#chadian cuisine

[morethansalad]

Vegan Daraba (Creamy Chadian Peanut Vegetable Stew)

[jelenedra]

Additional notes and ephemera for Restoration. Read with caution! There are spoilers at the end of this post.

Fun fact: the fic as posted to AO3 is 84,709. The amount of fic I actually wrote is 122,284. That means there’s 37,575 words of material on the cutting room floor. Oof.

Pinyin place names:

Fumodong : Demon Slaughtering Cave

Luanzang Gang : the Burial Mounds

Bujing Shi : the Unclean Realm

Yunshen Buzhichu : Cloud Recesses

Lianhua Wu : Lotus Pier/Lotus Cove

Buyetian Cheng : Nightless City/Nevernight

Jinlin Tai : Carp Tower/Koi Tower

Pinyin titles:

Huadan Shou : Core-Melting Hand/Core Crusher

Zi Zhizhu : Violet Spider

I believe all the other pinyin terms used are commonly used in fandom or are sufficiently contextualised to be understood, but let me know if there are any that need clarification!

Spoilers ahead! Gonna list the minor/background pairings.

Some of these are fairly textual, but with the exception of occasional flirtation/references in characters’ inner monologues, almost all actual romance occurs completely off-screen. 

Meng Yao/Nie Mingjue (nieyao)

Jiang Yanli/Nie Huaisang (sangli)

(implied) Lan Xichen/Xue Yang (xiyang)

(implied) Jin Zixuan/Wen Ning (ningxuan)

Wang Lingjiao/Wen Qing (lingqing)

I did not intend for there to be Song Lan/Su She/Xiao Xingchen (songsuxiao), but I’m told some people saw it in there, so. Have at.

Here are some notes about names of people, for those who don’t get names in canon. I was ably assisted by merakily and invitan in choosing these and am told they’re not wildly inappropriate! There are some spoilers in the details given.

Starting off with the nicknames for the babies, so if you’re not sure if you want to spoil yourself further you have two paragraphs to back out or continue.  

Xiaodou (小豆, Adzuki) or Xiaodou Yeye (小豆爷爷, Grandpa Adzuki) is a nickname given to baby Mo Xuanyu. Adzuki are a type of bean, also called red mung beans, and they’re commonly boiled with sugar to make an extremely delicious paste called anko. In Chinese cuisine it’s commonly used as filling for pastry dishes like mooncakes and tangyuan. The story of how he got that nickname is in chapter 12; in short, he was red and wrinkly, as many babies are, and the nickname stuck. The more common term for adzuki seems to be hongdou (红豆) but xiaodou, chidou (赤豆), chixiaodou, hongxiaodou, etc. are used fairly interchangably as far as I can tell, and I think the version that approximates to “little bean” is the cutest version to refer to a baby with.

Luobo Zhongzi is a nickname given to baby Wen Yuan. I used the characters for the words translated as “radish seeds” in chapter 74. In that chapter, Wen Qing scolds Wei Wuxian because she told him to go buy radish seeds and instead he fought Jiang Cheng. In my head, this is how that nickname came to be:

“Wei Ying,” Meng Yao says, with the fragile calm of someone an inch away from completely losing his shit, “I thought I told you to buy radish seeds.”

“Are you blind, Meng-shidi? Look at this handsome radish seed I have right here!” Wei Ying bounces the baby on his hip. “We’ll plant him and he’ll sprout right up, you’ll see.”

Meanwhile, Xue Yang sidles up to Wen Zhuliu and gives him his biggest, toothiest smile. “Gege, teach me how to punch someone in the soul?”

Some birth and courtesy names:

Fu Xiang (富 祥); the fu here is still a relatively common character used as a Chinese surname today, and can also mean “wealthy” or “abundant” - a good name for a mercantile sect, especially one that wants to curry favour with Lanling Jin. The xiang means “auspicious” - also a fairly common name, in this case given by parents who hoped their daughter would tie them to one of the larger sects one day.

Mo Xing (莫惺). The character 惺 is commonly understood as “tranquil”, although it has an older literary meaning of “wise” or “intelligent”, as Mo Lang tells Mo Yu. However, Mo Yu is not particularly literate at the time she chooses it, and doesn’t realise that Mo Lang is rather unkindly choosing a name that’s homophonous with 猩, which means “ape”, and 腥, which means “fishy smell”.

Mo Lang (莫 角); in modern usage, lang means “jade-like stone”, “clean and white”, or “the tinkling of pendants” but it also has an archaic meaning as “white jade” i.e. the most valuable jade.

Mo Yu (莫玉); yu also means “jade”, but in this case, just regular jade, not fancy white jade.

