10.24
My first weekend traveling proved to be exciting, adventurous, and scary. 13 of us went to Bamenda in the Northwest province via “bush taxi.” It was only 2 hours away but the scenery was different and people spoke English (it’s an Anglophone province). We ate at a restaurant that served burgers, bought Snickers (!!) and actually understood the comments that the street vendors made. We went to see the waterfalls outside of town and ended up hiking bushwhacking through the jungle-like conditions—risking chiggers and ticks—to get there. It was worth it, the waterfall was really pretty and the bushwhacking was entertaining (partially because all of us said, at least once, “hey guys, we’re in Africa.”) After that we rook hot showers, watched CNN and drank real coffee—it couldn’t have gotten much better! That night we encountered our first attempted robbery in the city as one of our friends was pulled into the street, via her purse. Thankfully she was fine and her bag reminded tightly attached to her body. It was enough for us to return to the hotel and watch Son In Law on TV. Despite that event (the attempted robbery, not Son in Law…although it is much worse a movie than I remembered) Bamenda was my favorite city thus far. When we returned to Bandjoun it was great to feel like we were home. I spent Sunday hand scrubbing the red dirt stains out of my clothes and sneaking to my room to enjoy “diet cola” (not quite diet coke, but I’ll take what I can get) and the wheat bread I have stashed in my foot locker! My host brothers think I’m insane and laugh at me when I am soaking wet, covered with soap suds and drop my clean yet still soaking clothes directly in the mud. This happens quite often since I’m almost completely exhausted after washing!
Training is the same. I am trying to stay positive and look forward to Post (52 days). I realized the other day, while sitting in the traditional kitchen with my sister, that my French is actually improving—a little bit. I still can’t hold a conversation for more than 5 minutes, carry my dictionary everywhere but I successfully bargained for the first time this weekend in French! The water isn’t running tonight which means that I’ll be showering with well water (which as mentioned last time, is always fun). I do have nicely washed and ironed sheets (ironed on account of the mango flies which like to hide in drying clothes and then bury themselves in your skin…yum). On that note, I love and miss you all very much. I am thinking of you often!! Keep the emails coming and if anyone is sending anything this way…which I wouldn’t necessarily discourage J… we were advised to have you write in red ink, it detours tampering. FYI.
I’ll update soon! Love!!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
10.21
I am sitting in a water sanitation class that’s in French while I’m writing this. I am hoping to be able to type it on a friends computer with an English keyboard!
I am closing in on three weeks in Africa and it feels like I’ve been here for years! My daily routine is getting pretty regular:
5:45: Roosters wake me up.
6:30: Actually get up after hating the rooster for 45 minutes.
7:00: After getting ready I boil water for my Nescafe and drink it outside looking around or watching it rain.
7:15: Eat half a bagette and watch the 6 kids fight over the biggest piece, usually finish my French homework.
7:30: Leave for school, get stared at the entire time by the kids who shout “Good Morning” (said more like “Goood Moouring!!).
8-5: School—which is now in almost all French to aid in our “immersion” but really it just makes me space out and write emails to my friends in America.
5:00: Play ultimate Frisbee or football (the rest of the world football, ie soccer) where we’re joined by tons of local kids who are now better than most of us. Or go to the bar and have petit cocas/beer and vent about the day.
6:30: the sun sets in about 10 minutes, part of being so near the equator I suppose.
7-8: Eat some dinner (usually rice, beans, plantains, potatos…startch).
8-9: “Shower” and finish my homework.
In bed by 10 (at the latest)!
It’s become pretty monotonous and I can’t wait to go to Post (December 15th). Although it will be hard without my friends, I am ready for my own space! Living with a family has been interesting, definitely a learning experience, quite different from growing up just Harry and me! We have kind of been working on a few projects in Bandjoun, a soccer tournament and with a girls group. The soccer thing was organized by PC but basically we have a soccer game once a week and at half time do a needs assessment/health intervention of some sort. It’s pretty fun but I have found that being a white girl playing with Cameroonian men is a bit difficult. The girls club is at the Catholic mission and we are trying to plan osme sort of empowerment/team building thing with them. We’ve only met with them once and once they opened up we had a great time. It’s hard though—not as easy as working with the American teenagers at 1st Pres :). I think it could be a great project though!
My biggest problem here has been French which I am understanding a little more but it’s very hard here because it’s often mixed with the local language and/or slang. Slowly I am getting better but it has been harder than I thought. At least once a day I have to remind myself that I live in Africa and why I am here. Luckily my friends are able to remind me of that also.
Some stuff we’ve been learning can be tedious because it’s a lot of groundwork and foundation for assessing communities, identifiying needs, etc and less of the health work I had in mind. That will come and I am thinking now that I may want my primary job to be more youth oriented than health center oriented. We’ll see! What we have learned so far is that the health problems range from eye infections to GI problems to AIDS and Malaria!
