Gone North

Since I last checked in, we returned from the beach and had a couple of days in Yaounde where I ran around conducting interviews for my research on diamond mines by the Congo. I've met some pretty cool people and seen some really crazy gemstones. After that, we took a full two day bus trip to the north of the country through the bush and mud. Multiple times we had to get out of the car and push out of muddy potholes in the middle of the forest. Pretty unique. Total driving time: 27 hours. Since then I have moved in with my new family here in the north of Cameroon: traditionally Muslim country. My new homestay father is a professor at the local university. Yesterday we saw a traditional Muslim doctor who also read fortunes. Not exactly his expertise.

Check in if we go to the extreme north.

Peace,
Steven

Nightclubbing, The Beach and Ankle Location Change

Since I last checked in, I have had a great deal of work: African midterms. during the weekend I went nightclubbing and to a casino where my good luck continued and I won 25,000 francs ($50). Then we went to a nightclub and hung out with the African equivalent of the Backstreet Boys. On Sunday we traveled to Kribi, a beautiful sandy beach resort town and got awell-deserved rest. Very relaxing until I dislocated my ankle yesterday (our last night), in the water.

Happy to be alive, (Yankees Suck)
Steven

Check In

Yo Team,

Here are some pictures from my first couple of weeks in Cameroon, unfortunately the internet is not fast enough here to really upload photos, thus you'll have to wait. Riveting. Since I arrived back in Yaounde I have been quite busy. These two weeks I have been visitng Development organizations around the city including: World Bank, US Embassy, WWF, Ministries of Government etc. The week has been super intellectual. On Saturday, I took a break and went to Cameroon's game against Togo for a spot in the World Cup. This time, I sat in the "crazy fan" section. IT lived up to its reputation, in order to buy security of people around me I purchased alcohol and beignets and distributed them. Every time a goal was scored, my comrades formed a wall around me. Cameroon won 3-0. That evening I had an encore at a Petit Pays concert, the most famous Cameroonian singer. The concert was unlike anything I had ever seen, a hybrid between a super-sexual hip hop concert and a evangelical church where people were being saved. Samuel Eto'o showed up to the concert and danced on stage as well. Celebrities travel in packs here.



Since then, the Sox have let me down. My 2 to 5 AM clandestine radio sessions were not enough to power them to any semblance of dignity.

Going to the beach for a couple of days. Then the extreme north (Cholera, see the news).

Alo Alo Alo Alo Aloha

Picture

Soccer Game

And My Little Brother Doing Karate in my room.

Yaounde

Yaounde

Yaounde

Last Supper in Dschang and Fru Ndis

So my final nights in Dschang passed in spectacular fashion. My mother, who was heartbroken to see me go had to leave early to go back to the village for a reunion. Thus it was just the man of the house remaining. This got weird. First, I've yet to mention that my dad is like an average fifteen year old boy in the U.S.: He likes video games, musical instruments and porn! Hes the sweetest man on the planet and you wouldnt see it coming. Anyways we passed the nights listening to country music until he passed out at the dinner table until the last night. I came home and there was no electricity in the entire neighborhood so we lit some candles and sat down for what I thought was dinner. Turns out Papa Woulalou had a 30 minute ritual for me: Included in this were the beating of drums and shouting "You are my son," the climax was when he smacked me in the face a couple of times with a broom. All by the light of a single candle. Africa.

Friday and Saturday were spent in Bamenda where we talked to secessionists and John Fru Ndi, the Cameroonian Al Gore (Leader of the Opposition Party, he won the presidential election in 1990, but Paul Biya, my favorite dictator, kept power). Later that night, Ben Fru Ndi, his son, took out the whole group to a Cabaret and a Night Club and ended up paying for everything or it was all free, you never know with celebrities.

Back in Yaounde after an enormous Bus Ride.

Gotta Catch Em All.

(Photos this week, I promise)