Christine goes to Africa

PHOTOS . . . Finally

2008-09-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

Hya - here's the link to my Picasa site to view lots of photos - enjoy !!

http://picasaweb.google.com/christine.shutterbug

Sunday August 17, 2008 : What I ate today

2008-09-12T00:13:00.001-07:00

Sunday August 17, 2008

What I ate today.
Breakfast : ½ a baguette of fried bread and fresh brewed Cameroonian coffee.
Lunch : 1 unripe plantain - fried with salt.
Snacks : an orange, a protein bar, roasted peanuts, peanut butter crackers.
Dinner : a fried egg on fried bread, spread with processed cheese; more peanuts.

What I wanted to eat today
Breakfast : pancakes with jam and bacon (I dreamed about pancakes last night !).
Lunch : chicken ceasar salad with a nice light ceasar dressing.
Snacks : an orange and a cinnabun !!!
Dinner : surprise me – PLEASE !!

I stayed home today ‘cause I didn’t want to see anyone or deal with their village ways. Everyone at the Pentecostal church is sure that I have fallen from grace and an nearly about to abandon the faith altogether !! I have painstakingly explained that I cannot stand all the foolishness that goes on there. The general consensus is that I should tolerate it anyway (they don’t deny that folks act a fool there!!) and keep torturing myself for the sake - Of others? The church? Christ Himself? I don’t know and neither do they. So, as it stands, I don’t go to church as often as I go into town for beer with friends.

I came here so full of purpose and confidence, then after 6 months at post of pushing and trying, I just fell down. Folks here are stubborn and resistant to change. Americans want to change everything they see and touch. A major culture clash ! I was emotionally spent and became acutely homesick. I pulled back from all my unsuccessful endeavors and tried to regroup. That was in April. May and June were slow months for me. I stopped trying so hard and spent more time socializing, and making peace with the idea that the rest of my time spent in village could possibly be totally non-productive. In the end, I decided I’m okay with that. Africa may not be impacted by me but I have certainly been impacted by her.

I know I have been in the throws of a spiritual crisis for the last few months, but I do believe I am starting to climb out of it. I am finally reading my bible again and finding a lot of strength and encouragement from passages about patience and perseverance. I feel quite useless here most days but I am just not ready to throw in the towel and quit. I hope that if I just stay in the game that maybe some opportunity will open up that allows me to exercise and share some of my skills and talents. After all, what on earth else is there to do if we are not chasing after some dream or idea that challenges us to rise a little higher, fight a little longer, and grow a little wiser…….

A good day consists of :
Eating well and/or eating foods that I enjoy.
Not having the runs.
Not being asked for money.
Not being propositioned by some creepy, married, middle-aged man.
Not being hit on by some cocky young, 30-something dude.
Not being looked at in a suggestive way by some creepy lycee student.
Not being lied to ( sorry this one’s impossible – You gotta lie to the white woman – you never know – it might pay off).
Spending pleasant moments with friends I have in village (this happens regularly- so my social life is pretty healthy!).

Next time I will write about pleasant experiences I have here.
They are numerous and frequent. Today I am just feeling grumpy and far from home.
It’s 8:15 pm - I’ll do a few sudoku puzzles and go to bed.
Tomorrow is another day. . . .
The beginning of a new week . . . .
And I have a sassy new purple wrap skirt to wear !!

That’s all for now,
Much love,
Christine

July 24, 2008

2008-09-12T00:12:00.001-07:00

JULY 24, 2008

This place is a wild ride and most days I esteem the adventure worth the cost, but there are those times when I just long for the small comforts that I am familiar with – like hot water, good coffee, a fresh salad and jazz music. I was bummed to hear that one of my favourite coffee houses in Culver City - Synergy Café - is no longer…….
I sure the Metro Café is still going strong !!

May 31, 2008 : Greetings All

2008-09-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

May 31 2008 Greetings All
Greetings all - I hope all is well with you and your families. I’m more or less emotionally stable these days. My daughter calls me regularly and sends care packages !! I have a great post mate, with whom I REALLY get along – so we are a solid support to one another. There is also a linguist/missionary here who has lived in Africa for the last 15 years and is translating the bible into several local languages – he is a very interesting dude and he has a truck. A good man to know!!. I also have a few reliable friends in village to help me pass the time and fill me in on all the cultural undercurrents that I usually miss.
The situation where I work is a gooey, conglomerated mess of corruption, incompetence, inertia, foolishness, childishness, and simple village ignorance that is completely out of my hands to fix. I am learning patience and faith each day!! This is also why I drink beer from time to time. Basically any man in town with an above-average IQ drinks heavily – because they see and understand too much but feel powerless to fight any of it. Or they have tried and been crushed by the sheer weight of the plight of their country. My experience here is not the same as the lives of my neighbors. I have choices and freedoms afforded me by my education and economic status that most women here cannot even imagine for themselves. It is heartbreaking. Kind of a downer, huh?? Mostly, this is why I havn’t written much lately – I just don’t have too much good stuff to say. Africa is a savagely beautiful and achingly sad place in so many ways…..I thank God often for this remarkable opportunity, but the experience is very challenging nearly everyday.

