I got back from my trip aroun the Grand North this morning, and this will most likely be my last chance to post before I fly home on Friday. Here goes.
To finish off the semester, SIT went to Limbe for a few days. This is a really nice beach with beautiful black sand. It also has a lot of white people, whether tourists, volunteers, or expats I'm not sure. It was pretty strange getting to the beach on the first day and seeing more white people than black people, but then again maybe this was supposed to help us readjust to the US.
My friends and I who were staying in Cameroon for an extra two weeks intended to climb Mount Cameroon (West Africa's highest mountain) the day following the rest of the group's departure. Unfortunately a bunch of us (3 out of the 5 who were staying, 6 out of the 14 total), myself included, got sick the night before. We therefore scrapped the Mount Camerooin plan, stayed in Limbe for a day to recover, and then headed directly up to Maroua in the Extreme North.
When I say "directly," I really mean anything but. We took a 6-plus hour bus to Yaounde, then had to stay the night as delays had made us miss the night train. The next evening we boarded the train to Ngaoundéré. We had gotten the cheapest tickets we could, and as a result we were extremely cramped. A man actually slept under my seat for most of the ride! The train ended up lasting around 16 hours. After a short break to stretch our legs we got a 6 hour bus to Garoua, in the North province, followed by another 6 hour bus to Maroua. So two days after leaving Li,be, we were finally in the Extreme North! The first two nights there we stayed at a Peace Corps transit house that we were able to contact through other Peace Corps friends. The volunteer there bent the rules to let us stay, and it was really nice to recuperate from travel and to adjust to the heat (the first day in Maroua it was 110 degrees in the shade).
After spending a few days in Maroua, which is a really great town, we headed to Waza National Park. We did two days of safari, riding around the park in the back of a pickup truck. We were able to see lots of Giraffes, birds, warthogs, and antelope-like animals. We were really lucky on the first day, and we actually saw a lion! It roared at us and was a bit terrifying, but luckily we were all safe inside the car.
After that we headed back to Maroua for a few days before heading to Rhumsiki to do some hiking. This is a really pretty area with lots of rocky peaks and rural villages. To get there, we took an hour_long moto ride past beautiful scenery. Once in Rhumsiki we found a guide and headed out for a 3 day trek through the countryside that included a brief foray into Nigeria. It was tough but fun, and it was great to see villages that were so far from the roads. We didn't see a car during our entire hike, but we were able to find a donkey caravan bringing soda from Nigeria. Sprite tastes so much better when it's unexpectedly delivered by donkeys...Our guide was great, and each night he made us delicious, freshly-killed chicken in a peanut-tomato sauce. On the day we got back to the village we were able to see a bit of an initiation ceremony for young men and a wedding. We were really lucky.
We left Rhumsiki on Monday and Have been travelling since. Right now I'm back in Yaoundé, where I'll be staying until I go to the airport in Douala on Friday.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
ISP and End of the Semester
I realize that I haven't been posting as much as usual, since I've been really busy with ISP. However, IT'S FINISHED!! So here's what I've been up to:
I'll spare you a lot of details on ISP. I interviewed a bunch of twins, found out that we can have supernatural powers, and that we're basically awesome. Ask me when I get back and I'll tell you more.
Once I had finished my draft, my friend Kelly (who had been studying witchcraft in a small village) came to town for a few days. We went to the nearby city of Bafoussam to go a a traditional market, in the process squeezing 8 people and a baby into a small car for the hour-long drive. Gotta love the local transportation system. Another day we visited a waterfall, and a third day we made peanut butter. We roasted, skinned, and crushed a giant bag of peanuts, then mixed in some delicious market honey and peanut oil. It was delicious.
It was great getting back to Yauonde to see everyone, although I had some ISP troubles when I got back to the capital. First, my advisor was late giving me back my corrected draft (I had written my 40 page paper in French, so I needed him to correct my grammar). When I finally got it back, I had a mini crisis when I thought that he had rewritten my paper. Turns out that he only rewrote the first few sections, and I was able to fix everything while keeping the paper in my own words. I printed up my copies, gave my presentation, and now according to a friend here I'm a college senior.
Tonight is a party to thank all the host families. After that I have a day to pack before heading to Limbe, a beach where we'll spend the rest of the program. My friends and I who are travelling afterwards are staying in Limbe for a few days after everyone else leaves. Here's our tentative itinerary for the next 3 weeks:
-Climb Mount Cameroon (1.5 days up, 1.5 days down)
-Return to Yaounde to go to an apparently amazing club/bar/place that has drum circles every other Saturday
-Take the 12 hour train ride up to Ngaoundere, stop for smoothies and to say hello to our knife-making friend in the market
-Take the (8 hour?) bus to Maroua, capital of the Extreme North
-Spend a few days in Waza National Park. Hopefully we'll see elephants!
