Ngaoubela - now available on Wikipedia

One of my colleagues during my year in Ngaoubela, Cameroon has drawn my attention to the German Wikipedia page on our little village. While I have been updating it a little from time to time, I have observed that there is not even a most simple page in English language for it.
Finally, I have taken some time to fill this online-information-gap:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngaoubela

Please comment on it and feel free to add further details!

Moving Borders Photo Exhibition

I happily announce that after two years again a few of my photographs are exhibited in a gallery in Vienna throughout July, beginning with the vernissage on July, 2, 2009.
You will be able to see relative differences between what is considered as "rich" and "luxurious" in contrast to what is seen as "poor" and "miserable" in the particular cultural settings.

See also some pictures of the vernissage itself here.

Fantasia in Tibati - the Celebration of "Eid-Al-Fitr" or the End of Ramadan

As it might not have been pointed out clearly so far, the North of Cameroon, i.e. where I am living right now is predominantly muslim. Consequently, Ramadan is respected strictly by large parts of the population meaning that people do not only refrain from eating but also from drinking between dusk and dawn. And everybody impatiently awaits the end - since fasting in Ramadan in African heat unavoidably means suffering. What a relief when this period of self restriction finally is over - whatever poor one might be - that calls for celebration!

From babies to grandmothers - everyone wants to assist the big fantasia in front of the Lamido's palace in Tibati putting on the finest pagnes or clothes one possesses.

In a huge demonstration, the warriors of the Lamido get the chance to show off on their horses, neatly decorated with fine tissues reserved only for important festivities.

Authentic African Musicians, looking like funky clowns to the European eye contribute with their doodeling around and Tam-Tams while the "chevaliers" are swinging sables, lancets, swords and bows on their galopping horses in front of the Lamido - who appreciates their show by 'generously' distributing some bills of money among the heros.

Less apparent is that the horses are rather badly trained, no wonder, since they are hardly ever ridden throughout the year, yet also no wonder that one of the maltreated had a fall during the galopp towards the Lamido's. On photos one will not easily find acts and consequent marks of violence against the animals, yet their grimaces may tell you a bit of what is happening. When the sun sets down, the Lamido concludes the spectacle by retiring into his palace and the people go home to continue the feast by consuming everything that was limited for such a long time.

From Side Actor to Movie Producer within a Year

It was about july when two young guys from Ngaoubela paid me a visit with an unusual question: As I was often taking pictures in our village, would it not be possible to produce a movie with my camera? First I was very surprised and had big doubts of the quality of a movie made by a photo camera, in particular as the microphone might not be of the highest quality and the autofocus works at a different speed than a movie camera.

Nevertheless we tried some test shots and found it at least possible to do the project, so one weekend in August we decided to hike into a traditional village, two hours away from Ngoubela and do the whole thing. People prepared themselves well, Rene, the leader of this association of culturally aware youngsters organized all the equipment and traditional clothes like animal skins and beaten plants as well as huge leaves of bananas and other bush plants.

Like this, to maintain this cultural heritage for future generations, we shot a well known traditional story of the ancestors narrated among the GBaya tribe. At first everybody was very shy to wear as little as a few leaves and/or some animal furs, but after I have demonstrated them that there is no need to be shy at all they got convinced that it is best to just do it :-)

Back in Austria I should be able to upload some cool dancing scene, for the moment the African internet connections do not allow such large data streams.... stay tuned!

On the Road to Austria

What are the odds of "randomly" meeting somebody from your neighbour village in Europe in the middle of nowhere – ie the African bush in Adamawa?

Apparently pretty high, otherwise we would not have met a couple from Unterwolfsbach, Lower Austria in Malarba, the trucker’s night stop nearby Ngaoubela.

Peter and Sabine are about to tour around Africa with their lorry “August”, a 4wd Mercedes 1311 from 1966.
What a pleasant and unexpected surprise!

After a while of reflection they decided to stay in Ngaoubela overnight where we learnt more about their tour from Austria to South Africa via Eastern Africa and back home via Western Africa including quite a number of exciting stories and plenty of photos. In the end we discovered that them and me were about to go to Ngaoundéré for some reasons so they gave me a lift – my first ride on a truck – and what an awesome one! On the road we found some of the “outstanding” lorry drivers besides their trucks which fell off track… fortunately Peter is an excellent driver, so August could bring us sound to the Camp Norvegien in Ngaoundéré.

Check out http://www.peterunfried.spaces.live.com/ for the rest of their journey!!

Life in a bush hospital

It definitely is not easy for a newbie to imagine what it is like to live and work in a bush hospital in the middle of nowhere.

There is no doubt, pictures can show you around well, but it could not demonstrate my sourroundings to the full monty. Especially vegetarians among you won't like to be confronted with a dead foetus or people defecating publicly everywhere around for religious reasons (sic!).

“Az élet nem habostorta” I used to say a some years ago when a habostorta was one of the most normal things for me. Here in the bush there is no habos. And definitely az élet nem habostorta, particularly for those permanently living here.

Just take a look...