A Celebration

After weeks of banging my head against a wall, cursing at inefficiency, and later moving 23,000 books around, we were able to see the appetizer portion of the fruits of our labor on Friday, March 19th when a small ceremony of book distribution took place in Bafoussam.

The Books For Cameroon team - Kate, Siobhan, Connie, Laura and myself - was present at once finally. Prior to this, we've been working largely through email or meeting separately. It was great to have all of us in one space and witnessing the books going out to recipients.

The ceremony took place at the conference hall in the governor's office building. Over 100 people were present - principals of schools, community leaders, traditional chiefs, journalists, government officials, etc. I was pleased with the turnout and was incredibly touched during the moment when everyone stood to sing the Cameroonian national anthem.

The event was short and sweet. I made a speech (in French!) on the project. Théo gave a speech on behalf of RIDEV. Peace Corps Staff who failed to inform us of the Embassy policy changed was also present and made a speech on behalf of Peace Corps. The Secretary-General made a speech on behalf of the Governor (after a million meetings, I still have no idea who this guy is). Representative from each establishment came forward and we ceremoniously gave them a book.

After the speeches, pictures were taken, food was served (can't have a ceremony without feeding people in the country!) and then finally, everyone made their way to the warehouse and books were distributed. I was incredibly impressed at this process; it was nearly flawless. Most schools and communities came with trucks to carry their books back. It was amazing to see principals and community leaders in suits carrying boxes of books on their head and loading them unto their trucks. Within two hours, we successfully distributed books for nearly all 35 establishments. I was extremely proud of Batié, where the mayor sent a dump truck to pick up ALL the books that were going to the village. The efficiency during this process was mind blowing compare to the ridiculousness we went through to get to that point.

The books are out, but the real work of following up with these libraries, training librarians and making sure these resources are putting to good use is just the beginning. I held a pre-training meeting a few days ago and today I made a tour of the 10 establishments around my village. I already see the obstacles with this part of work brewing. Development work is a process, and two years is only the beginning of it. As much as I hope that my replacement will continue with these follow-ups, there is no guarantee, and that, is truly unfortunate.

However, a good part of the books went to the Limbé City Library - a well established library in the anglophone region. Resource libraries are being established at RIDEV & RELUFA , so I know those books will go to good use. I suppose even only half of the 35 establishments end up function flawlessly, then our efforts aren't for nothing.

Finally, I wanted to give thanks to everyone who made this project possible. Kate has been my rock through this and carrying me through when I wanted to punch people in the faces, which was often. She is also the mastermind behind the library management training design that are taking place and most importantly, she kept me sane and conducted phone calls and made things work when I was on the verge of throwing in the towel. Today happens to be her birthday, and I want to just take this opportunity to acknowledge her amazing ways of putting up with me through this process!

Next, Théo, the incredible man who carries the hope in Cameroon, and also the guy that made it possible for our container to finally made its way out of customs. Théo's positive energy is what we all hope for in Cameroonians and there is nothing more encouraging to see people in this country taking measures to develop their own society. Bravo Théo!

Besides these two key figures, there are naturally a million people who were there for us in one way or another. (I feel like I am giving an Oscars acceptance speech right now) Thanks again for all who contributed to make the $11,500 fund raising possible, to MTN Foundation and Books For Africa for the financial support. Also thanks to volunteers who had came to help us sort books, those who had left us encouraging messages on our Facebook Page and much more.

The success of this project will take time to measure, but I am glad we are at this stage where we will be able to take such measurements!

PS-Apparently my interview with the journalists were aired on Canal 2 last night (twice!). Unfortunately, I don't have a TV at home to witness my 15 minutes of Cameroonian fame. Today, people in village talked about it, and they were proud of me. That was fun! :)

The Little Things

Now that I've decided on my next move, I'm getting increasingly more anxious with the rest of my time here in Cameroon. Yet at the same time, I am trying to take in every last bit of this love-hate relationship that I've developed with Cameroon.

