This week has been very busy, as I have been preparing to go to Kribi for a Peace Corps meeting. I will see all of the other volunteers, and spend some time on the beach. that should be fun.
So, last week was relatively uneventful, just busy with school. sunday, divine (my counterpart) invited me to go to a village meeting with him and his wife. many people that live here in the southwest province, are actually from the northwest. they get together to share their culture. i went to the meeting, and everyone was drinking their specialty, corn beer. ive tried it before, but i cant drink it. the taste isnt too bad, but it smells like fermented corn. it kind of grosses me out. the meeting was all in limbum, their dialect, so i couldnt understand anything. i had to introduce myself, and people were very friendly. after the meeting portion, they played some music, then we ate. they made the typical northwest fare, fufu corn and njama-njama. its a play-doh like substance, that you eat with green leaves. you have to eat it with your hands, or it doesnt taste as good. then came the dancing. there was a youth dance, a mens dance and a womens dance. i was warned that i would have to dance with the women. when it was time, they tied a 'loin' on me (a long cloth that you tie as a skirt), and i had to dance. it was not pretty, but they were so happy that i tried. after, there was more dancing with everyone. it was fun to watch, but i did not participate. im not much of a dancer.
monday, i went to divine's farm, with him, his wife, and a teacher from school and his wife. i was told to wear flip flops and insect repellent. we walked to the bush (jungle) here , then into the bush. then we kept walking.. and walking. finally we arrived at the edge of a cliff. divine said the men would harvest there, and the women should go into the valley. i neared the edge of the cliff that i had to walk down, and as someone told me to be careful, i slipped and fell. right on my butt. i also scraped up my elbow pretty bad. that may be exaggerating. i got two small cuts, but they bled a lot. then i broke my flip flop. finally i made it to the valley to harvest cocoyams. they are these tubers that grow underground, and have a huge slimy stalk. once you pull it out of the ground, you have to break off all of the small yams from the big huge piece you pull out. i was covered in mud and insect bites in no time. it was kind of fun though. then i had to carry a really heavy bag back to divines house. his wife gave me a bag to bring home, and it was much heavier than the one i carried from the bush. i cooked some of the food... delicious!
tuesday was a big day for me. i can now say that i am an african film star. i had a role in a film that they are shooting here in mamfe. its all about tribalism. its called 'my tradition'. basically, the chiefs son wants to marry a girl from another province, and none of the parents want to allow it. i counsel the mother of the girl. its about a 2 min part, that took 2 hours to film - lets just say im not the best actress in the world. the movie should be out in april, and i hope to bring a copy home.. that is, if they do not cut my part. we'll see what happens.
the rest of the week has just been filled with marking papers and filling grades. everything is done by hand, so it takes forever. someday, the school will become computerized, and will save hours of work. this is the holiday season here, but its kind of depressing for me. xmas is for family, which i obviously dont have here. there are no carols, no decorations, and no snow.. what is xmas without those things? i guess my silver lining is that when i go home, i will enjoy it that much more. anyway, thinking of everyone at home.. i leave tomorrow morning for kribi, so happy holidays!!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Just celebrated Thanksgiving.
So its been a very long time since ive updated. I dont mean to delay. things have been very busy lately, and mostly when i go online, i check email then my internet time is finished. anyway.. heres whats new:
-I've gotten sick a few times. Mostly cata (cold) because the weather is changing. This season is called harmitan, when the rainy season changes to dry season. The mornings and evenings are very cool and very foggy. Then during the day, it is very very hot. It hasnt rained in almost 1 month now. I think im also getting a little sick bc of the heat. its exhausting. ive been better about sunscreen and using an umbrella as a parasol, but it still affects me. Ive also had a few stomach problems - I think worms once, but the school gave me anti worm meds. im teaching my classes about worms though, so it could have just been in my head. I got food poisoning twice, and now im sick every time i eat bitterleaf (one type of leafy green here). overall though, im ok.
-ive been to church quite a bit. every weekend, someone invites me to visit their church. somehow though, i still havent been to the catholic church here in mamfe. im sure ill be invited soon. i really like the singing at church. most churches have at least 2 choirs. one sings in english, the other in the dialect. sometimes there are also youth choirs, or french speaking choirs. they play different kinds of drums and sing. everyone in the crowd claps to the beat and dances. its really nice. i think that is what keeps me returning. i get tired of going though, bc sometimes mass will last for hours. i think the shortest one ive been to was 3 hours, but the longest was over 5 hours long. thats too much for me.
-classes have been cancelled a lot lately - we had guidance & counseling day, so no school. we had a visit from the delegate for the ministry of secondary education visit, so no school the day of the visit, or the day before. there is always an occasion. the spring term is worse, with very few full weeks of school.
-most weeks i go out for burning fish (roasted/grilled fish) at least once/week. i go with friends or other teachers, and its nice. will is usually there and we have a chance to catch up. i dont think ive eaten anything too strange this past month.. i ate cow intestine (not good), towel (i think the inside of a cows stomach, called towel bc it looks like a towel - not bad tasting), more bush meat (mostly antelope, and bush deer). i almost ate monkey once. someone dashed (gave as a gift) my friend felicia some meat. she made it and i was eating a dish of it, when she said it was monkey. we then pulled out the rest of the meat to look at the hands. luckily it was not monkey. its hands did not look human. it was a close call. i dont want to eat monkey here. too many of the monkeys are endangered, and i dont want to contribute to their extinction.
-ive started in a volleyball club. they play 6 days /week, which i am not up to, and i am really out of shape. their goal is fitness, so we have a full workout and run before we play. at first, it was really difficult, bc i didnt know how to play, and everyone speaks french. now it is a little better. people are nicer to me, and they attempt to speak english or pidgin. i also attempt to speak french, but it doesnt go over so well. i need more practice. i found a tutor, but we are trying to arrange times to meet. someday i will be able to communicate better with my team. there is also a tennis club starting right next to the volleyball court, so i might play that sometimes. i miss playing tennis.
- i saw one of my first traditional dances the other day. on friday, i went to the opening of a new bar/restaurant/hotel, called ottawa-cameroon. there was food and cake, singing and dancing. it was really nice. there was a juju there with his wife. it was a man all in costume, with long 'hair' to his waist, and shells at his ankles that make noise. the story is that if the juju comes to you, you must be his wife. luckily, he already had a masked wife that danced with him. we also saw 2 little girls in traditional costume that danced. they were adorable. the next night, i went to the Bafut tribe fundraiser. we ate and drank again, and there was a lot of singing and dancing. they had a really cool tradtional dance. all of the men wore these stockings over their faces, so you couldnt see who they were, and they had wooden animal heads as hats. they all danced around and the women of the tribe sang. they played instruments that ive never seen before. there was a long xylophone made out of longs and wood planks, and an oval enclosed drum, with 2 rectangular holes at the top. they make great noises. it was really fun to watch. i was invited to another traditional ceremony, but it is during my next training period, so i will not be able to go. i hear there are more coming soon, so thats exciting.
