October 28th, 2014 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | 2 Comments »

I’d like to jot down a list of amusing things that have happened in my life recently in Cameroon.

• One day, as I was walking to the training center on a muddy road, a motorcycle zoomed right by me and drove in a puddle, causing muddy water to splash on my pants that were just washed the day before. I did quietly shout out “What the #%^@!” Keeping my clothes clean is a serious commitment in Cameroon. The more dirty clothes I have, the more time I have to spend hand washing my clothes. Because I wanted to re-wear my jeans, I washed it with soap and water as soon as I arrived at the training center. Yes, I did wear my pants soaking wet for several hours but I got to re-wear it three more times before washing it again. C’est la vie.

• My absentee ballot was sent on September 17th according the postmark. I just received it on October 27th. My mom sent me two packages on September 19th and they have not yet arrived, but I just received a package on October 27th from my sister that was sent on October 1st according to the post mark. Mail is absolutely unpredictable in Cameroon. Some packages can take as long as two months to arrive while some can be as quick as just less than a month. If you sent me a package and haven’t gotten a word from me that I have received it, don’t panic. This is the real life in Cameroon. The word “organized” doesn’t exist in their language. Most things in life in Cameroon are often super slow and late. The number one cause for mail delays is customs. The word “patience” will become our best friend during my service.

• A five year old may think receiving wipes is the worst gift ever. But for a Peace Corps Trainee, it’s the best gift in the world. My sister sent me several packets of wipes and hand sanitizers. I screamed with joy when I opened the package and saw them as I was very close to running out my cleaning supplies.

• As I just sat down at the table for dinner the other night with one of my host sisters, my host cousin, other sister and brother came running towards a window and my host sister jumped out of the chair and squealed. “What’s there?” I asked in French.

“A mouse,” said my host sister.

My host siblings spent about ten minutes catching and killing the mouse with sticks. Once they killed the creature, they pushed it towards me for me to see. I screamed and turned my eyes away.

“If the mouse was bigger, we would have cooked it and eat it,” said my host sister who explained to me that there are mice that are at least foot long. Again, I’m thankful that I can’t eat bush meat.

A few months before I left for Cameroon, I saw a dead rat near my apartment in Boston and wrote on Facebook that I need to learn not to be squeamish with these filthy creatures. So, I have clearly still been unable to learn to brave in seeing these creatures. When I move to my post, I may have to become best friends with a neighbor and let that one person do the killing and tossing out in a trash can for me.

• I played “Let It Go,” in English on my iPhone one day a couple weeks ago, and my host brother sang it in French. Cutest thing ever! Yes, there are Frozen fans in Cameroon!

• When a Cameroonian learned that I was being posted in Bamenda, she excitedly told me she’s from the Northwest.

Cameroonian: There are supermarkets in Bamenda where you can buy macaroni and cheese.

Me: *My eyes pop out* Reeeaally?!

Cameroonian: Yes!

Oh boy! She did not know that I love cheese and how much I miss it. I should note that supermarkets are rare sights in Cameroon and found only in a very few cities.

• I caught more big dead flies in my room last week. I’m thankful for my bed net that keeps them off me and kills them.

• I had my first pagne dress made two weeks ago. There was one problem though. The tailor switched my fabric with my friend’s fabric by mistake. The dress is still pretty regardless. Again, c’est la vie. I got another beautiful pagne and will get another dress made and also a skirt.

• Electricity goes out frequently in Cameroon, especially at night. There has also been many occasions when I wake up in the morning and flick the light switch to turn on but no light comes on. I just pull out my flashlights and life goes on. I made grilled cheese in the dark last week using their gas stove. Eating grilled cheese was the best thing ever. I can’t wait to enjoy more at my own post although it won’t be too frequently because cheese is not cheap here.

• A few weeks ago, I was standing just outside of my host mother’s boutique. A couple guys come up to me and try to say something that I couldn’t understand. My host mother called me to come inside her boutique and said, loud enough for the guys to hear, “They’re ‘deranging’ you. They’re drunk.” The guys came up closer and my host mother just continued to say in front of them, “They drank too much. They’re drunk.” Cameroonian women are known to be very strong and the best protectors and my host mother is an example.

