I have been thinking about what people’s reaction would be like if they came here and saw me, so I thought I would write this blog about how I’ve become accustomed to living here and certain things don’t phase me anymore.
So last weekend I had to travel because I needed to buy shirts for my girls group and I had to make copies of my Sequence 4 exam so that my students could actually have a decent test- taking experience. Traveling during the dry season is actually pretty terrible. I still can’t decide which is worse. If you travel during the rainy season you end up getting all wet because of the leaky cars and it often takes an hour or two longer to get anywhere because you have to keep getting off the car and walking while they try and push it through ditches filled with water. Then there’s the dry season where everything is covered with a thick redish brown dust that goes everywhere. Everyone is wearing Hospital type mouth coverings and some are wearing protective goggles like wood cutters use. Everyone also has long pants and jackets on in order to protect their clothes from the dust. I like to sit by the window (if there is actually plastic and the car has windows) because it can become so stifiling hot in there that I need the breeze even if it does kick up tons of dust. So after about two minutes I’m covered with dust and can see all of the little hairs on my arms perfectly because of how the dirt covers them. Sometimes you are lucky enough to sweat tons and then the dust becomes mud right on you. Everyone is in a foul mood because of the heat and when you finally get to your destination all you can think about is a shower. The dust is more prominent on us white people because we change such fabulous colors. The other crappy thing about traveling during the dry season is that my allergies become crazy and after I get home I feel horrible like I have a cold and I can’t breath because all of the dust I’ve inhaled. But the things is, I’ve only really thought about complaining about this now, because it’s the way thigns are here.
The best part about traveling is what I must look like when I’m on the bus. Friday I wore a red shirt that I bought at Target in the states. That was when my mom and I thought I had to buy huge clothes so the villagers wouldn’t make fun of me for being ‘sexy’. Well this shirt is at least two sizes too big and because of all the hand washing, actually goes down to about mid thigh just above the knee. I couple this with a peasant skirt my mom sent me that is a good design for Africa but has the colors of vomit, I love you mom but that skirt is real ugly, though it works well with the dirt. I think people believe there is a certain way you should look like a peace corps volunteer and sometimes I look exactly like that- like I don’t give a crap and I’m living in Africa. I then have my hair tucked into a grey conductor’s type hat and I’m wearing hideous 2 dollar fake ray band sunglasses that I bought here. Anyway, imagine that this is what people here think that Americans look like on a normal basis. Either way I looked at myself in the mirror when I arrived and I started laughing so hard it hurt, wow I guess you can get used to everything.
This weekend was good though, even if I did travel for two days and have one day at my destination. We made quiche and peaut butter cookies and it was awesome. I also bought good cheese and made an awesome cheese and bean sandwich. We also made a fire and roasted S’mores with peeps someone got for Christmas. It was really great sitting around the fire and just talking and having a good time. But my most favorite memory from this weekend was when all us girls, with a beer under our belts. Thought it would be awesome to have a Sound of Music Sing a long. We turned on my dvd and did the sing-a-long version and I swear my heart got all warm and gooey I was so happy!
Anyway, now I’m home and gearing up for the 8 Mars, which is Woman’s day. On Saturday is the Soiree Cultural where my girl’s group will do a dance and also show a game that talks about AIDS. We will be marching and wearing our women’s day pagne which I just commissioned my tailor to make me a new skirt and shirt. I also bought shirts for my girls club for Sunday but it turns out that the shop burned down the day after I put down money for them to print them for me. What kind of luck do I have. Either way I feel pretty silly and I hope thye’ll be able to get them to me before the weekend but who knows!
Anyway, I hope you are all well and I think of you all the time! How did it get to be March so quickly? Love you all!
elyse
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
AFRICA!
You know you are a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon Living in the Bush When…
My friend Sioban did one of these and I thought it was awesome so I thought I’d do one
• You haven’t looked in a mirror in a week
• You wake up to the sound of barn animals or people playing drums at 5 in the morning
• You can’t tell if your feet are tan or really dirty
• You change colors when you travel
• You respond to “WHITE” and “STRANGER”
• Your automatic response to “How are you” is “Fine thank you and you”
• You have a sheet covering your front door as a ‘screen’ for bugs
• You can tell how hot it is by how many times you have to fill your filter
• You stand by your light switch turning it on and off until that fabulous moment when it actually works
• You only own Blue and Red pens- and they are really crappy
• You live in flip flops and have a formal pair, a house pair, and an outside pair
• You call an omelet dinner
• You call an omelet respectable meat of a sandwich
• Your eggs come with feathers on them
• You can only choose between three types of beer
• You know the jingle to “BBC Africa”
• Your neighbor has a monkey
• You have swept what remains of a mouse out of your front door
• You clean with a squeegee
• You read books like they are going out of style
• Every time someone calls you they hang up after one ring
• You speak in Franglish to other volunteers
• You have cob webs in your house and they don’t bother you at all
• You shoo an animal away by yelling “shh” and waving your hand back and forth
• You wear mou mous
• You think cheese doesn’t need to be refrigerated
• Cold water is a luxery like fine wine or champagne
• You have vivid dreams about Taco Bell or shopping at Krogers
• You are given fruit as a present
• You gawk and stare when you see other white people
• Your ipod has become more dear to you than some family members
• Extravagant purchases include: canned soda, pizza, and cheese
• You have mosquito bites in unspeakable places
• Every time you get sick you assume its Malaria
• Everyone in village knows when you have bought toilet paper
• Your pack of gum becomes soggy and unchewable after one day
• You miss your family and friends so much you find yourself writing a blog!
