Brandi's Excellent African Adventure

Okay guys, sorry I’m just now getting to update my blog but finding internet cafes as well as using them has been quite tricky. I’ve remained pretty busy. So far, my experience has been pleasant. Yaounde was great but a bit too congested for me. I prefer my training site in Bangangte, a smaller town, where I live with a host family consisting of a mom, dad, two girls and two boys. My host dad’s a pharmacy tech and my mom’s an elementary school teacher. None of them speak any English so I’ve had to use only French, which was pretty overwhelming at first but has gotten better. They are super supportive and hospitable. Our house has running water and electricity, (sporadically) flushing toilets, and a small television. I was happy to find these things! I do, however, have to take bucket baths but I’ve already gotten used to them. They’re really not so bad! In my opinion, they’re better than cold showers, which some volunteers are doing.

Some of the food is really great here! The fruits are probably the best I’ve ever had. Fried plantains are good and so are the spaghetti omelets! Some of the food I’m having a hard time adjusting to though… mostly because they use a lot of oil here and my stomach just can’t handle it. My host mom keeps telling me to eat more but I try to convey in French that my appetite is small here. Last night I ate 5 small potatoes and she was like, “Today I counted you ate 5 potatoes but tomorrow you will 6 and on Wednesday, you will eat 7 and so on…” She’s so funny. I try to tell her that it’s not her cooking, only my stomach but I don’t think she understands very well. Tomorrow, she’s taking me to get clothes made. Yay! The Cameroonian clothes are actually pretty nice. Sunday, I hand washed all my clothes. It was an all-day affair! I was so pooped at the end of the day. It’s something that’s going to take time to get used to. We also have to iron all of our clothes or hang them to dry for at least 4 days because of a bacteria that dwells in damp clothing and can get into our skin! Oh gosh, I can’t even begin to tell you how many medical fears exist here! I look at my hands and think, “There’s something on them. I just know it.” We have to take so many precautions but luckily, we’ve got a pretty awesome medical kit and the medical officers have been doing a good job of educating us on it all.

I really like Bangangte. There are lots of flowers and trees as well as hills. There are some beautiful, beautiful birds here! Everyone knows how I love birds. Also, the climate is just amazing! It’s not hot at all. I sleep with my window open at night and it’s actually pretty cool. I sleep under a fleece… and a mosquito net, of course. The only complaint I have about Bangangte is everyone else’s complaint… the red dirt that turns into mud and gets everywhere! Ugh.

Training has been going well thus far. There’s been lots of language and a good bit of tech to prepare us for the classroom experience. My tech class today got me pretty excited about teaching so I’m really looking forward to going to my post, which will be where I’ll spend the next two years. Hopefully, I can pass the language and swear in as an official volunteer on Aug 22nd. Right now, I’m simply classified as a Peace Corps Trainee.

Knock on wood because my health has been great so far. Many volunteers have gotten sick already but I have managed to stay pretty healthy… maybe more than healthy because I’ve been drinking more water than usual and probably walking more than usual. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll try to answer them as soon as possible. Love you all!