• Mes amis and I hired a private driver and made a trip to Ebolowa this past Saturday to get internet access, get some good French pastries and buy pagnes. When the driver stopped by a store in Ebolowa to drop us off, a guy standing near the car pointed to me and told me he wanted to propose to me. I pretended I didn’t hear what he was saying. He put his hand up and pretended he was putting a ring on a finger. I walked away.

• As I was walking down a road last week and a guy was riding by me in a motorcycle, he did a blow kiss at me.

• When it’s 60’s to 70’s degree, Cameroonians tells me it’s cold and are freezing. I tell them, “The temperature is perfect for me. I’m from the north of US where winters exist and we get lots of snow.”

In spite of some crazy moments, I’m loving my life here. Cameroonians in general are the most friendliest and warmest people.

October 25th, 2014 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »

I did say a few weeks ago that getting water had been a challenging experience. But has getting water from a pump that is right outside of my family’s home made my life miserable? No.

I have been taking bucket baths since arriving in Mengong. I pour water into a bucket that can hold approximately 3 gallons of liquid. My host family often boils the water for me. Has taking a bucket bath deteriorated my quality of life? No. It’s not challenging at all. I just take a cup and dip it into the bucket of water to get water. Then I pour the cup of water over my head. I then shampoo my hair and lather soap on my body. I then get another cup of water and pour it over my head. This step repeats until all the soap is off my body. It’s a very easy task.

This bathing system is actually better for our planet. I use only about a gallon and half of water. I imagine when taking a shower, I use far more water and waste a large amount since I often stand under running water when not washing my body for several minutes.

Having water access directly in one’s home by simply twisting a knob does certainly give us an easier lifestyle but does it make our lifestyle more superior? No. As long as there is access to safe water within a 10 minute walk or less, one can still lead a healthy lifestyle.

From my observation, I find getting water from the water pump has many benefits. There is always a crowd of children helping each other pump water and talking to each other. There will sometimes be adults there too. The water pump is the Facebook of the village. In other words, it’s where they meet their friends and neighbors, socialize, and share everything they want to share within their circle. The water pump forces us to get off the couch and move away from interacting with people through the computer screens. It allows us embrace face to face interaction.

This is where my host family and I get water from a pump.

The water pump is also our exercise machine. It takes a lot of muscle power to pump out water and carry buckets of water back to the house. Children in Mengong have the muscles on their arms that look like one has done a lot of weight lifting. I have never seen children in the US with big muscles on their arms.

I would like to ask those who ask me or others if we’re going to have water access directly in the home when living in a developing country and/or express hope for direct water access to rethink your concerns and realize that challenges come with many benefits.

I want to note that I am not asking to no longer show concern for those who have to walk very far to get and/or have no access to safe water. Water sanitation and hygiene continues to be a serious problem in Cameroon as many still do have to fetch water from a stream or lake which are often filled with bacterias and worms. Unsafe water can lead to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, the most common illness especially in children under 5, many of whom often die from this issue. We do indeed still have a long way to go in building water pumps or any kind of facility to provide access to safe water to millions of people in not only Cameroon but also in many other countries around the world.

October 16th, 2014 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | 3 Comments »

I have been assigned to Bamenda, the capital city of Northwest!!!

When shortly after I received my invitation to Cameroon and passed the final medical clearance, I contacted Mobility International USA to update them on my application process and thank them for their support. They responded to my message by telling me that they were connected to a president of a disability organization in Cameroon and asked me if I wanted to get in touch with her. I certainly accepted the offer. The president of the disability organization in Cameroon and I both corresponded briefly. She said that she’d love to have me work with her. I told her that I had no control over where I could be placed as it was Peace Corps’ decision, and I had to be flexible, but I could let Peace Corps staff members know that I was interested in being placed in Northwest so that my secondary project could focus on working with people with disability, and I could work with her. Shortly before I left for Cameroon, Mobility International USA posted on Facebook an article featured on NPR about another Cameroonian woman with disability who was also a president of another disability organization in Northwest. I posted a comment saying that I wished I could get in touch with her. They connected me with her. She also expressed how much she’d love to have my support too.