-Spend a few days hiking around Rhumsiki, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful spots in the world
-Travel back to Yaounde, spend a few days either there or in Douala before flying out of Douala on the 29th
-Arrive, exhausted, in the US on the 30th
I doubt I'll have internet access after I leave for Limbe, so if anything is really important call me at +237 77 49 46 79.
I'll spare you a lot of details on ISP. I interviewed a bunch of twins, found out that we can have supernatural powers, and that we're basically awesome. Ask me when I get back and I'll tell you more.
Once I had finished my draft, my friend Kelly (who had been studying witchcraft in a small village) came to town for a few days. We went to the nearby city of Bafoussam to go a a traditional market, in the process squeezing 8 people and a baby into a small car for the hour-long drive. Gotta love the local transportation system. Another day we visited a waterfall, and a third day we made peanut butter. We roasted, skinned, and crushed a giant bag of peanuts, then mixed in some delicious market honey and peanut oil. It was delicious.
It was great getting back to Yauonde to see everyone, although I had some ISP troubles when I got back to the capital. First, my advisor was late giving me back my corrected draft (I had written my 40 page paper in French, so I needed him to correct my grammar). When I finally got it back, I had a mini crisis when I thought that he had rewritten my paper. Turns out that he only rewrote the first few sections, and I was able to fix everything while keeping the paper in my own words. I printed up my copies, gave my presentation, and now according to a friend here I'm a college senior.
Tonight is a party to thank all the host families. After that I have a day to pack before heading to Limbe, a beach where we'll spend the rest of the program. My friends and I who are travelling afterwards are staying in Limbe for a few days after everyone else leaves. Here's our tentative itinerary for the next 3 weeks:
-Climb Mount Cameroon (1.5 days up, 1.5 days down)
-Return to Yaounde to go to an apparently amazing club/bar/place that has drum circles every other Saturday
-Take the 12 hour train ride up to Ngaoundere, stop for smoothies and to say hello to our knife-making friend in the market
-Take the (8 hour?) bus to Maroua, capital of the Extreme North
-Spend a few days in Waza National Park. Hopefully we'll see elephants!
-Spend a few days hiking around Rhumsiki, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful spots in the world
-Travel back to Yaounde, spend a few days either there or in Douala before flying out of Douala on the 29th
-Arrive, exhausted, in the US on the 30th
I doubt I'll have internet access after I leave for Limbe, so if anything is really important call me at +237 77 49 46 79.
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Belated Birthday Blog
I've been really busy with my ISP (Independent Study Project) lately, so I haven't been able to post as often as before. Making up for that, here's a rundown of how I spent my birthday:
My friend Kelly, who's working with traditional healers in a village around 2 hours away, came to visit and we went out "for a night on the town." Our first quest was to find a birthday cake. Unfortunately, none of the boulangerie's in Dschang sell cake, but we were able to improvise. We bought a "tortue," a big piece of sugar-coated bread in the shpa e of a turtle. We then cut it open and filled it with bits of chocolate. Finally, we found a meat stand (basically a big fire where vendors cook and sell beef or chicken) where the workers let us roast our creation. The result: warm, sugary bread filled with melted chocolate. It was DELICIOUS.
Our next task was to gather the proper ingredients for champagne mixed with pineapple juice. We got a nice 3000F (US 6 dollars) bottle, found some pineapple juice, and then located a nice bar where we could drink it. Our two missions being accomplished, we just hung out and enjoyed being in the company of English speakers for a change. Overall it was a very nice, relaxing birhtday.
My friend Kelly, who's working with traditional healers in a village around 2 hours away, came to visit and we went out "for a night on the town." Our first quest was to find a birthday cake. Unfortunately, none of the boulangerie's in Dschang sell cake, but we were able to improvise. We bought a "tortue," a big piece of sugar-coated bread in the shpa e of a turtle. We then cut it open and filled it with bits of chocolate. Finally, we found a meat stand (basically a big fire where vendors cook and sell beef or chicken) where the workers let us roast our creation. The result: warm, sugary bread filled with melted chocolate. It was DELICIOUS.
Our next task was to gather the proper ingredients for champagne mixed with pineapple juice. We got a nice 3000F (US 6 dollars) bottle, found some pineapple juice, and then located a nice bar where we could drink it. Our two missions being accomplished, we just hung out and enjoyed being in the company of English speakers for a change. Overall it was a very nice, relaxing birhtday.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Safari!
Yesterday the SIT students went to le Parc National de la Bénoué for a safari. While I'm currently in Adamawa province, the park is in the North, so now I've been to 7 out of 10 provinces!
