November 14th, 2014 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »
• A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in a country in West Africa warned to me prior to leaving for Cameroon that I will be craving for certain American foods that I rarely eat in the US. She’s so right. I’ve had some cravings for a good beef dish. So random! I’ve dreamed of having a good barbecued sliced steak or hamburger. I do still miss cheese though!
• When in the US, I detest soy milk. It tastes so sour. However, in Cameroon, I’ve been addicted to them. When I get cold vanilla soy milk, it tastes like drinking vanilla milkshake from McDonald’s. My host mother started selling them at her boutique, and I don’t think she knew they’d be so popular among the Americans! I’ve been drinking it almost everyday and so have other Peace Corps Trainees. They fly off her shelf quite quickly.
• My host sister asked me if high schools in the US allow students to kiss, hug or show any love for the significant other. I said, “Oh sure! Of course.”
“It’s not allowed here in my high school,” she said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because they think it will cause more pregnancies.”
“Do you agree with that?”
“No,” my host sister giggled.
“Do you see lots of pregnant students in your school?”
“Oh yes! A ton!”
• I learned why all Cameroonian children, both boys and girls, in Mengong have their hair shaved. It’s a school dress code.
• My host siblings and I had a conversation about teachers slapping students with a stick for getting in trouble. Even though they are all very good students who work and study hard, they still have been slapped many times, primarily for talking in class. They said not all teachers do it though. They didn’t express any disgust for teachers being allowed to slap students and saw it as a normal everyday life. They even giggled when they admitted when they have been slapped too many times to count. I told them that in the US, if teachers slapped students, it’d be seen as an abuse.
• I got another proposal a week ago. Two guys asked me if I’m married. I said, “No.”
“Aw! Why not!” said one guy.
“You should get married,” said another guy.
“We’ll find you a man!” said one guy.
“I will find a man myself one day,” I said. Because I had a lot of things to do, I chose this response to cut off the conversation and allow me to walk away.
• Alcoholism is a serious problem in various parts of Cameroon. There are parents who spend money on buying alcohol to drink and as a result, they do not have money for children’s school fees, uniforms and supplies. I see many children in Mengong who do not have school uniforms. I also encountered a mother breast feeding and drinking at the same time at a bar. Financial hardship is one of the big factors for drinking.
• When there is no power when I wake up, I know the roads will be muddy because the rain has poured during the night. That means I need to wear waterproof shoes. I haven’t checked the weather forecast since arriving here. It’s easy to figure out what clothes to wear for the day. Temperature remains very similar on daily basis but I wear my clothes based on what the roads will be like.
