Wednesday, September 19, 2007
There and Back Again
I arrived safely back in Nanga on the train from Yaoundé at about midnight last night. It was a busy but productive trip that netted me four used computers for the second lab I've been putting together. Some highlights of the trip:
- On Friday I had a province meeting in the village of Makak pronounced ("muh-cahk") with other volunteers in the center province. Makak is really big. Feels bigger in the dark too. No one was really ready for Makak and none of us could stop talking about it. I had a lot of fun with Makak. (Yes, yes, I am very immature.)
- Saturday I made it to the Southwest by way of Douala. Since I would have arrived in Buea too late to do much work, Bill and I decided to meet for dinner in the nearby beach town of Limbé, stay at a hotel and hit the beach for a few hours the next morning before heading back up to Buea to prep the computers. We found a place that made great cheeseburgers and had a good view of the water for dinner.
- After dinner Saturday we walked around Limbé eventually settling at a nice bar frequented by foreign expats and tourists and the Cameroonian prostitutes that service them. Two of these prostitutes followed us out of the place when we left. The ensuing dialogue went something like this:
Bill: (as we see them coming) Uh-oh.
Brian: (under my breath) Walk faster.
Prostitute 1: Hell-ooh! Hell-ooh!
Prostitute 2: Hell-ooh! Where are you going? Can we talk to you?
Bill: Umm ... sorry, we have to meet our uh, wives.
Brian: Uh, yes, we're meeting our wives.
Prostitute 1: No, don't go! (Grabs my hand)
Brian: Don't touch me.
- After breakfast we spent Sunday morning at the beach. It's normally rainy there now but it cleared for us and we got a couple of hours of sun. We also got to eat coconuts fresh off the tree.
- Spent Monday and part of Sunday testing and packing the computers and arranging transport for Tuesday.
- Monday night while walking around Buea I fell into a three foot deep rain gutter in the dark. Lost my glasses in the garbage at the bottom for a few minutes. Scraped my arm and leg but otherwise unhurt. Bill gave my fall a perfect "10". I think it was me yelling "MOTHER****ER I JUST FELL INTO A GUTTER!" that put me over the top.
- Bill's friend Hans invited me to come back for New Year's to participate in a sacred Bakweri ritual that will give me protection from witchcraft. He was pretty insistent, and since I live in perpetual fear of witchcraft anyway, I think I have to go.
- Tuesday morning Hans helped me haul my four PCs to the bus company, where after haggling with the porters and probably being overcharged, they were loaded on top for the trip to Yaoundé. After an extremely uncomfortable five hour ride (how long after you lose circulation in your legs does it start to do permanent damage?) I made it to the capital, where the pickup truck owned by the University came to get me. Because they were taking other passengers back we had to lock the machines up in storage until their next trip. I took the train back to Nanga, which turned out to get there in about the same time and in far more comfort than the people who rode in the University pickup.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Go (South) West Young Man!
Tomorrow I'm travelling to a province meeting in Makak (pronounced "muh-kahk", and no, we never stop making jokes about it) and then heading to Buea in the southwest province again. Volunteer Bill was recently able to get hold of a load of donated computers for the Teacher's Resource Center in Buea where he works. By a stroke of luck, he was able to score a couple of extra computers for me, so I am going to collect them this weekend.
As some of you will recall, I visited Buea and the Southwest back in February for vacation and had a great time, so I'm looking forward to heading back. Buea has a lot of good cyber cafes so if I can I will try to post some more from there. In the meantime here are some pictures I took at the time that didn't make it into my original post. Enjoy!
Some shots of Buea Town, the downtown heart of Buea. Or maybe I should say uptown heart of Buea, since the city is built on a mountainside and Buea Town is located above most of the other neighborhoods.
An old German colonial administration building still in use. When the Germans (the original colonialists here) arrived in the 1880s Buea was their first colonial capital. 
