Found
this stream of emails I had sent out to friends and family when working for the
IUCN in Cameroon. Thought I’d add them to this blog. I managed to put them in
reverse order due to the manner in which I pasted them into the blog. Thought
it would be a good way to archive an interesting snapshot from the past :)
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 05:08:02 -0400
Subject: "You can never be homesick...
in Cameroon", said an Algerian lady I met in Yaoundé. And true enough, the Cameroonians welcomed me into their country and lives with warmth and affection. They are certainly among the most affable people I’ve ever met and have charmed me with their zest for life and ability to laugh even through difficulties.
But now I’m really waiting to get back. Apart from the fact that I miss home, the Cameroonians really confuse me, despite their bonhomie. Although I am accepted as one of them, I often get gypped by friends and folks I consider close enough to be family. At first, it made me really sad, then angry.
Moreover, since they are the only friends I have, and as I depend so much on them, I really don’t want to generate bad vibes and am too chicken to confront. And my complacency made me even more mad! :)
At first I thought their affection was superficial, but I’ve realised it isn’t. The very people who cheat me will go out of their way to do something incredibly nice. They’re really sad that I’m leaving in a week, and discuss umpteen ideas to keep me back -- from stealing my tickets, to getting me married to a Cameroonian fulbé, or to a village chief in the west(!!!) to even a job offer :)I guess it’s just that Cameroonians don’t have any qualms about cheating from their family. And in the Cameroonian spirit of accepting things, I’ve kind of accepted that too. For despite their dishonesty, I know I’m going to miss them.
I dress like them, I speak like them (my French is now Cameroonian and I even use occasional 'fulbé' and 'bamileké' (two tribes) expressions) :)
Guess this would be the last note from cameroon -- thanks for sharing my experiences -- at times it was such a overload of senses, i had to share these experiences :) and i loved hearing your reactions :)
So, as they say here, "on est ensemble" (a cameroonian expression showing solidarity, literally translates as "we're together") :)
on est ensemble!
love,
ruta
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 05:08:02 -0400
Subject: "You can never be homesick...
in Cameroon", said an Algerian lady I met in Yaoundé. And true enough, the Cameroonians welcomed me into their country and lives with warmth and affection. They are certainly among the most affable people I’ve ever met and have charmed me with their zest for life and ability to laugh even through difficulties.
But now I’m really waiting to get back. Apart from the fact that I miss home, the Cameroonians really confuse me, despite their bonhomie. Although I am accepted as one of them, I often get gypped by friends and folks I consider close enough to be family. At first, it made me really sad, then angry.
Moreover, since they are the only friends I have, and as I depend so much on them, I really don’t want to generate bad vibes and am too chicken to confront. And my complacency made me even more mad! :)
At first I thought their affection was superficial, but I’ve realised it isn’t. The very people who cheat me will go out of their way to do something incredibly nice. They’re really sad that I’m leaving in a week, and discuss umpteen ideas to keep me back -- from stealing my tickets, to getting me married to a Cameroonian fulbé, or to a village chief in the west(!!!) to even a job offer :)I guess it’s just that Cameroonians don’t have any qualms about cheating from their family. And in the Cameroonian spirit of accepting things, I’ve kind of accepted that too. For despite their dishonesty, I know I’m going to miss them.
I dress like them, I speak like them (my French is now Cameroonian and I even use occasional 'fulbé' and 'bamileké' (two tribes) expressions) :)
Guess this would be the last note from cameroon -- thanks for sharing my experiences -- at times it was such a overload of senses, i had to share these experiences :) and i loved hearing your reactions :)
So, as they say here, "on est ensemble" (a cameroonian expression showing solidarity, literally translates as "we're together") :)
on est ensemble!
love,
ruta
Ruta, this is great. I remember reading this when you were in Congo and I still have that material you got for me.
ReplyDeleteI remember you wrote a lot of sonnets and stories when we were in college, put them up as well.