Carnet de Voyage: August 2022

Hello Everyone, that's going to be I hope a short post this time because I am more and more lazy to write even if my head is full of subjects to discuss about. (laugh) Ok, in this post I want to share some songs and artists that I grew up listening. I told you my parents and my siblings lived in the U.S in the 70's. My father first went there then. later on he went back with his little family (my mom and my siblings) and later again he went back to America on his own. yep! That's why I was mostly influenced by the American music from my childhood and when I grew up. Of course I like African music also and I am a huge listeners of some African talented artists. I was also introduced to French music by my parents as well. My childhood was the best time of my life. I remember my older sister would put on the old CD player (I think it is called gramophone) with the CD and she would teach me how to dance some normal steps of rock n'roll (laughing) and my Dad who was always reading would be watching us and kept doing his reading. My brothers were busy in the bedroom doing what boys like to do and my mom was cooking for the family after she came back from work.

(Not my picture) My Dad and Mom introduced me to many artists songs like , the Beatles, the Bee Gees, the Rolling stones. The Jackson 5, the Beach Boys, James Brown, Louis Armstrong, Little Richard, The Supremes & Diana Ross, I mean Motown, Olivia Newton John, Nina Simone etc There were some songs that really touched me a lot Bee Gees Massachussetts That song made me and still makes me want to go and visit there. It will happen someday and I will play that beautiful song in my ears once there.

I am very old school in my head even in music that's why I could not go to some friends' parties because I was not in their type of music. The kind of music of today is not really my type. It was not easy to make friends too because they could not understand me. The only time I met a guy who understood me... I went to a friend's place and that guy was there and he was playing all these old songs and I was so excited and we started talking and laughing together. I never forget it. He played all these old songs I grew up with and he was surprised to meet a girl who liked the same kind of music too. It was so natural and we were sitting on the floor and playing all these old goodies. Singing together it felt so good. And we talked together for hours nd we even forgot my friend who invited us at his place. Lol! Yes, my friend got a little bit frustrated after all which I understand I love these songs too. My parents were playing it Olivia Newton John "Let Me Be There"

Why o why...Life is short and also long... I guess. Why o Why people have to leave this world? We live and we cross the river of Life when it is over. May God welcome her in His arms. rest peace ONJ. She was so beautiful woman. This song takes me back to some memories of my afternoons at home. I would play it alone and I was maybe 9 or 10 years old at the time. I would starred at her picture on the cover album and I saw she was a beautiful woman. The other song Yvonne Elliman If I can't have You

It's amazing how I could not understand what this lady was singing because I was not English speaker. Not a word at all and I didn't think I would. But look, Today I can perfectly understand her (smile) amazing! Life is a mystery. I met an European girl in my homestay family who had her parents who lived in France for years in the old days. She wanted me to teach her a well known old French song, but my friend was upset that I was talking to her bc she was White My friend thought she was racist...so according to her I should stay away from her. My thoughts? I didn't care honestly. I taught her the song as i could bc my friend was always distracting us. I understood her parents lived in another country like my parents did and they brought her into a foreign style of music in another language like my parents did to me. As you know I don't care about some not important details. Later on, we found out that the girl was not racist at all she was just really reserved. her social background did not make her to be loud, too this, too that. She was trying to discover a simple life with some simple people. That's why you don't judge fast, we need to get to know the person first. That next one was my Mommy's favorite and I love it too. Francoise Hardy "Tous les Garcons"

But I am also into classical music, opera, old school rap and folklore music of my country. Never put me in a box lol! I heard about the Saturday Night Fever ...I miss my family. Johnny Halliday Retiens La Nuit

Whenever I listen to this song, it feels like listening to Elvis Presley reallly. My Mom was trying to teach me how to dance a well known dance of their youth named the Twist. Funny right? And I loved it. I noticed that artists in the old days could sing and speak in two or more other languages easily. They were very talented. Today...today it is all about money and fame. very sad... Ok! I promised it will not be a long post. Now I grew up listening to my older sister's choices of songs and artists too. Every summer vacations when she was coming from France to stay with us for few months she would play the music that she liked. In Paris in the 90-'s she went to Madonna's concerts and many other singers. Some of them became my favorites as well. Madonna True Blue

True Love, True Blue baby I love you (laugh) awww! the love that a woman has for a man but love isn't always safe but beautiful. Love can be cruel sometimes. Next! My brothers introduced me to...a complete different type of music. I remember back in the days parents in my country were worried about this kind of music. It was a complete revolution. If your son had a friend who was a big fan of rap with a radio player on his shoulder playing loud, parents would ask you to go out play that music away from home. Yes, it was a complete revolution. What is funny is I liked it too! Sometimes I liked the style of these guys. We would only play it hidden in our bedrooms and when Dad was at home we would Not play it at all (laugh) Not even once. O! come on people, give it up to Naughty by Nature. It was the best time too! These guys were the best. Naughty by Nature Hip Hop Hurray

