Cover Letter To Abidjan Cocody In The Ivory Coast
Abou Traore
Ann Tousley
Writing 101
September 17, 2014
The Cover Letter (Essay # 1)
Dear Ann,
Through out years, I noticed remarkable improvement in my English writing. A few years ago when I was still a student learning English as second language, I wasn’t able to clearly state my thoughts in an English paper. My papers were always reflecting a vague comprehension and lack of formality. Writing about my native place gave me the opportunity to describe my homeland. Description demands a lot of detailed ideas and formality. Since I needed to work on those two important aspects, I came up with this topic for the essay.
In this essay I wrote about why my native place is special to me and how it collapsed and suffered environmentally. I jotted …show more content…
down every piece of information I knew about my city before I began to write. Pre-writing made it enjoyable, easy, and fun. Then I came up with a rough draft in which I tried to turn my idea into actual writing to effectively communicate my thoughts and love for my native place.
I believe that I have enough support on this essay, but I will appreciate any suggestions to improve it.
Thank you,
Abou Traore
Abou Traore
Ann Tousley
Writing 101
September 17, 2014
My Native Place
I find it easy to write about my native place, Abidjan Cocody in the Ivory Coast.
I was born in Ivory Coast and grew up in France, but my native place is Cocody, located in the Department of Abidjan North (Ivory Coast). Abidjan Department includes Cocody, Koumassi, Port-Bouet, Bingerville, and Abobo. I have been there several times for extended visits, and I always keep up to date on events there. Cocody is an upmarket suburb of Abidjan, marked by its abundance of mansions. “Cocody is where most of the wealthy business people, ambassadors, and other affluent people live,” according to Wikipedia The Free …show more content…
Encyclopedia.
Cocody was once a city with wonderful and various cultures. People in Cocody have all the same nationality but are part of different ethnic groups. Ethnic groups are divided in two categories, a minority group and majority group. Dioula and Baoule are example of two different ethnic groups of Cocody. The town was once referred to as “The Rainbow Town,” a name that reflects the diversity of this amazing place. The complexity and mixture of Cocody’s population have made a strong impact on the various cultures.
There was no place like Cocody before conflict changed it. The city, surrounded by clean water, enjoyed a cool and sunny weather. All year long the beautiful, bright sun rose over the city. The beach was almost always crowded with sunbathers and a lively group that played beach volleyball. Otherwise people just strolled along the streets enjoying the day by the beach. The smell of food from nearby restaurants was enticing to the people who might want to enjoy the seafood. One of the largest restaurants included Cocody’s foremost craft market with a wide variety of colorful souvenirs. By day, Cocody was an undisputedly wonderful place to take a leisurely stroll or visit the many shops like SOCOCE hypermarket that was a convenient one-stop shopping market. Or people could relax in the quaint parks or enjoy the city sidewalk cafés to watch the world go by. At sundown, the offices emptied out, and all too soon the business area was silent. By night, the focus of the activity shifted to downtown, where people could find lively discos, nightclubs, and the highly popular “maquis” restaurant offering cheap eats. These encompassed everything from Lebanese specialties to authentic West African dishes.
The streets were once crowded and busy with activity. There was music and dancing everywhere. The Allocodrome in Cocody was the ultimate spot to take in Ivorian maquis culture in a bustling and exciting environment. I could almost guarantee a crowd every evening. Anywhere from middle class Ivorians, to students, and to occasional tourists came to soak up the unique atmosphere. This was one of the simplest places to meet Ivorians, enjoy good food and listen to the local music. I often could find impromptu dancing as well.
Abidjan Department, once known as the Paris of Africa and a model of stability, collapsed into conflict during the violent 2000s. It went from being the primary economic and political center of Ivory Coast to a department mired with problems. It’s ironic how the city is enclosed by water, but delivering clean water to its residents became difficult. The electricity was cut off for days, and people could not leave their homes for fear of being caught up in a street fight. The buildings were destroyed; shopping centers were closed for days or sometimes weeks. People suffered food shortages. The streets were left unrepaired, and the beaches were dirty and empty. The smell in the city was horrible. Pollution smothered the “rainbow” town, and there was not enough money for rebuilding the city. Corruption was everywhere, and people were divided and also angry because of the depreciation of educational value, urbanization, and political divisions.
Once disturbed by war and ethnic tensions, Cocody is rising again. It has become a fast-growing city with its supermarkets and exotics boutiques attracting both locals and investors. Hotel Ivoire, which is considered one of the biggest hotels in the chic Cocody city and mixing French luxury with African culture, is cashing in on the Ivorian renaissance impulses by attracting tourist from all over the world. The city’s success hinges on making sure that all aspects of the economic engine are repaired from the damage and disruption of war. The leaders are making major investments in water and other vital infrastructures. It is unknown, however, if these investments will be maintained in the future. In spite of all the hardship my people have suffered, my native place will always be an incomparable land to spend my time without me having to explain to anyone.
Who has not at one time or another in his life felt a certain bond with the place in which he was born? The answer is probably not many. At the same time, there are many different opinions about a place called home, but for me, my home is my native land in which my ancestors lived. This is very important because the roots of my nation had always symbolized stability and a feeling of safety. Without knowing my native place, I would feel like I do not belong to the society in which I reside in
now.
Cocody was such a beautiful city abundant with life and hope, and it can happen again. There will never be a better city than my native place, because the doors are made with steps of patience and hospitality. A sweet smile always welcomes others to
Cocody, my native place. It is my refuge.