I also promised to give you a break down of what our Soiree Cultural actually consisted of and so here we go. To begin we waited two and a half hours to start until it was dark and all the kids were almost sleeping. All of the functionaries of the village got to sit down while all the kids stood in a big square around the ‘stage’ which is sorta a glorified gazebo. Students are employed to keep the order and keep students behind invisible lines by using switches made of sticks. The performances begin by singing the national anthem, which I have come to really love and know the words to…well mostly. Then students start doing dances- some are just them standing in the same place for large amounts of time doing simultaneous hand movements while someone in the middle lip sings. They love to lip sing here! Then a group of small kids come out and dance with hoola hoops (which they only use as Fred Astaire used his cane and sometimes swing around their arms) very odd. Another performance was of a guy singing a love song to a girl and him eventually winning her over and then they began grinding on each other- not something a teacher wants to watch her young students doing. There were a few that were done by older students that were originally written comedy sketches which were actually really funny. One was about old men getting drunk and their wives beating them, one was about a guy trying to hit on a girl but she wouldn’t go for him until he brought a wad of money out, and one was about a guy trying to get up the courage to sit next to a girl on a bench and while he was turned away another guy arrives and goes to sit down next to her, and while both of them weren’t looking the girl leaves and then end up both turning to each other leaning in for a kiss and realize it was a guy. They loved this one! The ecole Bilingue did a song about Malaria where the words went like this: Malaria, Malaria, is a very bad sick. They pretty much just repeated this over and over again and then sang it in French so that everyone understood. Other highlights include the fact that students are wondering around selling whiskey sachets and bubble gum. Rachel has given the guy running the music American music and every time it comes on people look terribly confused. The backdrop to the ‘stage’ is three different sheets pinned on a rope, and one of the girls almost lost her skirt during her rhythmic but bouncing . So that was pretty much awesome and lasted until 12:30 at night.
This week has been really quiet, but good. The English inspector of the East came and watched me teach and had some really nice things to say and we had a really productive conversation. I have been rethinking the way I am teaching and have given two very good lessons that make me excited about teaching again. Still haven’t seen my cat, and running low on books but everything else is going great. Big Congratulations to my brother and I love you all!
elyse
My friend Sioban did one of these and I thought it was awesome so I thought I’d do one
• You haven’t looked in a mirror in a week
• You wake up to the sound of barn animals or people playing drums at 5 in the morning
• You can’t tell if your feet are tan or really dirty
• You change colors when you travel
• You respond to “WHITE” and “STRANGER”
• Your automatic response to “How are you” is “Fine thank you and you”
• You have a sheet covering your front door as a ‘screen’ for bugs
• You can tell how hot it is by how many times you have to fill your filter
• You stand by your light switch turning it on and off until that fabulous moment when it actually works
• You only own Blue and Red pens- and they are really crappy
• You live in flip flops and have a formal pair, a house pair, and an outside pair
• You call an omelet dinner
• You call an omelet respectable meat of a sandwich
• Your eggs come with feathers on them
• You can only choose between three types of beer
• You know the jingle to “BBC Africa”
• Your neighbor has a monkey
• You have swept what remains of a mouse out of your front door
• You clean with a squeegee
• You read books like they are going out of style
• Every time someone calls you they hang up after one ring
• You speak in Franglish to other volunteers
• You have cob webs in your house and they don’t bother you at all
• You shoo an animal away by yelling “shh” and waving your hand back and forth
• You wear mou mous
• You think cheese doesn’t need to be refrigerated
• Cold water is a luxery like fine wine or champagne
• You have vivid dreams about Taco Bell or shopping at Krogers
• You are given fruit as a present
• You gawk and stare when you see other white people
• Your ipod has become more dear to you than some family members
• Extravagant purchases include: canned soda, pizza, and cheese
• You have mosquito bites in unspeakable places
• Every time you get sick you assume its Malaria
• Everyone in village knows when you have bought toilet paper
• Your pack of gum becomes soggy and unchewable after one day
• You miss your family and friends so much you find yourself writing a blog!
