Posts
So, after a week of training with the other VSO volunteers on all topics relating to life in the North-West province, sampling the local delicacies, and even a little language learning in pidgin, we all headed out to our respective communities. The north-west province, where I’ll be spending most of my time, is home to the English speaking minority of the country as well as the lead opposition to the President, the Social Democratic Front. President Paul Biya of the Cameroon Social Democratic Movement has been presiding since 1982. He is up for re-election in 2011... making for interesting times in the region.
Getting settled into work and my new home... I had some shelving made for my kitchen... very nice, but huge and heavy wood... it took five people, to just lift them up the stairs into my house... but really, the most interesting part of that experience, was strapping them to the roof of a mini-taxi and holding on to them as we went up and down the bumpy roads of Bamenda... I can’t believe they made it safe and sound! Haha! Cameroon is a fascinating place and I’m feeling very welcomed!!! Although, my boss keeps saying he’s “going to be squeezing the juice out of me, like an orange, in no time”. I think that means I’ll be working very hard??
One thing you can’t help but notice in Bamenda and the North-West province is all the dust... it’s in the air and everywhere. I believe my feet are already stained a lovely shade of orange! In some parts, I’ve heard they even use snow tires to drive through it! The locals here are anxious for the arrival of the rainy season... preferring the mud over the dust! Whoa! It is beautiful here, with the lush and green rolling hills and fresh produce. The north-west is the food-basket for the country, so there is definitely plenty to eat! Just learning where to find it all does take time... as of course, there are no street signs or addresses... you just have to be told what a place is called and where it is... but don’t ask for directions... that’s just confusing... best to have someone show you the way... through the dust....
