Thursday, January 22, 2004


Christmas in Cameroon

So, I haven't related my Christmas story as of yet, so here it is... First, its probably necessary to discuss what the build-up to Christmas is like here, such as it is. Several weeks before Christmas, some of the general stores and some houses stock up with super-gaudy, straight from China (isn't that where everything comes from these days?) Christmas decorations. But really, that's about where it ends. I don't know if people actually bought the Christmas decorations, but most of the houses I went in shortly before had none. Similar with gifts. Ideally here, you give a smallish present to your young children. Older children and basically anyone else gets nothing, except of course, the President of the country. I don't want to get into a political discussion here, but every government appointee, which is everyone in any sort of power at all levels down to the equivalent of the town sheriff and agriculture extension agent, is expected to send a gift of some kind to the President (this is sort of a "thank you for paying me because there's tons of other people who would and could do this job"). I can only imagine the flood of gifts that arrives at his house. Gifts to children are generally small plastic or in some cases electronic toys, almost always the cheap Chinatown variety. The kids play with them extensively for a few weeks until they break and go back to playing with their pot-tops (the kids roll pot-tops down the street using a stick under the round handle to keep it upright) or sardine can cars- they seem to be almost as fun and last a heck of a lot longer.

Christina and several others had stopped by on the way back from their big training in Kribi and ended up hanging out for a few days. So, I decided to go to Nkongsamba to be with my "family" here in Cameroon for Christmas. Kristina's village is next to Nkongsamba, so we traveled up together (and was one of the reasons she hung around for a few days). When I got to Andy's house in Nkongsamba, it turned out that about 15 people would be there over the three days around Christmas. A good bunch of folks showed up and we had a great time shopping (for food and secret santa gifts), cooking, decorating and even cleaning. Nkongsamba is a great little town that was designed by the Germans early in the 20th Century and many of the buildings they built are used as stores and houses- without having been, or really needed, repair. There are two volunteers there, Andy, who works at the Afriland FirstBank and audits and otherwise assists many of the small regional cooperatives around Nkongsamba, and Nadia, a teacher at the high school. Both happen to have lived in New York City just before joining Peace Corps, so there's always lots of reminiscing that goes on when we get together. Over Christmas the subject turned to the weather. In Nkongsamba, in the hills and next to several smaller mountains, it stays a pleasant 75 to 80 degrees and a bit cooler at night. Perfect weather, if you ask me. All three of us were getting reports from friends and family of the bitter cold winter and snow in the Northeast and, while we missed the changing seasons, decided that we would enjoy our Christmas in sandals.

One of the first items of business, was to put up the decorations. Andy had found some kids selling cedar branches on the street, and had them bring over several large branches. We leaned them against the wall, tied them together, and strung lights on our two-dimensional, yet evocative, "tree". I was placed in charge of light-stringing since the branches reached the ceiling, and more lights were required in swooping fashion across the walls and on top of the doorways. The effect, at night with the other lights off, was truly magical. We had created our own hearth and home for a few days.

Christmas eve, we all assembled, had a fantastic dinner of beef stew, and exchanged secret santa gifts. I was assigned Khalil and his new Cameroonian girlfriend (who ended up not coming), and found a bottle of fruity liquer called "Safari", which turned out to be quite tasty. I received my gift from Jessica, a very quiet ex-accountant. She gave me a really cool handmade "chief-shirt" from Baffoussam made from hand-dyed fabric. She found it in the market and thought I would like it, which I do. Its sure to go up on the wall when I get back to the US... My friend, Joe, did the best, however. His secret santa, Jenn, who has a not so-secret crush on Joe, found tissue (fabric to make clothes and other items from) with the Pope on it, and another with the President of Cameroon. It was beautiful, and Joe promised to make boxer shorts out of the President tissue -which is not easy in some parts of the country since tailors are generally afraid to do anything that might be deemed disrespectful.

The day of Christmas was generally filled with cleaning from the previous night, and cooking the big Christmas dinner. Andy had invited some of his Cameroonian friends/neighbors, so there were more than 20 for the big meal. It turned out great- under executive chef, Loren, a former cook. We did lots of what probably should happen more at Christmas, talked, played cards and enjoyed each others' company.

A group of us got up early the next morning, since we had decided we would hike the mountain near Andy's house, Mt. Manengouba. After stopping at a nearby store for provisions of water and bread (Kelly's visiting girlfriend had brought him (and he shared, so, "us") a Pepperidge Farms summer sausage when she arrived, but was not interested in going hiking), we took a taxi to the base of the mountain. The first part of the mountain was all planted corn, the second stage was coffee plants (naturally, mountainy-coolness makes for good coffee-growing climate). After the coffee, were the woods and then tree-less weeds. Around the coffee area, we ran across one field that had a sign (there's a picture somewhere) to let us know that the field had been cursed, and anyone stealing from the field would be similarly cursed. Just after the woods, was a small pack of horses (I have no idea if they were wild or not- since people lived just above the wooded area), and above the horses were cows with large horns (pictures abound, check the links). About four and a half hours after starting, we finally reached the top. I have to admit that I was the last one up. The combination of my sad level of fitness, the altitude (a bit over a mile high) and the steepness of our "trail" caused me to go a bit slower at the end. I give all credit for my successful summit to my fellow hikers for their unwavering mental and physical (I didn't carry a pack virtually the whole way) support. To celebrate, we took pictures, and broke out the summer sausage and rolls we had bought. It was good to feel some processed fat and salt surge back into my body. After a little more than seven hours after starting, we found ourselves at the bottom again. Tired, dirty, but happy.


