November Update

Things have been good here in Cameroon. I am starting to get adjusted. I have made more friends and it has made things a lot easier. I somehow found a group of tennis players that I never thought would have existed. They play all the time and are very good. The only problem is it is pricy and on my volunteer salary I might be stretching the limit. One can of tennis balls cost almost 10 dollars compared to 2 dollars in the states. So I play with flat balls all the time. Also Re-stringing of a tennis racquet I have heard is very difficult. I have not had to cross that road yet.

So therefore I have had to adjust my “necessities”. In the US a refrigerator is a necessity but here it is a “nice to have”. That is just one example. At first I said I must have a refrigerator. The mold in Tiko is horrible. It gets on everything clothes, shoes, and especially food. But I have decided to invest my money in tennis instead of a refrigerator for now and maybe purchase one in the future.

Air Conditioning in Florida is a necessity correct? Tiko is as hot as or hotter than south Florida, it is hard to compare since I always had air conditioning. A/C is no where to be found except in hotels and some banks. A Peace Corp administrator came to visit me a few weeks ago in her nice US Government supplied SUV. I got in the car and hit a wall of air that felt vaguely familiar. It was AC! How good it was…. And how soon I forgot how good it felt. There is days here where I sweat all day long. But somehow I adjust and air conditioning does not seem like a necessity. Best 25 dollars ever spent in my life was on my portable fan. The fans goes with me wherever I go in my house.

My job has been a constant struggle. All 400 students scratch and claw to use the nine computers I have that run. I have talked with a sister school of mine and a teacher there uses a book which I am making the students buy for 3 dollars. To not have a book for all students to follow is chaos I have learned. There is no projector so trying to talk and tell all of them to do something is impossible. So the book has been very helpful for me and them. The problem is it has been a struggle to get them to buy the book. But the ones who have purchased the book I have had much better productivity. I let the students use the computers during free periods (Yes, many students have free periods throughout the day). Usually, I have students bring me lunch to the computer lab so they can work on there lunch period. I even stay after school to let students use the computers. Therefore, I am usually pretty busy all day long.

My house I have seen that I don’t live alone. Life thrives in this heat. I have roaches, crickets, frogs, mosquitoes, HUGE spiders, and mice. I have gotten used to them, they are scared of me. :)

Top Things I have found out Cameroonians can do better than me.

1. Football (Soccer)! They are unbelievable at this game. The quality of a match at the junior level is far above the same age bracket in the US.

2. Walking in the dark on a muddy road. As you can see in my picture it can be very difficult to see puddles. I walk about half the speed as Cameroonians. I think they have memorized where every rock and puddle is located. They walk with no Flash light most of the time. The night in Cameroon is truly a dark night.

3. Ability to deal with the heat. I live in one of the hottest parts in Cameroon. I sometimes see people in 3 piece suits and a tie in ninety something degree weather and they are not sweating. I doubt I will ever be able to obtain that one.

4. Patience. I thought I had a lot of patience when comparing myself to Americans. But Cameroonians are in another league.

5. Giving. Cameroonians give me everything and don’t ask for anything in return. I am expecting them to ask for something in return but it never happens. They are truly happy with giving food or whatever little that they have. I get all kinds of fruit and meals all the time.

6. Cutting grass with a machete. I tried a pathetic attempt at this and almost cut my foot off.

7. Cleaning clothes without washing machines. Mud gets everywhere especially during the rainy season. My attempt took me 3 hours to clean one pair of jeans where another could do the task in a half a hour or less.

8. Bargaining. I have seen people bargain for half an hour for 10 cents off of some fruit. They love to bargain.