A Plane Crash; but do we need a photo?

December 2, 2008 at 9:39 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

A couple weeks ago, this freelance photographer I know was telling me about his trade - about the politics of news. He regularly shoots for major papers and news agencies and had just returned from Goma.

He told me about a plane crash in Cyangugu, Rwanda about a year ago. One of the news agencies - maybe Reuters - called him and asked him how long it would take him to get there. He told them that Cyangugu was 5 hours from his house in Kigali and it would be dark by the time he got there. He could have a shot for them tomorrow morning. They said they’d call him back.

2 hours later they called back: “Only 18 dead, so nevermind.”

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A Sunday by the Pool in Kigali

December 1, 2008 at 11:18 pm · Filed under Observations

Yesterday, I hung out by the pool of the Novotel Hotel as I do most Sundays. A friend of mine came and we played tennis on their red clay courts. We almost had a ball boy too. We told him he could be our ball boy, then he asked me if I wanted a new grip. I told him I didn’t, but somehow, lost in translation, he then left. So we picked up our own balls. After we finished, we returned to our friends at the poolside and ordered another round of beers. It was all very colonial.

Next week we’re going to play again. This time with the ballboy and the lines judge (Apparently, you get the package deal for $2, so why not?).

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