I wrote this and the previous two posts when I didn't have internet access, so I'm posting them all at once.

Sunday I went to a Baptist church that I really liked. The people were very friendly and I’m certain that I will go back. During church the heavens broke and rain fell like crazy. The roof of the church is tin and the rain was so heavy and loud that I could barely make out what anyone was saying. The power went out and that meant the microphones went and then I really couldn’t hear. I got through everything without embarrassing myself though. The power and the water were out for most of the day – fortunately I had an extra battery for my laptop so I could do some work (and watch a movie).

Today is Monday, October 30, 2006. I met with my first graduate students on their thesis research – great projects (one on Ejaghem identity; the other on development in the South West province). The conversation took an interesting turn when they started asking me questions about my interest in Africa and Cameroon. I told them that I never learned African history as a young student and consequently I was very interested in Africa. My father once had an opportunity to visit Ethiopia (when I was in about the 7th or 8th grade) and I remember wishing that I could see what Ethiopia was like. What was most interesting was their worry that I might have believed the old textbooks that claimed that Africans had no civilizations, no culture and traditions, very little of value to the rest of the world. So I assured them that while I had read some of those unfounded claims, I see great value in Africa. Africans have the oldest and arguably some of the most advanced civilizations ever known to man. The task of today’s Africans is to reclaim that greatness and to live up to the potential that is here. The task looked at as a whole seems overwhelming, but with each person, country and organization doing its part to strengthen health care, education, and the economy, my hope is that one day we will see a rich and prosperous continent.

Things got really busy this past week. Last Sunday (Oct 21) I went to an apostolic church in a village. It was a very interesting experience. Monday I woke up to a public holiday which meant the school was closed. It was the feast of Eid celebrating the end of Ramadan. Cameroon is predominantly a Christian country but there are a significant number of Muslims so the government tries to make sure that there holidays are recognized. And of course, it’s a holiday so the only people who may be unhappy are businesspeople whose traffic slows down. Wednesday I got my parlor (living room) furniture. Yea!!! Now I have soft seats when needed (after a long day) and somewhere for visitors to sit. Thursday I was introduced to my first class of undergraduate students. The young ladies wanted to know if my hair was real. I have long locs that they thought were extensions. The young men (I found out today) said they could not understand my way of speaking and commented that I was “white.” These comments were made to one of my graduate students who thought it was very funny.

Friday I started my Kenyang classes. Kenyang is the language of the Bayangi ethnic/language group from the Manyu division of the South West Province of Cameroon. The classes continued on Saturday. I learned the alphabet which is phonetic so I can now read Kenyang, but I have no idea what I’m reading. My classmates thought it was amusing to have me read proverbs and such since I didn’t know what I was saying. Now I’ll begin the hard work of building vocabulary and grammar. Kenyang is a tonal language and can therefore be very tricky. Two very different meanings can come from the same spelling but using different tones. That’s a problem for non-native speakers like meJ. But language is also a very important key to the culture of a people. So while I probably will not be able to master the language in the short time I will be here, I may gain some insight into the Bayangi people.

I've been offline for a few days so this is a little out of date, but still important.

I have a student who is in Budapest, Hungary, where she is witnessing the growing pains of democracy. Here is an excerpt from her email to me:

You can NOT imagine what I have seen today. Everything started out fine, but to make a long story short we ran into a parade that then turned into a mob that stormed parliament. We thought we were far enough away and then we got caught between rioters and peaceful demonstrators...THOUSANDS! We were watching everything at Deak Ter and Ezerbet Ter which is right near parliament and then these people started taking tanks and driving them at the police. We had seen the tear gas before and yes it burned a little but then it all went to hell. Tear gas bombs rained down EVERYWHERE...rubber bullets...the whole deal. Literally a tear gas thing got set off 5 feet away and we couldn't do anything but try to push through the masses of people all ages. I could not believe what I was seeing. Though I really could not see. It was absolutely terrifying. The police just suddenly snapped and it didn't matter if you were old, young or anything...they just let loose. After that we went to an official celebration where I got to see the Prime Minister...as well as all the people that hated him. We thought that would be the end, but the main clashes between the protesters/demonstrators/rioters happens to be where we live. Right now as I write this there is still tear gas in our flat coming from the outside.

