Hi,

Here in Batie, a rural, agricultural village, most everyone has their own little plot of land that they cultivate for sustenance (mostly beans and corn that I have noticed).  Sometimes, if the harvest is very good, they have a little left over for sale at the local market for a little extra money.  It is mostly the women who do this very hard work of clearing and hoeing and planting and harvesting, all with a hand tool that looks like a bent in half shovel which forces them to be bent over for hours in their fields.  In their spare time, they take care of their multiple kids, wash clothes (bent over buckets), cook, clean and basically work from morning till night taking care of husband and family. The men sometimes work during the day if they have jobs and are heads of the household and don't necessarily have to give any of their money to the family....and quite often don't. It is a very hard life for women here. They are basically responsible for everything.  Some men take multiple wives here and they have many many children who (especially the females) help care for the family too. So, I'm thinking you can guess who I will be trying to help....

I am, of course, still learning and know very little in the whole scheme of things.  Maybe I will come to understand this whole system better in time. Suffice it to say that most (not all)  people do have full bellies most of the time around here, but the nutrition is very poor....it is always about filling the belly with very little else considered.  Medical care is poor, if they can even afford any.  There are traditional healers around but still have to learn more about them before I can comment....

The other day, when it was raining very hard, I found two women on my front porch taking shelter. I introduced myself and invited them in.  I gave them some apple juice to drink and we talked for a while....they were returning from the fields.  One had a two month old adorable baby with her.  I asked if they wanted to play cards while we waited for the rain to stop.  They were delighted and taught me a game.  I asked what the name of the game was and they said simply that it was "les cartes".....cards.  Huh.  In any case, I now have two (and a half) new friends in town.....

So that is basically what I have learned so far......much more to come.....P!

Hi

Here's a new address to use when sending any packages or letters.  It's quicker, but not to worry, all things already sent to the previous address will arrive, just takes a little longer.

Pamela James
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 979
Bafoussam, Cameroun

All is well.  Busily trying to get this house livable.  Have met some interesting people and talented artisans.  Having new covers made for my filthy furniture so it doesn't creep me out so bad and they will be colorful to brighten this place up. He will show up today and do it on site.  Yay.  That just about blows my monthly allowance so have to wait a bit to do anything else, but is very worth it.  I cleaned all the windows and the "mama" did a good job cleaning the floors so it is shaping up.  The landlord has agreed to paint tho nobody has shown up yet so who knows when.......All in all, I am making this place my own, am learning to share with the spiders, and think I will be happy in my new home. It really does have great potential and the living room is quite large and includes the cooking area so very good for entertaining.....

Photo is taken from entrance.  You can see back door.  It leads into a back yard with a little building that is the latrine....a hole and a little area for bucket bath....but it's one of the nicer latrines I've seen. The floor in the house is cement and the cooking area is to the rear behind the chairs.....More pix later...thanks for all your support!!!

We are now full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteers.  My speech went really well.  I’ll include pictures of our class in our pagne at swearing in when I get them.  Yes, I wore a dress….I’ve had a couple of dresses (actually matching skirts and tops) made for meeting officials and special ceremonies, otherwise I’m keeping to my casual style day to day.

 I’m in Batie now (my post) in the western region and have moved into my house.  I am the 3rd volunteer (I think) to stay in this house. It needs a SERIOUS cleaning and is full of spiders and I have a bad case of the heeby-jeebies. The furniture is old and stinky and gross.  I will probably get rid of it and try to find something I can sit on without getting the creeps.  It belongs to the landlord.  I don’t want to go to bed cause I feel like there are creepy crawlies in there, so have been staying up really late watching movies on my computer. (I downloaded a bunch of movies and tv shows before I left and also copied a bunch from fellow students, so I am set for a while).  Anyway, when I do eventually go to bed, I can’t sleep and so have been walking around here like a zombie.  Have been down to the Carrefour (area where the little shacks that sell stuff are, about a mile from my house) a couple of times to buy food and begin to connect with townsfolk. Some are friendly and happy to see me and others stare at me blankly. I don’t have any post mates and so am the only white face in town, but there are several volunteers in the western region and we run into each other in Bafoussam (the regional capital where I have to do most of my shopping and banking) and hang out which is really fun.  Bafoussam is only about 30 or 40 minutes from me.

