Alas, here I am- stuck in Yaounde. The walls are closing in and cabin fever is taking its toll. The train has been a bit of a mess recently (understatement) and so here I am waiting. My most recent voyage down south was quite the odyssey totaling nearly 36 hours of uninterrupted travel and fun…actually, not much fun at all. Rather than discussing the reason for the excessive and inhumane delays I suggest that you google recent news articles regarding the train in Cameroon. The eye gouging-mind numbingly slow pace should become clear. Frankly, I’d rather risk my life at the high speeds.

International soccer games in Africa: few things can provide such an eclectic mix of danger and excitement. Naturally, the most recent world cup qualifier between the indomitable Lions of Cameroon and Gabon was no exception. All of Yaounde was in an uproar: streets were barricaded, businesses were closed, riot tanks were poised at the ready, and Lion fever was at its peak. Thousands of people swarmed into the stadium outfitted in reds, greens, and yellows, blowing whistles and horns, singing and dancing.

Amadou Ahidjo stadium is an impressive structure thrust upwards to the sky in Yaounde’s heart. It looms out of place in the city; a testament to the nation’s love of football. Ticket in hand, the Cameroonian flag hastily painted on my face, and scarf knotted in place, I set off toward the stadium with my companions. The excitement was tangible and electric in the air as we stood in the stadiums shadow with the buzzing throng.

Nothing shouts ‘security risk’ quite like a day at the match, and my fellows and I didn’t exactly blend into the crowd. I am sure somewhere in Cameroon there are talented pickpockets, but not at this game. As we waited in line (more accurately, a chaotic mass of bodies) the crowd came to a bottleneck. I looked down to find a hand wrist deep in the front pocket of my khaki pants. Subtlety was not one of this thief’s talents. I shouted at him, pulled his hand out of my pocket, and watched him disappear into the crowd empty handed. What a start to the game!

Squeezing into our seats (a long cement slab with lines painted on it) we shuffled and squirmed trying not to get the seats of our pants we from the water pooled in our spots. After a rendition of the national anthem by the Gendarmerie marching band, the Lions took the fiels with Eto’o at the head. Eto’o, a rock star, sex symbol, and demigod rolled into one soccer-playing hurricane. This man is worshipped by young and old, male and female, and not without good reason: he’s a soccer monster!

First goal: Insanity.

Second goal: Oh yeah!

Within the final ten minutes of the Game, Gabon rallied their troops and mustered their strength to salvage what was left of their pride and steal the final goal of the game.

2-1, Cameroon

The streets were mad with celebration. In just 6 days the Lions had gone from slim chances of a world cup appearance to the top of their division.

That’s my story...there is always more to tell, but I’m tired.

Peace and Love

I will be participating in a project with five other volunteers called Men as Partners. This is a ten day workshop that will be led by PCV’s and their counterparts for close to 20 HIV/AIDS positive men and women. The objective of the Men as Partners workshop is to promote gender equality and the rights of women through an examination of social practices ranging from drugs to sexuality. Women in Cameroon are at a significantly higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. It is the aim of my fellows and me to address some of the causes of this and reduce a woman’s disproportionate risk of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. Lessons learned and experiences gained from Men as Partners may in turn be brought to villages and continue to impact others.

As you might imagine, such a workshop will cost more than what 6 volunteers can finance personally. This is where YOU come in. We need your support to make this happen! In the current economic climate it is difficult to ask for money when it is already tight, however this is an opportunity make a tangible and lasting impact on one of the most dynamic and progressive groups I have been fortunate enough to come into contact with.

This is only a glimpse of what Men as Partners has to offer. You can find out more AND make donations at:

www.efainternational.org

On the homepage there is a link titled “Men as Partners,” which has been placed there specifically for this project in Cameroon. For those interested, I have available the workshop manual and an itemized budget, and would be happy to answer any questions!

Thanks!

I am going to forgo the public apology for the previous blog post, which should have never made it to the blogosphere.

Foremost, it is worth mentioning that the social/technological gap between myself and the world I love so much is vast and frightening. Most notably is “twitter.” Apparently this mysterious new advancement that crept from the shadows has exploded into mainstream America. Do you send a twit? Are multiple twitters tweets? I am frightened. There is going to be a lot of catching up to do. I’ll have to make a note of it and interrogate the new trainees.

The rains have come. Yes, I did listen to that Toto song in celebration. No, there are not any other Toto songs in my library. The world has sprung to life around me. The same paths I have walked for over seven months in my village are now unrecognizable; green and lush. Wide swaths of land once barren and brown, spotted only with scattered trees, are blanketed in new growth. The fields have been plowed and seeded, the basil I thought a goner has returned from the dead, and even my garden has begun to give sprouts! This is truly an amazing time.

Yet, vegetation is not rain’s only companion. It also brings mosquitoes, big scary bugs, malaria, and other small scary parasites. Each night I barricade myself in my home, screen door barred tightly, and do battle with seemingly endless hordes of creatures of the night. It’s not much different from a zombie film. As such, the hive/lair/mother-load is the pit latrine. Thus, business hours are over at sundown. God help me should I need to venture out in the dark to that evil place. Unfortunately, as is all too often the case with PCV’s, my digestive system is rarely on my side. So the need arises for me to head out into the cold night (actually, ‘hot as hell night’ would be more accurate), armed with only a flashlight and the sandals on my feet. It’s a traumatic experience. Fortunately, the force is strong with me and I have managed to survive the ordeal without incident thus far.

Two of my largest projects to date have been scheduled for this week: I’m planting trees! I wish I could report that they will go off without a hitch, however the outlook is grim. But alas, such is the nature of work in the field. I certainly cannot blame my counterpart for his poor timing in coming down with malaria. It is however, unfortunate. Things will likely be postponed. The first project is a wood lot, to be used for firewood and other domestic needs. If harvested in a sustainable manner, the village could use the lot indefinitely. Wood for cooking is a necessary and costly expense for nearly everyone in village. The second project is a super-fun contest designed to teach the families in my village how to plant and care for a young sapling. The family with the healthiest tree after 6 months (or thereabouts) wins a fabulous prize. *pats self on back*

Secondary projects continue to go well also. The soy has been sold and planted, but because the rain was late it is unclear whether or not the plants will produce. Time will tell.