Mo Lihua (莫 莉花). Li, “jasmine”, and hua, “flower”. The character used for her surname is the same as all other members of the Mo family, meaning “no one” or “do not”, but sometimes Mo Lihua likes to troll people by writing her name as 茉莉花, which is the full name for a jasmine flower (the literal translation would be “jasmine jasmine flower”.) Mo Lihua is a reference to the popular folk song Mo Li Hua, which definitely post-dates the CQL timeframe, but I already disclaimed my ahistoricity so we are all just going to deal with that. It’s very popular - Celine Dion and Song Zuying performed it at the Beijing Olympics - and I thought it was particularly appropriate because of a translation singeli showed me:

Oh beautiful jasmine flower / Oh beautiful jasmine flower / Sweet-smelling, beautiful, stems full of buds / Fragrant and white, everyone praises / Let me pluck you down to give to someone else / Jasmine flower, jasmine flower  

LET ME PLUCK YOU DOWN TO GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE

ahem

Meng Jingqiu (孟经秋); the jing comes from the Shijing, the Book of Songs, which really does use the same character as Meng Shi’s birth name (诗). The qiu comes from the Chunqiu, the Spring and Autumn Annals. These are two of the Five Classics of Confucianism.

Meng Fuqiu (孟府秋); the fu comes from yuefu (乐府), which is a genre of classical poetry intended to mimic folk songs (class issues, anyone...?), and also means governance - something Meng Yao excels at. The qiu, again, comes from Chunqiu and links his courtesy name with Meng Jingqiu. I thought it was nicer than linking him to Jin Guangshitbag.

Wen Guijiao (温 圭角); this is a little complex. A gui was a long jade tablet or scepter, often shaped like a sword (here’s a plain one) (here’s one with poetry on it) (and one with animal masks) (and a very fancy one with dragons) held by imperial rulers for certain ceremonies. The pointed tip is called the guijiao (literally “corner of the jade tablet” but more usefully “tip of the scepter”, I believe). So literally the guijiao is the most delicate piece of an incredibly delicate and ornate piece of jade, but figuratively it means “talents displayed”, as in the chengyu bulu-guijiao (不露圭角) which is literally “do not reveal the tip of the scepter” and means to remain inconspicuous by hiding your talents. And I thought that was nice, for Our Lady of Hidden Badassery.

(here are some more examples of cool gui) 

Update: can’t believe I forgot the comically long list of Wen sect heirs in chapter 11!

Wen Qing = as per canon, “tenderness”

Wen Xu = as per canon, my best guess is approximately “warmth of the rising sun”

Wen Chao = as per canon, approximately “warmth of the dawn”

Wen Liang (温良) = “warm and kind”

Wen Budun (温布顿) = Wimbledon, as in the tennis event

Wen Rou (温柔) = “gentle and soft”

Wen Nuan (温暖) = “warm” (as in, temperature)

Wen Hepai (温和派) = unusual variant of the word for “dove” but more commonly “moderate faction”

Wen Shu (温 淑) = “a gentle and kind woman”

Wen Gehua (温哥华) = Vancouver, as in the Canadian city

Wen Cun (温存) = “tender affection” or “to be attentive” in the romantic sense

Wen Huo (温和) = “lukewarm”

Wen Chadian (温差电) = “thermoelectricity”

Wen Hexing (温和性) = “tenderness”/“gentle character”

[dweemeister]

Tokyo Olympiad (1965, Japan)

Fifty-six years ago, the Olympic Games came to Asia for the first time.

For over two hundred years, the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan established a policy of strict isolationism. The policy, to overly simplify things, barred almost all foreigners from staying in Japan and Japanese people from traveling abroad. Japan’s isolationism ended in 1853 via the oxymoronic “gunboat diplomacy” of American Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Soon, the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) sees Japan industrialize rapidly, adopt Western civics, and become the hegemon of the Asia-Pacific region. Acknowledgement for this progress led the European-heavy International Olympic Committee (IOC) to award the 1940 Summer Olympics to Tokyo. But due to the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 (which some consider the true beginning of World War II), Tokyo forfeited the Games to Helsinki, which also forfeited the Games due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Finland. The Second World War was soon to engulf the world, a global trauma for combatants and bystanders alike.

The Olympics resumed in 1948, but Germany and Japan – both under Allied occupation – were banned from competition, still considered international pariahs. Japan’s post-War admission to the world stage in cultural, political, and sporting arenas would have to wait. Its cultural reintroduction came first. Japanese cinema in the 1950s flourished, with figures like Akira Kurosawa (1954′s Seven Samurai, 1958′s The Hidden Fortress); Kon Ichikawa (1956′s The Burmese Harp, 1959′s Fires on the Plain); and Ishirô Honda (the Godzilla series) garnering critical and popular acclaim worldwide. A pacified and economically booming Japan had a new Constitution declaring that, “the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right.” Japan was warmly admitted to the United Nations in 1956. The IOC awarded Tokyo the 1964 Summer Olympics, a spectacle awaited by Japanese for twenty-four years, seen by many as the completion of Japan’s reentry to the international order. 