I also promised to give you a break down of what our Soiree Cultural actually consisted of and so here we go. To begin we waited two and a half hours to start until it was dark and all the kids were almost sleeping. All of the functionaries of the village got to sit down while all the kids stood in a big square around the ‘stage’ which is sorta a glorified gazebo. Students are employed to keep the order and keep students behind invisible lines by using switches made of sticks. The performances begin by singing the national anthem, which I have come to really love and know the words to…well mostly. Then students start doing dances- some are just them standing in the same place for large amounts of time doing simultaneous hand movements while someone in the middle lip sings. They love to lip sing here! Then a group of small kids come out and dance with hoola hoops (which they only use as Fred Astaire used his cane and sometimes swing around their arms) very odd. Another performance was of a guy singing a love song to a girl and him eventually winning her over and then they began grinding on each other- not something a teacher wants to watch her young students doing. There were a few that were done by older students that were originally written comedy sketches which were actually really funny. One was about old men getting drunk and their wives beating them, one was about a guy trying to hit on a girl but she wouldn’t go for him until he brought a wad of money out, and one was about a guy trying to get up the courage to sit next to a girl on a bench and while he was turned away another guy arrives and goes to sit down next to her, and while both of them weren’t looking the girl leaves and then end up both turning to each other leaning in for a kiss and realize it was a guy. They loved this one! The ecole Bilingue did a song about Malaria where the words went like this: Malaria, Malaria, is a very bad sick. They pretty much just repeated this over and over again and then sang it in French so that everyone understood. Other highlights include the fact that students are wondering around selling whiskey sachets and bubble gum. Rachel has given the guy running the music American music and every time it comes on people look terribly confused. The backdrop to the ‘stage’ is three different sheets pinned on a rope, and one of the girls almost lost her skirt during her rhythmic but bouncing . So that was pretty much awesome and lasted until 12:30 at night.
This week has been really quiet, but good. The English inspector of the East came and watched me teach and had some really nice things to say and we had a really productive conversation. I have been rethinking the way I am teaching and have given two very good lessons that make me excited about teaching again. Still haven’t seen my cat, and running low on books but everything else is going great. Big Congratulations to my brother and I love you all!
elyse
Saturday, February 14, 2009
I'm back!
Happy Single Awareness Day
All of you Cynics out there will be happy to know that Africa is not all crazy about Valentine’s day the way we are. There are on awkward greeting cards with glitter or fattening candy. Instead they use it as an excuse to bother all of the women they shouldn’t into asking who their valentine is and if you would be theirs. After you remind them that they have a wife, they seem to be surprised that you remember. Today I had a very lovely day, I stayed in all day reading and then went to a group that I am a member of where we sat around for 3 hours doing I don’t know what and then ate food. Then the electricity came on and I tried to leave early. I then practiced the skill that I feel I will never conquer, walking at the pace of Cameroonians. Not only am I a fast walker but I think I’m a bit of a show-off in the fast walking region. I think it all started when my long legged father and I used to walk quickly to the rides in Disneyland and make fun of my older brother for not keeping up. Ethan has the mentality to do the Cameroonian Amble because he likes to enjoy the moment and doesn’t rush through life. I just want to get home to the electricity and put these thoughts down on paper before I forget them.
So what has happened to me since I last wrote? I took a week long trip to Yaounde where I had a meeting for the Education Committee. I very much enjoyed the meeting where we discussed how to better the training process as well as the handbook we give to people, I felt I had a lot to say, but part of me felt a little silly because I am struggling in a lot of these areas and its easy to write down what new volunteers should do but I can attest to a lot of these things not really working. While I was in Yaounde I was a part of a beverage pong tournament (which I won one game not because I’m a good player but that my partner was a frat guy). I was also apart of the first annual Education Committee and Birthday celebration gala bash. My friends made a big quiche and a cake and gave out silly awards for everyone. The quiche was excellent and I’m going to have to finally side with Chad in saying its one of the superior foods in our world. I then got a lot of provisions so I could have a taste of the foods I love such as pretzels, crackers, roman, and canned raviolios. Then I was back on my way to Ndelele. After traveling from 5:00am to 2pm to Bertoua on my birthday I arrived feeling dirty and very smooched from the traveling. I took a long nap and woke up to a dinner of Falafal, pita, hummas, and roasted vegetable pasta salad. It was a fabulous meal and we ended by watching the movie Slumdog Millionaire which is fabulous and you should watch it.
