RIOTS & MAYHEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright, I'm going to start with the recent situation here, not the best of news, but as of now everything is calming down and we are all feeling pretty positive that all will return to normal shortly! Not sure how much has been in the news in the states (I'm guessing very little), so I will be your Cameroonian news source! Last Monday/Tuesday things started to get a little iffy in Douala, Yaounde, and a few of the provinces in the western part of the country. I think things initially started because gas prices rose (and here any little bit affects them a lot more ultimately than I think it would us in the states), followed by a price rise in a few goods, such as the price increase of 50 CFA on bread. Not sure how one thing led to another but a few strikes and riots broke out in the aforementioned places, as far as I know 17 people were killed in Douala, people were marching in Bafoussam (in the West) burning boutiques for demonstrations etc., and most transport agencies around the country were closed due to roadblocks. In my province, the South, there was no sign whatsoever of any problems, only a 100 CFA more expensive taxi ride out to my house and lines at the gas stations due to the gas shortage/prices, which is actually not at all uncommon. So my post mate, another volunteer in the South and I have spent the last week being torn between messages from fellow volunteers in the affected areas, messages from the Peace Corps administration (telling us to pack our emergency bag in case we would need to quickly be evacuated), and the lack of problems we've noticed here. It's been only rough mentally for us, trying to believe one day that we're going home for certain and the next morning being told that everything is calming down. It's so weird to think that potentially I could have not seen a single problem in the country yet be forced to leave before I've really accomplished anything! So...interesting week. I know a few people have mentioned they're worried about me, but please take this as my way to inform (with the little I really know :>)) and get things written down truthfully, and that when I say I feel perfectly safe and sound that I'm being honest! I'm sure there are much more dangerous places to be in the US right now!

It's been nice to have the other volunteer staying with us here in Ebolowa for a while. She's the other Agro forestry volunteer in the South, so we met up a few times with Hans my supervisor and discussed some work related info. And did a little tour of the market with him. Obam has his motto fixed, but then was without gas, so we haven't gone anywhere for over a week now. I'm going to get pushy this week about planning some meetings, etc. with both Hans and Obam...so watch out! :>) The other volunteer and I did some exploring out around my house, aka getting lost in the woods. We walked out into the forest, me thinking that the trail would lead to a road I sort of knew the location of, but over an hour later and we finally made the call to turn around, and then after a few tries found our way back. I took some pretty incredible pictures of bugs, which I’m overly excited about and will definitely post for all of you to enjoy as well,count on it! It was nice to have her around to go exploring, because that is definitely something I don't think I can do out in the middle of the forest alone! We also went to the bank because I noticed that money was randomly (and RAPIDLY) leaving my account. I demanded a statement ("give me a list of money in the account"), filled out 3 different transaction slips, signing each at least twice (I don't understand their system), received my statement and proceeded to yell in broken French "this is too expensive, you did not tell me, you are taking my money"! After a bit of time and after everyone near me in the bank had stopped to observe me (which, hey, that happens pure and simply upon my entry into the establishment.) the bank man explains to me that here it apparently costs (close to 10 dollars USD,.that is way to much in the states!) each MONTH just to have an account, and proceeded to laugh at me saying "ahahahah Legnar, Legnar, hahahaha". Oh well, the next day I saw the bank man on the street and he was back to kissing my cheeks, no hard feelings.

Things with my neighbors are good as usual. I received 8 bananas from my neighbor girl that was previously angry at me, and at least 20 from Obam, trust me, I will have no problems with potassium any time soon. So I've been working on ways to use them all up, including making banana bread. The first batch I distributed among the neighbors and everyone really liked it a lot (which is kind of unusual, most often any food we've tried to prepare for them is received by a look of disgust, little do they know their food is actually the grosser ;>)) so my neighbor requested my recipe for his birthday 2 days later. I offered just to make it for him, and he was very excited to receive it...he said "thank you" in English, if that exemplifies anything?! He then gave us a big piece of fish head to enjoy, and some palm wine, even steven. My landlady and landlord both just got back from Yaounde (they had been stuck there due to lack of buses running) and I am told she has pieces to fix my water problem...I hope! Although there's been no shortage of rain the past few days, and thus no lack of the resultant lake in my kitchen! I need to figure out a way to direct kitchen flood water directly to flush the toilet...

Hope you're all doing well, and please be rest assured that I AM FINE!!! :>) (but sometimes sickeningly honest).