The Games of the XVIII Olympiad were the first held outside the West and, like their predecessors, were documented cinematically (the IOC considered this a priority since at least 1912, for posterity’s access). This Olympic film would be commissioned jointly by the IOC and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). After Akira Kurosawa was released from the project due to his demands to control every aspect of production (including the Opening Ceremony), the task felt to Kon Ichikawa to direct Tokyo Olympiad.

Upon its release, Tokyo Olympiad resembled no other sports documentary of its type, let alone any previous entry in the select subgenre of Olympic documentaries. Though influenced heavily by Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia (1938; which covers the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin) in how the Olympic disciplines are shot, Tokyo Olympiad strays from its predecessors due to its tone. Riefenstahl concentrated on human bodies and sporting triumph, and Olympia’s influence has infused all successive sports films – sports filmmakers in the 1960s and today probably do not consciously recognize that influence – with echoes of her use of Nazi iconography.

For all the plaudits awarded the medalists, most Olympians never come close to the podium. Unlike Olympia, Ichikawa’s Tokyo Olympiad acknowledges that reality, as well as the physical pain that these athletes undergo to prepare and participate in the Olympics. The celebrations and medal ceremonies are as ubiquitous in this film as the agonized grimaces and the performances of also-rans – stories fancied nor celebrated by anyone other than the athletes themselves. Like the Summer Olympics films before it, Tokyo Olympiad spends lengthy stretches of its time in athletics (track and field)*. Following the Opening Ceremony, Ichikawa begins with the men’s 100-meter dash, the race to crown the fastest man in the world. As the athletes prepare themselves before the sound of the gun, Ichikawa leans on the film’s narration:

Nervousness is betrayed by the sad expressions on the face of athletes on the starting line. One wonders if the spectators can see these expressions. The time leading up to an event feels terribly long. Only the nailing of stakes can be heard.

Through a selective sound mix drowning out the crowd noise (this decision also has practical purposes, as Ichikawa and his crew could not anticipate the loud noise made by high-speed cameras), we hear only the public address announcer going over the names of the finalists and the runners hammering their starting blocks in place. The restricted audio concocts an intensely personal atmosphere for much of the film. The camera lingers over the deeply focused, but visibly nervous dispositions of the runners. When adrenaline is mentioned in a film review, it usually refers to action and thriller films in their most exciting sequences. Here, the adrenaline is equally depicted for scenes of action and stillness. Like Riefenstahl’s Olympia, the liberal use of slow-motion allows the audience to notice the miniscule muscular movements that one might not see in full flow on a live broadcast. It also serves to emphasize the diversity of body shapes that compete across different sports across the Games.

The film employed somewhere between 68 to 164 camera operators – the exact number is heavily disputed, but even if the lower estimate is true, this would imply hundreds of technicians worked on this film during and after the Olympics. Where Ichikawa and principal cinematographers Shigeo Hayashida and Kazuo Miyagawa (1950’s Rashômon, 1959’s Floating Weeds) see fit, they will have the film concentrate on a part of the human body rather than the entire figure. During footage of the men’s shot put, one of the featured shot putters is Nikolay Karasyov of the Soviet Union. Karasyov has a peculiar routine as he steps into the shot put circle. He plays with the shot between his two hands, adjusts his bib, and puts right hand to mouth in a lengthy, elaborate ritual before he even attempts the toss. The audio here – once again omitting the crowd noise – allows the audience to hear things that perhaps only Karasyov himself can here while preparing his toss. These moments of individual preparation may be mundane to some, but they are just as much a part of an Olympian’s performance as anything else.

After athletics has run its course in the film’s opening hour, editor Yoshio Ebara pushes through various other sports – each one presented differently than the other. Gymnastics, accompanied by composer Toshiro Mayuzumi’s score (1956’s Street of Shame, 1960’s The Warped Ones) rather than the musical selections chosen by the athletes, seems to exist in a world of its own, as if the gymnasts are performing in a formless void with just enough lighting to witness their gravity-defying skills. Weightlifting, in which a very specific technique must be performed to execute a lift correctly, is almost entirely shot from the same low angle – capturing the heaving chests of the athletes, in success and failure. Wrestling, where so much of its action occurs at floor level, sees the camera placed at mat level with nary any cuts. The desperation etched on the faces of the losing wrestler attempting to wriggle themselves out of a pin is as visceral as the triumphant expression of the one controlling the match. In an era before widespread use of helmets, the men’s individual road race in cycling is accompanied by a jazz ensemble piece by Mayuzumi, as if reflecting the free-flowing, seemingly anarchic (and potentially dangerous) nature of road cycling.

