A big box of reading glasses (236 pairs) just arrived from “Eyes on Africa”, a California non-profit organization. I probably mentioned it, but Batie has a large population of aging village people who have lived here their whole lives. Of course, there are those of all ages here (place is crawling with kids, for example, most of whom found me terrifying at first and now find me irresistable….la blanche avec les bon bons). People around town have spoken to me often of the need (probably because they see my glasses hanging around my neck all the time) so finding glasses for them was high priority for me. The village Chief is coming over this morning to discuss with me the best way of distributing them. (I hope!  The Cameroonian people have a habit of not showing up when they say they will.) This is not a “sustainable” project like the other ones I will be doing, but I’m happy about it none the less.  

I was invited over to a lovely woman’s house (about my age) for lunch and she prepared  taro with sauce jaune.  This resembles a big plate of mashed potatoes (in appearance) but stickier with the sauce jaune placed in the middle like gravy...then you eat it with your hands which is very messy and lots of fun.  I actually enjoyed it, the sauce jaune (yellow) is very tasty. It is extremely heavy and she served me a huge plate of it, but try tho I did, I could only get thru about half of it.  An elderly lady (late 80’s?) stopped by and joined us.  She ate a huge plate of it and then finished mine off!  She was so beautiful, stooped from years of work in the fields) but so strong (beautiful strong hands) and full of life.  She had just come in from the fields (they are starting to plant corn now) and returned to her field after lunch.  These women here are AWESOME!!!! and so warm and wonderful. They are the glue that holds Africa together.

Last night I discovered an itchy rash (or so I thought) I on my inner wrist and went to bed wondering what it was. (I’m never been prone to rashes at all).  This morning I got up and discovered a huge web of tiny spiders (hundreds of them) right next to the chair where I use my computer and realized that they had tried to eat me.  One of my resident spiders had birthed a shitload.  Talk about the heeby jeebies!!!!  I went on a killing spree but many of them escaped (they are so tiny, for the moment) so I am on major spider watch!  No more catch and release…..they all must die!!!!  I have a lttle gecko (a baby) that I have seen around the house lately (at night) who is helping me get them! I am going to try to find some insecticide next time I’m in Bafoussam as there are too many of them to battle in hand to hand combat. (Of course I will remove the Gecko to the out side before applying…)

On Thursday, I will be going to Bafoussam to help 2 other volunteers teach English to a “Women in Leadership” group organized by a wonderful “Non Governmental Organization”  called RIDEV.  That should be interesting and I’m betting the women are pretty spectacular.  (Thursday….D-day for the little flesh eaters if I am lucky enough to find “RAID!!!!”.)

Last week….boring!  This week…..interesting! (and creepy!).  C’est la vie en Afrique. Hey!  The Chief just arrived!!!!  Yes!

Love!

Hey!

It's Sunday. It is full blown dry season and the dust has become almost unbearable.  There is a red coating everywhere in my house. Can't keep it out, but can only limit it by keeping my front door closed to keep out most of the dust that is kicked up by passing cars and moto's.  Walking into town is horrible because any vehicle that passes creates a dust storm that covers and chokes me. By the time I get to town, I am downright red....skin and clothes.  When I blow my nose, red dust comes out. When I take my bucket bath, the water turns red.  I can't get all the red out of my clothes no matter how much I scrub. Today is windy which makes everything worse. I don't go out on windy days at all. The weather is actually quite beautiful for the most part.....cool mornings and evenings and warm days.....but the infernal dust!!!......What I wouldn't give for a good rain!

Okay. Enough of that. So I am sitting here writing to you on an early Sunday afternoon, listening to music thru my Ipod connected to a tiny little speaker (fox-l) that makes it sound like I have a wonderful stereo system.....at least it feels like that right now. Music makes everything better! Sinatra...

             "Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away......"

I've finally managed to pull a good compost formation together.  Couldn't find the expert I thought I would, so did it myself.  Going to teach two methods that ought to work here...both done in a hole in the ground so it can be covered with palm fronds or a grass mat to protect against the conditions here which are either really dry or really wet.....no in between.  I will present to my first group next Sunday.  Also, am managing to pull a series of business classes together.  Just nailed down the room and my Cameroonian helper and will start putting out flyers and drumming up interested parties and preparing presentations. It will be a six week course, 2 classes a week.....in french. (Actually that is the only part I'm confidant about). They are scheduled to start on February 19. Do I know what I'm doing?  No! but when the time comes, somehow I'll be ready, plus these people are very forgiving and easy to laugh.....Thank God!       Cole Porter is playing......

            "The night is young, the skies are clear, and if you wanna go walkin dear
              It's delightful
              It's delicious
              It's de-lovely...."