Some things in the past few days that I want to remember:

• The drive from Bafoussam to Batié. This is 30-45 minute ride is one that I take very frequently and over the past 20 months, I've now gotten quite comfortable. I almost always sit in the front passenger seat, meaning I only need to be squished with one other person. And if I get lucky, this person is skinny and I'm riding (relatively) comfortably. The ride is beautiful, and I made a mental note that I will take a video of it before I leave.
  
  
• I have grown to be practically immune to bugs. I don't even bother to get up and kill bugs when I see them now. It's too much work. I simply let them roam freely in my house. Luckily, I have lots of little lizard friends who are around to eat the bugs. These lizards remind me of childhood in Taiwan, so comforting also in that way. Few nights ago, a lizard attacked one of the biggest spider I've EVER seen in my entire life. And friends, I've seen a lot of freaking large spiders, this one was special. Little lizard somehow was able to attack this spider that is bigger than himself and proceed to start swallow/eat it. I sat in my chair and watched this live attack going down. Who needs National Geographic when I have this happening 3 feet from me?
  
  
• I was running today and neighborhood kids were sliding down a sandy hill with various lids/tubs, then climbing back up the hill, and repeat the act. This immediately reminded me of going sledding in the snow! Appropriately enough, it is still winter in the Northern hemisphere. People do the same things. Black or white. Snow or sand.
  
  
• Recently discovered that eating locally produced roasted peanuts and Mambo (local, I think, chocolate) bar simultaneously really closely mimics peanut M&Ms! Wish I had discovered this earlier. But, I still won't mind if you send me peanut M&Ms. :)

That is all. And lastly, I recently received an email from a prospective PCV who shares the same Taiwanese-American background. Not many Asians join the Peace Corps and I was happy to discuss with her my experience and provide some insights. I try to be meticulous about keeping up with this blog because I enjoyed reading others' experiences while applying. If you are a prospective PCV reading this, let me know what kind of info you would like me to write or to add. And of course, I'm always happy to answer questions via email!

El Campero

One of my favorite pastime back in the "real world" is to sit at a café alone and people watch. Also the same reason why I love airports. Strangers I do not know are very interesting to watch. Each possesses their own aura and have their individual stories. I can sit for hours watching people and capture their own ordinary life in that moment in time.

Here in Cameroon, I don't have such luxury as Starbucks or other cutesy outdoor cafés. But when I do go into Bafoussam for various errands, I always stop by El Campero - white people's favorite bar in Akwa. When I'm alone, this becomes the closest equivalent to an outdoor café. I usually order some brochettes and friend plantain, then sit with my bottle of coke and watch people pass.

There are always people walking around with items on their heads that they are trying to sell. We call this activity, "bar shopping". You sit at a bar, and when people pass, you browse at their items to see if there are anything interesting to buy. It ranges from food (peanuts, prunes, fruits, etc) to handbags, shoes, pirated DVDs, magazines, electronics - you name it, and there are probably someone who sells it. Sometimes if you are really looking for something specific, you can tell one vendor, and he/she will pass the words on to whomever selling the item you are looking for. Definitely one of the more amusing and rare bar activities.

Ghilain & moi on my Birthday this year

When I'm alone at El Campero, I'm pretty at ease. One of the ladies at the bar, Ghilain, is a good friend to all of us white people. When she's working, we always hang out and have a good chat. Since El Campero is the bar of choice for us, I often run into others while sitting there - Americans, French, etc. We always order food from the vendors around - salad shack, grilled fish, brochettes, friend plantains, etc. and then gather here. El Campero is a fun place and many a fun gathering have occurred at this very bar.

3-Way Culture Exchange

Tuesday morning, I traveled back to the West with two French tourists, Laure & Fabien. They are friends of a French volunteer in Yaoundé, who didn't have time to travel with them. Laure & Fabien were going to travel alone and asked me if I knew a good hotel. I offered to take them in and play tour guide for a few days.

I must say it is quite refreshing having tourists around; it provides a new perspective. Or rather, it reminds me just how funny/absurd life is here. We get to the bus station at Binam Express and a bus was nearly full, but one of those small buses where they sit 5 to a row when it's meant for 4. We piled on and waited for the bus to depart. Every time another person gets on, Laure says, "there is no way." I tell her, "there is always a way."

