The Sweetest Taboo

Taking a stroll through the neighbourhood, I meet a group of young men playing a board game outside. Inquisitively, I go over to see what the game is. Turns out to be a sort 0f version of draughts called, erm, draughts. The rules are very different though, and I think you must get more points by slapping down your pieces as hard as you can. Knowing they are in the presence of a championship winning draughts man, they start acting all nervous and do not invite me for a game. Cards is occasionally played by the older men, and I will research this soon. Hopefully, I can find a really good local game to rival the Nepali classic Dumball.

Oh, It finally happened today. After well over three weeks, my luck has come to an end. I knew it had to eventually. Yes, you guessed it: Bob Marley finally found me (twice in one day!) Seeing he now knows where I live I am of the opinion that I will be hearing a lot of him from now on. In actual fact, to compound my misery, somebody else was singing a song of his as I naturally fled the scene of the first crime. I reckon I can deal with it, in time, as long as he doesn't tell his mate Jack Johnson my whereabouts.

On the subject of music, we spend our evening listening to a local radio station with a very eclectic playlist. Congolese and Nigerian music is very popular here, as is music from Benin. A number of the lyrics can be understood by certain people in Cameroon. Such music seems to be demising, with young people more inclined to high energy, fast tempo music, and Ghetto Rap. C reflects that the old days were the best, and has a wee dance to an old tune to prove she still has what it takes.

Traditional national languages differ from country to country in this area, like many other places. Unlike somewhere like Europe though, national barriers are often transcended by tribal connections and history. Therefore, a Cameroonian from any given tribe here might be able to go hundreds of miles in many directions and understand a little of what one group of people were saying, but nothing of the groups around them. Anthropologists must have a field day around here.

Not all the music tonight is African, and we get quite a good mix of top music. We get a little bit of Seal, Madonna, and a souped up version of Wonderwall, complete with original vocals. One weird things they often do when a song comes on the radio is to give it a temporary jungle drum beat. This quickly fades, only to come back briefly some time later. Most peculiar. When it comes to music, the western big hitters here are definitely: Phil Collins, Pariah Carey, and the number one, the queen of all she surveys, Switzerland's very own Celine Dion.

Random local word or saying of the day: "I will carry you there." Translation: I will not put you in a fireman's lift or give you a piggyback. Instead, I will take you there.