Two weeks in Yaounde

January 20, 2011

It has been just under two weeks in Cameroon and it feels like much longer. Time is drifting along slowly- like Cameroonian time. I am becoming more able to sit quietly and let the world go by taking in the sights of sounds of my new home. The colors, the clothing, the people are vegetation , the traffic….I have eaten some wonderful foods like beignets and ndoelle plus lots of barbeques. I have also searched out café au lait and croissants and had pizza and greek salads.

The picture taking here is sensitive- a tip that would have been good to know. People don’t want their picture taken or they want money for you to take one. It is not alright to take pictures of any government type buildings, the airport,etc. I will ask for the etiquette of picture taking once I am in Bafut. Since the Fon lives in Bafut and there are tourists who visit the Fon’s Palace, picture taking may be more acceptable.

I have included a picture of Yaounde from the top of Mt. Febe, the highest point in Yaounde.

I would like to take pictures of the women and men who carry amazing things on their heads. The include reams of fabric, towers of laundry baskets, trays of peanuts, carrots, and meat skewers, baskets of bottles, etc. Posture is beautiful , straight and tall. I would also take pictures of weddings with the fathers and sons dressing in similar shirts, mothers and daughters in matching dresses- all colorful fabrics and amazingly intricate designs.

So for now you'll get a picture of a banana tree, a papaya tree and a great staghorn fern that grew on the side of a monastary we visited.

The group of volunteers here is a wonderful one made up of Canadians, Phillipinos, Brits, and several Dutch people. The large francophone contingent are working in the North , Far North , south and southeast areas where the majority of people are French speakers. The rest of us are going to the Northwest region -the home of the second major political party in Cameroon. We are spread out around Bamenda and hope to be able to get together to socialize and talk about our work together.

I’m heading to my placement early next week after two weeks of intensive language lessons ( how you deh? everyone), lots of forms and procedures, organizational development modules, etc. I am learning interesting and challenging things about this culture and the role of women here. It’ll be good to leave the big city for the mountains and cooler temperatures. I just found out I’m getting a frig! Yipee!!