We had to leave Ngaoundéré at 5:30 AM in order to arrive early enough to see animals. It felt just like a ski trip, and it was really cool to walk through the city to our meeting place while the call to prayer was going and people were making their way to the mosques.
Once we got to the park, we saw our first animals surprisingly quickly: giraffes! Later we saw antelopes, monkeys, some really pretty birds, and lots of hippos.
We also got to take turns riding on the roof of our van, with 5 to 6 people at a time enjoying the breeze, scanning for animals, and dodging tree branches. It was a lot of fun, especially because the road was bumpy. It could be very painful at times, though!
Everyone I've takled to about Northern Cameroon have stressed that it's really hot, and they were right. We were boiling in the van towards midday, and we probably could have made tea with our water. Luckily, an inpromptu water fight with my three youngest sisters later that day cooled me down.
Saturday was amazing as well. A Nigerian dignitary was visiting the lamidot (local chief), and there was a big celebration to welcome him. There was a lot of really great music with drums, balafons, long trumpets, and mandolin-like instruments. It was all very North African-sounding, and I couldn't help but be reminded of some Balkan Beat Box songs. There were also a lot of horses present, with beautiful decorations and riders is traditional costumes.
I've been trying to get pictures of my new hair, but it's been difficult. Here's a view from the back as well as all the hair that was cut off:
Also, my youngest host sister is officially the cutest girl ever. Here she made a traditional baby sling for her teddy bear and pretending that my water is another baby. To bad I can't figure out how to rotate it on this website:
And here's a picture of some friends making knives:
We had to leave Ngaoundéré at 5:30 AM in order to arrive early enough to see animals. It felt just like a ski trip, and it was really cool to walk through the city to our meeting place while the call to prayer was going and people were making their way to the mosques.
Once we got to the park, we saw our first animals surprisingly quickly: giraffes! Later we saw antelopes, monkeys, some really pretty birds, and lots of hippos.
We also got to take turns riding on the roof of our van, with 5 to 6 people at a time enjoying the breeze, scanning for animals, and dodging tree branches. It was a lot of fun, especially because the road was bumpy. It could be very painful at times, though!
Everyone I've takled to about Northern Cameroon have stressed that it's really hot, and they were right. We were boiling in the van towards midday, and we probably could have made tea with our water. Luckily, an inpromptu water fight with my three youngest sisters later that day cooled me down.
Saturday was amazing as well. A Nigerian dignitary was visiting the lamidot (local chief), and there was a big celebration to welcome him. There was a lot of really great music with drums, balafons, long trumpets, and mandolin-like instruments. It was all very North African-sounding, and I couldn't help but be reminded of some Balkan Beat Box songs. There were also a lot of horses present, with beautiful decorations and riders is traditional costumes.
I've been trying to get pictures of my new hair, but it's been difficult. Here's a view from the back as well as all the hair that was cut off:
Also, my youngest host sister is officially the cutest girl ever. Here she made a traditional baby sling for her teddy bear and pretending that my water is another baby. To bad I can't figure out how to rotate it on this website:
And here's a picture of some friends making knives:
Friday, March 27, 2009
Making Knives!
During our first day in Ngaoundéré, my friends and I met some really cool metal workers at the Grand Marchée. After talking with them for a bit, they told us that we could come back another time to help them make knives.
This morning, that's exactly what we did! My friend Steffan got to make his blade from scratch, heating it and pounding it into shape with a big mallet. I took turns working the hand bellows with a friend, after which I painted hilts, decorated, and polished hilts. It was a lot of fun, and we're going back Sunday to hopefully make more. It's great that the guys are so willing to explain things to us and to let us try firsthand. How many people can bring back souvenirs that they've made themselves?
This morning, that's exactly what we did! My friend Steffan got to make his blade from scratch, heating it and pounding it into shape with a big mallet. I took turns working the hand bellows with a friend, after which I painted hilts, decorated, and polished hilts. It was a lot of fun, and we're going back Sunday to hopefully make more. It's great that the guys are so willing to explain things to us and to let us try firsthand. How many people can bring back souvenirs that they've made themselves?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Train Rides and Haircuts
Today is my third day in Ngaoundéré, a northern city in which I'll be staying for the next two weeks. Getting here was a lot of fun: we took a 14 hour train ride from Yaoundé. This was my first time on a train, and it was great! THe journey started around 6:30, so I got to enjoy the scenery and the cool breezes as we went north. Once it got dark I hung out with friends and ate pineapple that we bought from vendors through the train windows. I had a nice sleep in my top bunk, then woke up a bit before we arrived.
The city here is inhabited by a lot of Muslims, and it definitely shows. Mosques are everywhere, and there's a definite sense of Arab culture here. I even had shawarma for lunch today, although it acn't compare to Israeli shawarma.
