29.10.11

29.10.11

It is 20:45 on a Saturday night.  I got back home from the field trip to the north west around 7 and it was a wonderful vacation.  I came home to brazed fish, baton de manioc, frit du pomme (french fries), and some carrot/bean salad.  It was fantastic.  Since papa wasn’t home I got to have second.  I just got situated don ma chambre and I’m going to type on this keyboard por un momont.  Petetra plus que une momont.  I know my spelling sucks.  My brain thinks more now in french.  Its weird taking a field to an anglophone region and not having much of an opportunity to speak french, besides other trainees.  But that didn’t happen often.  

I’m going to back up to Monday last week and share a “real-life” experience of what we have read about under the “cultural notes” section of our language book.  Physical punishment is very common in Cameroon, it doesn't have to be your kid.  I woke up at 5:20 monday morning to do my wash from the first field trip so it could dry while I was at school.  I woke up to my mom and grandma yelling at my sister.  I didn’t know what it was about at the time because they were talking to fast.  My sister was screaming and crying like a pig does when you grab it and hold it tight.  Then I heard whipping, like the sound of a switch slapping skin.  I don’t know where, but it happened like 40 times.  At one point my mom made my sister go out into the little bit of rain that was still coming down that morning and stand there, then get her something.  I thought this would be a good point to leave my room and make it to the front porch to do my wash as to not get involved.  Right when I opened and closed my doors Epifany came running in crying to her room and my mom followed soon there after.  (This was during a period of no electricity so we were using lanterns).  Mom comes around the corner through the darkness with a lantern in hand and goes “Bonjour Sampson.”  We were told by our language teachers that the families might sometimes but putting on a show or not acting as they normally would because they are hosting an American.  That was not the case.  So I said Bonjour and went out to the porch to start wash.  My mom came out and then started to explain why she had to discipline her daughter.  I didn’t catch the complete details, but I’m pretty sure Epifany was asked to clean the bathroom that morning and she said no.  Mom does not accept that answer.  So after her punishment she did that with other chores and then left for school with no food.  I don’t know how my little sister interprets all of that besides do not go against what her mother says.  

I saw a 8 year old kid get whipped by a lady when I was waiting outside and talking with my tailor.  This was last wednesday, he was finishing up my overalls so I just waited and talked with him.  This lady was trying to get this kid to leave for whatever reason.  He wouldn’t so she initially came at him with a long flat rod, like a meter stick in shape.  He grabbed another piece of wood and backed up against a wall trying to fight off her stick.  She wasn’t that aggressive initially.  I thought the boy was her son and that was her tactic to get him to go home.  Eventually she grabbed him by the hand, brought him to the mango tree and broke off some branches.  Then she started to whip his calfs and he started crying and yelling “Tu n’a pas ma mama”.  He left around the corner of this shop block and the lady followed him to continue.  Everyone could hear it from around the corner but no body though anything of it.  There was also a girl who just came up, squatted, and went number un in front of the hair shop next door to my tailor.  My tailor told me he would like some help starting a tree nursery in his compound for caco plants.  Coco plants.  I told him we could check it out next week and see whats possible.  I have a feeling he will change his mind once he sees how much time, money, and energy it will take to have a successful nursery.  I know he's already busy with work and family.  I would like to see where this human resides.  The last things this dude made me were another boubou ensemble, overalls, a vest, and a book bag.  All of that cost 18.000 CFA.  Like $35.  The boubou had embroidery so thats what made it more expensive.  If it was a normal boubou it would be around 12.000 CFA.  This was the first time I did business with this guy.  My mom brought me too him.  I think he does my dads clothes.  Its pretty amazing what this guy does with simple equipment.  He uses sowing machines from the early 1900s with a foot peddle.  Takes measurements real quick, puts them down in a book with a simple hand drawing of what you want, and comes out with great work.  He makes simple things all the way up to custom fitted suits.  I don’t know how much that cost here.  Before I leave I’ll get a photo of him at his work station.  He has been doing it since he was 16.  Work seems pretty solid for him.  He chills outside his shop and sows chaque jour watching and greeting people all day.  I’m going in this Wednesday to get my swearing in panya made.  I’m brining some other humans with me who want a book bag made and some other stuff. 

