Time flies, suddenly looking back, you and I are no longer the same.
Everyone has youth. They are sweet, bitter and even sad. However, as time goes by, it seems that everything has become so beautiful when you think about it. Because that's our youth, isn't it? My youth began with my first trip! (Africa-Cameroon-Douala)
I remember it was one morning at 20 10, Guangzhou Baiyun airport. In a daze, I embarked on a two-day trip to Africa for the first time. As there was no direct flight at that time, we had to transfer to Thailand (Bangkok)-Kenya (Nairobi) and then reach our destination-Cameroon (Douala).
At that time, I was only in my early twenties, and I stepped on the plane with nervousness, uneasiness and novelty. Looking at all kinds of foreigners on the plane, I am worried about the little English in my stomach. I hate books when I use it. However, with the appearance of a face of china beside my seat, I immediately felt gratified. I immediately asked, "Hello, are you from China? Going to Africa too? " I didn't expect the other party to reply "I am Fayin" in very poor Chinese.
After a long period of communication, gestures and understanding. I finally understand that his ancestral home is Guangzhou and his grandfather immigrated to Paris. Besides Chinese, he is proficient in French, English and Spanish. To my surprise, didn't his elders teach Chinese? During this trip, he also went to Cameroon (Douala) to meet his wife, a black girl. They have no children, but they adopted two black children. I couldn't accept it at that time, but from his surprised expression that he couldn't understand me, I felt western culture for the first time.
On the flight to Kenya, because it is night, everyone on the side is resting. But I can't sleep and I'm still high. No discount. Seeing that there was wine in the dining car, I ordered a bottle of Heineken. I'm afraid it's not enough. I ordered another small bottle of red wine. Obviously, my idea is superfluous. I fell asleep after drinking half a bottle of beer. Can't drink! [shy] [shy]
When I woke up, I had arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. The transit time takes as long as 12 hours, and Wen Han (a Frenchman from China) offered to take us to Nairobi for a day trip, which made me overjoyed. Then I went to communicate with the airport staff, but I didn't expect to be rejected. Then, Wen Han flashed his French passport and said, "I'm not from China, I'm French". The black staff changed their attitude, turned around and took us to fill out the form, and gave us a car and driver to pick us up. And everyone only needs to pay $ 10. At that time, I felt deeply that the motherland needed to be strong!
It is very cold in Nairobi in the morning! It takes 1 hour to drive downtown, and I look around like a child in the car. Appreciate the exotic customs in front of you. Soon we arrived downtown, and Wen Han took us to the bank to exchange money. I thought to myself, fortunately, it is thoughtful to have an old driver with me. Passing the corner, I saw a black aunt. Her hips are as big and exaggerated as the black maids in Tom and Jerry cartoons I watched when I was a child, like two big balloons. I didn't expect it to be true when I was a child. I was amused on the spot and stood on the road laughing. And the Korean and passers-by beside me looked at me like fools. ...
Entering the corner is the bank. At the door stood four big black men, each with a submachine gun in his hand. I didn't see this station at that time, which made me flinch for fear that their guns would go off. Seeing that they all went in, I had to bite the bullet and follow them. Came to the second floor of the bank, empty and empty. Only on the innermost edge can I see a black girl sitting at the window. Wen Han took the dollars we wanted to exchange together and told her that we wanted to exchange money. I saw the girl in black waved and motioned for us to sit and wait. Then I waited for more than half an hour. I looked at her, squinting and almost fell asleep. Let's go slowly. Then an operation, two minutes. I gave a wry smile in my heart. What's all this? No wonder Africa is backward. They don't have the strength of Europe, but they want to enjoy the sloppy work attitude of Europeans. However, Wen Han said that this is normal, and the French are even more outrageous. Suddenly I was speechless.
Nairobi is a very modern city with many tall buildings. It is also a smoke-free city. Smoking is prohibited in all public places including public toilets. The control is very strict, and the people abide by it, which is basically invisible. If you really want to smoke. You will find a smoking area in the street. Twenty or thirty square meters of open space, hundreds of people standing there smoking, what a spectacular scene.
