Something to read if you wish

Its pronounced crocodile rock in case you are wondering.

The Coumpound

I am very fortunate to stay on the CBC (Cameroon Baptist Center), they are the host of the New Life Club, which is comprised of some of my ladies. There are clinics, meeting rooms, food halls, schools, training centers and guest houses. The guest houses are homes to many volunteers such as myself who are here working on many of the programs the CBC offers. The guest houses also are available for people traveling through Bamenda, so many new faces are seen everyday. The Cameroonians are the nicest people I've encountered, always a hello and smile on their faces.

Need a Dentist?

The 'Compound' where I am staying also has a clinic for anyone who is in need of health care. This sign is on the way to the canteen, where I eat lunch with my ladies. Today's lunch was a white yam, that was the starchiest thing ever, and white along with okongabong (sp?) think sag paneer consistency but made with huckleberry greens (not sure if its the same plant/fruit). It was rather bitter and truthfully I had a hard time with it, I ate as much as i could about 1/4 of the plate and then offered it to the ladies who divided it up rather quickly amongst themselves. I was then served a banana with lunch ( little known secret, I haven't eaten a banana since I was around 6 years old, until today).

Obama in Cameroon

I watched the inauguration on TV with some colleagues from Cameroon, Germany and the US. It was a bit dodgey when the power went out right when Obama was about to speak. But luckily the TV switched back on right as he stepped up to the podium. The Cameroonians were very excited to watch, and are now totally hooked to the New York Times website,

Getting here

Luggage rules, A) must be under fifty pounds and limited to 2 bags per person. I was about fifty pounds over limit, so thanks to a quick thinking Cindy and Hoang they delivered a new bag to me at the airport check in counter, so i could spread out the heavy jewelry tools that were being transported to Cameroon.

Once checked in My flights began at 2 pm Friday afternoon and ended 1pm Sunday after Cameroon time. (I am 6 hours ahead east coast time). Flights Philly to JKF (1 hour) JFK to Paris (5 hours strong tail winds got us in one hour early) Paris to Douala (9 hours, 1 hour late because as a culture Cameroonians are late always) So far 15 hours and Im still not at my final destination.

The airport was hot Douala is a port city close to the beach and is notoriously hot and humid and I'm wearing a sweater and jeans, and thus covered in sweat, like a dumb American.

after passing through the vaccination counter ( yellow fever, typhoid, meningitis and malaria pills in full effect) and passing through customs I'm off to baggage claim expecting to retrieve my bags that were hopefully not rifled through. And I was swarmed by mosquitoes and men that wanted to desperately to help me, I assured then 50 times I was OK as I suspected they wanted money.

Somehow I ended up with four 'helpers' who grabbed my baggage tags from my hands and then started to ask for money but luckily my escort was there and managed to convince them to back off gave them a few francs and into the van that was to take us to a Catholic guest house for the night. The house was like a youth hostel and luckily there was a swimming pool, but we were told that we couldn't swim at night because the dogs are left out to patrol. Also bitten by several mosquitoes , malaria paranoia begins.

Camarooned

I'm leaving for Bamenda Cameroon on Friday January 16th, 2009, to teach women with HIV and AIDS how to make jewelry. I will be posting as internet availibilty allows me.