A Whole New World

After almost three weeks I’m happy to report that as a group, Nous Sommes Ensemble! Yes all thirty-eight of us are still here and from what I’ve gathered thus far about previous stages in Cameroon, this is quite the feat. There is so much that can be said already about my time here, but for now let it just be said that life is very, very different. Gone are long stretches of paved roads, modern buildings, safe transportation, reliable electricity/water, or even a simple access to “things”. You name it, more than likely it’s non-existent or difficult to find. Even simple things like brushing your teeth (now in a toilet), washing your hands (sinks don’t exist in bathrooms), drinking water (if you can’t even bathe with it…), or washing your clothes (three hours later, still a little soapy, bring them in half dry, leave set four days to avoid mango flies in your skin). What all this really means: I have come to accept a new level of personal hygiene pretty quickly. I am without running water more than with, so clean feet before I crawl into bed, brushed teeth in the morning, or a guarantee I can shower after working out, just doesn’t happen anymore. Still, outside of face towelettes and Clean & Clear (Mom did you send some?) I do not really feel that bad about it. Since arriving, I have had zero need for my debit card, carrying around more than $20, or my cell phone outside of emergencies. To be honest Ive found it quite liberating.
From a development standpoit there is so much that could be done. The other day I asked a current one-year volunteer what he thought Cameroon lacked most. His response: Systems. He said that after living and working in the States for 40+ years he has found a new found appreciation for the functioning systems we take for granted everyday. While tasks are often accomplished here there’s no manual, sound model to duplicate, a system for checks and balances, and absolutely zero follow up. Last Friday every SED volunteer was assigned a business in the community to work with over the next eight weeks. It’s more of a learning experience for the volunteer than anything else, but still hopefully some value will come for it on the business end. I was assigned to newly opened Cyber Café in town. Talk about an awkward when you walk into a business to give advice on business strategies, and you’re struggling in French to even get through questions like “Why did you decide to open?” Luckily the owner does speak a little English, so if it gets really bad in French there’s a backup. Even better, is that the owner would like help on Marketing which means I can stay away from those books (huge sigh of relief coming from my Dad J).
As far as daily life is concerned, the Peace Corps keeps us on quite a rigorous schedule thus far. Although my alarm is set for 6:35am every morning, an alarm clock has proved unnecessary. Every morning at exactly 5:21am there’s an obnoxious cackle from the chicken that resides directly outside my bedroom, and chiming in shortly after are the remaining members of the neighborhood choir. 7:00am a cold shower; 7:15am throw on the same clothes I’ve only worn three times before; 7:30am breakfast with the host family; 7:45am speed walk to school; 8:00am-4:30pm a mix of language, technical, and cultural training. During our only real free time between 4:30pm and our home stay curfews at 7pm, volunteers can often be found at Chez Pierres (our favorite bar), the Internet café, or Marche A. Currently we are in the middle of the rainy season in Bangangte, so almost everyday we can expect to get use out of our umbrellas, an ¼ inch of red mud caked to the bottom of our shoes, an inability to hear what our teacher is saying in class, and our drying laundry to become WET!
My host family thus far has been outstanding. My father works finance in the neighboring town of Bassamba, although he often works directly from the house or travels to the capital, Yaounde. My mother is a matrice (female teacher) for ages 12-16 and currently enjoying her time at home with the kids during summer break. In Cameroon it’s commonplace for immediate and extended family members to live together. When I first arrived a nephew and niece were living here as well, but both have since parted. Serg the 18 year old nephew who proved to be the perfect median in the house for the first week (fluent in French with a little English) has since gone back to Yaounde to wait out school in the fall. Gladis, the niece and “menager” (housekeeper) speaks no English. While it’s very difficult at times to get our points across, this relationship has pushed me to utilize my French more than any other. Gladis will be returning in a few weeks, but in the meantime two more nephews from Yaounde have filled her place. The two biological children, Clara (4) and Evonne (1), are as cute as can be.
For the next few weeks we will continue with four hours a day of French lessons and a mix of technical sessions. Immersion started today, which means zero English at school for the remainder of our time. On July 10th our APCD will return to give us our posts, a date everyone is anxiously awaiting. While SED volunteers are active in all ten provinces of Cameroon the three most likely placements are the North, Extreme North, and West. Most of us are fighting for spots in the francophone to exercise our French, but at least three volunteers will be placed in the Anglophone. While we have given the APCD our preferences, ultimately the decision is not up to us. It will be interesting to see who winds up where, but either way every volunteer is bound to think their post is the best because it’s what they have come to know.
This is getting long so I’m wrapping it up with a quick list of firsts. Coming up soon....info. on my exact assignments!