It makes me laugh sometimes just thinking about it because some teenager boys became rebellious in their home. I have this memory of one day we were at the bank my Mom and I and a lady that she knew was talking to her complaining about how her son became difficult in the house because of that rap music and she was trying to get rid of all the audio tapes of it but she could not. (I was laughing on the side because my brothers and I were listening to it too but we were not rebellious at all. It was our time) I have to admit that it was a new Black Culture that scared our parents in my country a lot. And they did not want it at all. young men dressed in the strange way. My aunt back in those days, desperately tried to teach again to my cousin how to dress properly but he became rebellious. He was a huge fan of rap. He would dress like a gangster. His father, my uncle did not know what to do anymore. You have to understand, people in my country were not used to this new way of Black America. They were used to figures like Muhammad Ali, MLK, you know people who were very eloquent, inspiring in a certain way, charismatic like Malcom X etc but also articulate...And then out of the sudden they saw a complete different type of Black America. I admit Something has definitely changed. But you have to agree that these guys were talented in their own way and they brought a new type of movement and music that became successful and it spread all over the world. *** That was the time when I would sit under the windows and listening to the conversations of my brothers with some of their friends talking about girls, sports etc.(I din't want them to know I was spying them and sometimes if I heard something I would report everything to my mother) Going to their bedroom, I will sit on the floor and look at all their sport magazines collections and the Marvel comics. One had a collection of basket ball magazines and the other had soccer's. My parents didn't know what to do about it. Sometimes my two brothers made me sit and watch some soccer games but also basket ball games and they will teach me about the clubs, the athletes in both sports.Later on they got really interested in tennis and swimming. I like sport still today. So yes being a girl surrounded by boys I would know a lot about sports. It maks sense right? The Marvel comics were my favorite things to read beside my own books and if my brothers forgot to bring the one after the one I read I would got upset. At school they were also exchanging an issue of the Marvel comics with some classmates. Gosh! you could be addicted to these things. After talking with them, i entered in my own world (bedroom) where i got all my collection of magazines as well. What kind of magazines I had? The ones talking about countries of the world, tourism and the cultures. Those talking about History. I also got some magazines talking about girls'issues and challenges (smile)

*** And last the music I discovered myself with time...yes, with time because there are many but I will just put that one here only. The first time I listened to it I fell in love with that song. Ok...anyway... I guess I am getting old when I see how music was a part of my life. yes I am old school girl and not ashamed of it.I don't write a lot anymore like I used to. I get tired fast now. O well Thank you for reading. Thank you for passing by. Good night see you in my next post. When I look back I see a good part of my life through the beginning of this blog. I am no longer the same. I changed a lot. Thank you carnet de Voyage and thank you to you too. You can also visit my other website/blog www.poshenvogue.com thank you again for reading. Phil Collins Everyday

Libreville...(sigh) my heart is so sad. I am sad.

I can't talk too much. I can't write too much about what I read on the news. Some things will never change...Not now. I don't know but I know and I see one thing: My country..is not ok. What about Human Rights? You wonder what's going on, knowing that international organizations like the UN are present here too. So many things in my head, so many that I see here. It upsets me. You wonder why all those international NGOs are doing exactly especially when it comes to those human rights? are They just watching what is happening wrong and that's it? Really I am confused. i don't understand. well, I leave it here. No comment.

I spent most of my days at home ;ocked up in my place . As you will see there are no vlog outside anymore for now.

I am just doing my things and minding my own business but my eyes can still see and my mind can still think. I didn't want to go out these past few weeks because of all that. It is a well established system. I am sad because some families, some people are going through a lot and all of it is done on purpose but who am I to talk about it? If you talk too much you get in trouble in this country. So close your mouth and just look with your eyes as much as you can. just pretend you see nothing. So many people here act like nothing is wrong around them and I am tired of it. We all know...nothing is ok.

I spent my past few weeks with few friends and family members. My brothers, sisters and mother are no longer living here in Libreville. Yes, I am the only one who is back for now but I must say it is difficult...It is difficult to see all this and act as if everyhing is ok. All changes are not always good trust me. I still keep in my head the Libreville I grew up in. The old days. It was way better than now. A close person of mine who went to visit Gabon for the first time, told me that he saw only many angry faces. He saw people were not smiling at all in town. very barely few smiling faces... What does that mean? There is A LOT to say about it but...You know...

I hope to see it maybe like I say maybe some good days in Libreville will come back again. Maybe...

I have been watching little ships going back and forth on the sea from my bay window. My view is water...I like water. That side of the building is quiet and good for me. just listening to the sound of the waves days and nights. I feel blessed. Unfortunately, these past few weeks I have been very melancholic. I don't want to read the local news anymore. I am calm and my love for music, listening to my favorite songs remains my favorite time. Also spending my time with my son.