When I had my first interview with the director of Peace Corps health sector in Cameroon and another staff member on the second day in Yaounde, I told them that I’ve been in touch with two people with disabilities who are presidents of disability organizations in Northwest. I told them that I understand that one of Peace Corps’ policy is to be flexible and volunteers should go where they are most needed, and I have told the presidents that I could not make any promises. I added that however, I would love for my secondary project to focus on people with disability. The director of health sector told me that they could look into it and see if they can work something out.

A week later, the director of health sector came to me and asked me for the contact info of both women with disabilities with whom I’ve been in contact. She said that a staff member would like to meet them. I gave them to her.

A week later, I heard from one of the women with disability via email who told me that she met with Peace Corps and had a nice long meeting.

The following week, I had a follow up meeting with the director of Peace Corps health sector in Cameroon and the same staff member with whom I interviewed when I first arrived in Yaounde. They did confirm that a Peace Corps staff member did meet with the disability organization in Bamenda and asked me if I was certain that I’d like to work with them. I told them, “Yes!”

Yesterday, the post assignments for all trainees were announced. I have been officially assigned to Bamenda, the capital city of Northwest! I will be working with the organization, Coordination Unit of Association of Persons with Disability, as my primary assignment. I am in a complete awe that Peace Corps made the effort to work out in having me work with people with disability as my primary project and also that a Peace Corps staff member made the effort to meet in person with my contacts in the disability community. This assignment would also not have been possible without Mobility International USA’s support as they were the ones who provided me the connection for the disability community in Cameroon.

On top of all this, one of my contacts in the disability community in Cameroon put me in touch with a professor at University of Toronto who focuses her research on the disability community in Cameroon and has been providing me lots of info to help with my assignment. She’ll be in Bamenda for a business trip shortly after I arrive there.

The Peace Corps Director of Cameroon also told me that there is a school for the deaf in Baufoussam, about an hour from Bamenda, and they have requested a Peace Corps Volunteer. He told me that I could perhaps do a side project with them.

Bamenda is known for its scenic location and super chilly climate which makes me very happy! According to a travel guide book, Northwest looks like it came straight out of a fairytale scene as it’s a beautiful mountainous region. People who personally know me knows very well that I have a strong love for mountains. Northwest along with the West is also known for having a wide variety of food, which means lots of opportunities to play with my cooking skills! There will be at least three other Peace Corps Volunteers including one from my sector in Bamenda. I’m super stoked!

This is the moment when I first found out my post.

October 15th, 2014 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »

Me with some of my host family members

“The real voyage of discover consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

In the past decade, when I traveled around the world, I always tried to stay in someone’s home instead of a hotel so that I could learn about the culture and people of the country. I always found that I learned so much more about the country when staying with a family than when staying in a hotel. Peace Corps is very smart about having trainees live with host families during the first two to three months. Living with a host family is one of the most rewarding experience for both the Peace Corps Trainee and host family. I would like to share many benefits of staying with a host family in a foreign country. These reasons can apply not only to Peace Corps Trainees but also to travelers and students who study abroad.

1. We learn about the locals’ daily routine. Humans in other countries often do laundry and cooking differently. Some like those in Cameroon do laundry by hand and some like many in China do not have an oven. Many people in other countries come home from school or work for lunch for a couple hours a day.

2. There is no better place to taste local food than in one family’s home. When eating out, we often choose a restaurant that has food that we’re most comfortable with eating. By staying with a host family, we are forced to go out of our comfort zone and try new food. We discover new dishes that become our new favorite. For example, my host family made Koke, a traditional Cameroonian dish that was made with beans and palm oil. I have never eaten it before, but I fell in love with it. I first discovered soufflé when staying with a host family in France and “brought” it home to America by making it many times in my kitchen.

3. Hearing host families’ views about global and social issues can help us become a better educated voter. Every country’s political system is unique and we can learn from the families about the pros and cons of how their government system works. In many countries, my host families and I have discussed pros and cons of having single payer healthcare, workers going on strike, paying high income taxes, and religious freedom.

4. The host family can learn so much more about our culture. One of Peace Corps’ goals is teaching the locals about the American culture. Host families will ask us questions about our country and lifestyle. We can bring photos of our family and friends so they can see what our life is like in the US. My host families around the world always enjoyed seeing photos of my high school proms and graduation because they don’t exist in most other countries. We can introduce them to our own local food by cooking for them. I have so far baked brownies and chocolate chip cookies for my host family in Cameroon and they loved them. Remember, many host families may never have the opportunity to see our own homeland.

