Six months in and IST

We got to keep our tradition of decorating for Christmas in the first weekend of December.  We spent an evening with some friends, stringing popcorn, listening to Christmas music, sipping hot chocolate, and decorating a little tree.  We even got an ornament – a little bronze elephant head modeled after wood carving we see all over Bamenda.
We had In Service Training in early December, the first of Peace Corps’ official “checking in” on us,  We traveled to Limbe in the South West, and between training sessions spent time with friends we hadn’t seen since swearing in, playing in the waves, and walking on the black sand beach.  Midway through Jack came down with a fever and all the symptoms of malaria and started treatment for it, but test results say we’re still malaria free!  And he was back in good health once the malaria treatment was finished – the side effects of the medicine were about as awful as his initial sickness.
Kiyomi lost her diving mask to the waves while snorkeling in the surf, and we combed the beach for it, but it never washed up.  We did find some wonderful tide pools full of tiny oysters and snails and hermit crabs though.  We also visited the Limbe Wildlife Centre, formerly Victoria Zoo, which rescues and rehabilitates primates who’ve been orphaned by the bushmeat trade or kept as pets.  They have healthy, thriving, breeding populations of chimps, gorillas, drills and mandrills in surprisingly roomy habitats.  It was very nice to see.  While there, we had milkshakes and frosted coffee drinks that rivaled Starbucks at the Centre’s restaurant!  We were going to spend our last nigh in Limbe camping on the beach, but Jack was still sick at the time, so instead we accepted the hospitality of one of our stagemates, who is posted nearby in Buea, for Jack to rest until he was well enough to travel again, and we got to experience a Cameroonian take on fajitas.  Think sort of an unsweetened crepe/pancake filled with beef stew, minus the broth.  Really tasty, but we are looking forward to when we’re able to get authentic Mexican food again!

World AIDS Day

So, World AIDS Day could have gone better.  The event was a success in that people were tested for HIV, and now there are a lot of people who know their status and can take the steps necessary to maintain their health and prevent further infection.  The North West Region of Cameroon has one of the highest infection rates in the country, and knowledge of status is a hugely important step toward changing this fact.  The free testing was supposed to go on for five hours, but nothing could happen until the “important” people showed up – including representatives of our own embassy.  These “important” people came an hour late – an hour when no testing could happen – and then spent another hour and a half making speeches to each other – two and a half out of five hours of no testing, when that was the entire purpose of the day, so that these officials could posture for each other.  Way to set priorities, folks!

The day’s events were entirely organized and spearheaded by several local NGOs, which was a good thing to see, though it made Peace Corps’ presence a bit superfluous.  The biggest contribution we made was to hand out free condoms, which just turned into an absolute mess – two volunteers absolutely mobbed by scores of motorcycle taxi drivers and high school boys, shoving, grabbing, lying to try to get more.  You’d have thought we were handing out $100 bills – and condoms are easily affordable on the average Cameroonian income.  Next year we’ll aim to bring something new to the table.

Thanksgiving and more

Our first holiday season here in Cameroon has been quite nice.  We had a traditional American Thanksgiving with turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and many other favorite dishes – even pumpkin pie! – in a mixed group of volunteers and Cameroonians.  It was everything Thanksgiving should be – full of happiness, laughter and gratitude for the time together, the events that brought us each to that table, and, of course, the delicious food!

Later that weekend a friend brought us to her village.  Now that we’ve been at post for three months, we’re finally allowed to explore more around our region.  We spent the day visiting her old school, and wandering around the botanic gardens.  Living in Cameroon for six months now, we have a new found appreciation for the Biblical command to look after the strangers in your land – widows and orphans, sure, the poor, definitely, but “aliens” is never far behind in that list.  It’s not easy being a foreigner, to look differently, speak differently, and not always understand the traditions or expectations of those around you, and it’s a huge comfort to have a cultural insider come alongside you – so consider befriending members of the international community there at home.  It’s a huge help just to have someone around who’s willing to answer questions about how to do things or where to find things in their country and culture.

