Thanks again to Clark Baker for this one.

A German square dance group received a request from some people in Nigeria, asking for help in getting a visa so they could attend a Challenge square dance weekend. Here’s a copy of some email coming from the Nigerians.

And here’s an Alta Vista Babelfish translation of the German on the page (showing the difficulties with machine language translation):

Concerns: Attempted fraud/with intent ton deceive? Surely everyone of you has already at least mail notorious “Nigeria Connection” gotten siehe http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/ With always new stories is tried to use and to draw to them with the prospect on much money only once the own from the bag the greed of other humans. Now one wants apparent by the promise to visit an international meeting arrive at a German visa. After our knowledge there are in Nigeria no Square Dance, already no in the C-programs – or someone somewhat of it heard? Please a copy sends it to webmaster@eaasdc.de if similar post office gets.

And here’s my favorite part: a history of square dancing in Nigeria. This link displays an image file (probably a scan of the original). Here’s the text:

Square Dance was first introduced in Nigeria the then Bendel State of Nigeria by the Britons and the Portuguese who settled after the Independence in Nigeria. Although it was introduced along with Round Dance but very few persons took it seriously as it was a Dance cut out for the elite and basically the African man is concerned about our own local tradition way of dancing.

In 1990, November 17th, the 1st body to co-ordinate Square Dance and Round Dance was established and was headed by Mr. Wayne Daniels. The organisation under Mr. Wayne introduced Square Association to so many schools in Nigeria after which private clubs and Associations were established.

Most recently in 2000 a body to organize and co-ordinate Square Dance and Round Dance in Nigeria at the Obafemi Awolowo University IIe- Ife, Osun State was established. It saw dance clubs joining the Association known now as the Nigeria Association of Square and Round Dance.

The body was established to organize and co-ordinate the activities of Square and Round Dance in Nigeria. To choose cloths and colours to suit the Dance and sponsor and community.

Square Dancing in Nigeria is also a participant activity that is beneficial and fun. We enjoy fun and friendship set to music. Square dancing to us is movement to music. We do it in couples, with teams of four couples. We also relate it to little exercise of the body, mind and spirit as we believe it is for the active heart and mind.

Most Square dance clubs in Nigeria are established by ready-made groups of friends. It also has greatly giving us in Nigeria the opportunity to meet with new friends and establish each other as there is no better way for active, contemporary people to meet each other and build a circle of friends.

With Nigeria as a multi ethnic and multi religious country with diverse culture, Square dancing has changed the orientation of most of us as we see all kinds of folks sharing a love of action and teamwork.. You see Square dancers who are Governors, presidents, secretaries, lawyers, machinists, farmers, corporals, ministers, colonels, doctors, nurses etc, whatever you think of. While dancing or when together, they forget tribes, tradition, customs and discuss square dancing.

Pretty impressive, especially the fact that they want to send C3A dancers to Germany. And it’s also interesting the way they weave various phrases taken from square dancing websites to create a history. (But then, I recently received email from Uday (or was it Qusay) Hussein’s Nigerian wife; I didn’t read the text, so I don’t know what kind of deal she was offering me.