10/5/2008
As you may have guessed, internet access in Northern Cameron is a bit of a challenge. Figuring out this damn french keyboard is a fun experience as well. After a lengthy trip from Douala to Yaoundé, and then further into the interior of Cameroon, we now find ourselves living in the small village of Nassarao. It is a tiny community of vendors, farmers and herders just outside the northern provincial capital of Garoua, which is where I now write this blog entry. Our training building is right in the center of town along with the local mosque and primairy school. Ive been placed with a host family for the next few months, and the fourteen year old son and eighteen year old daughter are the only french speakers in the house. Fufulde is the first language and I am gradually picking up some simple phrases. Although I believe the mother thinks Im slow in the head because mi somi (Im sleepy), mi haari (Im full) mi dilli (Im leaving) and useko (thank you) is about the extent of my fufulde knowledge right now. Nevertheless, it is a very welcoming area and aside from a few (maybe alot) of confused looks from locals, everyone is usually very friendly and inquisitive, i.e. where are you from? do you know_____ (insert famous american name)? will you take this baby back to the states with you? etc.

Our pre service training curently consists of about 4 hours of language training in the morning and another 3 to 4 hours of technical or cultural traing in the afternoon. The immersion phase of PST begins on Monday and that means instructors and staff no longer speak in english for our convenience. Ive ben using my english as a crutch in ,any sessions thus far, so being forced to use french 24/7 should be very beneficial yet frustrating to begin with. I tested into the intermediate-mid level of french when ariving, so once I reach intermediate high I will be able to begin formal lessons in fufulde, which is the predominant language in northern Cameroon. Regardless of the frustrations, northern Cameron is very laidback place when compared to my experiences in Douala and Yaoundé, and it is day and night compared to our hurriedness in the United States. I think it is just to damn hot here to be in a hurry. The most populqr daytime activity sems to be sleeping under a large baobab or cassia tree. With that being the case I should have no problem immersing myself in the culture. I wonder what the fufulde word for hamock is. I can also apreciate the slower pace here since the slightest bit of physical exertion between the hours of 10-4 brings on a drenching sweat, hence my intake of about 3-4 litres of water per day. The rainy season is ending this month so the humidity will begin to drift away. However, Im told that temperatures during the dry season can climb to 130 in the sun. But hey, atleast its a dry heat! Now that weve established a fairly regular schedule here in Nassarao, I hope to be updating the blog on atleast a bi wekly basis. So thanks again for reading and I hope to have some pictures available soon.

10/12/2008:
So I had intended to add the previous passage to the blog last Sunday when I was in Garoua for the day. I bought an hour of internet access at the cyber café for 300cfa (75 cents), but with the speed of the internet connection I had just about enough time to clear out my email inbox and then get stuck between loading internet pages for about 30 minutes. C'est Afrique. So last Wednesday I decided to try it again. And I bet youll never guess, thats right, the internet went down about 5 minutes into my session. SSo here I am, back again to play the odds at a Cameroonian cyber café. The trip from Nassarao is easy enough. From the training center I walk about 5 minutes to the main highway, which is more like a 1.5 lane tarmac shared by motos, taxis, bush taxis, 18 wheelers, and of course plenty of goats. From there I wait under a tree for a passing moto taxi (think dirt bike), negotiate a price (200cfa), put on my peace corps issued moto helmet, and hold on for dear life as the driver weaves his way around bicycles, cars, trucks, goats, etc and into the middle of Garoua. Upon hopping off the back of the moto in centre-ville Im quickly approached by numerous friendly Cameroonians offering things such as another moto ride, what apears to be 10 year old bottles of aspirin and tylenol, or even a cut of raw and sun baked meat. Mm, delicious. After a short walk to a new cyber café, which coincidentally is called Pentagon, I manage to procure another hour of internet for approx 75 cents. Much to the relief of my stomach I turned down the street food. Besides, Ive been told that there is a restaurant that serves burgers and sandwiches. Not hat the fod Ive received thus far isnt apetizing, and its hard to complain when is prepared for me by my homestay family. Nevertheless, couscous and fish sauce can get monotonous, and Im prety sure a burger or sandwich w/ a cold beverage (non alcoholic of course) would be the most beautiful thing on earth right now. If I have any extra time before returning to Nassarao I am considering renting out the restaurant's refrigerator, if only to seet and feel cold for about 10 minutes. I could create an entirely new sector of busiess in the process. Renting out refrigerated spaces to unacclimated westerners. I smell a small enterprise development project in the making. Before parting I would like to quickly touch on the situation w/ me adding pictures to the blog. Most of the coputers here lok like the belong in the old Star Trek movies so unfortunately I dont know when I will have an oportunity to get pictures on the internet. Within the month of October is my target. In the meantime I'll have you know that it is beautiful here and that is in no small part to the people that have been so welcoming. I also look forward to adding pics of me in my boubou (Cameroonian man dress), which is lovely. To summarize the rest of the photo album to date, I am sweating profusely in every picture, and if you were to create a flipbook you could likely see me gradually getting thinner. Thats all I've got for the moment, à bientot.