I've remembered something about FGM. I once asked a young woman if she had been 'cut down there'.
She seemed surprised and a bit shocked that I wouldn't know something as simple as that. What she said was: 'Of course! Without that I wouldn't be an Arab, a Muslim.'
So to one of these poor women, being maimed in this way is part of her ethnic and cultural or religious identity. The operation is performed by older women, usually family members, and being often carried out in unhygienic conditions can lead to long-lasting painful infections.
Hardly surprising that it's going out of fashion with intelligent women. It seems men are quite keen on it though.
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'Different cultures, different customs, Peachy!"
I recall seeing a series of photos of the joy and expectation on the young ladies' faces pre the process... it was portrayed as a carnival to them ... and the post traumatic pics.
Locally, it is circumcision season. Expect a few hundred reported deaths*, and a lot of gangrenous todgers, many of which will have to be amputated.
* Many who die 'in the bush' are buried there, unreported.
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In a recent broadcast of "Tribe" starring Bruce Parry, he visited an African tribe who's culture involved Whipping their women almost to shreds with canes, at "Coming of Age" ceremonys of the young men of the tribe. They really looked forward to it! and when asked what would happen to a woman that refused to be beaten, the Women answered that they would beat her up!
Barbaric to us, but who are we to tell them otherwise? - it's been their way of life for centuries and they are proud of it.
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Dev, during the initiation season for the isiXhosa tribe, all the lads went out to have their 'bits' butchered by some witchdoctor with a razorblade. The local hospitals (Frere and Cecilia Makiwane) had the staff in all divisions on 24 hr call to deal with lads coming in, writhing in pain.
Only recently have the government organised the ritual by training the snippers in hygiene and sterilisation technique - and suffered the wrath of the traditionals chaps about going against age-old practices.
The initiates (Those that survive) then have to indulge in a ritual of walking round back in the real world in a costume which says 'I survived'. Which makes them look a sad parody of 1920s chaps - tweeds, collared shorts (no tie, but buttoned to the throat), trilbies, and sensible shoes.
As an aside, the world's first penile transplant took place locally. He has to have about R20 000 worth of anti-rejection drugs monthly.
Which is significantly more than most folk earn in South Africa.
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>> Dev, during the initiation season for the isiXhosa tribe, all the lads went out to
>> have their 'bits' butchered by some witchdoctor with a razorblade.
Didn't I read somewhere that in the Nazi period in Germany one of the ways of proving that one wasn't Jewish was by demonstrating to the Gestapo that one was a Cavalier?
Or have I made that up?
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>>Or have I made that up?
It certainly featured in The Odessa File.
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>> Didn't I read somewhere that in the Nazi period in Germany one of the ways
>> of proving that one wasn't Jewish was by demonstrating to the Gestapo that one was
>> a Cavalier?
Of course, other Abrahamic religions require such surgery also. I'm a Roundhead rather than a Cavalier, so come the Glorious UKIP/Trump Revolution I'm planning on getting a tattoo somewhere close by stating "Medical not Religious Reasons" and getting it signed by a medical professional. Just in case I'm examined by the Immigration/Religious/Thought Police.
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>>As an aside, the world's first penile transplant took place locally
Must be plenty of, um, willing donors about, due to all the *trannies going under the knife these days.
*Awful, awful sites came up when I checked the correct spelling (not that I clicked any ovvem)
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Excuse me chaps but I'm trying to digest a delicious breakfast comprising various cold meats and cheese. I really enjoy a selection of cold meats to start the day, with some chutney on the side.
As you were
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Not proper Frühstück without würstchen…..
Last edited by: NortonES2 on Tue 21 Jun 16 at 10:26
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Cheque this plaice out LL. I looks at it cada dia and it always appears to be empty.
Doubt if yoos could afford to stay there of course :)
www.canarylive24.com/#!webcam-gran-melia-palacio-isora-infinity/cdzi
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It looks nice & expensive.... Im trying to eek out my private pension and make it last until I reach 65!
It's bad enough paying single occupancy rates in 3* places...currently I'm in Panoramica Heights above Adeje. Glorious views down to the coast and a good cardio workout there & back, just as well because there is no gym here. For another £150 I could have had someone join me for B & B and that includes return flights.
I'm a bit cheeky and use the pool facilities at a nice 5* on the front. They don't seem to mind and I have chatted to some decent folks around their pool. Nice to escape the zoo on da beaches!
