A few weeks ago I hosted 3 of my other volunteer friends Dan, Ben and Abbie who live in nearby villages to join me for Thanksgiving. We didn’t get to indulge on the typical favorites of cranberries or turkey, but we did make some good homemade mashed potatoes and a random assortment of other Thanksgiving meal creations. Typically back home my family, friends and I would either watch a football game on tv, or go watch a basketball tournament or else I would be playing in a basketball tournament. Here as we ate dinner on my porch we watched the kids play soccer in the path in front of the house. One of my favorite things to do over thanksgiving weekend back home is to spend some good time outdoors with friends and family skiing or hiking. Discussing this with Ben we decided that we should make a hiking trip walking to each others villages, crossing the mountain in between and spending the night halfway at Dan’s post.
So the morning after Thanksgiving, we set off walking out of my village to hike the 20 km up to Dan’s village at the base of Mount Manengumba. Dan’s village is quite isolated having only one route in and out that isn’t always passable during rainy season, but it is a beautifully quaint agriculturally driven village. From his village we set off the next morning to meet two friends of Dan’s who live in the neighboring village along the route up the mountain. The two of them joined us to guide us up through the many paths traversing across the mountain. It wasn’t like climbing mountains back home where the paths lead to the summit, summiting typically isn’t the goal of individuals here. Rather, the paths become a maize leading from one families field to another where everything from café, macabo, taro or medicinal plants are grown. This mountain is well-known in the area for the two stunningly beautiful turquoise crater lakes that rest just below the summit. We sat along one of the lakes and ate our lunch of grilled fish and baton du manioc a typical Cameroonian dish that Dan’s neighbor had packed for us to enjoy along our trek. After leaving the summit we descended down the other side of the mountain passing the huts of the Fulbe cow herders that live atop the mountains raising their cattle. It was The Fete du Mouton an important holiday for the Muslim Fulbes and as we hiked past one of the huts a young boy came out dressed in a suite to chop wood to prepare for the celebration. (I will try to upload a photo of this boy). It was a very contradicting scene standing atop the mountainside regarding the impressive patchwork of the thatched roof and out walks the boy in his suite and tie. That is how life seems to be here though, always contradicting itself and yet I never cease to be surprised and awed.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Installation of a New Village Chief
The region of Western Cameroon in particular is rich with culture, specifically in the tradition of village chiefs. In October I had the honor of being invited to join a couple of my other volunteer friends to attend the installation of a new chief in the village of Badenkup in the West Region of Cameroon. I have now taken part in some incredible ceremonies and celebrations here in Cameroon, but the enthroning of a village chief has no comparison in terms of the magnitude and magnificence of the ceremony.
Every village chief from within the West region of Cameroon attended the ceremony along with dignitaries, government officials and the whole community of Badenkup. We arrived with the chief of the neighboring village, where my friend Kareen is a volunteer, we were sat close to the throne of the new chief and had prime space to view all that was about to take place. This was quite lucky as thousands of people were in attendance at this ceremony, kids had climbed up trees surrounding the field to get a view of the action.
To give a little background, the chief of a village is the traditional leader of a community and the title of chief is passed down within a family from generation to generation. Before a chief passes away he has already told his notables (chief’s advisory counsel) whom he has chosen of his sons to replace him as village chief. The very moment a chief passes away the notables search the chosen son and whisk him away to the secret house where in tradition the notables spend nine months teaching the replacement all the ways of the chiefdom. Also important during this time passed within the secret house the soon to be chief is with his new wife so they can conceive their first child around the time that he will become enthroned. However, for some reason that I didn’t understand the 9 months has now been changed to 9 weeks at least in the circumstance of the new chief of Badenkup.
Imagine, the son of the old chief has just lost his father and has immediately been given the most powerful position in all of the village, now imagine this for a 17 year old boy as in the case of the new chief of Badenkup. At the moment the young chief walked through the entrance leading to the palace grounds the crowd of thousands surrounding the open field erupted with shouts, cheers, song and dance. The young boy kept his face serious and raised his arms in gratitude for the great welcome, but I wondered what was really going through the head of this young boy who had suddenly become the most powerful man in his village while a few weeks before he was just another young boy in the local high school. Now the young boy was standing in the midst of thousands carrying the hopes of a whole village and facing the challenge of carrying the traditions into the modernized world.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Manjo
Well, I wrote this blog update a few weeks ago thinking I would get to the internet. However, that didn’t happen as soon as I thought it would but yet since I am here today and will post it anyway and will try to post another update with more stories as soon as I get the chance. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have the internet in my village which has made communication a bit challenging, but know that I think of everyone often and wish I could talk to each of you but will continue to update whenever I get the chance.