I then woke up early the next morning and traveled to Batouri where my friends gave me some new pagne for my birthday (very pretty purple and yellow fabric) and then I finally got back to Ndelele. Let me tell you, after traveling for about a week straight in some of the most uncomfortable positions, I was not in the best mood when I got home. I also found out that our power was going to be out for quite a while and then I got here and there was no working telephone reception until today! Well it’s been fun reading and stuff and this has been a really exciting week because it was the Youth week where students have time off school and they do performances and dances and have a parade. I find myself having mixed feelings about the ceremonies. Like all meetings or ceremonies they have here they always start late and normally the children are the ones suffering in the sun or in this case rain. Also I thought some of the dances and performances were not suitable for young children to be performing. I will write more on this later when I’m not worried that the current will go out soon. One sad occurrence was that I was out at one of the activities for Youth Day which was supposed to start at 7pm but really started at 10 and lasted until 12:30am, and when I got home my cat must have snuck out the door as I was closing it and she disappeared. IT’s been about 4 days now and I’m pretty sure someone either ate her during the festivities or killed her somehow and didn’t want to tell me. I’m very sad and my house is terribly quiet now instead of a cat woman I’m a creepy woman who talks to herself. Anyway, I went for a long bike ride yesterday to raise my spirits and evidentally I was supposed to find the allusive Kaidie (totally not how you spell that) river and was again thwarted by the jungle and got a bit lost and a bit dirty because it had rained previously. So maybe oen day my long bike rides will end in success. I also prepared mashed potatoes, samosas, and macaroni salad for our meeting of the professors and people seemed to like that. So even with out reception or power it is possible to enjoy life., though sometimes it feels like I live in Brigadoon a comparison that I find really sums up the feeling of being so isolated and yet sort of enjoying it. But oh where is my Gene Kelly on this fine Valentine’s Day?
Love you all and miss you terribly,
Weece
All of you Cynics out there will be happy to know that Africa is not all crazy about Valentine’s day the way we are. There are on awkward greeting cards with glitter or fattening candy. Instead they use it as an excuse to bother all of the women they shouldn’t into asking who their valentine is and if you would be theirs. After you remind them that they have a wife, they seem to be surprised that you remember. Today I had a very lovely day, I stayed in all day reading and then went to a group that I am a member of where we sat around for 3 hours doing I don’t know what and then ate food. Then the electricity came on and I tried to leave early. I then practiced the skill that I feel I will never conquer, walking at the pace of Cameroonians. Not only am I a fast walker but I think I’m a bit of a show-off in the fast walking region. I think it all started when my long legged father and I used to walk quickly to the rides in Disneyland and make fun of my older brother for not keeping up. Ethan has the mentality to do the Cameroonian Amble because he likes to enjoy the moment and doesn’t rush through life. I just want to get home to the electricity and put these thoughts down on paper before I forget them.
So what has happened to me since I last wrote? I took a week long trip to Yaounde where I had a meeting for the Education Committee. I very much enjoyed the meeting where we discussed how to better the training process as well as the handbook we give to people, I felt I had a lot to say, but part of me felt a little silly because I am struggling in a lot of these areas and its easy to write down what new volunteers should do but I can attest to a lot of these things not really working. While I was in Yaounde I was a part of a beverage pong tournament (which I won one game not because I’m a good player but that my partner was a frat guy). I was also apart of the first annual Education Committee and Birthday celebration gala bash. My friends made a big quiche and a cake and gave out silly awards for everyone. The quiche was excellent and I’m going to have to finally side with Chad in saying its one of the superior foods in our world. I then got a lot of provisions so I could have a taste of the foods I love such as pretzels, crackers, roman, and canned raviolios. Then I was back on my way to Ndelele. After traveling from 5:00am to 2pm to Bertoua on my birthday I arrived feeling dirty and very smooched from the traveling. I took a long nap and woke up to a dinner of Falafal, pita, hummas, and roasted vegetable pasta salad. It was a fabulous meal and we ended by watching the movie Slumdog Millionaire which is fabulous and you should watch it.
I then woke up early the next morning and traveled to Batouri where my friends gave me some new pagne for my birthday (very pretty purple and yellow fabric) and then I finally got back to Ndelele. Let me tell you, after traveling for about a week straight in some of the most uncomfortable positions, I was not in the best mood when I got home. I also found out that our power was going to be out for quite a while and then I got here and there was no working telephone reception until today! Well it’s been fun reading and stuff and this has been a really exciting week because it was the Youth week where students have time off school and they do performances and dances and have a parade. I find myself having mixed feelings about the ceremonies. Like all meetings or ceremonies they have here they always start late and normally the children are the ones suffering in the sun or in this case rain. Also I thought some of the dances and performances were not suitable for young children to be performing. I will write more on this later when I’m not worried that the current will go out soon. One sad occurrence was that I was out at one of the activities for Youth Day which was supposed to start at 7pm but really started at 10 and lasted until 12:30am, and when I got home my cat must have snuck out the door as I was closing it and she disappeared. IT’s been about 4 days now and I’m pretty sure someone either ate her during the festivities or killed her somehow and didn’t want to tell me. I’m very sad and my house is terribly quiet now instead of a cat woman I’m a creepy woman who talks to herself. Anyway, I went for a long bike ride yesterday to raise my spirits and evidentally I was supposed to find the allusive Kaidie (totally not how you spell that) river and was again thwarted by the jungle and got a bit lost and a bit dirty because it had rained previously. So maybe oen day my long bike rides will end in success. I also prepared mashed potatoes, samosas, and macaroni salad for our meeting of the professors and people seemed to like that. So even with out reception or power it is possible to enjoy life., though sometimes it feels like I live in Brigadoon a comparison that I find really sums up the feeling of being so isolated and yet sort of enjoying it. But oh where is my Gene Kelly on this fine Valentine’s Day?
