Surviving SIAO, part 2

Inside the SIAO venue it is, to quote a Scottish friend, full as an egg. You’re only able to really move if those against whom you are mashed are of like mind. At other moments you find yourself carried in some unwanted direction as if tethered to a capering goat.

To put it plainly, it’s way too packed. And as we navigate our way to yet another line, this one to get into the first pavilion, it is clear from Ghislain’s face that he’s so unhappy as to almost be in pain. Maria, meanwhile, is suffering from some debilitating stomach ailment that forces her move bent over like an octogenarian. This is not an auspicious beginning.

When we finally wheedle our way into the building, my original fears about the event are confirmed: This is a trade show. It doesn’t even have the generosity to try and be something more interesting. The building is merely a collection of booths staffed by eminently bored representatives selling, in large part, the same sorts of things we’ve seen elsewhere.

The only upside is that because the building is air conditioned it requires a modest entrance fee (200 CFA or about .40 cents), which means it is not quite as packed. We split up and agree to meet back in about 30 minutes. Shawn and I explore the pavilion, even buying a thing or two. Here’s a sample of what we see:

· Wood carvings from Burkina Faso
· Woven baskets from Algeria
· Woven wall hangings from Mali
· Cocoa powder from Ghana
· Pineapple juice from Benin
· Textiles/clothes from Senegal
· Carvings from Nigeria
· Stone sculpture from Pakistan (What are they doing at an African arts event? Got me.)
· Clothes from Cote d’Ivoire
· Baskets from Niger

Despite the variety, the mind-numbing effect of the Trade Show is simply too powerful. I’m now convinced that there is no collection of items, not beer, not even naked people, that can overcome the soporific delirium brought on by the Trade Show.

Still, I remain hopeful that the other buildings, perhaps those without air conditioning, will be more like a public market, more bazaar-like, with artisans selling their own work, rather than benumbed salespeople handing out business cards.

(Picture: Nigerian vendor outside the SIAO)