After many unsuccessful attempts at putting up photos, I have decided that there's no point to dwell on that issue. However, I will try to explain the photos that I really wanted to show. Firstly, two adorable children, who give me much happiness; two sprightly children who adore to follow me around, run with me, come into my room and play with my things, cry…pick on each other, and ask me for "cadeaux" every hour. Secondly, two much older "grandmères" of the house, who (rumor has it) are 110…hmmm, they only speak Patois, a native language, thus my interaction with them has been quite disconnected and vague. Every morning I eat breakfast with them, as they look at me in splendor and me at them, sans communication. Thirdly, my two sisters that are so, so caring towards me and are much fun to be around. They help me clean my room, my clothes, my shoes (a cultural faux-pas here is to have muddy shoes, quite challenging after a torrential downpour and a long walk through mud). They also have introduced me to many of their friends and, recently I enjoyed going dancing with one of them at a Cameroonian discothèque. Fourthly, I assume I would show a picture of Bangante itself: its green, rolling hills, muddy streets, colorful vegetation, and tin-roofed houses that dot the landscape.
For the most part my time here has been quite pleasant. Training lasts another 9 weeks. My days are quite regimented. Between language training, tech training, cultural training, hanging out with my host family or exercising, I do not have much time to hang out with friends or just by myself. My friend explained it quite well in saying training is like summer camp, with new people, gossipy situations, regimented schedules, and learning new tasks. Yet, training is a lot less fun and more technical. I somewhat yearn every once in a while, while starring out of the window, to have the ability to escape from being cooped up, listening to French discussions. Sometimes it's difficult to know that although I'm surrounded by 85 degree sunny weather, picturesque scenery, and unimaginable adventures, I must abide by such structure and administration.
I'm sure however in a few months time, when I'm alone in an isolated community, I will miss the pleasures of a home-stay family; getting a baguette with some questionable, bright-pink sausage-looking substance and coffee in the morning, always having people to talk to. I'm sure that I will desire to be only a few minutes walk away from other Americans, occasionally to have the ability to go out with them. I'm positive I will thoroughly appreciate all my technical training and how much it will prepare me for what I will encounter. Thus training is going…c'est pas horrible, mais c'est pas super non plus. Ca va.
Until my next post, I can probably, fairly easily predict what my life will be like; I will experience electricity and water "cuts" daily, continue to consume an, approximately 75% Carbohydrate diet, fend off various large insects from my clothes, experience the changing of the seasons from rainy to dry, still have a 6 o'clock curfew, and sit in training for around 7 hours a day. Despite all those occurrences, however, I hope I will continue to be happy, and I know I will continue to feel very blessed that I am experiencing a little slice of Cameroon.
