Getting into our Routines

So as of yesterday, I've officially been in Cameroon for three whole weeks, though it certainly feels much longer than that. It seems like we've already done so much, and that we have all come so far already from how we were right after we stepped off the plane. It's hard to explain, but I can definitely feel myself growing as a person, and am excited to see the progress I and the rest of the group will make as the months wear on.

Also, I have really settled into living with my host family, who treats me very nicely, and has a lot of patience with me and my slowly improving language. I watched Training Day with my host brother Franklin today (with French subtitles), which admittedly made me a little nostalgic for home, but I'm not actually complaining =P

We had our first week of classes this past week. I'm taking four: Contemporary Cameroon, which everyone is required to take, and is taught by more than one professor depending on the day. Then I have Women and Gender studies in Cameroon which, though I am sure it will be a very interesting and enlightening class, does not touch on the final component of understanding this issue, sexuality. Since homosexuality is not only a cultural taboo, but it's also "illegal," our class will not go into how sexuality effects gender relations in Cameroon. This I can accept, but it was obvious from our first day of class, when basically everyone was trying to get our professor to talk about homosexuality, that it is a component which will be missed. However, I'm sure I'll still learn a lot from it, so I'll live. My third class is Orality, Landscape and Creative Writing, which we take at a nearby teachers school called Ecolé Normale Superior. I've got a feeling this is going to be a great class, because it will give us all chances to interact with local Cameroonians in ways we wouldn't be able to otherwise, and then have to turn those experiences into either poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction writing. Also, the professor is a really nice guy, and very passionate about writing and the power it holds for the individual. The final class will undoubtedly be my favorite, however. It is Colonization and Decolonization in Africa, taught by another really awesome professor who seems to be equally as passionate about the topic. The first day in class we had some introductions to the course and to the professor, and afterward got into a very heated debate about globalization and its continued effect on the third world. Our professor's theory is that globalization, at least in the economic sense, does not exist, but is merely richer countries imposing themselves on poorer ones, with little benefit for the latter. The basis of the argument was around this statement, and seemed to touch a nerve with a lot of people intellectually, not least of all myself. Needless to say, I am very excited for this class, though I am going to have to work on not getting too fired up in such debates haha.

As for other news, we start our optional dance classes on Monday at 6pm, which will be held two times a week. Of course you know I'm there, though there is no way I will learn to dance as well as Cameroonians. I can try, but I'm just never going to be that talented! It's just not possible haha.

Well i am going to go shower and read. I have gotten accustomed to taking cold showers here, and in the hot Cameroonian heat, it's actually a welcomed refresher sometimes. That isn't to say, however, that I'm not nostalgic for a nice, hot shower now and then!

A la prochaine!
Andrew

Culture Shock 101

Happy Valentines Day from Cameroon! Apparently this holiday has some real significance here (though it isn't quite the Hallmark commericalized event it is in America.) Today my host father returned from a 5 day trip back to his village in the South West. I don't quite know why he was there, but it may have been a funeral or something else important.

Upon his return, preparations were being made to have une grande fête, which doubled as both a meeting between the important members of his village community, and a Valentines Day celebration (which allowed the wives of the men to come along, whereas usually only men attend these meetings). Last night, my host brother was telling me about the party, and was joking with me (or so I thought) about me getting to kill a goat. Innocently (and party due to my lack of full understanding in French), I went along with it. However, when my host father returned, lo! and behold, there was not only a live goat, but a live pig as well, bound and ready for the slaughter. Though it is an important tradition for the meeting of the elders, as much as they encouraged me to kill these animals, i really didn't have it in me (I told them that i couldn't kill the goat because we could have been friends.) It was hard enough for me to watch! (talk about culture shock!). However, at least i could take solace in the fact that they really did use every part of the animal, so at least it didn't die in vain.

Tomorrow we start our classes, which means that we begin a more regulated schedule and routine, which I am excited for. Plus, we get the second half of our monthly stipend, which will be nice. I felt that the first two weeks, we didn't really understand how to use my money, and how not to get ripped off for being an American. I'm sure I'll be able to keep better track of it, and know how to spend, what to spend on, and how much to spend for any given activity or thing. Every day truly is a new adventure.

Well, i have to go to sleep. I am very tired, and even though class isn't until the afternoon, i still want to wake up early and finishing ironing my laundry.

A la prochaine!

Some funny observations

So tomorrow is Youth Day (Journée de Jeune) in Cameroon. It is a national holiday where all the young people get off of school and, as I am sure I will find out, celebrate in any way they can. Needless to say, I am very excited to be wrapped up in my first national Cameroonian activity. However, the funniest thing is, as I am writing this, my host family is watching President Paul Biya give the annual speech before Youth Day, filled with grand gestures of perfect education systems and an impeccable democratic, modern government, with no corruption and no problems. While I sit on the couch, trying to understand his slow, gravely voice on the television, everyone else in the room has fallen asleep. When my host brother waved his hands in front of their face without their flinching, I nearly keeled over laughing.