I'm returning to the island mid Sept with friends staying at Ocean View adults only place which I checked out yesterday. Closer to the beach, roof top terrace & jacuzzi , modern gym. B & B again... It really is cheap to self cater here. I've only spent €70 all week, and that includes all my food, beers aplenty & too many bottles of a very nice white Rioja, El Coto @ €3.25 in the Gran Sur supermercado ( £ 9.89 back home!)
Apologies for subject drift... Home late tomorrow, hopefully before 10pm.
Adios
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>> It looks nice & expensive.... Im trying to eek out my private pension and make
>> it last until I reach 65!
What will you do then? I have an idea you've mentioned it before, but I've forgotten!
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Hola!
Have you ventured oop North of the island at all at all, or up Teide? .. trouble with the North is it's quite often cloudy:
www.canarylive24.com/#!webcam-live-puerto-de-la-cruz-el-teide/c7av
I was a'looking at this villa forc£185k yesterday:
www.portatenerife.com/property/puerto-de-la-cruz-villa-030015.html
Panoramica Heights is up in San Eugenio Alto I believe - ideal for cycling down to the seafront, but then you have to get back up!!
Yes, it certainly can be a cheap holiday if you DIY it, when I first went to Los Cris. I paid £70pw for a front line apartment and lived on tinned tuna/sardinas with veg during the week, splashing out on un pollo at the weekend.
I acquired a taste for Tuborg at the time, but I've never seen it in blighty for some reason.
17° overcast, with mizzle here.
:o}
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29 and cloudless here. Hazy views from up high across to La Gomera.
I try to keep fit so the walk down, along, back up is good cardio, or so I tell myself. Not ventured far this week...don't feel guilty at all! Previously I used the services of Jaime Munoz who runs a small tour company called 'Feel Tenerife'. He is a certified, multi lingual guide, using a 7 seater people carrier. Hotel pick up, like minded tourists ( last trip I did was with two British
Volcanologists) and worth every penny. He offers a range of trips, takes you off the beaten track, and on it before the hordes descend.
On a few trips with him I saw & learnt so much about the island.. History, people, culture, geology.
Obviously recommended, but book in advance
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This would be an unforgettable walk Ll. I did it a couple of times on my own (my late elder brother didn't have the bottle for it)
There used to be a bunch of Germans by the harbour in Los Cris who sold tickets for the walk.
They would drive you to Masca, lead the walk to where the barranco ends by the sea, then you'd swim out to an awaiting boat and be brought back to LC = All god fun!
walkingtenerife.co.uk/hiking-the-masca-barranco.htm
So yoos know about the Guanches then: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanches.
I've always been interested in archaeology. I once found a flint leaf-shaped arrowhead in perfect condition on Bodmin Moor.
I also found some Roman sestertii coins from the 2nd century AD in mid-Cornwall while faffing about with my metal detector.
Funnily enough, a friend emailed me this old article a few hours ago in reply to something I was yacking on about:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/10372659
And this is what I was yacking on about:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/22/roman-coins-devon-map-empire-ipplepen
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I never understood FGM - someone told me the idea was to prevent the female having any pleasure from the act of intercourse.
If the girl friend didn't enjoy it - I know she would make sure I wasn't enjoying it as well!
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>> I never understood FGM - someone told me the idea was to prevent the female having any pleasure from the act of intercourse.
It's a feature of polygamy in some cultures. If the polygamist's wives aren't keen on sex, any children they have are more likely to be his.
The woman's pleasure or satisfaction simply doesn't count either way, except for her of course.
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There is an FGM-Lite version which does not have that effect. There is the horrible Phaeronic version which does, if the victim survives.
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I've always been shocked and disturbed by the idea that a religion or culture should require that its members' bodies should be surgically altered.
I'm culturally literate enough to know that issues like initiation rituals involving pain "prove" something in the group, but that is part of our ancient, barbaric past. As has been said, often male domination and control of females is involved.
It surely has no place in civilised society. It is nothing more or less than mutilation. And I'm going to add something that will upset some: I include male circumcision in all of this. It isn't as damaging to the individual as FGM; it isn't a means of control of one part of society over another. Nevertheless, it is a bizarre procedure that mutilates the male body. It would make more sense to remove everyone's appendix.
