Here is a comprehensive list of every singe blog post I’ve ever written. Happy Reading!
Out of the US and into… Cameroon?!
For most of us, the first time out of the US is usually somewhere nearby – Canada, Mexico – or somewhere popular in Europe – France, England, etc. On my first day of teaching the business seminar with RELUFA, I met two girls from the US. One of them is…
Small Luxuries
The one thing I know I will miss when I return to the “real world” is the way I find delight in the most minute details of life here. My friend Jérémy, the last of the Frenchies in my area, is leaving in a few weeks and he left the…
‘c’est comme ça chez nous’
Two weeks ago, I taught a week-long business seminar in Yaoundé, in collaboration with RELUFA, a network aim to reduce poverty in Cameroon. The NGO organized a group of young students who are currently in either high school or university. The seminar is a part of the summer program organized…
Percussion Festival in Foumban
Saturday morning, I met up with 3 French girls in Bafoussam and rode in their pick up truck to Foumban. Clotide is the French volunteer in Dschang and is blessed with a car. Seeing a girl drive here in Cameroon is really bizarre, but cool at the same time. I…
A Call for Help! – Building 28 Bilingual Libraries!
As many of you know, I somehow got myself into this silly project of bringing 28 bilingual libraries to Cameroon. All I wanted was some books for this tiny 4-room school by my house. How the project manifested into such scale, I haven’t a clue. Either way, here we are,…
Summer Blues?
Technically, it’s “winter” here, so I suppose it would be more like “winter blues”, which makes more sense. I’ve been feeling some severe waves of nostalgia as of late. Maybe it’s all the rain, but there is definitely a mood lingering. I have been in Cameroon for over a year…
Business Class: Round II
Yesterday began the first session of the business classes in village. I had one heck of a time this time around recruiting students. Perhaps I became too confident and thought word of mouth would do and thus did not attend enough neighborhood meetings. Anyhow, I had only around 15 students…
Immersion
Recently, I read this blog post on FluentIn3Months.com. I really related to this post with my experience here in Cameroon, learning my 4th language. The author made a very good point about how people can be living in a place for months or even years, and still do not speak…
This is how we do it
I may have Internet, and I may be Posh Corps, but there are certain moments that distinctly remind me that I am indeed, still en afrique. This morning, I woke up to Antoine beeping me and then banging on my door at 7:30am. In case I haven’t explained the concept…
Jesus Party!
The one trait I’ve strengthened during my time in Peace Corps is to think VERY quickly on my feet to accommodate all sorts of unexpected situations. Weeks ago, while preparing to begin my second round of business classes, I got approval from the Secretary General at the Mayor’s Office to…
Present Moment. Wonderful Moment.
It occurred to me a few days ago that I only have about 10 months left of service. This was shocking. Suddenly, any lonely feeling or “oh life sucks here” feeling had vanished. All is left is “how is it possible I only have 10 months left?!” panic. I thought…
Rain. Love It. Hate It.
I love the rainy season for several reasons. For starter, when it rains, I can stay in like rest of the population here. “It’s raining” is a perfectly valid excuse to not do anything. The rain washes away the dirt and everything is less dirty. My house is not constantly…
Delightful Monday in Bafoussam
I don’t think I would’ve ever described a day spent in Bafoussam, the provincial capital 30 minutes away from my village, as delightful. Usually I am lucky to spend the day there without wanting to punch someone in the face. But this past Monday, it was surprisingly pleasant. The sun…
Not Ready to Leave?
After my delightful day in Bafoussam, I had a dream that very night where I was not ready to leave. In the dream, I was not at all packed and was incredibly sad to leave my village and this part of my life behind. I woke up feeling nostalgic of…
The Power of Social Media
The realm of social media is one among many things I never thought I would learn during my service in the Peace Corps. I have always enjoyed being connected to the greater world. Even when I didn’t have easy access to Internet, I still diligently updated this blog to share…