Be sure to check back in a few weeks to read about my trip to the grand south. Really, I’ll write a post.

Was your lunch money taken?

Peace.

“Conan, What is good?”

“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women”

At long last, I have made my triumphant return to the blogosphere. Post IST has been fairly productive in terms of work, but what I really want to discuss is BattleToads. What happened to that franchise? It gave so many hour of enjoyment throughout my childhood and continues to deliver through the years and thousands of miles, but I’m still not any good.

I am currently on the mend from some....unpleasant digestive issues, which I was kind enough to spread to two other volunteers. I now sleep with one eye open.

Things I Miss Most About America:

World of Warcraft

Pizza

Hi-Def

BT’s

Giant Water Parks

Universal Health Care

Shiner Bock

Endless Star Trek

Updates:

The monster under my kitchen is dead.

It’s hot.

It’s hot and dry.

Malaria has nothing on my skills as a Jedi.

Scorpion-spiders frighten me. They’re terrifying, however they’re quite tasty when grilled.

I only eat onions and rice.

Harold aka Roldy makes a superb Sulu. Enterprise: watch it.

Sorry, dear readers, who were hoping to find a thoughtful post....my black heart’s not in it today. Maybe it’s the dysentery, but more likely it’s Deep Space Nine being played directly beside me.

In proof reading I have counted more nerd references than is healthy. Thanks Cameroon for slowly chipping away my social skills.

Keep you blades sharp,

Josh

Hello again, and please allow me a brief moment to pat myself on the back for being past IST…. …Lots of news for y’all this week so might as well dive right in. 1. Safari! Yes indeed, the trip up to Waza National park was quite a bit of fun. We saw Giraffes, Ibuses, Monkeys, gazelle, antelope, birds, etc. However, we missed the elephants and lions. The landscape was beautiful. It’s amazing to see such a large swath of preserved land that has had little impact from humans. It is certainly a far cry from the sub-sahel that has been the victim of deforestation and desertification. 2. Bugs! The night after the safari all eleven of us were exhausted from the long day and stuffed into a fellow volunteers home. Squeezed between 3 other people on a tiny foam mattress, trying not to toss and turn in the cramped quarters, I awoke late in the night to a most unpleasant sensation. Something was moving deep inside of my ear and my head was vibrating. It was not painful, but very close to being so. Not to mention more than a little uncomfortable. “Oh (expletive deleted)” I thought. “There’s a bug in my ear.” This was quickly followed by three other frightening realizations: a. I’m going to go deaf in my left ear b. It’s going to eat my brain c. It will likely then proceed to lay eggs, which will hatch and take control of my mind, leaving me a zombie. A mere husk of my former self. A slave to the bugs. I Certainly didn’t want any of these things to happen, so I jumped up and attempted to flush it out with water….I think I got it out. But, I suppose it is possible that I didn’t and am now under it’s control. 3. IST! A/C, Toilets, Swimming Pool, Comfy Bed….yeah, it has been a good week… Oh Yeah, the sessions were good too. It was great getting to see friends and catch up on what everybody has been doing at their respective posts.

I suppose that is all for now....more on IST later.

peace

Hello again, and please allow me a brief moment to pat myself on the back for being past IST…. …Lots of news for y’all this week so might as well dive right in. 1. Safari! Yes indeed, the trip up to Waza National park was quite a bit of fun. We saw Giraffes, Ibuses, Monkeys, gazelle, antelope, birds, etc. However, we missed the elephants and lions. The landscape was beautiful. It’s amazing to see such a large swath of preserved land that has had little impact from humans. It is certainly a far cry from the sub-sahel that has been the victim of deforestation and desertification. 2. Bugs! The night after the safari all eleven of us were exhausted from the long day and stuffed into a fellow volunteers home. Squeezed between 3 other people on a tiny foam mattress, trying not to toss and turn in the cramped quarters, I awoke late in the night to a most unpleasant sensation. Something was moving deep inside of my ear and my head was vibrating. It was not painful, but very close to being so. Not to mention more than a little uncomfortable. “Oh (expletive deleted)” I thought. “There’s a bug in my ear.” This was quickly followed by three other frightening realizations: a. I’m going to go deaf in my left ear b. It’s going to eat my brain c. It will likely then proceed to lay eggs, which will hatch and take control of my mind, leaving me a zombie. A mere husk of my former self. A slave to the bugs. I Certainly didn’t want any of these things to happen, so I jumped up and attempted to flush it out with water….I think I got it out. But, I suppose it is possible that I didn’t and am now under it’s control. 3. IST! A/C, Toilets, Swimming Pool, Comfy Bed….yeah, it has been a good week… Oh Yeah, the sessions were good too. It was great getting to see friends and catch up on what everybody has been doing at their respective posts.

I suppose that is all for now....more on IST later.

peace

please suspend judgment on spelling momentarily...i dont feel like fighting the french keyboard. -the management

Ok! i have made it to IST, almost. In-Service Training is the first milestone a volunteer reaches. The initial probationary period is over and now all bets are off. so, in a few days i will be catching up wilth all of the volunteers I trained with and going to technical sessions. That is not to mention in-door plumbing, air conditioning and a pool! Lifes going to be tough for the next week, i know.

There have been few noteworthy adventures over the past few weeks. Most of my days are a combination of presentations, reading, and sweating. I have managed to find quite a bit of work in a total of about ten villages in the area surrounding mine. The initial introductory phase is over now and we, my counterpart and I, are moving on to vaying projects for each individual village. the month of April is going to see a big soy push. That way seeds can be ordered and distributed before the rains come, which will likely be around may/june.

I am also in the process of getting about 5 community groups legalized. I see this as the most important first step of my work . In every village that I have visited there are pressing and costly needs, but no there is no system in place by which these issues can be addressed. All of the villages know what their problems are, but do not necessarily know how to go about solving them. So I see my role as being to teach things like how to run a meeting, goal setting, organizational skills, money manaement, and accountability, and most importantly acting as cheerleader. Once a group is in place, solutions do not come quickly or easily, however they do come much more so than were it simply several individuals trying to accomplish the same goals. Once groups are legalized and have established themselves, outside funding for development becomes much more accessible.

