In New Mexico, we loved to go to local craft fairs. The
Indian Market and Spanish Market in Santa Fe were particularly wonderful. We
loved to see and learn the local skills, sometimes passed down generation to
generation. There is one family of weavers in Chimayo that has been weaving for
seven or eight generations! We knew there are traditional handicrafts in
Africa, but didn't know what the scene would be like here in Kumbo. There
are Elephants in Africa, but not in Kumbo, you know? So is there art here?
YES! There is! Emphatically yes! We are slowly learning
about the various traditional crafts, and I'm sure we will learn more. Today
was a learn-more day, as we attended an arts and crafts competition. Regional craftsmen
and craftswomen show off their work, try to sell a few pieces, and compete for
judged prizes... CASH prizes. Generous cash prizes.
Logan and I only heard about the event the day before, from
one of the participants. She makes jewelry at the Himalayan Institute, which is
doing great things to train people in various useful trades. We took Isabelle
and Max with us, and set off to find out just how artsy and craftsy Cameroon
can be.
On the taxi ride to the fair, it started pouring rain. It is
dry season, it's not supposed to rain. The taxi got to the roundabout in
Squares, where the passengers all get out and switch taxis according to their
destination, but nobody got out. And the rain kept coming. And coming. Finally,
there was a break in the rain, and we rushed over to a taxi heading for Tobin,
which dropped us off at the Library at the Himalayan Institute, where we waited
out the rain. The rain! Why the rain? Who knows... I'm thankful because it reduces
the dust from the road and it waters the trees and our garden.
But the mud. Oh my, the mud. When we finally got to the
craft fair, it was clear and sunny, and totally muddy. We squelched around
looking at all the beautiful works. There were painters, weavers, carvers,
embroiderers, even coffee roasters and soap makers. We saw some
absolutely gorgeous carved tables and chairs, and the wheels started turning...
they weren't that bad a price, either!
We didn't buy anything big, but we did get the contact info
for several of the artists. We were also pleased to discover that the local
coffee makers, Bime (bee-may), has a nice blend. They grow coffee here in
Nso' and roast coffee here in Nso' and we buy the coffee and drink the coffee
here in Nso', but it doesn't taste that good. Apparently, we've just been
buying the wrong variety. Buy the red bag, not the brown and yellow bag, next
time you are shopping for local Nso' coffee.
Any Cameroonian event is incomplete without speeches, and so
we listened to those, and then continued to look at all the works while Samba
groups played music to "animate," including a giant xylophone and a
troupe of Jujus dancing. I wished I could buy from and support all the artists,
but some things just aren't possible. We didn't hear the results from the
judges, as the sky was threatening rain again(!) so we packed up and went to
our favorite spaghetti omelet restaurant. You've never had a spaghetti omelet?
They are a yummy, and most importantly, safe, food to order. Safe because they
make them right then and there instead of hours or days before, and your risk
of the food making you sick is low.
Now we are home, and are preparing to celebrate the feast of
St. Nicholas. See, we forgot to put our shoes out last night and St. Nicholas
passed our house over, but I talked to him and if we leave our shoes out during
dinner, we'll have a nice surprise when we finish.
Tomorrow we plan to head back to Tobin for the third time in
three days. Thursday we went to the post office and the Himalayan Institute,
Friday was the Library and the Craft fair, and Tomorrow will be the (other)
Library and... The Annual Horse Race! We're excited to see the Mbororo people,
who show up in droves, because they have horses. It's not looking anything like
Christmas, but December in Cameroon is shaping up to be its own bunch of fun.
-Eric
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