What's New, What's New

What's new, what's new…I have had an incredibly busy past 2 weeks…so a lot I guess! I'll start with all my recent fun transportation in Cameroon stories! In one week I had about as many travel problems as I can hope to ever rack up in such a short period of time…2 breakdowns of buses between Ebolowa and Yaoundé in the same week. The first one occurred right as it was getting dark, we broke down in an area without cell phone reception, and everyone on the bus was in "I hate white people mode". We ended up having to wait 4 hours, during which I tried to win over the bus population by using key bulu phrases such as "Ma kobo bulu tchithcoi" (I speak a little bulu) when they were saying things about me they thought I couldn't understand. After which the volunteer I was traveling with and myself got white people privileges and got to hop on a bus before everyone else, which I'm sure reverted the bus to I hate white people mode once more! The second break down occurred 4 days later, this time only 30 km from Yaoundé, and it took 3 hours for the replacement bus to be sent! I made a friend during this time that later really helped me out getting a taxi and a decent price at night in the city…which is pretty iffy at best! In addition to the break downs I foolishly forgot my ID card while going to work an hour away one day. The first stop by gendarmes (police…they stop cars constantly at roadblocks they set up to "check ID cards"…it's a very pointless process that increases travel time drastically and is really only used to pad their own pockets) went fine and I got waved through with a look of disapproval. On the way back from work I was with my supervisor and another man I work with…we got stopped…I tried my "I'm stupid and left my card at home excuse" and the gendarme started shaking his head disapprovingly. This for some reason infuriated the man I work with and he stood up, started yelling, gendarme was screaming at him, no one was listening to me, I was almost crying…big buff men in uniforms with large automatic weapons freak me out…eventually he called over HIS supervisor who took one look at me and told everyone "yeah I know her, she's the white girl who lives at Ngalane"…thus lessons learned: 1)living at a police barrier has it's perks, 2)DON'T forget your ID card at any time 3)don't yell at scary men with guns.

Two weeks ago I had my week long IST (in service training) in Bamenda, in the Northwest Province. It was a pretty intense week, time consuming mainly…11 hours a day of being locked away in a hotel for meetings…most of which were things we'd gone over already or things that once again weren't exactly applicable to us volunteers in the still forested part of the country (this has irked me continuously during trainings and frustrated me to no end when actually trying to figure out how to get work started…) We did get to do two mornings of "field work", namely, visits to two different agro forestry centers that really had their stuff together and were incredibly beautiful places. Aside from the meeting/frustration aspect for me, it was really really wonderful to see all the volunteers from the agro training group who I hadn't seen since going to post in December. Not a single one of us has left the program since we all met in Philly, and I'm pretty sure this is some kind of record…all 22 of us still in for the long haul! It's a really good dynamic within the group and there are several people who continuously give me sanity and perspective…thus leaving was once again the hard part! However, after IST I went to a village near Baffousam in the West province for a quick stay at my good friend's place with a few other people…I had intended on going back to Bangangte to try to visit my home stay family, but ended up being scheduled for meetings in Yaoundé the next day so had to leave the West. The next 4 days I had meetings in Yaoundé, to be a "contact volunteer"…so when the country falls apart my post mate and I are responsible for getting a hold of everyone in the South province and then they all get to come hide out at our houses. I also had meetings for the Environmental Education Committee, which I just joined. The latter made me feel the most productive, and it was a lot of sharing of ideas and whatnot. Another girl in the South and I are going to write up something for the Environ. Edu. Manual on medicinal plants and bush meat. We are also, this is the grand idea, going to organize a 100 km bike tour (clearly ending at the beach in Kribi) in the South where we leisurely ride along and stop at villages to discuss environmental issues…big goal…but they do this in the North to discuss AIDS…so we are going to adapt it! :>) Another great idea we talked about while all together is the band…we have a gig!!! (I'm never saying that again, I feel like a weirdo…I got to use something like "performance" or maybe "musical presentation experience"?! ha-ha, ok, no better), but anyways, I think it'll be in November in the Northwest, and we're going to raise money for some farmers organization my friend works with up there…I'm excited for that!

Back home…coming home was weird…kind of hard in a few ways, but I did miss my house, my immediate neighbors, Obam, Hans…etc… My little neighbor has taken to picking bouquets of flowers for me (and for any other volunteers that come to visit)…so she picked me a huge one right when I got back. I also was greeted with the news that my soccer team won the finals match! Which is a big deal…and I couldn't be there for it, so got scolded. I had gone to the semi finals match before I left…let me tell you, still awkward. Whenever the guys scored a goal they would all run over to me, kneel on the ground and kiss my feet! I took to hiding my head behind my friend’s back like a 5 year old and giggling like a middle schooler. Then my neighbor, Billy, told me he is going to be sure we have the jerseys made for summer vacation (when the soccer tournaments start over and apparently get really intense)…they will say "Wisconsin Badgers" on the back (which still no one can pronounce, or for that matter even remember) and then worst of all he's putting "KATE" on the front in big letters…nope…no self promotion there at all! I also had a great conversation with my landlord's son, who is my new best friend…since while discussing culture and racism he told me that he would never marry a white girl, and would not marry me no matter what…WOOHOO!!! Never have I heard such a thing out of a guy's mouth in this country, so thus, we are best friends ;>)

Lastly, work wise not a whole lot has happened around Ebolowa since I've been in and out so much the past few weeks. I did finish planting soy and beans and corn at the farm far south of Ebolowa; saw a water source in need of improvement there, which my supervisor wants me to make a secondary project. Upon return from Yaoundé we had an apiculture (bee keeping) training session in a village right near my house. It was REALLY interesting and I learned a lot…it got dark before we could finish though, so we're planning on having another where we finish building the rouge (bee hive/box whatever thing) in early May. So…that's about all! But one last thing of major importance...my parents are coming to visit!!! They'll be here starting the end of July for 3 weeks and we're looking into trying to go somewhere else to do something very touristy...like a safari or whatnot. So that's definitely something to look forward to! The power just went out, so I must quickly get off my post mate’s computer before I use up all the reserve battery!