goodbye hell of the roads

what a ride and what roads!

this was my 4th time taking this trip (to mamfe or back) and as James exclaimed, probably my last because not until the roads get paved will I go back (well, if I am in Cameroon before this happens, I will, but timing right I will only be back when the road to Mamfe is paved)

before my time is up there are other general observations that are always on my mind or in front of me

the days go by really fast, so I feel sometimes I miss out on telling you events, about people, about details.

I am dirty.

there are bugs, lizards, flat spiders, tarantulas and big white-chested scavenger crows, OH MY!, everywhere

Takor told me that they call albinos (which there are seemingly a lot here) germans in mamfe (which i am guessing because of the historical german presence there) and the myth is that they never die

i killed the chicken, sliced its neck, for dinner one day – this is for Sam and Afton, I love the way they live in Mamfe, buying the food they need that day and buying it straight from the Earth, I eat everything and even seeing how and where it is prepared is not the best for my stomach, it is still fine though, actually nothing really upsets my stomach, except historically travel and smells, so seeing something doesn’t

my soccer abilities are okay, but I need to work on my skills, it is harder playing on dirt and high grass, I am spoiled by “turf” and Bermuda blades in Arkansas

and an update on the language and foods here

Language
“Chil” – really saying child but it comes out with the “d” off (sounding more like Chia, as in the tea), and they use it as often as they say “Jesus Christ” (also with a very different pronunciation and emphasis) to express surprise or wonder

“Command” – ask, give directions for (e.g. Takor, when ordering koki, states, “I will give a command for the best koki”)

“What of?” – what’s going on with…? (e.g. what’s going on with Chance? meaning what’s up with Chance?

“Not so?” – am I right or am I right? (e.g. Chance says, “the stars are beautiful tonight, not so?”) but also meaning “is that right?” (e.g. “you are Hunter, not so?”)

“Heh” or “Heh?” – say this with a neck/head twist (like that of our dog Clay) and when it is with a question mark it means more of surprise (e.g. “We people like fufu and eru” to which many people will say, “Heh?”) but it also means “Uh-huh” as in understanding (i.e. when always talking to Dr. Peters he does this when I am telling a story to the point where I repeat myself and he tells me, “I’m getting you,” but the “Heh” before that was supposed to be my indication of that)

“Junior” and “Senior”- younger and older, instead of saying older brother and younger brother, locals say my junior brother or my senior brother

“own” – not just used for “my own” but “your own” in place of “yours” and “our own” in place of “ours” and so on taking the place of any possessive necessary


Things eaten/drank
Castel – Come and see teachers enjoy life (Elvis, Takor’s brother told me this is what it means)
Mutzig – dancing (this is again what Elvis said)
Amstel – love me if I am single (what Elvis said this means in French)
Pelforth – Elvis just laughed at this (as did the people in the bar when I ordered it) because it is the “worst” beer in Cameroon (and it actually was, but not entirely terrible but a dark beer and kind of like a smoke stout)
Guinness Smooth – just a lighter version of Guinness
Isenbeck – James had this in Yaoundé
Satzenbrou – another beer from James that I sipped
Soya – basically beef jerkey that you eat with powder pepe but sometimes the meat is to chewy but the taste is so good so I chew it and spit it out
Kola seed – so so bitter (closest to a bitter beer face I have ever come, had to drink it with palm wine to swallow it down)
Sugar cane – just bite a piece off and chew all of the liquid out and spit it out, taste like sugar or sugar water



as i sat in the back seat sleeping i couldn't help but think that with every bump I was closer to fish pies, then with every fish pie I am closer to Europe, and with every European postcard I am closer to home, but not yet

Goodbye to mamfe, not yet goodbye to the bugs