Love you all and miss you terribly,
Weece
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Hello everybody only good news coming out of Cameroon today. They found the guy that stole my stuff he was q 5eme student and he fled after they figured out it was him. For all i know the poor kid is still in the bush! They used the picture I found on my phone and figured out it was a neighbor of mine then asked that kid and found out who broke into my house. They went to his house and found all of my stuff! So everything is right again I am out of town but I have all of my valuables and crime doesnt pay! Love you all and thanks for worrying!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Looking for Ms. Mars
So the last week has sorta been a nightmare but I want to say that I have handled it really well (I think) and until last night I was a positive attitude kind of girl with a get back on the horse look on life. Then I lost the music, sigh there is always a line and Africa crossed it. So here is the story. Monday I went to school and was there the whole day because the process of making a test that is actually on paper and the students don’t copy from the board is quite arduous. First you have to type the test on a typewriter on this special paper, and then you have to run it through this hand cranked copier machine. (If you have watched Animal House lately there is actually one of these machines displayed (though it must use electricity because the secretary wasn’t cranking anything). Anyway, it’s a lot harder than it sounds because you also have to barter for paper because they won’t give you any since it’s so expensive. The other professors were a lot of help but I can’t help feeling like my entire computer skills will have to be relearned when I get home. Now, as this took me the better part of the morning and I was teaching two long classes in the afternoon I was at the Lycee all day. During my 15minute break I sent a text message to a friend about giving her my encyclopedia Britannica so I know I definetly had my phone. Then I went to 5eme to teach for 2 hours. I forgot to mention that I have a cold and I couldn’t breathe out of my nose and felt awful. I slept most of the day before. Anyway, I try and teach the 5eme class and they are acting ridiculously. So finally I tell them that they must finish the work on the board and they can’t leave the class until I see their work in their notebook. So I place myself at the door and literally 100 kids bum rush me! They are climbing under my arms and pushing me out of the way and it’s a bad situation. So finally I look at most of their papers and I let the rest go because I don’t have a lot of fight in me. I get my bag and flee the premises.
But what happens when I finally get home and all I want to do is eat something and sleep before my Girls Club meeting? My keys aren’t in my bag but my house is locked so I know I had them. My neighbor gives me my spare set and I let myself in. I decide I deserve to pity text a friend and when I look for my phone it isn’t in my bag either. So I jump on my bike and go and look at the Lycee, and it’s not there and no one has seen my stuff. So Rachel calls my phone for me and someone answers and says their name and then when they realize I’m looking for them they hang up. So I get home and I have my girls club meeting and everything is great and I decide to take care of my locks the next day because maybe someone found my keys and you really can’t get any good locks in Ndelele and I really don’t have any money in town because I lent it out because Cameroon forgot to pay their teachers for the last two months so I thought I would help my colleagues eat.
So I get up and one of my neighbors comes over and says the radio has found a phone and it’s probably mine. So I rush over there but the time I get there the radio is closed and I have a class. So I get to the Lycee and the Discipline master who is my friend is really pissed about the whole ‘people stealing the white girl’s stuff thing”. HE has the kids on their knees the whole day trying to figure out who stole my stuff. I feel horrible because I know 99people didn’t still my stuff and they have a test coming up and they need to review. So I finish some work and go back to the radio. I end up waiting there for an hour and missing a class with my little kids at the Ecole Bilingue to find out that there was no lost phone and my student had misheard the announcement which was an advertisement for a call in show. (oi )
So I get home and I’m super bummed out and haven’t eaten again this day and I decide to grade some tests. The students did horrible on the test and it takes me the better part of 2 hours to grade them all. So I finally finish and I’m ready for some food and some rest when Rachel arrives and invites me out to fete Obama. Needing some friendship and to get away from my sad situation I grab some stuff and leave because people are waiting for us. I am out 2 hours and when I get home I realize a couple of things. One my stuff is all misplaced and two my iPod is nowhere to be seen. Someone has used my keys to come in my house and steal my stuff. After closer inspection I see I have lost my camera, my calculator, my markers, my flashlight, as well and a bag of pens my mom sent me (don’t ask me why they stole my pens). This is really crappy so I go over to Rachel’s for some support and she calls all the bigwigs for me. The mayor, the commandant of the gendarme, the discipline master, and Ruth who works for safety and security with Peace Corps. So the Commandant comes to my house and takes a report, the mayor visits me today and I need to call Ruth.