Firsts:
Going to the bathroom in two separate pit latrines (FYI the one at my house is way nicer than the public markets)
Three marriage proposals in one day
Leaving a cockroach unattended in my room
Spending three hours on laundry
Et pour un autre volontaire…...showering with a chicken

Ps: And in case your wondering how the third “first” turned out…..Kate Cook, with her J-41, right-hand corner of her bedroom

Mr. & Mrs. Russell

A very simple post to say Congrats you Crazy Two!!! Thinking about you much (a play by play actually, so right abou now you should be enjoying some homemade banana bread Miss BATOR). Wishing you only the best as you start your new life together. Have a fabulous honeymoon and try not to spit out too many kids before I get back!

Out of Commission

Under the weather. Not feeling so hot. Just flat out sick. As any knowledgable Peace Corps volunteer will tell you its a part of service; reoccurance a common thing. What Ive been experiencing the past few days I would like to think of as a welcome to Africa; a small taste of the fun stuff yet to come. I made it through the formal dinner at the PC directors house on Sunday, where the US Ambassador made an appearance as well. Very nice evening of mingling and eating under an outdoor graduation style tent. Monday was a round of shots, self introductions, and pre training. Tuesday morning we took our french placement tests with some more pre training seminars, and shortly after that I began to know the inside of my hotel room and the infirmary quite well. By far the most frustrating part has been missing out on all the training seminars, but my roommate has been quite helpful and encouraging, and is quick to point out that if there were a week to be sick why not get it out of the way with an airconditioned room, electricity, and running appliances. Feeling increasingly better as the day goes on, and actually looking forward to the three hour bus ride to Bagante tomorrow morning where ill first get to meet my host family for the next twelve weeks!! In case your wondering madame varners french only got me so far. Never have I said je ne sais pas more in the course of fifteen minute conversation. Ive been placed as a novice mid, the only upgrade from novice low, but the good news is that the majority of my training class has been as well. As a side note, no my punctuations really not this bad....these french computers are just really hard to figure out! bye for a few weeks

So far so good

Just returned from the clinic this morning which means I'm officially done with the staging process! I arrived on Wednesday afternoon 1 1/2 late for my first seminar (not because of Cook time but rather fog delays in Phili!) yet everything worked out OK because more than half the group was delayed as well. Our first day was consumed with group activities and lectures. It feels great to finally be among others who will be sharing in the same experience as me. The majority of the group is girls (typical of the Peace Corps where ratios are usually 60% female 40% male). Everyone is super friendly just as I'd imagined and several of the boys on the group are down right hilarious. "Since this is the Peace Corps" as they put it, we've been doing a lot of talking about our feelings (excitement, anxieties, aspirations). It seems at the moment every one's feelings are quite similar, but once we've landed and the reality of living in Cameroon sets in I'm sure they'll vary drastically. The Peace Corps staff (3 former volunteers) so far has been wonderful. Very knowledgeable and professional. They each served in a different decade so it's been nice to have that perspective of how Peace Corps was and what it has become. After a long training session on Wednesday we finished the night off at an outdoor pizzeria, followed by a karaoke bar that unfortunately was not doing karaoke that night but totally redeemed themselves with a rock, paper, scissors tournament! Honestly the whole first day left me feeling like this was my third study abroad. As much as I enjoyed them I'm anxious to get away from that lifestyle which will be coming shortly. Day two was another full day of seminars; a little more focused on Cameroon itself. Although I don't have my official post yet, I can tell you that the Northern Provinces are the Anglophone regions, Muslim, more conservative, very HOT (120) but dry climate. The South and West is the Francophone region, more liberal, roughly 90 degree temps, and apparently people are Very friendly. I'll be happy with either although I do really want to become strong in French. This morning I received my Yellow Fever & will start taking my weekly Malaria pill at noon. The Peace Corps provides all the preemptive strategies to getting sick thus it's up to the volunteer to be sure they abide by them. Setting a Friday reminder as we speak! Okay off to checkout and then do more shopping. How it's possible I still need more things I Don't Know..but I do. Au revoir! My next post will be from Cameroon!!!

