The End is Near

28/11/11

So, Stage is almost done, and everything I’ve known having to do with Peace Corps is about to change dramatically: no more rigid schedule, no more curfew, no more John the money man delivering envelopes full of money, no more people cooking meals for me, no more being surrounded by people who come from the same background. Peace Corps is about to get a whole lot more challenging, and Cameroon is about to feel a lot more real. This is what I came for: the real challenges and growing experiences are about to begin.

So, what have I been up to lately? Eating. A lot. And yes, I’m totally serious, that’s definitely been the bulk of my life outside of class-type stuff. Not so long ago, we made a delicious, American style brunch with chocolate chip pancakes, fruit salad, homemade hashbrowns, omelet, and avocado salad. I think that was the first time that I really had hope for good eats in Cameroon.

We also hosted ourselves a really nice Thanksgiving lunch/dinner in Bokito (the village where the Health kids have their Stage.) All of us contributed an item that we made ourselves, and it was possibly the most delicious day of my life. For those carnivorous folks, there was chicken (some of which was purchased from my host family), and for us veggies, we had homemade tofu. There was also guacamole, garlic bread (my contribution), red bean hummus, green beans, 3 different types of mashed potatoes, bruschetta, etc. etc. etc. Even more excitingly: desserts! Brownies, cakes, fruit salads, pineapple deliciousness, and pumpkin pie. I’m not sure that I’ve ever had such a thorough food coma, so clearly Thanksgiving was a big success.

Peace Corps hosted Cameroonian/American Diversity Day for us, as well, which, among talent shows, skits, Cameroonian proverbs, and music, included delicious Cameroonian food. If you assumed that Peace Corps membership came with a dramatic weight loss, you were definitely wrong, my friends. But, the food is good, people continue to be fantastic, and all in all, I’m living just the kind of life that I’ve wanted. Things with my host family have calmed down considerably, and all in all, I’m feeling pretty acclimated to life in Bafia, which means that it’s definitely time to move on to Batouri.

Over the next ten days, things are going to stay roughly the same: class continues on and on and on, and we continue to play massive amounts of volleyball to kill the time. But, when Stage ends, we have a big Swearing-In ceremony that the Embassy attends, as well as all of us and our host families. Every program has matching clothing, too, in clear Cameroonian style. Afterwards, curfew is finally over, so we can go back to feeling like independent people for one whole night. Hooooooooooooooooooooo buddy!

And, that’s it for now. Stay safe, all!