I learned a common phrase in Cameroon last week. “Nous sommes ensemble”  Its a common fare well that means we are together.  I kept using that this weekend with the natives in the anglophone area and remembering after the fact that they don’t know what I was saying.  We saw quite a few other white people this weekend.  I think they were dutch.  I say that because I only got to say whats up to one dude and heard his accent.  The rest we just saw walking across town.  Its weird seeing other white people here, more so when I know they are not other volunteers.  I think its how black people might feel at A&M but not a parallel metaphor.

This upcoming week is another “short” week.  We only have 1 language session each day, find out our posts Wednesday, and then Thursday and Friday we work with “community hosts” to prep for our site visit the following week.  Community hosts are either work counterparts or people selected by PC to help us get to our post and show us around next week while we are there.  People who are opening up posts usually stay with other PCVs who are hosting a PCT.  Je’spaire I get to open a post in the east.  Health trainees found out their post last week on Wednesday of last week.  They did the work shop last week and are now in route to their future posts.  When they return after next week Agro and Youth development will just be leaving.  I think there is a lack of connect between the health group with us.  Its too bad.  Maybe that will change in the last 3 weeks before we all depart over the country.

Crazy story.  The tone changes here.  Last week Monday night health trainees came to Bafia for a medical session with us and stayed in town a bit so we could all hang out.  They grouped up and left here around 5:30 back to Bokito.  The are in two PC vehicles. A van and land cruiser.  On the way back there was a car right in front of the leading PC vehicle that lost control and went head on with on coming traffic, crashed, and then rolled into a pedestrian.  The trainees knew it was a drunk driver because they were commenting on how he was driving as they were all heading back.  After the accident happened PC pulled off the road and 4 trainees got out to do what they could at these scene.  These were people who were EMT certified or work as paramedics in the US.  I’m not going to get into the details of what happened after the crash with the victims, but it was terrible.  They were in a spot where no local health officials were going to make it out in time to do anything.  Ambulances in the small towns cannot provide much life in route to the hospital.  3 of the 4 volunteers who went to the scene made contact with blood and had to go to Yaounde the next day to start a PEP regimen just in case the victims had HIV.  I found out about this Tuesday morning through a text from a health trainee friend.  I haven't heard anything since and I won’t get to talk with anyone from there for a while.  I think I’ll call up Joe sometime this week while he is at site visit.         

Matena, the field trip.  We left thursday this time since it would take 6-7 hours to reach the north west region.  I really don’t want to get into details now after writing about that tragic experience.  I’ll keep it short.  We visited more GIC’s with tree nurseries and other agroforestery practices.  Like piggeries, fisheries, and apiculture (bee raising).  PCV Lauren set up this trip because she works with all the people we went to visit.  Pidgin is hilarious.  I most enjoyed learning about apiculture.  One GIC would take the pig dung and put it in the fish pond with other plants.  The fish eat the poop and leaves, grow up, and get sold.  The water from the fishery was used as a compost tea for the plants and trees.  Thy feed the pigs some of the plants, a wheat meal, and palm seeds and continue the cycle.  Many sustainable relationships were displayed.  The last GIC we saw works with honey, teaching apiculture, and researching other medicinal plants.  I bought a liter of honey for my family.  Some of the best honey I have come across.  Harvested without toxins or processed by killing a lot of the natural goodness.  It was 2000 CFA for a liter ~$5.  We had a crazy driver.  We had to stop in Bafousam because our breaks went out.  They went out probably because our driver would break suddenly before a speed bump, and then speed right back up once it was completed.  We got there and back safe-fully so I am thankful for that.  I also remain in good health which is another blessing.  I’m going to wrap it up now.  I apologize for a lack of detail on this trip.  I will load up numerous pictures with explanations on fb.  Its really nice not seeing advertisements and cascades of marketing for holidays that keep the economy afloat to some degree.  Especially this time of year with halloween, thanksgiving, and Christmas.  No advertisements for the sale of products with no relationship to the holiday.  Not even being in a culture that celebrates those holidays has been wonderful because I avoid seeing the exploitation holidays with lost meaning.  I love the memories I had the opportunity to make when I was growing up, but certain aspects of the American culture are ludicrous.  As an American its possible to appreciate that.  Its why satire is such a predominate and popular form of comedy.