December 28, 2007 : Christmas in Cameroon

2008-03-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had a fun Christmas too and I appreciate the fact that the weather and traditions are so different here that it did not really feel like Christmas back home. I think I would have been more homesick if it felt more like a traditional Christmas. I have a post mate here in Lolodorf, she is a health volunteer and her name is Megan. She’s 24, from Chicago and she’s very nice. We get along great and it is a wonderful relief to have someone to talk to that understands what you’re feeling, because sometimes the cultural divide is so huge that you wonder if you can ever really cross it to connect with people here. Christmas Eve we went out to the local night club with some male friends and we also spent Christmas day together with a family here. All in all a good time was had by all and the holiday passed without incident or massive depressive episodes for both of us .

Every once in a while (but not too often) I just MISS my loved ones back home. When it happens, I embrace the moment and search my memory for some sweet time that we spent together. I run it thru my mind and enjoy it again because I know that we have such love in our family and there are many more good memories to come. That love keeps me strong on days when I feel like everyone here just wants a piece of me. I remind myself that someone loves me – as I am; without wanting more – and that gets me thru the tough spots when I feel under appreciated here.

I am learning day by day to live by faith and it is a wild ride that never disappoints !! I have to trust God every day and seek His wisdom for each small decision that I make. The consequences here of poor judgment could endanger my health or even my life. Desperate poverty makes some people desperate, but I am fortunate to have enough reliable friends in the village who watch out for me. They tell me the truth, they watch my back, they help me find reliable people to get my household stuff done- like drawing water from the well or cutting my grass with a machete !! I do my own laundry every two days – by hand – and hang it on the line to dry. I eat at the local cafes in town. It’s cheaper and easier to spent CFA500 (about $1) on a hot, semi balanced meal, than to try to cook for myself.

November 30; 2007 : What I’ve learned from my mom’s illness and death

2008-03-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

1. Some things just suck and you have to go through them.

2. I can tell you this - - that although it stings, it is MUCH better to explore your feelings and allow them to be expressed, then to push them away. You have a right to feel angry, to feel frustrated, to feel lost, to feel scared, or what ever else pops up. Acknowledge it, feel it, discuss it if you can, then give it to Jesus and tell Him it’s a big, sucky mess and He has to help you through it or you’ll never make it. The more you can deal with while the person is still alive- the better for both of you.

3. Say every good thing you ever wanted to say to them. Thank them for being a good parent (or at least give them credit for doing the best they knew how under the circumstances) and tell them all the stuff you appreciated about your childhood that was thanks to them. Don’t leave anything out !!! It will be a great comfort to you in future days.

4. Grief is a natural and healthy part of our life’s experiences. If we do not allow it to run its course it can fester and turn into something that rots in your soul. We tend to have a lot of conflicted feelings when we are facing the passing of a loved one. For example, I realized that I was profoundly disappointed in my mom for not trying harder to be a better mother to me. That’s a pretty darn selfish attitude to have when someone is dying – but that’s how I felt. All I could do was bring it to the Lord over and over again. After she died, every morning I would wake up, cry, and just feel sad for something that I never had with her – a decent loving relationship. I would cry a bit, then pray, then pack a few boxes. On the 3rd day, I realized that a spirit of regret was trying to implant itself in my soul. I rebuked that foul demon and ask God to help my go the through the grieving process in a healthy way.

When I came back to Lolodorf, I spent the first 2 weeks resting and reading. Then the Lord started opening doors in the community and I started to meet decent, motivated people who wanted to learn what I have to offer. Since then, things are moving (mostly) forward and I am learning to go with the flow. Selling all my stuff to move here; seeing the extensive lack here; then dealing with my mom’s death; have really helped me to realize the futility of trying to hold on to too much stuff. I would rather share what I have in hand now and deal with the future as it comes, than try to hoard the scraps that I think I own as a protection against future events.

November 15; 2007 : Meanwhile …back in Lolodorf…

2008-03-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

The beginnings here were very difficult and that was when I felt at my most vulnerable. Things are a lot more stable now and I am enjoying my new life. It is sad to admit this, but I felt a burden lift off of me with my mom’s passing. I did not realize to what extent the situation had weighed on my heart and mind for all those months. The essential thing was always that mom make her peace with God and ask Jesus to come into her heart and fill the place with love that had held so much pain for so long. The Lord kept me far away so that she could not rely on me in His place. Each time she talked to me there was so much fear in her and I could do nothing to alleviate it. God is good but people will wear you out!!! Anyway, now is a time of new beginnings and I embrace it. I found it amusing that my best friend in the states and I each think the other is “strong”. I wasn’t feeling very strong, but at least I know how to fall forward!!

I love the long crazy emails that my friends and family have sent. They make me laugh and I feel connected. Sometimes I just need to touch something familiar to remind myself that I am not so isolated. I am slowly making friends and learning how things work here. Sometimes there is all the drama of a sloppy soap opera here in such a small town. Hearing about the adventures of daily life in the sates reminds me that life goes on – everywhere !!

Life here is good – but VERY different. Everyday brings a new unexpected dilemma. For example, Lolodorf now has a cyber café, and Pierrot, the guy who runs it – really knows his stuff. He is nice and intelligent and honest. These also happen to be the three traits that characterize those I call “friends” here. So many people here have their own agenda in dealing with me. Being “white” in Africa means automatically that you are rich, and have access to powerful people to get things done. In some measure they are right, by comparison to their situation, I am rich and powerful. Being “white” is more about being from a developed nation ten about skin color. All Americans, of all colors, are considered “white”. An African, who has traveled, obtained an education and adopted occidental ways, is also called “white man” by his village and family.

