This section chronicles my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa. I worked as a Small Enterprise Developer in Batié, partnered with a local micro-finance bank to provide business training. As a community development project, I worked with other volunteers to develop the Books for Cameroon initiative.
10 Years Since the Peace Corps
Last week marked 10 years since I left the comforts of American suburbia for a different life. It was 2008. I packed up two massive bags and flew to Philadelphia…
That Time When NYT Published My Words
Earlier this year, NYT printed my words on its website. For an amateur writer like myself, this was a big deal. Sure, my journalists friends are publishing on big name…
Mourning the Loss of a Village Friend
Today was a sad day full of tragic news. I woke up to my NYT alert on the San Francisco plane crash, and made a mental note how spooky it…
China in Africa: Taiwanese American in Cameroon
When I decided to buy a one-way ticket to Shanghai, I began researching publications that report on Sino-Africa relations. Social media is an amazing place. A Twitter follower contacted me,…
Letter from Village
It’s rare these days to receive a hand written letter. Once in a blue moon, I will receive a postcard from a friend traveling. But a legitimate hand-written letter? I…
2012 Peace Corps Annual Gathering
Over the weekend, I met the Peace Corps volunteer on this 1964 issue cover of National Geographic. She was with the first group of volunteers to Ecuador, and one of many remarkable Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) that I met at the 2012 Peace Corps Annual Gathering. The event was hosted by the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), an independent non-profit organization that works closely with the Peace Corps…
The little things in life
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. In the past 6 years, I have only spent one Thanksgiving in the USA. I am beyond excited to be back. Celebrating this holiday in the foreign…
On est ensemble!
The long-awaited Peace Corps reunion weekend happened a few days ago. This is the 50th year of the Peace Corps and this was the weekend that loads of events took…
Reverse Culture Shock: One Year Later.
I left Cameroon just a little over a year ago. This year went by in a blur. Swoosh! and it was gone. As I reflect upon this past year, I…
Water For Thought?
Yesterday (March 22nd) was World Water Day. I wasn’t aware that there was such a day until I saw Peace Corps’ Twitter feed featuring a number of water projects that…
Peace Corps Turned 50!
Yesterday was the Peace Corps’ 50th birthday! Celebrations took place around the world – supposedly there were 741 events that took place across 76 countries and all 50 US States!…