One cool thing, besides just ebing here, is watching food be prepared. I mean we’re talking “ground with a rock and cooked over the fire” cooking. Hopefully I can learn to do one or two things before I leave so I’m not having Nescafe for every meal at post!!
After reading over this I thought I’d elaborate slightly on the shower situation:
a)the shower room is connected to the latrine—period.
b)There are “shower flies” which are mini and literally just sit on the walls at all times—at least they’re not flying around or at you, but thye’re still there and there’s a lot them!
c) Freezing.
d) I am still unsure of how clean I’m actually getting.
e) I usually have to psych myself up for a few minutes before I turn on the water and jump in—which is usually for only the time needed to rinse.
f) The questionable electricity occasionally goes out mid-shower.
…I generally just laugh, that’s all there is to do many times!
I am sitting in a water sanitation class that’s in French while I’m writing this. I am hoping to be able to type it on a friends computer with an English keyboard!
I am closing in on three weeks in Africa and it feels like I’ve been here for years! My daily routine is getting pretty regular:
5:45: Roosters wake me up.
6:30: Actually get up after hating the rooster for 45 minutes.
7:00: After getting ready I boil water for my Nescafe and drink it outside looking around or watching it rain.
7:15: Eat half a bagette and watch the 6 kids fight over the biggest piece, usually finish my French homework.
7:30: Leave for school, get stared at the entire time by the kids who shout “Good Morning” (said more like “Goood Moouring!!).
8-5: School—which is now in almost all French to aid in our “immersion” but really it just makes me space out and write emails to my friends in America.
5:00: Play ultimate Frisbee or football (the rest of the world football, ie soccer) where we’re joined by tons of local kids who are now better than most of us. Or go to the bar and have petit cocas/beer and vent about the day.
6:30: the sun sets in about 10 minutes, part of being so near the equator I suppose.
7-8: Eat some dinner (usually rice, beans, plantains, potatos…startch).
8-9: “Shower” and finish my homework.
In bed by 10 (at the latest)!
It’s become pretty monotonous and I can’t wait to go to Post (December 15th). Although it will be hard without my friends, I am ready for my own space! Living with a family has been interesting, definitely a learning experience, quite different from growing up just Harry and me! We have kind of been working on a few projects in Bandjoun, a soccer tournament and with a girls group. The soccer thing was organized by PC but basically we have a soccer game once a week and at half time do a needs assessment/health intervention of some sort. It’s pretty fun but I have found that being a white girl playing with Cameroonian men is a bit difficult. The girls club is at the Catholic mission and we are trying to plan osme sort of empowerment/team building thing with them. We’ve only met with them once and once they opened up we had a great time. It’s hard though—not as easy as working with the American teenagers at 1st Pres :). I think it could be a great project though!
My biggest problem here has been French which I am understanding a little more but it’s very hard here because it’s often mixed with the local language and/or slang. Slowly I am getting better but it has been harder than I thought. At least once a day I have to remind myself that I live in Africa and why I am here. Luckily my friends are able to remind me of that also.
Some stuff we’ve been learning can be tedious because it’s a lot of groundwork and foundation for assessing communities, identifiying needs, etc and less of the health work I had in mind. That will come and I am thinking now that I may want my primary job to be more youth oriented than health center oriented. We’ll see! What we have learned so far is that the health problems range from eye infections to GI problems to AIDS and Malaria!
One cool thing, besides just ebing here, is watching food be prepared. I mean we’re talking “ground with a rock and cooked over the fire” cooking. Hopefully I can learn to do one or two things before I leave so I’m not having Nescafe for every meal at post!!
After reading over this I thought I’d elaborate slightly on the shower situation:
a)the shower room is connected to the latrine—period.
b)There are “shower flies” which are mini and literally just sit on the walls at all times—at least they’re not flying around or at you, but thye’re still there and there’s a lot them!
c) Freezing.
d) I am still unsure of how clean I’m actually getting.
e) I usually have to psych myself up for a few minutes before I turn on the water and jump in—which is usually for only the time needed to rinse.
f) The questionable electricity occasionally goes out mid-shower.
…I generally just laugh, that’s all there is to do many times!
