The BBC is inviting readers to share their experiences of Africa under the title "Why I love Africa". The competition has been running since January 2005 and the best entries are published every month. It's a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with African philosophy, culture and humor from Egypt down to South Africa. Here are a few of my favorites:

Kwesi from Ghana: "The heat from the crush of bodies and the stench from the choked gutters, gives off an odour that one can only smell here in Africa. All these things make for what I call pleasant confusion... and I feel happy spending time observing it. "

Dele from Nigeria: "I love Africa because we are all busybodies. Many sons are saved from jail thanks to a busybody. We know how to mind every other person's business but our own. "

Mathew from Ethiopia: "We are trying to make a paradise out of a continent menaced by drought, famine, Aids, malaria and TB. Bloody dictators and corrupt officials at every level are ruining our lives. Let's talk about those and see if we can do something about them, and then we can truly say that we love Africa. "

On a personal note, I love Africa for many reasons but most of all for giving me terribly cracked feet. No matter how far away I get from Africa, I just look down at my feet and remember a childhood where shoes were frowned upon because the earth underfoot just felt so much better.