Christmas time

There's at least one thing that's the same around Christmas time in Norway and here in Cameroon, and that's the cold weather! I guess you Norwegians laugh when you read this, but though it's really warm here from 12-15 o'clock, it's very cold in the mornings, evenings and nights. So in the evenings I'm glad I've my fleece jacket, jogging trouser, woolen soocks and slippers (tøfler)! Even then I'm freezing. It's maybe around 13 degrees, but there're no ovens here... But I've nothing to comlpain about when I think about the other Cameroonians here who don't have warm clothes or isolated houses... Therefore we see lots of bonfires outside their houses in the evenings :)

Other things that are the same in Christmas time here are the Christmas feasts and conserts. Saturday two weeks ago I  went to my first Christmas consert here. It was held at Collège Protestant, the secondary school here, or more presisely outside. Because there were between 2000-3000 people there, so it had to be held outside. The school was decorated with lights and Christmas chains, so it was beautiful, and I got some "julestemning".

As I've written before the classes here are very big, maybe around 70 persons in each class. So when several classes were going to sing together at this consert, they had to sit together before singing, so that they could just rise when they were going to sing (and did not go to the scene).

At this little scene Runar, Johanne, me and 4 Cameroonians played this scetch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSwCOs-uXzU. It was really fun, and it was easy to hear that the others thought it was very fun that nascara (white people) were performing, exspesially when we started "fighting" on the scene. But in the end I think they understood the point of the scetch, because when God thrown away all of us (who representated different tempetetions), there were a lot of applausing :D Thursday we played this scetch again, this time in the Millenium church. 

A sad thing that happened two weeks ago was that the big marked here exploded and burnt. Around one o'clock in night there were some people that lightened a fire in a place where there's gas, so there was a big explosion. I could here it here in my house, it sounded like a bomb. The day after I got to know that the marked had burnt down. Later when we went to the marked we saw the place that had exploded. It was black and ashes all over, and houses of wall and stands (where a lot of people are selling stuff) were just totally gone.

Last Sunday I performed on the Christmas consert with Gospel Singers. It was held for children in different orphanages, and it was fun sing and dance with the choir, even though we also have to hear some some speeches of the leader about people coming to late... (that's becoming a habite now). I even
got a coin on my forehead, from one person among the audience! After one week with practising with the choir almost every day, I think I deserved that ;)

Monday we had a Christmas party with the choir. When us Norwegians met up a quarter too late, we thought  that would fit well with "African time". The leadersin the choir are particular very strict about meeting at the exact time, at least they talk a lot about it... But of course we were the first ones showing up. So after having waiting a while without more people showing up, Johanne and me decided to explore the big fire we saw just outside the mission station. And as we got close we found out that it really was a big fire! But it's normal here, because in this way they remove dry grass and trees.

When we went back to Christmas "party" almost one hour later than the actually starting time, there still weren't more people there, so we went home for one more hour... Then there finally were many people there, and they had just started the party, and people continued to show up during the evening... After eating, singing, and listening to some speeches, we  wathed the movie "Facing the Giants" together, a really good movie, I would recommand!





Tuesday we went to another Christmas party, this time at the Direction Central in the church. They had been smart enough to tell us that it started at 18 o'clock, even though we found out that it was actually written 16:30 in the invitation...But 18 o'clock turned out to be the right starting time.. ;) This is Africa!

Wednesday, Runar, Kristian, Johanne, me and two other boys finally went on a trip to Ngaoundéré mountain. In advance we had expected this to be a longer trip, therefore we started at 8 o'clock in the morning. Afterall it only took around 30 minutes to go to the top...But we got a good view from the top, and it was nice to spend the morning sitting in the sun on this mountain top, having a good view and watching eagles flying over us. On our way down we even saw our first snake here! So it turned out as a successful trip.

As you understand there have been a lot of Christmas feasts here also. Thursday I also attended another one. This was held for all the workers at the Mission Stations; the maids and the guards. Then we ate Norwegian "risgrøt", and as I Christmas present all the workers got 1/4 goat. I had expected that they would get this as a piece of meat, so I was a little surprised when I suddenly heard  a lot of goats just outside... Four and four were to share one goat, and they were told to slaughter it within two days, so that they could eat it with their families for Christmas.

Friday there were a Christmas lunch here for us Norwegians, where we got a lot of Norwegian food and desert, like "riskrem". In the evening Johanne and me made marsipan, and Runar helped as mentally support a little while.. We made a lot, and covered it with light and dark chocolate.

The 24th of December, we started by watching "Tre nøtter til Askepott". A must, and a good start of the day! Then there were a Norwegian service here, because here in Cameroon, they celebrate Christmas the 25th of December. And the 24th they have a really long service from 17 o'clock, and it lasts until the night. Therefor we had our own Norwegian service this day. I think it was really nice having this service outside, in the shadow of some trees. Christmas eve I was together with the other Norwegians here in the home of the Missionary family here. There we got "pinnekjøtt", fantastic! It was fun to see their children eager to open their presents, it almost felt like home. I think it was good for once to experience the time before Christmas, without all the stress there's in Norway in this time, with Christmas present, baking and all... And I think it's right what one of my teachers said that Chhristmas here probably is more likely the first Christmas in Betlehem that today's Christmas celebration in Norway. I think it's much good about Christmas in Norway, but for once in a life time I think it's a good experince celebrating Christmas here in Cameroon.