We arrived in Bafoussam, stopped off in Akwa for some food before heading back to Batié. Laure & Fabien would point out things that I take for granted - the view, the warm and welcoming nature of the people, etc. They were amazed at my hole in the ground "bathroom", my Cameroonian "oven" and the fact I have Internet in a house without running water. On a day-to-day basis, I don't think about how my life here is still absolutely fascinating to many.

In one day, I took them on many "first-time" experiences - first time on overly crowded bus/taxi, first time on a moto, first time eating poisson braisée & baton de manioc, etc. The fascinating and incredible thing about being a globetrotter is the ease to form friendship with other amazing people. Three days prior, I had no idea they would even be visiting, and just like that, I now have new friends in Lyon, France who will welcome me if I ever visit. I think by the end of two years here, I will have friends all over France!

The next day, we visited the Mifi waterfall near Bafoussam, lunch in Akwa, a tour of the Market and then visited the chefferie in Bafoussam. That evening, I was going off to the joint-birthday celebration at the Chineses'. Coincidentally, it was Fabien's 30th birthday. Per usual, my Chinese family invited them over and housed them for two nights instead of letting them stay at a hotel. Once again, I was conducting a 3-way culture exchange; also acting as a translator between the Chineses' French & the Frenchies' French. I grow more comfortable with the French language everyday, and I hope there will be a chance to continue using it in the future.

Birthday #2 au Cameroun

On September 9th (09/09/09!), I celebrated my 23rd birthday in Cameroon and it was fantastic. Holidays end up being so much more fun here in Cameroon due to the low expectation. I should continue to adopt this attitude upon leaving here. Expect nothing and enjoy whatever comes my way.

The day began with a trip into Bafoussam. Mom had sent me a package that arrived in time and was waiting for me at the post office. It has been a while since I went to the post office to bug the ladies there and they were thrilled to see me. We chatted while I waited. I don't think I've ever or will ever have such lively conversations at the post office.

Afterward, it was lunch in Akwa, at our favorite bar - El Campero. Kate met me for lunch as well as buying groceries we needed for pizza night! I couldn't wait to open the package, and it was an ENTIRE box of FOOD. My favorite Chinese & American snacks all in one. I was impressed!

Jerome was also in town, so he stopped in for lunch and brought a bottle of wine for the evening. He couldn't join the girls for pizza, but paid a visit the following day. For lunch, we had the usual - brochettes & fried plantain. Ghilain, our favorite bar lady wasn't working that day, but she came anyway with a packet of biscuits!

Kate and I return to Batié after buying the necessary groceries from the market. I am not big on huge fêtes, so I invited a few girls over for a fun evening of food and wine. While the girls were slaving away in the kitchen making food, I went into town to drink with villagers. In most cultures, when it's your birthday, people buy you things. Here, when it's your birthday, you buy. However, it's my last birthday here so I was happy to share the occasion (& beers) with my people. They are so funny and I counted my blessings and noticed how much I had grown from the last birthday to this one. Last year, I didn't know villagers to buy them beers.

When I got home, the girls had cooked up a table of food - pizza, salad, mojito, cake, brownies - the works. Kate got me a bar of really good soap from her vacation in France, and the best part about it? It was wrapped in a yummy picture of Brad Pitt. Nura gave me reading privilege of all her unopened Economists from the last two months! It's the little things that really give you great joy here. I had a great birthday that marks the beginning of another hopefully fulfilling year!

Not Ready to Leave?

After my delightful day in Bafoussam, I had a dream that very night where I was not ready to leave. In the dream, I was not at all packed and was incredibly sad to leave my village and this part of my life behind. I woke up feeling nostalgic of the present. Is that even possible? Can you miss the life that you are still living in?

Ever since I realized that there remains only 10 precious months, I have been incredibly mindful of each and passing moment. I think it's much easier for one to let life pass by when there is no "end" in sight. For the better part of my service, I was so focused on how much more time I have left that each passing day wasn't all that significant.