Many Africans have seen Americans and Europeans of European-descent. And many know Black Americans, especially academics and business persons who have traveled widely. But ‘regular’ people often say to me “So you’re a Black American?” or “It seems as if you’re a stranger here.” There are lots of Cameroonians who have moved to the states and come back with "strange" accents, so people sometimes think I’m a returned Cameroonian. And I don’t really look different than many Cameroonians so, just as in the States now, you can’t make assumptions based on physical appearance. It's safer for them to ask me who I am. My speech often gives me away though. I don’t sound like an Anglophone Cameroonian and my French definitely doesn’t sound French, and I can understand pidgin but I haven’t yet tried to speak it.
Even more interesting (I need to find a new word) for me is seeing Europeans here in Buea. The first few times I came here there were very few Europeans. But this time, I’ve seen quite a few. It’s funny that I even notice them because at home, I wouldn’t. But here, they stand out. I grew up as a military dependent and my family was often the only African American family in the neighborhood, so my earlier socialization was largely based on people who did not look like me. Europeans were the norm. But here in Buea, as in most of sub-Saharan Africa, Black Africans are the norm. When I see a white person, I catch myself looking for clues. Is she American? Is he German or French? And what is even more interesting to me is that I feel so American, but they have no way of knowing that unless they are paying particular attention to me. This is a new experience for me.
Yesterday a taxi driver said to me, “So you’ve come home.” I guess in a way I have.

I couldn’t get to the internet yesterday (Monday, 10-16) and I felt disconnected. What does that say about how spoiled I’ve become in the short time I’ve been here? I didn’t expect to have access, now I’ve had it, and I felt deprived without it. Serious food for contemplation…
Last week one night I was walking through the bush with a friend – the bush. Buea is a town but unless you’re in the city, you’re very close to nature. Birds singing, chameleons darting, crickets chirping, sounds that I have yet to identify. So my friend was trying to make it to a small market on the outskirts of town before the vendors started closing down so we took a shortcut. For her, it was just fine, but I can admit it – I was terrified. There’s virtually no dusk here. One moment the sun is setting, the next it is gone. So we were on a narrow path going through high grass and trees, crossing streams, and hearing all kinds of sounds, and she was pulling me by the hand because she was in a hurry. Every time we approached a clearing she would say, we’re there, and then we’d keep going. We finally reached the market and she was able to get her cocoyams. I just got limes and pawpaw (papaya). I’m sure I’ll have many more adventures while I’m here, but that one made me feel very American. At home, I’m very much a citified, country girl – at ease in any environment. Here, I’m so Western, it’s not funny. I’m trying hard not to be, but in the middle of a stream with wet feet and feeling like my balance has shifted dramatically (in more ways than one), I just couldn’t help it.

Yesterday (Mon, Oct 16, 2006) I attended a joint celebration of the UN’s 11th Annual Rural Women’s Day and 24th Annual World Food Day in Mutengene, an interesting crossroads town. The theme for Rural Women’s Day was “Women: Leaders of Tomorrow” and the other theme was “Invest in Agriculture to Insure Food Security.” There were many women’s organizations represented, each dressed in a colorful uniform with a song to perform. The Governor of the South West Province spoke, along with the government officials representing the Women’s’ Ministry and the Agriculture Department. The *woman* mayor of Tiko, a neighboring area spoke, and the welcome was given by the Chief of Mutengene, a traditional ruler.
One of the most fascinating things for me is the fabric that commemorates every special occasion. It’s similar to the way that US-ers use tee shirts to acknowledge special events, here an entire batch of fabric is created. I’ll put up some photos (ASAP) so you can see what I mean. As a longtime seamstress, I guess I’m just captured by the fabric.

Globalization and Grey’s Anatomy? (Television)
The following are imported television shows that were either on or advertised in one day here in Buea. What do you think?

