Monthly Archives: July 2012

A Western visitor

It’s almost always interesting meeting people coming to Abidjan for the first time to see with their eyes what they think of the place and what we long-time residents miss. Well, I won’t say these observations haven’t been spotted, but … Continue reading

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Five reasons why Ivorian business start-ups fail

In a few days Abidjan will host its very first Start-up weekend to help budding entrepreneurs test their business ideas and find relevant resources. It inspired me to write this post on why I see business ideas and start-ups failing … Continue reading

Posted in Economics | 5 Comments

Ivory Coast economic round up 3/2012

I’ve been a bit late with this one, but here’s the weekly round-up of economic news. – a couple of rankings, neither particularly complementary. According to the Fund For Peace’s Failed State index, Ivory Coast comes in at 11th from … Continue reading

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In praise of…the Institut Goethe, Abidjan

One of the treasures of the small but friendly Ivorian cultural scene at the moment is the Institut Goethe. If you follow Abidjan cultural life, you’ll quickly find the German cultural centre in the back streets of old Cocody. Yes, … Continue reading

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Francophone culture

New cultures mean more than funny clothes, and I still find it fascinating to watch elements of francophone culture at work. Of course, as you live somewhere more permanently you lose the sense of surprise at seeing many things. But … Continue reading

Posted in Culture | 7 Comments

Airport people-watching

While $20 weekend return flights across Europe have rather taken the frills out of most air travel, there’s still a strong sense of glamour when you head to the airport in Abidjan. Inside the clean modern building, the crowds assemble … Continue reading

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Long-term perspective

I had an enjoyable meal last night with an American visitor who lived here for most of the 1980s and 1990s, having first visited Abidjan in 1974, and having last visited in 1998. That’s the kind of perspective you don’t … Continue reading

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Surviving as a freelance journalist

With plenty of doom and gloom in the Western world, and even sometimes in large media houses, how can you survive as a freelance journalist without a secure income? Well, firstly, as Martin at HotelIvory has pointed out a few times, … Continue reading

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