-ive gone visiting a few times. i have gone to okoyong to visit will, my closest postmate (at the girls boarding school), and also to see lauren in kembong (a health volunteer). its nice sometimes to see other places than mamfe. i also had a longer trip. i went to the southwest provincial meeting in tiko. all of the volunteers in this province met at a volunteers house to talk about how things were going, and to plan a project. im still a little confused about our project, but its giving some sort of info to people at the mt cameroon race. in february, people race to the top of the mountain. it takes like 2 days. its supposed to be pretty cool though. we had a nice time visiting with other pcvs, and even had some time to go to the beach. we went swimming at the black sand beach of madison park, and then went for fish at down beach. they have the freshest fish around. you walk around and choose the fish that you want cooked for yourself. i went a little crazy when i saw seafood, so i got a big fish, a stick of shrimp, a stick of calamari, and a small crab. it was amazing. i went back the next day to eat fish again.
-i also went to kembong for thanksgiving dinner. we didnt celebrate on thanksgiving day, but i did receive phone calls from home. it was so nice to hear from everyone at home! on sunday, we celebrated in kembong. the day before i bought groceries, and on sunday morning, lauren and i cooked. i had bought a live rooster, and one of my friends said they would kill it and cut it into pieces. i picked it up sunday, and it was killed and plucked, but still whole. lauren decided that i needed to learn how to cut up a chicken, so i did. it was not easy. i took pictures of me hacking at chicken legs to cut off the feet, and pulling some of the organs out of the body. it was not fun. touching the soft bloody neck of the chicken was gross. i successfully cut the chicken though, and we even cooked the feet (i had to cut off the toenails though). she was going to give the feet to the neighbor kids. anyway, we made ranch chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, garlic green beans, and a fruit tart. it came out really good, and was almost like thanksgiving at home. we forgot at the time, but after dinner we said what we are thankful for. mostly it was each other - having someone to be a friend and support each other, our families, and everyone that is thinking about us while we are away. lauren picked up my mail, and i was so happy that i recd things from home. there are people that really surprise me with their thoughtfulness. letters are especially nice to receive bc i read them again and again. of course, kitkat bars, aa batteries and anything in a packet are nice to have too :)
-in two weeks, i head out on my next trip. i have IST (in service training) in kribbe with peace corps. its at the beach, and its one week of catching up with everyone, going swimming and im sure there will be some training. its exciting though. as soon as that is over, its christmas time. im not sure of my plan yet, but i am definitely going to be back in mamfe for the new year. i hear it is fun to celebrate here, and it will be nice to have a few days to relax with no school. thats it for now, and ill try to update more often. i hope everyone has a nice holiday season!
-I've gotten sick a few times. Mostly cata (cold) because the weather is changing. This season is called harmitan, when the rainy season changes to dry season. The mornings and evenings are very cool and very foggy. Then during the day, it is very very hot. It hasnt rained in almost 1 month now. I think im also getting a little sick bc of the heat. its exhausting. ive been better about sunscreen and using an umbrella as a parasol, but it still affects me. Ive also had a few stomach problems - I think worms once, but the school gave me anti worm meds. im teaching my classes about worms though, so it could have just been in my head. I got food poisoning twice, and now im sick every time i eat bitterleaf (one type of leafy green here). overall though, im ok.
-ive been to church quite a bit. every weekend, someone invites me to visit their church. somehow though, i still havent been to the catholic church here in mamfe. im sure ill be invited soon. i really like the singing at church. most churches have at least 2 choirs. one sings in english, the other in the dialect. sometimes there are also youth choirs, or french speaking choirs. they play different kinds of drums and sing. everyone in the crowd claps to the beat and dances. its really nice. i think that is what keeps me returning. i get tired of going though, bc sometimes mass will last for hours. i think the shortest one ive been to was 3 hours, but the longest was over 5 hours long. thats too much for me.
-classes have been cancelled a lot lately - we had guidance & counseling day, so no school. we had a visit from the delegate for the ministry of secondary education visit, so no school the day of the visit, or the day before. there is always an occasion. the spring term is worse, with very few full weeks of school.
-most weeks i go out for burning fish (roasted/grilled fish) at least once/week. i go with friends or other teachers, and its nice. will is usually there and we have a chance to catch up. i dont think ive eaten anything too strange this past month.. i ate cow intestine (not good), towel (i think the inside of a cows stomach, called towel bc it looks like a towel - not bad tasting), more bush meat (mostly antelope, and bush deer). i almost ate monkey once. someone dashed (gave as a gift) my friend felicia some meat. she made it and i was eating a dish of it, when she said it was monkey. we then pulled out the rest of the meat to look at the hands. luckily it was not monkey. its hands did not look human. it was a close call. i dont want to eat monkey here. too many of the monkeys are endangered, and i dont want to contribute to their extinction.
-ive started in a volleyball club. they play 6 days /week, which i am not up to, and i am really out of shape. their goal is fitness, so we have a full workout and run before we play. at first, it was really difficult, bc i didnt know how to play, and everyone speaks french. now it is a little better. people are nicer to me, and they attempt to speak english or pidgin. i also attempt to speak french, but it doesnt go over so well. i need more practice. i found a tutor, but we are trying to arrange times to meet. someday i will be able to communicate better with my team. there is also a tennis club starting right next to the volleyball court, so i might play that sometimes. i miss playing tennis.
- i saw one of my first traditional dances the other day. on friday, i went to the opening of a new bar/restaurant/hotel, called ottawa-cameroon. there was food and cake, singing and dancing. it was really nice. there was a juju there with his wife. it was a man all in costume, with long 'hair' to his waist, and shells at his ankles that make noise. the story is that if the juju comes to you, you must be his wife. luckily, he already had a masked wife that danced with him. we also saw 2 little girls in traditional costume that danced. they were adorable. the next night, i went to the Bafut tribe fundraiser. we ate and drank again, and there was a lot of singing and dancing. they had a really cool tradtional dance. all of the men wore these stockings over their faces, so you couldnt see who they were, and they had wooden animal heads as hats. they all danced around and the women of the tribe sang. they played instruments that ive never seen before. there was a long xylophone made out of longs and wood planks, and an oval enclosed drum, with 2 rectangular holes at the top. they make great noises. it was really fun to watch. i was invited to another traditional ceremony, but it is during my next training period, so i will not be able to go. i hear there are more coming soon, so thats exciting.
-ive gone visiting a few times. i have gone to okoyong to visit will, my closest postmate (at the girls boarding school), and also to see lauren in kembong (a health volunteer). its nice sometimes to see other places than mamfe. i also had a longer trip. i went to the southwest provincial meeting in tiko. all of the volunteers in this province met at a volunteers house to talk about how things were going, and to plan a project. im still a little confused about our project, but its giving some sort of info to people at the mt cameroon race. in february, people race to the top of the mountain. it takes like 2 days. its supposed to be pretty cool though. we had a nice time visiting with other pcvs, and even had some time to go to the beach. we went swimming at the black sand beach of madison park, and then went for fish at down beach. they have the freshest fish around. you walk around and choose the fish that you want cooked for yourself. i went a little crazy when i saw seafood, so i got a big fish, a stick of shrimp, a stick of calamari, and a small crab. it was amazing. i went back the next day to eat fish again.
