Archives for the Month of November 2008 on Marie Lathers's Cameroon Journal
Dance party
I know many of you are wondering when I will start teaching; so am I! From what I heard this morning, it will be two more weeks. Almost time for winter vacation. I’m getting a lot of reading and writing done, so I shouldn’t complain, but I’m also very excited about teaching! Scott (Linden’s father) will arrive on December 16, so I will have to cut out of that week of classes.
We are planning to go north, to the Muslim and more desertlike parts of Cameroon, also on safari at Waza Reserve. Can’t wait!
Thanks to Lucienne for the nice message about seeing Uncle Guy in the photos! I’m downloading a photo of Isabel, Mercy’s sister, and her new baby, Mikebella--with Regina! We were in Bamenda a week ago, where I took the photo. Also a photo of Linden and me in our African outfits, made by the women in Bamenda. We love them! I asked for trousers instead of a skirt, which may not be very African, but I’m into pants this year, what can I say.
Ann and Guy came last Thursday and Guy just left. Ann will stay until Sunday. Ann is a Fulbright graduate student living in Yaounde. She’s happy to get away from the big city and see village life.
As far as village life goes, a woman passed away last week, I believe she was the cousin of Pere Martin’s wife Helene, but I may be mistaken. A young woman who was a nurse in Douala. She was married but did not have children yet. That is considered very sad here, since when people die without children they are “more quickly forgotten. . . there is no one to carry their memory.” The mourning at the compound, right near here, started and will last a week. I went down the first day to pay my respects. For women, it means crying and dancing (slowly) as the family women move in a circle and hold hands and cry with each person. The women wipe the tears from the family members’ faces. I stood there and held women’s hands but I didn’t realize that in fact I was supposed to cry. I probably could have, but I wasn’t sure what to do. The men sit on benches. In fact, Guy and Fundi said they would go at night because they have trouble crying but don’t want people to think that they are not crying. Then a sister of the woman made a speech about her, crying and wailing. It was very moving, really. They will bury the body soon and then hold the real “funeral” in two years, if I understand correctly.
In fact, I am going to a funeral this weekend and that should be interesting.
We had a “dance party” here last Friday night with Guy and Ann, Fundi, Geraldine, Elvis, Linden. Quite the dancing. We have heard a lot of two Cameroonian groups that I like a lot, P-Square and 2-Face. Kind of a reggae sound, but not as repetitive. More later . . .
Obama Celebrated in Cameroon
Obama in Batoula, etc.
You should receive a photo of Linden’s class holding up photos of Obama that I printed off my computer. Everyone looks excited but Linden! This photo was taken on November 5. Everyone was so excited about the election. I went around and gave out and taped up photos of Obama. The schoolteachers and principal were excited, Linden’s teacher said she was anxious all night and stayed up late to see what would happen. Everyone was happy in the house here. Some people told me the same thing that many Americans were thinking, that this could not really be possible in our lifetime—to have a black president—but it has nonetheless happened. It gives Cameroonians hope that someday the “impossible” might happen here and that they will be able to participate in a real, fair presidential election.
The well project for Batula is moving along. Guy and I did the application and the Columbus chapter of EWB has revised it and submitted it to the national organization. They plan on an assessment trip in February or March, with the well-building to take place in July or August. Wow! It is very exciting. We are talking about three wells: at the Market, the Dispensary, and the Chefferie, maybe solar powered and with several spigots each. I’ve been walking around taking photos of the various water sources and wells here, some that work, some that don’t, none of which have filters. I wonder why the rainwater is not collected in cisterns and used and I’ll have to ask about that. Now we are in dry season and it very rarely rains. Still rather nice temperatures, though, not too hot or cold.
Linden is still quite content but still complains about the school situation. This morning she discoursed on how it is never quiet in class, with the kids hitting each other, yelling, pushing, singing (they sing a lot, especially A la Claire Fontaine), and eating. She calls it chomping (in pidgin, it’s “chopping”). Apparently the teacher chomps on guavas all day and this bothers Linden. And there's all the sucking on sugar cane. Between the singing, chomping, yelling, hitting, and pushing around, she still manages to copy out in fine French cursive the day’s lesson on the board!
University classes still have not started, at least the graduate ones. I’m told now that I will be called next week to discuss the schedule. Well, it’s a nice sabbatical! I’m reading lots, for the class I’ll be teaching and other books I brought, most recently Gerard Prunier’s book on the Darfur crisis. Linden is, I kid you not, reading adult books. She just finished reading Passing, by Nella Larsen and is now reading a Gloria Naylor book! She is amazing! Her French is improving quite a bit. She won’t talk to me in French, of course, but I hear her when she thinks I am not around, talking to Seydou and Fundi (the house caretakers). We are both trying to learn a bit of the local Bafounda language, and can say good morning, etc. More later . . .
Obama!
Okay, I just wrote a whole entry on how happy people are here about Obama, but it disappeared so I'll have to reconstruct it later.
Here are photos of our trip we just got back from, to Douala, Limbe, and Mount Cameroon. On the way we stopped at the waterfall of Ekom Nkam, very impressive! Very muddy too!
At Limbe, we stayed at a nice place on the beach (black sand!). Here is a photo of Linden and Guy and Elvis. Geraldine would not go near the water. Linden was really in her element! We also went horseback riding on crazy horses, without helmets or saddles! Not to be repeated . . .
We climbed to the first stage of Mount Cameroon. It was so steep I don't know how anyone does the whole thing. I got the biggest and most purple bruise ever on my behind from falling. Good news is that Linden's strange rash has disappeared. Maybe the miraculous waters of Limbe!
Still no call to come teach in Limbe . . . Guy says classes in Yaounde have only started for freshmen. Nice break I'm having!
Limbe
Mount Cameroon