5 hours to go

So I leave tomorrow! Is it really finally here!? If I had a quarter for every time someone asked me in the past week "Are you ready" I'm pretty sure I could create a career out of this. Are my bags packed?; yes they're waiting upstairs. Am I excited?; absolutely, I think tomorrow will be the start of an amazing two years. Am I scared; somewhat although not for my safety, simply for the unknown. I read somewhere once that one of the reasons the Peace Corps application process takes so long is to sort out those who have the patience to withstand it from those who don't. So if the waiting game was my first Peace Corps test then I think I've passed and am ready for what tomorrow will bring.

To all of those people who've I've had a chance to say goodbye to and those that I have unfortunately missed, I will miss you dearly! Your encouraging words and smiling faces have meant a lot. For the next two days I'll be in Philadelphia for Staging, going through orientation seminars and meeting everyone in my group. Friday I officially leave for Cameroon, connecting in Paris first before arriving in Yaounde. The next twelve weeks will be consumed with Pre-Service Training in Bagante. While my Internet access over the course of two years will be limited I hope through this blog to generate awareness about Cameroon & Peace Corps. So please check it often, pass it along to family/friends, do write with any comments questions you might have.

Objectives for the next two years:
Energy
Open heart
Open mind
The rest should take care of itself...

Packing List

Clothing
Pictures of clothes you might want to have made
Cotton button-up shirts (3) Tank Tops (3)
Everyday shirts (4); Shirts for work (3)
1 pair black spandex sweatpants & 1 small fleece
5 below the knee breathable skirts; 1 dressy skirt
3 pairs Capri’s
2 long cotton dresses
2 pair workout shorts
1 Northface Rain coat
1 pair black dress slacks
1 pair jeans
Underwear (15); bras (4); sports bras (4); socks (8)
3 pairs of boxer sleep shorts; 3 matching cotton shirts
1 long sleeve shirt
Shoes
Reef Flip flops
T9 sandals (for work)
Black Naturalizers (work)
off-pink flats (work)
Birkenstock sandals (for work)
Nike running shoes
Toiletries
Toothbrush 2; Toothpaste 1 mini bottle; 1 floss
2 pairs sunglasses
1 bottle Visine
5 bottles deodorant-hard to find in Cameroon
Double sided magnifying mirror/regular hand mirror
Clean & Clear face wash & astringent
1 box of q-tips; 1 package of cotton swabs
4 tubes of Carmex
3 cheap razors; 1 nice razor with 2 refill packages
Large camping towel-REI
Fingernail clippers & nail file & 2 pairs Tweezers
1 large hand sanitizer bottle; 5 small travel sizes
1 small bottle of lotion
Three month supply of prescription drugs
Hair ties, clips, headbands, and bobby pins
Diva Cup
Minimal amount of makeup & 2 bottles clear green-tea nail polish
2 wash cloths; 2 packages of disposable wash cloths
Kitchen
Spice Mill for peppercorns
Can Opener
Potato Peeler
Collapsible measuring cups and spoons
1 Nalgene bottles
Plastic storage containers and Ziploc bags of assorted sizes
2 pampered chef knives; self-contained in sharpener
o Medium size non-stick pan
Entertainment
Watch
Travel Alarm Clock
Digital Camera
Ipod Nano (8gb)
Ipod Speakers-small (9.99 wal-mart)
3 sets of headphones
Dell Laptop
1 GB USB storage device (2)
Compact Mag-Lite flashlight
LED headlamp
Photos from home
French/English dictionary and Thesaurus
Poster size map of the world and Cameroon
Miscellaneous
American stamps to send letters home with Volunteers
Journal & Address Book
2 packages of sugar free gum
Quality Pens with refills or replacements
Umbrella
2 rolls duct tape, 1 bottle gorilla glue
2 combination locks
Comfortable sleeping pillow with 2 pillow cases
Inflatable pillow
Savanna Mosquito Net with canopy
Paper Work
12 passport size photos
Money Belt
Copy of Visa & Passport
Gifts for host family
Bath & Body Works hand cream
1 bottle of perfume
2 jump ropes
Luggage
Rolling Duffle Bag
Green Jansport hikers backpack
Northface shoulder bag with laptop compartment