Every Olympic sport that comprised the 1964 Summer Olympics is featured, typically accompanied by musical cues from Mayuzumi’s diverse score that reflect certain aspects of the sport. But most of these sports only have brief cameos in respect to what Japanese and international audiences would most be interested in. For example, soccer and basketball only appear for about a minute each. Due to conflicts with FIFA and soccer’s regional governing bodies, Olympic men’s soccer has never been the focus of much attention. Basketball, though making its sixth appearance at an Olympics, did not enjoy the international popularity and recognition outside of the United States and Canada as it does today. Yet, one need not know the details about equestrian or judo to enjoy the athleticism and skill on display.

Midway through Tokyo Olympiad, there is a vignette on Chadian runner Ahmed Issa. These scenes capture his Olympic experience from the moment he arrives in Tokyo to practice to his semifinal appearance in the 800 meters (Issa has no time and perhaps little money for sightseeing). Chad declared independence in 1960, making the Tokyo Games – to which it sent a two-athlete delegation and named Issa its Opening Ceremony flagbearer – its first Olympics. Issa is bewildered by the asphyxiating press coverage, Japan’s modernity, and the scope of the Games. He is often framed as a lonely figure, speaking to and eating with no one (the Olympic Village’s cafeteria bustles with activity, and no one seems to pay any attention to him eating what must be cuisine he has never seen). Nevertheless, Issa is in Tokyo for a single purpose. Ichikawa tailors this story to have the viewer, no matter our nation’s Olympic history or our emotional connection to the idea of the Olympics, feel Issa’s isolation from his fellow athletes. His presence at the Olympics will not be given much thought, other than to himself, his loved ones, and Chadians. But Issa, the narrator assures the audience, does not mind – his goal to represent himself and his nation at the Olympics is the fulfillment of his dream. It is a pedestrian Olympic story, inelegantly placed into Tokyo Olympiad’s structure, but it is a tale far more common than those of world record breakers and gold medalists.

By tradition, the marathon is one of the final events of the Summer Olympics. Ichikawa dedicates almost a half-hour to the event – featuring Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikala’s world record finish, a surprise in Kôkichi Tsuburaya’s bronze medal effort, the numerous marathoners that could not finish, and Chanom Sirirangsri of Thailand as the final person to cross the finish line. The marathon is the culmination of Ichikawa’s approach to Tokyo Olympiad: balancing the thrill of victory with the agony of defeat. Shot using a 16:9 screen aspect ratio (as opposed to the 4:3 ratio that Ichikawa was accustomed to), the marathon scenes capture the throngs of spectators lining Tokyo’s streets for the free spectacle unfolding before their eyes. In a film curiously silent about the modernization of Tokyo itself, Ichikawa finally allows some semblance of the city’s identity to appear in the film. The crowd, no longer muted by the sound mixing, urges the runners forward regardless of nationality and placement. Tokyo Olympiad’s subjective and omnipresent narrator remarks on the narratively and visually epic struggle of the runners, the pain that must be coursing through each marathoner’s body. The men’s marathon is undoubtedly the film’s dramatic highlight, with Ichikawa’s humanistic approach present in compelling fashion.

Ichikawa and editor Ebara whittled over seventy hours of footage down to 169 minutes including an intermission. The enormous final print came under fire from the IOC and JOC. The IOC expressed frustration at what they perceived to be a cynical film that did not focus on the winners; the JOC decried Ichikawa’s artistic (and occasionally abstract) depiction the Tokyo Olympics. The Japanese far-right denounced Tokyo Olympiad as not patriotic enough; the far-left assailed Ichikawa for the film’s jingoism (rising sun imagery is used for dramatic effect, signifying the elevation of post-Imperial Japan). After the JOC demanded that Ichikawa reconfigure Tokyo Olympiad, the director quipped that almost all the cast had already left Japan. Bickering aside, Tokyo Olympiad – if using the metric of box office admissions – became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history, a distinction it shares with only Spirited Away (2001).

This review is based on the original Japanese theatrical print that I was able to access via the Olympic Channel’s website for free. That print does not include the intermission and may be region-locked elsewhere. For those wanting to experience Tokyo Olympiad in its entirety, I do not recommend viewing the 125-minute cut currently on the Olympics’ official YouTube page and beware the 93-minute cut released by American International Pictures for the original U.S. theatrical release.

There are no commentaries of historical imprint or Olympic legacy in Tokyo Olympiad. This certainly angered the IOC and JOC – both of whom requested, for their own agendas, that Ichikawa make grand statements about how Japan had rejoined the world with the 1964 Summer Olympics. Ichikawa, whose greatest films are suffused in empathy, could not be any less suitable for such objectives. Tokyo Olympiad provides Ichikawa the most sprawling canvas and cast of characters he ever had. In the hands of Ichikawa and his crew, narration is unnecessary to understand that any Olympic Games reflects a host city and nation at a given time. Tokyo Olympiad shows a nation where the West’s recent influence exists – in conflict and in tandem – with centuries-old traditions. The film, like these 1964 Games, portrays a city ready to welcome the world in ways unimaginable a few decades, let alone a century, prior. Tokyo Olympiad triumphs as a document of humanity, as well as contributing to the mythology of the modern Olympics.

