The Radio Interview

Monday, July 19, 2010

I envisioned a radio station in the middle of town like Channel 3 in Champaign, well it was on top of a high hill. Ali's bike made it which was a miracle. The path on the way up would have been rated as "very difficult" in any US parks due to steepness, rocks, ruts, roots, winding narrowness--. We got to a very small building with a huge antenna and loud speakers blasting BBC News. Bailor was there and we waited for Sahr James and the moderator.

The station care taker was very friendly and wanted to show me his garden of cassava and corn. I followed him and his little girl over a small hill to his lush hill garden. It had a great view of the whole koidu town including the soccer stadium I visited on Sunday. He built the small stone house in the middle of the garden himself; his garden provided food and a small income. The beauty and peace of this side of the hill was unreal, almost biblical

Back to the station and we were ready to start. The studio was tiny with the three of us, the moderator, and all his equipments. He needed to get outside at one point and he literally climbed over Bailor to do so. The interview started at 6:18 which was excellent. First the moderator asked for introductions. Bailor and Sahr James both said "me na" followed by their names, so I said "me na is Chifan Cheng". This caused Sahr James to topple over with muffled laughs. The moderator asked me if I was Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Next were the discussions on cavity prevention, oral hygiene and sweets, Bailor and Sahr James in krio and I, surprise surprise, in English. Sahr James answered each questions by first saying emphatically "Thank you Mr Moderator for the good question' which was very gracious, so Bailor and I started doing it too.

A flicker of light and the power was out for a few seconds. We got back on and the moderator said "sorry about that break" into the microphone. We talked about diet, and the free dental work we had been doing at the clinic. All of a sudden, TOTAL DARKNESS!! And everything stopped. Since the time I was locked in the bathroom of an American Airlines Regional jet I could not stand small spaces, let along a DARK small space. I could feel the rising urge to scream, to gasp for air---. Just then Bailor opened the door and I bursted out into the open air.

About 10 minutes later we returned to the studio, and the moderator said "sorry about that break" into the microphone. Bailor continued to talk about the clinic which offered free care to children before the government started doing so, he encouraged people to bring their "pikin" (children ) to the clinic for a dental exam on Tuesday and Wednesday this week 9am to 4pm. He went on with the new ultrasound service which was to start in August, which cost a fraction of what the hospital would charge. The moderator texted on his cell while Bailor talked. Then it was closing words. I said I really enjoyed meeting the people of koidu and I hope restorative dentistry could be offered in the near future to help save teeth, in addition to pulling teeth. Sahr James did a summary of hygiene and diet, and Bailor gave a reminder about visiting the clinic the next two days before the "specialist" leaves on Thursday. It was now 7pm and there was no time left for call-in questions which was what I had been looking forward to.

We all agreed the interview went reasonably well. On the way down I talked Ali into just letting me walk the steep part; he was macho enough to agree. I got home and Alisame was around to help cook my Ramen noodles and Raphi's fresh corn. The corn was considered to taste like cardboard by the interns; Michael was convinced they were feed corns. But I liked them and got to keep the last ear for tomorrow.

Going to bed I thought about the events of the day. Never a dull moment in this place!! I think Raphi should interview me as a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) patient.