Fete du Mouton (October 27)

Yesterday was the celebration of the sheep. It is a big holiday celebrated all over Cameroon and signified by the sacrifice of sheep. We had an hour of class in the morning, followed by some exploring and getting very lost because we never know how to ask where our homes are. But when I finally got home, there was a sheep carcass in my compound. The ribs and body of the sheep weren’t really shocking because you can find that in a butcher’s shop in the United States and is all over the street market here, but next to the body were the legs and in the corner in a bag was the skin. I came out of my room after putting my things down and a maid girl was cleaning the intestines in a bucket outside my room. I was pretty shocked at that so they laughed at me and brought the head out of our outdoor, open fire kitchen to freak me out some more: very successful. It was actually a very peaceful day even though it was a holiday. In the afternoon my dad had friends over and when they left my mom told me I could go talk to him so I went into the men’s room and had a very nice conversation with him. He’s a tailor who has his own store and employees now. He’s super sweet. Then another friend came over and I was served dinner (sheep meat sauce with rice) with them instead of eating with the women and children. The male/female divide here is incredible. After dinner I hung out with my family a bit but there was a guest over so everyone was speaking in Fufulde so I couldn’t understand anything. We are so lucky we were here on such a special day for them, and I know now that I have definitely grown since middle school when I refused to dissect a worm. The adventures never stop.

Today we had class in the morning at one center then had to walk a half hour to another center to learn Fulfulde. On our walk the lamido (traditional Muslim leader) passed us in a procession on the street. It was amazing to see. After learning some Fulfulde, we walked for 45 minutes to the center of town for lunch then went to see an artist. There is a famous disabled artist here that got funding to create a center to teach disabled people how to paint because otherwise they usually end up on the streets as beggars. He wasn’t there when we went which was unfortunate but we got to see their cool paintings! When I finally got home, my mom and I went to the neighbor’s to get henna done in honor of the fete. Before we left, however, I had to ask my father if she could come because it is the father who makes the decision if his wife can leave the house and she was too nervous to ask him.

Washing Sheep Intestines

Around Ngaoundere

Watching the Lamido Pass

Lamido!

Some of my Henna