As my departure date approaches, I am beginning to get a bit sentimental. I am trying to use my time wisely so I can enjoy the last few weeks to the fullest. So, in the spirit of this harvest and thanksgiving season, I want to commemorate some of the things I like best about this place. Here goes...
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Watching the sunset on my backporch.
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Kids playing with homemade toys. This is a car made from a sardine can.
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Drumming in church and the counterpart harmonies of the "vernacular choir." (This means they sing in Kom, not English.)
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Shannon and FPaul. They share a passion for HIV/AIDS work, a great sense of humor, as well as deep resevoirs of emotion and intelligence. Although they let me down by deciding not marry one another, I forgive them. Better yet, they forgive me for pushing them both, individually, on the marriage issue.
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Juju dancers, cropping up on a weekly basis for various death celebrations, making the weekly tally of deaths bearable. As the Mother Superior said, "If we can do one thing well, we know how to celebrate death."
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Cute kids
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Goats, their "who me?" attitude, and the way they shriek when being forced to go where they do not want to go.
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Split sleeves. I can not get enough of the colorful fabrics and fabulous fashions.
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Everyday people can not only make great music, they also can make their musical instruments.
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"Koki" To prepare: boil black-eyed peas, then mash them up with a large spoonful of palm oil and jabanero peppers, wrap in a banana leaf and boil for 15-20 minutes. When cool, serve with boiled plantain or cocoyam. Delicious!
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Volcanic mountains. Cameroon has a string of volcanic mountains that stretches from Atlantic Ocean, through the NorthWest Province (where I live), and all the way to the border with Chad. Here is the volcanic island of Malabo off the coast of Limbe.
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Did I mention the fabulous cloudscapes from my back porch?
One of the things we'll miss most is your anecdotes and interesting blog posts. Thanks for them all! We hope your last few weeks go well and look forward to seeing you when you get back!
-KKA&K
Posted by: Kevin | October 18, 2006 at 05:04 AM