-i also went to kembong for thanksgiving dinner. we didnt celebrate on thanksgiving day, but i did receive phone calls from home. it was so nice to hear from everyone at home! on sunday, we celebrated in kembong. the day before i bought groceries, and on sunday morning, lauren and i cooked. i had bought a live rooster, and one of my friends said they would kill it and cut it into pieces. i picked it up sunday, and it was killed and plucked, but still whole. lauren decided that i needed to learn how to cut up a chicken, so i did. it was not easy. i took pictures of me hacking at chicken legs to cut off the feet, and pulling some of the organs out of the body. it was not fun. touching the soft bloody neck of the chicken was gross. i successfully cut the chicken though, and we even cooked the feet (i had to cut off the toenails though). she was going to give the feet to the neighbor kids. anyway, we made ranch chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, garlic green beans, and a fruit tart. it came out really good, and was almost like thanksgiving at home. we forgot at the time, but after dinner we said what we are thankful for. mostly it was each other - having someone to be a friend and support each other, our families, and everyone that is thinking about us while we are away. lauren picked up my mail, and i was so happy that i recd things from home. there are people that really surprise me with their thoughtfulness. letters are especially nice to receive bc i read them again and again. of course, kitkat bars, aa batteries and anything in a packet are nice to have too :)
-in two weeks, i head out on my next trip. i have IST (in service training) in kribbe with peace corps. its at the beach, and its one week of catching up with everyone, going swimming and im sure there will be some training. its exciting though. as soon as that is over, its christmas time. im not sure of my plan yet, but i am definitely going to be back in mamfe for the new year. i hear it is fun to celebrate here, and it will be nice to have a few days to relax with no school. thats it for now, and ill try to update more often. i hope everyone has a nice holiday season!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Life in mamfe
to continue a previous post...
-i have met lots of "big men" here in mamfe: the mayor, deputy mayor, numerous chiefs, and princes (eldest sons of chiefs). everywhere i go people greet me, which is nice. it makes me feel like im living in a community. i was recently invited to a palace. a friend of the deputy mayor, named prince charles invited me to his palace at besongabong. he is a character. he is a nigerian film star and producer that returned here after the death of his father. he always wears a straw hat. he is currently working on a film for american release, "voodoo assassins". if you see it, make sure to watch. anyway, he lives in a beautiful place. the inside reminds me of england, with cream walls and gold borders on everything, including the furniture. it definitely felt like a palace.
-we had the launching of the school year at my school. its a big event, hosted by a different school each year. all of the principals and vp, and government officials come. its like a big conference, with classes to go to and snack breaks and things. the students sang and had tradtional dances to entertain everyone. after, there was a big meal that i helped cook. all of the women know that i cant good traditional food, so invited me to watch them cook. all i really did was peel plantains and watch them prepare coki. after though, i got some to take home with me. that was a special treat.
-i have started teaching. i teach all of the form 2 biology classes (there are 5 different streams). each class has between 80 and 100 students. so far, its going ok. i try to speak slowly so they understand, and im trying to be strict. its difficult though, when classes are randomly cancelled, people come into classes to make announcements, or tell students to leave bc they havent paid school fees. there is always something to distract the students. i have my first test next week, so we will see if they are learning anything.
-this weekend we had teachers day. we all bought teachers day pagne (mine was blue and said teachers day all over it.. there are books and teachers on it too), so i could have an outfit made. my outfit had a matching top and bottom, and my hair was braided. everyone complimented me, that i looked like a true african! we all got together at the grandstand (a set of bleachers) and heard speeches from the big men. in between speeches, each school in the area sang or danced. when they were finished, we "marched". we all walked in a line past the grandstand. i thought it was going to be a parade through town, but no, it was about 20 seconds long. after, we met for food and drink.
-i had a true mamfe experience. as i was trying to post a while back, the power went out and i lost it. its not unusual for the power to go out, so i just left, thinking i would come back later. the power didnt come back that day, but we didnt think anything of it. we all thought it would be back the next day. nope. nor the next or the next. the water is actually connected to the power, so there was no water. i learned the hard way, to have a water storage container. over 1 week later, the power and water came back. that doesnt sound like very long, but when you dont have water stored, you depend on the rain to do dishes and flush the toilet. when there is no water, those things dont get done. also, showering with a cup of water (we call them bucket baths) do not make you feel clean. needless to say, the first thing i did when water returned was take a shower.
i spend most of my time here visiting. i have a lot of free time outside of school, so i visit friends in town, or in my neighborhood, and spend hours just sitting. the location changes, but its nice to relax and visit with friends. here, you dont even have to talk. sometimes you just sit in the company of someone else.
i also try to fix up the house. i have to clean almost everyday, but my neighbors say that i dont do it properly, so they always come to help me. the little kids can cook and clean better than i can!
my goal for myself is to learn how to cook. every week, one of the women teaches me a new food. maybe by the time i get home, ill be able to cook something nice. we'll see...
-i have met lots of "big men" here in mamfe: the mayor, deputy mayor, numerous chiefs, and princes (eldest sons of chiefs). everywhere i go people greet me, which is nice. it makes me feel like im living in a community. i was recently invited to a palace. a friend of the deputy mayor, named prince charles invited me to his palace at besongabong. he is a character. he is a nigerian film star and producer that returned here after the death of his father. he always wears a straw hat. he is currently working on a film for american release, "voodoo assassins". if you see it, make sure to watch. anyway, he lives in a beautiful place. the inside reminds me of england, with cream walls and gold borders on everything, including the furniture. it definitely felt like a palace.
-we had the launching of the school year at my school. its a big event, hosted by a different school each year. all of the principals and vp, and government officials come. its like a big conference, with classes to go to and snack breaks and things. the students sang and had tradtional dances to entertain everyone. after, there was a big meal that i helped cook. all of the women know that i cant good traditional food, so invited me to watch them cook. all i really did was peel plantains and watch them prepare coki. after though, i got some to take home with me. that was a special treat.
-i have started teaching. i teach all of the form 2 biology classes (there are 5 different streams). each class has between 80 and 100 students. so far, its going ok. i try to speak slowly so they understand, and im trying to be strict. its difficult though, when classes are randomly cancelled, people come into classes to make announcements, or tell students to leave bc they havent paid school fees. there is always something to distract the students. i have my first test next week, so we will see if they are learning anything.
-this weekend we had teachers day. we all bought teachers day pagne (mine was blue and said teachers day all over it.. there are books and teachers on it too), so i could have an outfit made. my outfit had a matching top and bottom, and my hair was braided. everyone complimented me, that i looked like a true african! we all got together at the grandstand (a set of bleachers) and heard speeches from the big men. in between speeches, each school in the area sang or danced. when they were finished, we "marched". we all walked in a line past the grandstand. i thought it was going to be a parade through town, but no, it was about 20 seconds long. after, we met for food and drink.
