Living a life in the village generally means that you do not have a traditional job. People wake up early and work, but it's to work on their homes, grow their food, tend animals or to hunt or fish for protein. It is possible to work for money and to then buy food but it is not common. This means that I value an animal for its beauty and how it is important to the environment, while many people in the village may see that animal as food.
For me, this is not an issue because I know I am a visitor and I can share my views but I understand that they are coming from a different perspective. For the eco-guard that accompanies us on our trip, this is a different story. They are part of the government and their job is to protect the environment and wildlife. When in the village, it is their job to tell people why they should not eat some animals and this can cause conflict. Every trip there is always a point at which people start arguing over this conflict. Conversations in Cameroon can quickly become shouting matches when people very passionate about their views. It takes time to understand that this is simply how people converse in Cameroon. Two people that were yelling at each other one moment, are back to being friends quickly after talking.
One of the most important parts of traveling to a new culture is accepting that they will have different perspectives on life.