My main job for the next couple of months is to settle into my house and get to know the town…..integrate and learn the culture. There is much to learn.  This culture is so rich and so very different from ours….very tribal and traditional and I don’t know what else.  At first I thought I was starting to understand Africa a little, and now I realize I don’t know anything.  Every area is so different.  There is a strong Animist (local tribal religion) culture here. Today I was out for a walk to get a little exercise and walked past a group of people (this is very much in the country….dirt road, lots of small fields of various crops) sitting in a circle in front of a house and they were chanting, maybe some sort of ancestral worship…..I have MUCH to learn. Christianity is also very strong here (the missionaries have done their job since the mid 1800’s and still going strong) but often the African Christians still practice Animism as well…..belief in superstition and sacrificial offerings, usually a goat, for the ancestors and probably a bunch of other stuff that I don’t understand yet.  Goat is delicious by the way, but often when they barbecue it for sale, the head and hooves are there on display, and then I lose my appetite… 

Out again today…met many locals.  Oh my, this is going to be so interesting…. House still creepy, gotta figure something to “homey” it up a bit. Have hired someone ( a “mama” …which is what they call the older women here many of whom (wo)man the shacks or work in the fields and most of whom have many kids) to help me to clean this house…i.e. wash the filthy cement floors and knock out some of the spider webs and help me do the laundry at which I totally suck). I am a “mama” also and am quite often greeted with “bonjour mama!”   It shows respect.  I’ll take it.  Here are some movies of my new village.....hope I can post them without too much trouble....A bientot! Oops, they posted right in the middle....oh well. Oops, they wouldn't upload.  I'll try next time. sorry.....P

Bonjour!  I survived! We are on the brink of becoming full-fledged volunteers.  On the 16^th we will be sworn in.  It’s a big deal here.  The American Ambassador to Cameroon will be there along with the National head of Peace Corps, the Prefet of Bafia, the mayor, a bunch of Ministers and TV Cameroon. I have been chosen to give a speech (in French of course) for our Stage (training class)….It never ends.  I’m a little (yipes!) nervous but I wrote a really good speech with the help of one of my favorite “formatrices de langue” (language trainers) so all will be fine. I’ve never liked (translate, have a fear of) public speaking, and now it seems like a never ending series of speeches of one sort or another…..in a foreign language, no less……character builder! I confess that I could never have done this when I was the age of my fellow students….they are really something. On the 17^th we will be all heading for our respective posts (mine in the Western Region in the village of Batie).  I’m not that thrilled with my posting, but I’m sure I will grow to love it. I am told there is a very strong and interesting tribal culture there….the Bameleke….they have gotten in trouble with the government in the past for political activism, for example….so maybe will turn out to be very interesting.  Only time will tell.

Last night (Saturday) I got invited to the neighbor’s birthday party along with my “mom”.  She’s (the birthday woman) an amazing cook and a very warm person, so it was quite a party (feast)!  I made a pig of myself.  A friend and I bought a lot of the food she was preparing as a gift….we bought the chicken (alive) and then they murdalized it….I made the mistake of looking it in the eye and so couldn’t participate in the bloodletting. It was served in a delicious sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil and palm oil….very yummy….the feet and the head were in it (chickens have HUGE feet), but I managed to avoid those. And we had Poisson Braisé which is a really popular dish…made with mackeral coated in a spicey dark green sauce and grilled…..really out of this world and served with batons de Manioc (gag..but managed to avoid that).  And there was cake (chocolate) made over the fire outside in a makeshift oven…….yyyyyyyummmmmmy.  Finally,  I have eaten deeeelicious Cameroonian food!  I knew it must be out there somewhere. Oh and my address for now will remain the same with one small change, It will now be “Peace corps Volunteer” instead of Peace Corps Trainee”.  I might change it later, but this is the safest way….it might prove to be too slow (don’t know yet) at which time I will change it to a more local PO box….but the above address will always find me no matter what.  Okay, enough for today.  Goodbye from the Bafia Catholic Church….

Okay, I just tried to post 4 little videos to show you Bafia and my walk to school each day but it rejected all but one (probably too large file) so you get just a little taste.....sorry....I'll also put a photo of the church I attended last weekend just to see (presbyterian)....the service was 3 and a half hours......