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!!