I have also been doing quite a bit of teaching: english twice a week and environmental education once a month at the primary school. Actually, the kids at the primary school really surprised me by asking to start an after school group. Should be fun once I manage to put it all together.

Plus animations, animations, and more animations.

It is hot with little respite. Really, really, really hot. I would imagine that my neighbors are tired of seeing me walk around my house in boxer shorts. But, like I said, it is about a million degrees in the shade, with no escape. Even the dog, who had dug herself a hole in the shade gives me miserable, complaining looks.

But, aside from the heat, all is well. As you can probably tell, work is keeping me fairly busy and village is becoming more and more comfortable. But, even with all of the work i am trying to get done, there is still a lot of down time. This in turn translates into a lot of reading. so, I have finally decided to read the Harry Potter series. I just finished number 6 last week.

As far as things I may need, not much has changed. Anything essential can be gotten here. Its just the creature comforts that I miss: gum, candy, books, magazines, movies, etc.

Well, i suppose that is it for now. I am hoping to have another update for you during IST, very soon. I miss you all.

Peace.

Yes, yes, I know it has been quite a while since I last updated the blog, but I ASSURE you that there is a perfectly good explanation. Laziness.

2/9

Christmas came about a month late this year, but when it did, what a fine holiday it was! Apparently the larger postal hubs only send packages out to their smaller offices when they have enough accumulated to make it worth the effort. Needless to say, the stack of boxes waiting for me was glorious. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. First I told myself that I would save the boxes and only open one a week. Since they're such a special thing it would prolong the excitement, dig? Unfortunately (or fortunately I suppose) after about three days I had come up with such an extensive list of compelling reasons to open them all at once that I found myself cross-legged on the living room floor, big grin on my face, with all of the goodies spread out in front of me. Everything arrived safely and intact and the shipping time ranged from 6 weeks to 2 1/2 months.

My work as a Peace Corps Volunteer is constantly evolving as I learn more about my host culture and community- the nature of problems, and what methods work best. As I learn and experience more, my notions of sustainable development evolve. The way I see it is that work can take place on four different levels: individual, group, community, and external. By external I mean, for example, that I could apply to an outside organization for something like a well with little to no community involvement....but I suppose that that wouldn't be very sustainable. Alas, I'm rambling.

In the needs assessment I have done with various villages over the course of the past two months, the most pressing need is always the same: potable water. That's a tough one. Digging a 30 meter well is expensive work and a pump is even more costly. So where does one start when the problem is as pressing as the lack of clean drinking water? From the beginning I suppose. Because I have not yet visited a village with any sort of organizational process to address these issues, I currently see the first stp necessary as being the need for community organization. Thus, currently much of my attention has been focused on teaching skills like how to run a meeting, how to manage funds, accountability for those funds, set realistic objectives, etc. If a community group can become firmly established and eventually legalized, these problems can be more easily addressed and long term solutions found....that's the idea at least.

1/25

PACA: Participatory Analysis for Community Action

This program is the model that Peace Corps Cameroon uses to assess community needs. PACA provides a starting point and foundation from which development can continue. For the past four days, PNDP, the National Program for Participatory Development, has been in my village doing what has essentially been a four day PACA marathon. Why is this awesome and exciting? Because I have basically had a team of trained presenters working with not only my village but the entire canton toward a common goal: a complete picture of the area's development needs.

In other news, my counterpart has a new baby girl! needless to say, work has been put on hold for the past few days while he remains with his family. The naming ceremony which takes place a week after a baby is born, will be tomorrow.

1/14

Happy New Year! Unfortunately, the cool weather has ended just as quickly as it came and has been replaced by an ever-mounting heat. Each day this week has been progressively hotter than the last. I suppose however, that complaining this early in the season is pointless since the heat won't peak until late April. So for the moment I will save my whining for the next few months.

New Years Resolution: By the end of this year I will be able to run to Mora, about 17 km away....A good run, at a quick pace with a strong finish...as opposed to a huffing and puffing thisafricanheatismeltingmysoul finish. Currently I am at about 8 km...there's a long way to go. I'll keep y'all posted.

For the most part the majority of my animations thus far have been Introductory followed by a needs assessment. I'll be teaching an environmental education class at the primary school once a month (the first one was disastrous, btw) and I am attempting to set up a weekly english/kanury language lesson/exchange.

It is difficult to describe work at this point because everything is still in th eidea stage and I have no idea what is going to work and what is going to fail...or at least not go anywhere.

---------

Well, that's all i've got for the moment kiddies, but i'll be back soon...ish with all kinds of new and exciting stuff.

quick notes:

I saw the giant rat/monster that lives under my kitchen...it truly is gigantic, nay, monstrous.

currently reading: Nixon/Kissenger: partners in power. thrilling i know.

I may have discovered the best internet cafe in all of Cameroon...seriously.

Still healthy

More letters are on the way.

I miss you all. Peace.

JB

P.S. if i missed any typos.....oops.

Ok, so one last post while I have time...sorry no pictures yet....they'll come, promise. I'm settling in well...etc.etc.etc. Lonely...oh so lonely. anyways...

Of Mice:

So I wake up yesterday morning, 0600, sun just beginning to come up..i'm groggy and can't really think of anything other than that i want some coffee and oatmeal. I open the door to my kitchen and go to the canary for some water.

sidenote: a canary is a ceramic pot of about 10 gallons that is put in the ground to stay cool

I look at the canary and see that due to my own negligence, the cover is sitting next to its side, leaving the opening nicely exposed to anything that might want to drink all night. "way to go josh" i say to myself "who knows what's been in you canary now," oh well. i shrug it off. after two big scoops of water into the tea pot, i dredge up a cute little drowned mouse from the depths.

great...dead rodents in the drinking water....SIGH....such is life. I fished out the dead mouse, emptied out all of the water, and tossed some bleach in the canary. Out of sight out of mind... I'm still healthy for the time being.

And Motos:

That very same morning, I was planning on heading into town with some other volunteers for the holidays. I also thought that it would be a good idea to take the dog with me. Can't leave her alone for a couple of days....god only knows what she'd get into. But for that to work we would have to take a moto together.

After collecting my things, i put the dog on her leash and headed out to the road. "Alright," i said to her, "If you jump off of the moto, it's your own butt. I'm not going down with you...I like you, but not that much." I flag down a moto, put on my helmet, and pick up the dog. she squirmed a little bit, but i'm happy to say that we made it in one piece.

