#bambao

Said Ali bin Said Omar, last Sultan of Bambao, and last Sultan Tibe, (paramount King) on the island of Grande Comore/Ngazidja.

In 1886, Ngazidja was comprised of 9 independent Sultanates, Bambao being just 1. Said Ali bin Said Omar usurped the other Sultanates, and signed a treaty with France, whereby France recognizes Bambao’s sovereignty over the whole of the island and Bambao becomes a protectorate of France.

In 1892, the Sultan was exiled to Reunion, and in 1908 the individual islands of the archipelago were lumped together into a single protectorate. In 1912, the islands were officially annexed by France and made a province of Madagascar.

That lady shaking hands with the president is BGen Ramona Go, who (if I heard right) made history today as the first woman general who is not from the technical service. That is, she's a line officer, not a doctor/nurse/lawyer. If you Google her, as I've done, you'll find that her colorful career is dotted with "first woman _____" phrases.

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside Malacañang with our own cameras. But we managed. Hell, considering where our dad works, I think we'd be poor children of his if we knew nothing about subterfuge.=P

And there's the man of the hour himself, looking like Georg Von Trapp. Another covert shot.

"Asan si Miko?" My mum asked.

"Bathroom, cleaning his shoes. It was muddy on the way back from the landing site," I explained. I waggled my white sneakers in the air at her.

"O, eh ba't malinis yung shoes mo?"