Now, back to today’s dilemma, we have a cyber, but power is irregular and he uses a generator when the power is down. Generators are notoriously unstable and often fry the things they are connected to. Well, that is what happened yesterday. It fried his server, modem and another computer. No more Internet for a while until he travels to Yaoundé and buys a new modem – when he can afford it, that is!!!! As I spoke of before, the bank where I work has 5 computers – 3 of which worked before I left. While I was gone certain persons decided that they needed the tables for a political rally downtown. So they came in and put my computers on the ground, pushed buttons on the regulators and left with my tables. (1) It’s been 2 weeks and the tables are still not back. (2) Because the regulators were left depressed – that is ON – the batteries are now ruined and are quite expensive to replace. (3) I was frustrated by the attitude (on the part of certain persons) that I should buy things for the bank - like a projector or a generator. (4) I was also in a bind about preparing lesson plans for the computer classes that I want to launch. Each time I tried to work – the power went out!! (5) I was also concerned about the price we were going to charge for the classes because I think we were going to run into a conflict about how the money should be used (and not end up in someone’s pocket!!) The good news in all this ?!? The good news is that my dilemma with the bank and the computer classes is temporarily resolved. They flocked up the computers and can therefore no longer pressure me about when I will start classes. I can still work offline at Pierrot’s cyber café without the pressure of a deadline, and Pierrot will eventually get another modem. Life will go on and I will too.

October 2007 : Sun City West AZIZONA – life in the fast food lane or how I spent my 2 weeks in the states.

2008-03-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

My two weeks in the states were intense for a variety of obvious reasons. The first 5 days found me in an emotional stupor divided between processing the loss of a parent and reconnecting with the friends and family that remain. Christina and I ate a lot of fast food – hot, greasy, excessive and delicious, which we washed down with equal amounts of sodas and Starbucks refreshments. Ahhh……….Two weeks without dried fish or manioc – I hope I will not be too spoiled when I return to the village.

Mom’s neighbors and friends became our neighbors and friends. They carried us through the process and without them we would have found ourselves adrift and frustrated. Thanks again to all the wonderful people of SCW, particularly Len and Melba – you guys rock – and if you’ll have us – Christina and I would like to adopt you as our new parents/grandparents !!!

October 17, 2007 : We arrived in time to say goodbye….

2008-01-13T01:21:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,My mother passed away peacefully on October 16 at 11:38 pm.

Christina and I both arrived to her bedside Tuesday evening. Mom's condition had been declining rapidly for the last few days and Rosie (her hospice caregiver) informed us that mom was dying - that evening. She had held on bravely awaiting our arrival and we were each able to say what we wanted to say to her. She was aware of our presence and responded both to our voice and our touch. She had made her peace with her Maker and we each made our peace with one another. I spoken softly and kindly to her for about 10 minutes, then I placed my face in her hand and she pressed my face to her chest. I know that she had heard all that I said to her and there was peace between us. I placed her hand on my forehead and received the blessing from her. After this, I was not sure whether to stay or go. Christina wanted to stay and Rosie kindly encouraged us to get some rest as we had both travelled many hours to arrive at mom’s bedside.

Rosie advised us to go home and rest for a while – that she would call if mom began to fade. Both Christina and I were confident that she would see the morning. We got a call about an hour later and rushed back to her side. Mom had just breathed her last as we arrived; this was at 11:38 last night. All in all, I think Rosie was right to send us home for a brief hour. I don't know that watching her die would have been easy to bear.

We will go to the mortuary Thurs morning to make the arrangements. A memorial service will be held next Wednesday morning so that all her friends can attend and I want us to treat it as a celebration of her life.

October 5, 2007 : Friday - A day in the life…

2008-01-13T01:16:00.000-08:00

At 6:00 am I went to the MC2 to check on the program I had left running all night on one of the computers. One of my precious computers has a software problem and I am about out of ideas on how to solve it. We had the good fortune to keep power all night so I wanted to check before we lost it. Well, long story short: power on, computer still flocked. So, at 7 am I headed towards the center of town – that is to say – the one street that runs thru Lolo. As I walked, a woman with a 30 pound (I kid you not) sack of peanuts on her head joined me. We greeted one another and she gave me some news about a woman I had helped about 10 days ago.

About 10 days ago, a woman stood outside the MC2 with a crying infant. The day was hot and still and humid, so I brought her a chair to sit in the shade of our veranda. She told me she was waiting for a moto to take her child to the hospital but she needed 1000 CFA to get there. (The hospital is a 15 minute walk from us and I know it costs about 100 cfa.) I said incredulously ‘A thousand, I don’t think so.’ ‘Well, 500 cfa.’ She said quickly. Still I maintained my innocence and said politely, ‘I don’t think so, its so close, I think it’s about 100 cfa. At this point, I went back inside to talk to my co workers. We all agreed the infant seemed quite ill – she appeared to be having convulsions – so I went back outside and gave her 200 cfa for the round trip. I also told her kindly that it would be better if she didn’t lie about these things and people would help her. She quickly corrected me and said that she did not ask for 1000 cfa, but that she has 1000 cfa and needed change…………Anyway……….she had the cash and I asked a friend with a moto to take her to the hospital. About an hour later, Jack tells me that she did not want to go to the hospital but went to a local healer instead….What can you do ?!?!

The news I received this morning is that the baby had died this past Monday. Having shared this news with me, the woman with the heavy sack on her head wanted to know if I could give her 200 cfa also (this is my life as the high rollin’ blanche in town) I said ‘No, if I start doing this I will need to carry a large sack of change with me for all those who will ask.’ She understood and we continued to walk and chat. She was a nice older lady with a heavy sack on her head and most people here figure there’s no harm in asking.

