We attended a three day beach party this weekend, a gathering of whiteman volunteers from Buea and beyond, a gathering which had been dubbed 'Burning Fish'. We camped on the beach for two nights; fires were lit, Matango was drank (local palm wine), fish were roasted, the ocean was splashed about in, sunburn was acquired (not by me though - result!) friends were made and fun was had.
It was rather strange to be at a gathering where the majority of people were white, when we're all used to being the odd one out in our various towns and villages, having 'whiteman' shouted at us on an hourly basis (usually in a friendly, or at least benign manner). To commemorate this shared experience, I designed Burning Fish t-shirts with 'Whiteman' printed on the back. It was nice to meet up with people who are having similar experiences, similar frustrations, etc. It was also excellent to be camped on the beach for 3 days with a steady supply of (mostly cold) beer. The weather was fine, until late Saturday night, about two in the morning, when we were treated to an impressive (and slightly scary) lightning storm and torrential rain; the tents weren't that waterproof, so we all got a bit damp. Drat.
Despite this slight interruption, it was an excellent weekend, I hope it'll happen again.
Burning Fish No Go Die...
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