As this review is being written, the global COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the XVI Paralympic Games. The 2020 Summer Olympics, to be held in Tokyo, is scheduled to begin July 23, 2021 – if the Games cannot commence at this date, Tokyo will forfeit the Summer Olympics for the second time as well as the Paralympics. If the world’s athletes can assemble in Tokyo less than a year from now, they – and whoever is chosen to document the Games – will find a city and a nation just as uncertain of their place in the world as they were in 1964. The city and nation of Tokyo Olympiad were strangers in need of introduction. Today, no such formalities are required.

My rating: 9.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

* Though the Summer Olympics present each sport as one among many, athletics was long considered the only showpiece sport. Since 1964, it has since been joined by gymnastics and, at the turn of the millennium, swimming.

[thisdayreservedfor]

Kachumbari.  Tomato, Zucchini, Cucumber Salad. 

Chadian Cuisine, the Republic of Chad.

Source

[jumiatravel]

Visa Free Countries Nigerian Passport Holders can Visit 2019

Are you a Nigerian citizen looking to explore the world but you are worried about travel restrictions and visa issues. Then you would be glad to realize that there some countries Nigeria’s can visit without any visa requirement.

If you are a Nigerian passport holder, you can pay a visit to any of the 45 visa free countries listed below without the need to obtain a visa to gain entry to the countries listed below.

Many of these countries allow tourist entry and offer visa on arrival while other allow the visitor stay for a specified number of days or months before a visa will be required. Other countries may not require a visa regardless of how long you stay.

Jumia Travel has curated the full list of visa free countries for Nigerians:

1. Barbados:

Location – Caribbean Region

(Visa free for 6 months)

Located in the western area of the North Atlantic and about 100 kilometres east of the Caribbean Sea and the Windward Island. A visit to Barbados by Nigerians allows you a stay for six months without a visa. Barbados is rich in history and has some of the best beaches and sea foods.

You will only be required to provide a E-passport, return ticket and proof of sufficient funds to gain entry into the country. The visa free stay is only valid for a period of 6 months.

2. Bangladesh:

Location – Asia

(Visa on arrival, 30 days permit)

Renowned as one of the world’s most populated country, Bangladesh offers a 30 days permit for Nigerians to stay in the country. You will be required to provide $500 worth proof of funds and return ticket. Enjoy the best Bangladesh’s cuisine and visit the port city of Chittagong for an amazing experience.

3. Burkina Faso:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

The country also plays host to International Arts and Crafts Fair, Ouagadougou which is regarded as one of the most important African handicraft fair.

Burkina Faso is visa For Nigerian who would love to stay as long as they like. The Country is boasts of a gold reserves and is rich in music and art like the drumming culture.

4. Benin Republic:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free for 3 months)

As a Nigerian passport holder, you can visit Benin Republic and stay for 3 months without a visa. A country located close to Nigeria,there are a number of tourist attractions in the country that may interest you like the nominated UNESCO World Heritage site named Pendjari National Park.

5. Burundi:

Location – East Africa

(Visa free for 30 days)

Nigerians are allowed a visit to Burundi for 30 days without a visa requirement. The country is known for its craft works that serve as a great gift option for tourists. From shields, baskets and masks to statues and pottery. An important part of the culture in Burundi is drumming, the Royal Drummers of Burundi have been performing for 40 years. The oral tradition of the country through poetry, storytelling and songs is also something worth enjoying.

6. Chad:

Location – Central Africa

(Visa free for 3 months)

Chad offers a 3 month visa free stay for Nigerians. All you need to do is provide a return ticket that shows you do not plan to stay in the country permanently. You can visit the Chad National Museum,

Chad Cultural Centre to get a feel of the rich cultural heritage of the Chadian people.

7. Cameroon:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free for 90 days)

Enjoy a great time in Cameroon as entry is visa free for Nigerians. Check out the National Museum & Mvog-Betsi Zoo in Yaounde or the La Pagode Maritime Museum in Douala. There are a number of wildlife species ranging from lions and antelopes to snakes and birds, you will find at any of the parks.

8. Cote d’ivoire:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

A visa free stay in Cote d’ivoire formerly known as Ivory Coast is worth it as there several points of interests and tourist attractions you can visit during your stay. The beach resorts of Assinie, the Parc National de Tai, valleys of Man and the artsy Grand Bassam are some of the breathtaking tourist attractions you can see in Cote d’ivoire. You may also enjoy the lagoon boat tour or visit the open markets in Treichville or Cocody.

