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!
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