledge of the culture you've been married in. When I told you, your husband might have a wife back home, you thought I was lying. Well, who would want to believe that, still doesn't mean it's false. It has nothing to do with you but many Gambian men would also marry another wife who share the same cultural values as them. It's quite big on polygamy. LOL!

JallowBah:

Lol. In Norway, they have Gambian events, and Senegalese events. I have been to both.
Gambians and senegales in Norway come together good, they don`t talk bad about each other at all, and yes, they all say the culture is much the same, but at the same time..it does not take more than to look at prices for clothes, shoes, rice, fare, nuts, pure shea butter to see that there is f.ex a big economical difference.

And no, the gambians and senegalese I know, are all immigrants, except for ONE who lived in Sweden from he was 14, and is now in Norway, close to 32 years old.

How is it incorrect information for them to say they don`t consider themself Senegambians? How is it MORE correct for you to be proud of being a Senegambian, than for them to be more proud of calling themself only ONE?

And no, I did not thought you were lying, I knew you were lying. Big difference I know many people marry more than one, and many people DON`T. Individuals and all, remember..?
And my "culture" has more things in common with the gambian culture than you think. If you wish to know more about that, either make an own thread dedicated to trying to GBAM me, or send me an e-mail, hon. I would be happy to take that discussion with you

And what rubbish have I spewed here..? Nah, nothing. I know much about gambian culture, and I still have more to learn. And I love it. Not all, but so far, most of it.

And yeah, I am SURE you meant Norway.

kandiikane:

You are going off the mark hun. You do not read neither do you try to comprehend ones post. I did not say it's more correct to be brought of being seneGambian than being a Gambian, you are trying to act like you know it all but you don't.

My point to you was, we are separate countries, we are one and the same whether there is a huge economical difference or not. It's not the price of groundnuts that makes two people the same. You said you never met a Gambian who refer to themselves as senegambian, I told you that's because you know born and bred Gambians, either that or you have not asked them about the phrase.
When you ask a Gambian where they are from, they will say Gambian, duh! They will refer to themselves as senegambians when they are trying to explain cultures and values. Majority of people never heard of Gambia but senegal, therefore, to get a clear view of gambia they give senegal's cultures practices as an example which very similar in every aspect.

Didn't you say your husband was travelling to gambia to stay for a while? Is he still there? LOL!

Don't be naïve, love. Ofcourse, we are individuals but it doesn't stop you practicing what your people practice.

Your culture and Gambian culture is similar? Oh, you mean they throw down syndrome kids in the forest for wolves to feed on just like you said gambians also use to throw down syndrome kids in the forest for hyena's to feed on? Lol, taaa! Please.

Hun, you don't know much about Gambian culture for I would have actually agreed with you if you were right. If thiendella would have agreed with you but there huge flaws in certain things which I've quoted you on. It's great that you want to learn about my culture but it's best if you get correct facts and not just hearing the word marabout and assume they practice using body parts for money too.

JallowBah:

You are taking many, many things out of context here, lie the last piece about throwing babies. You think this is something that has only happen in Gambia and Norway? Don`t be naive, and don`t try to act like you are naive either. It is an ugly history, which the whole world share.
Like I said; if you wish to discuss the gambian vs norwegian culture, feel free to mail me.

And yeah, I have asked if they consider themself senegambians or gambians, I have had that discussion with many of them, simply because the GAMBIANS I know, get irritated when white people call them Senegambians.
"Oh, you are Senegambian."
"No, I am gambian. I am from Gambia. "
Never have I heard a single gambian talk about their culture or ways, and referring to it as Senegambian ways, food, culture, dance, music, weddings, etc, etc. I don`t know where YOU live, but specially Sweden and UK have a long history of travelling to Gambia, hence they know the difference.



Kinda like that. Norway, Sweden and Denmark have much in common as well, still; I am norwegian.

And, where is the "lol"-part in my husband going back to his own country..? You think he went to see some second wife? You are sinking low now, trying to insult my marriage, with nothing to base it on, other than "many muslims practice polygamy". Yeah, and many does not. Why do you feel the need to put my husband in the first box, instead of the second? Why do you feel a need to undermine me, and place yourself above me, are you THAT insecure..?

kandiikane: Damn, there is this video of a singer and a little boy singing about how senegal and gambia are one and the same. I will find it and post it. Lovely song.

We may have our issues but we always come as one in the end.

thiendella:
Senegambian sis'

thiendella:
These are two gambian videos uploaded by gambians and yet they titled it senegambian. A part of my family lives in gambia and google is your friend you know, you just have to google ''senegambian'' to see how many gambians see themselves are senegambians. And diplomatic relations between the two people are at their coldest now but there is no animosity between the 2 people , because they are conscious that they are the same.
Denying senegambia as a geographic and cultural entity is like denying the sweetness of sugar. In wolof we use to say '' duggal fo hadj'' wich mean only enter in where you fit . And I find it pretty audacious for a stranger to face a senegalese and a gambian and trying to explain them how different they are