Thursday, October 07, 2004
Late Night Pager Duty
Part I: Traveling Around the World...
From: The Statesman's Yearbook: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World 2002, Barry Turner, ed.
From the safety of our desktops and office cubicles, we shall travel around the world visiting interesting-sounding and obscure countries. 25 well-spent cents from the booksale. This evening's selection is:
Comoros
Union des Iles Comores
Key Facts
The Comoros consist of 3 islands in the Indian Ocean between the african mainland and Madagascar with a total area of 1,862 sq. km. (719 sq. miles). The present state became French protectorates at the end of the 19th century and were proclaimed colonies in 1912. With neighbouring Mayotte they were administratively attached to Madagascar from 1914 until 1947 when the 4 islands became a French Overseas Territory, achieving internal self-government in Dec. 1961. In referendums held on each island on 22 Dec. 1974, the 3 western islands voted overwhelmingly for independence, while Mayotte voted to remain French. Recent years have been marked by political disruption. In 1997 the islands of Anjouan and Moheli attempted to secede from the federation.
Under the Constitution approved by referendum on 1 Oct. 1978 (amended 1983), the Comoros were a Federal Islamic Republic. Mayotte had the right to join when it so chose. At a referendum on 7 June 1992, 74.25% of votes cast were in favour of a new constitution. The electorate was 213,000; turn-out was 63.51%. Under the 1992 constitution the President is Head of State, directly elected for a 5-year term (renewable once).
Part II: My Dream Last Night
I came from visiting my mom, ill and in the hospital. She kissed me goodbye in a waiting room. When I returned home, I was carrying suitcases.
Where I lived was not my current home; it was an old townhouse in some larger city, with extremely high ceilings and extremely narrow halls. I had four room-mates, both couples: The guys looked like a couple I met earlier this year; and the women were my current next-door neighbors, "The Ladies". They were all standing around in the poorly-lit kitchen when I came in and put my baggage down.
A young couple came over to me. They both had pencil-thin beards edging the jawline and white and purple tattoos on their faces. One of them put his arm over my shoulder and stuck out his pierced tongue.
My room was the end of the hall with a closed door. When I opened it, about five or six women were having sex on my bed, with an audience of more women standing around watching and looking bored. Oh dear, I thought. I caught the attention of the nearest woman.
From: The Statesman's Yearbook: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World 2002, Barry Turner, ed.
From the safety of our desktops and office cubicles, we shall travel around the world visiting interesting-sounding and obscure countries. 25 well-spent cents from the booksale. This evening's selection is:
Comoros
Union des Iles Comores
| capital | Moroni |
| Population estimate | 714,000 (2000) |
| Births | 26,100 (1996) |
| Deaths | 5,900 (1996) |
Key Facts
The Comoros consist of 3 islands in the Indian Ocean between the african mainland and Madagascar with a total area of 1,862 sq. km. (719 sq. miles). The present state became French protectorates at the end of the 19th century and were proclaimed colonies in 1912. With neighbouring Mayotte they were administratively attached to Madagascar from 1914 until 1947 when the 4 islands became a French Overseas Territory, achieving internal self-government in Dec. 1961. In referendums held on each island on 22 Dec. 1974, the 3 western islands voted overwhelmingly for independence, while Mayotte voted to remain French. Recent years have been marked by political disruption. In 1997 the islands of Anjouan and Moheli attempted to secede from the federation.
Under the Constitution approved by referendum on 1 Oct. 1978 (amended 1983), the Comoros were a Federal Islamic Republic. Mayotte had the right to join when it so chose. At a referendum on 7 June 1992, 74.25% of votes cast were in favour of a new constitution. The electorate was 213,000; turn-out was 63.51%. Under the 1992 constitution the President is Head of State, directly elected for a 5-year term (renewable once).
Part II: My Dream Last Night
I came from visiting my mom, ill and in the hospital. She kissed me goodbye in a waiting room. When I returned home, I was carrying suitcases.
Where I lived was not my current home; it was an old townhouse in some larger city, with extremely high ceilings and extremely narrow halls. I had four room-mates, both couples: The guys looked like a couple I met earlier this year; and the women were my current next-door neighbors, "The Ladies". They were all standing around in the poorly-lit kitchen when I came in and put my baggage down.
- "How is your mom, little man?" asked one of The Ladies, eating a grape off the stove.
"Hopefully she'll be doing better."
- "I hope you don't mind, we're having a party."
A young couple came over to me. They both had pencil-thin beards edging the jawline and white and purple tattoos on their faces. One of them put his arm over my shoulder and stuck out his pierced tongue.
- "We'd really like to do you," he grinned.
"I'll have to take a rain-check, I'm pretty tired." And they drew back, perplexed, as I excused myself.
My room was the end of the hall with a closed door. When I opened it, about five or six women were having sex on my bed, with an audience of more women standing around watching and looking bored. Oh dear, I thought. I caught the attention of the nearest woman.
- "Uuhhhmm. This is my room. Does this really have to go on in here?"
- "What do you expect? It's your choice to live here!"