Sending Mail

The following suggestions and postal regulations may be useful:
1. Mail should be sent directly to the Yaoundé address, OR directly t your Volunteer's post address once training is finished.
2. Both Volunteers and family members should number letters sent so that the receiver can determine whether any letters do not arrive.
3. Packages should be sent via air, not surface mail (surface mail has been known to take longerthan two years to arrive.)
4. Sending packages to your Volunteer in Cameroon is a risky proposition. Theft of packages isnot only a problem in the Cameroonian postal system, it also occurs on the U.S. side. Although occasionally a package arrives quickly and without problems, it may take months or it may get"lost" along the way. Therefore, it is not advisable to send valuables this way.
5. If you do send packages, bubble envelopes seem to work better than large boxes. They areless tempting to would-be thieves. The sender should clearly and honestly mark the contentson the outside of the package, but a general description of the contents is sufficient: "clothingand candy" rather than "Nike high top sneakers and 2 lbs. Godiva chocolate."
6. Express mail is an expensive option that may take just as long to get to Cameroon. Perhapsa more secure option than regular airmail for documents, checks, etc., it is subject to morescrutiny by Cameroonian customs than regular mail. For items other than documents, PeaceCorps staff has to submit import licenses to customs, and clearance can take up to 10 days.Thus, you may not necessarily save any time by using Express mail. DHL and UPS operate in Cameroon for those important documents. Note that current prices for these services runaround $100.00 for one pound or less.
7. There is a tax which Volunteers will have to pay on all packages received before they canretrieve them from the post office. This tax varies according to the size of the package. It mightbe a nice gesture from friends or family to send a six-pack of Mountain Dew, but it may cost a Volunteer up to $10.00 to get it out of the post office.
8. Packages sent to the Yaoundé office are sent regularly to Volunteer posts. This may delaydelivery to the Volunteer by up to several weeks.
9. If Volunteers wish to send a package from Yaoundé to the States, Cameroon postal ratesare high and insurance is not available. For this reason, many Volunteers wait to sendpackages with returning PCVs (whom they ask first, in country) or wait until their Completion of Service (COS) date to send home gifts and souvenirs. Letters going to the States through the Cameroonpost have been quite dependable.
10. US postage-stamped letters can be put in the "next traveler" box at the Peace Corps officein Yaoundé, to be hand carried by the next person going Stateside. Note that this is a courtesy,not an obligation, and Volunteers shouldn't expect any traveler to carry more than letter mail, unless special arrangements are made with the individual. Air travelers may be required toopen letters and packages and/or submit them to X-rays, especially when they don't belong tothe traveler.
11. The Cameroon Desk in Peace Corps Headquarters, Washington, is available to answerVolunteer & families' questions about mail. Due to staff and budget constraints, they cannot, however, facilitate the sending of personal mail for Trainees and Volunteers.
Posted by Wendy at 3:23 AM
Labels: logistics

