February 19, 2011

February 19, 2011 – Saturday
--We were up early for breakfast, and lingered with another guest here chatting about nothing in particular. He introduced us to Paddypower.com - an Irish site that offers opportunities to bet on American political candidates’ chances, various details of the upcoming British royal wedding, races of all sorts, and a myriad of other minutia. Today Obama is ahead of all the Republicans, Sarah Palin is not the leading Republican, and Kate will be married in an ivory dress. Place your bets!
--We went to a crafts center this morning to find the final things we want to take home – now Joe has a bag like men in Cameroon carry with a horn cup for drinking palm wine, and he has cola nuts to pass out from his bag should anyone ask for them. A lovely hand carved cross to add to those above the mantle in our living room.
--Then to L.A. King Fabrics to find fabric for a gift for Njoke’s wife – tomorrow afternoon I’ll give her the beautiful piece that he chose for her. Then we stopped for roasted cow meat and beer - both were very good even if we weren’t particularly hungry since we’d had breakfast a couple of hours earlier.
--We’re taking the afternoon off. I’ve started figuring out how to pack all the souvenirs to meet weight requirements and avoid breakage – not a small task! Our drying ;laundry is decorating our room. Joe is happily practicing Barbershopper songs – sitting on the veranda with his headphones, singing to himself, and I’m about to join him with my book. Later we’ll watch the international news – wonder what’s happening in Arizona?
--Our remaining time in Cameroon is short – 5 days, and there are still so many things we haven’t seen and done, and I’ve only just started to help with psychiatry. We’ll return, although in Roumsiki the Crab Sorcerer said I won’t but Joe will think it over and possibly he’ll be back. Hmmm. He’s a very old man and I’m sure he does his best.