I spent the next 45 minutes visiting with the cool, kind hearted woman who makes breakfast for me a few days a week. My ‘usual’ is: a two-egg spaghetti omelette; a cup of Nescafe instant coffee sweetened with thick syrupy condensed milk, and a small section of baguette. It’s really good!!

As I waited for my breakfast, up the street two women were preparing to slaughter a pig. He was huge – easily over 300 pounds – and they were having trouble getting him off his feet and onto his back. Throughout their efforts, which took about five minutes, the pig just screamed. Having never experienced farm life I was not really aware of the sounds that animals make. I can now tell you that most animals scream before being slaughtered. The same is true of goats. It is the most heart wrenching sound because it sounds almost human. Suddenly the screaming ceased as did the pig’s efforts to wriggle out of their grasp.

After this, one of the local government employees saw me and came over to say hi. He’s Anglophone, so we spoke in English. He works in agriculture with the local farmers so when he told me he would like us to work on a project together, I enthusiastically agreed. We stepped out side the omelette shack to discuss it further. Turns out his ‘big project’ is helping him get a visa to go to the USA!!! Sh*t. Do I really need to elaborate? I patiently explained I was not available to help him with his personal plans. He was cool about – who knows we may actually find something legit to work on together…..or not. Soon after, my delicious omelette and hot steaming coffee were ready. Ah, this morning is already off to a rare start ;-) !!!!!

I finished my breakfast with out further incident and headed back to the MC2 at 8:30 am. My belly was full and we had power - this could possibly be a very productive day!! I fiddled with the computers in the lab next to the MC2 for the next two hours until we lost power. Lately, it seems that I find more problems with the computers than solutions. We had jammin’ ITunes on one computer, but I think someone was in here and fiddled around with it – cuz now we don’t !!!

At 10:30 am with no power and no confidence that I can get enough of these ‘boxes’ (computers or massive door stops – you decide) to work long enough to teach computer classes, I headed into the main room of the MC2. Everything is done manually, so one of my tasks is to audit the daily withdrawals and deposits that are recoded on each bank members’ cards. I did that until noon then headed home for the ‘pause’. The ‘pause’ is the 1.5 – 2 hour lunch break that the bank staff takes at noon. I also go home because there is no bathroom at the bank and I still refuse to squat and pee in public. A girl’s gotta maintain some kind of standards; n’est pas ?!?!

I went home; made a cheese sandwich with a half baguette and processed Vache Qui Rie cheese; then washed it down with a yummy grapefruit soda. I tried to do a bit of paperwork before heading back to the bank. Once again at the MC2, we had more computer problems at the cashier’s and accountant’s desks….. (enough said on that subject).

The rain started to really pour about 3:00 pm. We still had power, so I spent some time writing emails while waiting for the rain to stop. Around 6:00 pm, the rain finally slowed from a torrent to just really raining, so I finally headed to Yvette’s house to get some dinner. The walk in the rain to get dinner was well worth the effort - dinner was delicious - a tasty tomato broth with meat and rice. People here believe that fat and some skin is better than meat alone because it’s not good to eat too much lean meat…….What can you do – there’s times when I just nod and keep my mouth shut. I picked around the fat and skin and ate all the ‘unhealthy’ lean beef !! Later, I returned home and closed my evening with some chocolate cookies and more pamplemousse (grapefruit) soda. I spent some time contemplating what to do for the next 2 years, and by 9:00 it was time for bed.

Safe and sound under my mosquito net, with the rain still falling outside, I slept and dreamt……..

I swear on my spaghetti omelette all this is true and it really did happen ALL in one day!!!!!

much love - Christine ;-)

September 24 2007 : Preparations for dealing with loss.

2008-01-13T01:12:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed - God is good and He does wonders. With me being so far away, my daughter has now learned to lean more fully on the Lord. To hear her speak with such faith fills my heart with joy like nothing else could. To hear from her that my mom is also softening and has opened her heart to the Lord is awesome. My heart is now at peace.

The wonders continue to accumulate. When possible, I attend church with people that I know here. Last week I went with a co worker at the bank. She said she went to a full gospel church and I was happy to hear that but still skeptical of what I would find.

Well, in short, the pastor speaks the truth, and preaches the word of faith with confidence and compassion. He came immediately to see me as soon as Marie told him about the news I had recd from the states. At that time, the Lord had told me everything would be alright and would work out, but my mind was racked with guilt because I thought I needed to stay with mom until the end and also take care of all her affairs. This would mean I would have to give up my Peace Corps dream. It was a choice I could not make. The pastor and I prayed and he showed me Genesis 12 where God calls Abraham to leave his country and his kin for a land that the Lord would show him. Unfortunately, he took Lot with him and this hindered him. I know that God sent me here but I was carrying guilt about mom on my back. We prayed and I felt the burden lift from my mind and evaporate like tiny bubbles above my head!!!

I have decided to return to the USA – to see mom and say that things that need to be said so that we part in peace and love. I will return to Cameroon and complete my serve here because I know this is where I will find my healing and consolation. The choice has not been easy, but my mind is clear and my heart is set – I know this is the right thing to do.

Love - Christine

September 20, 2007 : Sad news from home – my mom is very ill

2008-01-13T01:11:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I have just recd sad news from home. My mom is very ill. The cancer has returned to her lungs and the doctor says the tumor is very aggressive. They have told her they cannot stop it and she has about 3 months to live. Needles to say, when I called her last week and heard this news, I was stunned. I could not tell anyone or talk about it for the first few days. Finally, I told a few friends here in town and also called my daughter. She has been a great source of strength and support. She is taking care of things in the states and Peace Corps has approved my flight to Phoenix to see my mom and say goodbye.