“Well, now what?” my friend Ben said as the van carrying us and everything we owned arrived in his new town. The doors opened we unloaded his few items into the empty walls that comprised his new home. He spoke exactly what I was feeling. The question is something I ask myself several times a day and each time the answer comes… keep your eyes wide open and be ready for anything.
What does Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Enterprise Development really mean? One thing I can tell you is it is a title left incredibly vague, but I am coming to realize it is left vague for a reason as we were taught in our training as volunteers “your Peace Corps experience is what you make it” (I would add, as with all things in life). That applies to everything from the personal attitude, your personal characteristics and your personal skill sets and ideas that you bring to the community where you live over the two years. Through our training we were taught and given many different tools as far as what as business volunteers we can possibly do within the community. We were also given the very good advice of take your time and get established in the community learn first off just how to function as a member of that community which includes everything from learning to live on your own in a completely different society (can’t begin to capture all of the details of this but I will say I am just beginning to get the “hang of life” here after just over a month), continuing working on language skills, meeting people and examining the current social and economic climate of the area. We are also each given a partner within the community as a basis and an entry into the business atmosphere, mine is a micro-finance institution. So currently my time is spent with several days a week at the institution understanding how they function, continuing taking language lessons with a tutor who is a teacher in the local high school and my favorite project thus far creating a young girls sports group.
I don’t know how to capture all of the details of this last month but everyday is a something new and I never truly know what will happen as I step outside of my door but I guess that is one of the things that I love the most.
Here is what I wrote in my journal while sitting on my front porch...just to give you an image of what I see.
I have a balcony with a view that is incredibly serene tremendously large palm trees stretch from the rolling green hills into the tropical jungle routes that line their way to family’s fields where they grow all types of fruit, vegetables and tubercules. To my southwest the clouds are breaking slowly revealing the summit of Mount Kupe, the sun is hitting the top at this very minute and highlighting the clouds floating in behind. Yes, sitting up on my second floor balcony seems like a dream site, and it is, it is a welcomed respite but as with all here I am living in a world of contrasts for at this very moment I am also looking across at two older men who seem to be having a peeing contest on the wall of the house in front of mine. This isn’t just any house it is also a palm wine shop (bars that only sell one drink the fermented juices from the palm trees) and from what I can tell there are typically about 15 people within the small wood paneled shack, this includes about 7 kids who range in age from around 6 months to 7 years old. This is just one of 4 palm wine shops that line the other side of the route to my house. While I hope that I have visitors here in Manjo from the states, I know that not many of you will get a chance to sit on my balcony with me. Anyway, hope this gives you somewhat of a visual.
“Well, now what?” my friend Ben said as the van carrying us and everything we owned arrived in his new town. The doors opened we unloaded his few items into the empty walls that comprised his new home. He spoke exactly what I was feeling. The question is something I ask myself several times a day and each time the answer comes… keep your eyes wide open and be ready for anything.
What does Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Enterprise Development really mean? One thing I can tell you is it is a title left incredibly vague, but I am coming to realize it is left vague for a reason as we were taught in our training as volunteers “your Peace Corps experience is what you make it” (I would add, as with all things in life). That applies to everything from the personal attitude, your personal characteristics and your personal skill sets and ideas that you bring to the community where you live over the two years. Through our training we were taught and given many different tools as far as what as business volunteers we can possibly do within the community. We were also given the very good advice of take your time and get established in the community learn first off just how to function as a member of that community which includes everything from learning to live on your own in a completely different society (can’t begin to capture all of the details of this but I will say I am just beginning to get the “hang of life” here after just over a month), continuing working on language skills, meeting people and examining the current social and economic climate of the area. We are also each given a partner within the community as a basis and an entry into the business atmosphere, mine is a micro-finance institution. So currently my time is spent with several days a week at the institution understanding how they function, continuing taking language lessons with a tutor who is a teacher in the local high school and my favorite project thus far creating a young girls sports group.
I don’t know how to capture all of the details of this last month but everyday is a something new and I never truly know what will happen as I step outside of my door but I guess that is one of the things that I love the most.