Fin.

Cheers, Josh

Ok, so for those of you following this adventure at home: sorry for the delay....Now for my first week at post, in review.

Current book: Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene

Low of the week: Watching a ram get slaughtered for the fete

High of the week: I was asked if I was francophone...oh yeah, it's coming along.

Anyways, week 1: Big changes!

The taxi left me at my front door with all of my belongings and a small army of children watching the spectacle unfold before them. I am currently writing this from a cushion in my living room enjoying the victory, albeit a small one, of successfully completing my first week at post. My first night at post was surprisingly...normal. No sitting terrified in my dark living room at night, flash light in one hand, machete clutched in the other, like i had envisioned during training. Day 1 consisted of cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning trying to my new house mine.

On the level of agroforestry not much is happening...I have gotten a few requests for help in starting nurseries and such, which is exciting, but those won't start until Jan/Feb. For the moment my biggest task is to settle into my village, establish a routine, make friends, start a life. December is great for that anyway because of all of the holidays. I suppose that the most "development" work that I did this week was accompany my neighbor to villages en brusse....way out there, to let their chiefs know that doctors would be stopping by within a few days to give vaccinations. Don't be fooled though, I didn't actually do anything....I just tagged along, and in the process got a better grip of surrounding villages, made contacts, and got some leads for work in the future.

Number of meals I made this week that even the dog would not eat: 2

That's sad. I know you all are probably thinking "but Josh, you're such a top notch cook...really, world-class! How could you make something that bad?" Well, you're in luck, because I'm going to tell you.

Meal 1: Pretty simple to explain. really, the lentils were only half cooked and I was hungry and didn't particularly care.

Meal 2: A bit more interesting. This shining example of culinary genius was my attemt to improve folere, a popular cameroonian dish. Which is hibiscus leaves....basically. So i purchased some onions and tomatos from the market in addition to the folere and, well, here's the recipe:

3-step-sad-face-josh-goes-hungry-because-he-can't-cook-folere:

Ingredients:

Maggi cube

1 onion

2 tomato

3 handfulls dried folere

water

piment

baking soda

Step 1: heat water

Step 2: Throw everything in

Step 3: Stir it up (little darling)

Sounds tasty, I know. Where'd I go wrong? I suppose that's just one of the many questions that we may never have an answer to. When it was all cooked up, I slopped it all in a bowl with some rice. I sat down next to the dog, took one bite, cringed, took another, cringed, and set it down for the dog. She took one sniff, gave me an "i'd rather starve, thanks but no thanks" look and trotted off.

Well, I suppose thats enough for now.

Current song playing on shuffle:

the cure- in between days

The only reason I threw that last nugget of info in is because i said exactly the same thing you thought as you read it: Are you serious? Are you really sitting alone at post listening to the cure? It's gonna be a looong two years.

Don't worry, that statement was immediately concluded by skipping to the next song.

g'night everyone

-Josh 12/14

Well, I'm writing to you now as an officially sworn-in peace corps volunteer! Tomorrow I will spend my first night alone at post, but for the moment I am in Maroua gathering supplies and tying up some loose ends. The morning of the fourth began at 530 am with last minute packing and taking photos with my host family. I was, of course, wearing the super-sweet blue bubu that all of us had made for the ceremony. After saying some final good-byes to my host brothers and sisters I headed to the training site where we would wait to be picked up by Peace Corps. Once at the ceremony there were a host of political and traditional leaders, PC staff, Country Director, and ambassador....After formalities and speech givin all 28 of us took our oaths and it was done.

ok, weak post, i know...

I have 10 minutes left of CPU time, and thought I could leave one last little story.

Yesterday, Black Friday, All of the trainees hopped into our bright red Peace Corps van, and drove about 3 km outside of the training site to the CETIC, which is essentially a vocational school. As we pulled up there were 170 holes already dug and waiting. We all clambered out of the van...which is always a spectacle whenever it pulls up, and got into groups. There were rows of trees waiting to be planted, so we divided into teams and enlisted the help of some of the students. Everybody grabbed a tree, placed it by a hole, some shoveled manure, others planted, but in the end, there were 170 new trees in the ground....Now the trick is to get some of them to survive the outplanting and dry season....we shall see. The goal of the project was to give something back to the training community which has done so much for PC over the past 8 years. In the end it was a good project, and we accomplished a lot....however not so much in the whole extension area, which is essentially, training on why trees are important, why they should be planted, what you can do with them, how to keep them alive, etc. Next time I suppose. Have a great week everybody!

peace.

My room has recently become infested with crickets...not that i dislike crickets, they're just really loud right when i'm on the edge of sleep. I suppose that I will take that as a sign that my room is in need of a good sweep. I'll give it one last good one before I go. As for the moment, things are going quite well, and I eagerly await the swearing-in ceremony. As nice as it will be to begin my work as a volunteer I will certainly miss the past three months of technical training, endless language sessions, cous cous and green sauce, my host family, weekly stage soccer games, and all of my new friends american and cameroonian. Because this is very likely to be my final post as a trainee in the north, I should note that a few things may (or may not) change once I am at post. Foremost, mail is going to take a bit longer both coming and going, so if there is a bit of a gap in letters, be patient. Internet will likely be available once every 2 weeks, and even then it can't be counted on. So, that said, I will continue to update my blog as frequently as possible.

Thanksgiving wrap up:

Happy Thanksgiving!!! i hope that everyone enjoyed themselves and ate an uncomfortable amount of food. Dinner for 30 trainees and 20 staff members turned out to be quite a success, due in large part to the chiefs organizing everything. I certainly helped a little bit, but spent the majority of my Thanksgiving merry-making. Certainly not the same as holidays back home, but most excellent none the less.

Menu:

6 Chickens

Stuffing

Yams

Devilled Eggs

Mashed Potatos

Stuffed Tomatos

Fruit Salad

Guacamole and Beignets

No-bake Cookies

Quite a menu, I know! Keep in mind however that we were working with what ingredients could be found in the area....so a bit of improvising was necessary. Regardless, all turned out to be delicious. Also it was great getting to share the festivities with our Cameroonian trainers.