-i had a true mamfe experience. as i was trying to post a while back, the power went out and i lost it. its not unusual for the power to go out, so i just left, thinking i would come back later. the power didnt come back that day, but we didnt think anything of it. we all thought it would be back the next day. nope. nor the next or the next. the water is actually connected to the power, so there was no water. i learned the hard way, to have a water storage container. over 1 week later, the power and water came back. that doesnt sound like very long, but when you dont have water stored, you depend on the rain to do dishes and flush the toilet. when there is no water, those things dont get done. also, showering with a cup of water (we call them bucket baths) do not make you feel clean. needless to say, the first thing i did when water returned was take a shower.
i spend most of my time here visiting. i have a lot of free time outside of school, so i visit friends in town, or in my neighborhood, and spend hours just sitting. the location changes, but its nice to relax and visit with friends. here, you dont even have to talk. sometimes you just sit in the company of someone else.
i also try to fix up the house. i have to clean almost everyday, but my neighbors say that i dont do it properly, so they always come to help me. the little kids can cook and clean better than i can!
my goal for myself is to learn how to cook. every week, one of the women teaches me a new food. maybe by the time i get home, ill be able to cook something nice. we'll see...
here in mamfe
so im here in mamfe.. (and a little bummed. wrote a huge post, then the power went out)
lots of things have happened. ill try to catch up:
-gave my presentation in french. i gave traditional recipes and brought in spices to show the class. i got a 98.7%. very nice.
-went to yaounde for the weekend. we had to do banking, and had a few training classes. other than that, ate a ton.. had a cheeseburger, pizza, chinese food and 2 milkshakes. everything was so delicious, even though all of that milk made me very sick. i had not eaten cheese or had ice cream in 3 months, so i had to catch up. i also bought a really cool batik tapestry. next time i go back, i plan on buying more.
-had SWEARING IN! i am now an official volunteer. all of the important people from town were there.. the chief, mayor, the us ambassador, host families, etc. some women gave a traditional dance and music. the town also honored the director, and had him dress in traditional pagne, juju (beads), and gave him a throne, staff and some other accessories. it was really neat to see.
-went out dancing swearing in night. i had one last dinner with my host family, then went out. for the first time in 3 months, no curfew, so we all stayed out all night. we went dancing at cristal, for hours. it was really fun
-the next morning, left for mamfe. we took a bus to dschang, dropped off a few people, then continued to buea, where we had to switch vehicles. from there to kumba, where we met up with another volunteer and had a chicken dinner.
-discovered that my ipod was stolen. i think i know who took it, and im NOT happy. i had a lot of my photos saved on it, so they are all gone. im hoping it will turn up, but not holding my breath.
-the next day came to mamfe. found out that my house is still not finished and will not be for another month. i was living with another volunteer. sleeping on the couch for a month gets old, real quick. to break it up, spent a weekend in okoyong with will. he works at an all girls catholic boarding school. we ate all of our meals at the convent, but they were good meals. also spent a few days in kembong with lauren. she taught me how to cook 2 meals: geloff rice and porridge plantains. they were better when she made them, than when i make them.
-met my staff at school. they are all really friendly. through them joined the staff social (amicale), a womens group, and an njangi/tanteen (sort of a savings program). all of them meet monthly and have food and drinks. its nice.
-finally, i moved into my house. it was ready later than expected, and i slept on the floor for a few nights. that was no fun, but at least it was my own place! its beautiful. i have a tiled veranda, a large parlor with wood patterned ceiling, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a small back veranda. its a duplex, and they are still working on the other house, so i have to put up with construction, but thats ok. there is also a little bit of work in my own house, but thats ok too. i made friends with the man that is laying tile next door, and he is around to help with any problems i have.
-speaking of problems, i have had 2 slight mishaps:
1 - on my birthday, i thought i would treat myself to a nice long shower in my new house. after my nice long shower, i discovered that the drain doesnt work, and gallons and gallons of water leaked out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.. then that leaked into the hall. after my nice long shower, and to clean up all of the water, using just a towel. it was not fun.
2 - after the drain was fixed, i went into the bathroom one day and found water on the floor. i tried to find the leak.. i thought it was from the hose that led from the wall into the toilet. as i touched it to see, the hose fell off and started spraying water everywhere. i was soaking wet, and had to call over the tiler to turn off the water for me.
i guess its not a new house without mishaps.
lots of things have happened. ill try to catch up:
-gave my presentation in french. i gave traditional recipes and brought in spices to show the class. i got a 98.7%. very nice.
-went to yaounde for the weekend. we had to do banking, and had a few training classes. other than that, ate a ton.. had a cheeseburger, pizza, chinese food and 2 milkshakes. everything was so delicious, even though all of that milk made me very sick. i had not eaten cheese or had ice cream in 3 months, so i had to catch up. i also bought a really cool batik tapestry. next time i go back, i plan on buying more.
-had SWEARING IN! i am now an official volunteer. all of the important people from town were there.. the chief, mayor, the us ambassador, host families, etc. some women gave a traditional dance and music. the town also honored the director, and had him dress in traditional pagne, juju (beads), and gave him a throne, staff and some other accessories. it was really neat to see.
-went out dancing swearing in night. i had one last dinner with my host family, then went out. for the first time in 3 months, no curfew, so we all stayed out all night. we went dancing at cristal, for hours. it was really fun
-the next morning, left for mamfe. we took a bus to dschang, dropped off a few people, then continued to buea, where we had to switch vehicles. from there to kumba, where we met up with another volunteer and had a chicken dinner.
-discovered that my ipod was stolen. i think i know who took it, and im NOT happy. i had a lot of my photos saved on it, so they are all gone. im hoping it will turn up, but not holding my breath.
-the next day came to mamfe. found out that my house is still not finished and will not be for another month. i was living with another volunteer. sleeping on the couch for a month gets old, real quick. to break it up, spent a weekend in okoyong with will. he works at an all girls catholic boarding school. we ate all of our meals at the convent, but they were good meals. also spent a few days in kembong with lauren. she taught me how to cook 2 meals: geloff rice and porridge plantains. they were better when she made them, than when i make them.
-met my staff at school. they are all really friendly. through them joined the staff social (amicale), a womens group, and an njangi/tanteen (sort of a savings program). all of them meet monthly and have food and drinks. its nice.
-finally, i moved into my house. it was ready later than expected, and i slept on the floor for a few nights. that was no fun, but at least it was my own place! its beautiful. i have a tiled veranda, a large parlor with wood patterned ceiling, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a small back veranda. its a duplex, and they are still working on the other house, so i have to put up with construction, but thats ok. there is also a little bit of work in my own house, but thats ok too. i made friends with the man that is laying tile next door, and he is around to help with any problems i have.
-speaking of problems, i have had 2 slight mishaps:
1 - on my birthday, i thought i would treat myself to a nice long shower in my new house. after my nice long shower, i discovered that the drain doesnt work, and gallons and gallons of water leaked out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.. then that leaked into the hall. after my nice long shower, and to clean up all of the water, using just a towel. it was not fun.
2 - after the drain was fixed, i went into the bathroom one day and found water on the floor. i tried to find the leak.. i thought it was from the hose that led from the wall into the toilet. as i touched it to see, the hose fell off and started spraying water everywhere. i was soaking wet, and had to call over the tiler to turn off the water for me.
i guess its not a new house without mishaps.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Nearing the end of training..