Yesterday we were in the service in the Hospital church from 8:30-12 o'clock! Then we had to sit behind the preacher, facing the congrigation. It was a little special, but it's something they do here to show us respect...I don't like it. Then we, "the Norwegian choir(!)" performed by singing and dancing to "Å, jul med din glede"!

Now I'm ready for one week on the beach in Kribi, south in Cameroon. All of us Norwegians here are going to stay there until the 3rd of January. We're leaving by train at 18 o'clock this evening, and arrive there tomorrow morning. This is going to be a new way for me to spend the Christmas time, but I think I'm going to really enjoy it! With the new sunglasses and African dress I got for Christmas, I feel ready. I'm finiched packing, and just want to publish this update before leaving. After Kribi Johanne and me are travelling by airplane from the capital Yaouné to Nairobi, Kenya. We're going to stay there from the 3rd to the 10th of January, meeting the other Norwegian Hald students in the Connect program, who have their pracsis on Madagascar, and we're also going to meet some of our teachers, coming all the way from Norway! I think it's going to be nice meet all of them again, talking about experiences and preparing for our last 3 months here in Camroon. I'm ready to travel!

I wish you all a good Christmas time, and a fantastic new year!

God jul alle sammen!!!

Ønsker dere alle en fredelig & velsignet julehøytid!

My daily-life routine

Now it's been a really long time since I've been writing... Earlier I've written when something special has happened, but now I want to give you an overview of my everyday life routine:

First of all we use to eat dinner everyday at 12:15 o'clock (except Fridays) :) Really good, and just like Norwegian food!

Mondays:

French course from 10-12 o'clock.

 

We work at Rainbow Orphanage from 14-17/18 o'clock, teaching English and playing with the children. There are 21 children between 4-15 years old in the orphanage, and it's run by a Korean missionary. The orphanage has their own school for the children, who come from really poor families (most of them living in villages far a way), or have lost at least one of their parents. It's really nice just being with them, and seeing how much they enjoy that we come. Each time we arrive there, and when we return, they come running to hug us and greet us!

Tuesdays:

Our days free from other work, so that we can read the books in the curriculum for Hald, and write the exercises. Before the 10th of December I delivered three book reports and one infield-rapport, on about 2500 word (the last time, I've worked a lot with this). I chose to write about witchcraft, and the question I wanted to answer, was: "How do young, Christian Cameroonians relate to witchcraft?" It's very interesting to have interviews about this, because here witchcraft is a part of many people' everyday life. 

From 18-20:30 I attend choir practice with the choir "Gospel Singers". We always start singing outside, and go inside when it's becoming darker. While we sing, we do a lot of movements. That's never easy, but I think I manage it better now ;) When the practise is finished there's always half an hour with talking about discipline and other things the leaders think are negative in the choir, and that's always very boring... 

  

Here we practice with the choir. The buildings are boarding schools to Collège Protestant. And this is how the students dry their clothes ;)

Wednesdays:

Work at Sentre Socio Ménager (husmorskolen) from 9-12 o'clock. I've English classes from 9-10 o'clock, and computer skills from 10:30-12 o'clock. That's a challenging, but exciting work. I think it's going better and better, because now I've learnt more how the pupils learn best, and how to handle them (for example send them out of the classroom if they talk during a test, and how to control that they're not cheating). 

Shocking! On our way to Sentre Socio we saw motorcyclists in front of us with helmets! Just had to take pictures of this! ;)

From 14-16 o'clock we attend French course. 

Thursdays:

I work at the EELC (Église Evangelique Lutherienne au Cameroun) Direction Sentral in the church (kirkekontoret). There I work for an organisation called Fèmmes Pour Christ (kvinner for Kristus). From 8-8:30 there's a devotion. Than all the people (ca. 20) working there meet to sing psalms/songs, read in the Bible and one person has a short sermon. From 8:30-12:00 I cut out figures in fabric of different colour. These are to be used in "flanellograf" in Sunday schools. The last times I've been put to do some paper work instead, and I think I'm also going to type something into a computer afterwards. So here I work as a secretary, just doing what they put me to do. What's good, is that here we don't have to prepare anything in advance.

French course from 14-16 o'clock.

Every second week, at 20 o'clock, there's a Bible group with the Norwegians here. Then we use to have a really nice time, reading a paragraph in the Bible and discussing and talking about it. And also the meeting always use to include good food and drink :)

Fridays: 

Sentre Socio from 10:30-13:40. From 10:30-12:00 I've English, and from 12:30-13:40 computer skills. Each Friday I've a vocabulary test, so then I also have some work later with correcting them. I also use some time preparing the lessons, and correcting work they've done in class. So there's some work with this without working time as well...

Saturdays:

Our only day totally free, with out any set plans ;)

Sundays:

The Millennium church (8-10)/the Hospital church (10-12)/no church. From 10-11 o'clock it's sometimes choir practise (before concerts). At 12/13 o'clock we use to go to a restaurant called "Coffee Shop" with the boys to eat dinner, because Sundays our maid has free...There it's not much to choose between, so er always end up ordering "Steak aux champignons", but it's very good :D

17:30-18:00 it's "Bønnehytte", which is mainly for the Norwegian children. Then we sing some songs, pray and tell/read something from the Bible (we rotate who does this).

Not Coffee Shop, but outside the other restaurant, called Plaza. Been here two times..

Inside Plaza, as you may see; a very fine restaurant!