Here is what I wrote in my journal while sitting on my front porch...just to give you an image of what I see.
I have a balcony with a view that is incredibly serene tremendously large palm trees stretch from the rolling green hills into the tropical jungle routes that line their way to family’s fields where they grow all types of fruit, vegetables and tubercules. To my southwest the clouds are breaking slowly revealing the summit of Mount Kupe, the sun is hitting the top at this very minute and highlighting the clouds floating in behind. Yes, sitting up on my second floor balcony seems like a dream site, and it is, it is a welcomed respite but as with all here I am living in a world of contrasts for at this very moment I am also looking across at two older men who seem to be having a peeing contest on the wall of the house in front of mine. This isn’t just any house it is also a palm wine shop (bars that only sell one drink the fermented juices from the palm trees) and from what I can tell there are typically about 15 people within the small wood paneled shack, this includes about 7 kids who range in age from around 6 months to 7 years old. This is just one of 4 palm wine shops that line the other side of the route to my house. While I hope that I have visitors here in Manjo from the states, I know that not many of you will get a chance to sit on my balcony with me. Anyway, hope this gives you somewhat of a visual.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Officially a Peace Corps Volunteer
My time here in Bangangte has quickly come to an end and it is with so many emotions that this week culminates. I am proud to have completed the intense 11 weeks of Peace Corps training, excited for what is to come as I become a Volunteer and move into my new community, but sad to move on from all the memories and relationships that have been created here in Bangangte over the last couple of months.
The past few months have been full of huge life adjustments moving from Colorado and flying to Philadelphia for pre-service training where I met the 29 other volunteers who will be serving throughout Cameroon over the next 2 years, then leaving Philly to arrive in Yaoundé for our first week of in country orientation, and leaving Yaoundé to move in with my host family in Bangangte where all 30 of us have completed the intense language, culture and technical training for our role as volunteers. Now, we find ourselves getting ready to make the biggest transition yet: on Thursday the 20th each of us will part our separate ways to different regions of the country where we will serve in our own community over the next 2 years. Throughout each of these adjustments one learns to role with the punches, patience in all situations, excepting of uncertainty, and that laughter is always the best medicine.
My move this week is filled with uncertainty as I have just a small idea of what my life will be like over the next few years there. However, along with the uncertainty comes the certainty of new friendships, new experiences and new adventures yet to be had.
The past few months have been full of huge life adjustments moving from Colorado and flying to Philadelphia for pre-service training where I met the 29 other volunteers who will be serving throughout Cameroon over the next 2 years, then leaving Philly to arrive in Yaoundé for our first week of in country orientation, and leaving Yaoundé to move in with my host family in Bangangte where all 30 of us have completed the intense language, culture and technical training for our role as volunteers. Now, we find ourselves getting ready to make the biggest transition yet: on Thursday the 20th each of us will part our separate ways to different regions of the country where we will serve in our own community over the next 2 years. Throughout each of these adjustments one learns to role with the punches, patience in all situations, excepting of uncertainty, and that laughter is always the best medicine.
My move this week is filled with uncertainty as I have just a small idea of what my life will be like over the next few years there. However, along with the uncertainty comes the certainty of new friendships, new experiences and new adventures yet to be had.
Snakes, Machetes, Marriage Proposals
I think it is now officially rainy season here in Bangante. I had been told it was rainy season when we arrived in Cameroon, but I guess that was the light rainy season. Now it pours everyday and the dirt roads turn to pools of mud or sometimes rivers of mud. The season lasts until around December when dry season begins. This past Saturday started off to be so beautiful and after finishing class at noon I was convinced that it would be a perfect day to take my new mountain bike out for a test ride. Test ride it definitely was, after convincing three other Peace Corps trainees that it would be a great day for an exploration ride outside of town we departed under sunny skies. About 40 minutes out the clouds stretched in and the skies immediately opened up on us leaving us on the red dirt road in the pouring down rain. I loved it! Well that was until my bike refused to go any further because the chain ring was so full of mud that it couldn’t turn itself any more and kept derailing. We made it back to town soaking wet and covered in mud only to find out that the electricity in town was cut off as usual. When the electricity is cut off unfortunately the water is as well. So here we were covered in mud soaked to the bone and no way to clean off. Luckily when we arrived at the Peace Corps house, where we have our training classes, there were a couple buckets of water sitting on the balcony just enough for all of us to share for a bucket bath. Good thing, as even though there is nothing comparable to the boue (mud in French pronounced boo) of Bangangte the Cameroonians are terrified of being dirty.
