a good day - Blogabond

wow. today!

the doctor didn't show up to the office until after noon. enough time to tell us that "someday" we'd be going to schools to educate some kiddies about the risks of contracting HIV, so I ought to recreate another copy of the HIV poster I made to hang on her bare, blue clinic wall. so i did..thinking how nice it was to travel all the way to africa to make posters. anyways...maybe some kid would show some self control after staring at the 'white man' in the front of the room holding up a shiny poster.

in between drawing lines and letters and various pictures displaying the avenues of infection, shaye and i sat roasting in the hot african sun...enjoying the short time of warmth while it's available. i'm sure to miss it.

the doctor left early...before 3 this evening. as usual, if she goes the atmosphere turns slightly more relaxed. laura (another nurse) was curiously out behind the clinic disturbing a fire and pushing around through some of the brush. in a few moments she came to us, wordlessly chomping on her own cob of roasted corn and handing off another to us to share. we were VERY excited! some of the kernals had even showed early signs of yummy popcornness. we enjoyed. we enjoy a lot here.

a patient came in and because the MD was incognito we didn't think we could do anything for her, but apparently there were orders made prior to this day (great communication).
omeprazole IV push stat
we pulled out a vial of omeprazole and searched the information sheet within the box to figure out the proper rate of administration. we also had to do this with no IV. the woman kindly had disappearing veins, but i was happy to see them and more happy to stick them as this was the first stick i've done in 2 months! she thanked us for the administration, and i thanked her for needing medicine...and coming when the doctor wasn't there.

so, since the doctor had left and we can't really do anything much without her or her keys there, it was our chance to escape the clinic and explore. we had no other engagements and, as it's rare for our schedules to be so free, we (shaye and i) set out with a few goals in mind. first on the agenda: Beno Bakery.

We walk into this tiled, tin-tabled heaven with it's crossiants, hamburgers, sodas, and sweets lining the glass display and try to hide the fact that we're drooling. we had spotted pizza and quiche here the day before and knew a sooner-than-later visit was a must. we carefully selected some of the juicier looking pizzas and the last quiche assuming it was last because it was something to be desired. wow. were we in for a surprise. we sat and attempted to keep our cool, but our eagerness over took us. wow. the pizza looked so delicious. juicy. it didn't exactly look completely fresh, but...stale pizza always tasted good at home, right? ....so.

the soggy, wrinkly cardboard pizza

the first bite. hmm...mine resembled a bit of soggy cardboard with dry, wrinkly "veggies" and ancient cheese (not properly aged). i debated on setting the piece down before i finished, but the shit cost a whole dollar so i was like..hell no. not wasting that! (you can buy two beers with a dollar!!) ...and inside i was having some high hopes for the quiche so i figured i'd suffer through it.
and..the first bite: for me, i took the tip of the creamy triangle delicacy with memories of my mom's on my taste buds....which quickly were put to rest. i soon realized i was not in my mother's kitchen enjoying her fresh quiche but rather found myself in some sort of food hell. slime stretched from the product to my mouth and the mush sort of violated my senses. as i breathed out, hoping maybe the aftertaste would be somewhat sufferable, i found myself publicly gagging. i didn't take another bite and neither did shaye. we managed to take down some crust, but...it was a failure and "possibly one of the worst food experiences of my life" (claims shaye)...like taking candy from a baby, but not even that. it's like...giving a kid something that's supposed to be candy and it turns into shit as they put it in their mouth. BUT...as much as it was a failure, it was a success. we sat a bit longer wondering how to dispose of our garbage a.k.a. what they tried to call food...enjoying the sunshine, the african people, and the dance beat ringing out to us. we were alone. we were in africa. and it was excellent.

next we tried to check some internet, but the place was packed. we decided to undo the wrong that had so cruelly been done to us, and went in search for some proper african dish to satisfy our cheated bellies. we walked...and walked....and walked. twice we asked people where we might find a "restaurant"....they would then ask us if we were speaking german. no...we're speaking english. just like you. seriously? they have signs with "restaurant" in various places.. maybe we say it weird. anyways. finally after some vague directions we saw some people dishing out on some eru and decided to give the place a try. thankfully. we pounded a rich plate of ndole (in doe-lay), yummy sweet soft plantain, and some gordon sparks (a fine citrus gin fizz)...all for three bucks. luckily shaye and i have similar appetites and interests...it's been a LOT of fun today. i'm sure these african people must think white girls only know how to smile and laugh too loud.

going to a 'football' match

NEXT...we went to watch some dudes playing some fine football (soccer). maybe it wasn't just the soccer that was fine. we met some fit african ladies who encouraged us to start doing some sports while we're here. one of these girls was so fast she could beat some of the boys and keep a close second to the others. while we were watching i had this STRANGE sensation. i was watching this girl climbing over the fence and then sitting on it: her long sleek legs dangling, her face shining from the activity, bush grasses blowing behind, and sun setting to the side. all of a sudden i was born in africa, grown in buea, and i came here nearly everyday to play soccer on this dusty field and enjoy my friends. i was standing alone on the plain of this cameroonian city. i would go home to my family that night. i would cook my eru and say hello to my brothers or my sisters. the world felt so small and yet so so big. it was like i was made here...my blood became the water and my heart became the dust and my mind was caught somewhere between them and the sun....kind of a weird feeling actually...i honestly don't think this is where i belong forever, but i'm so happy to be walking on this part of the earth. i've been so blessed to know these people, see their homes and their families, feel the sweat they put into life, the passion they put into love...the desperation with which they look to their futures. it's inspiring. i'm humbled. i'm honored.

and i'm still in africa.

written by

theresa on November 25, 2009 from Douala, Cameroon

from the travel blog: to africa

Send a Compliment

comment on this...