My family here is really nice: it consists of two parents ans 6 sisters. The youngest is 3, and speaks only Fulfulde (people here only laern French once they go to school). The oldest is 20.
On another note, I cut my hair! To be precise, I had 3 friends do it. I had decided in Kribi that I was sick of having long hair, so our first night in Ngaoundéré I let my friends go at it. It's now above my shoulder and slightly curlier than before. I really like it, and I'll try to put up pictures soon.
The city here is inhabited by a lot of Muslims, and it definitely shows. Mosques are everywhere, and there's a definite sense of Arab culture here. I even had shawarma for lunch today, although it acn't compare to Israeli shawarma.
My family here is really nice: it consists of two parents ans 6 sisters. The youngest is 3, and speaks only Fulfulde (people here only laern French once they go to school). The oldest is 20.
On another note, I cut my hair! To be precise, I had 3 friends do it. I had decided in Kribi that I was sick of having long hair, so our first night in Ngaoundéré I let my friends go at it. It's now above my shoulder and slightly curlier than before. I really like it, and I'll try to put up pictures soon.
Friday, March 20, 2009
It's a Small World
Earlier in the day when I was at the cyber cafe, a (white) woman noticed the Brandeis shirt that I was wearing and asked me if I went there. It turns out that she's from Reading, MA, and knows someone from Peabody who's currently volunteering at a hospital here in Yaounde. I love it when I meet people who have actually heard of where I'm from; it makes me feel as though I'm not totally disconnected from the world, after all.
Spring Break!!
I've just returned from Kribi, where I spent the last three days (Tuesday-Thursday). Kribi is located ont the beach, so this was the closest thing to a spring break that us SITers are going to have.
The hotel that we stayed at was located literally on the beach, so the first thing that everyone did after the 4 hour drive from Yaounde was to jump in the ocean. The water was REALLY warm; it was definitely hard to believe that it's the same Atlantic that's so cold in New England. There were also some pretty big waves, and it was a lot of fun to swim and to play frisbee in the water.
Typical of any beachside town, the food consisted largely of fish. I wouldn't say that I like fish, but the fish I ate in Kribi was AMAZING. I even liked the plantains-dinner in Kribi the first night was the only time that I have enjoyed eating plantains.
During our second day in Kribi we visited two pygmy camps. These weren't really camps in any traditional sense of the word. The first was a cluster of maybe 2 or 3 houses right alongside a road, while the second was one house set back from some Bantu (non-pygmy) houses. In each area we got to ask questions with the help of an interpretor. It was definitely an interesting experience, although these pygmies were quite modernized (comparatively) and hadn't lived in the forests for at least a decade. One group was Christian, and except for a few of the women they were normal-sized.
I spent the rest of the trip on the beach, either swimming, playing frisbee, or just hanging out. We headed back to Yaounde on Thursday, and I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Pope, who was in town for a few days. I was in Kribi for the majority of his stay, but he drove past my house (which is on a fairly large road near where he was staying) a few hours after I got back. I have to say, the popemobile was a lot larger than I expected it to be!
On Sunday I'll be embarking on a 12-hour train ride to Ngaoundere, where I'll be staying for 2 weeks before starting my Independent Study Project. Ngaoundere has a lot of Muslims and a very different culture than Yaounde or Dschang, so it should be an interesting experience. I'll try to keep you all posted once I find an internet cafe there.
The hotel that we stayed at was located literally on the beach, so the first thing that everyone did after the 4 hour drive from Yaounde was to jump in the ocean. The water was REALLY warm; it was definitely hard to believe that it's the same Atlantic that's so cold in New England. There were also some pretty big waves, and it was a lot of fun to swim and to play frisbee in the water.
Typical of any beachside town, the food consisted largely of fish. I wouldn't say that I like fish, but the fish I ate in Kribi was AMAZING. I even liked the plantains-dinner in Kribi the first night was the only time that I have enjoyed eating plantains.
During our second day in Kribi we visited two pygmy camps. These weren't really camps in any traditional sense of the word. The first was a cluster of maybe 2 or 3 houses right alongside a road, while the second was one house set back from some Bantu (non-pygmy) houses. In each area we got to ask questions with the help of an interpretor. It was definitely an interesting experience, although these pygmies were quite modernized (comparatively) and hadn't lived in the forests for at least a decade. One group was Christian, and except for a few of the women they were normal-sized.
I spent the rest of the trip on the beach, either swimming, playing frisbee, or just hanging out. We headed back to Yaounde on Thursday, and I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Pope, who was in town for a few days. I was in Kribi for the majority of his stay, but he drove past my house (which is on a fairly large road near where he was staying) a few hours after I got back. I have to say, the popemobile was a lot larger than I expected it to be!