Peace Corps gave me 2 weeks to visit her and said I could request additional time when I arrive in the states. So we will see how that goes…..I was really freaked out at first, but I am okay now. My daughter has been great - supportive, helpful, and reliable. I asked Peace Corps to schedule my flight about Oct 10-12. I would like to be in PHX on or before Oct 15. I will be in the states the last half of October.

My mom will be in hospice care which means she will finish her days in a pleasant home environment with qualified medical care rather than in a hospital.

September 22, 2007 : Paradise Found (cont)

2008-01-13T01:07:00.000-08:00

The first 3 months of training were exhausting but now that I am settling in at post and things are calming down. I am developing my routines and making friends in the village.

I am doing very well here in Lolodorf. Now is the season of heavy rains here in the south province, so it rains everyday but the weather is not cold. I eat well and sleep well each night. The Katchumba family helps me with many things. The mama, Yvette, cooks for me each day. It is easier for me to pay her a small amount each day for dinner than to cook for myself !! Everything I eat still gives me varying degrees of the runs but at least I’m not constipated!! I go into town a few days a week for my favorite breakfast - a spaghetti omelet, a bit of bread and a hot yummy cup of Nescafe. The coffee is probably not helping the digestive situation - but a girl needs her comforts from time to time ;-). Also, I think its official now - I’m pretty sure I do not like manioc (cassava) in any of its forms (but I still eat it a few times each week in small quantities).

I spend my days at the MC 2, which is a community credit union. I am learning what each person does at the bank and also how the bank functions. There is a room at the bank with 5 computers. Ata, the volunteer before me, obtained the computers for the MC 2. Currently only 3 of them work, but we hope to get the 4th one working soon. I will teach computer classes to students and adults, but first, I have to develop the lesson plans. I will also work with the Boys Club and the Girls Club soon. I do not know what I will do, but I think it will be a lot of fun. I also plan to find a tutor at the lycée to help me with my French grammar and pronunciation.

In the afternoon I take long walks to discover the countryside. It’s beautiful here - I live in the rain forest. The Lokoundje River runs past the town and there is a new bridge just outside of town where I can walk down and sit near the river and watch it pass. The sound of the water is very soothing, the hillside is covered with beautiful green trees and plants, and the birds sing. It is beautiful and peaceful. I sometimes sit there and read my bible.

Also Lolodorf now has a cyber café, which means I can access email regularly. Regularly - meaning - when the power and phone service are active !!

Ciao - Christine

September 15, 2007 : Paradise Found

2008-01-13T01:04:00.000-08:00

Its wild, its crazy, the roosters start crowing at 4 am, the rain pours, and the beer flows - I love it here !!!

I just discovered that there is a cyber cafe in my town, so I will be able to 'talk' to everyone more regularly. You can send emails to me as well. If you do not have my personal email address, you can use my Peace Corps address – all you need to know is my last name to replace the x’s : Cxxxxxxxpccam@yahoo.com

(First initial + last name + PCCAM@YAHOO.COM)

I also have a cell phone. It’s actually nicer than the one I had in the states!! If you look on the internet you can find really cheap international rates on phone cards. I am 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles, so your morning is my afternoon. If you are interested in calling me just send me an email and I will provide you with my phone number in Cameroon.

XOXO

August 26, 2007 : An African vehicle is never full

2008-01-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

The last week has been hectic. We swore in on Wednesday, packed our stuff and traveled to Yaoundé on Thursday morning. Friday morning I traveled - by myself with all my stuff - on a bush taxi to Lolodorf. "My stuff" is a big green metal footlocker, the 2 suitcases I brought from the states, a duffel bag full of books and manuals, a mountain bike, a water filter, and a back pack.

A "bush taxi" is van that travels between villages. Some are smaller and have seats for about 20 people with all the "stuff" loaded on the top. Now, here in Africa, if a van "seats 20 people" that means we can pack in about 30 people !! And they do - every time !! So its 3 to 4 hours shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh with your neighbors, who sometimes carry children or live chickens on their laps - really. Goats are too big to fit in the bush taxi so they get tied up - on top - really !!

Anyway, back to my itinerary, I traveled to my post, all alone, like a big girl, on Friday. I was super apprehensive that morning about my big adventure and finally starting my new life for the next 2 years. All went well and I spent the first night alone and not nervous or scared in my new house. I spent half the day Sat, cleaning the spiders and spider webs out of my bedroom. I covered my hair with a scarf, my nose and mouth with another scarf; sprayed bug repellent on my skirt, legs and feet, rubber gloves and off I went - to war with my broom!! I am no long afraid of spiders !!

I traveled back to Yaoundé today - Sunday - because I need to open a bank account on Monday so Peace Corps can pay me. I also need to stock up on stuff I need for the house, like buckets and bowls, and dry goods. The prices are better in the capital city.

The anti malaria pill I take each day is an antibiotic that tends to cause yeast infections - so guess what.... The anti filarial pills I take once a week (each Sat night) are very harsh and cause a lot of nausea, so guess what....(sorry if this is TMI - too much information) As it happens, I feel like crap, so I will take the opportunity to visit medical tomorrow as well ;-) Overall, I am in good spirits and I know I will feel a lot better in a day or two. I travel back to Lolodorf on Tuesday, so I'll be home that afternoon. Stage (training) was an absolute b*tch - it was like cultural boot camp. Now that it’s over and I am settling into post, I feel a lot stronger and more confident. I plan to stay at post (in Lolodorf) for about a month. All the travel and excitement has taken it toll and I need to rest and get to know my town.