We are coming to a close with Peace Corps training and will officially become volunteers on the 19th. As we reach the end of training our schedule remains intense this week we have each given 30 minute presentations on anything culturally Cameroonian and I am in the process of working on a report for a small business I have been consulting with over the last month I am currently on my 8th page (in French) hence the break of typing a blog! Being a bit tired I did what I know best to be rejuvenating for me, I went out on a run. This was my first one in Bangangte that I was not joined by either Karen my Peace Corps running partner or Stefon my Cameroonian running partner. I ran out to a village several miles away and allowed myself to escape all of the stresses of completing training and arranging moving across country to my new post within the next 10 days. On my way back, following the small dirt path that led from the village into the town of Bangante, I came upon a hill and had my heart sink at the site of two men standing in the middle of the trail with their arms up in the air, one clenching a machete the other a wooden bat. The two of them yelled something at one another and it didn’t sound to me like either French or Pidgin, though I wasn’t sure with their rushed harsh voices. I stopped in my tracks hoping maybe they haven’t seen me I have time back away, then I noticed them glance down at the same moment and that is when I caught a glimpse of what was causing the ruckus…a green snake stretched across the path, and at that moment the machete came down right on its head. Well, that was the end of that situation. The two men looked at me and started laughing, I thanked them telling them I don’t like snakes and that they saved me and ran off. Endless adventures around every corner!
Well, that covers the snakes and machetes that I mentioned in the title…now what about the marriage proposals you may ask? Well, passing a week here and not receiving a marriage proposal may cause me to look back and wonder what went wrong in that week. This week though was extra special as during one of the marriage proposals my friend Sequoria decided to make it into a game and see how much she could “sell me for” apparently I was worth 100 chickens, 50 head of cattle and 25 goats…nothing like a boost in confidence than to be told you are worth more than 175 animals!
The mention of marriage proposals also ties nicely into my day yesterday as I had the honor of meeting a chief who has 150 wives! All of us Peace Corps trainees were invited to the palace of the village chief of Bamougoum. This was quite the experience. We arrived at the palace of the chief to groups of dancers surrounding the entrance chanting and dancing their welcome to us. We were then given a tour of most of the palace grounds, though that did not include viewing the “secret forest” which most intrigued me. Afterwards we got to feast with the chief and a select few of his wives. I have had the opportunity to meet several chiefs thus far during my time in Cameroon but the chief we met yesterday was my favorite as his dynamic and welcoming personality radiated to each of us making us feel right at home on his palace’s grounds. Not too at home though...I definitely don't want to become the 151st wife!
We are coming to a close with Peace Corps training and will officially become volunteers on the 19th. As we reach the end of training our schedule remains intense this week we have each given 30 minute presentations on anything culturally Cameroonian and I am in the process of working on a report for a small business I have been consulting with over the last month I am currently on my 8th page (in French) hence the break of typing a blog! Being a bit tired I did what I know best to be rejuvenating for me, I went out on a run. This was my first one in Bangangte that I was not joined by either Karen my Peace Corps running partner or Stefon my Cameroonian running partner. I ran out to a village several miles away and allowed myself to escape all of the stresses of completing training and arranging moving across country to my new post within the next 10 days. On my way back, following the small dirt path that led from the village into the town of Bangante, I came upon a hill and had my heart sink at the site of two men standing in the middle of the trail with their arms up in the air, one clenching a machete the other a wooden bat. The two of them yelled something at one another and it didn’t sound to me like either French or Pidgin, though I wasn’t sure with their rushed harsh voices. I stopped in my tracks hoping maybe they haven’t seen me I have time back away, then I noticed them glance down at the same moment and that is when I caught a glimpse of what was causing the ruckus…a green snake stretched across the path, and at that moment the machete came down right on its head. Well, that was the end of that situation. The two men looked at me and started laughing, I thanked them telling them I don’t like snakes and that they saved me and ran off. Endless adventures around every corner!