9. Comoros:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival)

You can travel to Comoros without a visa but you can get the visa on arrival for $50. Comoros Island is made up of four developed islands with white sandy beaches, giant fruit bats, volcanoes, and rainforests. Enjoy one of the best adventures on Comoros Island and make memories of a lifetime.

10. Cape Verde:

Location – West Africa

(Visa on arrival)

A visa will not be required by Nigerian citizen upon entry to Cape Verde, provided you can prove to the immigration officials you do not plan to stay permanently in the country. You will be required to provide a return ticket, as well as proof of funds.

11. Cambodia:

Location – Southeast Asia

(Visa on arrival for a period of 30 days)

This country allows Nigerians entry with a 30 day visa on arrival at the port of entry. The country is well known for its beautiful beaches and ancient temple cities. You may visit during the annual Water Festival in November.

12. Dominica:

Location – Caribbean Region

(Visa free for 21 days)

13. Djibouti:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival)

14. Fiji:

Location – South Pacific Ocean

(Visa free for 4 months)

15. Ghana:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

16. Guinea:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

17. Guinea Bissau:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free for 90 days)

18. The Gambia:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free for 90 days)

19. Haiti:

Location - Caribbean

(Visa free for 3 months)

20. Iran:

Location – Middle East

(Visa on arrival)

21. Kenya:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival for 90 days)

22. Liberia:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

23. Mali:

Location - SahelF

(Visa free)

24. Madagascar:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival for 90 days)

25. Mauritius:

Location – East Africa

(Visa free for 90 days)

26. Micronesia:

Location - Oceania

(Visa free for 30 days)

27. Maldives:

Location – South Asia

(30 days visa free)

28. Mauritania:

Location – West Africa

(Visa on arrival)

29. Mozambique:

Location – Southern Africa

(Visa free for 30 days)

30. Niger Republic:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

31. Nauru:

Location - Oceania

(Visa on arrival)

32. Palau:

Location - Oceania

(Visa on arrival for 90 days)

33. Senegal:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

34. Samoa:

Location - Oceania

(60 days entry permit on arrival)

35. Somalia:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival)

36. Seychelles:

Location – East Africa

(1 month visitor’s permit on arrival)

37. Sri Lanka:

Location – South Asia

(Electronic travel authorization)

38. Sierra Leone:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

39. Togo:

Location – West Africa

(Visa free)

40. Tanzania:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival)

41. Tuvalu:

Location - Oceania

(30 days visa on arrival)

42. Timor Leste:

Location – Southeast Asia

(Visa on arrival for 30 days)

43. Uganda:

Location – East Africa

(Visa on arrival)

44. Vanuatu:

Location - Oceania

(Visa free for 30 days)

Visa Requirements for Some of the Best Countries to Travel to from Nigeria

Requirements for South Africa Visa

Requirements for Kenya Visa

Requirements for Dubai Visa

Requirements for United Kingdom Visa

[afrikanza]

10 Must Try Delicious African Fish Dishes

The best way to understand a culture is to discover how its members treat their gut.

That’s the key to a culture’s heart!

Africa is a diverse continent with more than a thousand different cultures. We are spoiled for choice as to which dishes to write about and which ones to leave out.

Nonetheless, we just had to pick 10 out of the over 1000 interesting African fish cuisines. Such an injustice! Well, we had to, otherwise this would have turned into a giant encyclopedia.

10. Senegalese Jollof Fish Stew

Source: Yummy Medley

Jollof is a popular West African dish. It can be accompanied by meat, fish, and other delicacies. Those who live near fish sources prefer to use fish instead of meat.

The main ingredients are rice and fish. Other ingredients are:

sweet potatoes

cabbages

and shrimp bouillon.

To be able to prepare this West Africa’s most loved cuisine, please visit Yummy Medley information on all ingredients and the cooking instructions.1

9. North African Grilled Swordfish Toast

Source: Wikimedia

North Africans like having grilled fish dishes as they do love their toast.

Blending fish and toast brings us to their hearty grilled swordfish toast.

The primary ingredients of the North African grilled swordfish toast are the swordfish and sliced white bread. Other ingredients include green olives and the spicy delicious harissa.

You can get sumptuous details on how to prepare this finger-licking fish dish from Sunset.2

8. Abacha and Ugba

Abacha and Ugba are an authentic delicacy that you can make for a mouth-watering dinner. It is one of the most loved West African dishes, especially in Nigeria. It is the most formidable competitor to Jollof.

The primary ingredients are:

fish (preferably Titus fish)

abacha

ugba

ogiri

ehuru (calabash nutmeg)

and palm oil.