As for today, I'll be gathered around a laptop with 15 other trainees watching the Return of the King. Oh Yeah, I'm excited. BTW, I reached my language level of Intermediate High, Holla.

announcements:

grandpa, i got your first letter

This concludes the announcements.

Swearing-in count down: 10 1/2 days

Score of last weeks game: Garoua 2 Egypt 4 (boo)

Training is swiftly coming to a close, and the next week and a half will consist mostly of administrative stuff and a wrap-up of technical work. Yesterday, I gave a 30 minute presentation, in french, on Cameroonian folklore, and I couldn't be more relieved to have it over with. Now that it's all said and done though I suppose it wasn't too painful. As for last weeks game, there's not too much to report. I had a blast, but in the end we lost to Egypt who played much, much better. C'est la vie.

So, within the next two weeks i'll be taking in a puppy from a volunteer who is finishing up her term of service here in cameroon. Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked, however the dog's name is terrible...Seeing as it's only a few months old, i need a new name! I'm looking at you human geographers. Naturally, the best way to go about this is to ask all of you to submit a name, and i'll make a big list of my favorites and we can vote or i can just pick one, or whatever. What do you get if you win? The satisfaction of knowing that somewhere in Africa there's a dog that you named, of course.

As for fete du mutton, it's an Islamic holiday that takes place a certain number of days (i want to say 70, but not sure) after Ramadan. It celebrates the day that Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac but in the end was told to use a ram instead. And so, Everybody gets together and eats mutton...a whole lot of mutton! My host family has been fattening their ram for the past month. They love to tease me about the fact that I won't get to eat any....I have been promised lots of delicious beans though, score.

There is little to report from my homestay, things are going very well, and I will be sad to leave them. However, I am definitely ready to get to post and start working. A few days ago I was sitting with my host-father eating dinner, when the youngest son, 4 yrs old, walks up to me and yells "Barack Obama" I got a pretty good laugh out of that, seeing as I haven't heard a single english word or name out of him since getting here! Hopefully within the next couple weeks, after swearing-in most likely, i'll have the opportunity to post some more pictures.

I also have made an updated list of things i need/want/would love to have:

Books! Text Books! Big, Long Books to keep the brain working!

Old Magazines

Gummy Bears

Other Candy

Protein Bars

Bubble Gum

Sunflower Seeds

Burn some CD's!

I don't know....be creative

Nick, I'm looking at you for these brotha,

Movies and Comics.

I suppose that's not very different from the last one...

Everybody seems to be getting my letters slowly but surely, and i have officially written to every single person that was in my address book....so if you haven't received anything yet, you should....and if i don't have your address, email it to me. I hope that everybody has a great thanksgiving, and I miss you all.

First:

Grandma and Grandpa: sorry about the cut call...signal is...unreliable, to say the least. miss you guys, and love hearing from you.

Second:

Human Geographers: Thanks for all of the support! there's two letters on the way to you, but you'll have to be patient content-wise, as i figure out exactly what it is y'all want to hear about. Any questions you have, i'm happy to answer, and will respond as quickly as possible.

Now for the News:

Today should be quite interesting, I'm heading to the final game of the Africa champions league...(i think thats the name) any way it's the conclusion of the semi-final I wrote about a few weeks ago. CotonSport, Garoua will be playing a team from Egypt for the cup...that's about all I know, i'm sure you could google it for more specific information.

A week has come and gone since the conclusion of site visit and I am back home with my host family. There are only three weeks left of training and then my life as a peace corps volunteer officially begins, which is much, much different from that of a trainee. I suppose, that specifically I'm referring to the structured environment and presence of fellow americans. The first few months at post will likely be a fairly lonely, chaotic experience as i find my place in my new home.

So what am I going to do at post? Here's my action plan, in brief.

Dec 5-14: settling in, getting my house set up, meeting neighbors etc.

14-Jan 5: There are several holidays, Fete du Mutton, Xmas, etc so it's difficult for much work to get done here, so mostly i'll be talking about what PC is and why I am there.

Jan 5-Jan 21: travel to surrounding villages and do protocol, essentially meeting all of the local leaders, religious and political.

Jan 21-Feb 7: Visit local orchards and speak to their owners

-Feb 20: Establish regular communication with GIC's and community groups.

-March 5: begin own nursery as demo plot.

Ok, so this is really bare-bones and really just a small portion of what i'll be doing, the majority of my first three months at post is going to be settling into my new home, meeting local leaders, finding farmer leaders interested and willing to work with agroforestry techniques, and needs assessment: figuring out exactly what my community needs and which projects are sustainable. I will also be beginning some more specific projects immediately in village, but those i'll save for another day.

I suppose that's all for now. Thanks for the comments and support everyone, and if there is anything specific you would like to hear about, just let me know! There's no point to this blog, if i'm not writing things you want to hear about. I miss you all. Cheers!

Ok, foremost: I've updated my address, which is the post office i'll be using at my site. Both will work, but the Mora address is preferred: fairly reliable, although a bit sluggish. Mail can start being sent there now.

I don't have a pre-written post so this will be fairly brief...i suppose, but i should post again sunday, provided that there are no technical difficulties.

For the moment I am in Maroua, the capital of the Extreme North! Last Thursday I received my site assignment, which I can't post, but to get an idea, is about a half hour north of Mora. So, after spending the first half of the week at my future home, visiting local chiefs and authorities, I can't wait to get started! There's much work to do, and not just in the Agroforestry field....We'll have to see which projects succeed and which fail. Not much French is spoken at post, but Kanury, which was brought over from Nigeria, so i'll be getting a neighbor to tutor me as soon as I move in. I've also met my counterpart, who is very knowledgable and motivated. I'm very excited to begin work with him. As far as specifics go, I have several ideas for potentialwork/projects I would like to start ranging from giving moringa animations to finding funding for a clinic...not to mention those started by my predecessor, which I will carry on. It is impossible for the moment however to say which I will start with and which will succeed at all.

I'm about a two hour bike ride (on a good day) away from the nearest volunteer, so i should be able to see other PCV's at least every once in a while...But for now I'll be staying in Maroua for the remainder of my site visit, familiarizing myself with the layout of the city. Monday morning begins business as usual at the training site. Although I'm definitely ready to begin working on my own, there's only a quick four weeks to go.

