10.12.2011

10.12.2011

Bonjour tout le monde.  I’m half awake on the couch at the case in Yaounde.  I left Bafia yesterday and am now in route to Bertoua.  Left it because the PST est complete!  53 people swore in yesterday and pushed Cameroon's volunteer number over 200.  The swear in ceremony induced a sureal feeling in my corps.  It wasn't super fancy or anything, but it was interesting sitting there knowing it was the event waited upon after PST and right before post.  Everyone was looking super fly/ beautiful in their panya.  We got to hear many speeches.  Three were given from the new volunteers about their experience in PST.  One in French, Fulfulde, and Pidgin.  The director of training, country director, and ambassador spoke.  Its got to be a unique experience to work for the PC and get to see groups of enthusiastic Americans going out into Cameroon after training and see how their doing a year, or at COS.  Human interaction is interesting.  There was boucoup de photographs that day.  So many cameras.  Serving in the Peace Corps in the new millennium is a very different experience than all previous decades.  From what I could assume.  Internet, Computers, Instant pictures, Facebook.  Its a trip.  Its a trip being in the case and seeing over half the volunteers on their laptops using the internet to skype or fb.  Its a blessing to have that connivence to keep in touch with loved ones rapidly, but its just different.  There are a lot of old school pictures here from volunteers in the 70s and 80s. Back to the last day in Baifia.  After the ceremony we had a homestay family appreciation lunch that was delicious.  My mom got super dressed up and even put on a weave to have straight hair.  I didn’t recognize her at the ceremony when I was searching, but everyones family got super dressed up.  The CD went around to each family and gave a certificate and took pictures with them.  Then anyone got a picture with the Ambassador that wanted one.  My mom had to peace out early because she had to get back to work.  My dad was sick and couldn’t even make it to the lunch.  Ensuit people started going to the hotel for the big shin dig that went goes down at the end of every stage.  I went early to take a nap to have energy for all the dancing that was gonna go down.  That was the first night after 4 months where we didn’t have a curfew or get one extended.  The party that night was a lot of fun.  There was so much dancing.  People could wring out their shirts and some people changed into new clothes throughout the night.  Our formatures and formatreces where there.  The people who have been teaching us all throughout PST.  I went to bed early compared to most, but I had to say peace out to my family the following morning before loading up to come to Yaounde.  It was nice walking through Bafia at 6 in the morning.  That was the first time I’ve done that.  The sun was barley up.  The air was real cool and there was fog everywhere.  The roads were pretty empty, not many people or motos running.  It was also quite.  No school children.  No deranging.  It was a nice atmosphere for my final promenade in Bafia.  When I got home mama told me my dad slept at the hospital because of work.  My sisters were in different, the 8 year old didn’t want to give me a hug.  Mama was nice and gave me a speech that I didn’t completely understand, but I got the gist.  I gave my last hugs and before I left on the road I turned around for one last goodbye they were just back in the routine of morning chores.  

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Okay, this is another entry where I changed locations and let a lot of time pass before I finished.  I am not in Bertoua staying at the East case waiting for 2 more volunteers to come in for the night.  We arrived yesterday, but stayed today to get some things in the regional capital for our new homes.  All I needed was a stove and gas tank and there is currently no gas in Bertoua.  There are also 2 visitors here from the SW region.  A SED and ED volunteer.  Their school is on break so they are traveling to the East and then to the North.  Its lucky that we even got into the case.  We were given keys, but the one for the outside door didn’t work.  Although the cleaning lady just happened to be there that day and at the time we arrived.  It only cost 200 CFA to stay at the case per night.  Thats less than 50 cents.  Its cheaper than other cases because it gets less traffic.  The one at PC headquarters cost 500 CFA a night.  That place is more like a frat house.  A majority of people don’t clean up after themselves or come home at 5 in the morning because the gates close at 11. 

Jessica and Jupiter will be at the agency to meet us tomorrow, but they depart the following day to head to Yaounde for their wedding.  Once I get to post it will be another welcomed change.  “Nassada” is the word for white person in Fulfuldie.  That spellings not correct.  Its what the Muslims call us.  Side note, I was right about that Amanda homegirl getting the star trainee award.  Hommies just arrived now.  The cost of the trip was 4.000 and we paid 5.000 to get all of our property on the bus.  So like $20 to go over 300 km with all the stuff I’m moving with.  Its gonna be like 4.000 cfa to get from here to Batouri.  First thing I’m doing when I get to post is changing my locks.  Theres not much I need to do with my crib.  Get a mattress.  I’m going to be pretty frugal like I am in the states.  There is already a good amount of furniture and other household supplies waiting at my crib.  I lucked out with that.  I’m distracted.  Im trying to write and talk at the same time and I know will just end up making another break in this post.  Toodles for now.                            