I had some free time and thought i would post; even though i havent done much lately. We are closing out model school, so in the past week I have written, proctored, and graded exams. Overall, the students did ok. I took pictures of my classes at the end, so when i figure out how to post them, you will all get to see my kids. Through most of training, we have had action packed schedules, and now we finally have free time. its kind of weird having absolutely nothing to do. I have a presentation to give (in french), a soiree culturel (where all of the clubs give a skit or something to show everyone what they have been working on), our model school closing ceremony, a trip to yaounde and then swearing in. it will go by quickly im sure.
so in the past week:
-we have played numerous scattergories games using scraps of paper, not an actual game
-we have searched for new bars to hang out at, bc pierres (the usual haunt) is getting really old
-i have played a lot of uno games with my host family. i learned that the pidgin word for shuffle is boxam
-i had two 13 year old girls cook dinner for the weekend. my mom went out of town, so the girls cooked. my meals involved lots of plain bread and boiled bananas. needless to say, ive had better
-we visited the chefferie superieur and met the chief of bangangte. we saw historical black and white photos of the previous chiefs, and saw an authentic zebra skin rug, complete with mane. it had a very nice end table on top of it. he served a huge lunch, with chicken, goat, fish, rice, fried plantains, greens and more. it was delicious... well, all except the chicken that tasted like rubber (the knife i had couldnt even cut it) and the goat. i found out later that when there are chickens that run around and eat out of the neighborhood garbage piles, the meat tastes a little rubbery. the goat wasnt bad except for the huge layer of fat around the meat. the meat was good though.
-i received letters and packages galore this week! 2 packages (both from mom), and 4 letters. it makes me so happy bc i know that people havent forgotten me. feel free to keep those coming. i think letters are almost nicer than packages bc i can re-read the letters. better yet, send letters with packages!
-i also received a message from a rpcv that served at my post in 1999. the experience sounds life changing, and he still references the pc experience. i hope to be like that when i finally return home in 2010. it sounds so far away, but 3 months have already passed by in a flash.
i cant wait to move to post.. im trying to buy a few things ahead of time, for my house that is still under construction. at some point, i would like to get a cat. it will be nice to have some company, and cats are good for eating bugs. by the way; my post is in the filaria capital of the world. if you are bored, look it up. its only the worst disease ever. anyway, back to peace corps life. hope all is well at home!
so in the past week:
-we have played numerous scattergories games using scraps of paper, not an actual game
-we have searched for new bars to hang out at, bc pierres (the usual haunt) is getting really old
-i have played a lot of uno games with my host family. i learned that the pidgin word for shuffle is boxam
-i had two 13 year old girls cook dinner for the weekend. my mom went out of town, so the girls cooked. my meals involved lots of plain bread and boiled bananas. needless to say, ive had better
-we visited the chefferie superieur and met the chief of bangangte. we saw historical black and white photos of the previous chiefs, and saw an authentic zebra skin rug, complete with mane. it had a very nice end table on top of it. he served a huge lunch, with chicken, goat, fish, rice, fried plantains, greens and more. it was delicious... well, all except the chicken that tasted like rubber (the knife i had couldnt even cut it) and the goat. i found out later that when there are chickens that run around and eat out of the neighborhood garbage piles, the meat tastes a little rubbery. the goat wasnt bad except for the huge layer of fat around the meat. the meat was good though.
-i received letters and packages galore this week! 2 packages (both from mom), and 4 letters. it makes me so happy bc i know that people havent forgotten me. feel free to keep those coming. i think letters are almost nicer than packages bc i can re-read the letters. better yet, send letters with packages!
-i also received a message from a rpcv that served at my post in 1999. the experience sounds life changing, and he still references the pc experience. i hope to be like that when i finally return home in 2010. it sounds so far away, but 3 months have already passed by in a flash.
i cant wait to move to post.. im trying to buy a few things ahead of time, for my house that is still under construction. at some point, i would like to get a cat. it will be nice to have some company, and cats are good for eating bugs. by the way; my post is in the filaria capital of the world. if you are bored, look it up. its only the worst disease ever. anyway, back to peace corps life. hope all is well at home!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
One more thing..
working on changing my old pic website. new one will be called melissainafrica.shutterfly.com. at some point in the future, it will have new pics. thanks!
A few other things...
That last post was so long, but i though i would say a little something about my house in mamfe. there are 4 new houses being built, and mine is sort of a duplex. there are 3 bedrooms, living rooM, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and im pretty sure i have both running water AND electricity! a lot of volunteers do not have that. i saw my house in progress while i was in mamfe, but i have since learned that it will not be completed in time for me to move in. that means, for a few months i will be living with another volunteer. supposedly i will have a fancy wood floor in my living room (most houses have cement). i will try to post pics once my house is completed.
also, i just finished my second day teaching here in model school. the first day went surprisingly well. i thought the kids would be bad (they were for their first teacher), but it was ok. i had 2 chemistry classes, then another 2 today. some of the kids love to give answers, but a lot of kids dont speak very much. im trying to draw out the girls, bc they never say anything. these classes are to prepare us for teaching at our sites, but my site will be very different. right now i have 14 kids in one class and 18 in the other. at site i will have about 70 per class. tomorrow i teach an it class, which is not that helpful for me, as my school does not have any computers.
its been cold and rainy here for the last few days, so i hope you are all enjoying the warm weather and sunshine at home!
also, i just finished my second day teaching here in model school. the first day went surprisingly well. i thought the kids would be bad (they were for their first teacher), but it was ok. i had 2 chemistry classes, then another 2 today. some of the kids love to give answers, but a lot of kids dont speak very much. im trying to draw out the girls, bc they never say anything. these classes are to prepare us for teaching at our sites, but my site will be very different. right now i have 14 kids in one class and 18 in the other. at site i will have about 70 per class. tomorrow i teach an it class, which is not that helpful for me, as my school does not have any computers.
its been cold and rainy here for the last few days, so i hope you are all enjoying the warm weather and sunshine at home!
Trip to Mamfe
I know it has been a long time since i have written, but I haven’t had much access to the internet. Quite a few things have happened in the past couple weeks. We have had a lot of health and info sessions, and learned about many of the horrible diseases we can get living here, like worms and malaria, and learned a lot about hiv/aids. We actually had guest speakers come in to tell us about living here with hiv. The stories that we heard were terrible. Their families and neighbors stopped talking to them, and one mans story was in the newspaper. His town found out that he had hiv before he did; he was in the hospital at the time. It was an eye opening experience, to see how people can be treated here.
On a lighter note, I also found out my site. I will be posted in Mamfe, in the southwest province. It’s the hottest place in southern Cameroon; its located in a valley, as opposed to most cities that are in the mountains. I will be placed at a bilingual school, though I don’t know what ill be teaching yet.