Ok, Keep your fingers crossed, for a hopefully more comprehensive, organized post on Sunday. oh, and i'm going to attempt labelling the pictures i posted now.

Miss you all!

Just a bit of an update for everybody: my trees have germinated! hoorah! training is truckin' along as well. I have a big language interview this afternoon, and hopefully i can reach intermediate high (i came in at intermediate low) so that way i can move on to learning fufulde. if not, no sweat. Next thursday I find out where i'll be posted for the next two years. i know, i know, you're all on the edge of your seats, i'm excited too. but you'll have to wait until next weekend for me to tell you. After that, i'll be at my new post for a week, to check things out. Training really is starting to fly by.

Things I learned this week:

tree grafting, erosion control and issues, composting, pruning, pollarding, and much more. the trick will be putting everything into practice at post.

Oh, I climbed a mountain yesterday. Or at least it was mountainesque, a hobbit mountain one might say. anywho, it was quite a bit of fun, and i managed to make it up and down safely. happy and healthy.

miss you guys. peace.

Ok, so no internet in all of garoua last week so here is a backlogged blog, to be followed by an update.

10.17

100 tree homestay nursery: Check

step 1. find someone with a wheel barrow

step 2. find someone with lots of cows... where there's cows, there's fertilizer.

step 3. find some good terre noire.

step 4. collect about a wheel barrow of each.

step 5. mix.

step 6. fill poly-pots just so.

step 7. build hangar.

step 8. build thorny fence.

sounds simple, right? Not so much. Anyways, today I planted my first trees! Agroforestry Hoye! Now the trick is to get them to survive. Sidenote: since when did baby roaches learn to run so fast? Back to the mattter at hand: School good, language good, health good.

I saw my first soccer game today, and as it turns out, soccer is pretty awesome. Garoua Coton Sport versus Zimbabwe Dynamos, 4-0. Oh yes, we took it to 'em. Better luck next time Zimbabwe. I believe that in some small part my excessive cheering and screaming (I fit right in...well, kind of) really made that extra difference for the win, lol.

{segway about breakfast} And I love bread and tea for breakfast as much as the next guy, but for the past threee days i've been sneak attacked with delicious omelettes (sp)!!! Can't beat it.

More good news, I stopped sweating always. I'm still pretty sweaty...and smelly, which i'm sure my fellow trainees can attest to, but hey, i'll take every victory I can get.

But it's not all fun and games as they say. It's exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, homesick, and self-doubting too. However, these are outweighed several times over by the wonderful surprises, victories large and small, and oh so many other things. Of course, it's not this blogs intention to mope about my difficulties, yet rather to accurately describe my journey as a PC trainee and eventual volunteer. And that can not be done without occasionally (sp) mentioning some of the very real challenges I face every. single. day.

I suppose that's enough for now. letters are going out each day. miss you all.

Like the title says, pictures are to come....soonish. as soon as i can figure out how to compress my photos....

things are good.

be back soon....ish.

miss you guys!

send letters!

peace and love

I Still can't get on Facebook to post my phone #, and can't do it here. So, email me, if you don't the address check my Facebook profile, or ask someone. It's easiest for me to reply to an email w/ the number. Lots of letters have gone out, so check your stockings.

I have completed my second week of training! 9 more to go and I'll officially be a PCV. The Grand North is beautiful and hot, which makes me one very sweaty trainee. But, I feel i'm adjusting to everything fairly well, all things considered. My host family is kind and generous. My host father is a farmer and he and his wife have 8 children. They are all very patient in teaching me french and explaining any questions I have about the local culture. Today is my first time in Garoua, the provincial capital, which is pretty exciting. I managed to take a bush taxi to the center of town and wander my way to an internet cafe without incident. However the most exciting event of the week was most definitely receiving my bike and moto helmet. Watch out Cameroon, Josh is mobile. So after a very refreshing 5 mile bike ride from the health village to the agro village, my shiny new mountain bike was all the rage among my host brothers. They were a little disappointed however when i would not let them ride it (as was suggested by some PCV's). My French is coming along very nicely, and i'm able to express myself more concisely each day. I'm even picking up some fufulde! Training has its ups and downs of course, but all of the trainers and subject matter have been thorough. Immersion begins tomorrow: goodbye english. Oh, and i'm Healthy! As is everyone else, with the exception of some GI discomfort.

Notable events thus far:

-the end of Ramadan Fete

-Seeing a gigantic cobra (alive)...seriously...some guy was just walking down the street dangling a giant cobra he had found in the bush....he asked me if i wanted it. From a healthy distance I politely refused.

-Explaining Halloween to the family (hilarious)

-Host Father explaining to me how to take a bucket bath (hilarious for the host family, just embarassing (sp) for me...i mean i'm sure i could have figured it out on my own, lol)

-Two giant red check marks on the COTE, counting down the weeks to swearing in!

Things I Need:

Vitamins

Hand Sanitizer

Gummy Bears, Haribo Gold preferably

Things I Want:

Mail!

Small Candies

Protien bars

DVD copies (any movie is a good movie)

Old Magazines

Sunflower Seeds

Gum

Etc.

I suppose thats it for now. For the next 9 weeks I should have internet once a week, which will hopefully translate to a new post every week. untill then, Cheers!

happy and healthy,

JB

first: i have at this point been unable to get facebook to work for me, sorry to be ignoring you.

second: email me for my new phone number!

the south is beautiful, everything is lush and greeen. the initial drive through douala was a bit overwhelming, as i had never seen anything like it before. the streets are packed with cars and moto taxis, with little semblance of order, yet i haven't seen any accidents yet. The streets are lined with markets and people selling just about anything you could imagine. of course, this is all that i have seen from a car window. PC is keeping all of us pretty sheltered at this point, moving back and forth from hotel to PC headquarters. however eventually that will change and i will have all of cameroon in front of me.

hello! im happy and healthy in yaounde. tomorrow i will be taking a sixteen hour train ride to the grand north to meet my host family...nervous? definitely. but i would imagine that the family is just as nervous as i am. so far i have gotten more shots than i ever want to see again, a gigantic meical kit, and filled out more forms than i can count, but that is all part of the fun i suppose. last night we all got cleaned up and headed over to the country directors home for dinner and conversation, and i stretched my french just about as far as it would go. tres bien. heres a snippit of my conversation...translated

guest: so you are vegetarian?

me: oui

guest: so you are from the country of vegetables?

me: oui...wait..non!

it was a pretty good joke i thought.

anyway, i have a phone, but cannot post the number online for obvious reasons, so email me and you will receive it shortly.

for now i am really looking forward to PST. all of our trainers are so enthusiastic, how could i not be excited?

letters will be on the way soon. see you next time from the Grand North!...cheers!