At noon, the sun is shining. In sharp contrast to the morning, the temperature difference is great. We couldn't stand the sun outside, so we hid in a restaurant to rest and fill our stomachs. Looking at the English letters flying around on the menu, I can't understand any of them. Wen Han has ordered a delicious meal and sat there with his eyes closed, leaving me standing there alone. Suddenly, I saw an English word rice. I quickly pointed and motioned for the waiter to place an order. I'm still secretly happy. It wasn't long before I regretted it. What's that ... I've never seen such terrible and strange fried rice. I was wronged like a 200-pound fat man, and finally I drank coke loudly. Wen Han snickered and cocked his head and said to me, "Do you think the fried rice cooked by black people will be delicious?" . This just made me suddenly realize. Embarrassed, I can only laugh with them. When we came out, Korean told us that the best food in Africa was barbecue and grilled fish. ([angry] Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier ...)
Stop-and-go, everyone felt tired, so they went back to their original place and waited for the driver to pick us up. The driver was punctual and then drove us back to the airport. I leaned against the window and looked at the scenery outside. The clouds here are very short, as if hanging halfway up the mountain, within reach. ...
The next day, Cameroon Douala International Airport. It's time to say goodbye Wen Han and I exchanged mailboxes. On the other side of the baggage claim area, I saw Wen Han. There was a black girl standing next to him, a little fat, with her hand on Wen Han's shoulder. That should be his wife. I waved goodbye to him. However, parting doesn't mean ending, my journey has just begun! [yi tooth]
Douala is the largest city and port in Cameroon and is known as the "economic capital". There is no factory here, and all the materials are imported, except the French brewery. I don't know why. Maybe the demand for beer is too great. Douala ranks 27th in the world in terms of living expenses, ahead of Taipei and Los Angeles. Douala was successively a colony of Portugal, Germany and France. So the first official language is French and the second official language is English. You will see all kinds of international friends in the street. It's far from what I just imagined. There is no prairie or "big lion" here. There are only big lizards on the roadside. They are really big. [Cover your face] [Cover your face]
I have a three-month business visit visa. So my family arranged for me to live in an apartment in Chen Shu for the time being. He has a shop in Douala, engaged in the wholesale business of shoes. China people here are all concentrated in a street called Amarkayijiu, which is only a few hundred meters away from the city center. Mainly engaged in wholesale and retail clothing, luggage and Yiwu small commodities.
There is a black worker in Uncle Chen's shop. His name is Jules. He is my first good friend in Douala and my English teacher. He used to be an English teacher, but compared with working in a shop in China, his salary will be better than working as a teacher in an ordinary school. Because of the disparity between the rich and the poor in Douala, the life of grass-roots workers is extremely difficult. Most black boys do odd jobs and sell cheap labor. For example, loading and unloading containers, 10, several black boys carrying boxes of goods with their bare hands, after a few hours, each person can get more than 1000 China francs, which was converted into RMB about 15 yuan. This is enough for their daily living expenses.
Jurols is a handyman in the shop, and all the manual work belongs to him, including washing dishes. Because he can enjoy a Chinese lunch cooked by his boss for free, at the cost of washing dishes. Every time I look at his reluctant expression, I feel very funny. Because I also hate washing dishes, when my mother asked me to wash dishes when I was a child, I would secretly break a few, even if I was beaten. Too many times, and nobody asked me to wash it. But Jules didn't dare. He may have lost his job.
Jurols has worked in Uncle Chen's shop for several years. Although he was only a handyman, he was already a high-income worker in the surrounding area, with a fixed monthly salary of 80,000 China francs (then equivalent to about RMB 1200). This is enough for him to support a family of four (with two little daughters). His cousin Avance is not so lucky. He is just a temporary worker, pushing his scooter around every day, and he will take any job. I am often hungry and have no income after a busy day. Sometimes I ask him to run errands and buy things, and then give him the rest of the change. I always thought he would buy food to fill his stomach. But he always buys a bottle of beer and a cigarette. Perhaps, alcohol and tobacco accord with Avance's temperament. ...
Jurols often buys daily necessities for the store, and I always follow. Because jurols is also a qualified tour guide, I take him to be lazy and he takes me to travel. Of course, our little sidekick-temperament boy Avance is indispensable. As long as there is work to be done, Jules always thinks of Avance. After all, they are brothers.
The place to buy materials is a leisure and entertainment area not far from Huaren Street. This is obviously another world. Looking at the white faces all over the street, you will have an illusion. You are not in Africa, but standing on a busy street in Europe.