Well, that covers the snakes and machetes that I mentioned in the title…now what about the marriage proposals you may ask? Well, passing a week here and not receiving a marriage proposal may cause me to look back and wonder what went wrong in that week. This week though was extra special as during one of the marriage proposals my friend Sequoria decided to make it into a game and see how much she could “sell me for” apparently I was worth 100 chickens, 50 head of cattle and 25 goats…nothing like a boost in confidence than to be told you are worth more than 175 animals!
The mention of marriage proposals also ties nicely into my day yesterday as I had the honor of meeting a chief who has 150 wives! All of us Peace Corps trainees were invited to the palace of the village chief of Bamougoum. This was quite the experience. We arrived at the palace of the chief to groups of dancers surrounding the entrance chanting and dancing their welcome to us. We were then given a tour of most of the palace grounds, though that did not include viewing the “secret forest” which most intrigued me. Afterwards we got to feast with the chief and a select few of his wives. I have had the opportunity to meet several chiefs thus far during my time in Cameroon but the chief we met yesterday was my favorite as his dynamic and welcoming personality radiated to each of us making us feel right at home on his palace’s grounds. Not too at home though...I definitely don't want to become the 151st wife!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
This photo was taken in Manjo, the town where I will be working over the next two years. While there visiting last month I was invited to the ceremony for the new mayor and got to see my first traditional dance with the chiefs of the surrounding villages. The man dressed in red and black is one of the village chiefs. 
My host mom and I on my birthday wearing the new outfit that she sewed for me. She was quite proud that I looked like a vraie Cameroonaise wearing the traditional pagne and fular.
Mon petit frere Luic helping prepare dinner in our backyard.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Discovering my new post: Manjo, Cameroon
Time seems to fly by quickly here even though basic life functions (i.e. washing one's shoes I still haven't gotten that down to under an hour) don't happen at quite the same pace as in the states. I am sitting in my room writing this post out on a piece of paper using light from my valued headlamp right now. The power seems to go out regularly here in Bangante though unpredictably, and truthfully there are times when I kind of enjoy the silence that the dark drapes over the town. Though it seems that the power is cut literally every time I get a few spare moments to walk to the internet in town or else once I begin to create a post it is lost with the connection. Hence the reason for starting to hand write this post.
So much has happened since my last post, I celebrated my first of three birthdays that I will spend in Cameroon and it was probably one of my best days since being in country. It began with a sunrise run with my friend and fellow volunteer Karin and my Cameroonian friend Stefon. Afterward, I dressed in my new Cameroonian dress (will try to post a photo of that soon) which my host mom had sewn for me. The morning at school was filled with excitement as our gropu of small enterprise development volunteers had a ceremony in which we each found out where we will be posted for the next two years once we finish training. I will be working in a small town called Manjo in the Littoral Region of Western Cameroon. I spent the week following my birthday traveling to my new post exploring the area, meeting with the micro finance institution who I will be partnering with and staying with the current volunteer Autumn who I will be replacing at the end of August.
It was the first time I had left the area around Bangangte in over a month. I was excited to get out and see a new part of Cameroon, though I have to admit I was also a little nervous as it was my first time heading off on my own trying to find my new town and relying on my developing French skills add to that the confusion of traveling within a developing country and you have quite the adventure. The typical means of transportation here in Cameroon include motos, bush taxis(cars that look like they should have been retired ages ago and are meant to seat 4 but are crammed with 8), and autobus which looks like a slightly larger 14 passenger van. You never know what you may see on one of these wild rides. Typically cargo will include pigs, goats, chickens or motorcycles loaded on the roofs of these vans and if you are lucky the animals will share the space in the van with you. The van often pulls off to the side of the road seemingly in the middle of nowhere then suddenly the van becomes surrounded by kids selling food from baskets on their heads the windows on the bus are all opened for the bartering process to begin.
I had no idea what to expect of my new post, two days before when I had received the sheet of paper with the name of my new town I had to walk to the map to seek out its location within the country. As my bus descended down the valley into the agriculturally driven town of Manjo I was happily surprised by the landscape as mountains reach out of tropical palm tree filled land. I am also located just several hours from the black sand beaches of Limbe a coastal town from which Mount Cameroon rises. My week spent in Manjo was filled, I got to attend the ceremony for the new mayor of the town where I witnessed my first traditional dance put on by the chiefs of all the surrounding villages. Drums played and the traditional chiefs danced in a circle all while being chased by some costumed creatures. I don't know how to describe exactly what I saw so I will just have to post some photos of this experience. I also have to admit that I am already feeling a lack of writing skills when it comes to English as I have now begun learning my second language here other than French. I have currently begun to learn Pidgin and am being taught Pidgin in French. Many of the villages surrounding Manjo speak Pidgin and I hope to have the opportunity to work with some groups in these villages. Needless to say between taking in the two new languages and continuing to adjust to my new surroundings my mind seems to be a bit jumbled at the moment.