In Lolo there is no running water. I have a 4 ft tall barrel in my kitchen that we fill from the local water source. It’s an underground source and the water is very fresh and clean. I bathe with it and wash my clothes and dishes with it. I filter my drinking water. Normally we have electricity, but the power has been out for a week now and we don't know when it will come back on - hopefully in a few days. There is a place in town with a reliable generator who only charges 200CFA to recharge a cell phone but I may keep my phone turned off at times - to conserve the power for necessary usage. There is no internet service in Lolo either, but there is another village about an hour away that has a cyber cafe. I will try to make it there in a week of two to check email.

;-) Christine

August 5, 2007 : How I spent my Saturday

2007-11-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

I spent 4 hours today washing 2 weeks worth of laundry in a plastic tub in the front yard with the children and the chickens running around - and the chickens make much less noise than the children.. I expect to become quite sturdy and strong as the weeks progress.

We are just 2 weeks away from the completion of training and we will swear in as bona fide volunteers on August 22. Training is called ‘stage’ (pronounced: stau j) and we all hate it. I know it will be a bit lonely at post the first few weeks but I am looking very forward to settling into my village and getting to know my colleagues and neighbors.

A bientôt et much love – Christine

August 1, 2007 : The weather is lovely – wish you were here

2007-11-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

Getting to the cyber cafe and actually transmitting an email take a lot more effort than you may imagine.

Everything here takes abit more effort, planning, and attention than things in the developed world. For example, if you want chicken for dinner, you need to wait until Wednesday or Saturday for the "marché", that is "market day". You buy a live chicken for 3000 - 5000 cfa (6 - 10 USD), take it home, kill it, pluck it, cut it, build a wood fire, and cook it. The initial step - the cost - is a prohibitive factor for my home stay family, so I have not eaten any chicken since I got here!!

This is the rainy season and we had heavy rains most every day last week. There are few paved roads and the earth here is a rich, thick, red clay that turns to sticky red mud when it rains. It quickly accumulates on the bottom of your shoes and you find yourself carrying an inch thick layer of it with each step. All travel is cut short and we all stay put. Experiencing the rain here is very interesting - first you hear it, then you see it, then you feel it. I think maybe this is because there is so much tropical foliage everywhere and life is quieter than in the city. The sound carries across wider distances as the storm bursts approach announcing themselves with percussion on the broad banana leaves, corn stakes and wide brimmed trees.

The heavy rains tend to cause power outages as well. The days remain manageable - that is - you can continue about your usual business at school or at home as long as you tasks are manual and do not require electricity. The evenings however are much more restricted. My home stay family has 3 small children, ages 2, 6, and 7. The sun rises quickly at 6am and sets just as quickly at 6pm and the night is quite black by 7pm. At this point we set a kerosene lamp in the hall and everyone goes to bed. It is much safer to lie in bed than bang around in the dark house!! I have my own kerosene lamp in my room which I light, I lay on my bed, and listen to CDs with my headphones on. Its actually very peaceful and if it's still raining, I have the soothing sound of the rain falling on the tin roof. Rain or shine, I sleep like a baby every night, tucked safely under my mosquito netting.

Just sending an email takes me several trips to town. I have walked the mile to town only to discover that the power has gone out, the internet connection is not sound, or the computers were not working properly. Even when the stars align and I get online, there is no guarantee that it will not all crash at any moment. There are numerous attempted emails and journal entries floating out there in the ether that you will never receive!!

Over all, things are good here and I am a happy little camper. Everything is completely different from my past experiences but I am falling in love with Cameroon none the less. For the most part, the people are warm and kind hearted; they endure what life brings with courage, patience, and a sense of humor.

We've had 3 sunny days in a row but I'm not sure it will continue. The weather is so changeable and often turns cold quite quickly. I will sign off for now and be back in town to check my emails in a few days - after the next round of rainy days.

July 1, 2007 : Saturday – A Big Night in Banganté

2007-11-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday night I went to the annual year end celebration for the Lycée Classique. It’s the first social function I’ve really participated in since our arrival in country. In Yaounde, I was still feeling tentative – both physically and emotionally. So Saturday night’s festivity was really the first event I have looked forward to with anticipation. Parties typically start late here and this one was no exception. The official start time was 9:00 pm – so we arrived in a timely manner around 10:30 pm. The event took place at the Hot Palace at the other end of town. Initially my host dad planned for us to travel by moto, but when I informed him of the dreaded Pan Am award for traveling without a helmet (immediate repatriation to the USA), he made arrangements for us to travel by car with our neighbors (Thank God!! - I still haven’t told him that I now have a helmet – I am acclimating to life here in baby steps - perhaps I’ll be ready to try a moto ride next week ;-). We entered the salle to a sober group of teachers, talking quietly to their companions. Music played quietly and we took our place on three available seats. I saw Reed with his family on one side of the room and Michael with his host dad seated at the table of honor on the other side, as we all waited patiently for the sou préfet & préfet to arrive. As each of them arrived (about 30 minutes later) we all rose to acknowledge them. Speeches were and the presence of our esteemed guests was noted numerous times. Appreciation and thanks were extended to individual instructors and various committees. Promotions were noted and more speeches followed. Finally we moved to the dinner. As with work functions back home, the ladies of the school had prepared a number of potluck style dishes. I choose a few things that looked familiar, but all I could think about was Nurse Ann’s latest riveting installment about food preparation, public functions, and diarrhea. I said a silent pray over my cold food and dove in (woo-who - today is Monday & I’m still fine!). Once the food was cleared and the tables removed, the party was ready to start in earnest. The MC turned things over to the DJ, who cranked up the music and people began to hit the dance floor. I wasn’t sure what I would do, but the problem was solved as the MC came over to invite me onto the dance floor. Just in case I did not stand out enough in this crowd, I chose to wear a long white skirt that glowed under the black lights. Well, there was certainly no missing me now - thank God I have a little rhythm!! The party goers were pleasantly surprised to see la Blanche sait danser!! That was all it took – I barely sat down the rest of the evening. The music was great, the people were very warm and just like any office party back home, I had to remind a couple of dance partners where my waist was.