Enjoy this unique West African cuisine by learning how to prepare it yourself from the experts at Cookpad.3

7. South African Spiced Egg-Salmon

Source: Allys Kitchen

South Africa is a large and diverse country. Being a ‘rainbow’ nation, it is a melting pot of cultures that include the Africans, Boers, Europeans, Asians, among others. Each of them has contributed to adding value to the South African cuisine.

The most popular South African fish dish is the Spiced Egg-Salmon.  The basic ingredients are fish fillets (salmon), eggs, and spices.

To descend your guts to this land of gold, Allys Kitchen provides you with meticulous instructions and great recipes that will make your South African spiced egg-salmon standout on the dining table.4

6. Ethiopian Spicy Fish Stew

Source: African Shop

Ethiopia is an ancient civilization with an extremely distinct cuisine. Ethiopian dishes have a distinct spicy delicious taste. Ethiopians are proud of their rich cultural heritage and cuisine. Nonetheless, some of their cuisines have been seasoned by the Italian and Arabic influences.

Injera is the staple food loved in Ethiopia and some parts of Somalia and Sudan. It is a rice-based. However, the Ethiopian Spicy fish stew is often taken as a break from the injera or as an accompaniment that rests on the injera spread.

The basic ingredients of this spicy dish are fish, red onions, berbere paste, red wine, and peanut oil, among others.

African Shop provides you with all you need to know for the preparation of this delicious meal.5

5. Fish Calulu – Angolan Fish Dish Sauce

Source: Arousing Appetite

Angola is a Portuguese-speaking country in South-Western Africa. Fish Calulu is Angola’s traditional fish recipe. It is particularly unique due to its Okra and palm oil ingredients. Other unique ingredients are the sweet potato leaves and zucchinis.

For best preparation, you can follow the instructions provided at Arousing Appetites.6 With these instructions, be sure to have a great Angolan meal at your dining table for an arousing family appetite.

4. Somali Spicy Fish Sauce

Source: Flavor Verse

Somalis are famous for pasta, macaroni, and pastries. Their cuisine received a heavy influence from the Italian taste. Apart from pastries (and of course the traditional injera, which they have slightly altered its pronunciation), Somalis are good in other dishes, especially fish dishes. This is more so because Somalia has the longest coastline in entire Africa.

The most popular Somali fish dish is the Spicy fish sauce. Its primary ingredients include fish (kingfish), potatoes, eggplant, cilantro, among others. This fish sauce can be taken with any other meal, especially rice.

For a gastronomical trip to Somalia, get exemplary instructions from My Somali Food.7 Here you will be able to recreate your own Somali map right from the kitchen to your gut via the dining table.

3. Chadian Fish Dish

Source: Travel By Stove

Chad is a landlocked central African country. Its main source of fish is Lake Chad.

Chad’s unique fish recipe comprises of fish (Tilapia, eel, Nile perch, among others), flour, and tomatoes. You can have it with a side dish of your preferred choice.

To learn how to prepare a hot stove simmer of this delicious Chadian cuisine, please get onto your journey with  Travel By Stove.8

2. Congolese Fried Tilapia

Source: Square Space

Congolese are not only famed for their Lingala music and fashion extravagance but much more. They are also great cooks. They have a rich cuisine. One among these is the Congolese Fried Tilapia.

The Congolese fried tilapia comprises tilapia, peas, beans, and peas as the major ingredients. There are many other ingredients which you can get together with requisite instructions from Immigrant Kitchens.9

If indeed you want a gastronomical ‘ndombolo’ dance, do not miss trying out this recipe.

1. Mtuzi Wa Samaki (Swahili fish stew)

Source: Pika Chakula

Mtuzi Wa Samaki is a Swahili fish stew common along the East African coastal region spreading from Zanzibar to Kenya. The Swahili word “mtuzi wa samaki” translates to simply “fish stew”.

The unique thing about this dish is the use of Coconut milk extracted from coconut fruit that is so common along the East African coast, especially in Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

Tilapia is the most widely used fish as it is plentifully available locally. For more ingredients and instructions on how to prepare this yummy Swahili dish in a Swahili setup, visit Pika Chakula.10

Hungry yet?

Africa is a country rich in cultural diversity, and so is its cuisine. Fish is plenty in Africa due to its water bodies, including the second longest sea coast, longest river, deepest lake, and the second largest freshwater lake.

Africa is simply surrounded by plenty of fish – right from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. This makes fish an important delicacy.

We’ve done our best to provide you with the most interesting African fish dishes and to enable you to have a gastronomic taste of Africa right within your dining room.

Resources:

Sengalese jollof fish stew

North African Grilled swordfish with toast

Abacha with Ugba Fish Dish

South African Spiced Egg-Salmon

Ethiopian Spicy Fish Stew

Angolan Fish Sauce

Somali Spicy Fish Sauce

Chadian Fish Dish

Congolese Fish Dish

Mtuzi Wa Samaki

The post 10 Must Try Delicious African Fish Dishes appeared first on Afrikanza.