I travelled to Mamfe last week with my counterpart (another teacher at the school). We caught a bus from here in Bangante with a few other trainees to Bafoussam. Then 4 of us continued in a car to Dschang. From there we took a short break, and I bought apples. They were the cheapest ive seen yet; so I had to buy them. I also went to a `traditional’ house, where I tried palm wine for the first time. It’s the strangest thing. When it first comes out of the tree, its this sweet soapy looking liquid. It is interesting. When you drink it, it tastes almost healthy. After about 2 days, it has fermented and tastes more alcoholic. I tried that too, but didn’t like it. After that I hopped back on a bus with my counterpart to go to Kumba. The driver was interesting, giving points of interest (which were then translated to me by my counterpart). What was more interesting; was that the vehicle did not have an emergency brake, so anytime the driver got out of the vehicle (which was often), I had to reach my leg around the stickshift to hold the brake so we didn’t roll away. Those passengers lives were in my hands, and they didn’t even realize it. We stayed in Kumba overnight, but not before I ate street meat (or soya as it is called here). The meat sits out all day, and cant be good for you, but tastes so delicious. The next day I got into a 4 x 4 to travel the horrible road that leads to Mamfe. The road is really torn up and obviously not paved. A lumber company along the way is slowly trying to repair it, so that they can travel the road; but it’s a slow process. Anyway, we loaded up the truck (we were transporting about 200 lbs of marble tile), 6 people in the cab, and another 4 people in the bed, sitting on top of everything loaded in the truck. We got stopped at the first gendarmes checkpoint, bc there are duties to pay on any supplies being brought in or out of certain areas. Our fees were so high, that the driver got into a fight with the gendarmes and we were told to pull over. After all the men in my vehicle hopped out to argue, we were on our way to Mamfe again. Not even half an hour later, our vehicle broke down. Again, all the men hopped out to see what the problem was. I could have sworn that they fixed it with glue, but in retrospect, it may have been oil. Then another hour later, car broke down again. Turns out, the problem was oil, bc most of the engine oil had leaked into a puddle at my feet in the cab. They added more oil and some tape (for the hole in the line), and we were off again. Next problem was that we got stuck in the mud. We were so heavy that we got stuck and couldn’t get out. We all had to get out of the vehicle and the men had to push. We got out, and not too much later we got stuck in a different spot. Same thing – got out, men pushed. Then we stopped for lunch, where I ate bush meat. Supposedly I ate antelope. It tastes like a mix between venison and pork chops. It was pretty good. My counterpart ate antelope and porcupine, which I hear is really good. A common bush meat here is monkey, but I didn’t see any of that. We continued on, and we were about 1 hour to Mamfe when the driver got into a fight with a passenger and refused to drive us anywhere. After a while, this young kid started driving. Im not sure he was even high school age, and he was NOT a good driver. He ran us into the tops of trees, and almost knocked off the guys in the back of the truck. As soon as he stopped to drop someone off, we got a new driver (our third of the day). This driver was the owner of the vehicle, and drove like a crazy person. Our first driver tried to avoid holes, but this guy did not. He just rammed through them, and I was thrown all over the cab. Of course, there are no seatbelts –only one for the driver. At this point, I was tempted to put on my helmet. After this; one of the guys in the bed dropped his cell phone on the road and wanted to stop to find it, so we stopped the vehicle. Then the road was washed out; so we all walked and the truck tried to take a motorcycle trail (successfully). Then we got a flat tire, so we had to stop, then the road was washed out again. This time we had to wade through the water to walk through it, so I probably have some sort of weird worm in my feet from being in the fresh water. After that we finally made it to Mamfe. The 4 hour drive took us almost 12 hours. The only thing that would have made my trip longer was if it rained, bc then we would have spent the night on the road until the water dried. Luckily; that did not happen. Once in mamfe, I stayed with a current volunteer. We spent the next few days seeing the town, meeting people and eating. I had a lot of local foods, the most popular of which is eru and fufu. Its sort of greens that you eat with this starchy food made from kasava. Its not bad; but very hard to describe. I had a very nice time there, and everyone was really friendly. I even went to a club one night. The heat will take some getting used to though. I sweated the whole time I was there; and I like the heat. Next time I write, ill give details about my house. Right now, its still under construction. After my visit; I had an uneventful trip back, and im currently in bangante. Please keep in touch, and letters are much appreciated!
On a lighter note, I also found out my site. I will be posted in Mamfe, in the southwest province. It’s the hottest place in southern Cameroon; its located in a valley, as opposed to most cities that are in the mountains. I will be placed at a bilingual school, though I don’t know what ill be teaching yet.
I travelled to Mamfe last week with my counterpart (another teacher at the school). We caught a bus from here in Bangante with a few other trainees to Bafoussam. Then 4 of us continued in a car to Dschang. From there we took a short break, and I bought apples. They were the cheapest ive seen yet; so I had to buy them. I also went to a `traditional’ house, where I tried palm wine for the first time. It’s the strangest thing. When it first comes out of the tree, its this sweet soapy looking liquid. It is interesting. When you drink it, it tastes almost healthy. After about 2 days, it has fermented and tastes more alcoholic. I tried that too, but didn’t like it. After that I hopped back on a bus with my counterpart to go to Kumba. The driver was interesting, giving points of interest (which were then translated to me by my counterpart). What was more interesting; was that the vehicle did not have an emergency brake, so anytime the driver got out of the vehicle (which was often), I had to reach my leg around the stickshift to hold the brake so we didn’t roll away. Those passengers lives were in my hands, and they didn’t even realize it. We stayed in Kumba overnight, but not before I ate street meat (or soya as it is called here). The meat sits out all day, and cant be good for you, but tastes so delicious. The next day I got into a 4 x 4 to travel the horrible road that leads to Mamfe. The road is really torn up and obviously not paved. A lumber company along the way is slowly trying to repair it, so that they can travel the road; but it’s a slow process. Anyway, we loaded up the truck (we were transporting about 200 lbs of marble tile), 6 people in the cab, and another 4 people in the bed, sitting on top of everything loaded in the truck. We got stopped at the first gendarmes checkpoint, bc there are duties to pay on any supplies being brought in or out of certain areas. Our fees were so high, that the driver got into a fight with the gendarmes and we were told to pull over. After all the men in my vehicle hopped out to argue, we were on our way to Mamfe again. Not even half an hour later, our vehicle broke down. Again, all the men hopped out to see what the problem was. I could have sworn that they fixed it with glue, but in retrospect, it may have been oil. Then another hour later, car broke down again. Turns out, the problem was oil, bc most of the engine oil had leaked into a puddle at my feet in the cab. They added more oil and some tape (for the hole in the line), and we were off again. Next problem was that we got stuck in the mud. We were so heavy that we got stuck and couldn’t get out. We all had to get out of the vehicle and the men had to push. We got out, and not too much later we got stuck in a different spot. Same thing – got out, men pushed. Then we stopped for lunch, where I ate bush meat. Supposedly I ate antelope. It tastes like a mix between venison and pork chops. It was pretty good. My counterpart ate antelope and porcupine, which I hear is really good. A common bush meat here is monkey, but I didn’t see any of that. We continued on, and we were about 1 hour to Mamfe when the driver got into a fight with a passenger and refused to drive us anywhere. After a while, this young kid started driving. Im not sure he was even high school age, and he was NOT a good driver. He ran us into the tops of trees, and almost knocked off the guys in the back of the truck. As soon as he stopped to drop someone off, we got a new driver (our third of the day). This driver was the owner of the vehicle, and drove like a crazy person. Our first driver tried to avoid holes, but this guy did not. He just rammed through them, and I was thrown all over the cab. Of course, there are no seatbelts –only one for the driver. At this point, I was tempted to put on my helmet. After this; one of the guys in the bed dropped his cell phone on the road and wanted to stop to find it, so we stopped the vehicle. Then the road was washed out; so we all walked and the truck tried to take a motorcycle trail (successfully). Then we got a flat tire, so we had to stop, then the road was washed out again. This time we had to wade through the water to walk through it, so I probably have some sort of weird worm in my feet from being in the fresh water. After that we finally made it to Mamfe. The 4 hour drive took us almost 12 hours. The only thing that would have made my trip longer was if it rained, bc then we would have spent the night on the road until the water dried. Luckily; that did not happen. Once in mamfe, I stayed with a current volunteer. We spent the next few days seeing the town, meeting people and eating. I had a lot of local foods, the most popular of which is eru and fufu. Its sort of greens that you eat with this starchy food made from kasava. Its not bad; but very hard to describe. I had a very nice time there, and everyone was really friendly. I even went to a club one night. The heat will take some getting used to though. I sweated the whole time I was there; and I like the heat. Next time I write, ill give details about my house. Right now, its still under construction. After my visit; I had an uneventful trip back, and im currently in bangante. Please keep in touch, and letters are much appreciated!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Settling In
I havent been on in a while so i apologize. im trying to stay away from technology, and live like the hcns (host country nationals). some people here learned how to dial into the internet through our cell phones, and i will admit that i miss my computer, but im also a little bit happier this way. the culture here is not dependent on technology the way that americans are, and its kind of nice. i would love some mail though. i havent gotten any yet, and the mail system is now taking about 5 weeks to receive anything. phone calls would be great too. i heard there are a lot of inexpensive phone cards at justphonecards.com.