5.12.2011

5.12.2011

Today is awesome!  I am high on el eye eff eye.  It is a Monday afternoon at the training house and I am relaxing in the main chambre listening to De La Soul.  Its a very laid back day today because we swear in on Thursday and peace out to our post on Friday.  I’ll probably get to Batouri around Tuesday because I have to do banking in the regional capital on monday.  Agros have a presentation to give tomorrow about something you would possible present at post.  I’m sharing the benefits of improved cook stoves.  We only have one language class today and the rest of day is preparation for the presentation tomorrow.  Thats the final thing  Its wild to know we are gonna peace out at the end of the week.  I will miss the freedom of getting to see all these people that I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet.  We would have never met under any other circumstance.  Maybe two of these human who were from Texas.  This stage group is a solid bunch of humans.  It sucks that the Agros and YDs were kind of separated from the Sante volunteers, but theres 2 years of possible visits.  There have been quite a few dance parties in the recent past since we are all leaving.  We are also going to have a grande party the night of swearing in.  There were multiple times where I just sat and watched everyone interact.  I did the same thing because I said peace out in the US and got to hang out with some people.  It can seem pretty creepy from an observer, but we wont have that at all in a bit.  Soon we will all be alone at our post building our own schedules and trying to communicate with the local languages.  Some people have other Americans as post mates, but some are au village.  There are big clusters of volunteers in the Western part of the country.  I have 3 other volunteers in my town.  I’m ready for the next change.  I’m ready to get to my crib and interacting like an amebia in a foreign solution.  Making new friends.  Filtering through the snakes.  But you can’t blame the people for looking at Americans, or people of different colors, as a hand out.  More often than not they recieve hand outs and have come to expect it because they don’t necessarily differentiate between all the organizations here.

I’ve got a lot of plans for my crib.  Many are probably not feasible, but time is something PCVs have.  I wanna make a shawshank redemption hole.  That wont work because it would fill up and be destroyed during the rainy season.  I plan on making all my furniture out of bamboo.  Theres a lot of that for free in the east.  I want to make a structure to hang my bed from so it dangles like a swing.  I’m gonna see a fence of moringa.  Moringa doesnt grow freely in America, but it is an amazing tree.  Google it.  I wanna get some chickens and goats, once I’m sure they won‘t get stolen from my crib.  I want to paint murals on my walls, but I think coming across quality paint would be difficult.  There is a PC project called the World Map project.  You basically break down a world map into tiny squares to make it easier to draw with accuracy.  Speaking of painting, there is a dude here in Bafia who does these amazing oil paintings from photos.  You just bring in a photo and he turns it into amazing artwork.  I dunno how much it cost but I really want a ridiculous picture made.  Like me riding a polar bear on Mount Cameroon with a bunch of plantains on my back.  I also wanna get a painted picture of my host family and me.  I’m sure we will get a nice one on the day of swearing in.  

I’m also sweating happiness because I got mail today!  I got 2 packages and 3 letters.  Magical.  One package was from my awesome human in Carrollton named KIM!    No last names because theres a lot of creepers. If you know a solid human in your life write them today.  There is a good chance you have more than one, but just take the time to write one.  It really illustrates the message if you take them time to do it, je ponse.  Boucoup de hygiene products and some books.  My grandmother wrote me too!    I also recieved letters and a packaged from my el aye dee why in Colorado : )  I’ve gotta get down on some letters ASAP.  Since I’m going to post I would love picture of humans from back home.  Cameroonian love pictures of the people American’s know.  It blows the minds of certain people when they see that there are blacks, asians, and anyone whose not white in America.  They also are just curious as humans are.           Anyone whose got the time it would make my month.  Address be:

Mike Burbidge

Corp de la Paix

B.P. 215 

Yaounde, Cameroon, Africa

C/O U.S. Embassy Cameroon

My address isn't going to change once I go to the East because I’m not going to trust the post to the East.  If it makes it to Yaounde no problems I’ll trust it with PC.  Volunteers traveling back and forth to Yaounde pick up each others stuff for the East.