Paul Biya is a touchy subject here. Last night, my host parents had some friends over, and when they found out that I was a history major, they asked me to give a summary of Cameroonian history (in FRENCH!). Now, I think I can give a pretty decent summary in English, but in French, I wasn't so sure. However, I gave it my best shot, and was actually able to get a lot of my points across with only minimal help from the table. Needless to say, I was quite happy. After my brief history, they asked me what I thought of Paul Biya, to which I just smiled and said "pas de comment." Judging by their reaction, that was the right answer.

In other news, I'm running incredibly low on clothes, and am not able to do laundry until the weekend. Looks like I'll be scrounging for my less dirty clothes until then! C'est pas grave...T.I.A afterall =)

I'll try to write again soon. Watching Biya on the screen just gave me the approprate inspiration, I guess =P

A bientôt!
Andrew

One Week and Kickin'

Well we've officially been here one full week, but i can already say it feels like a hell of a lot longer. In a good way though. When people say that time moves slower in africa, they really aren't kidding. Maybe it's the heat, maybe its my lack of a watch, maybe it's the lifestyle, but there really is a very different way of looking at time and schedules here. Africa time does exist. For example, we just got back today from a two day trip in Kribi, a resort town on the southern coast of Cameroon. We were supposed to leave the apartment on Thursday at 9:30, but because Mr. Teku (our absolutely awesome program director) was 3 hours late, we didn't get on the road until 12:15. But it wasn't a big deal.

As for Kribi, what a place! It was a four hour drive to the hotel, but once we got there, the ocean was right behind, so we just hopped in the water. Being an East Coast guy, I never thought that the Atlantic Ocean could be so warm!!! There were actually moments where the water was almost too warm to be refreshing from the hot and humid Africa heat (remember, we are only five degrees above the equator, so it's basically bathwater.) The next day we went to Lobe falls, a beautiful waterfall about 45 minutes from the hotel. We walked around, got a short canoe ride so that we could photograph the falls, and then got back on the beach for our first attempt at haggling. Now, mr. Teku had told us the basic technique to bargaining: The seller gives you a price, and you say "ohh, no no. Let's go (1/4 of said price)." Inevitably, they will not go for it, so they'll work it up, and you'll work it down, and you should come out to something about 50 percent of the original price. It's really a social game, and a fun one at that. However, for someone who a) sucks at math, and b) is still adjusting to speaking french, doing my haggle swagger, so to speak, wasn't too easy. I tried once and failed, but the second time, I was able to get a carved necklace from 500 francs (about $1) down to 350, which was "acceptable" for my first time, according to Mr. Teku. I think that I'm too nice to haggling, so once i get a hold of the language and such, I'll have to harden up and learn to put my foot down. But I'm sure i'll have a lot of chances to practice =)

Tomorrow most of us leave to stay at our host families for the first night. Supposedly, my host family is awesome, so I am pretty excited, even though I'm going to be more or less a mute for the first week haha. I'll be sure to give updates when i can.

I gotta go. Other people need the comp.
Take care,
Andrew

Getting the grip, slowly.

Well we've been here nearly three full days, and already I can feel myself being swallowed up by the culture...but in a great way. Yesterday, we met some students from the University of Yaounde 1 who brought us around the campus (which, by the way, feels about the size of Carlisle!). That was a great experience, as was cramming ourselves into our first taxi cab. Later that night, we went back out with the same two students to a "Girl party" (one which is organized by girls and that, upon inquiring why it was called a girl party, our host Etienne replied "because there are more donkeys." Way to go Kaitlin for teaching them dirty American slang haha). Regardless, I can honestly say that I've never been to a nicer club, or a better dance party (especially coming from the essentially rhythmless Dickinson) than I did last night. We were there for nearly 3 hours, and we had a BLAST!!! It was freakin' incredible, and I have never slept so well as I did afterwards!

The city is just bustling with activity and life, and the people here are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Even though my French is pretty shitty, people seem fairly patient with me. I met my future host family today, which was nice. Again, my limited French led me to be somewhat awkward conversationally, but thanks to Liz and my motivated effort, I think I made a decent impression. We don't get our host families until Sunday, because we leave on Thursday for our 2 day excursion to the beach paradise of Kribi (which i'm PSYCHED for, by the way.) We come back on Saturday evening, and the next day our host families pick us up. I'm fully aware that I won't be able to talk much in the beginning, but I'm fairly confident that I'll eventually pick up the language. I only met my host mother today, but she seems very patient and understanding.

Well, I think some other people need to use the computer, so until next time, au revoir!!
Andrew