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.
Monday, April 20, 2009
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
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