On Sunday I'll be embarking on a 12-hour train ride to Ngaoundere, where I'll be staying for 2 weeks before starting my Independent Study Project. Ngaoundere has a lot of Muslims and a very different culture than Yaounde or Dschang, so it should be an interesting experience. I'll try to keep you all posted once I find an internet cafe there.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Pictures!
I was finally able to post pictures to facebook. You can see them here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012779&id=1239090093&l=fe020c8819
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012783&id=1239090093&l=e4ddc61c28
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012779&id=1239090093&l=fe020c8819
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012783&id=1239090093&l=e4ddc61c28
Friday, March 13, 2009
In Which I Explore the City
I've done a lot of exploring around Yaoundé recently, as the title of this blog suggests. Let me tell you a bit about it!
On Tuesday I went to a really nice park with a few friends. Le Bois de Sainte Anastasie, as it's called, is a great secluded, woody area in the midst of busy Yaoundé. It's also located across the street from a supermarket and boulangerie, so we decided to have a picnic of wine and cheese while we relaxed, listened to music, and play cards. It was a great stress-free activity after a day of class.
Yesterday I hiked up a local mountain (Mt Febe). I don't mean hiking in the traditional sense of the word: a paved road winds its way up the mountain and past a nice hotel located about mid-way up, so we followed this road the whole time. The views were great, and even a sudden burst of mysterious rain (it apparently didn't reach the rest of the city) couldn't ruin the fun. We took advantage of my friend's portable speakers to listen to music while we walked; by chance our group was made up entirely of Jews, so we felt it highly appropriate to listen to my Yiddish hip-hop CD. It was pretty surreal, rocking out to Jew music as we passed Africans along the road.
After our hike we got dinner at a local pizza place. It's geared towards ex-pats so it's a bit expensive, but it was great to have pizza after going so long without it.
On Tuesday I went to a really nice park with a few friends. Le Bois de Sainte Anastasie, as it's called, is a great secluded, woody area in the midst of busy Yaoundé. It's also located across the street from a supermarket and boulangerie, so we decided to have a picnic of wine and cheese while we relaxed, listened to music, and play cards. It was a great stress-free activity after a day of class.
Yesterday I hiked up a local mountain (Mt Febe). I don't mean hiking in the traditional sense of the word: a paved road winds its way up the mountain and past a nice hotel located about mid-way up, so we followed this road the whole time. The views were great, and even a sudden burst of mysterious rain (it apparently didn't reach the rest of the city) couldn't ruin the fun. We took advantage of my friend's portable speakers to listen to music while we walked; by chance our group was made up entirely of Jews, so we felt it highly appropriate to listen to my Yiddish hip-hop CD. It was pretty surreal, rocking out to Jew music as we passed Africans along the road.
After our hike we got dinner at a local pizza place. It's geared towards ex-pats so it's a bit expensive, but it was great to have pizza after going so long without it.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Look, Americans!
Yesterday the SIT-ers went to visit the American Embassy in Yaounde. It was a really strange (yet really nice) experience. Driving up to the embassy, it was amazing how American the building looked in comparison to the rest of the neighborhood. Top it off with the outrageous amounts of security we went through, and it felt just like we were back in the states.
We met the ambassador, who's from Boston, as well as a few other staff members. It was great talking with other Americans who were actually familiar with places that I know. For example, did you know that Salem Hospital (where I was born) donates some of Cameroon's only dialysis machines?
On the way out after our meeting, I stopped for a bathroom break with some other girls. We were absoilutely AMAZED to find soap and toilet paper, and could barely contain our excitement when we realized that the toilets were automatic.
We met the ambassador, who's from Boston, as well as a few other staff members. It was great talking with other Americans who were actually familiar with places that I know. For example, did you know that Salem Hospital (where I was born) donates some of Cameroon's only dialysis machines?
On the way out after our meeting, I stopped for a bathroom break with some other girls. We were absoilutely AMAZED to find soap and toilet paper, and could barely contain our excitement when we realized that the toilets were automatic.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
On the Road Again
These past few days have been really busy, so here's what I've been up to:
Thursday:
The SITers travelled to Batoufam (around 2 hours from Dschang)to meet the chef superieure, an important chief in the area. He showed us around his palace, which was decoratd with a lot of really cool traditional artwork, and told us about his duties as a chief. He also gave us a great lunch which included goat, wine, and champagne mixed with coffee syrup (a great combination).
Friday:
I packed up my things and headed to Bamenda for the weekend. This city is in an anglophone province, so everyone spoke English. However, the accents are very strong and a lot of Pidgin is spoken, so a lot of the time it was easier to understand French than English. Later in the day we met with members of the SCNC, an organzation that wants independence for anglophone Cameroon. The government doesn't like the SCNC (the people we talked to had been arrested a few days before) so the meeting was very last-minute so as to not tip off the wrong people.