An old British style mailbox from the days when the Southwest was a British colony. Hard to make out here but the "EIIR" insignia, which means Elizabeth II Regina, is still on the box.
Books and Things. One of the many used book stores / junk shops found in Buea. Depending on the day of the week "And Things" can include old computer games, wedding dresses, bowling trophies, soap, chainsaws, hardhats, and collectible Bruce Lee action figures.
Bill on the campus of the University of Buea.
Taxi cabs in Anglophone Cameroon are all filled with entertaining stickers for some reason.
Someone doesn't speak German as well as they think. One of the many very weird things I've seen since arriving in Cameroon.
As some of you will recall, I visited Buea and the Southwest back in February for vacation and had a great time, so I'm looking forward to heading back. Buea has a lot of good cyber cafes so if I can I will try to post some more from there. In the meantime here are some pictures I took at the time that didn't make it into my original post. Enjoy!
Some shots of Buea Town, the downtown heart of Buea. Or maybe I should say uptown heart of Buea, since the city is built on a mountainside and Buea Town is located above most of the other neighborhoods.
An old German colonial administration building still in use. When the Germans (the original colonialists here) arrived in the 1880s Buea was their first colonial capital. 
An old British style mailbox from the days when the Southwest was a British colony. Hard to make out here but the "EIIR" insignia, which means Elizabeth II Regina, is still on the box.
Books and Things. One of the many used book stores / junk shops found in Buea. Depending on the day of the week "And Things" can include old computer games, wedding dresses, bowling trophies, soap, chainsaws, hardhats, and collectible Bruce Lee action figures.
Bill on the campus of the University of Buea.
Taxi cabs in Anglophone Cameroon are all filled with entertaining stickers for some reason.
Someone doesn't speak German as well as they think. One of the many very weird things I've seen since arriving in Cameroon.
Lights On, Lights Off, Lights On, Lights Off
Power has been sketchy this week, hence the lack of posts. The electricity has cut out on a daily basis since I returned to post, sometimes for 20 minutes at a time, sometimes for a day or two.
When the lights have been on, I have been giving private lessons to two students and testing some spare parts I picked up from Bill last time I was in Yaoundé.
Have also been suffering some kind of stomach bug. Can't seem to eat more than a few bites of anything without feeling sick. Think I've lost a few pounds in the past week. Feeling better today so hopefully that means my stomach is coming around.
When the lights have been on, I have been giving private lessons to two students and testing some spare parts I picked up from Bill last time I was in Yaoundé.
Have also been suffering some kind of stomach bug. Can't seem to eat more than a few bites of anything without feeling sick. Think I've lost a few pounds in the past week. Feeling better today so hopefully that means my stomach is coming around.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Deodorant and Baby Powder
Water has been a problem for me the last few weeks.
First I stayed in Bangangté, the village Peace Corps used for training this year. it was a nice place but the water was out about three days out of every four while I was there. Then, on my vacation to the Northwest province, I spent a few nights in the village of Bafut, where the water was also out the whole time. Then, when I finally made it back to post the water line for my house had been "broken." Don't ask me how.
A few lessons learned:
- You don't REALLY need to bathe every day. Especially if you're in the cool mountains like I was and not sweating a lot.
- If you had to lug around big cans of water instead of just turning a tap you wouldn't bathe every day either.
- Bucket baths are really refreshing when you haven't washed in three days.
- Putting on deodorant and patting down your body with baby powder will give you an almost-shower-fresh feeling and smell. For a little while anyway. Something to remember next time you go camping.
- Running water is a good thing.
First I stayed in Bangangté, the village Peace Corps used for training this year. it was a nice place but the water was out about three days out of every four while I was there. Then, on my vacation to the Northwest province, I spent a few nights in the village of Bafut, where the water was also out the whole time. Then, when I finally made it back to post the water line for my house had been "broken." Don't ask me how.
A few lessons learned:
- You don't REALLY need to bathe every day. Especially if you're in the cool mountains like I was and not sweating a lot.