Many things are on the agenda for the next 10 months and I am out to make each day count. Recently I've decided to apply for graduate schools for my time after the Peace Corps. To craft those perfect admission essays, I've been thinking a great deal on my past, and my future. In addition to my own experiences, I am relating them to issues that I am passionate about. The process has been an interesting self-reflection. Surprisingly, I am learning a lot about myself just through reflecting. Sometimes, I think we all need to take a minute to think about where we came from and what we have become.

I hope to spend some time in the near future dedicating a few blog posts on my views in the realms of microfinance, international development, social media and the like. Hopefully there will be time between cramming my brain full of GRE vocabularies, writing personal statements and continuously begging money for my library project. Stay tuned!

Delightful Monday in Bafoussam

I don't think I would've ever described a day spent in Bafoussam, the provincial capital 30 minutes away from my village, as delightful. Usually I am lucky to spend the day there without wanting to punch someone in the face. But this past Monday, it was surprisingly pleasant.

The sun was shining for the first time in weeks. I hadn't noticed it until a guy from village said this is the first day it hasn't rained in two weeks. Per usual, I was squeezed in the back seat with 3 others, but luckily my favorite fish mama was next to me. We had some nice chats. She was on her way into Bafoussam to purchase coal for her fish grilling endeavor. It never occurred to me until that moment that one can't find coal in my village. 14 months in, yet I still learn something new everyday.

The taxi made it into town without too many stops. I dropped off the copy work at my regular shop. The lady who owns this cyber café is one of the most modern and put together Cameroonian women I've ever met. She runs her business with such efficiency that blows my mind every time. We've became good friends and now she gives me my copies at a special rate. Each week, I look forward to our friendly exchanges when I go in to make copies for my business classes.

After I drop off the work, I walked down Akwa, a street in Bafoussam with bars, and mamas and people selling all kinds of street food. I stopped by my regular brochette guy and picked up a few skewers of bbq meat to fill the stomach. While I waited for my change, I noticed the ease and comfort I possessed in these social situations. Just a year ago, I was at the same place with Kirk, my predecessor, completely intimidated yet excited to face the great unknown. I thought of how far I've came in a year.

Brochettes in hand, I stopped by our regular bar to see Ghilain, our bar lady, but she wasn't there. So I continued the walk toward the bank to withdrawl some money. Nice guard at the bank informed me the ATM machine doesn't work. Luckily, there was hardly anyone inside the bank since it's not the end of the month. (Do not try to do anything at a Cameroonian bank near the end of the month. It is a pure nightmare.) I filled out some paperwork at the counter. While waiting for my money, I had a flashback to a year ago when Kate and I were trying to open our accounts there with atrocious French. How things have changed.

I paid a visit at my Chinese family. Per usual, they asked me to stay for lunch. I continue to marvel at how much they reall are like my parents. I told them I will be sitting for the GRE at the end of October and therefore are a lot busier now. Just before I left, they told me to study hard. I was warmed and thought that's exactly what my mother would say. I will miss them.

Since the sun was shining, I took the opportunity to take a stroll through the market. Usually I detest the market in Bafoussam. People are often obnoxious and in the rainy season, it's a muddy mess. But this day, I was particularly in the mood for some market action. I roamed through the crowded alleys with relative ease. Saw a stand with some scarfs so I stopped to barter with the lady. Two scarfs for 3000cfa ($6), not bad. I pride in the fact I now can buy most things like a true local.

Then I found my way to the veggie section of the market. I was looking for cucumber and didn't see any. So I inquired a mama. "Salut, ma fille !" (hello, my girl/daughter) I will miss being greeted this way. She told me where to find cucumber. The lady selling cucumber had a bunch of other things, among them, garlic that are already peeled! This is the equivalent of finding gem. I hate peeling garlic!

I concluded my stroll through the market, picked up my copies and then went behind the gas station to find a car back to Batié. Apparently during the week, taximen aren't suppose to be getting clients anymore. They are suppose to get clients at a place a bit outside of the city. That requires an extra 200cfa (40cents) in taxi to get there. So during the week, getting car in the center of the city is a hush-hush operation. Like a true local, I do not want to pay the extra 40 cents. I knew exactly where to go and who to see to get a car back home. The things I do here. :)

A delightful day in Bafoussam. At this moment in time, I already know for the rest of my life, I will miss days like this one. *sigh*