In other news, the rooster has not crowed since the beginning of dry season – we’re going on a month now.  He isn’t dead, we’ve seen him around the compound.  Our speculation that perhaps roosters don’t crow during dry season – maybe their throats are too dry – was met with great mirth on the part of the Cameroonians we asked.  Maybe he’s decided that claiming territory immediately outside of our bedroom window is just not worth then being chased by sleep-deprived, chicken-eating Americans…?  We’ll see what happens when the rain returns – we’re not entirely sure that the dust hasn’t just given him a sore throat…

A few of our favorite things

‘Tis the season and all that, or nearly so, even though it is definitely still June outside here!  We’ve tried to be honest about our struggles, yet still upbeat, and as we move into our sixth month in Cameroon and look ahead to In-Service Training and our first Thanksgiving and Christmas here, it seems an appropriate time to consider and share some the things we’ve enjoyed about being here.

So, in no particular order, we like…

…that it’s winter, and we’re not bundled in three (minimum) layers of clothes when we leave the house…
…the way our favorite market mammas’ and shop keepers’ eyes light with genuine happiness to see us when we do our shopping – and if we’ve been away for awhile, we’re greeted with, “You have been missing!”
…the way our neighbors call out, “You are going?,” when we leave for the day, and “You are back?,” when we come home.  “Yes, we are back,” we say.  “You are welcome!” they cry…
…the way our coworkers, and random strangers, greet us in the same way every day, “You are welcome!”…
…the beautiful Muslim prayer rugs and traditional slatted wood chairs we decorate our home with…
…the way, amused at us shouting, “Ntarinkon!,” at passing taxis and inexplicably (though we allegedly speak the same language) not being understood by the drivers, a passer-by will greet us, ask our names, introduce themselves, and then hail a cab with a call of, “Ntarinkon!,” that to our ears sounds exactly like what we said, yet is understood by the taxi drivers…
…laying in the hammocks we brought home from Mexico a decade ago on our front porch after a long day in Africa…
…grilled fish with basil sauce, soya (thin-sliced and seasoned grilled beef kabobs), kati kati (grilled chicken), njama njama (huckleberry greens), achu (a kind of thick, rich stew made with palm oil and beef broth), peanut soup…
…the way our community host will brag to others that we’ve eaten achu…
…the way coworkers will ask how we’re doing, and then, to a positive answer, will say, “Thank God!”  Well…yes, indeed!…
…the way, if one of us is alone somewhere, people will always say to greet the other…
…how, if you ask a Cameroonian how they are doing, the answer invariably begins with, “no,” as in, “No, fine!  Thank you!”…
…that bananas, pineapples, tomatoes, onions, garlic, rice, pasta, canned tuna, and peanut butter, to name a few, are readily available in Bamenda…
…that we live in Bamenda…
…that Cameroonians always express approval when you buy Cameroonian things.  “Your (house, kitchen, cooking pots, chairs, necklace, clothing, etc.) is good!”…
…local honey and jams…
…hot, sun-dried laundry fresh off the line…

Settling in

So, we’ve been in Cameroon for about five months now.  It feels both so much longer than that and like the time has flown by, and IST (In-Service Training) is just around the corner.  We’ve flown across the world, made it through three months of training, moved to the beautiful North West Region, triumphed in our struggle for housing, got a bed made, survived the election (a tense time for Peace Corps admin, but quiet for us volunteers), got a futon made, and co-hosted a dinner for the new training group (that’s right, we’re no longer the new kids!).  The house we fought for is starting to be a cozy retreat and welcoming place for us to come home to, a few plumbing issues aside (certain faucets don’t exactly turn off, unless you cut each room’s main valve outside and our landlord hasn’t seen it as a priority – we occasionally really miss our awesome landlord in Pittsburgh, but also really just have to laugh about it).

We’re learning who our favorite market mammas are to buy produce from, and our neighbors all know we belong in the neighborhood now.  At this point we can pretty well find our way around town and find the essentials, and - another thing no one tells you about Peace Corps – we recycle in ways that previously we would have thought extreme and absurd (cookie trays leftover from the Girl Scout Samoas box make excellent silverware holders).  At work, Jack has been teaching computer skills at the Delegation of Basic Education, and Kiyomi has been conducting an organizational assessment at her NGO.  It all moves at a slower pace here, which takes some getting used to, but believing that we’re contributing to the success of our community has a way of making any challenge seem lighter.  In the coming months, we’re looking forward to collaborating with another volunteer to teach basic literacy at a health clinic nearby, and are hoping in the next year to have the opportunity to start teaching civic responsibility and community building with some education materials developed by LAGA (The Last Great Ape Association) that Peace Corps Cameroon is interested in testing and adapting.