Here’s the good news, after more threats the students gave back my phone and we didn’t know who did it because they just left it on a table in a deserted classroom. However, the idiots made videos and took pictures with the phone so hopefully someone will recognize them. It just sucks because there haven’t really been classes all week because of this and had I have changed my locks earlier or hidden my iPod this wouldn’t have happened. I have no idea why the idiots didn’t take my computer or my radio but maybe they were too obvious to steal or something. Anyway it looks like my phone is okay which is awesome but the loss of my iPod is really horrible. I had tons of media on it and I was using it as a hard drive as well as an iPod and it was my source of entertainment during the day. I’m pretty bummed. I do have enough saved to buy another one and sent it to Yaoundé so if they don’t find it I might do that. Anyway it’s getting better I guess. If anything everyone has been really great and really supported. It really isn’t frequent that stuff is stolen in a small town like this and people seem to think they might be able to find my stuff. I wish we had a Veronica Mars in Ndelele so I could hire here. Anyways Love you all! Elyse
But what happens when I finally get home and all I want to do is eat something and sleep before my Girls Club meeting? My keys aren’t in my bag but my house is locked so I know I had them. My neighbor gives me my spare set and I let myself in. I decide I deserve to pity text a friend and when I look for my phone it isn’t in my bag either. So I jump on my bike and go and look at the Lycee, and it’s not there and no one has seen my stuff. So Rachel calls my phone for me and someone answers and says their name and then when they realize I’m looking for them they hang up. So I get home and I have my girls club meeting and everything is great and I decide to take care of my locks the next day because maybe someone found my keys and you really can’t get any good locks in Ndelele and I really don’t have any money in town because I lent it out because Cameroon forgot to pay their teachers for the last two months so I thought I would help my colleagues eat.
So I get up and one of my neighbors comes over and says the radio has found a phone and it’s probably mine. So I rush over there but the time I get there the radio is closed and I have a class. So I get to the Lycee and the Discipline master who is my friend is really pissed about the whole ‘people stealing the white girl’s stuff thing”. HE has the kids on their knees the whole day trying to figure out who stole my stuff. I feel horrible because I know 99people didn’t still my stuff and they have a test coming up and they need to review. So I finish some work and go back to the radio. I end up waiting there for an hour and missing a class with my little kids at the Ecole Bilingue to find out that there was no lost phone and my student had misheard the announcement which was an advertisement for a call in show. (oi )
So I get home and I’m super bummed out and haven’t eaten again this day and I decide to grade some tests. The students did horrible on the test and it takes me the better part of 2 hours to grade them all. So I finally finish and I’m ready for some food and some rest when Rachel arrives and invites me out to fete Obama. Needing some friendship and to get away from my sad situation I grab some stuff and leave because people are waiting for us. I am out 2 hours and when I get home I realize a couple of things. One my stuff is all misplaced and two my iPod is nowhere to be seen. Someone has used my keys to come in my house and steal my stuff. After closer inspection I see I have lost my camera, my calculator, my markers, my flashlight, as well and a bag of pens my mom sent me (don’t ask me why they stole my pens). This is really crappy so I go over to Rachel’s for some support and she calls all the bigwigs for me. The mayor, the commandant of the gendarme, the discipline master, and Ruth who works for safety and security with Peace Corps. So the Commandant comes to my house and takes a report, the mayor visits me today and I need to call Ruth.
Here’s the good news, after more threats the students gave back my phone and we didn’t know who did it because they just left it on a table in a deserted classroom. However, the idiots made videos and took pictures with the phone so hopefully someone will recognize them. It just sucks because there haven’t really been classes all week because of this and had I have changed my locks earlier or hidden my iPod this wouldn’t have happened. I have no idea why the idiots didn’t take my computer or my radio but maybe they were too obvious to steal or something. Anyway it looks like my phone is okay which is awesome but the loss of my iPod is really horrible. I had tons of media on it and I was using it as a hard drive as well as an iPod and it was my source of entertainment during the day. I’m pretty bummed. I do have enough saved to buy another one and sent it to Yaoundé so if they don’t find it I might do that. Anyway it’s getting better I guess. If anything everyone has been really great and really supported. It really isn’t frequent that stuff is stolen in a small town like this and people seem to think they might be able to find my stuff. I wish we had a Veronica Mars in Ndelele so I could hire here. Anyways Love you all! Elyse
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Happy Thursday
Alright so a lot to report since last week I am proud to say. It’s been a really busy week and I feel like it’s been really successful! First of all I want to say that I’m listening to Rodrigo Y Gabriela and let me say, first Chad you were right and Chiggie you have fabulous taste! Also that I feel like I’m cheating on Africa with latin rhythems. It’s like eating a hamburger at a Mexican restaurant, but I digress. Okay so this week started of steady with my girls group. After a rigorous day of teaching I ran home and set up my house to create a comforting and girly atmosphere. I guess it worked because 18 people showed up. Some of whom are my older students and they are super cool. Some of the students that are in even older classes came as well and some of them already have children (which will be slightly awkward during the abstinence speech- or maybe helpful?). But these girls are really driven and know what they want. It is however slightly odd that they all see the height of their possible achievements to be a functionaire of a village, (this would mean they married the principal or high ranking teachers at a school or they were/married an employee of the government. It is a big thing to be a functionare, you get to set up parties and stuff, but no one really cared about anything earth shattering, but I’ve realized out here that that’s cool too. We did an activity where they had to draw themselves as they were now and write three adjectives (thanks mom for the markers!) and then on the back they drew themselves as they would like to be in the future with three adjectives. This is the first time in Cameroon where I’ve seen a large group of people actually be creative and not follow my example exactly!