As for the manual labor of purchasing materials, it certainly belongs to Jules and his brothers. You will meet me at a French dessert shop on the roadside. A cup of coffee with a piece of mousse cake, listening to music and watching the bustling crowd in the street, has a unique flavor. Opposite the dessert shop is the music bar. The facade is small, but it doesn't affect their interest in drinking at all. Accompanied by music, they showed their innate talent for dancing in the street. Jurols often encourages me to join them. Swing my stiff body with the power of wine. I will feel like a clown. But from their admiring eyes, I think I should try. And I always bring a bottle of wine when I come back. Because I can't refuse all kinds of cheap European wines. I don't have to finish it, but I just want to save it and cherish it. ...
There is a custom in the Chinese community that whenever a new person comes to Douala from China, he will hold an invitation banquet in China Restaurant, which makes me feel flattered. Chen Shu invited many people, all important members of some chambers of commerce, and my hometown. They are very enthusiastic, and I will raise my glasses to them one by one. They belong to the first China people who came to Douala. This is also a mistake. Earlier, I planned to sneak into Europe by boat. When I passed through Douala, I encountered a surprise inspection and irresponsible snakeheads, so I left them here. At that time, they were strangers and helpless in Douala, and the language was even more unreasonable. Just like a mute, he can only rely on gestures and tacit communication. From the earliest street stall, he has become a man of the hour in the Chinese community in Douala. From a person who once could not speak Mandarin well to an international businessman who is proficient in many languages. Their success was forged by all kinds of sadness and strong perseverance. I admire it!
After a hearty meal, the next scene is the highlight-casino. Yes, it's a casino. There are dozens of casinos in Douala, large and small, all of which belong to China people. Because, when you walk into the casino, you will find that 80% of them are from China. First, China people like gambling. Second, there is really no better place to relax except drinking at night. And all the food, cigarettes and drinks in the casino are free. So you will often see married people with children, even three-year-olds Casinos are not afraid of your crowding. I'm afraid you won't come.
I prefer sitting in a bar, drinking a glass of Bailey liqueur, chatting with people from different countries and listening to their stories than gambling. Speaking of Bailey liqueur, an Indian brother taught me to drink it. I remember that day, he left the gambling table dejectedly, obviously losing everything. Then I went to the bar, sat next to me, ordered a glass of Bailey liqueur and drank it off. At first I thought it was milk tea. After three glasses of wine, he began to tell me what had happened to him.
He has a relative who runs a supermarket in Douala just like him. Not long ago, he found that relatives secretly lowered the price to sell, disrupting the market and hindering his performance. This is a taboo for the Indian Chamber of Commerce. If anyone finds out, the chamber of commerce will empty all his goods at the original price. Then distribute it equally to each member of the chamber of commerce. Get him out of Cameroon. I quite agree with this. Unlike the business district of China, this horrible dumping behavior can be seen everywhere. Indian brothers are very kind. He chose to give the other party a chance to persuade him to stop that behavior immediately. Of course, my encouragement is indispensable. Sometimes even if you are hurt, it may make you feel better to influence him than to kill him.
Indians speak English very quickly. You must listen carefully to communicate with them. Otherwise, you can't keep up with their rhythm and listen to loneliness. But what drives me crazy is Korean English, but I can't understand a word. Same coordinates (casino bar), a gentle Korean uncle. After the whole exchange, I realized that he was Korean and was in the business of black wigs. His name was Jin-Hee Kim. The name is still the Chinese character he wrote on the table with his hand dipped in wine. Because on Korean ID cards, there will be Chinese characters in the name column. And only their older generation can write. Although I don't quite understand what he is saying, I am still very happy to chat with him. He is the kind of person who is very cultured and cares about the details of etiquette. He may be a man with many stories. After all, there should be few others like me in this luxurious casino.
Huaren Street is particularly lively in the morning. People come and go in an endless stream. There are many customers from neighboring countries. Mainly Nigeria, Gabon and other countries. They are all big customers and buy a lot every time. It was all cash transactions. So you will find that they all hide their money in shoes, socks, belts and even their pants. Because the security in Douala is not very good. There are often speeding cars robbing bags, and even armed robberies. However, to my surprise, this kind of thing happened to me. ...
