Let me tell you a little about my good friend who appears by my side in my profile photo. His name is Moses, he is in his 50’s, and portrays the perfect image of the local village charm that is the NW Province of Cameroon. For Moses (as with many Cameroonians), going far from home usually means a trip to another village in the province. He knows nothing of the Western world, but has endless questions about my “village”, and is fascinated by the answers I give him.
Some of the questions Moses has asked: Do you have trees in your village? Does it get cold like this in your village? (In the mountains of Cameroon, the temperature can drop to 16°C in the evenings), Do you have Fons (traditional rulers) in your village? To that last question, I proudly proclaim my determinedly emotional allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, traditional ruler of Canada. We then sit in silence, and weep.
Moses’ favourite quote is, “Unity is peace, punctuality is the strength of business, and socialism is the key to power.” He has 8 children, next to no money, and he took me out for Achu last week.
Life is good.
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