10.11
Hi! It’s been a little while and I’ve wanted, very badly, to write you all many times. We arrived in Bandjoun (which I realized after the last email, is in the West Province, not the Northwest) last Thursday. The drive from Yaounde was beautiful—I was reminded a few times of Disney movies, Lion King and Tarzan specifically. When we arrived, after a 4ish hour drive, our host families were waiting. I was pretty nervous but my “Mama” was very excited and soon thereafter her husband (“papa”) picked us up. Now we all know Jack was slightly ‘used’ if you will…well his car showed mine up for sure! At one point he even took the key out of the ignition, changed the radio with it, while the car kept going. Interesting. Anyhow, when we got to our house I saw a bunch of little faces gazing at the car through the gate. It turns out that my family has 9 kids, 6 living there; Octavie, 18; Achille, 16; Franc, 14; Brice, 11; Gladyce, 8; and Armine, 5. The first night was pretty tough. I couldn’t understand them or speak to them and had my first “what am I doing here?” moment in the midst of flailing in an unsuccessful attempt to communicate. I only almost burst into tears once, ok a few times. Since then I have gotten better. I feel more comfortable, understand more and am mastering the pit latrine! Luckily I live on a street with 4 other PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) so we’re able to meet up and go to the bar after school or study or whatever. In the morning after my Nescafe with powdered milk (not quite Starbucks) I walk to school with my little brothers and sister. We have training/school from 8-5 or 6 Monday thru Saturday—a lot of French, technical training and some safety and culture. For lunch we walk down to the Marche and eat rice and beans (or some variation) at a café. The Marche is interesting and hard to explain via email but basically is a really dirty, smelly farmers market with almost everything you can imagine for sale. Well, except for the American luxuries I am craving! People here are great, Cameroonians are very supportive of the Peace Corps and we are greeted/stared at almost 90% of the time and are starting to make friends/acquaintances at the Marche.
Some cultural experiences I’ve had thus far:
-Bucket showers with well water
-Hand washing clothes in a bucket
-Roosters crowing ALL day long (including 5 AM)
-Goats being taken on walks
-Women carrying ANY size thing on their heads for any given distance
-Eating a fish head and “gumbo” which is slimy and green and resembles snot, thus being nick-named “snot sauce.” It’s not my favorite food here to say the least!
-Beers and Petit Cocas cost 60 cents
-There is absolutely NO speed limit nor any road regulations, that I’ve seen so far
-Did I mention the pit latrine? And for those of you keeping count, I’m sharing it with 9 other people (mom, dad, kids, grandma…)
-Shot count: 8 and rising weekly!
My friendships with the PCTs are great and changing daily. I can’t imagine getting through a day without them. It’s hard to think that we’ve only been here 2 weeks! I don’t have internet in Bandjoun so we have to take a taxi to the capitol of the province, Bauffasam (15 minutes away) to have email. We are able to hit up the “white mans store” though!!
Hi! It’s been a little while and I’ve wanted, very badly, to write you all many times. We arrived in Bandjoun (which I realized after the last email, is in the West Province, not the Northwest) last Thursday. The drive from Yaounde was beautiful—I was reminded a few times of Disney movies, Lion King and Tarzan specifically. When we arrived, after a 4ish hour drive, our host families were waiting. I was pretty nervous but my “Mama” was very excited and soon thereafter her husband (“papa”) picked us up. Now we all know Jack was slightly ‘used’ if you will…well his car showed mine up for sure! At one point he even took the key out of the ignition, changed the radio with it, while the car kept going. Interesting. Anyhow, when we got to our house I saw a bunch of little faces gazing at the car through the gate. It turns out that my family has 9 kids, 6 living there; Octavie, 18; Achille, 16; Franc, 14; Brice, 11; Gladyce, 8; and Armine, 5. The first night was pretty tough. I couldn’t understand them or speak to them and had my first “what am I doing here?” moment in the midst of flailing in an unsuccessful attempt to communicate. I only almost burst into tears once, ok a few times. Since then I have gotten better. I feel more comfortable, understand more and am mastering the pit latrine! Luckily I live on a street with 4 other PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) so we’re able to meet up and go to the bar after school or study or whatever. In the morning after my Nescafe with powdered milk (not quite Starbucks) I walk to school with my little brothers and sister. We have training/school from 8-5 or 6 Monday thru Saturday—a lot of French, technical training and some safety and culture. For lunch we walk down to the Marche and eat rice and beans (or some variation) at a café. The Marche is interesting and hard to explain via email but basically is a really dirty, smelly farmers market with almost everything you can imagine for sale. Well, except for the American luxuries I am craving! People here are great, Cameroonians are very supportive of the Peace Corps and we are greeted/stared at almost 90% of the time and are starting to make friends/acquaintances at the Marche.
Some cultural experiences I’ve had thus far:
-Bucket showers with well water
-Hand washing clothes in a bucket
-Roosters crowing ALL day long (including 5 AM)
-Goats being taken on walks
-Women carrying ANY size thing on their heads for any given distance
-Eating a fish head and “gumbo” which is slimy and green and resembles snot, thus being nick-named “snot sauce.” It’s not my favorite food here to say the least!
-Beers and Petit Cocas cost 60 cents
-There is absolutely NO speed limit nor any road regulations, that I’ve seen so far
-Did I mention the pit latrine? And for those of you keeping count, I’m sharing it with 9 other people (mom, dad, kids, grandma…)
-Shot count: 8 and rising weekly!
My friendships with the PCTs are great and changing daily. I can’t imagine getting through a day without them. It’s hard to think that we’ve only been here 2 weeks! I don’t have internet in Bandjoun so we have to take a taxi to the capitol of the province, Bauffasam (15 minutes away) to have email. We are able to hit up the “white mans store” though!!
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