05.10.11

05.10.11

It has been a week in Bafia, so its time for an update.  Cholera is now present in Bafia along with other communities.  We were intructed to wash our hands frequently and continue to treat our water.  My gums near the back side of my molars on the bottom jaw are pulling away from the teeth.  The nurse just said to keep brushing and flossing.  She said she would write a prescription for mouth wash?  Someone ETed (early termination) yesterday.  We started off today reading the note he wrote for everyone before he departed.  We don’t know why and he asked that be revealed once he left.  None of my biz.  We have progressively working through our agro curriculum.  

I just got back from our field where we broke up into groups to start a seed bed, test plot, and small tree nursery.  We use a small metal hand hoe and machette.  Pictures on fb.  I have 5 new blisters on each hand that should turn into what my heel looks like soon.  Oh my gum thing also makes my breath smell like poop because food gets caught in there.  It was swollen this morning, but its gone down.  I just chew on the left side for now.  French classes have been good.  Its nice to have them broken up with cultural/saftey/technical information.  The lunch lady we have makes bomb food.  Its the mom of another stagier.  I havent encountered leaky roofs, many bites, or sickness like some of the other stagiers, so I feel blessed for that.  I’m also now making my own breakfast in the morning since I’ve watched mama do it enough.  It usually an omelet sandwich.  Omelet with basil, tomato, onions, and pimont.  I have my cup of coffee in the morning with this chocolate powder mix, kinda like Nestle Quick.  I plan on buying some weave hair and asking my sister to weave it into my hair so I can have some corn rolls.  They probably won’t last long because no one will take me seriously here.  Imagine me, with corn rolls, wearing panya, speaking french.  It addition to a unibrow.  I’ve been letting my unibrow grow out here because no one cares.  I wanted to see how bushy it would get.  One of my glasses covers it up, the other lets it be free.  It will produce a giggle worthy picture though.  I don’t even know if thats how weave hair works, or if I just need to wait for it to grow longer.  

My mom showed me up in chopping wood yesterday.  Although they have a stove most of the cooking is done over a fire for two reasons.  Gas is expensive, so they only use the stove to reheat meals.  Two, the cook in this smoke house so the smoke from cooking also dries out the corn above and they use that for cous cous.  So mama was chopping wood yesterday and I asked if I could help.  The ax is home made.  Its a metal pole with one end flattened to the ax head can fit on it.  The ax wedge is also kind of warped.  But she made it work much better than I could.  We were just splitting wood for the cooking fire.  Last night I had steamed cassava with this vegetable fish casserole mix.  Bones and everything.  The small bones I could chew up, but the larger spine bones I had to take out.  That was not the case with my family and their friends.  The stray dogs and cats in our neighborhood eat the scraps that get put out anyway.

I finished reading a great book that my el-aye-dee-why sent to me called “Legacy of Love” by Arun Gandhi.  I read it twice this week to let the main points resonate in my brain.  Its a short book.  I highly recommend it to anyone who reads this sentence.  Besides that I’ve only been reading my technical books and french books.  I stay pretty busy now that there is a routine.  So my new routine.  I wake up at 6:30 because my family gets up an hour before that.  I don’t want to look lazy.  Next I get dressed and my things ready for school, make coffee for everyone, and my breakfast.  I was reading in the morning, but now I just head up to school early and read there if I want.  From 8 to 4:30 I have school.  Grub out good and lunch and eat peoples left overs.  Once I get home from school I change into lighter clothing and fetch water for the toilet/shower tub from the well out front and do any sweeping.  I take a little break where I sit/read/write.  Do homework or study french and then its din din time.  After din din I do the dishes suel, shower, and then go to bed to do it one more gain demain.  I like the busy days.  Time goes by faster and I’m pretty tired around 9 so I pass out quick.  Or if I don’t pass out quick I take a sleeping pill and have weird dreams.  I haven’t been doing a good job of keeping up a dream journal.  I have 2 years for that.  My first weekend here was really laid back.  My parents haven’t made me go to anything yet.  They work on the weekends as well or attend social events.  There have been Paul Biya rallies almost every day from what I get to see.  I study, wash clothes, and take naps on the weekend.  Explore Bafia.  Wiffle ball and frizzbe time is popular between the stagiers.  I thought I had more to write about but it is not in my brain right now.  A plus tard mes amie.  Du courage.  

Now I remember.  I think someone who came into this house took 2.000 mil from me.  I know I am missing 2.000 and its not because i spent it or lost it.  I’m not making any accusations.  I’ll see if the act replicates itself over the next 3 months, at which point I’ll bring it up.  My little sister loves Angry Birds.  I brought my iphone to use as a video camera and make videos, but it also comes in as an arcade to mes soeurs.  I don’t know if I’ve said how beautiful clouds are here.  In texas, during summer, there are usually blue skies tout le jours.  But here during the rainy season the clouds are amazing.  When I go to get water from the forage in the evening its awesome.  Like sky mountains on top of land mountains.  I can’t take a picture because there are usually always people at the forage in the evening.  I don’t whip out anything of attraction when I’m out.  If I find another high point that gives the same view I’ll be sure to get some pictures, but its fantastic on top of being surrounded by nature.  Another thing.  I’ve started to take the moto to town.  Its 100 francs for any ride in town.  It reminds me of my scooter.  They only get the cheapest stuff from China or thats all I’ve seen.  Top safe speed of 40.  We have to use a helmet here.  So when I walk around with my helmet natives as me where my moto is, and then they don’t understand when I respond that it is for safety.  Children, as young as 5, just sit in the lap of the driver.   

I just got a call from the language coordinator to head back to school for my prescription and medication for my mouth.  I have returned from that and its called Hextril, some kind of fancy mouth wash.  The Dr. told me she would write a prescription, but I wasn't planning on going out and buying it.  But much to my suprise PC bought it for me.  Double plus was I didn’t have to pay for the moto ride to school.  I forgot to pay because I was in a hurry to get home before cerfew, but the dude didn’t ask me for it either.  He just rode off.  I am now watching my little sister feed toothpaste to these other neighborhood kids.  Its the same toothpaste I use.  Colgate “Herbal”.  I think its not as effective as regular Colgate.  If anyone was $10 to spare send me toothpaste!  Please!  Of quality.  All I would ask to get sent is books and hygene products.  Din din is being served now. Now I will really peace out.