New Years (tropical beach-style)

Isabelle calls me from Melong a few days after Christmas and says "how about spending New Years with me and Peter and Kristen?".
I responded, "that sounds like fun, I don't have any other plans."
"Oh", she continued, "and we're going to Kribi, staying in the AES-Sonel beach house, and we'll pick you up!"
With that, I said happily, "Just tell me when." The only problem, I quickly realized after getting off the phone with Isabelle, was that I was short on money.

See, the Peace Corps is supposed to pay you three months at a time, about two weeks before the period starts, by direct-deposit. However, Peace Corps was in the process of switching to Oracle financials worldwide. I have a sneaky suspicion that Accenture was involved...but I don't know. Anyway, as a result, they changed payment schedules, lost my direct-deposit information, and didn't bother to tell me or anyone else about it. So, I asked someone who was coming my way, bring me a check from Yaoundé the week before Christmas (I was supposed to get paid at the end of November). I deposited the check, but with the holidays and slowness of everything, it took two weeks for the check to clear, which meant I didn't have it in time for the trip to Kribi. So, long story, longer, I borrowed lots of money from Peter (Kristen's boyfriend- Kristen works for Sonel, Peter is a Brit installing the mobile phone network in Cameroon) for the trip. In the end, it all worked out.

All of this didn't mean that I wasn't going to enjoy myself, however. For four days, we ate fresh shrimp and fish, went swimming in the warm ocean, played board and card games, and generally enjoyed each other's company. Peter and Kristen's friends, four other ex-pat couples, came down from and stayed with us as well. It was a wonderful, relaxing break, and a true vacation.


The Grand Welcoming (Edéa-style)- January 13, 2004

After having been here in Edéa for about four months, the women's committee of the cooperative decided it was high time to welcome me as one of their own. My mama- Ngo Yem Marceline- (I have gotten in the habit of picking up mothers whenever my own isn't around) here in Edéa is the president of the women's committee, and she hosted the reception at her house. She lives in Mpongo, a tightly inhabited neighborhood not far from the center of town. Her, her daughters and the other women of the committee prepared a tremendous feast for me, Will, George, the bank president and a few of their husbands who are also members. The food included: mbongo chobe (catfish in flavorful black sauce), koki (white beans with palm oil), sweet potato fries, pistache (a "cake" with meat inside), and ndole (similar to collard greens). It had been quite a while since I had eaten and drunk as well as I did that night. After eating, speeches (of course, I made one thanking the women), and drinking, there was dancing. It was a wonderful evening, and one I will remember for a long time.


Tuesday, January 27, 2004

I taught my kids how to play "Simon says" yesterday, and they loved it! They got so happy when they won and so upset when they got caught doing something without Simon saying. In my older class, the students even took turns being Simon when they won.

Sunday night, I was outside with my new machete (that's right, I'm dangerous now) cutting some flowers and cutting back the bushes. On my way back into the house, I saw movement near the driveway. Across the driveway and to the front of the house, the largest lizard I've ever seen outside of a glass cage passed not five feet from me. I don't know what its real name is, but it was about six feet long, the body was a good 18 inches in diameter and had feet with long fingers and nails. I thought about going after it immediately, but I decided I better get my machete first, which I had put down. By the time I got it and chased around the front of the house, the lizard had disappeared. I still can't figure out where he went, except maybe under the house...

When I got into work and told George about the lizard, his eyes lit up and asked if I had killed it. I told him I went after it, but it was too fast for me. He then went on to tell me how delicious it was and how you prepare it. There's a cultural difference for you- I'm thinking how interesting, dangerous, whatever this animal is and George thinks of it as food...


Friday, January 30, 2004

In case you weren't aware, the African National Cup soccer championship is going on now in Tunisia. Cameroon's national team, the Indomitable Lions, won a convincing victory last night over Zimbabwe. Not that I could see the TV very well though... After class was over (I taught them the "Hokey Pokey", a good review of parts of the body and learning left and right, and they caught on pretty quick!), I met up with Will, my new postmate, at a bar near his house (he lives in "Centre Ville", behind a string of bars) to watch the rest of the game that had started while I was teaching. The streets were oddly vacant, and the bars, every single one of them that has a TV, was overflowing. So much so that it took me a half-hour to get a beer because the waitress couldn't get to me! Afterwards, we grabbed some Cameroonian fast-food (read: grilled mackerel on the side of the road) and went back to Will's to eat. That was not before being harassed by several Cameroonian women looking for "rich" men to buy them drinks. We suggested that they ask their husbands (which both of them had, but were conveniently out-of-town), took our fish and left.

Yesterday, I received a package of letters from the Providence Day School, a private school in Charlotte, NC (go Panthers!). I had begun conversing via email with their geography teacher, Brian Field, as a result of the Peace Corps World-wise schools program. Twenty-nine hand and typewritten letters addressed to me were inside. I read them all this morning, and its wonderful to hear that this group of young people are so interested in a world so outside their own. Apparently, they have been following my experiences too. I plan on using their letters to generate discussion and learning opportunities both with my kids at the school, and the English club at one of the high schools that I have just begun to work with. I'm hoping to get answers to many of their questions about life here in Cameroon. I'll make sure to put the highlights here as well.