Visiting Cameroon

Remember: Visitors are not permitted during a Volunteer's pre-service training or during the first three months at post. The best time for visits are after a Volunteer has spent at least six months at post.
1. Planning. Start planning at least six months before departure since several things have to be done sequentially which can add up to several weeks/months. Keep in mind that communication takes a long time, so arranging the logistics through the mail will require a lot of lead-time. Make sure that the timing of your visit is convenient for the Volunteer you are visiting. A Volunteer's primary obligation is to his/her assignment, so be sure that your visit will not disrupt any work plans. We recommend visits at some point during the second year.
2. Passport. If you do not already have a passport, obtain a passport application and application instructions from a post office or your travel agent. To apply for a passport, you will need the completed application with two passport photos (with your signature on the back of each photo) and the application fee.
3. Visa. To apply for a visa to Cameroon, obtain two application forms from the Cameroonian embassy, 2349 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 or over the Net; the phone number at the embassy is (202) 265-8790 . After completing the applications, send them to the embassy with your passport, two passport photos, W.H.O. records showing the required yellow fever shot (see below), the application fee, and a copy of either your tickets or your detailed flight itinerary, and a bank statement. You may also need to submit a letter of invitation from your Volunteer family member. Peace Corps Cameroon will also provide you with a letter supporting your visa application if your volunteer provides the offices with the details of your visit. You will be issued a single entry visa only, unless you specifically request multiple entry. You must have multiple entry if you plan to leave the country and return during the period of the visa's validity. Be sure to call the Embassy and verify with them that procedures have not changed.
It is our understanding that the Embassy will not return your passport to you unless you send a pre-paid express mail envelope. If you are in the D.C. area, you can pick it up at the embassy.
Separate visas are required for almost all African countries you may plan to visit, except for intermediate stops where you will not go outside the terminal while en route to or from Cameroon. Each embassy requires that you send your passport with the visa application, so you can only apply for one visa at a time.
You can consolidate and expedite your passport and visa applications if necessary by going through a private company that handles it for you for an additional fee of approximately $30 per visa or passport. (Ask a travel agent for details).
4. Health. A yellow fever vaccination is required. This immunization must be logged in a World Health Organization (W. H. O.) International Certificate of Vaccination. For more information on what additional vaccines, antimalarials or medications are required or recommended, contact your local health board or the Division of Immunization at the Centers for Disease in Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 639-1870 , or on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/cafrica.html
You should also plan to take anti-malarial prophylactic drugs prior to departure from USA and during your stay in Cameroon. Contact the Malaria Hotline at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, (404)639-1610 for information on what drug(s) to take and where you can get them.
While in Cameroon, precautions must be taken with food preparation and water treatment. Drink only bottled water in sealed bottles or water that has been filtered and chlorinated or boiled. Vegetables must also be soaked in chlorine if they are not being cooked or peeled.
There are health risks, and the medical facilities in Cameroon are not comparable to facilities in the United States. Peace Corps medical Staff cannot provide care for family members or friends who require medical attention while in Cameroon. We strongly suggest that you consider extra insurance with emergency evacuation coverage from a company such as International SOS Assistance, Inc. (P.O. Box 11568, Philadelphia, PA 19116, 1-800-523-8930 or 215-244-1500 in PA).
5. Money. The currency used in Cameroon is called franc CFA. The franc CFA is fixed to the Euro (656 CFA = 1 Euro; 1 USD is about 400 CFA.) Travelers’ checks are safe, but incur exceedingly high commission rates and other charges (up to 25%). Travelers’ checks in dollars have also become increasingly difficult to change. You may want to take at least some travelers checks in Euros, since switching dollars to CFA in Yaoundé is usually more expensive than switching dollars to Euros in U.S. and then Euros to CFA in Yaoundé. Some of the big (and expensive) hotels in Yaoundé will accept an American Express or Visa credit card (caution advised). ATMs on the “Plus” system are increasingly available around the country. The best person to answer questions about money (and how much to take) is the Volunteer whom you are planning to visit.
6. Baggage. Have all your suitcases locked. On most airlines, you are allowed 2 pieces of baggage (not to exceed 50 lbs. each) per passenger for trips from the United States to Europe, but only 20 kg (44 lbs.) total for intra-European or African flights. Therefore, you may be charged an excess baggage fee for anything over 44 lbs. from Europe to Africa unless you check your baggage through to Africa directly from the U.S. (If you check baggage all the way through, be sure the baggage ticket has all appropriate code letters for the trip; the code for the airport in Douala is DLA, the Yaoundé airport is NSI, and the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is CDG). Consult your airline or travel agent for further information.
7. Flight Check-In. If you fly through Paris, arrive at the check-in counter for the flight to Douala or Yaoundé two hours before take off. They start checking passengers in then and you cannot get a seat assignment until this check-in. The check-in process goes very slowly, so plan to stand in line a long time. They will not allow large carry-on bags.
8. Arrival in Douala / Yaoundé. You must have both your passport and W.H.O. card for immigration when arriving at the airports in Cameroon. French and some English are spoken at the airport, but it would be best to ask the Volunteer you are visiting to have someone meet you at the airport. You will have to open all bags for inspection. Try to keep all your bags in sight once they come into the baggage area. There will be men vying to carry your bags for payment. Carry your bags yourself if you can. If not, negotiate a price with one person before allowing anyone to take your bags (about 1$ per bag.) If no one is going to meet you at the airport, get instructions ahead of time from the Volunteer on how to take a taxi to your next destination.
9. Accommodations. Your best source of information about where to stay is the Volunteer whom you are planning to visit. The Yaoundé Hilton presently has a special rate for families and friends of Peace Corps and is recommended by Peace Corps staff, and the Akwa Palace Hotel in Douala gives a Peace Corps discount as does the Parfait Garden.
10. Photos. Picture taking is fine, in general, but you should always ask permission before taking anyone's photograph. Photos are never allowed at the airport or any military installation, so please keep your camera concealed when near these locations.
11. Identification. During the course of your stay in Cameroon, you will have to show your passport to the police several times, so you must carry it with you in a safe place at all times. It is sometimes convenient to have a certified photocopy of your passport to present to officials. Your volunteer will know how to do this.
12. Departure. Presently, you must pay a departure tax of 10,000 CFA at the Douala or Yaoundé airport before boarding. Check ahead of time, as this tax needs to be paid in local currency, and most likely you would need the exact amount.