Saturday:
Free day! I went shopping for crafts and generally wandering around the city with a few friends. We ate at the Obama restaurant for lunch-slow service, but the name made up for it-and watched pirated Disney movies that some other people had bought in the evening.
Sunday:
We met with John Fru Ndi, the leader of the main oppostion party in Cameroon. After answering our questions he took us to meet a local fon (a chief) at a celebration that his supporters were holding for him. It was cool to meet the chief and to see traditional dancers there, but I definitely got the sense that Fru Ndi really wanted the American students to enhnce his rep.
Monday:
8 hour drive back to Yaoundé-I had forgotten how hot it is here!
A guide to the pictures:
1. The Waterfall at Mamy Wata, near Dschang
2. Neighbors/cousins of my family in Yaoundé
3. My Yaoundé sister Flore and me
4. A view of Yaoundé from the SIT office
5. My room in Yaoundé
Monday, February 23, 2009
Twins, Basil!
Please disregard the Austin Powers reference in this post's title that probably only Beth will appreciate. It's fitting, though, bcause I've decided to study twins for my final research project! The Bamilike, an ethnic group located around Dschang, have a lot of respect for twins and have special ceremonies/titles/etc, so in April I'll be looking into the details and the cause of this cultural significance. It feels nice to finally have a topic for my research; that's one less thing to worry about, at least for the time being.
Now for an update on my weekend:
Saturday was really busy. In the morning all the SIT kids visited a waterfall and some caves. The waterfall was really cool. We hiked through a sacred forest to get to it, and it was really big despite the fact that it's the dry season here. Next we hiked to two caves, a "male" cave and a "female cave." The male cave was more impressive: it as deep with a large, low overhanging ceiling.
After the hikes we all went to our respctive homes to get ready for a night at a club and hotel. We had to get to the hotel by 6:30, and we almost didn't make it because my friends and I ran into a bunch of random people on the way who wanted to talk to us. There was an older guy at a local bar who insisted we hang out for a bit; two students who wanted us to help them practice for the TOEFL; a bar full of friendly older men who wanted to talk to us; and an old woman in the market who kept hoping that God blessed us. Finally we made it to the hotel, where the 17 of us shared 3 rooms (mine had 7 people and only 1 bed!)
We had a great dinner, then headed to a nearby club. Ity was a lot nicer than I was expecting, but we were the youngest people there! The power would occassionally go off, and when it didn't com back on after another outage we figured that it was time to leave.
The ext day we hung around the hotel a bit before heading back to our host families. We found some American TV (The Daily Show!) and it was great to watch something familiar for a change.
I'll be leaving Dschang on Friday, then spending 4 days in Bamenda before returning to Yaounde. We're staying in hotels in Bamenda so it should be a great chance to hang out with the rest of the kids on the program.
Now for an update on my weekend:
Saturday was really busy. In the morning all the SIT kids visited a waterfall and some caves. The waterfall was really cool. We hiked through a sacred forest to get to it, and it was really big despite the fact that it's the dry season here. Next we hiked to two caves, a "male" cave and a "female cave." The male cave was more impressive: it as deep with a large, low overhanging ceiling.
After the hikes we all went to our respctive homes to get ready for a night at a club and hotel. We had to get to the hotel by 6:30, and we almost didn't make it because my friends and I ran into a bunch of random people on the way who wanted to talk to us. There was an older guy at a local bar who insisted we hang out for a bit; two students who wanted us to help them practice for the TOEFL; a bar full of friendly older men who wanted to talk to us; and an old woman in the market who kept hoping that God blessed us. Finally we made it to the hotel, where the 17 of us shared 3 rooms (mine had 7 people and only 1 bed!)
We had a great dinner, then headed to a nearby club. Ity was a lot nicer than I was expecting, but we were the youngest people there! The power would occassionally go off, and when it didn't com back on after another outage we figured that it was time to leave.
The ext day we hung around the hotel a bit before heading back to our host families. We found some American TV (The Daily Show!) and it was great to watch something familiar for a change.
I'll be leaving Dschang on Friday, then spending 4 days in Bamenda before returning to Yaounde. We're staying in hotels in Bamenda so it should be a great chance to hang out with the rest of the kids on the program.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Greetings from Dschang!
This is my third full day in Dschang, a university town in western Cameroon. So far really like it here: it's a lot smaller and more peaceful than Yaounde, plus it's nice to be back on a campus (classes are held at the University of Dschang).
The trip here was fun but long. It was a 6 hour bus ride, with a few stops at some markets along the way. It almost felt like a scene from some movie, driving through the Cameroon countryside with African pop music blaring from the bus's speakers. When the bus stopped for gas, we were surrounded by vendors who sold us fruit through the windows.