Things were going well and the room was heating up so I decided to take a break and find the ladies room. The entrance to the ‘toilette’ was outside in back of the club, and some things never change, there was a line for the bathroom. As I waited my turn, I noticed a short stairway that led to a small landing. I thought - what a lovely place to view the night sky – so I proceeded up the stairs. Midway up, something caught my attention on the left. Still aglow from a pleasant evening, I turned my head to see what was there. Twelve inches from my face was a small creature – oh a cat (the expectations from our previous life filtering my perceptions) – no, wait – that’s no cat. Good God – it’s a monkey!!!!! There it was, a hand’s breadth from my face – a small pale monkey with a dark face – the kind we normally see with organ grinders back home. I was completely startled and scampered back down the steep narrow steps as fast as my 3 inch Italian pumps could carry me. This encounter would have been unsettling on any occasion but today it was more acute due to the conversation we had shared at the breakfast table. Apparently, a chimpanzee had recently attacked a child in the South province and torn off half his face and portions of both feet. The child is in serious condition in a hospital. All I could think about as I flailed my arms and ran down the steps was the possibility of that cute little monkey ripping out my cheek. Now I really had to pee. Why – why – why did I think there would be a proper bathroom at a night club!!! The toilet was free, so I entered to find – nothing. Nothing, that is except a hole in the tile floor, six inches in diameter in the middle of the room. I was rattled from my encounter with the animal kingdom and I had to go urgently. Even under the best of circumstances, aiming my pee into a small hole is not a skill I have practiced (if I were Luke Skywalker – the empire would never have been destroyed). After an untidy start I finally mastered the trajectory and accomplished my mission. No toilet paper, no sink, no hand sanitizer – again, all I could think about was our beloved Nurse Ann and her important lessons - oh well…….I returned to the dance hall, my bladder relived, my nerves settled, my lipstick refreshed and my poor Italian pumps a little worst for wear. The music continued and by now several bottles of beer and juice had been spilt all over the dance floor, but these shoes were made for dancing, and a dancing we did go. Besides, Nordstrom’s has an excellent return policy. Perhaps I can return them when we get back to the states.

THE END ;-)

July 10, 2007 : Greetings from Banganté

2007-11-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

Hey gang - this first month has been very challenging both physically and emotionally, but I am in excellent health and I have overcome some major adjustment hurdles in the last few days. It is getting easier to come to town and use the cyber cafe at least weekly now. Here's a small glimpse into me daily life: There are chickens in the front yard, goats grazing along the red clay roads and no trash cans - anywhere. I now fling trash onto a local heap that I hope will be burned in the near future or I chuck it into the nearest corn field. I do draw the line at pissing in public - which is common practice for men and women - but who knows......

June 2007 : Jet lag wins by a knock out

2007-11-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

I was physically and emotionally wiped out for the whole first month.

I could talk more about it – but why bother – I was so happy to be in Africa and absolutely miserable all at the same time. The distress passes; the body adapts; you begin to make small strides towards regaining your strength and confidence; and you slowly and surely begin to remember why in the world you agreed to do such an outrageous thing with your life.

June 10, 2007 : Welcome to Cameroon

2007-11-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

We arrived to the airport in Yaoundé in the evening as the sun was setting. The weather was balmy and dark clouds filled the sky and menaced rain. As we were collecting our baggage from the carousel, the power went out and the entire airport filled with over 200 people was plunged into total darkness. Welcome to Africa!! We all stood still and waited to ‘see’ what happens next. The power came back on to the howls and cheers of the entire crowd. We collected our bags and the Peace Corps staff ushered us thru Customs and outside to waiting buses. We were cautioned to stay tightly together and keep a firm grip on our backpacks as well as a keen eye out for pickpockets and hustlers.

We stepped out into the heat, humidity, and bustle that await all airport passengers. We were swarmed by hustlers and taxi men wanting to take our bags to their waiting vehicles. Some of them can be quite aggressive – grabbing your bags and high-tailing it to their vehicles. The reasoning is that passengers will follow their bags and the taxi men will gain a client. The sight of 39 fresh faced Americans and their Peace Corps entourage was a tasty sight. We looked like a hapless school of delicious fish waiting to be easily scooped up by this flock of hungry waiting seagulls. The Cameroon Peace Corps staff is highly competent; well trained and efficient – they had us thru the crowd and onto the bus in short order – where we traveled to the safety of a hotel in Yaoundé. There was always plenty of bottled water and a Peace Corps volunteer or staff member close by to assist or answer any questions.

