Adventure in Bakassi, Cameroon - Chapter 1

25 Dec 08 - trip to Cameroon started
Supposed to go work on 26 Dec. Due to no good connecting flight to Douala, Cameroon, I have to fly on Christmas. Lucky all fun is on Christmas eve. Had a fun night with Jayne from 7-9.45pm, and with Cherish from 9.45 pm till 2am (shhhhh someone's mother can't know bout this). When I reach home around 2 am, I have to start packing cause I want to go out for nice breakfast and spend time with friend before I left for work. Around 5pm, my bro bring me to airport. Feed 2 dogs before I go. Bye bye Jojo Fifi. Jojo is still so fierce, want to bite me before I go to work.
Buy 2 burgers at KLIA, to feed me during transit.

26 Dec 08 - Airportssssssss (MAS from Miri-Kuching-KLIA-Johannesburg, South Africa, Kenya airlines from Johannesburg-Nairobi, Kenya-Yaounde, Cameroon-Douala, Cameroon)
Due to different time zone and jetlag, I lost count of time and date. I feel so sleepy in every airport. Whenever i find a clean couch where i can lay down, I just lay down and sleep on my hand and cover my butt with Egypt made slingbag and face with my jacket. Maybe snore a bit. But who cares. No one knows me here. I slept in KLIA, slept in Johannesburg. Can't lay down in Nairobi cause too dirty. Just slept on plane, only be disturbed to eat ( have rice on Kenya airlines).

When I was flying, the experience is special. We always thought Africans are kind of rough, but doesn't feel like that during my whole journey. (I found out that not all are gentle sound, met many rude one in Seme beach hotel, and in market when I buy souvenirs) They look rough but sound gentle, maybe cause they speak French too. As many knows, Latinos always sound sexy, hehehehe. In Johannesburg, they speak English to each other, they also speak Johannesburg local language. I said Johannesburg local language because that local language maybe only understood my Johannesburg people. They have hundreds of local language. It feels weird when they speak English to each other. It is like they are blacks, supposed to understand each other, supposed to have common language, but English is their local language. It makes them doesn't feel like pure African. Results of foreign occupations.

When I was in Johannesburg, I met a beautiful Kenya lady. Before I talk to her, she was approached many time by airport securities, trying to hit on her. 'Hello, How are you? What do u do here? Working? Studying?' It was so funny. I have to restrained myself from laughing loud. I was there watching what will happen every time a security pass by her. They purposely make a big round just to say hi to her. I was looking out to airstrip which is toward her, and she ask am I flying to anywhere. She wants to get my number, she says maybe she will go to Malaysia. I changed seat with same bench with her. I got her number and em ail, I said those guys must be very envy of me cause I had her number. We laughed. I asked about african ladies hair braid. She said my hairs may come off if I try African braiding. hahaha. Sh e was right. *sigh*. Thin hair.*Sigh*. We exchanged coins. She is working and studying in Botswana (recently have news in Malaysian concerning many Bostwanian college student died cause can't cope up with the stress in Malaysia. They get many racist treatment from Malaysian. She show me her bf's pic, A Big Picture, cannot put into wallet. I cannot post her pic without her permission. But I can post my foot pic while waiting for Kenya Airline to give me my boarding pass.

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Thursday December 25, 2008

Africans have problems acclimatising, says minister

By SARAH CHEW

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s efforts to be an international education hub by first attracting African students has hit a snag.

The Botswana government will reduce the number of students sent to study in Malaysian universities and colleges next year.

Its Education and Skills Develop-ment Minister, Jacob Nkate, said Botswana students who accounted for over 20% of the African students here had trouble acclimatising to the Malaysian culture.

He was quoted in a Botswana English daily Mmegi during a function soon after returning from a visit to Malaysia following the death of three students from the country.

Last month, two Botswana students died after falling from apartment balconies while the third died in a road accident.

It was reported that the students blamed the hostile environment they encountered in Malaysia that forced many of them to turn to alcoholism and other anti-social behaviour.

There are more than ,7000 African students here and of that number, 1,635 are from Botswana.

Nkate said some of the students had been given too much liberty by the local institutions.

He added that universities and colleges should not allow Botswana students to sit for examinations unless they had attended 80% of their classes.

Multimedia University (MMU) president Prof Dr Zaharin Yusoff expressed surprise at Nkate’s announcement.

“He visited MMU with his team recently and seemed happy with what we’re doing. He said that things would continue as normal.”

Prof Zaharin admitted that MMU’s requirements for those taking examinations were not very strict, but the university was willing to change the rules for Botswana students should the minister insist upon that.

UCSI University president Peter Ng welcomed the minister’s comments and said this was an opportunity to analyse the current situation.

“Local institutions and our Ministry of Higher Education should take stock of where we have failed and see this as a learning opportunity.

“The ministry should have a built-in system to help international students acclimatise socially, such as arranging host families to look after them,” Ng said.

Sunway University College (SUC) executive director Elizabeth Lee gave the assurance that SUC paid “special attention” to Botswana students, such as arranging additional mathematics classes for them.

Adapted from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/12/25/nation/2894270&sec=nation

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That is the airport in Johannesburg. It is very nice and new. It is said that they build it in preparing for Football World Cup 2010.

Also transit in Nairobi, it i so old and stuffy. I think I am going to worse airports for next transit.
Transit in Younde, but have to stay on plane while transit. And reach Douala Airport, my destination airport is real worse.

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