It was one night, I wanted to go to the store to buy something, so I rode a motorcycle. There is no night market in China Street. As soon as it gets dark, the whole street will be empty. As soon as the motorcycle stopped, five big black men ran out of the corner and surrounded me. The driver of the motorcycle saw something was wrong and ran away without asking for money. I thought to myself: no, this is robbery. Several of them put their hands on me and motioned for me to take out all my valuables. Just when I wanted to take out my money and mobile phone, I saw a black man coming out of another corner with a bottle of beer. That man is an ordinary friend of Avance. At that time, I didn't consider the consequences at all. I shouted "hello, hello" to him twice. Suddenly a heavy punch hit me in the stomach. I bent down and sweated with pain. Just then, Avance's friend threw a beer bottle at us and shouted, "Avance, Jules, there's a fight, and your friends in China are in trouble." In an instant, the sound of "Kuang block, Kuang block" copying guy came from the corner. Jurors and Avanti rushed over with big iron bars. How can a few local ruffians and hooligans be the opponents of Zhu Basil, who has been a coolie for a long time, and run away after three or two times? "I'm saved, my good brother," I hugged them and said. Suddenly, I was wronged and almost cried. It turns out that jurols happened to take them to finish their private work and rest and drink here. Later, Uncle Chen taught me not to take risks in this situation. Personal safety is more important than money. What if they punch a knife instead of a fist? This made my neck shrink and I was scared for a while. Since then, I have never sat in Doualamo.
However, I never expected it. The local ruffians and hooligans failed to rob me, and I was actually "robbed" by the police in Douala at gunpoint. On the same night, I took a taxi from China restaurant to my apartment. On the way, the taxi suddenly stopped. I thought it was broken. At this moment, suddenly the door next to it was opened. Two drunken policemen, armed with submachine guns, pointed at me and motioned for my accident certificate. I just didn't bring it that day. Usually I don't check it. If you find that you don't have it, I just want you to go home and get it. But they dragged me to take me to the police station. I heard from Chen Shu that when you entered the Douala police station, you had a clear distinction between right and wrong, and your work efficiency was very low. Aside from spending money, it is inevitable to stay in it for a day or two. I hope they will cut me some slack. Obviously, their purpose is obvious, saying that they have no money to buy wine. I gave each of them a 10000 China franc with the largest face value. Now they are very happy, grinning and shining eyes, and once again they mention submachine guns to me. Let me give him all the money and say that he still has several brothers there. I'm helpless. I only have some change left to pay the fare. Afterwards, Juros told me that this kind of situation is rare in Douala. The police often ask China people for some drinks, but that's only a small sum of money, not as outrageous as me this time. I must have drunk too much, just in time for my meeting. Chen Shu also said that he had never heard of such a thing. This makes me even more depressed. I'm really unlucky ...
Unhappy things will disappear with the arrival of good things. The weekend in Douala is an empty city. You won't see a car overnight on a busy street on weekdays. There is an authentic African barbecue stall downstairs in Chen Shu's apartment. That's my favorite in Douala. A large stove with a diameter of more than one meter is covered with iron mesh. It's basketball-sized beef and mutton wrapped in kraft paper. Under the stove, there is a lot of space. The moment I cut the kraft paper, it smelled good. Gravy flows on the iron net, making a "stained …" sound, which is not delicious. Very delicious.
Don't forget to take a copy back after eating. Because next is my weekend. On the street opposite our apartment, every weekend, from 1 pm, a group of black boys will perform street dance. At this time, I have already prepared food and wine on the balcony, leaning back in the rocking chair, waiting for a beautiful live-action street dance. They will bring their own loudspeakers, accompanied by dynamic music. From the beautiful and coordinated dance to the exciting personal show. Especially mechanical dance, can't compare with Korean trainees. The action is novel, which is more permeated with strength aesthetics. Every time I feel that their bodies are suddenly out of touch, it is thrilling. Then there is the climax of the team fighting dance. They will ridicule each other and even collide with each other. Don't hide their enthusiasm. The street is concrete. They have no safety measures and are doing difficult moves. I wonder why their hands, bodies and heads were not crushed by cement. They didn't leave until dark.
Akwa is the nightlife center of Douala. On weekends, this is a paradise for many people. There are the most upscale restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Cameroon. I met my other friend in a French bar in Douala. ...
(Douala's story is still going on and will be updated soon.
Don't get lost)