As previously posted here in my blog, Ma and I were anticipating going to Niamey, Niger in mid-August. However, on July 26 that country’s presidential guard staged a coup, deposing the president, Mohamed Bazoum, and closing its airspace and land borders. A week later, after meeting a number of requirements, the State Department ordered all American spouses and families and nonessential personnel to return to the US on August 4.
Some direct hires (what Americans employed at embassies abroad are called) were already outside of Niger on vacation or working temporary assignments and were unable to return to get anything left behind, including pets and important documents one doesn’t normally take when temporarily away from home.
Those who were ordered to depart were able to take two 50lb suitcases per person and their pets. I don’t know what happened to the pets of those who were already outside of Niger (I’m not saying anything bad happened, just that I am not in on what happened in that regard).
The upshot being that while we were able to go home to see Sissy (what southern Americans have been known to call their sisters) on her birthday, that was pretty much only because Ma’s move to Niger is not going to happen any time soon. Although it was great seeing Sissy and Pops, it was not great watching Ma say goodbye to her close friends and classmates who were heading abroad to their first posts. We try not to let not moving (yet) bother us, because at least we know where all our stuff is (even if it’s not here with us) and we’ll eventually go somewhere, but all the stress of gearing up for a momentous move, just to get the ultimate letdown? Yeah, that was not fun. At all.
I just found out that another 15 or so embassy personnel were evacuated from Niger the other day after what sounds like a monumental endeavor on the part of those who take care of that kind of thing — after all, the airspace is still closed in Niger. It really should be noted that Americans aren’t necessarily unsafe in Niger at the moment, but with the airspace and borders closed, nothing is coming into Niger — including food and fuel — which isn’t good for anyone. Getting the nonessential people out of the country is one less thing for the Powers That Be to worry about.
With that said, we’re trying to find the silver linings… Ma was able to take an area studies class at the Foreign Service Institute on sub-Saharan Africa which she normally wouldn’t have been able to take and will be studying French until she either gets to go to Niger or she’s reassigned somewhere else – that hopefully speaks French. Which means more opportunities for Sissy and Pops to visit Ma in the DC area and more time to spend with new close friends. I’ve heard that fall in the DMV is fantastic, so that’s something else to look forward to.
Ma has been following the news coming out of Niger with rabid intent. Preparing for her language training means reading most of that news in French. Although I am a Canadian home gnome, I am wholly anglophone, with only a few words of French in in my vocabulary. Which means that I look at the pictures as Ma reads. And this one absolutely GRABBED me. First because that crowd is HUGE and entirely male. Second, I see more than one Russian flag flying (not what was meant when they were told to let their freak flags fly, I’m guessing).
At any rate, let’s review the signs presented in the image below: “LA FRANCE TUE AU NIGER” (France kills in Niger), “VIVE LA PATRIE” (long live the homeland), “ABAS LA FRANCE” (down with France), and “ABAS LA FRANCE VIVE POUTINE.”
Des manifestants affichent une pancarte contre la France et pour le président russe, Vladimir Poutine, lors d’un rassemblement de soutien aux putschistes, à Niamey, au Niger, le 30 juillet 2023. || Demonstrators display a sign against France and in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a rally in support of the putschists, in Niamey, Niger on 30 July 2023. (SAM MEDNICK / AP / SIPA)
“Vive Poutine“?!! *record scratch*
When I say that I was today years old when I found out that Poutine is what the rest of the French-speaking world calls President Vladimir Putin of Russia, I’m really not kidding. I thought “VIVE POUTINE” was a typo. Surely they didn’t mean that! But no. It is not, in fact, a typo. They really did mean Poutine. And according to this article:
Because of the standard French pronunciation that does not sound out the final letter of a word, Putin in France would be pronounced puh-ta.
And that’s essentially the same pronunciation as one of France’s favourite words – putain.
thelocal.fr
Ok. You had me at putain, you delightful publication! Putain is a wonderful expletive that you can mutter under your breath when you stub a toe or yell at the person who knocked over your brand new Hiboy electric kick scooter (that was oddly specific, right?). It’s right up there with my other favorite p-swear, this one coming from Finland: perkele or devil: the longer you roll that R, the more irritated you are.
But, better a delicious French-Canadian snack than a filthy whore? I’m guessing ol’ Vlad agrees, at least. (I highly recommend you go read the article for yourself; it’s wonderful.)
All of that aside, I’m still trying to figure out why Nigeriens prefer Putin to France; while I understand there’s a troubled post-colonial relationship (which may be putting it mildly), Putin’s track record isn’t much — just ask the Ukraine and Georgia (the country, not the state below South Carolina).
