School days . . .
Still working on the photo issue! We went to Bamenda for the weekend, in the Anglophone part of Cameroon, only about an hour from here. Elvis and Geraldine are from there and were happy to be home. Geraldine lives in the Gilbert’s in-laws’ compound. His in-laws are John and Regina Angwah, lovely people whom I met in the States and also visited three years ago. There are lots of kids running around and Linden played some with Ambit, who is her age. They are rough for her, though, and I realize that having no siblings she does not really know how to roughhouse or appreciate it!
We went to Bafut on Saturday, a famous chefferie that is not far from Bamenda. Got a good tour of the bamboo palace, compound, and museum, which is in a building built by the Germans. There is a spot for sacrifices and rocks for executions, which interested the girls, of course, and me too. These were stopped with the arrival of the Germans. The Fon (king) of Bafut and his people fought the Germans for 10 years and in the end the Fon was placed in prison for a year. Realizing they couldn’t govern without him, the Germans brought him back and he was won over to their cause through the gifts of a gramophone and lantern. The brief German occupation of Kamerun, as they called it, marked the end of ritual sacrifice and executions, as well as the end of much of the traditions of a people and the deaths of many during the long war; fortunately, Bafut like some other villages and towns has maintained and/or reinvigorated many of its traditions.
Linden is at school and I think getting used to it, although it is very hard for her to let me go in the morning. It bothers her a lot that the kids gather round and stare, so many of them, but she understands why. There is a sweet girl named Delphine who was put next to her by the teacher, Madame Michelle, and that helps a bit. She got three African style t-shirts at the Batoula market on Friday and is very happy wearing them.
Oh, and a kitty. We brought back a very young kitty from Bamenda and that helps quite a lot since Linden just adores cats. He is named Puss-Puss. Cameroonians don’t keep dogs and cats as “pets,” so they are surprised and sometimes frightened by the kitten. Sometimes cats become a meal. Yep. So we need to watch over Puss-Puss! More later . . .
Comments
Posted by: Bill
Posted on: September 16, 2008 04:15 PM
Linden's adaptation is going to be interesting to watch - I hope it isn't too hard.