Some rest and relaxation

Dr. Sparkes and his family are from San Diego and have been in Cameroon for over 4 years now. He designed and helped build their family house which is beautiful. The above pic is the view from their veranda. They asked me to house sit and watch their dog while they went to Younde for a few days. Needless to say from my previously stressful week, I really needed to get away from my little room connected to the hospital. I've realized how many 'little' things about the States that I have missed here. Like being able to have a good hot shower for more than 3 minutes, sleeping in a bed where you don't have to move around in order to not feel the wooden boards beneath you, just being able to sit in an actual couch and watch a movie, holding a big mug with tea, and walking my dog. The Sparkes even have a trampoline that I can jump on! It was so amazing to sit on the veranda with a cup of tea and just have some truly alone time and look at the scenery. It was a much needed weekend of resting and relaxing. I went to a wedding on Sunday. It was incorporated into the service. Church here usually lasts about 2-3 hours (unheard of at a church in the States!), but with the wedding it lasted just short of 4 hours. The Cameroonians laughed at me when I said the wedding was long compared to the States because they thought that the wedding was really short! I guess their weddings can last from 9 AM to 4 or 5 PM!! The church was decorated with balloons and paper chains. The bride was wearing a western wedding dress with poofy sleeves. There's the bridal procession, the actual wedding and vows, about an hour of music, then another hour of the church sermon, followed by all the toasts and cutting of the cake and then more music. Not that I'm complaining-it was a beautiful wedding- but 4 hours on a wooden bench gets to be really long. The wedding reception and food is open to anyone. Sometimes around a thousand people show up to eat. Cameroonian men sometimes don't get married until they are in their 30s because it costs so much and they have to save up.