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Cake day: June 30th, 2023

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  • My father-in-law is from Burkina, and his family, including my brother-in-law, still live there. The rejection of ECOWAS and the alliance with Mali and Niger is popular, owing mostly to what I’d describe as a general anti colonialist and, particularly, anti French sentiment, which I suppose is understandable.

    The article talks about how the countries have rejected French military aid, but the overwhelming opinion I hear from any of the expats I talk with is that the French were only there to protect their mineral interests and provided minimal aid outside of that.

    Ultimately, the combined military power of all three nations is not enough to fend off the insurgency. They are further hampered by inter-ethnic conflict, and I very much doubt that Russia will be able to provide any meaningful support, especially for free. This all leads to intense civilian suffering which, in my opinion, requires UN intervention. Unfortunately unless the military junta suddenly reverses its opinion on western influence, this is unlikely to happen.





  • Treating somebody poorly, purely for spite or some form of retaliation, seems like a lot of unnecessary energy to expend on somebody who may not deserve that much space in your mind. The golden rule is not about whether someone has the right to be treated better than they have you, it is about discovering grace within yourself and extending it towards all others.

    As to why you should, I could use another turn of phrase- “Lead by example”. You had a poor example in how to extend grace to others in the form of your teachers, and you have the opportunity to be a positive example to others in their place.











  • I did it with hiking shoes because that’s all I had with me, but I’d recommend hiking boots with good ankle support instead. There’s a short scramble towards the top but it’s not overly difficult.

    Another favourite of that trip was the Old Man of Storr up at the Isle of Skye. It’s a less technical hike but much more exposed to the elements and can get windy.

    Also, I’m by no means a photographer. Scotland is just so stupidly pretty that you struggle to take a bad photo- get over there!