Here is a comprehensive list of every singe blog post I’ve ever written. Happy Reading!
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…
Why Libraries?
In honor of International Literacy Day on September 8th, I decided to write about why I began the Books For Cameroon project. I am a business volunteer, but why am I building libraries? Today, I will share the story behind this motivation. As a kid growing up in Taiwan, I…
Birthday #2 au Cameroun
On September 9th (09/09/09!), I celebrated my 23rd birthday in Cameroon and it was fantastic. Holidays end up being so much more fun here in Cameroon due to the low expectation. I should continue to adopt this attitude upon leaving here. Expect nothing and enjoy whatever comes my way. The…
Ah, Yaoundé.
Following my birthday, I traveled to Yaoundé with Jerome since he was returning to France. I used this occasion and arranged a few meetings for my projects. I had contacted someone at the US Embassy and was hoping to meet on late Friday afternoon since she wouldn’t be available on…
3-Way Culture Exchange
Tuesday morning, I traveled back to the West with two French tourists, Laure & Fabien. They are friends of a French volunteer in Yaoundé, who didn’t have time to travel with them. Laure & Fabien were going to travel alone and asked me if I knew a good hotel. I…
Freedom of Speech & Social Media
Today is September 19th, and Phase I of the Books For Cameroon project still needs $4,699. Just a month ago, on August 18th, I began tracking the progress, and on that date, we still needed $8,570. I am quite pleased with the progress and hope we can raise the remaining…
Embracing Solitude
7am. I was still asleep. Phone rings. I turned and saw an unregistered number. Reflex hit the ignored button. 30 seconds later, it rings again. This time, my conscious told me this may actually be about work, so I answered it. Still half asleep, I somehow managed to converse in…