9-11-11

9-11-11

Two more months from now is going to make a cool date.  You know yesterday was nine ten eleven AND it was a full moon.  I hope something abnormal happened in your life.  It is the eve of starting the last week of our immersion program and I have quite a bit to do if I want to test out the Wednesday after next.  

This Sunday was better than most.  We all actually got to sleep without music blasting from some party at the rented out building and there was also electricity today.  Which also means we had water.  I asked my fish lady today why there is no electricity in Ebowlowa on Sunday but I couldn't follow her answer.  She said something about the market and snake.  I keep having these experiences where I realize how much I need to learn.  After getting up I headed to the market for some bean and bread sammich.  I saw the driver, Valentine, on the way and he hooked me up with half of his sugar cane.  Sugar cane is awesome.  Its like a grown up lolly pop.  It looks like a darker bamboo.  You take off the outer shell and then take bites of the inside.  Much all the sweet juice out and then spit out the fibers.  I like getting snacks on the way to food because I’m impatient.  On the way I stopped to talk with my phone transfer credit lady.  Thats Anita, I don’t think I’ve talked about her before.  Shes got some kids and has a small boutique too.  He daughter talks to me every time I’m there.  You know the thing white people used to play with in the 20s?  The push a circle/wheel with a stick activity? Thats pretty popular here with the kids.  Old tires are used more than circles made of wood.  Or the kids have something called “a push”  Its a CD or plastic lid tacked to the end of a wooden stick.  That girl i super cute.  The also have 3 dogs who always have flies around them.  Their ears are disappearing because of the flies.

So I get to the bean lady, Florence, and there is a fat line.  Mostly of older women and kids.  Some other hommie from the house already happened to be down there chilling at a picnic table.  The lady sells this milky breakfast kind of thing. Porridge-like.  I think its powdered milk, water, and orange juice.  Its interesting.  One of the girls didn’t want to finish hers so I killed it.  It was my first time to try it.  Ok, I just found out its corn powder, water, with citrus.  After that I just went back home and did French work.  Book exercises.  Then ironed my clothes.  Sundays have been consistently slow.  Most people watched V for Vendetta.  These kids that I talk to came up to the house and wouldn’t leave.  I kept hearing kids outside, which is normal, but then I noticed they were creepin and peeking in our windows.  So I went outside to practice some dialogue and see what they be gettin down in today.  They had two empty bottles so I did that water tornado science experiment things.  Never have the seen such magic!  After a while I just told them I had to study.  They just kept chilling outside until the guard told them to leave.  I always see those kids bringing back stuff for their parents from the market.

Justin was coming to take us out at 2 just to see how this program was going.  Lauren met us before that to chat because she was in town meeting another hommie.  I took a little siesta before we went out.  I’m still working on recording dreams.  We went out and got a beer to hear more about staging, and to hear funny stories.  I left after a short while to grub out on some fish.  I was lucky to get any because it poured down 30 minutes before I left.  Most vendors just cover their product or whip out a big umbrella to wait for it to pass, but this time quite a few people closed up.  My other fish lady didn’t.  Her name is Luerrr.  Thats spelling more for sound and not accuracy.  Then a “crazy” came up and just started at the fish for a while, went away 10 feet, then came back to buy half a fish.  I feel bad for the mentally handicap here.  They get treated like stray dogs.  There is a different interpretation of what it is to be mentally ill.  In the US is like, Oh you have a chemical imbalance or genetic abnormality.  Here is like your possessed or you get to that point because of age.  Friday in the market a dude came up to me with a naked plastic baby toy and started talking really fast.  I just walked away after listening for a while. I finally made my way back home to do some more studying.  No one was home so I chilled with the guard while I worked.  OH.  I’m getting 2 more outfits made.  Another boubou ensemble, 2 shirts, and some Aladdin pants.  Youtube Aladdin for the disney movie.  Thats going to be my new dance pants, if they’re fly enough.  We’re going to go out with Justin next Saturday to a dance club to celebrate.  I’ll go if I feel confident enough in my french.  I’m pretty sure I wrote about this but I count find it when I word searched for mirror.  Cameroonian clubs have mirrors on the wall so people can check out their dance moves.  I’ll be sure to get a video of what looks like.  One of the guards was also telling me that liquor gets people into the club?  If a person brings a handle of liquor that covers the admittance for 6 people.  Nothing more to share at this present moment.  I’m going to study some more before I pass out and start another week.  Our language test is pretty much an open conversation with a native speaker.  After the opening they give us a card with a specific activity, like asking for directions / buying an apartment / getting around with different modes of transportation.  To meet the requirements we just need to talk in the present, passe composse, and futur proch.  du corage!