I wonder what little kids think when they see me.  I’ll be getting water at the well or forage and little kids just stare.  I can stare back and it doesn't phase them, but when I speak to them in French most don't respond and look away.  But whats going on in their head.  How do they precieve white people.  For some people au village a PC volunteer is the only American they will probably ever see.  Its also interesting to observe the expression of really old people au village who see Americans.  Some are amazed because they’ve gone that long in their life and finally see one.  I don’t think its that frequently since the PC has been in Cameroon for 50 years.  

Side story.  I got home last night and drank palm wine with my dad and his friend.  Then they whipped out some i dunno what from village.  I think it was bark.  But they rubbed it up in their hands and then licked it off, or put it in the palm wine.  I dunno what its supposed to do.  I thought I was going to hallucinate for a bit, but I think it was just a spice that compliments palm wine?  Palm wine is alright.  Then my dad started saying how he was going to hook me up with a Cameroonian.  He went into detail but I didn’t pick a lot of it up.  Then I got to meet the sister of my mom whose married to a chief of a village.  Apparently if my mom here dies, my dad gets to have her little sister as his new wife.  I dunno how that works out of she's already got a husband?  I finally comprehended why my family is getting a second house built here.  They are building a second house for their family.  They have a bunch of extended family in Bafia or close by and they just wanted to have a house built so they could all live together.  I still havent seen it.  I probably will when I come back to visit.  

I shaved myself except for a mustache today.  For those who have seen me with a mustache know how giggly it is.  I think its gonna trip out my family when I go back home tonight.  They already told me they are going to get me pimont and a gourd to drink out of.  My hommie, the first hommie I encountered on this journey, is going to be giving a speech at swearing in au francais.  There will also be a speech in Fulfulda and Pidgin.  If you don’t know anything about Pidgin google it.  Its hilarious.  Oh, there is also going to be a “trainee of stage”.  Stage is what training is called here.  I think I mentioned it earlier, but I see how it might be confused as reading it in the english context.  No voting by the trainees, just a choice from the teachers based mostly on integration.  I found out a dude who is in Bokito started up a boys and girls club during PST.  Wild.  Boucoup kudos to him.  I think its a Sante named Amanda.  I think they’re going to announce it at swearing in.  I wish Paul Biya and his wife would come to swearing in.  That would be mind boggling.  I’m gonna miss these human.  Miss the frequency of seeing their faces and interaction.  But it will also be good to have the rare experience of seeing them months after this to see how different or not different they will be.

I wanna give a verbal salutation to the superbe parents of Lauren Ayers : )  I got to very briefly meet these humans through a computer from the catalyst called Skype.  But I have heard multiple stories about how amazing these two people are.  I’m shoutin out because I know its going to get read : )  I wan’t you to know I’m very protective of the females in my life and Lauren is one of those females now. 

I don’t know if I’ve said this yet.  90s music is awesome in Africa.  Awesome for me.  I liked 90s music in the states, but it feel fantastic getting down on a decade old music with Africa in the background.  I dunno how the gens au Cameroon like it, but I bet it would be popular in the club.  Speaking of which I love the clubs here, or the one I have gotten to visit in Bafia.  Something you wont find in America, a hard boiled egg sales man outside the club door.  Why is he there?  Because Cameroonians get ripped when they dance and need the protein.  I love mirror dancing.  I love dancing in Cameroon in general.  There is no judgement.  You do something weird and the usual reaction is “wow, creative dance move”.  Or they just find it funny to see Americans dance.  I wish I knew how to pop and lock.  That would blow le gens away.  They like the bernie dance.  Don't know what that is.  Google it.  An homage to the classic 80s film.  I’m gonna go play volley ball matena.  A brain break before I run over my presentation.  We just have presentations and a bridge to post session tomorrow.  I think we also get to learn about what makes a lock good here.  How to tell the difference in quality and what things should cost.  Tres important.  Dude, 2012 is less than a month away.  No one forgot the world is going to end in a year right.  A day after my birthday.  Better make this year of the chain.  If the world doesn’t blow up you can always count on the stability of governments and economies today. Je bloge, about the world blowing up.