Dschang: Cameroon's Version of Ashland

Hello! Sorry it's been awhile. Internet is not nearly as good here, and I feel like I'm constantly doing more things. I don't have a whole lot of time, so I'll rush through this update!

We got here last Saturday and stayed the night at a pretty darn high class hotel. We also went out to a night club together, yes all 19 of us. Before then we had a decent group bonding sess over plenty of mixed drinks, and even got roudy enough for the hotel manager to call us and polity ask us in french to please shut up. The night club was fun but a bit much for me. I was literally running from at least 5 different men throughout the night. That's really not an exaggeration.

On sunday after about 4 hours of sleep and however many whiskey and cokes later, I woke up and was dropped off with my new family who is AWESOME. This time I'm with two parents, a 14 year old girl, 16 year old boy, an 18 year old boy, a 25 year old girl, and another older brother (well he's actually a cousin), and I can't remember how old his is. I also share a room with my 25 year old sister, which is prooving to be a very great thing. We often stay up late talking about boys and clothes and dancing and just classic girl sleep over stuff! It's really fantastic.

One note, there are a lot more cockroaches at my house here. I'm ok with it for the most part, but sometimes this crawl into my school bag and then I don't know they're there until I'm trying to get somtehing out and there's a giant cockroache crawling up my arm. And I accidentally stepped on one without any shoes on one night, and it survived!

Here, instead of cabs (there are a few cabs, but not many and they're always full), people just pile on to moto-taxis, aka motorcycle taxis. I literally saw 4 primary school children on one today: two infront of the driver, and two behind. It was probably the cutest, albeit most dangerous thing i've seen. The kids could not have been older than 6. Who put them on that moto??

I live up on the top of a hill, which I reach after walking by this little lake. Everyday I walk by the lake, and accross the dam. It's beautiful, and a nice change from the pace of the big city. I think that I may stay here for my research. There are literally urban farms everywhere. Today I went on a mad hunt to find the director the city agricultural department to see if he could hook me up with these groups of female farmers, and three failed attempts later I only found a phone number, hah, but it's a start! Also I emailed this program called Trees for the Future and said, " hey, i live in cameroon right now and I want to plant some trees with you guys," and I just got an email back from them! I don't know if that'd work out, but that would be very cool too. Pretty much, whatever I do, I want it to be very hands on.

It's so hard to do work here. Everyday I go home and hang out with my dad or one of my siblings and then at night the electricity is usually cut, and I'm too tired to do work anyways so I just go to bed. Two things about that: all the children in my family are very very smart and studious, but also really attractive and funny. I can't lie, they may be a little too cool for me. I love them though. The other thing is that water and electricity or cut way more often than in Yaounde. The electricity is really the fault of an american company which bought Cameroon's electricity after Biya agreed ti accept the conditions of the IMF's SAP. And then Morroco bought the water here. People go months and months without any running water. I don't know how that's possible in the city, in the poorer parts of Yaounde. Also, the electricy here goes out on average at least once a day.

For as much as I love Dschang, I miss my family in Yaounde. I miss the little 'uns! And Michelle teaching me go to cook and clean. And I miss my parents there, a lot. But I am moving back in just a week.

I feel my french improving every day, even if it's still really hard for me to understand people most of the time. Also, I'd really like to make more Cameroonian friends, but the only people who seem to want to talk to me are guys, and it's just not as common for boys and girls to have totally plutonic relationships here. And I may or may not have exchanged numbers with one of the mayor's sons. Either he was lieing, or I totally misunderstood him...

Also, I am really sorry to anyone that I haven't personally responded to. Also, my phone SUCKS! Sorry mom, but it does, and I am buying a new once in the next few days. Julian, I can't remember if I told you this, but as soon as I have a new phone I'll call you! Same to you mom and dad! Sorry this is so hard. Time is also just flying here. I can't believe that it's already been almost a month!

Oh, and Julian! I forgot to write this and I dont have enough time to email you again but my dream sack keeps me more than warm enough! Don't bring a sleeping bag! Also, there's this thing here called tartina (from the verb to spread), and it's like delicious chocolatey goodness. Ima buy a huge tub for our travels, because it's uber cheap!

Ah! I want to say too that we hung out at a chefferie the other day and we danced with a King! Granted there's a bunch of chefferies and there's only like 2,000 in batoufam, but still. We had to refer to him at majesty, and when people wanted to talk to him they have to do this hand clap thing and then only approach him when bent over and then talk into their hands, instead of directly too him. And we danced with him!

Ok, time to actually do some work. Me and this girls Alex are doing a smaller research project on female professers in Yaounde and Dschang and their status at the university, and how they balance their career with responsibilities at home. We've gotta print out some surveys to hand out!

Bye!

I love you guys!