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12 Interesting Facts About Chad

Facts About Chadian Culture, Geography, and History

Chad is the fifth largest country in Africa as it relates to the land mass area; Chad is about the size of Spain, Kansas, and France combined. It has the popular Lake Chad in the western part of the country from which the country got its name from.

Chad has many hidden fun facts about its culture, history, resources, and hardships. Below are twelve fun facts which we would like you to know about Chad.

12. Some of the best camel racing in the world

The Tibesti Mountains are home to some of the best camel racing in the world. Tibesti literally means “the place where mountain people lives”. It is the home of the Toubou tribe – the mountain people. The Toubou locals put on this splendid camel racing early in the morning. The region has produced champion camel racers that just need to be given public recognition.

11. Chad has a shortage of doctors

For every 23,600 people in Chad, there is only one Chadian doctor available.With less than 500 Chadian doctors to cover the entire population, it is a health challenge because less than 1 doctor for 10,000 people as at the year 2000 according to the World Health Organization, meaning many Chadians will not have access to the services of a qualified doctor.

10. Known as “The Babel Tower of the World“

Chad is also known as “The Babel Tower of the World” because of its cultural diversity. It has over 200 ethnic groups and 100 languages spoken in the country. The size is a contributing factor to the diversity. The official languages are Arabic and French. The name is reminiscent of the biblical tower of babel and the many languages spoken then.

9. It’s national symbols are the goat and the lion

The goat and lion are the national symbols of Chad.The National animal for the northern part of the country is the mountain goat while the southern part is represented by a lion. Both symbols stand opposite each other having the blue and yellow colored shield in the middle with a red sun rising above the shield of the Chadian coat of arms. This was was adopted in 1970. Other parts of the coat of arms are the shield and scroll with the national motto written in French, Unité, Travail, Progrès which can be translated in English as: Unity, Work, Progress. 

8. It’s named after Lake Chad

The country is named after Lake Chad. The lake is the largest wetland in Chad and the second largest in Africa. Historically, the locals called the area Chad which inspired the Europeans to call the endorheic lake after the country. Lake Chad is a freshwater lake that has shrunk by as much as 95% since 1963. It is, however, the world 17th largest lake and a great tourist attraction. The lake touches base in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger.

7. One of the poorest and most corrupt nations

Sadly, Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world. It was ranked as seventh poorest country by Forbes.com in 2008. It has also appeared on other lists of the most corrupt countries of the world. A major part of the population lives below the poverty line because of the corruption despite its rich resources in gold, crude oil and uranium. One obvious act of corruption is diverting billions of dollars gotten from oil to purchasing weapons instead of investing in the nation.

6. Crude oil drives the Chadian economy

Crude oil has been the primary source of the country’s economy since 2003. Earlier, cotton played a significant role in bringing wealth to the nation. It has resulted in new construction and infrastructure projects like roads. The first pipeline runs through Cameroon, connecting the Doba Basin to the port of Kribi on the Cameroon coast. About Ninety-four thousand barrels of crude oil is produced in a day in the country.

5. World’s 21st largest country by land area

Chad, by land area is world’s 21st largest country. With a 0.845% land mass of the total land mass of the world and a land area of 1,259,200 square kilometers, Chad is smaller than Peru and larger than South Africa. It is the fifth largest country in Africa.

4. Blessed with gold and uranium reserves

Chad has ample reserves of gold and uranium and the mining industry has not received adequate attention and investment since the discovery of oil. The business climate of Chad may be a contributing factor to this dilemma – Chad has been ranked bottom in the world for the ease of doing business by the International Finance Corporation. This means the natural resources may remain untapped for a long time.

3. A musical instrument called the Kakaki signifies power

People of Chad use Kakaki, a long metal trumpet of about three to four meters long in traditional ceremonial music – the instrument signifies power. It is indigenous to the Hausa traditional communities and is also used in neighboring countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Benin-Niger. Another name that it is called is the Waza.

2. Covered by the Sahara Desert in the north, about 1/3 of the country

The Sahara Desert covers much of northern Chad and occupies roughly 1/3rd of the country’s total area. It is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world.The precipitation and rainfall in this area range between 300 to 600 mm every year. The Sahara opens up to the Sahelian belt in the middle of the country. The date palm is the only tree that grows in the Sahara region. The northeast African cheetah is the wildlife that can be found in the Chad area of the desert.

1. Chad’s staple foods are grains

Grains including millet, sorghum, and rice are staple foods of Chad. One of the main dishes of the Chadians is the boule, a thick grain porridge. The country’s dishes and cuisine are created around the available grains that are grown in the country. The northern part generally grow maize, and in the south, millet is the most consumed grain.

The post 12 Interesting Facts About Chad appeared first on Afrikanza.