Works Cited
Wikipedia. Cocody. 2 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
Ann Tousley
Writing 101
September 17, 2014
The Cover Letter (Essay # 1)
Dear Ann,
Through out years, I noticed remarkable improvement in my English writing. A few years ago when I was still a student learning English as second language, I wasn’t able to clearly state my thoughts in an English paper. My papers were always reflecting a vague comprehension and lack of formality. Writing about my native place gave me the opportunity to describe my homeland. Description demands a lot of detailed ideas and formality. Since I needed to work on those two important aspects, I came up with this topic for the essay.
In this essay I wrote about why my native place is special to me and how it collapsed and suffered environmentally. I jotted …show more content…
down every piece of information I knew about my city before I began to write. Pre-writing made it enjoyable, easy, and fun. Then I came up with a rough draft in which I tried to turn my idea into actual writing to effectively communicate my thoughts and love for my native place.
I believe that I have enough support on this essay, but I will appreciate any suggestions to improve it.
Thank you,
Abou Traore
Abou Traore
Ann Tousley
Writing 101
September 17, 2014
My Native Place
I find it easy to write about my native place, Abidjan Cocody in the Ivory Coast.
I was born in Ivory Coast and grew up in France, but my native place is Cocody, located in the Department of Abidjan North (Ivory Coast). Abidjan Department includes Cocody, Koumassi, Port-Bouet, Bingerville, and Abobo. I have been there several times for extended visits, and I always keep up to date on events there. Cocody is an upmarket suburb of Abidjan, marked by its abundance of mansions. “Cocody is where most of the wealthy business people, ambassadors, and other affluent people live,” according to Wikipedia The Free …show more content…
Encyclopedia.
Cocody was once a city with wonderful and various cultures. People in Cocody have all the same nationality but are part of different ethnic groups. Ethnic groups are divided in two categories, a minority group and majority group. Dioula and Baoule are example of two different ethnic groups of Cocody. The town was once referred to as “The Rainbow Town,” a name that reflects the diversity of this amazing place. The complexity and mixture of Cocody’s population have made a strong impact on the various cultures.
There was no place like Cocody before conflict changed it. The city, surrounded by clean water, enjoyed a cool and sunny weather. All year long the beautiful, bright sun rose over the city. The beach was almost always crowded with sunbathers and a lively group that played beach volleyball. Otherwise people just strolled along the streets enjoying the day by the beach. The smell of food from nearby restaurants was enticing to the people who might want to enjoy the seafood. One of the largest restaurants included Cocody’s foremost craft market with a wide variety of colorful souvenirs. By day, Cocody was an undisputedly wonderful place to take a leisurely stroll or visit the many shops like SOCOCE hypermarket that was a convenient one-stop shopping market. Or people could relax in the quaint parks or enjoy the city sidewalk cafés to watch the world go by. At sundown, the offices emptied out, and all too soon the business area was silent. By night, the focus of the activity shifted to downtown, where people could find lively discos, nightclubs, and the highly popular “maquis” restaurant offering cheap eats. These encompassed everything from Lebanese specialties to authentic West African dishes.
The streets were once crowded and busy with activity. There was music and dancing everywhere. The Allocodrome in Cocody was the ultimate spot to take in Ivorian maquis culture in a bustling and exciting environment. I could almost guarantee a crowd every evening. Anywhere from middle class Ivorians, to students, and to occasional tourists came to soak up the unique atmosphere. This was one of the simplest places to meet Ivorians, enjoy good food and listen to the local music. I often could find impromptu dancing as well.
Abidjan Department, once known as the Paris of Africa and a model of stability, collapsed into conflict during the violent 2000s. It went from being the primary economic and political center of Ivory Coast to a department mired with problems. It’s ironic how the city is enclosed by water, but delivering clean water to its residents became difficult. The electricity was cut off for days, and people could not leave their homes for fear of being caught up in a street fight. The buildings were destroyed; shopping centers were closed for days or sometimes weeks. People suffered food shortages. The streets were left unrepaired, and the beaches were dirty and empty. The smell in the city was horrible. Pollution smothered the “rainbow” town, and there was not enough money for rebuilding the city. Corruption was everywhere, and people were divided and also angry because of the depreciation of educational value, urbanization, and political divisions.
Once disturbed by war and ethnic tensions, Cocody is rising again. It has become a fast-growing city with its supermarkets and exotics boutiques attracting both locals and investors. Hotel Ivoire, which is considered one of the biggest hotels in the chic Cocody city and mixing French luxury with African culture, is cashing in on the Ivorian renaissance impulses by attracting tourist from all over the world. The city’s success hinges on making sure that all aspects of the economic engine are repaired from the damage and disruption of war. The leaders are making major investments in water and other vital infrastructures. It is unknown, however, if these investments will be maintained in the future. In spite of all the hardship my people have suffered, my native place will always be an incomparable land to spend my time without me having to explain to anyone.
Who has not at one time or another in his life felt a certain bond with the place in which he was born? The answer is probably not many. At the same time, there are many different opinions about a place called home, but for me, my home is my native land in which my ancestors lived. This is very important because the roots of my nation had always symbolized stability and a feeling of safety. Without knowing my native place, I would feel like I do not belong to the society in which I reside in
now.
Cocody was such a beautiful city abundant with life and hope, and it can happen again. There will never be a better city than my native place, because the doors are made with steps of patience and hospitality. A sweet smile always welcomes others to
Cocody, my native place. It is my refuge.
Works Cited
Wikipedia. Cocody. 2 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.