LAGA is amazing, and we are really excited about their vision.  The organization’s function is to preserve great apes, their habitat, and to prevent poaching; their purpose is to demonstrate a functional model of a new kind of NGO that, rather than just asking for money, trying to create new laws, and working within a defunct system, instead seeks to fight corruption, enforce laws already on the books, and create a better system.  We’re really excited about the collaboration with Peace Corps in seeking to teach civic responsibility with a community-based approach, and we’re more excited about the opportunity to take part in testing these materials.

Wish List 2.0

So, what do you send the Peace Corps Volunteer who has everything?  For those of you who have asked, now that we’re getting a little more settled here in Mankon country, here in alphabetical order (just because) are some comforts from home that we’ve missed.  Also, our new address is at the bottom.

Almonds
a wall Calendar
Canned salmon
Coffee (Bolivian, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Mexican, Rwandan)
Crossword books
Dried fruit (apricots, blueberries, cranberries)
Ear plugs (see The Rooster mentioned in previous posts)
Flax seeds
Granola
Hashi (also known as chopsticks)
Hops
Hydrometer
Malt (yes, Jack wants to make beer)
Pecans
Pumpkin Spice Lattes (okay, we know those won’t mail well…but we can dream…)
Sleep masks
Soba noodles
Sudoku books
Tabasco sauce
small, individual Thermoses (for taking coffee to work – no office brewers here!)
Toe socks (to go with our Vibram Five-Fingers!)
Walnuts
Whole grain pasta
Whole wheat crackers
Worchestershire sauce

Our Address in Bamenda:

Jack and Kiyomi Gaines
Peace Corps Volunteers
Peace Corps Cameroon
Bamenda Regional Office
P.O. Box 837 – Mankon – Bamenda
Mezam Division
Northwest Region – Cameroon

Things no one tells you…

Things no one tells you about joining the Peace Corps.

It’s very much like any other government job – lots of paperwork, lots of hurrying, lots of waiting, lots of not a lot getting done.  Bring a book.

It’s not at all like any other job – at all.  It’s cute that you thought you might walk into your office and be able to ask someone what you’re supposed to do though.  I see here on your resume it says you’re a creative, independent self-starter… good thing, too!  Go to it!

Peanut butter is more American than apple pie – who knew?  We went through two and a half big containers of Jif peanut butter in our first week and a half at post.  Peanut butter did not play a large role in our diet before leaving the States – organic, fair trade, fresh ground honey roasted peanuts are tasty now and again, sure, but two and a half tubs of the stuff?? Salsa or hummus, maybe… not peanut butter.  We had an inexplicable, insatiable craving.  It must be laced in the water or pumped into the air back home, and we were just in withdrawal.  Other volunteers have mentioned similar experiences.

Being awakened to a spectacular sunrise by the crowing of a rooster… leads to murderous thoughts, throwing rocks, and chasing a giant chicken around the yard.  Not a lot of sunrise reflection or appreciation.  Its not pretty.  The crow of a rooster outside your bedroom window is like being awakened by the sound of someone standing beside your bed and screaming at the top of their lungs.  Repeatedly.  It’s really enough to drive one to…wait for it… murder most fowl.

Food that feeds the body is good.  A meal to nourish the soul, home cooked with good company, commiseration and a dash of encouragement, is essential for this expat stuff…  Even better if it’s made with familiar ingredients!

The sound of your brother’s voice will make you happier than you can remember being.  And then will make you cry.

Depression, rather than something you seek “help” or medication for, is more of a state of being, alternating regularly with euphoria.  It’s either bi-polar disorder, or “culture fatigue,” but either way, those periodic glimpses of equilibrium are what you’re looking for.  They get more frequent, and sometimes you even find yourself looking around and feeling strangely comfortable, content…even, oh, yes, at home.