Mr N just returned home with bags of Njama Njama from the farmers market. Then we started chatting about how it is easy to spot a Cameroonian at the farmer’s market based on how their eyes scan the plan in search of our beloved Njama Njama, which is known in English as garden huckleberry. You can almost ascertain a person’s “Cameroonianess” when you see how the person hunts for these green leaves as though they have the power of life and death.
After the chat, I started thinking of the various things that make Cameronians, Cameroonian. They range from food to language, to childhood memories and experiences. You know you are Cameroonian when…
1. Party time means eat, drink, repeat. Food! Food!! More Food!!!
2. Good food to you is
Eru,
Ndole and
Burning Fish. You have a love-love relationship with these meals and the moments you devour them are moments of pure joy.
3. You call beer “one man”, “shack” or “mimbo”.
4. You have eaten
puff puff and beans at least once in your life.
5. You have cursed Mami Puff Puff for not selling at her food joint on a day she was sick and you really wanted puff puff. Wicked woman!
6. Some form of rice must be cooked on Christmas day
7. You look forward to long road trips because of all the food you will buy at stops. Burning planti and plum, burning fish, Pamplemousse, soya.
8. Your father was always first in school. How can you fail?
9. Your mother called you at some point in your childhood to run from where ever you were playing and give her something that was literally inches away from her.
“Azahhh!!! Gimme that coco for front dey make ah peel am”
10. Your home was never made up of just father, mother and kids. I grew up with uncles, cousins and aunts, relatives, you name it. Pa and Ma Nchifor, I hail oo!
11. Football is your life or the life of those around you. I never liked football but my dad and brothers LOVE football.
12. You ask for “dash” when you are done shopping.
13. You speak English and some form of French (whether broken or fixed). Or you speak French and some form of English.
14. You played tabala, cizo, dodging and ehn ehn while growing up.
15. You sang songs like:
Mr Cocoji e bikin di falla goat
E nack e food… (Please complete for me)
16. You fought pretend war in uncompleted buildings.
17. You made cars out of flip-flops and wood.
18. You cooked mud as food in tomato and sardine cans.
19. You call flip-flops, “two-rope sleppas”
20. You have been late for everything in your life but you arrived early for your American visa interview.
21. You call your mother, “reme” and your father, “repe”
22. Your father had almost nothing to do with the kitchen while you were growing up. Shout out to Mr N who cooked something looking like
Irish Potato Hotpot and called it,
Poulet DG.
23. You call your friends, “boh”, “massa” or “o boy”
24. Everyone may call you ” Precious” but your family members will call you, “Meshi’ or “Ma Meshi” or “Mamire” because that’s the name that matters to them. Precious is “waiman” name and Meshi is “contri” name and that’s the one they identify with.
25. A visit to someone’s home is not complete without you being served food and/or drink. Once upon a time, young boy put his hands on his head in disbelief because my younger brother refused a drink offer from a neighbour he was visiting. He was literally like this:
How you go deny mimbo??? Did I cover everything? Wona add wona own oo.
What are the characteristics of the people in your country? Please share below.
Hahahah Shirra! You are Cameroonian to the core.
That swinging of arms and twisting of face when 'they' call you is so real.
That eating of your meat in the name of 'appetit'. Wey! Na appetit again for weti wey person di enjoy chop nor?
You are so funny! Thanks for this comment, dear. There are many Camer recipes here to dig into so enjoy!
You know you are a Cameroonian when playing "all-head" was bad when you win in one side and not the other
You know you are a Camerooniann when you cant wait for "crimo" day to come so you wear your "cha-cha" and "kosh-kosh"
You know you are a Cameroonian when they sent you to serve water in a glass and you taste a little. hahahahahaha
You know you are a Cameroonian when you used to stage ballet in your neighbours kids bday
You know you are a Cameroonian when your playing at the "backside" with your friends and they call you and you grumble twisting your body and swinging your arms with a twisted face
You know your a Cameroonian when they you give your chalk to "azongo" or "backbenchers" or people who have repeated class one for more than one year to tell you a movie of sango-koo drawn on a paper
you know you are a cameroonian when your elders eat your meat in the name of "apetit" and you refuse, they threaten you lololol chai
you know your a cameroonian when as you get old, you cant wait to do these same things to your juniors lmaoo
you know you are a Cameroonian when you are watching movie with your elders and they show a kissing part, OMG "close those eyes" at you. My grandma was like "kiss-am" since the movie was slowing during such scenes lmaooo
fun memoirs. Thank you. Will be coming back here for some recipes
you know you are a Cameroonian when the guy asking you out needed to buy you biscuits and top. One of my auntys own boo used to get her but mbu lmaoooooooo
you know you are a cameroonian when that "old-pa" who always comes to "langa" calls you his wife and OMG, crying to the first power while other make fun of you
you know you are a cameroonian when your crush is your neighbours cousins who always comes for vacation and leave but you never say it to them while your action says it all.
you know you are a Cameroonian when your ID says you are one. One love my people!!
i just remembered one other funny one,
you know your a Cameroonian when you and your friend goes to visit your school crush and after the long walking journey, you arrive the house looking forward to eat and when your ask, your friend quickly says, " He just said hes not hungry"
You know your a cameroonian when youve never dated but you know the in and outs of it and always have a fake story about u and one girl or guy whom they later discovered never existed
Yi nack yi foot fo jigga yi wan side belly high ๐
Lol you really captured the essence of what it means to be Cameroonian. Plus we played seven stones and your mum will tell you… 'if ah catch you you go tell me if na me born you or na you born me'.
Sitting by the fireside roasting corns and plums and telling stories while the rains pour. Camer is truly unique in many ways.
Majority of anglophone households cook only with black maggi.
hahahaha number 7 is a story of my life. My UB days, I used to look forward to the melong stop. You know you are Cameroonian when you dance to the sound of Bikutsi/makossa, bensikin etc unconciously even if you don't understand the lyrics.
Ateyu. Every opportunity is a chance to celebrate with food and drink.
Good one, u really brought out the memories. You know u are cameroonian when every little opportunity is a party, serving a variety of food and drinks and music and dance to go with it
Hahahaha Evy! That way for give description na de eye.
Thanks for stopping by, dear!
Soo funny, can definitely relate to all of these, how you go deny mambo forreal, playing ehhn ehhn, haha, or giving someone directions you go pass that big mango tree so for ur right climb small hill n that Mami wae di sell koki beans…. etc lol