Jean and I had spent the months of November and December furiously preparing our luggage for our three week trip to Cameroon and Gabon. Coming from America immediately put a stigma on the two of us for which we were trying to prepare -- that of being rich and a prime target for freeloading. We wanted those who first came a-callin' to hear that we were but two humble working-class people, not making much on a receptionist's and mechanic's lowly wages. Should have known it wouldn't work.
We both had ideas of what to bring for his immediate family, being his four sisters and three brothers, mother and father. They are all very special to us and we'd been keeping in regular contact with them via phone and email. They, wonderful as they are, didn't feel comfortable requesting gifts so a lot of what we got was by intuition. I had only seen his family for all of two days (in 2000) so I had to hope that what I felt they'd appreciate (from talking on the phone with them) was right.
And of course when you head home you will invariably find you have many more friends in the States who would like you to "just take a couple things for the family" which will end up being a couple bags and the family will be three hours away from anywhere you planned on being. But that's life and you have to accept it because one day you might have to pull the same trick on one of them.
We flew out December 28 so that we would be in Yaounde, the capital and home of his mom and sisters and brothers, in plenty of time for the New Year's celebration.
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