We arrived at the airport around noon after receiving yellow fever vaccinations and malaria prophalaxis (sp). The flight wasnt scheduled to leave until six. i arrive in brussels with another three hours of waitin until the flight to Douala. Needless to say I arrived exhausted and rather smelly. PC did a great job of herding us around and making sure all of us knew where to go and what to do. The PC staff was fantastic. After a short drive we made it to the hotel and had dinner. for the meat eaters a local fish and for the rest and array of rice and veggies! a welcome change after all o f that airline food. We cant leave the hotel, more for our lack of knowledge about cameroon and french than any threat. its about ten oclock now and i'm off to bed. I'll write again as soon as possible about the actual country. I just wanted to check in. tomorrow were off to yaounde where training starts. please forgive any spelling errors foreign keyboard and in a rush.

Love, josh

Greetings from Philly!

Staging has finally come to an end, and I have now officially gone from Invitee to Trainee. Not quite a volunteer yet...but soon enough! Staging was just about what I expected: going over policies and procedures, aspirations and anxieties, safety, and of course more than enough getting-to-know-you activities. Tomorrow I will head to a clinic here, receive a yellow fever vaccination, and then head to the airport. My next post will be from Cameroon. All of my fellow trainees are great and the group has come together really well. I'm looking forward to getting to work with all of my fellow agro trainees. Now the time has come for me to enjoy my final night in the US for the next 2 years!

Cheers!

There is just under a week left in the countdown and all I can think is, ‘where the hell did my summer go?’ On that note, I think it’s fitting that I discuss a few last minute PC related issues before my blog officially begins in earnest from Cameroon.

Packing: Will I ever finally have everything I wrote on my list, forgot to write on the list and was told would be important to bring…and for that matter exclude all those items which have been deemed superfluous by others through experience, and by myself because I ran out of room? I should probably just give up on the hope that I’ll get packing just right. I will inevitably pack a bunch of crap I don’t need, and forget those oh-so-priceless-items that I will wish I had brought. *sighs* ‘tis life I suppose, and all the true necessities I’ll be able to find in country anyway…so, I guess I should stop sweating it.

Saying Goodbye: This is one of the initial challenges I underrated most. Give me the endless paperwork, doctor visits, and waaaaiiiittttiinng, of just applying to the PC any day. This saying goodbye stuff is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Chances are pretty good I won’t be able to come home during my service on vacation because it turns out that flying from Cameroon costs just under a kajillion dollars. So, for all of y’all out there that I love so very much, keep in touch, and I’ll see you in two years!

If this is hard, I can only imagine what challenges are to come. Bring it on.

Peace.

Thanks for the Comments everyone! Since I don't know how to directly respond to them...I'm just adding a new post.

-Ok, so as of right now, I am in El Paso. I leave for staging in Philadelphia on September 17. I will spend three days (i think) there, after which I will fly to Yaounde....or Douala...not entirely sure. There I will spend a week going through some training and getting the basics down while in country. After that I will move in with my host family in a different city, where i will stay for the next three months. I will be going to training just about every day. Somewhere in the middle of training i will receive my actual location assignment, which is where i will be for the following two years.

-By trousers, I meant nice pants...like dockers or khakis. From what I have been told manner of dress is incredibly important in Cameroon, and I will be expected to dress nicely every day. Which is interesting, b/c I initially thought that because of my job assignment I would need to bring alot of jeans and shirts which if were to get dirty, it would not matter...But, everything I have read and heard from other volunteers stresses the need to dress professionally.

-The US stamps are for when other volunteers visit the states. They can bring letters with them and just drop them in the mail in the US.

I think that's everything. Good hearing from everybody.

Peace.

At last, I have completed my packing list! Mostly. I have gathered a good bit of the things listed, but am not finished just yet. Also, I’m still on the fence about whether it would be practical to bring my computer. I have done my best to categorize everything. If you should happen to see anything on this list that you think I might be missing or not need to bring, by all means, PLEASE, let me know. Thanks!

Clothes:

14 Underwear

7 Pair Socks (mostly b/c I run)

2 Long Sleeve Dress Shirts

3 Short Sleeve Dress Shirts

4 T Shirts

1 Pair Jeans

3 Trousers

1 Tie

Running Shoes

Chacos

Hiking Boots

1 Running Shorts

2 Undershirts/Workout Shirts

2 Bandana

Handkerchiefs

PJ Pants

Rain Gear

1 Sweater/Light Jacket

Towel

1 Roll TP

Toiletries:

2 Deodorant

1 Toothpaste

1 Toothbrush

Razor and Refills

Small Sewing Kit

Top Sheet

Brush

1 Shampoo

Soap

Sunscreen

Vitamins

Facewash

Ear Plugs

Hand Sanitizer

Electronics:

Solio Charger

aa/aaa Battery Charger that fits Solio

Ipod

Travel Speakers

CPU (and all that goes with that)

Camera

Shortwave Radio

Flashlight

Flash drive

Watch

Travel Alarm

AA/AAA Batteries (rechargeable)

Other:

Leatherman

Journal

Pens

Envelopes

US Stamps

Address Book

8 Passport Photos

Combination Lock

Crystal Lite Drink Mix

Assorted Zip Lock Bags

1 Nalgene

Spices

Seeds

Harmonica

Hackie Sack

Cards

Duct Tape (I always need duct tape for something or other)

I think that’s just about everything! Now to get it all to fit into my baggage! Any comments, suggestions?

