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......