rich list

10/28/2001:
back in Bamenda... a can of roasted peanuts, one full can of coffee and a bag of avocados richer! oh... and richer b/c i know there’s family back in Babadjou that really cares for me. also spoke to the family back in DC that really loves me.

all is well there... slow to no mail b/c of the ANTHRAX issue in DC. spoke to Aboudi and left Nunu a message wishing both Happy Birthdays. gotta send moms my “wish list”... she’s coming in early december! i don't think that's sunk in for me yet.

i’m in the slum alone. kinda nice but also strange. and yesterday even a little scary. especially after this weird guy came inside the fence and was begging for a place to stay or money. had to talk him into leaving and maybe meeting me in the morning if he really wanted help. anyway... my wish list:

-about 44 items of food, clothes, music, books, electronics...

that's what was on my wish list! i won't go into detail. mostly to spare myself the embarrassment, b/c i can't believe i asked for so many random things. they must've seemed like necessities at the time. in hindsight, they were all luxury items. things i could've either found alternatives for in cameroon, or simply lived (comfortably) without.

what's most disturbing is that i was just coming back from babadjou - from a host family with simple means - carrying a lot of food and a lot of love. you think that would curb my consumer cravings just enough to make my list that much more modest. of course not! to say nothing of the fact that i'd just turned away a beggar the night before from our front door. you can see why i'm embarrassed by my rich list.

"what is little and sufficing is better than what is great and distracting."