Tangui
For the first two months 1.5 liter Tangui was a ubiquitous part of a Peace Corps trainee’s daily equipment. Tangui is the brand name of the most commonly found bottled water in Cameroon. We always had our books; backpacks and 1.5 liter bottles of Tangui with us – everywhere we went.

June 10, 2007 : Douala to Yaoundé – the final leg of our trans-continental journey.

2007-11-28T05:45:00.000-08:00

Although the worst was over – my digestive adventures were not. We landed at Douala Intl Airport, to offload some passengers and take on others. As we were continuing to Yaoundé, we did not need to disembark from the airplane. This took less than an hour (amazingly) and we continued on. As soon as we headed down the runway, I started to feel queasy again. The plane took off and I grabbed another airline bag. All I had left to offer up was the water I had sipped for the last few hours. Thank God those airlines bags DO NOT leak!!! I obediently held my hot little package until the fasten seat belt sign was turned off and moved – carefully – to the bathroom.

I managed to finish the flight without further incident, but I kept an airline bag handy and I was nauseous and queasy the whole time. Man, I felt like crap.

Next time – airport stories –
XOXO Christine

June 9, 2007 : Paris - we have a problem

2007-11-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we arrived in Paris to a cool overcast day. So far so good, I’m still feeling GREAT – I even chatted with a lady and her toddler – en français!! We only had about an hour’s lay over, so the herd and I shuffled to our departure gate to await boarding for the next leg of our journey – Paris to Douala, Cameroon. Now this was momentous – we were about to depart the world we knew with all its shiny conveniences for AFRICA!!! A few people had been to other countries in Africa, but none of us had ever been to Cameroon, and certainly not in a capacity such as Peace Corps.

We boarded the Air France plane for another eight hour flight. The meal was not nearly as good as the last one we ate, but I ate most of it, none the less - including the cheese and coffee. Apparently, my euphoria had eclipsed my lactose intolerance and sensitive stomach (this will also be important to remember later) !! All is well and I drift off to sleep and perhaps to dream – of my new life in Africa.

Four hours into our eight hour flight, I shift my weight and turn my head to find a more comfortable position. Suddenly, all is NOT well. My stomach is churning and cramping, my bowels are in a twist and I cannot move because I can feel myself losing consciousness. The blackness is closing in and I cannot move my limbs or speak out. It feels like I am trapped in this roiling mess for some unimaginable length of time, but it was probably just a few minutes. I believe I did pass out – but I have no way of telling just how long all this lasted – probably not more than five or six minutes. Finally, I started to come around and began recovering control of my body and my senses. Fear gripped my vulnerable mind and at this point, my first conscious thought was ‘Ohmygod, I’m going to Africa and I’m going to die there.’ Not too dramatic – right ?!?! This is the only point at which I felt genuine fear about my decision to join Peace Corps. I immediately came to my full senses, rejected such a foolish notion and began to pray. I was still sick, rattled, frightened and not fully about to move. So I continued to pray as my body regained its motor functions. After a few minutes I felt steady enough to get up and head towards the bathroom.

Just skip the next paragraph if you don’t want TMI – too much information ;-)

I made it into the tiny, cramped airplane bathroom just in time to enthusiastically empty the contents of my bowels. I think that took care of my PHL-PAR meal, but PAR-DOU was still pending. The latest round of gastronomic abuse was still roiling in my stomach, but I could not seem to bring myself to throw up. I sat there for about ten minutes hoping the storm in my stomach would force its way back up the same way it had entered – but no luck. Finally I pushed the little red panic button for a stewardess. I explained my problem – in French – and she brought me some cola to drink. Apparently, coke is the catalyst of choice to expedite stomach evacuation. Well, it took another ten minutes to activate a reaction, but boy, is it effective. I now enthusiastically returned the contents of my stomach into a sturdy little motion sickness bag. You know – those bags are much stronger than they look. They can hold over a quart of hot, steaming, partially digested airline food and drink !!

The worst was now over. I felt weak and wobbly, but my mind was clear – as was my entire alimentary canal. I returned to my seat and sipped water for the remainder of the flight.

June 8, 2007 : Fasten your seat belts !!

2007-11-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

Friday morning we arose early to receive our first round of shots. All went well – not too painful – and only a few people felt nauseous of dizzy. So far I felt great – pumped, confident, and ready to go !! The east coast has these great sandwich shops called Cosi’s. They make the best sandwiches and salads, so I headed there for my last USA meal for the next two years. We headed to the airport – all 39 of us, each with our two suitcases and a carry-on. We filled two large buses. The flight from Philadelphia to Paris took eight hours. They served us a delicious Air France meal, complete with a mini baguette and French cheese. I ate everything on the plate! (This will be important to remember later) I had napped before the food arrived so I watched a movie during the second half of the flight. The movie was ‘The Painted Veil’, it’s about a doctor who is pissed at his wife for cheating on him, so he takes her to cholera infested China at the turn of the century. As you can imagine - lots of people die a horrible death; groaning, vomiting and expiring exhausted - things did not end well.

June 5, 2007 : The start of a most excellent adventure

2007-11-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday day June 5th, I began the first leg of my most excellent adventure. The flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia was pleasant and uneventful. I arrived at University City Sheraton with little delay. I met my new roommate and we chatted easily about what had drawn us to Peace Corps and service in Africa. The next two days were not as carefree. Peace Corps sets a demanding pace from day one and the sessions were intense and tiring. We did lots of team building activities to establish camaraderie and boost confidence. The days were exhausting but I felt (as did most of us) elated and confident.