Bafia before I leave, and Cameroonian Fashion

Well guys, I don't really have a good blog post prepared, but I thought I'd show you some pictures of things Bafia before I leave here.  My swear in date is August 17.  It's going to be a huge day for me, that night I will say goodbye to many of my friends, and the next day I will depart for my post.

The SED House

An example of one of the sheds for our language classes.... basically an oven in the middle of a the day, haha

My favorite distraction during language class, I lovingly refer to this as the rainbow lizard.  It is actually of the genus Agama, and they are usually about 6 in. long.  It spends its time doing what looks like pushups and chasing off smaller lizards.  Here in Cameroon, if someone is overly proud or egotistic, you say he is like a lizard.  

Me with my classmates and teachers for one of my language classes (they change every 2 weeks)

What frustration, culture clash, and lack of sleep look like in an African French language class

Right now, I am in the middle of working on a big report that is due this week.  We each had to choose a topic that related to the culture of Cameroon, and !SURPRISE! i chose clothing in the different regions of Cameroon.  I have to write a paper and give a 30 minute presentation in French.  Believe it or not, I can actually do that now!  My French is nowhere near perfect, and I still need a lot of improvement, but I'm impressed with my progress nonetheless.  

 The Grand North, which actually includes the regions of the Extreme North, the North, and the Adamaoua is heavily influenced by the Fulbe (or Fulani), which is a Muslim group (they are actually a minority there, but are the dominant culture).  There, men, both Muslim and Christian, wear what is called a boubou, and they have a fabric called basin, which is of a solid color, but has patterns on it of a different sheen or texture.  The women cover there heads and wear pagnes in layers.  

Pagne is the most important thing you need to know about Cameroonian fashion.  It's this brightly colored and patterned cotton fabric, and pretty much everyone has it in their closet, if not on their body most days.  The women in much of the land often wear what's called a kaba.  This is a dress, and there are two types, the kaba Ngondo, which comes from a water-based ceremony of the Sawa people in the Littoral and Southwest regions, but now is worn in much of the country, and the kaba cellulaire, which is a short-sleeved and shorter version of the kaba ngondo. 

(Most of the pictures that follow are not mine, but are taken either from the internet or from very nice cameroon pcv's who sent me pics when I asked for them :) ) 

Women and girls in the North

Pagne shopping anyone??

Women in Kaba Ngondo's -  Women in social groups often wear matching Pagne

Kaba cellulaire

Pagne is interpreted more and more liberally over time

Boubous!
http://kariborders.blogspot.com/2004/02/tabaski-in-senegal-warning-pictures.html
(Borrowed Picture) 

Also, I should mention that the fashion of the Center of Cameroon, as well as that of much of the youth of Cameroon has over time been very affected by the trends of Europe and the US.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell if I am looking at a group of African teenagers, or a group of African American teenagers with a really quirky sense of style (I'll take a picture to demonstrate this and post it later)!

Cameroon is often called "Africa in miniature" because it has different regions with all the different climates and landscapes of Africa, and because it is EXTREMELY diverse.  There are about 250 different ethnic groups in Cameroon, and each has its culture, rituals, and sometimes its own traditional or ceremonial dress.  I have only given you a snapshot of the fashion of this culture-rich country.