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Chapter 6 - Transcript balde: i stopped driving taxi because its not my major and its risky – two times i’m getting the gun on my head - i don’t want that. the meter used to be here i don’t want to die - for a penny? (fr) i dont miss it – i didnt go to school so that i would drive a taxi. if i could go back to my country today, i would leave immediately (fr) i have to return before i die - because if i die before going back home, it will be a great loss. i have to go back and help them, that's the only way. it's not about sending money there. i tell other africans here, if you come here looking to make money, you will never make enough money to send back home to help all of your family. it's like when you to the river in search of water, you take a glass of water and you return home. now that you are here and have gained some education, when you go home, you have to take with you a tap. whenever you are thirsty, turn the tap and drink voice over (fr): it's been about 35 years since i left my beloved country, guinea. in paris, france i practiced medicine. now that i am in the united states, i am studying english so that i can enroll in temple university to specialize in public health. it’s too much – staying outside – you become foreigner in your country. when i went there in 1998, too many young people – i didn't know them - the way they do business, when you come you don't know – they are saying you are western – that’s it – that’s terrible question - do you think you’ll ever feel like america will be your home? never - for me it will never be my home – it’s very hard - you cannot fit in – its not for you – that’s my feeling. whatever i do, i feel i don’t belong to this country. my dream is to go back – i have a country voice-over sometimes i cannot sleep - i’m just thinking where am i going – what to do. i’m not here – i can sit here and i’m back in my country – the village running wherever i used to go sit with my cow – i’m there. when i was kid i used to go before cow herd – being alone i play and my cow listen to me – it was magical. when they hear they know i’m close – the most important thing in life for fulani people is cow - we treat them like human we are like those massai you know i was running paris versalles marathon in 1978- this is my first ny marathon – 1992 and the time is here 4.02.57 by the way i run the marathon because the way, running - i’m saying to myself you are looking how to go back. this is in my head saying – the only way is to keep running – you will stop when you get there.
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