Civilisation Me Manques!
July 29, 2008
Things have really taken off ever since we returned from our site visits. Language classes and other training sessions continually occupy my days. But more importantly, I am spending all of my free time with fellow stageaires (trainees) before we all go on our separate ways in less than a month. I have really grown to love these people and…
Read MoreIn my bubble! What bubble?!
July 19, 2008
8 adults plus 1 infant on a 4, at most 5, passenger car? pas de probleme! That is how I ended my week-long site visit. The hour-ride back back from the provincial capital consists me twisted like a human pretzel sandwiched between Kat and a big mama holding her infant child. Thank god for all those years of yoga, or…
Read MoreFate in a Hat
July 10, 2008
I come from two different cultures that share the same attitude towards life – that life is compose by a series of cause and effect and I have a great deal of control over my own future. Yet today was the second time in 6 months where I have absolutely no control over the immediate future, which will consequently affect…
Read MoreFreezing in Africa
July 8, 2008
I am currently sitting on my bed, wearing the only light hootie i brought and sweatpants, my feet are placed under my laptop for warmth. I am in Africa, and I am freezing. This is a perfect example how one should not generalize Africa, the continent. After all, Africa is a ginormous place. If the US has varying climates, why…
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Lesson of the Week
July 6, 2008
Do Laundry Every Weekend. I learned this the hard way today. Last weekend, I was lazy and didn’t do laundry since I still had enough clothes to last through this week. The consequence of that behavior was me spending more than 3 hours washing my clothes by hand and having slightly bloody knuckles. Did you know your knuckles are very…
Read MoreIdioms
July 6, 2008
Where there is low, there is high. Last night, we were invited to the Lady Lord Mayor’s house for dinner. She’s the Mayor of Bangangté and married to a French man. The entire city didn’t have power or water, making it a perfect night to hang out at the Mayor’s pad. Rest assured, there was water AND electricity; also booze…
Read MoreYou are in Peace Corps Cameroon PST when…
June 28, 2008
38 people applaud for bite-sized Snickers bars eating burnt cow-corn for snack, loaded in salt fresh milk, cheese, pop-tarts, pizza, hamburger, olive oil, etc. become pure delicacy getting creative with your food, making every combination imaginable of eggs, tomato, avocado, Laughing-Cow-Cheese, and baguettes glad the person waking up with cockroach on the face or mice tickling their feet wasn’t you…
Read MoreHere Goes Nothing!
June 4, 2008
This is what moving to Cameroon for two years looks like: My bags are packed. I am ready to go. The above luggages weigh less than 100 lbs. Those are both the check-in bags and carry-ons. I still was on the over-packing side, brining more books than necessary. This afternoon, I was all kinds of nervous while tying up many…
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Book List
June 2, 2008
Madame de Lafayette: La Princesse de Clèves Le Barbier de Séville – Beaumarchais Le Cid – Corneille Phédre – Racine The Shadow of the Sun – Kapuscinski Snow Flower and the Secret Fan – Lisa See Suite Française – Iréne Némirovsky 一行禪師說佛陀故事 – 一行禪師 The Book of Mev – Chmiel 愛別離 – 鍾文英 On Beauty – Zadie Smith The Opposite…
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