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>>It surely has no place in civilised society
I am not sure that any of the religions have much place in civilised society. The religions and church were all designed for crowd control and power wielding in the first place and are responsible for more death and suffering through the ages than is imaginable.
The trouble is that people see these awful organisations as the same thing as their belief system whereas at best its a corruption, and indispensible to prove their worthiness.
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>>I include male circumcision in all of this.
There can be a good medical reason for it. As a victim I should know.
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>>There can be a good medical reason for it. As a victim I should know.
Yep. My brother is a roundhead, but I and two other bros have a cavalier attitude.
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"There can be a good medical reason for it."
Quite. But I was speaking of ritual circumcision.
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Some years ago, can't remember exactly when, other than it was one of those days when Britain was having street parties for some Royal occasion, a friend of mine had been chatting at their party for the first time to the pleasant young couple who had just moved in next door.
However, he had to return to his house unexpectedly because having very recently had a vasectomy, his left nadger had decided to swell up to the size of a tennis ball and had turned green. This was rather spoiling his afternoon and with everyone having had a drink or three he was unable to drive himself or find anyone to drive him to get medical assistance. Taxis were called but none were available on any timescale he felt he could tolerate given that the offending article was now approaching the size of a small melon and was painful enough for him to only communicate in random series of stifled expletives.
In the end an emergency doctor was called and much to his surprise arrived within about thirty seconds.
He did though feel more than a little awkward while standing in his front room with his trousers round his ankles being examined by his new, female, next door neighbour...
Despite being English and of a certain type, they hadn't actually got to the "and what do you do?" bit in time to forecast the likely outcome of his telephone call.
He still says he can't really look her in the eye for very long.
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Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Poor sod, talk about adding insult to injury.
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She could look at his japs eye though
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>> "There can be a good medical reason for it."
Has been proven to decrease the incidence of HIV/Aids.
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"Has been proven to decrease the incidence of HIV/Aids."
Studies are contradictory, inconsistent and inconclusive.
The use of condoms is the only effective method of reducing the transmission of STDs.
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>> "Has been proven to decrease the incidence of HIV/Aids."
>>
>> Studies are contradictory, inconsistent and inconclusive.
>>
There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. - WHO.
And in a culture where condom use is akin to 'taking a bath with your socks on', that is as good as it gets.
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>> There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. - WHO.
Yes.
Being a cavalier, and having more than once failed to use a condom when it might have been a good idea, I got clap twice on the trot in my insouciant younger (but old enough to know better) days. Each time from the same upper middle class woman who imagined quite wrongly that I was the source.
Very nasty it was too. Not painful, but itchy, smelly and messy. Yucksville. It was in my suit-wearing, respectable looking younger days. Does the term 'whited sepulchre' mean anything to anyone? I didn't like being one, let me tell you.
Laugh away chaps, but it was no joke at all.
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Incidentally, gonorrhea and NSU bacteria quite often carry the Aids virus as it were on piggyback (I hope our quacks will correct this if it is wrong). One damn thing on top of another, Eurgh!
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 28 Jun 16 at 19:16
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>>One damn thing on top of another, Eurgh! <<
That's where your clap problems started
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>> >>One damn thing on top of another, Eurgh! <<
>>
>> That's where your clap problems started
>>
Or possibly the piggyback?
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>> (I hope our quacks will correct this if it is wrong).
The term 'quacks' seems now rude or anyway over-familiar. Apologies. Medically trained colleagues I should have said. Something like that.
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I have a very high level of respect for (most) doctors, precisely because they have to guess so much of the time.
I've probably told this story before, but 20 odd years ago I went to the surgery because I thought I was dying (the only times I ever go in fact).
The doctor was just about holding head in his hands and looking very careworn. So I said "What's wrong with you?"
He said something like "For every 100 people who come in here, 90 of them either have nothing wrong with them, or what they have will get better on its own. Of the other 10, 9 have something I can't do anything to cure. The other 1 I can help. What seems to be the matter with you?"
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Yes Manatee. Doctors are persecuted by demanding hypochondriacs.
Not all doctors are good at it but reassurance is what a lot of patients need most.
It's the workload, people who are really ill and don't want to know it.
I'm a hypochondriac myself in case anyone hadn't noticed. My doctor relations have assorted snooty and frivolous attitudes to all this. So I must be all right so far unless they are colder-hearted than they seem.
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FGM - Ian (Cape Town)