so things are going well here. every thursday the class has a big football (soccer) game, and a few teachers and hcns play. its a lot of fun, and ive been on winning teams both times. i play defense, and act as a 'human shield'. really, i just stand around until the ball comes my way, and let the ball hit me. i end up covered with red clay at the end of the game. yesterday i attempted to be goalie. i had a few saves and then one got past me. it was kind of a bummer.
last night we had a birthday party for 2 of the girls here celebrating bdays this weekend. after school we all went to the market then started cooking. the power was out, so we cooked by candlelight. my official job in africa is as designated potato peeler. my host mom told me the other day that im slow, but i dont waste much potato, so she will let me continue. anyway, we went with a mexican theme for the party, with enchiladas, spanish rice, and mashed potatoes and crepes which didnt really fit the theme. all of my classlates were there and it was really fun. at one point, we did pull out the rent soundtrack for some singing, which was not appreciated by all. we even got to stay out past our 7pm curfew, and i went home at about 11oclock.
this week should be interesting. immersion starts monday, so classes are in french only, and if we are hanging out at the school we must speak french. well see how that goes. thursday we find out our site placements, so i will know where i am moving in august. the next weekend i will visit my site so that should be interesting too. it will be nice to finally know.
i finally got sick here, and i thought it was dysentery, but i was told that it was only food poisoning. i was only sick for a short time though. i did get a bug bite that made me break out in hives (well; one hive), but that was kind of weird.
host family is going good. i had to babysit the kids for two days while the parents were out of town. i sort of learned how to light a lantern. well, i guess thats it for the moment, so everyone keep in touch! miss everyone tons, and hope all is well at home.
oh, and im having trouble uploading pics, so ill post when im able!
so things are going well here. every thursday the class has a big football (soccer) game, and a few teachers and hcns play. its a lot of fun, and ive been on winning teams both times. i play defense, and act as a 'human shield'. really, i just stand around until the ball comes my way, and let the ball hit me. i end up covered with red clay at the end of the game. yesterday i attempted to be goalie. i had a few saves and then one got past me. it was kind of a bummer.
last night we had a birthday party for 2 of the girls here celebrating bdays this weekend. after school we all went to the market then started cooking. the power was out, so we cooked by candlelight. my official job in africa is as designated potato peeler. my host mom told me the other day that im slow, but i dont waste much potato, so she will let me continue. anyway, we went with a mexican theme for the party, with enchiladas, spanish rice, and mashed potatoes and crepes which didnt really fit the theme. all of my classlates were there and it was really fun. at one point, we did pull out the rent soundtrack for some singing, which was not appreciated by all. we even got to stay out past our 7pm curfew, and i went home at about 11oclock.
this week should be interesting. immersion starts monday, so classes are in french only, and if we are hanging out at the school we must speak french. well see how that goes. thursday we find out our site placements, so i will know where i am moving in august. the next weekend i will visit my site so that should be interesting too. it will be nice to finally know.
i finally got sick here, and i thought it was dysentery, but i was told that it was only food poisoning. i was only sick for a short time though. i did get a bug bite that made me break out in hives (well; one hive), but that was kind of weird.
host family is going good. i had to babysit the kids for two days while the parents were out of town. i sort of learned how to light a lantern. well, i guess thats it for the moment, so everyone keep in touch! miss everyone tons, and hope all is well at home.
oh, and im having trouble uploading pics, so ill post when im able!
Monday, June 16, 2008
In Bangante
So this will be short b/c i am not a fan of this french keyboard. before we left yaounde, went out dancing at a club: it was really fun: they first played american music, but then switched to african: i found ouit the hard way, to ask how much a drink is before i buy it: (dont remember if i already told that story):
i made it here in one piece, and the bus ride was only about 4 hours: i met my host family and they are awesome. my mother and father are both teachers, and there are 5 kids in the house: two nephews about 18; anais, 9; alexandra, 7; and andrew, 4. they are adorable. we speak constant french; so thats interesting: i have my own room and we have water and electricity, but the power goes out often. there is no hot water, so i have been taking ice cold showers: we have chickens and rabbits (apparently they will be for dinner) and the roosters wake me up every morning (and sometimes nights) with their cocorico noise: food here is good: my host mom is a great cook, and everything is super spicy; havent gotten sick yet:
this weekend we went to bafoussam to a school: we were guest presenters for the hundreds of prizes given out to good students: it was interesting, and the chief of the village was there: yesterday i got invited to a 12 year olds bday party: the food was good, and there was a dance contest: that was fun to watch:
thats it for now: please send text msgs, letters and packages! if you need my info; email me!
miss everyone at home, and i especially miss the internet connection. talk to you soon.
i made it here in one piece, and the bus ride was only about 4 hours: i met my host family and they are awesome. my mother and father are both teachers, and there are 5 kids in the house: two nephews about 18; anais, 9; alexandra, 7; and andrew, 4. they are adorable. we speak constant french; so thats interesting: i have my own room and we have water and electricity, but the power goes out often. there is no hot water, so i have been taking ice cold showers: we have chickens and rabbits (apparently they will be for dinner) and the roosters wake me up every morning (and sometimes nights) with their cocorico noise: food here is good: my host mom is a great cook, and everything is super spicy; havent gotten sick yet:
this weekend we went to bafoussam to a school: we were guest presenters for the hundreds of prizes given out to good students: it was interesting, and the chief of the village was there: yesterday i got invited to a 12 year olds bday party: the food was good, and there was a dance contest: that was fun to watch:
thats it for now: please send text msgs, letters and packages! if you need my info; email me!
miss everyone at home, and i especially miss the internet connection. talk to you soon.
