Rumginae Greeting

Click click, click click, that is the sound that can be heard when ever someone here, in Rumginae, is saying hello.  While sitting in church or walking on the road or any other place, this can be heard, click click.  It is polite to greet people with a hand shake just like at home, but this is no ordinary hand shake.  It is the special way the Akom people here in this area shake.  You start out like a shake as normal but then continue by extending a bent finger which is then squeezed in between two of their knuckles and pull, this makes a sharp clicking noise when executed correctly (something that took me a bit of practice).  This click is done twice once for them and once for you.  It is amazing how quickly this has become habit and now when we head up to Hagen I find myself waiting for a click and they all look at me as if I'm strange.  Well it may be true I may be strange and getting stranger all the time!
Mel for the Marshes