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.