September 24, 2007

The days seem to inch by yet weeks pass before my eyes. Amazingly June turned to July, July to August, August to September and sometime next week, September will end. This meaning that I will have only 2 months left in Cameroon and even less time in Ndu. With that realization slowly settling in I think of all the things I want to do and wish I’d done, while I try to come to terms with the fact that it probably won’t happen. It’s a tough thing to realize and accept (even as I write this I’m compiling a “to-do” list that inevitably will be not fully accomplished).

However, over the past 2 months I’ve felt fairly “successful” and “productive.” (By the way, the meaning of both words had changed significantly for me since coming here nearly 2 years ago). Our HIV/AIDS sessions in the village have gone well—we’ve been very lucky to team up with a duo of very knowledgeable and helpful staff from Banso Baptist Hospital who, working within the parameters of one of their own projects, are giving free tests at our seminars and will try to organize abstinence clubs at the local schools before, during, and after our seminar. This (as all you “international development” connoisseurs will know) makes our project fairly sustainable…which, after all, is the goal of all this work anyway! So far we’ve tested over 100 people and educated about 100 more. Our final session is in a few weeks at the secondary school where there are about 600 youth—we’re hopeful it will go as well there too!

On a slightly different note, I’ve been, once again, faced some interesting cultural and traditional incidents. My favorite was shared with me by a missionary friend who teaches at the seminary in Ndu. Recently during a “forum” it was presented that because of juju a friend of a friend of a friend’s sister (or something like that) actually gave birth to a cabbage…like the kind you make coleslaw out of…

The new group of trainees (soon to be volunteers…well in 3 months) arrived on Saturday. It is weird to think that only 2 years ago we arrived here seeing as I feel that I’ve learned more in these 2 years than the previous 5 (with that being said I also feel as though I’ve lost significant brain function due to daily use of “special English” and pidgin)…but this is more “worldly knowledge.” Here’s to hoping the next 8 weeks are productive, successful and enjoyable—as much as saying good-bye can be—as I try to wrap up one life and remember what the other one was like!!

Pictures...the first ones are the road from Ndu to the village where we have been doing our HIV seminar and one from inside the classroom during one of our sessions. Taking pictures while trying to hold on to the back of a motorcycle is always exciting.

And, while in Yaounde a "band" came and play for a few hours for another volunteer's birthday...it was very fun, they even had a cow bell. What more do you need?

September 7, 2007
Lots of time in Yaounde, too much internet access and my camera is working again so...Pictures!!




COS Conference, Soul food and dancing in the case...






Soul food...so much butter. So much garlic. So much cheese.












...dancing to 80s and Stacy's choice of Braveheart Techno mix











































We love Peace--in all languages

Matching dresses, Ingrid's birthday dinner (lip staining red wine??), and COS dinner!

24.08.07
A few pictures from a busy work week!

Our first HIV/AIDS seminar and free testing the a village went really well.




































Baby weighing is more fun when guest come and soy milk is made!

15.08.07
This blog is from May 1st--but I just found it and realized I never posted it. So…here's an old one! As for current life, it's going well. Lots of rain, cloudy days and running water. I'm busy working on 3 different projects (a 2-year high for work load!) and getting excited about finishing up in about 3 months!!

Below are some random travel pictures. There aren’t really ways to describe the wonder of Cameroonian travel except through pictures and even those don’t usually do it justice!

The car smelled really bad--my bad didn't smell that much better though.

One kid had pink eye, one had orange hair (not so much for style, more from lack of nutrients) and there were a total of 14 of us in ONE car.

I think this may be too much stuff...

Labour Day 2007…US weekly photo shoot or national holiday??

I avoided it last year but no such luck for Cameroon Labor Day 2007! It started out well, pouring rain at 8 AM. I received one of my favorite greetings thus far:"Morning Miss Ally. You're up?"
"Yes."
"Weh! Thank God."
…Now I wasn't quite sure if "A'int that the truth!" would have translated well, so I just smiled. Our departure was delayed until about 9 wherein we bounced along, 18 in a Land Rover, not comfortable. About 20 minutes into the hour-long ride, the car started puttering, if you will. The engine was revving and it was taking about twice as long to get up hills. Finally smoke was pouring out of the hood and into the car. I said a quick prayer that, 1. We'd make it, 2. That we wouldn't explode into a million pieces and 3. That my legs wouldn't start on fire and Chaco's wouldn't melt to my feet. Once again, "Weh, thank God"…my feet are fine. The car, however, didn't make it much further. We did, however, make it to the Labor Day festivities about 12:30--an hour and a half after they were "supposed" to start. We stood for another hour or so while I had to explain why it wasn't necessary (and actually probably a little inappropriate) to march waving the American flag…I mean, come on, it was no surprise to anyone there that I'm not Cameroonian and this wasn't American labor day…right?

When the time to march actually came, we lined up carefully holding our small Cameroonian and American flags. As the march began (I should point out that marching is a very serious thing…fascist, straight-armed, iron-faced…they're not messing around), I shuffled my feet a little in line with the others only to be ridiculed by a drunken man…
"Girlfriend! My girlfriend!! Left, right, left right! Baby. My girlfriend….left, right, left, right!!!" I stared straight ahead, not following his strict marching orders. As we marched, very seriously, past the grandstand full of important people, I heard the announcer say, "And there's the Peace Corps!" I am the Peace Corps.

