13/02/2012
This post will be about the first two cultural events I got to witness. A celebration of bilingual week and Youth Day. Bilingual week is supposed to be a week signifying the importance of knowing both french and english in Cameroon because it was colonized by the French and the British. Each year has a theme and this year’s theme was “Bilingualism for responsible citizenship.” Jessica, the ED volunteer, had some of her kids perform a skit at the lycee bilang where she works. Schools all over Cameroon celebrate this week doing things like debates, soccer games/ other sports, skits, songs, poems, faux news reports, and dances. We only went to the celebration on Thursday at Jessica’s school, but there was also another celebration Friday at the place de fait. Usually clusters of schools will meet at one school to do whatever actives were planned. There were three schools that met at Jessica’s school that Thursday.
It was scheduled to start at 8, but ended up commencing around 10. All the student’s desks were put out for the audience (students), there were chairs for the officials in the front rows, and a judges table for 3 individuals. I don’t know who they were. I don’t know where to begin. They commenced the celebration with the Cameroonian national anthem. On the program it said they would sing it in french and english, but it ended up only being in French. Students here have a deep lack of respect. Once the events started no one got quite, maybe a couple of people. People talked continually throughout the actives or yelled out things to derange the people performing. The skits were consisted of messages of why it is important to know english. The poems were usually about why education is important or had some kind of religious message. The dances and songs dominated the schedule. Most of the dances were pretty risqué too. A lot of hip and chest movement, both with men and women. It was bizzare to see teenage girls showing their backside to display how well they could move their hips after there was a poem about Jesus. All of which was encouraged. The kids were cheering for these excellent dance skills. Sometimes a girl would come down and get down right in front of the school officials. Its all normal here, but I found it very bizarre. I couldn’t follow the skits or most of the poems because all the students were just talking in their own world. It seemed like a waste of time to me. The faux news reports were all the same. Each school had to perform the same one which was about 15 minutes, too long for the attention span of most of the kids. We didn’t get to see Jessica’s skit because we had to leave at twelve for another meeting, but she didn’t mind. She said her kids didn’t do that well anyway. I’m missing quite a few details but this was a while ago and I really don’t have many positive things to say about bilingualism week. The PC teachers I talk gave the same consensus that the students don’t really care about performing well. Bilingualism week is kinda like “dead week” in college before finals. Theres no school except for practicing for the celebration.
Now Youth Day. Youth Day is supposed to be a celebration of the next generation of Cameroon. This celebration was a lot bigger because schools from all surrounding villages of Batouri came out to march in a parade. This parade was in front of the place de fait. Another instance where things are supposed to start at one time, but usually run an hour late. I forgot to mention what the place de fait is. Thats an open structure that is just a place for officials to sit. The schools/orgranizations spend an hour or two lining up and getting ready to march while the spectators line up on one side of the road. The opposite side of the road from the place de fait so they don’t block the site of the officials. There are 4 white lines on the main road, kinda like a track at the Olympics, so the people can walk in a straight line. On the spectator side there are police and gendarmes with belts and batons to whip kids if they get too far into the road. Not everyone from each school gets to march in the parade. I don’t know the selection process. On the other side, place de fait side, there are officials in suits making sure people march in lines which seems to be one of the most difficult tasks. It was rare to see any school or organization match together in an organized fashion. There were schools, muslim schools, nurse schools, teacher schools, organizations against rape, organizations against corruption, groups of people who looked like cheerleaders, one band, a private high school, a women’s group that Stephanie marched with, and many more. The whole parade, once the marching started, was about an hour an a half. As the groups pass the officials they turn their signs representing their club and hold out their left hand horizontally, kinda like a salute. Each school or group was yelling out a song of some sort. Some schools had their students with ribbons tied on the wrists of their left hand. I couldn’t discover the significance of that. Maybe just some flair. The teachers who were marching with their students had on their flyest dresses with embroidery. Between the teachers and the officials in suits kids were constantly being yelled at to be a certain position so they were aligned vertically and horizontally.
Does anyone remember dragon sticks? The things that were popular in the 90’s? They were popular with the older kids at my day care. I saw two guys with those in the parade. There were also kids on the side lines yelling at the students marching deranging them. Once the parade finishes the older groups or organizations go out and drink to celebrate Youth day. Stephanie was invited out to go drink with her women’s group after the parade. Drinking is a big part of Cameroonian culture, but these celebrations just give all the more reason to go out and drink.
I’ll finish this with the main mode of transportation here, motos. Motos are just motorcycles. But the cheapest kind you can find from China. They cost between 400.000 - 800.000, the average ones. Theres no real “rules” for becoming a moto driver. It seems like anyone can buy a moto, just post up somewhere, and wait for someone to ask for a ride. I know in Beartoua, the regional capital, there is a certification that drivers must pass to get a green vest that shows they are “legit” Some wear helmets but most don't. Most moto trips cost 100 CFA, but sometimes 150 CFA at night. I know in Batouri its always 100 CFA night or day because the town is so small are there are moto drivers everywhere. Being white some moto drivers will try to ask for more money and give bogus reason why it cost more. All you have to do it walk away because they won’t do anything. I’m also impressed with what moto drivers can load up on their crappy bikes. I’ve seen goats, pigs, 6 50 kilo sacs of cements, motos on the backs of motos, furniture sets, motos with 4 people including the driver, motos taking 4 kids under the age of 8 to school. Motos with a guy dragging 4 meters of rebarb behind them. I’ve seen motos carrying 6 crates of beer. Africans make it work. There is also a good chance your moto driver is drunk. I’ve seen it multiple times where moto drivers are sipping on whiskey sachets. No laws against that. There is also no real age limit to drive motos. I’ve seen muslim kids in Beartoua on motos who looked like they were 13. Their feet could barley reach the ground when they were on the moto. There is a good reason why PC requires its volunteers to wear helmets while on motos. Moto drivers also pay to get like a custom leather covering for their gas tanks ans seats. They also somtimes keep the bubble wrap over the parts of their motos to keep it clean as long as they can. Decorating motos is also popular just to make theirs‘ stand out from others. Flowers or little sticker pictures. Not much more for now. I’m about to meet my community host and counter part. Toodles for now.
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