We have now passed the halfway point of our time as trainees with the Peace Corps and I have to say it is great to now hold in my mind a vision of my new community. I am able to approach the rest of my training with a more clear idea of exactly how I would like to take all that we learn in training and put the concepts to use and practice in my new community.
So much has happened since my last post, I celebrated my first of three birthdays that I will spend in Cameroon and it was probably one of my best days since being in country. It began with a sunrise run with my friend and fellow volunteer Karin and my Cameroonian friend Stefon. Afterward, I dressed in my new Cameroonian dress (will try to post a photo of that soon) which my host mom had sewn for me. The morning at school was filled with excitement as our gropu of small enterprise development volunteers had a ceremony in which we each found out where we will be posted for the next two years once we finish training. I will be working in a small town called Manjo in the Littoral Region of Western Cameroon. I spent the week following my birthday traveling to my new post exploring the area, meeting with the micro finance institution who I will be partnering with and staying with the current volunteer Autumn who I will be replacing at the end of August.
It was the first time I had left the area around Bangangte in over a month. I was excited to get out and see a new part of Cameroon, though I have to admit I was also a little nervous as it was my first time heading off on my own trying to find my new town and relying on my developing French skills add to that the confusion of traveling within a developing country and you have quite the adventure. The typical means of transportation here in Cameroon include motos, bush taxis(cars that look like they should have been retired ages ago and are meant to seat 4 but are crammed with 8), and autobus which looks like a slightly larger 14 passenger van. You never know what you may see on one of these wild rides. Typically cargo will include pigs, goats, chickens or motorcycles loaded on the roofs of these vans and if you are lucky the animals will share the space in the van with you. The van often pulls off to the side of the road seemingly in the middle of nowhere then suddenly the van becomes surrounded by kids selling food from baskets on their heads the windows on the bus are all opened for the bartering process to begin.
I had no idea what to expect of my new post, two days before when I had received the sheet of paper with the name of my new town I had to walk to the map to seek out its location within the country. As my bus descended down the valley into the agriculturally driven town of Manjo I was happily surprised by the landscape as mountains reach out of tropical palm tree filled land. I am also located just several hours from the black sand beaches of Limbe a coastal town from which Mount Cameroon rises. My week spent in Manjo was filled, I got to attend the ceremony for the new mayor of the town where I witnessed my first traditional dance put on by the chiefs of all the surrounding villages. Drums played and the traditional chiefs danced in a circle all while being chased by some costumed creatures. I don't know how to describe exactly what I saw so I will just have to post some photos of this experience. I also have to admit that I am already feeling a lack of writing skills when it comes to English as I have now begun learning my second language here other than French. I have currently begun to learn Pidgin and am being taught Pidgin in French. Many of the villages surrounding Manjo speak Pidgin and I hope to have the opportunity to work with some groups in these villages. Needless to say between taking in the two new languages and continuing to adjust to my new surroundings my mind seems to be a bit jumbled at the moment.
We have now passed the halfway point of our time as trainees with the Peace Corps and I have to say it is great to now hold in my mind a vision of my new community. I am able to approach the rest of my training with a more clear idea of exactly how I would like to take all that we learn in training and put the concepts to use and practice in my new community.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Welcome to Cameroon!
Bonjour tout le monde
I have officially been living in Cameroon for 3 weeks! Communications has been quite difficult so sorry for the lack of blogs I will make the best effort to stay in contact but it is definitely more difficult than I thought. Though I have to remind myself I am just figuring things out here!
Well, I am currently in my fourth week of Peace Corps Training and starting my third week in Bangante a town in the West Region of Cameroon. With this being my first blog entry in country I find it difficult to begin! Every moment of everyday is something new especially with living with a Cameroonian family who doesn't speak any English. No better way to understanding the Cameroonian lifestyle than to live with a family of 8, 9 including me the new "blanche" sister!
Well before going into the many stories that I have I figured I should give you all a little bacground on the country in which I will be living for the next several years so when you read this blog you can have an idea of where I am writing from.