After the grandstand stood about 40 cameramen, dressed in their "Fuji-film" vests, stepped out of line to take my picture. It was one of the most unnecessary things I've experienced. It was like I was a Hollywood star leaving the grocery store (if so it would have ended up on that page of US weekly about "stars doing normal things." Although my caption would read something like, "…marches in parades." Not as cool as Jake Gyllenhaul throwing a Frisbee or Meg Ryan buying contact solution or something). But just like an annoyed Hollywood star, I didn't smile at all…not even in the slightest, in fact I scowled. It was awesome, I can't wait to see the pictures posted in town. After that the groups began high-fiving and hugging, seriously congratulating each other on a job well done. For marching? I can only assume. This is, after all, very serious business.

I was hungry, tired and sick of being the center of attention so I hopped in a car back to Ndu. The rain had stopped and the view was spectacular. Mountains in each direction and clear skies, blooming farms in every direction--it was beautiful. To make the ride that much better, I saw a monkey on a leash. What else can you ask for on a Tuesday? It was an experience…one I'll be happy not to repeat but am glad to have done, once. And, in the words of my friend Silas, "Weh, thank God." True.

July 7, 2007 (07-07-07!!!!)







..that picture is my tribute to Anglophone.








First I'd like to say that Ingrid is hard core...she lives in the middle of nowhere--really. Until last year it was the end of the road, like the road actually stopped there. Then there's jungle, that's it. We're talking like Congo basin jungle, not like wimpy palm-trees-and-bush jungle. She eats bush meat and more bush meat. Sometimes goat. There's never electricity, except soemtimes from a generator at the bar and...it's so far away. She gets props for being amazing.

We went to visit her in Ngoyla in the East province. On our first leg of the trip we officially had 6 monkey carcasses on our bus. One was actually under the seat in front of us...we were a little nervous that it may just miraculously come to life and leap up on us. Outbreak? It didn't, it was dead. Also, they smell bad. Monkeys in general, especially dead ones. On travel day #2 we hopped on the ferry/barge/boat (not sure the official title) to cross the river and were quickly shooed back into the van to avoid being eaten alive by little moot-moot flies. It didn't work, we flailed for 20 minutes and still left with spotted ankels and shoulders.


In Ngoyla we were able to meet some of her friends, eat a fruit that turned to gum while chewing it (very difficult...kind of coats your throat with gum when it should just swallow and leaves a thick film of gummy something on your lips...tricky), had a goat for lunch (and dinner cause it was a lot of meat), killed some chickens and ate them, sang SO loudly that we attracted an audience playing our new game "i-oke", spent an entire day on mattresses looking at magazines and having Stacy braid hair, danced at the outdoor bar under the full moon to the enjoyment of about 79% of the Ngoyla male population, hiked out for a short jaunt in the jungle wherein we were shooed (again) by some men bathing in the river and then made an almost Blair Witch Project-like video...we were sad to leave.


Cameroon continues to amaze me with it's diversity, gererous people, beauty and it's "African-ness." The chessiness and sentimental feelings are already starting.

(For more pictures look at eskimolinds.blogspot.com)

Big Trees...sorry, no more insight than that.

























The "Bac" crossing the Dja River.


































With Madson in the jungle.

I held it, Ingrid cut...

Then we chopped (after it was cooked of course, there's still bird flu after all). :)

So hot right now...

Trying to be African...plantains and kaba and unbrushed hair.

So much girl time. As Stacy said, we braided hair and talked about boys. What else do you need, really?

Ew.

Mieh River going through Ngoyla.

I-oke.

Things I realized:

1. Stacy does a damn good Shakira.

2. I know WAY fewer words to songs than I thought.

3. Kids love the "sha-la-la-la" of Brown Eyed Girl.

Monkeys everywhere!

Again with the girl time...

Just walkin...

More Random Pictures...










Happy 4th of July...party favors, an American flag and hot dogs-All we needed were some fire works.














"Le Transporteur" crossing the river out East.

















The rain forest!















Dinner.














So many teeth and braids...me with Ingrid, Stacy, and Lindsay.











Kid with a handless monkey.












"The Entourage"

tle one

June 21, 2007

Random Pictures...















A Baka hut (They're also known as pygmies, but the appropriate name is "Baka"). They build these amazing little huts out of sticks and leaves and live in them--even in complete downpoursca. Very cool.
















With the guys...Wes, Charlie, me and Tommy.
















My favorite neighbor kids. After months of enduring their song (they would sing, "Hello, how are you? It's good to be with you. Hello..." It went on for a while and was VERY annoying, especially after they stopped singing it and would just scream it at me every time I passed, even if that happened to be 14 times in one day) I started only responding to "Hello." Now they actually think my name is "allo" and call me "Ma Allo."



















My friend Charlie's parents came to visit and came to Talla with me to help with baby weighing. They were a hit. This is Denny helping "Doctor" weigh a little one who really just wants to stare at her :)















Rainy season=beautiful clouds that you can't help but stare at (which is dangerous if you're also trying to walk and text at the same time).















My friend Deneis and his wife and kids (Favor and Glenda) on their motorcycle. Travel like this is very common!!



...more to come when I get to fast computers. Thanks to everyone who still actually checks this, sorry I'm bad at updating...life just isn't that exciting! :) Much love from Cameroon.