- If you had to lug around big cans of water instead of just turning a tap you wouldn't bathe every day either.
- Bucket baths are really refreshing when you haven't washed in three days.
- Putting on deodorant and patting down your body with baby powder will give you an almost-shower-fresh feeling and smell. For a little while anyway. Something to remember next time you go camping.
- Running water is a good thing.
Back at Post
Well, I made it back to post in one piece. When I got home the inside of my house was covered in cobwebs and lizard turds and the water line going into the house had been broken so I had no water. Fortunately the house is now clean and the water has been turned back on (after four days) so I can now bathe again. Internet is up and power has been pretty good (knock on wood) so everything is OK.
Well, almost everything. Before I left the knob on my gas tank broke so it could no longer be closed. My colleague Souaibou got it out of my house so in the event there was a leak my house wouldn't fill with gas and explode, and he swapped a spare empty tank with me when I got back.
My first full day back I took the gas tank into town to the Total station where I was told they're out of gas and haven't had any shipments in three weeks. So, I can't cook anything or boil water. I've been eating at restaurants in town, at friends' houses, and buying bottled water to drink.
When I arrived I was asked if I would teach English and Computer classes this year to the students at the college (in French "college" means a private high school) that shares the campus with the University. Partly because I was afraid it would conflict with University classes once they start in October, partly because I wanted to use my free weeks when I have no University classes to work on computer classes for teachers and local members of the community, partly because the computer classes would be without computers and I'd just be teaching on a blackboard, and partly because I'm just not real jazzed about teaching at the high school level, I politely declined. They were disappointed but I think my time will be better spent working with adults.
I also had some sad news when I arrived. The eldest daughter of my next door neighbor died of a fever (not sure which disease) while I was away, leaving a six year old daughter behind. I had met her several times and she was a very nice woman, so I was saddened by her death. Then, the day after I returned, one of my colleagues lost his twelve-year old daughter to malaria. I stopped by yesterday to pay respects and he and his wife are both clearly devastated. I wish I could do something for them but unfortunately there's not much.
So, everyone here is in mourning. We're going to put some sort of memorial service together for them later this week.
Sad news aside, its been nice to finally be back in village and see all my friends and colleagues after more than a month's absence. Feels like I'm ... dare I say it? ... home.
Well, almost everything. Before I left the knob on my gas tank broke so it could no longer be closed. My colleague Souaibou got it out of my house so in the event there was a leak my house wouldn't fill with gas and explode, and he swapped a spare empty tank with me when I got back.
My first full day back I took the gas tank into town to the Total station where I was told they're out of gas and haven't had any shipments in three weeks. So, I can't cook anything or boil water. I've been eating at restaurants in town, at friends' houses, and buying bottled water to drink.
When I arrived I was asked if I would teach English and Computer classes this year to the students at the college (in French "college" means a private high school) that shares the campus with the University. Partly because I was afraid it would conflict with University classes once they start in October, partly because I wanted to use my free weeks when I have no University classes to work on computer classes for teachers and local members of the community, partly because the computer classes would be without computers and I'd just be teaching on a blackboard, and partly because I'm just not real jazzed about teaching at the high school level, I politely declined. They were disappointed but I think my time will be better spent working with adults.
I also had some sad news when I arrived. The eldest daughter of my next door neighbor died of a fever (not sure which disease) while I was away, leaving a six year old daughter behind. I had met her several times and she was a very nice woman, so I was saddened by her death. Then, the day after I returned, one of my colleagues lost his twelve-year old daughter to malaria. I stopped by yesterday to pay respects and he and his wife are both clearly devastated. I wish I could do something for them but unfortunately there's not much.
So, everyone here is in mourning. We're going to put some sort of memorial service together for them later this week.
Sad news aside, its been nice to finally be back in village and see all my friends and colleagues after more than a month's absence. Feels like I'm ... dare I say it? ... home.
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