back in babadjou

10/27/2001:
cool, crisp Saturday morning in Babadjou. God, i missed this place!... more than i knew. and this family, too. the “small town-ness” is what i miss most, i think. that all the kids know your name. all the elders greet you. that winding dirt road to our neighborhood, i miss that too. the knob... seeing that from the endless different vantage points around babadjou. only difference really is the maize. it’s gone... and more of Babadjou appeared when it disappeared. neat... seasonal changes. not brilliant fall color but it’ll do.

Oh... my room. NEVER thought i’d miss that place! but i do and i’m even comfortable in it. i looked up in there once and thought about the next stagiere [trainee]. how awkward and uncomfortable it’ll 1st look and be. cold, too. i’m tempted to leave a note. about the room, the fam, the town... how it’ll all soon grow on you and then (probably right then) you’ll leave and miss it. it’ll be your room, your family and maybe even your town soon. but maybe they need to find that out on their own... whoever it is.

Kay and i had a small lunch in Mbouda yesterday. the fam at her place didn’t get in until later in the afternoon. we got in at like 10:30am. but i saw Felone running back to her house to see Kay... too cute. speaking of cute. Isma is adorable. bigger... that child is going to be a big girl. and talks A LOT... mostly patois. there are 2 things they can’t get her to stop doing; eating and speaking. the cutest age... also the terrible 2s though. and Mira is due in early December. can’t wait for that... happy and healthy baby and mom, insha’Allah. Petit isn’t here... in Douala. Maya is. Das and Madame Susanne are well... still working. the head of the family and the head of the family.

ate riz avec sauce de arachide yesterday. fine meal. today i hope to prep some coffee to take back with me. also thinking about buying the fam a new propane (refill, that is) bottle. to help out Mira a little... but i don’t want to rob the new trainee from the "country kitchen" experience. i sat there for a while myself yesterday. Mira promised she’d let the trainee work in there with Madame Susanne. no one can keep up with that lady... except maybe Isma. soon enough, insha'Allah.