My host family here is nice, but a lot different than in Yaounde. I'm living with an empty-nester couple, and two of their grownup granddaughters are visiting. At first I thought the granddaughters were being really rude, since they would only speak in pidgin English around me (it's MUCH different than regular English). Then I realized that the girls were Anglophone, and that Pidgin was the only language that they shared with their grandfather. They're actually really nice: the older girl has been living in MN for around 4 years and is fluent in English. I feel like I'm cheating on the program when I talk to her, though, because I'm not using French!
The trip here was fun but long. It was a 6 hour bus ride, with a few stops at some markets along the way. It almost felt like a scene from some movie, driving through the Cameroon countryside with African pop music blaring from the bus's speakers. When the bus stopped for gas, we were surrounded by vendors who sold us fruit through the windows.
My host family here is nice, but a lot different than in Yaounde. I'm living with an empty-nester couple, and two of their grownup granddaughters are visiting. At first I thought the granddaughters were being really rude, since they would only speak in pidgin English around me (it's MUCH different than regular English). Then I realized that the girls were Anglophone, and that Pidgin was the only language that they shared with their grandfather. They're actually really nice: the older girl has been living in MN for around 4 years and is fluent in English. I feel like I'm cheating on the program when I talk to her, though, because I'm not using French!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
This weekend was the first (and last) that I'll be spending with my Yaounde host family for a while. On Saturday morning I walked around the Palais de Congres with my sister. It's a huge building that's located on a hill practically across the street from out house, and from it we could see great views of the city. Yaounde is HUGE: it went on as far as the eye could see. It's also pretty because the city is made up of a lot of different hills; it's called the City of Seven Hills but there are actually more than that. While my sister and I were walking around a Cameroonian guy joined us. He pointed out certain sites in the city, and then when we parted he didn't qsk for my phone number! This was my first interaction with a Cameroonian guy who didn't want my number or for me to take him to America, and it blew my mind.
Later that day I hung out with my host sister and some of her cousins/neighbors. Among them was a set of twins who were cute but wild. They really liked my hqir and I thought they'd tear it out when I let them braid it. Later we all played with my frisbee. Apparently they don't hqve frisbees in Cameroon, but they really liked it!
Sunday morning I did some research for possible independent study projects. We have to have two possibilities by next week, and right now I'm thinking of studying either traditional music or Cameroonian Jews (they do exist!) Later that day I went with my sister to a birthday party for an older family friend. All of the little kids there really liked me, and it was fun playing with them. I had a lot of trouble understanding them, though, and sometimes I needed my sister to translate their French into more comprehensible French for me.
Tomorrow is La Journee nationelle de la jeunesse, and the SIT students are all going downtown to watch the parade. Then we're going to the zoo after class. We're travelling to out second homestay at the university town of Dschang on Saturday. All of the Cameroonians say it's really cold there, and while their opinions mqy be subjective I would definitely love a bit of colder weather for a change.
Later that day I hung out with my host sister and some of her cousins/neighbors. Among them was a set of twins who were cute but wild. They really liked my hqir and I thought they'd tear it out when I let them braid it. Later we all played with my frisbee. Apparently they don't hqve frisbees in Cameroon, but they really liked it!
Sunday morning I did some research for possible independent study projects. We have to have two possibilities by next week, and right now I'm thinking of studying either traditional music or Cameroonian Jews (they do exist!) Later that day I went with my sister to a birthday party for an older family friend. All of the little kids there really liked me, and it was fun playing with them. I had a lot of trouble understanding them, though, and sometimes I needed my sister to translate their French into more comprehensible French for me.
Tomorrow is La Journee nationelle de la jeunesse, and the SIT students are all going downtown to watch the parade. Then we're going to the zoo after class. We're travelling to out second homestay at the university town of Dschang on Saturday. All of the Cameroonians say it's really cold there, and while their opinions mqy be subjective I would definitely love a bit of colder weather for a change.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
An update on the past few days:
I moved in with my host family on Sunday. They're really nice and all is well so far. I have 3 siblings: a 5 year old brother who lives in another city to attend school; a 20 year old brother zho goes to the University of Yaounde (I onlysee him a bit in the morning and a bit at night) and a cool 13 year old sister. My house is a bit small comparatively-some of the other students are living in mansions-but it's fine. The bathroom is a separate building outside, but fortunately no bucket showers!
Classas started yesterday and so far they're pretty good. I have class from 8-3:30 with breaks in between and for lunch. Tomorrow I'm going to the mqrket with my French class, it should be fun.
On a side note, I've discovered that I don't like avocado or plantains, which are featuredin nearly every meal. Oh well...