This week also saw me cracking down and stop coddling my students. I am writing them harder lessons and harder tests and I’m not so worried that htye are all going to fail (because mostly I was told everyone expects this and they aren’t happy with all of my passing students). The students will soon realize they have to work to pass my class and it is not easy and ub so will nto repeat directions four times. This is a hard lesson for me to learn as well as them because I actually want them to succeed and I hate when they are sad. It has also been good because my relationships with the students have become closer and they like me outside of class more so they tend to be better to me in class when I ask them why they are acting so bad when they were so cool the day before. I’m also writing a lot more reading comprehension exercises and not using their horrible book so much. The sutdnets have been reading about Barak Obama (much to their delight) as well as about 15 year old conjoined twins (there was an article in one of my newsweeks). The students are interested finally and they seem to be enjoying the lessons more.
This week was also the beginning of ht eEnglish club. My English head told me I couldn’t bribe them with points to come ot the club so I bribed them with cookies. This worked until I got swarmed and felt like a small child who has gone into that cage at the zoo to feed those scary green and red birds and they don’t have enough apples to feed everyone. It was really scary and those kinds acted like animall when I dropped some cookies they swarm in and actually sotle my bag to get them all. I don’t think they earned more cookies for next meeting. But I do have a very good club president and we played 2 English games- one for grammar (like a puzzle to put together a sentence) and one for vocabulary (a modified scattegories) they liked these a lot though they are scary competitive ( I guess this happens when cookies are on the line). I also pitched them my idea for a sketch for Youth week and they liked it so next week we will be writing it together.
That was pretty much my week, but I did just pass a small child that fell in the dirt and tried to help her up and she started scrying so loud when she saw me everyone came running. Turns out she fell in the dirt because the white woman scared her so bad! Wow, nothing says Africa loves you like a terrified toddler.
I hope you all had a great week and are continuing to have one. I want to tell everyone to enjoy the cold if they have it because it is terribly hot here right now, I don’t mind it so much but it makes you sorta sluggish- something we know about in Arizona. Also my parents pitched an idea to meet in New York this summer so I oculd see them and as I recall tons of you folks have moved out there so let me know if you want to get a drink in NY in the summer and if you make the starving volunteer pay for it you won’t go to heaven!
Love you all and miss you!
Elyse
This week also saw me cracking down and stop coddling my students. I am writing them harder lessons and harder tests and I’m not so worried that htye are all going to fail (because mostly I was told everyone expects this and they aren’t happy with all of my passing students). The students will soon realize they have to work to pass my class and it is not easy and ub so will nto repeat directions four times. This is a hard lesson for me to learn as well as them because I actually want them to succeed and I hate when they are sad. It has also been good because my relationships with the students have become closer and they like me outside of class more so they tend to be better to me in class when I ask them why they are acting so bad when they were so cool the day before. I’m also writing a lot more reading comprehension exercises and not using their horrible book so much. The sutdnets have been reading about Barak Obama (much to their delight) as well as about 15 year old conjoined twins (there was an article in one of my newsweeks). The students are interested finally and they seem to be enjoying the lessons more.
This week was also the beginning of ht eEnglish club. My English head told me I couldn’t bribe them with points to come ot the club so I bribed them with cookies. This worked until I got swarmed and felt like a small child who has gone into that cage at the zoo to feed those scary green and red birds and they don’t have enough apples to feed everyone. It was really scary and those kinds acted like animall when I dropped some cookies they swarm in and actually sotle my bag to get them all. I don’t think they earned more cookies for next meeting. But I do have a very good club president and we played 2 English games- one for grammar (like a puzzle to put together a sentence) and one for vocabulary (a modified scattegories) they liked these a lot though they are scary competitive ( I guess this happens when cookies are on the line). I also pitched them my idea for a sketch for Youth week and they liked it so next week we will be writing it together.
That was pretty much my week, but I did just pass a small child that fell in the dirt and tried to help her up and she started scrying so loud when she saw me everyone came running. Turns out she fell in the dirt because the white woman scared her so bad! Wow, nothing says Africa loves you like a terrified toddler.
I hope you all had a great week and are continuing to have one. I want to tell everyone to enjoy the cold if they have it because it is terribly hot here right now, I don’t mind it so much but it makes you sorta sluggish- something we know about in Arizona. Also my parents pitched an idea to meet in New York this summer so I oculd see them and as I recall tons of you folks have moved out there so let me know if you want to get a drink in NY in the summer and if you make the starving volunteer pay for it you won’t go to heaven!
Love you all and miss you!