5. There is no better place to learn the language than by staying with the host family especially if the family doesn’t know our native language. When living with a host family, we are forced to improve our communication skills so that we can share information and cooperate well. When I first arrived in Peru in 2009, I didn’t know any Spanish. I forced myself to learn the language quickly because I stayed with a family who didn’t know any English. Within four weeks, I was able to have basic conversations in Spanish with the host family. When I first arrived in Cameroon, my French was incredibly rusty but within two weeks, while staying with a host family, I got back to almost where I was when I last spoke the language in 2009.

6. Host families will tell us about great off-the-beaten-path spots that we may not find in travel guidebooks. For example, one of my host families in Paris took me to Chantilly Castle and another host family in Paris took me to little museums such as Musée Cognaco-Jay and Musée Carnavalet.

7. If we get sick, we’re surrounded by people who can take a good care of us. I got food poisoning in China, Peru and New Zealand and flu in Germany. I was so grateful for my host families who could take me to the hospital and provide me good food including homemade chicken soups.

8. We form everlasting friendships. I’ve stayed in touch with many of the host families through emails and Facebook. I’ve actually visited some of them again. Some have visited me in America to learn more about my homeland and culture.

9. We get lots of hugs and enjoy laughing. Host families’ homes are filled with warmth and love that cannot be found in hotels and hostels.

October 15th, 2014 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | 1 Comment »

Marissa, third from the left, helped found the restaurant.

Imagine meeting an educated woman who lost her husband and was looking for ways to make money to maintain her family and then also noticing that many people in the village were facing malnutrition. Can these two problems be solved at the same time?

On Saturday afternoon, two Peace Corps Trainees, a Peace Corps Volunteer host and I took a 30 minute ride from Ngoaundere to a village to visit Restaurant Saare Soja. This restaurant, located on the side of an interstate and surrounded by beautiful green rolling hills, was recently created with an assistant of a Peace Corps Volunteer, Marissa. She encountered these two issues, a widow woman needing money and malnutrition, in her village and came up with a very ambitious but simple solution, which was to create a restaurant with a well rounded menu. The location was just perfect as cars could easily see the restaurant as they passed by. The signs, which were painted on the building, were very big and visible. Marissa who is about to finish her service in a few weeks, joined us for lunch.

Because her goal was to ensure that the restaurant could continue to operate for many years to come without her presence once she leaves, she focused on facilitating the female widow and other women to create the restaurant instead of doing it on her own by teaching them how to start and maintain a business and also how to eat a well balanced diet.

The women who are working in the restaurant are uneducated but are now making ten times more than they would have made if they didn’t start the restaurant. The restaurant was clearly popular as it was crowded when we were there.

Inside the restaurant, there were posters explaining how to eat a well balanced meal. This was a great way to help educate people about how to be well fed.

Soy Milk

Tofu with Rice

As helping to end malnutrition was a goal, the menu focused on ensuring people would get a balanced diet. The choices included tofu, fish or beef and rice on the side. The dishes included sauce made with vegetables. One of the most popular menu items was soy milk. Soy milk is one of the most nutritious items as it contains proteins and minerals. As someone who usually never likes to drink soy milk, I was completely sold on the soy milk there. It was like drinking white hot chocolate. It was very thick and creamy. It was so good that I got a bottle to take back with me and drink on the train from Ngaoundere to Yaounde. I also got a tofu dish with rice, and it was incredibly delicious.

What is so extraordinary about this Peace Corps Volunteer is that she didn’t strictly follow the textbook which was to simply go to health clinics to speak with patients, visit schools to educate children about health or host community events. Instead, she chose to be creative and took a path that she felt that would create a sustainable outcome for people in the village where she lived. It was a great opportunity to learn about her work because it gave me the confidence knowing that I can think outside of the box and come up with simple and creative solutions to solve issues. I was also told that people had little faith in this Peace Corps Volunteer’s project but she stuck with her guts and continued to work on the project. I felt that I could so relate this situation because I’ve had occasions in my life where people doubted my abilities but still succeeded in doing what I desired to do.