Almost There!

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  We have 2 weeks until pre-service training (PST) is finished.  Of course then the real work begins.  I will be heading off to my small village.  Then I will start really learning the local language, Fulfulde, with the French that I just learned and still struggle with – should be very interesting.  I just started classes here for Fulfulde.  It's a difficult task, my brain feels like mush after one hour.  My instructor teaches us the Fulfulde with French, talk about a brain ache.

I got a letter from my grandmother asking me what my bathing situation is.  She did the Peace Corps in Tanzania and she had a water bucket on the roof that caught rainwater for her bath (lucky her!).  I dream of such a concept!  No instead, I have a bucket.  That’s right I get to take icy cold bucket baths.  It’s a real motivation for me to exercise before I take a bath here.  I also have to fetch water from the well that is about a quarter of a mile away for my bucket bath.  A lot easier said than done.  I will have the same situation at my post since I don’t have running water.  Which also means that I fetch water for my water filter.  I’m gonna be super fit by the end of my two years here.

See photos below of the past couple of weeks …

This is my nephew in my Cameroonian homestay.  He is the son of my host sister.  He always comes knocking at my door for bon bons.

Christine and I at the July Birthday Celebration.

Natalie and I at the July Birthday Celebration.

Field trip to a local village, Bangou, Cameroon.

Memorial for a slave trade location in Bangou, Cameroon.

Chief's compound in Bangou, Cameroon.

 

Sam and I at Natalie's birthday at a bar in Bafia, Cameroon.