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.