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Hi.  Found a fast internet connection at the Catholic church, so this is my new hangout when I can get here.  They are working us like dogs.  Only 3 weeks left of training tho.  We are all tired and are ready to be at our sites.  I'm a little trepidatious, but ready to go and determine what I can do.  I have less structure than most everyone else  and have to make my own way.  Most people are assigned to a microfinance institution or a non-governmental organization of some sort to start, I am not.  I kinda like that but it does leave me kinda out there without a net. It's a constant series of adjustments here, but I've done fine so far and will surely continue to do so.  Meanwhile, I have two big presentations coming up. Can you tell I'm a little stressed.  It's normal....we all are.  Here are a few pictures how we blow off steam.....I have reverted to being 24 again and am always shocked when I look in a mirror (when I can find one) and see that I am an old lady.....don't feel like it as you can see in the pix. Okay, they're kicking me out.  Don't forget to post comments. I love it when you do and I know you are out there reading this!  Also, I wonder why some people are having trouble posting their comments (some of you have emailed me saying this).  Do those of you who do comment have a secret that the rest of them don't know? I just hit "reply" and "publish" when I comment. Bye.  

Have returned back to Bafia and I find myself happy to be here....I guess the rain and outdoor latrine was starting to get to me.  Bafia is hotter and a little dryer so I can actually dry my clothes outside and they dry within a couple of days.....must dry indoors most of the time in Batie and so it takes long time...oh well, I'm sure I will become accustomed.  I'm looking forward to making that house my own and settling in.  I'm learning about all the different posts my friends experienced.  People posted on the sides of mountains (north west) with gorgeous views and people in the extreme north which is hell to get to (two days traveling by car, bus, taxi, moto and train) but really interesting muslim culture and hot hot hot! I'm am going to be visiting a lot. My volunteer in Batie threw a party (it seems mine is the party house...how appropriate) and I met many of the volunteers in surrounding towns...really fun! and they spent the night.  I'm looking forward to doing that. There is a great deal of crushing poverty (its no secret) here but people bear up under it pretty well.  They always seem to have enough to eat but little else. They always walk around looking all dolled up in their pagne and clean shoes despite the very muddy conditions (especially in batie).  I gotta figure out how they do that. I'm the one who looks beat and dirty all the time.....  People are always asking for money and stuff and are prone to steal, so I have to be very careful.  If you give anyone anything, the whole village will show up at your door asking for their part. They also have a tendancy to yell "la blanche, la blanche" at me often...(hey white woman, hey)...It doesn't bother me too much, but the volunteers that have been here for a while tell me it's hard to live with after a while.  Right now, I just smile and say bonjour....later I picture jumping on top of the offender yelling "My names NOT LA BLANCHE!!!!  whack whack  (Just a little humor)...oops gotta run....

I received three packages in the mail recently. Maryann, Mickey and Chris and Pat and Pam!  Thank you so much for all the treats, tootsie pops, chocolate covered almonds, beef jerkey and almonds (good protein action!!), hand sanitizer, food flavorings, measuring bottle etc etc.  You guys are the best.  I have shared some with rest of class and am told I have the BEST friends!!  I agree.  I know there are other packages coming.  It seems to be taking about a month so don’t worry yet….they usually do eventually arrive.  For you band geeks out there, I had to give a teaching presentation in using the Peace Corps style of teaching, and decided to use, “How to play the drums”.  I used the 3 sets of colorful sticks randy gave me to teach a simple pattern and then made a drum kit out of a roll of toilet paper, a french dictionary, a bag of tootsie pops, a soap holder and a pad of paper for a rousing finale to “Smoke on the Water”.  They loved it.  Oh, as regards packages, I noticed that the prices you have paid to send them was very high….which makes me appreciate you all the more!!! , but just know that it is much cheaper to ship if you use the Post Office system “If it fits it ships”…still not cheap, but much cheaper that what you fine friends paid!   Maybe squeeze stuff into the envelope or smallest box….un grand MERCI!!!  P

Hi, I'm at the Peace Corps office in Bafoussam where they have wi-fi and it's fast....YES!!!!!  Bafoussam is just a half hour from my post (which is a small village and doesn't have much).  This is where I will do most of my shopping and banking etc etc.  I've spent the past 3 days scoping out my village (Batie) and surrounding towns with the current volunteer here who is really filling me in on everything!  It's great.  The weather is cool, tho it rains every day usuallly in the afternoon.  When I first arrived it was so overcast that everything seemed depressing and dank, but now I am starting to understand it and think I am going to like it.  I have an outdoor latrine (a hoe in the ground in a little building in the backyard.  That is also where I will be taking my bucket baths (no running water, sigh) but that's okay.  The house has good potential with 4 rooms....the living room is large and the kithen is part of it....good for entertaining.  I am buying all her stuff so will be set up pretty well when I move in and she moves out (at the end of August).  There are no rats and very few bugs here and the mosquitos are not bad here at all, but still have to use mosquito net.  It is very hilly and picturesque.  Getting around (to surrounding towns for the markets etc) seems very complicated and confusing with various moto's, crowded taxis and stuffed to the gills vans involved but the PCV (peace corps volunteer....I'm a PCT...Peace Corps Trainee) assures me I will learn and get used to it in due time. You can see from the pic above of my house how drab and deserted it seems, surrounded by corn fields, but really it has it's charms. Gotta run...

Hi!  The internet has been down again so have been unable to tell you stuff as it happens....and then I forget it with next exciting development.  Have been doing presentations and taking tests and all is going pretty well....Today, we learned our Posts.....very exciting.  Mine will be in a village called Batie which is located in the western region.  It is a relatively small town, but is only 100 kilometres from the regional (Western) Capital of Bafoussam.  I am told the people there are very industrious and that it is a very picturesque area.  I will soon find out as we are all going to our "post visits" next week (leaving on Sat...it is Wednesday today).  So I will visit the current volunteer who is now living in the house I will take over.  She will fill me in.  I already met her and loved her when she came to our school for a lecture...she is late 30's early 40's from NYC...instantly like her, very bright and friendly.  Anyway I will let you know more about my post after my visit.  We have to come back to Bafia for another month of training before we can move to our posts permanently.  Training is difficult...I can learn the subject matter, but there are a lot of presentations we have to do in English and French that are a little hair raising (at least for me) and it is hard to stay awake in those Business classes.....boring memorization stuff  totally not practical....list the 5 P's of marketing.....really?

Honestly, I feel like I am dreaming.  Back in school again, with my backpack, watching my classmates play soccer in the courtyard during break and partying with them after school......it's wierd, but strangely fun!  I feel great physically...very alive!....and now don't know if I am losing or gaining weight.  Still not eating much, but what I am eating is carbohydrate hell soaked in tons of oil.  I have consumed more (mostly peanut) oil in the past month than I have in my entire life. They prepare stuff in big puddles of oil.  Oh well, another month of this and if I don't die of heart disease, then I will be in charge of my own cooking and all will be well. I will post a picture of me in pagne outfit one of these days....maybe.  I'm getting really good at bucket baths.  Some of us will have some running water at post....don't know if I am one of those yet.....that would be NICE!  A bientot,  Pamela