Monday, June 9, 2008
I thought Africa would be hotter...
So I made it ok to Africa. The flights werent so bad. Philly to Paris, 2 hour layover, paris to douala cameroon, 1 hour layover, douala to yaounde. We left at 645pm friday, arrived to cameroon at 7pm saturday. It went by quick though, and not too much jet lag. There are 38 people in my program, from all over the country. We have a pretty good group - everyone is pretty laid back and fun. Since we have gotten here, we have eaten a lot. they have a salad (always different) for every meal, then rice, meat and veg, then fruit for dessert. im having a bit of trouble, since i dont like most of the fruit (pineapple, watermelon, other melons), but im trying a couple bites each time. We are still drinking bottled water though. tomorrow we learn to treat the water so we can use it from the tap.
We had a party last night at the country directors house, with a big buffet. I ate chicken, beef, 2 kinds of fish, little egg rolls, shrimp, fancy breads, and fruit. We also met the Ambassador. She was the US representative in cameroon. That was kind of cool. I also got my first mosquito bite. (i was wearing insect repellent too!)
The weather here has been cooler than i thought it would be. The nights are cool, where i need a sweater, with the same in the morning. All the days have started out about the same, and cloudy, then around 10 it gets a lot warmer and humid. Its nice though. Further north its much hotter, but wetter also. This is the rainy season.
Yesterday we had a chance to walk around town. A few of us headed toward town, close to wear the soccer stadium is. I guess in 2 years, the world cup is supposed to be there. Most of the roads are paved, but there are no sidewalks and no grass. There are a lot of vendors on the street, selling peanuts, grilled corn, grilled fish, watermelons, pineapples, and a lot of other goods. We are not allowed to eat any of them yet, or i probably would have bought something.
today was testing for french, as lessons begin tomorrow, and some more shots. i only have 6 left. we also got our med kits, and more anti malaria pills. I'm in yaounde for another few days, so ill try to post more. i also get a cell phone later, so i wont be out of touch. email if you get a chance!
a bientot!
We had a party last night at the country directors house, with a big buffet. I ate chicken, beef, 2 kinds of fish, little egg rolls, shrimp, fancy breads, and fruit. We also met the Ambassador. She was the US representative in cameroon. That was kind of cool. I also got my first mosquito bite. (i was wearing insect repellent too!)
The weather here has been cooler than i thought it would be. The nights are cool, where i need a sweater, with the same in the morning. All the days have started out about the same, and cloudy, then around 10 it gets a lot warmer and humid. Its nice though. Further north its much hotter, but wetter also. This is the rainy season.
Yesterday we had a chance to walk around town. A few of us headed toward town, close to wear the soccer stadium is. I guess in 2 years, the world cup is supposed to be there. Most of the roads are paved, but there are no sidewalks and no grass. There are a lot of vendors on the street, selling peanuts, grilled corn, grilled fish, watermelons, pineapples, and a lot of other goods. We are not allowed to eat any of them yet, or i probably would have bought something.
today was testing for french, as lessons begin tomorrow, and some more shots. i only have 6 left. we also got our med kits, and more anti malaria pills. I'm in yaounde for another few days, so ill try to post more. i also get a cell phone later, so i wont be out of touch. email if you get a chance!
a bientot!
Friday, June 6, 2008
About to leave
So here i am, at the hotel about to leave the country. i only have a minute for a quick post. we had our training here in philadelphia, which went by quick. there are 38 people in my group, from all over the country. we fly out tonight and arrive in cameroon on saturday night, just in time for dinner and bed. training was spent doing ice breakers and learning about culture shock, and of course, shopping. will send email or post once we arrive. bye!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Starting to freak out
Well, its 5am on monday morning, and i leave wednesday for philadelphia for pc staging. I woke up, trying to figure out where my ipod charger is.. i actually tried to pack a little yesterday, and found out that i am missing quite a few things that i want to bring. i also realized how many things i still have to do, so i obviously can't sleep. since my last post, i have had 2 going away parties, and numerous going away lunches. kevins going away party was nice, and i saw a lot of people that i havent seen in a long time. saturday was my moms going away party, which was also nice. my family came, and i was surprised at a few of the people that showed up. im starting to realize that i have some really great friends, who have been there for me when ive started to freak out. those freak outs are happening a lot more, now that i am getting closer to leaving. on the one hand, i am excited for the program to start, but on the other, im finding it really hard to go. i have been preparing for months, and its no surprise to be leaving, but i wish i had more time here. there are still so many things to do, and so many people that i want to see. its going to be so hard to leave kevin and my mom. both of them are going to be so upset when i go.
so for right now, while kevin is sleeping, im trying to form a plan for the day. i have a lot of banking to do, and i have to pick up some last minute things. for anyone that i dont end up seeing, ill be thinking of you while im gone, and please write!
so for right now, while kevin is sleeping, im trying to form a plan for the day. i have a lot of banking to do, and i have to pick up some last minute things. for anyone that i dont end up seeing, ill be thinking of you while im gone, and please write!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Preparing for Cameroon
Well, as most of you know, I have been accepted into the Peace Corps and leave for Cameroon on June 4, 2008. I will be teaching secondary ed science and hiv/aids education. If the need arises, I may also have to teach computer literacy, but we'll see. At this point, I think my plate is full, as everything I teach will be done in French. I took french in high school, but my mind is like a sieve. I have a lot of refreshing to do. Luckily, PC set me up with Rosetta Stone language learning, and we learn French in training.
For now, I am working on paperwork. The whole PC process has been filled with paperwork, but hopefully its coming to an end. I'm also trying to pack, and getting nowhere. Most of the suggested packing lists state to bring "shirts" and "dress clothes". Not very specific or helpful. I also don't want to bring my favorite clothes that I will most likely ruin. Its hard packing for 2 years when I can only bring 2 suitcases. I have been told numerous times though, that in Cameroon you can have tailored outfits made for cheap. I will probably end up doing that.
I'm still home for 3 weeks though, so I would like to see as many people as possible. Kevin (the boyfriend) is throwing a party memorial day weekend for the holiday/my going away/2 graduations. It should be a good time. Then the weekend before I leave, my mom is also throwing a party. Not big on parties when I am the guest of honor, but it will be nice to have a chance to say goodbye to everyone. I guess that's it for my first post, but feel free to comment/email me!
For now, I am working on paperwork. The whole PC process has been filled with paperwork, but hopefully its coming to an end. I'm also trying to pack, and getting nowhere. Most of the suggested packing lists state to bring "shirts" and "dress clothes". Not very specific or helpful. I also don't want to bring my favorite clothes that I will most likely ruin. Its hard packing for 2 years when I can only bring 2 suitcases. I have been told numerous times though, that in Cameroon you can have tailored outfits made for cheap. I will probably end up doing that.
I'm still home for 3 weeks though, so I would like to see as many people as possible. Kevin (the boyfriend) is throwing a party memorial day weekend for the holiday/my going away/2 graduations. It should be a good time. Then the weekend before I leave, my mom is also throwing a party. Not big on parties when I am the guest of honor, but it will be nice to have a chance to say goodbye to everyone. I guess that's it for my first post, but feel free to comment/email me!
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