Cameroon is a country of about 18 million, located at the convergence of the West African countries and those of Central Africa. It was colonized by the French and the British and composed of 10 regions; 8 Francophone and 2 Anglophone. French is spoken by over 80 percent of the country and there are another 239 languages spoken throughout Cameroon. This being one of the reasons that Cameroon received its nickname of "Africa in Miniature." Many tribal groups call Cameroon home including the Pygmies down in the south and the east regions. The geography of the country varies greatly from rainforest, savanah, jungle, desert, game parks to mountains (Mount Cameroon is the tallest peak in W. Africa which I cant wait to climb!).
Peace Corps Training is quite similar to the concept of the Block Plan at Colorado College, intense submersion. We have class 6 days a week and typically 8 hours a day. We have classes on the economic and political landscape, history, culture and of course French. I must say the French spoken here takes a lot of getting used to. Even those fluent in French before arriving have had to adjust to the completely different accent and vocabulary used.
The land around Bangante is quite beautiful with green rolling hills, fruit trees and more red dirt/mud than you could ever imagine. My favorite part of my days here have been my morning runs. The clouds settle in the hills and from the soccer field close to my house you can look over all the town. My mom and two of my sisters and my neighbor have joined me on separate occasions and they all absolutely love how much I like "faire du sport." I am greeted on my runs with shouts of "du courage" However, there is one down side to running here and that is all the dirt/mud coupled with the fact that in Cameroon it is highly important to keep one shoes clean. I am talking white as new clean even with running shoes! Everytime I return home after a run my mama tells me "tes chaussures sont tres sales" if she had her way I would wash them everyday. We have now come to the agreemenat that once a week for each of my shoes is good enough. It is quite the affair to try to get the shoes clean and took me an hour to clean them to where they passed the inspection of my sisters and neighbor who watched over the fence and laughed while I struggled to clean them yesterday.
Well, I have plenty more stories compiling from entering a family with completely different customs, living arrangements and of course language than myself. For now I will just say that I found myself laughing often or digging deep for patience.
In less than 2 weeks I will found out my "post" for the next two years! All of the Business Volunteers find out on July 9th, my bday! Should be a great bday present to actually know where I will be living while in Cameroon!
Hope all is well for each of you...I have gotten a cell phone here which surprisingly is more reliable than the internet access! My phone number is 01123775523720 so if you ever want to text or call feel free! Calling from Skype is the cheapest option that I know of thus far. My address is Corps de la Paix, Ashley Johnson Peace Corps Volunteer, B.P. 215 Yaounde, Cameroon.
Lots of Love!
~Ashley
I have officially been living in Cameroon for 3 weeks! Communications has been quite difficult so sorry for the lack of blogs I will make the best effort to stay in contact but it is definitely more difficult than I thought. Though I have to remind myself I am just figuring things out here!
Well, I am currently in my fourth week of Peace Corps Training and starting my third week in Bangante a town in the West Region of Cameroon. With this being my first blog entry in country I find it difficult to begin! Every moment of everyday is something new especially with living with a Cameroonian family who doesn't speak any English. No better way to understanding the Cameroonian lifestyle than to live with a family of 8, 9 including me the new "blanche" sister!
Well before going into the many stories that I have I figured I should give you all a little bacground on the country in which I will be living for the next several years so when you read this blog you can have an idea of where I am writing from.
Cameroon is a country of about 18 million, located at the convergence of the West African countries and those of Central Africa. It was colonized by the French and the British and composed of 10 regions; 8 Francophone and 2 Anglophone. French is spoken by over 80 percent of the country and there are another 239 languages spoken throughout Cameroon. This being one of the reasons that Cameroon received its nickname of "Africa in Miniature." Many tribal groups call Cameroon home including the Pygmies down in the south and the east regions. The geography of the country varies greatly from rainforest, savanah, jungle, desert, game parks to mountains (Mount Cameroon is the tallest peak in W. Africa which I cant wait to climb!).
Peace Corps Training is quite similar to the concept of the Block Plan at Colorado College, intense submersion. We have class 6 days a week and typically 8 hours a day. We have classes on the economic and political landscape, history, culture and of course French. I must say the French spoken here takes a lot of getting used to. Even those fluent in French before arriving have had to adjust to the completely different accent and vocabulary used.