At last, I made it back to El Paso. My trip was excellent and I have no complaints. It was great staying with old friends and having the opportunity to catch up. There was however, one slight hitch, which ultimately ended up being just another adventure. My poor old car, The Deuce, couldn’t quite make it to El Paso on the initial attempt. About 300 miles east of my goal, in the middle of the desert, my radiator blew. Sigh. Luckily I was only 20 miles west of Ozona, which can’t even really qualify as a town…it’s that small. After an hour or so, the tow truck came and took me into town. I was dropped off at the mechanic who tells me it will be a few days before he can get the part in. So, I call my mother to see if she can make the drive and come get me. Overhearing my conversation the mechanic interrupts, “hey, (pointing to a couple across the lot) they’re on their way to El Paso. Maybe you could catch a ride with them.” I nod and he goes to ask them. I am told that they will take me home, but they don’t speak English. I don’t speak much Spanish. Needless to say the drive home was pretty quiet. It’s amazing how everything seems to work out just the way it should. What are the odds that at the same time I am at the mechanic, there would be people going just where I need to be? I couldn’t have asked to meet a nicer couple. Despite our language barrier we got along just fine, and with the exception of being stopped for a broken tail light, (which I had to translate for the officer in my broken Spanish) everything went smashingly. Yes, smashingly.

In short, The Deuce is repaired and running, for the most part, fine. I’ve driven the poor girl half to death, so I don’t blame her. I’m in Rio Rancho right now hanging with my family. I’ll be here for about a week and then it’s back to EP to find a summer job, and start working for the next few months. Other than that I think I’m giving myself heart palpitations over the impending LSAT. *shudder* It will be over soon.

Initially I assumed I would use this blog strictly for PC related happenings. But, that has left it lonely and unattended and me out of practice writing in it. So, because, I am not in Cameroon yet, and have been neglecting other important PC things such as my packing list for other areas of life including graduation, LSAT study, travel, etc. I’ll just start to include other personal tidbits here and there to fill in the gaps and eventually the two will collide.

So, in applying for the PC and graduating from college it was understood that I would have to leave the ones I love and care about. I knew it would be difficult, and I would say “yeah, it’s gonna be rough,” but then I would proceed to ignore the impending separation. Now, here I am, out of South Florida and it kind of hurts. Kind of hurts a whole hell of a lot. Of course, completely uprooting yourself is never easy…I know, and it’s good for you…or me, that is. But knowing that this change is a positive, inevitable, natural part of life doesn’t make it any easier….blah, blah, whine, whine. Anyways, back to PC. I’m glad I leave in September, (CAN’T WAIT!!!) because I now have the opportunity to deal with the separation anxiety in fragments rather than all at once. Either way, I would be fine, and am by no means incapable of handling these emotions. “Been there, done that,” as they say.

For now, I’m in Tally, shortened because I would just misspell the entire name. I’ll be back soon with tales of cheer. Miss you all.

Peace.

For those interested, I thought it might be helpful to add a brief timeline of my application process.

August 10: Begin application

August 17: Complete application

September 20: Interview

September 28: Nomination

October 5: Receive Nominee Toolkit

December 7: Submit Dental/Medical paperwork

December 28: Dental Clearance

February 3: Medical Clearance

March 21: Invitation

It sounds so simple on paper. In short it took almost a full 8 months from start to finish, and I’m healthy! Considering how picky PC is I don’t want to think about the hurdles they put up if you have a long medical history. Anyways, a lot of the timing is dependent upon you and how quick you are to return any information PC requests. The largest hassle is fitting yourself into multiple appointments with doctors….dentists…and labs….Good Luck!

peace.

Yes, here it is ladies and gentlemen: My First Post. Turns out I only have two weeks to send my aspiration statement and resume to p.c. cameroon. D'oh! I suppose its better that I found out on the fourteenth as opposed to the "its too late", fifteenth day. Most of it was done anyway...

Well, without further ado, my aspiration statement:

A. Foremost among the attributes I expect to use during my Peace Corps service is my ability to solve problems through unconventional measures. I expect that many unique and difficult challenges will arise. In a new and unfamiliar environment with limited resources, I believe that it will be atypical solutions which may often render the most effective results. Additionally I hope that my ability to consider issues from a broad, external perspective, will allow for multiple solutions that were previously unavailable to become so. As for my personal aspirations during my Peace Corps service, I hope to make a positive impact as well as develop meaningful relationships with those individuals whom I have the opportunity to meet. I expect that those people whom I have the privilege to know will also have a similar impact upon me. Yet, among the hundreds of expectations I have created through my anticipation for departure, I expect that the majority of those very same creations will be all together different from what I currently envision. But that’s part of the excitement!

B. Spending the majority of my life within bilingual communities, I have found that the most effective tool in transcending language and cultural barriers is patience and understanding matched with an equal amount of optimism. Although these attributes play an important role within my life in the United States, I expect the need for them in-country to be exponentially greater. Thus, when working situations become difficult due to language limitations and cultural differences, often it is the previously expressed need to examine social situations from a broad, outside perspective that can grant a renewed patience, understanding, and purpose.

C. Openness and eagerness to learn will be the keys I expect to use in order to successfully adapt to my host country. Spending most of my life in communities where most individuals are first or second generation immigrants, I have found that these are the tools necessary to begin the foundation for successful relationships. Thus, I feel that the ability to accept differences and find commonalities between individuals and cultures allows us to grow and adapt to current situations. Growing up, it was always the common ground shared between two individuals that allowed for the facilitation of learning and personal growth. In turn this leads to an understanding of differences for both parties, creating a bridge between cultures which may have initially appeared to be worlds apart.

D. During pre-service training I hope to put to practice and perfect the French which has been gathering dust on the shelves of my mind. Additionally, I hope to have at least an introduction to local dialects. I expect to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively implement those agricultural practices which are lacking within the communities I serve as opposed to being just another pair of hands to hold a shovel. I expect to have the opportunity to put to practice those techniques I learn in pre-service training prior to the beginning of my service in order to more effectively implement them in the communities that I am assigned to.

E. I hope that upon completion of Peace Corps service I will have strengthened an already innate desire to help others. Personally I hope to have gained a greater, more compassionate understanding of the world around me, a strengthened since of independence, and a heightened confidence that I can overcome any challenge set before me. I expect that these qualities will influence my professional life, enabling me to use my professional skills and knowledge to continue aiding others and ultimately make the world a better place regardless of which profession I choose.

Wow, you actually read through all of that? Well there you have it i suppose, my aspirations in a nutshell.

Peace.