Journal Entries from Cameroon

While in Cameroon, I journaled or logged some of the things we had done almost everyday. Thought I would share some of them with you just to let you have a better picture of how our trip was from my perspective. Please forgive the choppy sentences and randomness. These were just my thoughts.

September 11, 2010

We went to Bamenda today. It is two taxi rides away from Belo. On the way back we had 3 people in the front plus the driver and 4 people in the back. It's uncomfortable but entertaining. There is very loud music playing at all times in all places-if the electricity is on.

I haven't showered since our first night in Cameroon(Sept. 7) My hair feels as though I put mass amounts of mouse or some other oily stuff in it and then didn't wash it for 2 days.

In Bamenda we went to a shop that had many different souvenir type things, but all are handmade in Cameroon. I got a coffee mug, bracelet, and a bottle opener- wooden fish with screws on the bottm to open the bottles.

We also got chocolate and cheese in another shop. Very excited about both of these actually! (It's amazing how much I realized I like cheese on this trip. It adds so much flavor and I never realized it!)

We ate in a restaurant named Dreamland(only time we ate out on the trip and only 1 of 2 times we ate meat) and we ran into the Japanese volunteer and one of his friends so we ate with them. They were meeting a Cameroonian woman to eat as well, so it was a very enjoyable, diverse lunch. The volunteer was very friendly and talkative. Sometimes I think I need to be more talkative, but I think it is better to not speak unless I have something good to offer to the conversation, but also little comments can lead into or spur on good, constructive conversations.

As Donald Miller writes, it is best to just be immersed in life- just be a dog(A Million Miles and a Thousand Years). I tend to analyze my own actions when I should just be acting(this usually stems from insecurities).

Coffee and chocolate have been the most comfort to me. Laurie made crepes with chocolate chips and bananas-freaking amazing!(We had these every other day if not more)

Arrested Development and Seinfeld have also helped my comfort level, although we have both been falling asleep very early because of the time change. 6 hours for me and 8 hours for Laurie.

Very happy I have not gotten sick yet. The taxi rides, music, and smells are not very conducive for feeling ill.

The children here seem to behave very well. They are very quiet and listen to any adult. This is a very big cultural diffrence from America. There are many, many children and the whole communnity/village cares for all them. Children, it seems are always safe because everyone cares for them whether the parents are around or not. On the bus ride from Douala, there were 4 or 5 very young boys(probably ages 3-8) sitting in front of me. Their father, actually he may not have been their father, made sure they were safely on the bus and then they were on their own, except if anything goes wrong, like them vomiting, which they did, then someone will be there to help, just as the lady sitting next to Laurie did(this lady's child vomited soon after). It is not always the best help, but their intentions seem to be of the best.

More to come.