Grey’s Anatomy
Miami Vice
Homicide: Life on the Streets (dubbed in French)
The Young and the Restless (in French)
Tyra Banks
Oprah
Larry King Live (CNN International)
Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN International)
Reality TV – Beef (Tupac and Biggie)
Survivor Africa
Good Morning Cameroon (on STV)
Filipino soap opera called (?) – I’ll look up the exact name
Latin American soap (what country?) called La Ravancha

Access to technology like the internet in Cameroon is very location specific. The Fulbrighters who have been at the University of Buea before me were not able to take advantage of the wonderful IT center (which I visit on a regular basis, but happens to be down after torrential rains last night). The ITC has maybe 25 computers available for student use and a special room set-aside for faculty with about 10 machines. Each computer is windows-compatible and in addition to having internet access, many regularly used programs like Word or WordPad are available. There is a small fee for students – 200 cfa per hour (about $.40-.50). Even though the fee seems small to US-ers (US Americans), it can be a great deal to a student here.

Even before I was introduced to the ITC, I found that there are many internet cafés on the main streets. Many of these shops offer a range of services from internet access to internet phones. Even the state run telecommunications system has an internet café at their Buea office (where I am today). Others offer office services like photocopying, scanning, and laminating.

I am constantly amazed at the ingenuity and creativity of Cameroonians. Used shipping containers are often used as businesses. Think about it – it’s a very good setup. You purchase goods from abroad and they are shipped to you in a metal container that’s about 12 x 12 ft (I’m guessing at these dimensions). The container is sound, can be locked and is large enough to move around in with careful organization. You lease a small space from the municipal board, set up your container, run electricity, water or whatever you need to operate and you’re in business. I bought my curtains in such a shop, but there are internet cafés, small household items, and snack shops set up in this way. Great idea!

Taxis are pretty crazy and interesting anywhere in the world, but I think they're especially fascinating here. Check with any of the students who came this past January. You pay the taxi per rider. The last time I was here, it was cfa150 per person but now it has gone up to a standard cfa200 (about $.40-.50). But --you can bargain. If you're going a short distance, you say, for example, "High Street 100." If the taxi driver will accept, he honks his horn and you get in. If not, he waves or simply drives off. Or you can counteroffer - 150? He may accept. Also, if you're with another person or a group, you can offer "3 to High St, 3-150?" Be-beep, hop in. Three people in back and two riders in front with the driver. At one time, folks would crowd in as many as would fit, but there has been a recent government initiative on road safety so drivers limit the number of passengers. There's even a song and video I've seen on television, "Mr. Chauffeur." It asks drivers to be careful, to pay attention to road signs, and to realize that they have lives in their hands. Pretty effective way to promote safety in a country where highway accidents are one of the leading causes of death.

and the horns... they have gotten very creative. Babies crying, sirens, musical interludes, laughing hyenas. Fascinating...

Yesterday, October 5th, was World Teachers' Day, the 13th annual event sponsored by the UN. It was a grand and glorious occasion in Cameroon. Every locality had a celebration that included speeches, bands, music and the traditional "march-past." I went with a new friend, Arrah, who is a journalist. She sat me in the front of the grandstand while she went off to "do her thing." What a coincidence to learn I was seated next to Taelor's (my eldest niece) teacher from when we were here in 1997. She now has her own primary school.

After the commemoration at the town center, we went to a reception at the Mountain Club, followed by an afternoon meal and dance at another event hall. The day was full of food, flowing drink, dancing and recognition of those hardest and least appreciated professionals - teachers. I will upload photos with a link asap. It's slow and time is money :)

Let me tell you, this rain is a bear. Yesterday I started out in the morning in a blouse and skirt. I even thought my feet were taken care of in closed toe Clark's - very comfortable and feet would be dry, or so I thought. After two short errands I was drenched and had to change wherein I gave in to my Western sensibilities and just threw on a pair of jeans and sneakers. I was frustrated with trying to follow the norms that I tell my students to adhere to -- I gave in and looked "so American" that it wasn't funny. Oh well, what can I say? I gave in...

On another note, I'm in the apartment but I still have little furniture and am still not able to cook at home. Folks who know me know that I am slow, but I'm not this slow... I'll have to learn a new sense of time if I'm to survive the year.