The land around Bangante is quite beautiful with green rolling hills, fruit trees and more red dirt/mud than you could ever imagine. My favorite part of my days here have been my morning runs. The clouds settle in the hills and from the soccer field close to my house you can look over all the town. My mom and two of my sisters and my neighbor have joined me on separate occasions and they all absolutely love how much I like "faire du sport." I am greeted on my runs with shouts of "du courage" However, there is one down side to running here and that is all the dirt/mud coupled with the fact that in Cameroon it is highly important to keep one shoes clean. I am talking white as new clean even with running shoes! Everytime I return home after a run my mama tells me "tes chaussures sont tres sales" if she had her way I would wash them everyday. We have now come to the agreemenat that once a week for each of my shoes is good enough. It is quite the affair to try to get the shoes clean and took me an hour to clean them to where they passed the inspection of my sisters and neighbor who watched over the fence and laughed while I struggled to clean them yesterday.
Well, I have plenty more stories compiling from entering a family with completely different customs, living arrangements and of course language than myself. For now I will just say that I found myself laughing often or digging deep for patience.
In less than 2 weeks I will found out my "post" for the next two years! All of the Business Volunteers find out on July 9th, my bday! Should be a great bday present to actually know where I will be living while in Cameroon!
Hope all is well for each of you...I have gotten a cell phone here which surprisingly is more reliable than the internet access! My phone number is 01123775523720 so if you ever want to text or call feel free! Calling from Skype is the cheapest option that I know of thus far. My address is Corps de la Paix, Ashley Johnson Peace Corps Volunteer, B.P. 215 Yaounde, Cameroon.
Lots of Love!
~Ashley
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Journey to becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer
I am sitting here in Philadelphia outside a restaurant enjoying my last true American meal replaying the steps that have taken me to this place. Tomorrow I enter pre-service training as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The application process to become a volunteer began at the beginning of July this past year when I decided the time had come to stop dreaming of this grand adventure and begin to pursue it. I would actually say that I started down this past many many more years ago as the kid who would run along bear inhabited trails in Alaska trying to tackle the greatest challenges and explore the furthest places. I can say one thing in life that God has certainly blessed me with is an Adventurous spirit!
After many months of waiting in the uncertainty of the application process and awaiting medical clearance (that's right all of those surgeries did not hold me back;) I received my invitation to become a Small Business Development Volunteer for The Peace Corps in the country of Cameroon in West Africa. I was thrilled to receive my invitation to serve in Cameroon for many reasons, one of them being that my Uncle Dean served in the Peace Corps years ago in Cameroon. I am just amazed at the fact that I have been placed in the same country as he volunteered.
I am excited for all that this opportunity has to offer me including the chance to offer my service to my country as well as the country of Cameroon. I hope that my time in Cameroon will prove to be a time of growth for myself and for those that I have the chance to work alongside. I would appreciate all of the prayers, support and encouragement that you can provide me throughout the next 27 months. I also want to thank each of you for being such an important part of my life. I can honestly say that I am surrounded by the most amazing individuals who love and care for me so well and who continually challenge me to reach outside myself and seek to leave the world around a better place. Thank you for being a part of my life and thank you for your support as I embark on this great journey!
God Bless and Take Care I will miss all of you tremendously!
~Ashley
After many months of waiting in the uncertainty of the application process and awaiting medical clearance (that's right all of those surgeries did not hold me back;) I received my invitation to become a Small Business Development Volunteer for The Peace Corps in the country of Cameroon in West Africa. I was thrilled to receive my invitation to serve in Cameroon for many reasons, one of them being that my Uncle Dean served in the Peace Corps years ago in Cameroon. I am just amazed at the fact that I have been placed in the same country as he volunteered.
I am excited for all that this opportunity has to offer me including the chance to offer my service to my country as well as the country of Cameroon. I hope that my time in Cameroon will prove to be a time of growth for myself and for those that I have the chance to work alongside. I would appreciate all of the prayers, support and encouragement that you can provide me throughout the next 27 months. I also want to thank each of you for being such an important part of my life. I can honestly say that I am surrounded by the most amazing individuals who love and care for me so well and who continually challenge me to reach outside myself and seek to leave the world around a better place. Thank you for being a part of my life and thank you for your support as I embark on this great journey!
God Bless and Take Care I will miss all of you tremendously!
~Ashley
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