I confess I am a bit homesick. It happens.  Being in the Peaee Corps is an emotional roller coaster. It's hard not to feel isolated sometimes....especially in a small village like Batie, but then I can always reach out to friends here and visit them or they come over and are really wonderful and supportive.  My fellow vols are so intelligent and funny.....I am always so impressed!  And they really lean on one another for support.....it's a beautiful thing. It's a tight group!

           "......that's why the lady is a tramp!"

Ooops.  the music. I miss playing the drums.  Haven't learned the drum beats I thought I would here, but maybe when I travel a little around Africa, that will change.

Had a big argument with a moto driver here yesterday who tried to cheat me. Men are drunk with power here, but then so am I.......toe to toe.  But that's another story.

That's it for now.  I miss everyone!....a lot!

Happy New Year my precious friends and family!  Yesterday(New Years Eve) I showed a young woman how to cook a cake from scratch in a stove top oven (of sorts) and then cooked another one for myself and friends and then cooked a huge amount of Chocolate Chip Cookies to share with everyone today. I have forgotten that I don't know how to do this stuff!  Just kinda makin it up as I go along. I even enjoyed it.  (whaaaat?).  Last night was a huge party at the Carrefour. I only showed up briefly while it was still light outside and then went home, watched a movie and went to bed early because the Mayor informed me that it would get very wild and it could be dangerous for "La Blanche" to be out after dark. So I took his advice, which is a good thing because I got a call at 6 this morning.....a Mama inviting me over for breakfast.....   6AM on New Year's Day!!??!!  But, as it turns out, I was fresh as a daisy.  People will stop by to visit today (custom) and I will share treats with them and then I will go visiting a little later to get treats (lots of food) and then to the Carrefour for more eats....I'm getting to like this. So that's it.  My first New Years celebration in Cameroon!  Next year I plan to invite friends over so I can stay out after dark! Love you all!  P

                     

                                       
                                        Top: Christmas in Nkongsamba, Below: IST in Kribi

 I am sorry I let so much time go by since my last blog. I am fine and all is well.  The time just slipped by.  I went off to In Service Training at the beach in Kribi on Dec 9 and rebonded with all my best new friends and got refreshed and re-stimulated! I roomed with the other older volunteer (47) in my class who is very funny a bright and we shared some excellent conversation and lots of laughs. It was so great to see everyone! We stayed in an old charming motel just across the road from the beach. Once the hot water kicked in (a couple days into the week long stay), we were all enjoying our hot showers to the maximum. The ocean is warm and the weather very hot in Kribi (tropical). We swam every afternoon after training and had lots to eat......lots of protein including wonderful very fresh seafood. The mosquitos also ate very well. I even found a dog to pet on the beach that was not terrified of me. Dogs are terribly mistreated here and are usually either mean or terrified....or most likely both. I managed to learn a little something too and was elected to serve on the Peer Support Network, which is exactly what it sounds like.....support of fellow vols who are having a tough time and need someone to talk to.

i spent Christmas with 7 young friends in Nkongsamba. I will tell you that it is very hard to get in the Christmas spirit here tho we tried!  We watched Christmas movies ( on the computer) and made faux american food to eat. We made pasta salad, potato salad, hummus, guacamole, tofu, green beans and had some lunch meat and cheese from the white man’s store (very expensive!). One of us made a pound cake and I made chocolate chip cookies.....both of these in a makeshift oven on top of the gas cookstove.  

I am back home in Batie now. I guess the Christmas celebration was very low key here and from what my local friends tell me, I didn’t miss much.  Apparently New Year’s is the 

big celebration with a two day party at the Carrefour. I guess I’ll bring my specialty of the house....yes, the chocolate chip cookies....luckily. they are very popular .

We got a lot of new material at IST and I am, at the moment, spending a lot of time going over it and trying to learn the ins and outs of stuff like the Small Grants program, the Monitoring and Evaluation process, and the Peace Corps method of Needs Assessment called PACA (yawn). 

My first project will be teaching the Mama’s to compost....so I will be giving formations to the various women’s groups when I get this organized. I’m trying to get a fellow Agro volunteer to work with me on the first formation as there are tips and tricks for this climate that I am not aware of. Meanwhile I am just pulling info off the internet and creating my own formation.  I will be dealing with some illiterate women here, so I have to create drawings  to represent the process for them. In any case, this should cut down on the amount of garbage that is thrown into the bush (which is how they dispose of trash here) as well as increase output for these struggling women. Hopefully it will be beneficial for them.  It’s a start.  I have other ideas brewing in the back of my mind for follow up. 

That’s it for now. I will try to keep in better contact! Happy New Year!