Elyse
Friday, January 9, 2009
Back in Buisness
obIt's almost been a week weiht out power here in the Lele. It came on tonight (obviously I jumped for joy and ran home). This means my ipod has no charge, my computer won't start up and my phone has one bar. My neighbors have finally arrived after not being here for 6 months. They are Eveline a largery jolly woman who I imagine as Aunt Jamima adn her 6 year old daughter Doris adn now 4 month old baby. Let me tell you, things have changed. What was once a quiet hamlet of solitude adn contemplation is now the parade groudn for visitors and out doors loud talkicity. In real African style this lady (and family are crazy loud adn live so close to me they ought to be in my living room. It's acutally quite ridiculous not acknowldeging each other when I'm in my living room adn she's int eh courtyard sitting under my window. I feel sorta naked. but it also feels a lot less lonely. When you live alone and sei-secluded you miss the everyday noises of other people. Just the chit chat or banging of pans and I have that now, adn all that good and bad it comes with. The other funny thing is my neighbors daughter has a doll that plays the tune of "its a small world" and she can not get enough of it. At first it mad eme a mixture of sad/nostalgic and now it just gets into my head and I sing it all day.
So what does one do with their time in the dark without power? 1 make eleborate dinners- I made pita bread, fajitas, rice and taco sauce for dinner the other day. 2- Read a lot. Thank you to Jaime for sending "the Brief and Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao" very interesting read. And a big thanks to Chiggie as every for keeping me reading interesting and fun stuff. These books actually kept me awake past 8am which is the normal bedtime for a person with out electricity (jsut in case you didn't know). 3- Painting my nails and giving myself facials- thanks for the face mask Jaime. and 4- My neighbors showed up monday and wanted to do my hair African Style. I got it "rastaed" their word not mine, which means fat corn rows! You would be so jealous! I actually took it out after about 3 days because it was really itchy and they didnt realize I"m not blonde so I looked liek a cross between a crack hoe and an african albino beauty queen.
But those are just my days from about 5-9. I am actually back to some serious volunteer work. I started a girls club that I'm organizing with the help of students> I got a student to tutor me once a week, but I fear I'll have to teach her how to teach before she's actually effective. I am starting an English club where I hope to use my theatre skills and I met with Mr. Fonkau who is the other English teacher to evaluate my work so far. Turns out I'm actually not a very good English teacher, and I'm the first to admit it. My year plan is sorta all over the place (might be the lack of love for English) and I don't emphasis the communicative aspect of the language and focus on the grammar and the vocabulary. I am starting a new planning program and I will be a much tougher teacher now. I fear that the problem with all new teachers is the hope that all their students will pass, and that is just not accepted in Cameroon. Everyone is upset that 80 percent of my students are passing (I'm too easy and offer too much extra credit). Anyway, I'm getting a lot better at French and really settling in here Which it's about time. It has however turned ridiculously hot! So its a little bit difficult to stay my cheery self when I'm sweating all over the place, but it does mean its easier to run because there aren't huge mud puddles everywhere!
Anyway, I miss you all and I'm super excited to have current again and be able to communicate with you.
Love you All!
Elyse
So what does one do with their time in the dark without power? 1 make eleborate dinners- I made pita bread, fajitas, rice and taco sauce for dinner the other day. 2- Read a lot. Thank you to Jaime for sending "the Brief and Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao" very interesting read. And a big thanks to Chiggie as every for keeping me reading interesting and fun stuff. These books actually kept me awake past 8am which is the normal bedtime for a person with out electricity (jsut in case you didn't know). 3- Painting my nails and giving myself facials- thanks for the face mask Jaime. and 4- My neighbors showed up monday and wanted to do my hair African Style. I got it "rastaed" their word not mine, which means fat corn rows! You would be so jealous! I actually took it out after about 3 days because it was really itchy and they didnt realize I"m not blonde so I looked liek a cross between a crack hoe and an african albino beauty queen.
But those are just my days from about 5-9. I am actually back to some serious volunteer work. I started a girls club that I'm organizing with the help of students> I got a student to tutor me once a week, but I fear I'll have to teach her how to teach before she's actually effective. I am starting an English club where I hope to use my theatre skills and I met with Mr. Fonkau who is the other English teacher to evaluate my work so far. Turns out I'm actually not a very good English teacher, and I'm the first to admit it. My year plan is sorta all over the place (might be the lack of love for English) and I don't emphasis the communicative aspect of the language and focus on the grammar and the vocabulary. I am starting a new planning program and I will be a much tougher teacher now. I fear that the problem with all new teachers is the hope that all their students will pass, and that is just not accepted in Cameroon. Everyone is upset that 80 percent of my students are passing (I'm too easy and offer too much extra credit). Anyway, I'm getting a lot better at French and really settling in here Which it's about time. It has however turned ridiculously hot! So its a little bit difficult to stay my cheery self when I'm sweating all over the place, but it does mean its easier to run because there aren't huge mud puddles everywhere!
Anyway, I miss you all and I'm super excited to have current again and be able to communicate with you.
Love you All!
Elyse
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