On a lighter note, Cameroonians love to sing. Have I mentioned this before? Anywhere you go, Cameroonians are singing. Little children sing on the way to and from school. Men hum, women sing aloud. Boys sing hymns and girls mimic the latest U.S. American and European pop stars. In church, the entire congregation sings with enthusiasm and follows cues that I as an outsider have yet to decipher. They know when to pause, then continue, change the rhythm of their clapping, when to stand or sit. The church choirs I have heard, produce some of the most beautiful choral music I’ve ever heard – a musician’s dream. But believe me, not everyone here can carry a tune (not that I can either). But it doesn’t seem to matter. What matters is that they love to sing. I think that in my home culture, singing for pure joy is discouraged unless you can really “s-a-n-g” – that means sing with the voice of an angel. If your tune is a little off or wobbly, your folks will look at you sideways and say “please...” – that means “please, be quiet.” Here, however, people sing for pure joy. This past weekend, I was reminded that Christmas is approaching by a neighbor who sang “O, Holy Night” from beginning to end beautifully. What a mood lifter. And even now, a little girl in the house next door is singing a song I don’t know. I think I’ll miss all the impromptu singing when I go home. There’s something to be said for expressing the joy of life.