I moved in with my host family on Sunday. They're really nice and all is well so far. I have 3 siblings: a 5 year old brother who lives in another city to attend school; a 20 year old brother zho goes to the University of Yaounde (I onlysee him a bit in the morning and a bit at night) and a cool 13 year old sister. My house is a bit small comparatively-some of the other students are living in mansions-but it's fine. The bathroom is a separate building outside, but fortunately no bucket showers!
Classas started yesterday and so far they're pretty good. I have class from 8-3:30 with breaks in between and for lunch. Tomorrow I'm going to the mqrket with my French class, it should be fun.
On a side note, I've discovered that I don't like avocado or plantains, which are featuredin nearly every meal. Oh well...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Greetings from Cameroon!
Hello all! I've been in Cameroon for a few days now, so I thought I'd fill you all in on what I've been doing.
The trip here was long but really not too bad. I had aroud a 6 hour flight from NYC to Paris, then a 5 hour layover before the flight to Cameroon. I didn't get to see the Eiffel Tower, but did order a really good croissant from an airport cafe. Then came a 6 hour flight to Douala, a bit of a layover on the plane, and then the final hop to Yaoundé. We landed around 8 qt night, so I couldn't see much of the city. It was really dark but there were a TON of people out, walking to different snack bars that lined the streets.
I stayed in a church- or monastery-run compound for orientation. My room was right next to the chapel, so I'd wake up to singing during services each morning. We were pretty secluded the whole time, except for the last day (yesterday), when we did a "dropoff" in the city. We were divided into groups and dropped off in random locations throughout Yaoundé with only a list of different places to find. My group decided to eqrch for the US Embassy first, and that was pretty much all we did-we couldn't find it and no one knew where it was, so we just walked around the city for a few hours. We got really far, and it was cool to just take in the sights. The guys in Cameroon are pretty extroverted, so wherever we went we were followed by "bonjour les blanches" and "mes cheries, comment allez-vous?"
Today we went to the SIT office; right now I'm at an internet cafe nearby. We're meeting our host families later. I hope they're nice!
For anyone who's interested (ie mom, dad, and grandma): I was accepted for an internship with the Boston Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights!
The trip here was long but really not too bad. I had aroud a 6 hour flight from NYC to Paris, then a 5 hour layover before the flight to Cameroon. I didn't get to see the Eiffel Tower, but did order a really good croissant from an airport cafe. Then came a 6 hour flight to Douala, a bit of a layover on the plane, and then the final hop to Yaoundé. We landed around 8 qt night, so I couldn't see much of the city. It was really dark but there were a TON of people out, walking to different snack bars that lined the streets.
I stayed in a church- or monastery-run compound for orientation. My room was right next to the chapel, so I'd wake up to singing during services each morning. We were pretty secluded the whole time, except for the last day (yesterday), when we did a "dropoff" in the city. We were divided into groups and dropped off in random locations throughout Yaoundé with only a list of different places to find. My group decided to eqrch for the US Embassy first, and that was pretty much all we did-we couldn't find it and no one knew where it was, so we just walked around the city for a few hours. We got really far, and it was cool to just take in the sights. The guys in Cameroon are pretty extroverted, so wherever we went we were followed by "bonjour les blanches" and "mes cheries, comment allez-vous?"
Today we went to the SIT office; right now I'm at an internet cafe nearby. We're meeting our host families later. I hope they're nice!
For anyone who's interested (ie mom, dad, and grandma): I was accepted for an internship with the Boston Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
One Week and Counting!
Well, it's official: a week from this very moment I'll be out of the USA, on my way to Cameroon by way of France. That being said, I figured I'd take some time to give everyone some contact information for the upcoming semester.
Mail is always welcome, although it may be costly and it will definitely take a while to get from the US to Cameroon and vice versa. You can send letters to me at:
Jennifer Shriber
c/o The School for International Training
BP 33241
Yaounde, Cameroon
My email address will stay the same (jshriber@colby.edu), so feel free to send emails instead of letters. My internet access will vary throughout the semester as I travel around the country. I get the sense that internet cafes are pretty prevalent in the capital but will be hard to find in the more remote villages. I'd love to hear from everyone, though, and I'll definitely write back (even if it takes a while).
I'll be in Cameroon from January 29 through May 13. I hope you all stay in touch!
Mail is always welcome, although it may be costly and it will definitely take a while to get from the US to Cameroon and vice versa. You can send letters to me at:
Jennifer Shriber
c/o The School for International Training
BP 33241
Yaounde, Cameroon
My email address will stay the same (jshriber@colby.edu), so feel free to send emails instead of letters. My internet access will vary throughout the semester as I travel around the country. I get the sense that internet cafes are pretty prevalent in the capital but will be hard to find in the more remote villages. I'd love to hear from everyone, though, and I'll definitely write back (even if it takes a while).
I'll be in Cameroon from January 29 through May 13. I hope you all stay in touch!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
